Technology Modernization Fund
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature provided $40 million of funding over four years for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF). The TMF allows Minnesota IT Services to fund projects and efforts that will modernize, secure, and improve the customer experience of executive branch technology systems.
State of Minnesota agencies, boards, councils, commissions and Tribal Nations are encouraged to submit requests for funding to modernize government or improve digital services for Minnesotans and state employees.
Is my idea a good fit for the TMF?
All ideas are welcome, but the funds will prioritize efforts that take less than one year to implement, provide substantial business value, and cost less than $1 million. Approved efforts will use the Modernization Playbook to simultaneously adopt modern business processes and improve customer and user experiences.
An idea is a good fit for the TMF if it has high business value, defined by meeting some or all of these criteria:
- Improves the customer experience
- Provides digital service delivery
- Addresses a security risk
- Modernizes a business process
- Improves resiliency, operational efficiency, and/or risk reduction
- Aligns to the One Minnesota Plan
- Moves to a shared or market-based technology solution
- Leverages AI or automation
You can submit ideas for an early prototype, or a functional or low-effort/high-value product. This might help validate your initial concept before requesting additional funding or appropriations through normal agency budget processes.
Work that is not a good candidate for the TMF is maintenance and support, upgrading desktops, infrastructure, implementing security software, etc.
Customer experience
Minnesotans expect modern, digital applications that can provide access to services at any time, from any place, and in an equitable and secure manner. Our reliance on now-outdated, custom-developed systems has held us back from realizing the full potential of technology to transform government and offer the experiences Minnesotans deserve.
The systems that once served us well have been adapted to respond to laws or business processes that they weren’t built to support. The TMF will help meet our customers and residents where they are and respond with agility to changes in customers’ needs and expectations.
Submit a proposal
State employees find the form to submit proposals and business case templates on MNIT's Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery's collaboration site (for executive branch employees).
The process
- Submit Request: Requests are accepted on an ongoing basis.
- Review Request: All requests will be first reviewed by MNIT’s Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery.
- Approve Request: Requestors will present viable proposals to a governance body, the Modernization Steering Team, that meets monthly. The Modernization Steering Team will make recommendations to MNIT’s Commissioner for final approval.
- Monitor Work: Modernization Steering Team will monitor approved efforts to ensure performance targets are met.
Modernization Steering Team
An existing governance team, the Modernization Steering Team, will make recommendations and monitor proposals for the Technology Modernization Fund. The team includes MNIT and agency partner leadership.