THE GRAND RAPIDS RED PROJECT

What THE GRAND RAPIDS RED PROJECT does

The Grand Rapids Red Project is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that delivers free harm reduction, HIV care, and substance use prevention services to the West Michigan community. Its core service lines include CleanWorks (sterile supply distribution), Naloxone kit distribution (both intramuscular and nasal spray), free rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing with results in 20-25 minutes, HIV case management, PrEP and PEP access coordination, recovery coaching, and certified overdose prevention and response training. The organization also runs a Drug Checking Program providing fentanyl, xylazine, and medetomidine test strips. Operations span two fixed offices (Kent County in Grand Rapids and Muskegon County in Muskegon), a Mobile Health Unit that operates throughout the week at various locations, and a statewide Naloxone Newspaper Box distribution network across Michigan.

The organization's underlying technology stack is operationally minimal: a Squarespace-hosted website, an email newsletter (The Red Report), a Facebook presence, and Google Forms for community overdose reversal reporting. The platform-layer interoperability is provided through the NEXT Distro partnership, which enables mail-order delivery of sterile supplies. There is no proprietary software, no API, no mobile app, and no embedded AI/ML capability. The organization's differentiators are physical presence, community trust, and human-delivered care rather than technology.

The Grand Rapids Red Project generates no commercial revenue. As a 501c(3) nonprofit, it relies on donations, grants, and charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and community supporters. All services — harm reduction supplies, naloxone, HIV/HCV testing, case management, PrEP/PEP coordination, recovery coaching, drug checking, and training — are provided free of charge. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with services delivered through mobile units, office locations, and community training sessions. The customer base consists of individuals at risk for HIV, hepatitis C, and substance use disorders, as well as community organizations seeking certified overdose response training. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors that includes representatives from Corewell Health and Priority Health.**

Name

THE GRAND RAPIDS RED PROJECT

Legal name

The Grand Rapids Red Project

Website

https://redproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Grand Rapids Red Project is a 501c(3) nonprofit in West Michigan that provides free harm reduction services, including sterile supply distribution, naloxone, HIV/HCV testing, case management, recovery coaching, and overdose prevention training, to individuals at risk for HIV, hepatitis C, and substance use disorders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Harm Reduction Services

NAICS

Hazardous Waste Collection (562112)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Harm reduction services
• HIV prevention services
• Overdose prevention training
• Substance use support
• Syringe service program

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, The Grand Rapids Red Project operates primarily through charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and community supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Grand Rapids Red Project is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization that provides free harm reduction services in West Michigan. Its core offerings include sterile harm reduction supplies (CleanWorks), free naloxone kits (intramuscular and nasal spray), rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing, case management, PrEP/PEP access coordination, recovery coaching, drug checking services, and overdose prevention training for community organizations. Services are delivered through two office locations (Kent County and Muskegon County), a Mobile Health Unit, naloxone newspaper boxes, and a partnership with NEXT Distro for mail delivery.

Product overview

The Grand Rapids Red Project is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization offering a unified suite of harm reduction, HIV care, and substance use prevention services in West Michigan. The core offerings center on CleanWorks (sterile supply distribution), Recovery Coaching, and Naloxone distribution (intramuscular and nasal spray). HIV prevention services include Case Management, PrEP/PEP Access, and free rapid HIV/Hepatitis C Testing. The organization operates a Mobile Health Unit, provides Overdose Prevention & Response Training, maintains a Drug Checking Program with test strips, and offers Syringe Disposal Services. Through the NEXT Distro Partnership and Naloxone Boxes, the organization extends its reach across Michigan. The Red Report newsletter and Resource Guide provide ongoing community education and support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CleanWorks Harm Reduction Supplies
• Recovery Coaching
• Naloxone Kits (Intramuscular and Nasal Spray)
• HIV and Hepatitis C Testing
• HIV Case Management
• PrEP and PEP Access Coordination
• Overdose Prevention and Response Training
• Drug Checking Program
• Mobile Health Unit
• Syringe Disposal Services
• NEXT Distro Mail Delivery
• Naloxone Newspaper Box Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Free rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing available in 20-25 minutes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kent County Health DepartmentcoreOthersKent County Health Department serves as a syringe and medication disposal location for the community, complementing Red Project's harm reduction services in Kent County.
• Cherry Health - Southside CliniccoreOthersCherry Health Southside Clinic in Grand Rapids serves as a syringe disposal location for community members, supporting the harm reduction ecosystem.
• NEXT DistrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Project has partnered with NEXT Distro to provide safe and sterile health supplies that can be delivered at no cost. This partnership enables mail delivery of harm reduction supplies throughout Michigan.
• MDHHS (Michigan Department of Health and Human Services)coreOthersMichigan Department of Health and Human Services provides the statewide Syringe Service Program information and network, connecting Red Project to the broader state harm reduction infrastructure.
• KCOTF (Kent County Opioid Task Force)minorOthersKCOTF is a local coalition working on opioid issues in Kent County; Red Project partners with them on community harm reduction initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AIDS Foundation of Chicago: Large regional HIV/AIDS nonprofit operating case management, PrEP/PEP navigation, and harm reduction programming across Illinois. Broader scale than Red Project but overlapping HIV-care and harm-reduction service lines.
• National Harm Reduction Coalition: National advocacy and capacity-building organization for harm reduction. Provides training, technical assistance, and resources that Red Project both consumes (via overdose prevention training) and locally delivers.
• Howard Brown Health: Chicago-based LGBTQ-focused FQHC providing primary care alongside HIV testing, PrEP/PEP, and harm reduction services. Comparable clinical-community hybrid model, but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• San Francisco AIDS Foundation: San Francisco nonprofit providing HIV/HCV testing, PrEP/PEP navigation, harm reduction supplies, and case management. Comparable integrated HIV-and-harm-reduction service portfolio delivered free to the community.
• Prevention Point Philadelphia: One of the oldest syringe service programs in the U.S., offering harm reduction supplies, case management, and drug user health services in Philadelphia. Comparable nonprofit, multi-program SSP structure serving a defined regional population.
• HIPS: Washington D.C. harm reduction organization providing syringe access, overdose prevention, and case management to people who use drugs. Comparable community-based, free-services nonprofit model.
• Trac-B Exchange: Las Vegas harm reduction program operating a mobile syringe exchange, drug checking using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and naloxone distribution. Closely comparable on mobile outreach and drug-checking services.
• NEXT Distro: National mail-based harm reduction and syringe access program. Red Project is a NEXT Distro partner, and both organizations share the same harm reduction mission, free-supply model, and mail-delivery distribution approach.
• Chicago Recovery Alliance: Chicago-based harm reduction organization providing syringe access, drug checking, naloxone distribution, and recovery support. Direct service-model peer with a similar mobile outreach and drug-checking orientation.

Regional players

• Thrive Harm Reduction (Wisconsin): Peer harm reduction organization operating in the Upper Midwest; comparable SSP model but serves a different state geography than Red Project's Michigan footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/media/set/?vanity=TheRedProjectGR&set=a.1123208159841188
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-grand-rapids-red-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about THE GRAND RAPIDS RED PROJECT