Minneapolis will receive up to $2.7 million to fund a team that will analyze how the city delivers its primary services — and help ensure it does so equitably.

The city announced Monday that it is one of 12 communities selected to participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies' Innovation Teams program. Minneapolis will get a grant of $900,000 per year for up to three years, and will use it to assess how the city distributes services, like towing cars or cleaning up graffiti.

The money will fund a special team of consultants, called an I-team, that will sort through data and work with the city to fix gaps in how it provides services.

In a statement, Mayor Betsy Hodges said the grant fits well with the work the city is already doing. The mayor and several council members have made racial equity one of the most-talked-about goals at City Hall this year. The budget approved earlier in December calls for the creation of a new Office of Equitable Outcomes, which will include two new staff positions.

"This grant recognizes the commitment we have made to increasing equity in our city," Hodges said. "The analytical capacity that we build in partnership with Bloomberg will also be available to apply to issues beyond equity."

Other cities set to get the grants are Albuquerque, N.M., Boston, Centennial, Colo., Jersey City, N.J., Long Beach, Calif., Los Angeles, Peoria, Ill., Rochester, N.Y., Seattle, and Syracuse, N.Y.

This is the second round of cities to receive the additional funding. In a news release, Minneapolis officials said other cities have already seen measurable results, including fewer retail vacancies in Memphis, Tenn., minimizing unnecessary ambulance trips in Louisville, Ky., and reducing the murder rate in New Orleans.

Bloomberg Philanthropies oversees the charitable work funded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The organization will spend $45 million expanding its Innovation Teams program over the next few years.

Erin Golden • 612-673-4790