Doulas RFP Informational Webinar 2026.pdf

Doulas Services Request for Proposals Webinar

August 2026

Housekeeping

• Please mute your audio

• Put your name and organization in the chat box

• Please type your questions in chat box

• Slides will be posted on the website after all informational webinars are complete

• Responses to questions will be available as an addendum to the RFP after all informational webinars are complete

• (No sooner than August 21nd)

• RFP and the Budget template are available online:

https://www.cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/finance-group/finance-services/procurement/bids-notices

Dates to Remember

• Informational webinars

• August 6th at 10:00 AM

• August 10th at 11:00 AM

• Questions Due

• August 14th at 2:00 PM

• Proposals are due

• September 8th at 2:00 PM

Maternal Health Background

• There are wide racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes

• The reasons are complex and often due to structural, organizational, societal, and other access to challenges

• Birth doula services are one strategy that can have a positive impact maternal health outcomes

• Doula services are not often covered by health insurance

Maternal Health Background

Those who receive doulas services have C-section Pre-term birth Low birth rate

Shorter length of labor Respectful care Breastfeeding initiation

Funding Purpose Fund up to 2 doula agencies at up to $95,000 each over 12 months to hire at least 2 doulas

Proposal and Project Criteria

• Agencies must have at least three years of experience providing doulas services

• Serve the residents of Cumberland County. Funding cannot be used to serve residents in other counties.

• Hire or contract with two birth doulas trained or certified

• Utilize evidence-based practices

• Complete at least one training on focused on health equity, health disparities, or social determinants of health to support individual competencies and organizational capacity to promote health equity.

• Provide continuous labor support to at least 30 clients annually

• Initiate and maintain contact with doula clients as follows: at least 3 visits during pregnancy; within 2 days after birth; and within 6 weeks after birth.

• New! Provide additional support (postpartum support, additional continuous labor support, or other types of approved birth doula support) for up to 8 additional clients

• Provide back-up coverage to the second doula contracted or hired with the program to ensure that all clients have continuous labor support.

Proposal and Project Criteria

• A representative of the funded agency must attend every other month Perinatal Taskforce meetings held the

3rd Tuesday of each month at 3 PM at the Health Department

• Collect and submit data at several intervals before, during and after birth

• Participate in all coordinated meetings with other funded agencies

• Provide performance reporting regarding use of funds and project impact on a quarterly basis

• Include an approved budget utilizing the County’s Budget Template and track and report expenditures utilizing the same form

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Organizations

• Nonprofit organizations

• Governmental agencies

• Hospital systems

• Private health care providers

• Federal Qualified Health Centers

• Other community-based organizations.

• Proof of nonprofit status is required for entities applying as a non-profit

*Focus is on uninsured and underinsured women who do not have an alternate funding source

Proposal Requirements and Evaluation Criteria

• Statement of Need (10 points)

• Program Description and Implementation Plan (25 points)

• Data Collection, Evaluation, and Reporting (15 points)

• Equity Impact (10 points)

• Collaboration and Coordination (15 points)

• Experience and Organizational Capacity (15 points)

• Letters of Commitment/Support (required, not scored)

• Budget Narrative and Budget Attachment C (10 points)

100 points total

Project Narrative

Statement of Need (10 points)

• What is the need for doula services for the community and for your agency?

• Describe

• The factors that contribute to poor maternal morbidity and mortality rates

• The need for doula services in Cumberland County

• Data demonstrating health disparities and inequities that affect the health and well-being of women of reproductive age in Cumberland County (i.e.

obesity, hypertension, substance use, tobacco use, etc.)

• Cite your sources

Program Description and Implementation Plan (25 points)

• What will you do, how will you do it, and when will you do it? Who is doing the work?

• Describe how you will implement a doula program that meets the project requirements in section 4.2

• New! What additional support will you provide to up to 8 additional clients.

• These clients may be 8 new clients or ongoing support for existing clients.

• What activities and services will you provide?

• Timeline for implementation of activities

• Hiring, service delivery, etc.?

• What evidence-based practices are you using?

Data Collection, Evaluation, and Reporting (15 points)

• How will you measure success?

• Who is responsible for data collection?

• How are you collecting the data

(spreadsheet, survey, software?)

• What data collection tools/instruments are you using

• Quarterly reporting required

Required data collection measures

• # of women, infants, and families served

• # Race and ethnicity demographics

• # prenatal care visits

• # home and/or community visits completed

• including pregnancy, postpartum visits, complications (severe maternal morbidity),

• Breastfeeding initiation,

• # of inductions and cesarean

• Feedback received from completed client satisfaction surveys.

Equity Impact (10 points)

• How will you reach marginalized populations?

• How will address the needs of uninsured/underinsured?

• How will you address social determinants of health?

• Food insecurity

• Housing

• Transportation

• Employment

• This may happen directly or through other partners

Collaboration and Coordination (15 points)

• How will you work with others in the community?

• List community partners you will work with

• How will you work with each partner?

• How will you make referrals to other agencies to address client needs?

Experience and Organizational Capacity (15 points)

• Tell us about your agency!

• Mission, vision, and background

• What capacity and experience do you have to implement the work

• How will you hire and train staff?

• Include a job description or a resume/CV for the doulas

• Not included in the page limit

• What experience do you have addressing social determinants of health?

Budget and Narrative

• Must use Attachment C

• Submit a one-year budget

• Up to $95,000

• Administrative costs are allowable

• Include a narrative for each section on the Excel spreadsheet

• Funding is based on monthly reimbursement

• Cost items

• Personnel and fringe

• Travel

• Equipment

• Material and supplies

• Consultants (professional services)

• Training and education

• Additional cost items

Submitting Your Proposal

• Single spaced

• 12 point font

• No more than 10 pages

• CV/Job description is not included in the page limit

• Number pages

• Bold the section headers

Submitting Your Proposal

• Due September 8th, 2026 2:00 PM

• Submit one (1) signed and one (1) electronic copy on flash drive

• Submit your proposal in a sealed package. Mark your package with

• Vendor name

• RFP number

• Due date

• Electronic copy should be in a PDF and Excel format

• Mailing address or delivery address, see PG 5

Proposal Questions

• Questions are due August 14th at 2:00 PM

• Vendors should not contact any other County employees, besides those listed above, during the bid process.

• Posted in the form of an addendum to the Cumberland County

Vendor Self Service Site

• Direct all inquiries to

• Sophia Pate

• Purchasing Manager

• Email: cumberlandpurchasing@cumberlandcountync.gov

• Phone: 910-678-7743