Health_Care_Provider_HIT_TA_RFP_Final.docx

State of Minnesota Minnesota Department of Health

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Rural Health Transformation Program Technical Assistance for Health Care Providers on Health Information Technology SWIFT Event 2000018300 Date Posted: April 29, 2026

· Responses must be received not later than 4:30 pm, Central Time, May 22, 2026.

· Late responses will not be considered

· As of July 1, 2025, certain terms are unenforceable in state contracts. See Session Laws, 2025 Regular Session, Chapter 39, Article 2, Sec. 45.

Minnesota’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion The State of Minnesota is committed to diversity and inclusion in its public procurement process. The goal is to ensure that those providing goods and services to the State are representative of our Minnesota communities and include businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities. Creating broader opportunities for historically under-represented groups provides for additional options and greater competition in the marketplace, creates stronger relationships and engagement within our communities, and fosters economic development and equality.

To further this commitment, the Department of Administration operates a program for Minnesota-based small businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities. For additional information on this program, or to determine eligibility, please call 651.201.2402 or go to the Office of Equity in Procurement home page, at https://mn.gov/admin/business/vendor-info/oep/.

SPECIAL NOTICE: This is a request for proposal. It does not obligate the State of Minnesota to award a contract or complete the proposed program, and the State reserves the right to cancel this solicitation if it is considered in its best interest.

This Request for Proposals is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $193,090,618.14 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

This Solicitation requires proposals to be submitted through the SWIFT Supplier Portal. Please note the security changes below that may impact responders from submitting a timely response.

SWIFT SUPPLIER PORTAL SECURITY CHANGES

There are new security measures that the Minnesota Management and Budget implemented on October 16, 2022. It is a new multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance the security of the State of Minnesota Supplier Portal. MFA is an authentication method that requires bidders and suppliers provide two verification factors to log into the SWIFT Supplier Portal. The goal of MFA is to create a layered defense that makes it more difficult for unauthorized system access to occur.

For information about these changes, please refer to the SWIFT Supplier Portal Multi-Factor Authentication FAQ document.

If you have not done so already, please make sure to log into the SWIFT Supplier Portal as soon as possible to get this authentication set up early so there are no issues when submitting a response to an RFP.

You are strongly encouraged to set your MFA during business hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Central Time, Monday through Friday. You may experience delay setting your MFA after hours.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Solicitation Content

Solicitation Attachments

· Attachment A: Responder Declarations

· Attachment B: Exceptions to State's Terms and Conditions

· Attachment C: Cost Detail

· Attachment D: Responder Form

· Workforce and Equal Pay Declaration Page

Sample Contract

· Exhibit A: Contract Terms

· Exhibit B: Insurance Requirements

· Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work

· Exhibit D: Pricing

SECTION 1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS

Step 1: Read the solicitation documents and ask questions, if any Step 2: Write your response Step 3: Submit your response

STEP 1 – READ THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT & ASK QUESTIONS, IF ANY

How to Ask Questions

The contact person for questions is:

Ann Linde Minnesota Department of Health rural.transformation.mdh@state.mn.us Questions should be emailed to the contact by 4:30 pm on May 7, 2026.

Other personnel are not authorized to answer questions regarding this Solicitation.

STEP 2 – WRITE YOUR RESPONSE

The Response Content section is in this link to Section 4. Prepare a written response and supply all requested content. Responses should address the requested information and documents detailed in Section 4. DO NOT INCLUDE Non-Public/Trade Secret data (as defined in this link to Minn. Stat. § 13.37).

Review, sign, and include the Responder Declarations with your response.

STEP 3 –SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE

Where to Send Your Response

All responses to this solicitation (termed an “Event” within SWIFT) must be submitted through SWIFT using the Supplier portal (https://mn.gov/supplier). Training and documentation on how to submit your response is available through the Supplier portal link above. Fax, e-mail, and printed responses will not be accepted or considered. All costs incurred in responding to this solicitation will be borne by the responder.

Late responses will not be considered. Responses received after End Date above will not be considered, even if errors or delays were caused by issues outside of responders’ control. If you need assistance please contact the SWIFT Vendor Assistance Helpline at 651-201-8100, Option 1, and then Option 1.

By submitting a response, your company is making a binding legal offer for the period of time set forth below in Section 6, Conditions of Offer.

SECTION 2 – SUMMARY OF SCOPE

Procurement Overview and Goals.

MDH is in the initial stages of implementing Minnesota’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Minnesota’s RHTP initiatives include significant funding opportunities for rural health care providers to acquire a variety of health information technology (HIT) capabilities. These providers (also referred to as “subgrantees” and “potential subgrantees”) may include rural hospitals, rural clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers/community mental health centers, rural Tribal nations, and other local rural organizations that participate in patient care and/or support patients’ health-related social needs.

Potential subgrantees will have the opportunity to apply for RHTP funding and must use their awarded RHTP funds on Minnesota’s RHTP initiatives, which are described here at a summary level and here in greater detail (see pages 16-18, 27-28, 30-32, and 36-39 for descriptions of technology-related activities). The purpose of this contract is to provide a ready source of technical assistance (TA) to RHTP subgrantees and potential subgrantees who are seeking guidance and support related to RHTP-funded HIT tools and how implementation of these tools can help subgrantees achieve Minnesota’s five overarching RHTP goals (see page 7).

Subgrantees and potential subgrantees may choose to leverage the services of an available TA provider rather than procure it on their own. Subgrantees may procure their own technical assistance and are not required to use this or other technical assistance.

Tasks and Deliverables.

The selected responder(s) chosen through this process will contract with and work through MDH to provide any of the following types of support to RHTP subgrantees or potential subgrantees:

1. Assist subgrantees and potential subgrantees by evaluating existing HIT systems, equipment, and related support.

A. Work with subgrantees or potential subgrantees to understand the full capacity of their existing HIT systems and equipment and how much of that capacity they have effectively leveraged. Document any gaps in how current HIT systems and equipment are being used, and work with the subgrantee or potential subgrantee to identify opportunities to close those gaps. Identify factors that may impede fully leveraging their existing tools (e.g., staffing, organizational processes, system compatibility), and work with the provider to develop potential solutions to those challenges.

B. Evaluate the subgrantee’s or potential subgrantee’s existing HIT support contracts and provide advice about whether their existing vendors can provide the support needed for additional HIT systems and equipment or whether new support may be needed from other vendors.

C. Ensure that recommendations for RHTP-funded HIT align with state and federal policies and national initiatives.

2. Assist subgrantees and potential subgrantees in planning for and executing participation in RHTP-funded opportunities and in demonstrating measurable progress toward RHTP goals and sustained impact beyond the RHTP term.

A. Work with subgrantees and potential subgrantees to build awareness of how available and emerging technology funded through RHTP can add new capacities and/or improve foundational IT systems infrastructure for their organization. Assist subgrantees with exploring and understanding how RHTP-funded HIT opportunities can improve patient care and operational processes, and help achieve RHTP goals for financial stability, addressing population health, and developing readiness for value-based care and alternative payment models.

B. Assist in identifying whether new tools would be useful and which are compatible with the subgrantee’s or potential subgrantee’s existing electronic health record systems and other components of their IT systems. Provide advice about whether and how reasonable and feasible it would be to integrate new tools with the subgrantee’s or potential subgrantee’s existing systems.

C. Document key findings from these activities to support the subgrantee or potential subgrantee in pursuing next steps, such as procuring new technology or IT support or incorporating a planned HIT investment in their proposal to MDH for RHTP funding.

D. Assist in planning for realistic deployment and implementation timelines as well as for the subgrantee’s or potential subgrantee will be able to demonstrate progress on use of HIT investments to achieve RHTP goals and sustained impact after the RHTP ends.

E. Help support and leverage full implementation of the HIT tools to gain operational efficiencies, improve patient care, improve capacity for participation in value-based care and alternative payment models, and demonstrate progress toward RHTP goals.

F. Assist in other potential ways, as may be determined by the subgrantee or potential subgrantee, with advance written approval by MDH, that the selected responder(s) may provide technical assistance related to HIT systems and equipment and achievement of RHTP goals under this contract.

3. Regularly engage with MDH about the services provided to subgrantees and potential subgrantees.

A. Participate in an introductory meeting with MDH staff and the subgrantee to discuss the goals and scope of the technical assistance needed within the parameters of this solicitation.

B. Submit monthly narrative summary report to MDH describing the TA provided to subgrantees and potential subgrantees by the 10th of each month following the month of service. This summary report should include at least the following information:

1. Responder personnel involved in providing services and the number of hours they spent providing those services during the month;

2. A description of the TA services provided and the subgrantee to whom they were provided;

3. For each subgrantee with whom the TA provider is engaged, a description of the subgrantee’s progress related to planning for and/or implementing HIT; and

4. For each subgrantee with whom the TA provider is engaged, a description of the subgrantee’s challenges related to planning for and/or implementing HIT.

C. Be available as a resource to MDH grant managers working with subgrantees to respond to their questions and concerns.

Subgrantees are ultimately responsible for conducting their procurement processes consistent with federal and state law, decision-making on HIT tools, managing their HIT purchases and implementation and demonstrating meaningful progress on RHTP goals, and will remain fully accountable for their use of RHTP funds. The purpose of this contract is to provide support for subgrantees and potential subgrantees as they undertake this work. MDH will regularly survey those subgrantees receiving HIT TA services so that subgrantees can provide feedback about TA services in terms of what is working well and areas of needed improvement.

Potential HIT hardware, software, equipment, applications and/or services are expected to relate to and/or include the following:

· Remote patient monitoring

· Mobile care delivery

· Telehealth in provider facilities as well as community-based locations

· Population health data infrastructure & analytical tools

· Care coordination software

· Patient access to health records

· Health information exchange and interoperability

· Artificial Intelligence

· Cybersecurity and risk management

· Revenue Cycle Management and other operational efficiencies

4. Desired Vendor Qualifications

· Extensive knowledge across a range of HIT hardware, software, applications, services and related equipment.

· Knowledge of rural hospitals and other health care provider organizations and their HIT needs.

· Knowledge of rural health care environment and rural health IT markets, with MN-specific knowledge preferred.

· Expertise to ensure that recommendations for RHTP-funded HIT are in alignment with state and federal policies and national initiatives.

5. Other Important Background Information

· Respondents to this RFP should be aware work to be performed will likely ebb and flow over the term of the contract and there is no guarantee of a specific minimum amount of work under the contract. Up to 125 subgrantees may choose to use RHTP funding for HIT purposes each year over the next five years and they will have the option to seek TA support; they will not be required to do so. Time will be of the essence in performing work under this contract and vendors must have capacity to carry out their work consistent with MDH’s timing needs.

· MDH welcomes responses from individual firms or involving multiple organizations, provided that one respondent submits the response and other collaborative partners subcontract with the lead organization.

· MDH may contract with one or more firms as a result of this procurement.

· Respondents must disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to any affiliations with specific HIT vendors or services or submit a statement declaring no conflicts of interest are present as part of its application. Affiliation with specific HIT vendors will be considered disqualifying for purposes of this procurement. Affiliation with any specific eligible Minnesota RHTP awardees must be disclosed as part of a responder’s proposal, including a proposed plan to mitigate any potential conflict of interest in carrying out the work described in this RFP. MDH must have full confidence that subgrantees and potential subgrantees will receive neutral advice from its contractor(s) based on their understanding of the subgrantee’s or potential subgrantee’s’ needs and without any stake in the outcome of their decisions.

SECTION 3 – PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. Anticipated Contract Term.

The term of this contract is anticipated to be from June 2026 through September 2027, with the option to extend up to an additional 3.5 years in increments determined by the State.

Question and Answer Instructions.

All questions should be submitted no later than the date and time listed in Section 1, Instructions to Responders. The State is not obligated to answer questions submitted after the question due date and time.

Only personnel listed above are authorized to discuss this solicitation with responders. Contact regarding this solicitation with any personnel not listed above could result in disqualification. This provision is not intended to prevent responders from seeking guidance from state procurement assistance programs regarding general procurement questions.

If a Responder discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in the solicitation, please immediately notify the contact person detailed above in writing of such error and request modification or clarification of the document.

Additional Tasks or Activities.

Responders are encouraged to propose additional tasks, activities, or goods above and beyond the scope of what is requested in this solicitation if they will substantially improve the results of this procurement. Any costs associated with these additional tasks, activities, or goods should be clearly marked and separated from costs associated with the tasks, activities, or goods specifically requested under this solicitation. Because cost is a factor in the evaluation of responses to this solicitation, failure to separate costs for additional tasks, activities, or goods may result in those costs being included in a responder's cost proposal and result in a lower cost score for that proposal.

SECTION 4 – PROPOSAL CONTENT

Responses must be limited to a maximum of 30 pages. MDH will only read and evaluate the first 30 pages of a response. Please note the specific page number limit for item 2.2 described below, which is a component of the overall 30-page limit.

Please submit the following information:

1. Understanding of Scope. Responder should provide a statement of the objectives, goals, and tasks to demonstrate the Responder's view and understanding of the nature of the contract, and what makes the Responder uniquely suited for this work. This document should NOT list cost detail. If cost detail is included in this document, the State may disqualify the proposal as non-responsive.

2. Proposed Approach to Providing Technical Assistance. Responder should provide a detailed description of how they would generally approach providing TA to RHTP subgrantees as well as an overview of how they would approach each of the activities outlined on pages 5-7 of this solicitation.

1. Qualifications and Experience. Qualifications and Experience. Descriptions of Responder’s Qualifications and Experience should include the following:

2.1 The responder’s experience providing HIT consultation services for rural health organizations (and/or for smaller providers in underserved communities). Descriptions of experience should include the number of years of experience for each proposed personnel and a summary of their background in working with rural healthcare providers. Descriptions of experience should also include processes for assessing needs, identifying and comparing potential HIT solutions, implementing solutions, onboarding staff to new workflows, and measuring success. Provide examples as appropriate.

2.2 The types of HIT hardware, software, equipment, applications and services – related to Minnesota’s RHTP program – with which the responder has experience and a description of the purposes for which the technologies may be used. The purpose of this part of the vendor’s response is to demonstrate the depth and breadth of their knowledge in this space. Note that it is not required for responders to have experience with all of the various types of HIT listed on pages 7 & 8 of this solicitation in order to be eligible to bid on the project. This section of the proposal must not exceed 10 pages. MDH will only review and evaluate the first 10 pages of a response in this section.

2.3 An outline of background and experience with examples of similar work done by the Responder and a list of personnel who will carry out the work, detailing their training, and work experience. Resumes or other information about project personnel should not, if possible, contain personal telephone numbers, home addresses, or home email addresses. If it is necessary to include personal contact information, please clearly indicate in the response that personal contact information is being provided. Resumes do not count toward the page number limitation for responses.

1. Cost Detail. Complete and submit Attachment C, “Cost Detail,” attached to this solicitation.

Sample Transaction Documents. Prior to award, a potential successful Responder must submit samples of any transaction documents proposed for use under the resulting contract. The State will review the transaction documents to ensure they contain sufficient detail and to review additional terms and conditions contained therein, if any. The State reserves the right to request additional detail in the transaction documents or to reject additional terms and conditions within transaction documents. Once approved by the State, Contractor may not materially change transaction documents unless a change has been approved in writing by the Commissioner of Administration, as delegated to the Office of State Procurement. Any terms and conditions included in transaction documents but not approved by the State are voidable by the State. Any terms and conditions that are in conflict with Minnesota law or in conflict with the terms of the State Contract are void. Failure to void a non-approved term or condition included in a transaction document does not waive the State’s right to void any non-approved term or condition.

Submit all requested documentation, including, but not limited to, the following documents:

1. Attachment A: Responder Declarations

2. Attachment B: Exceptions to State's Standard Terms and Conditions

3. Attachment C: Cost Proposal

4. Attachment D: Responder Forms

a. Workforce and Equal Pay Declaration Page

b. Equal Pay Certificate Form

5. A disclosure statement related to Conflicts of Interest. Please note that there is no template form for this statement. Responders should refer to page 8 of this Request for Proposals for additional information.

DO NOT INCLUDE Non-Public/Trade Secret data (as defined by Minn. Stat. § 13.37).

SECTION 5 – EVALUATION PROCEDURE AND CRITERIA

The State will conduct an evaluation of responses to this Solicitation. The evaluations will be conducted in three phases:

Phase 1 - Review responses for responsiveness and pass/fail requirements Phase 2 - Evaluate responses Phase 3 - Select finalist(s)

1. Phase 1 – Responsiveness and Pass/Fail Requirements The purpose of this phase is to determine if each response complies with mandatory requirements. The State will first review each proposal for responsiveness to determine if the Responder satisfies all mandatory requirements. The State will evaluate these requirements on a pass/fail basis.

Mandatory Requirements. The following will be considered on a pass/fail basis:

· Responses must be received by the due date and time specified in this RFP.

· Responses must include a conflict-of-interest disclosure statement as described on page 8. Please note that submission of Attachment A does not meet this requirement.

Phase 2 - Evaluate Responses Only those responses found to have met Phase 1 criteria will be considered in Phase 2.

The factors and weighting on which responses will be evaluated are:

Phase 3 - Select Finalist(s) Only those responses that have been evaluated under Phase 2 shall be eligible for Phase 3.

The State will make its selection based on best value, as determined by this evaluation process. The State reserves the right to pursue negotiations on any exception taken to the State’s standard terms and conditions. In the event that negotiated terms cannot be reached, the State reserves the right to terminate negotiations and begin negotiating with the next highest scoring responder or take other actions as the State deems appropriate. If the State anticipates multiple awards, the State reserves the right to negotiate with more than one Responder.

It is anticipated that the evaluation and selection will be completed by June 15, 2026.

SECTION 6 – UNENFORCEABLE TERMS AND SOLICITATION TERMS

Unenforceable Terms As of July 1, 2025, certain terms are unenforceable in state contracts. See Session Laws, 2025 Regular Session, Chapter 39, Article 2, Section 45.

Unenforceable terms

(a) A contract entered into by the state shall not contain a term that:

(b) If a contract is entered into that contains a term prohibited in paragraph (a), that term shall be void and the contract is enforceable as if it did not contain that term.

Solicitation Terms

1. Competition in Responding The State desires open and fair competition. Questions from responders regarding any of the requirements of the Solicitation must be submitted in writing to the Solicitation Administrator listed in the Solicitation before the due date and time. If changes are made the State will issue an addendum.

Any evidence of collusion among responders in any form designed to defeat competitive responses will be reported to the Minnesota Attorney General for investigation and appropriate action.

Addenda to the Solicitation Changes to the Solicitation will be made by addendum with notification and posted in the same manner as the original Solicitation. Any addenda issued will become part of the Solicitation.

Joint Ventures The State allows joint ventures among groups of responders when responding to the solicitation. However, one responder must submit a response on behalf of all the others in the group. The responder that submits the response will be considered legally responsible for the response (and the contract, if awarded).

Withdrawing Response A responder may withdraw its response prior to the due date and time of the Solicitation. For solicitations in the SWIFT Supplier Portal, a responder may withdraw its response from the SWIFT Supplier Portal. For solicitations done any other way, a responder may withdraw its response by notifying the Solicitation Administrator in writing of the desire to withdraw.

After the due date and time of this Solicitation, a responder may withdraw a response only upon showing that an obvious error exists in the response. The showing and request for withdrawal must be made in writing to Solicitation Administrator within a reasonable time and prior to the State’s detrimental reliance on the response.

Rights Reserved The State reserves the right to:

· Reject any and all responses received;

· Waive or modify any informalities, irregularities, or inconsistencies in the responses received;

· Negotiate with the highest scoring Responder[s];

· Terminate negotiations and select the next response providing the best value for the State;

· Consider documented past performance resulting from a State contract may be considered in the evaluation process;

· Short list the highest scoring Responders;

· Require Responders to conduct presentations, demonstrations, or submit samples;

· Interview key personnel or references;

· Request a best and final offer from one or more Responders;

· The State reserves the right to request additional information ; and

· The State reserves the right to use estimated usage or scenarios for the purpose of conducting pricing evaluations. The State reserves the right to modify scenarios, and to request or add additional scenarios for the evaluation.

Samples and Demonstrations Upon request, Responders are to provide samples to the State at no charge. Except for those destroyed or mutilated in testing, the State will return samples if requested and at the Responder’s expense. All costs to conduct and associated with a demonstration will be the sole responsibility of the Responder.

Responses are Nonpublic during Evaluation Process All materials submitted in response to this Solicitation will become property of the State. During the evaluation process, all information concerning the responses submitted will remain private or nonpublic and will not be disclosed to anyone whose official duties do not require such knowledge. Responses are private or nonpublic data until the completion of the evaluation process as defined by Minn. Stat. § 13.591. The completion of the evaluation process is defined as the State having completed negotiating a contract with the selected responder. The State will notify all responders in writing of the evaluation results.

Trade Secret Information Responders must not submit as part of their response trade secret material, as defined by Minn. Stat. § 13.37.

In the event trade secret data are submitted, Responder must defend any action seeking release of data it believes to be trade secret, and indemnify and hold harmless the State, its agents and employees, from any judgments awarded against the State in favor of the party requesting the data, and any and all costs connected with that defense.

The State does not consider cost or prices to be trade secret material, as defined by Minn. Stat. § 13.37.

A responder may present and discuss trade secret information during an interview or demonstration with the State, if applicable.

Conditions of Offer Unless otherwise approved in writing by the State, Responder’s cost proposal and all terms offered in its response that pertain to the completion of professional and technical services and general services will remain firm for 180 days, until they are accepted or rejected by the State, or they are changed by further negotiations with the State prior to contract execution.

Award Any award that may result from this solicitation will be based upon the total accumulated points as established in the solicitation. The State reserves the right to award this solicitation to a single Responder, or to multiple Responders, whichever is in the best interest of the State, providing each Responder is in compliance with all terms and conditions of the solicitation. The State reserves the right to accept all or part of an offer, to reject all offers, to cancel the solicitation, or to re-issue the solicitation, whichever is in the best interest of the State.

Requirements Prior to Contract Execution Prior to contract execution, a responder receiving a contract award must comply with any submittal requests. A submittal request may include, but is not limited to, a Certificate of Insurance.

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