Response to Offeror Questions document.doc
DOC document 84 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Caregiver Support Programming
- Solicitation number
- 26-09RHT-004
- Issued by
- South Dakota
About this file
This document is a Questions and Answers response issued by the South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, in response to offeror inquiries regarding RFP No. 26-09RHT-004 for Caregiver Support Programming under the Rural Health Transformation Project. The RFP seeks one or multiple organizations to provide comprehensive caregiver support services statewide, including establishing and expanding peer support groups, coordinating resources, enhancing provider training, and increasing respite care availability. Services may be delivered virtually or in-person, targeting both unpaid family caregivers and paid respite care providers, with particular focus on rural and frontier communities. The contract period extends for 17 months from June 1, 2026, through October 30, 2027, with three optional one-year renewal periods. Offeror questions were due by March 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM CST, with responses provided by April 1, 2026. Technical and cost proposals are due April 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM CST via email to Kiley.Hump@state.sd.us.
The State has budgeted $450,000 per year (12 months) for this RFP scope of work, though no maximum budget cap or minimum threshold is specified for individual proposals. Allowable expenses include personnel, supplies, in-state and limited out-of-state travel, accessibility services, and other costs, with subcontractor costs budgeted under "Other" and indirect costs capped at 6.3% of the total contract amount or the organization's federally approved rate. Participant incentives are not allowable. Evaluation criteria assign maximum scores of 100 points each to sections 6.1.1 through 6.1.4, and 60 points each to sections 6.1.5 through 6.1.7. The primary success metric is reduction of 30-day readmission rates for patients with chronic health conditions in rural hospitals, with additional metrics to be determined collaboratively with the awarded vendor. The State may award multiple regional contracts or a single statewide contract and requires coordination with the Department of Human Services. No specific data collection tools are currently mandated, and monthly progress reports and expenditure claims may be submitted via email without specified templates.
View the file
Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| CDM Caregiver Support_RHT RFP (1).pdf | ||
| CDM Caregiver Support_RHT RFP (1).pdf |
On GovTribe
Work with this file
- Download the original file
- Contacts named in this file
- Similar government files
- Ask GovTribe AI about this file
Text version
Department Of Health, Office Of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Caregiver Support Programming
RFP No. 26-09RHT-004 State of South Dakota 600 East Capitol Ave Pierre, SD 57501 605-773-4476
Date: April 1, 2026 Subject: Questions and Answers for RFP No. 26-09RHT-004 In accordance with the subject Request for Proposal (RFP), the following are answers to questions which have been submitted prior to March 27, 2026 by 5:00PM CST. These questions are for informational purposes only; they do not alter the requirements specified within the RFP. Any changes to the RFP will be accomplished by the Office of Procurement Management through the use of an addendum.
1. Question: Is there a maximum funding amount anticipated for the initial 17‑month contract period, or a target range applicants should plan within?
Answer: $450,000 per year (12 months) has been budgeted for this RFP scope of work.
2. Question: Are accessibility services (e.g., American Sign Language interpretation, captioning) allowable expenses? If so, should these be budgeted under “Other,” or another category?
Answer: Yes and could be included under the Other category within the budget.
3. Question: Is in‑state travel for program implementation (e.g., facilitator outreach, site support, fidelity checks) an allowable expense?
Answer: Yes.
4. Question: Is limited out‑of‑state travel to present program outcomes at relevant conferences allowable, with prior approval?
Answer: Yes.
5. Question: Are participant incentives allowable to support engagement across program activities? If permitted, are there limits, approved formats, or documentation requirements?
Answer: No.
6. Question: Our plan is to train 20 facilitators virtually and reach approximately 200 caregivers statewide. Does the Department have minimum, recommended, or target reach levels for caregivers or facilitators that applicants should consider?
Answer: Per South Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Project Narrative, the targeted outcome that this RFP scope of work would support is to reduce 30-day readmission rates for patients with chronic health conditions in rural hospitals. Other metrics may be determined in collaboration with awarded vendor(s).
7. Question: Are there any expectations for virtual training delivery (e.g., approved platforms, accessibility standards, minimum contact hours, trainer‑to‑participant ratios, or evaluation requirements)?
Answer: No.
8. Question: Beyond monthly progress and expenditure reports, what participant‑level or facilitator‑level metrics are required (e.g., attendance, demographics, knowledge or confidence measures, follow‑up indicators)? What reporting frequency and format should applicants plan for?
Answer: Per South Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Project Narrative, the targeted outcome that this RFP scope of work would support is to reduce 30-day readmission rates for patients with chronic health conditions in rural hospitals. Other metrics may be determined in collaboration with awarded vendor(s).
9. Question: While the RFP outlines a base contract term with renewal options, are there specific sustainability elements the Department prioritizes in competitive scoring (e.g., integration into ongoing operations, formal partnerships or MOUs, reimbursement pathways)?
Answer: No.
10. Question: Section 3.1 outlines the scope of work to improve caregiver knowledge, reduce burnout, and expand local support groups. Can the caregiver support programming, including peer support groups and provider training, be delivered virtually, or is in-person delivery strictly required or preferred? If both are allowed, is there a preferred mix of virtual and in-person gatherings?
Answer: Both are allowed and no preferred mix.
11. Question: Section 2.4 leaves the total contract amount blank, and Section 7.0 requests a budget allocation for the initial 17-month contract period. Is there a maximum budget cap, or can the State provide an anticipated funding range for this initial contract period?
Answer: $450,000 per year (12 months) has been budgeted for this RFP scope of work.
12. Question: Section 3.1 states that the vendor may provide programming "statewide or within a specific region of the state". Does the Department of Health evaluate statewide proposals more favorably than regional ones?
Answer: As mentioned in Section 3.0 of the RFP, The Department of Health is looking for one or multiple organizations to provide statewide caregiver support programming. So there may be one organization awarded to provide statewide programming or multiple organizations awarded to provide programming in specific regions.
13. Question: Are there preferred entities, networks, or agencies with whom we should be coordinating our peer support group expansion?
Answer: There will need to be coordination with Department of Human Services.
14. Question: The RFP mentions seeking "an organization or organizations,". Does the State anticipate awarding multiple regional contracts to achieve statewide coverage?
Answer: As mentioned in Section 3.0 of the RFP, The Department of Health is looking for one or multiple organizations to provide statewide caregiver support programming. So there may be one organization awarded to provide statewide programming or multiple organizations awarded to provide programming in specific regions.
15. Question: Sections 3.2 and 3.5 require the submission of monthly progress reports and itemized expenditure claims. Are there specific templates, portals, or software systems the awarded vendor is required to use when submitting these monthly deliverables?
Answer: No, but the most used method is email.
16. Question: What is the estimated or anticipated total budget available for this contract?
Answer: $450,000 per year (12 months) has been budgeted for this RFP scope of work.
17. Question: Is there a minimum or maximum budget threshold that proposals must fall within to be considered responsive?
Answer: No.
18. Question: Are subcontractor costs to be included within the personnel section, or under "Other" costs?
Answer: Subcontractor costs should be included under Other within the cost proposal.
19. Question: Should the cost proposal cover only the initial 17-month contract period, or should it also include projected costs for the three optional renewal years?
Answer: At the initial 17-month contract period but could include projected costs for the three optional renewal years.
20. Question: Is the awardee or its key personnel required to reside in South Dakota full-time?
Answer: No.
21. Question: What is the minimum amount of in-person programming required to satisfy the "availability to the project locale" and "familiarity with the project locale" evaluation criteria (Section 6.1.4 and 6.1.5)?
Answer: There is no minimum amount required for in-person programming.
22. Question: Will the State consider proposals that cover only a specific region of South Dakota rather than the entire state? If so, is there a preference for statewide coverage?
Answer: As mentioned in Section 3.0 of the RFP, The Department of Health is looking for one or multiple organizations to provide statewide caregiver support programming. So there may be one organization awarded to provide statewide programming or multiple organizations awarded to provide programming in specific regions.
23. Question: Are there specific regions or communities within South Dakota that are considered higher priority for caregiver support programming?
Answer: Rural and Frontier Communities are the priority.
24. Question: The RFP references caregivers as "a largely unrecognized workforce" (Section 1.1) and also includes training for respite care providers (Section 3.1.5). Could you clarify the intended population of caregivers in scope?
Answer: Both unpaid or family caregivers and respite care providers are intended populations.
25. Question: Specifically, does the caregiver support programming apply to (a) unpaid/informal family caregivers only, (b) direct care workers (DCWs) and other paid caregivers, or (c) both?
Answer: Both.
26. Question: Additionally, are respite care providers considered a separate target population within this scope, or are they included as part of the broader caregiver definition?
Answer: They are included under the broader caregiver definition.
27. Question: What other caregiver programs currently exist?
Answer: There is some caregiver support programming offered through Department of Health Healthy Brain and Cancer Programs, but caregiver support programming and training in South Dakota is primarily offered through the Department of Human Services. Additional information can be found at DHS.sd.gov. We would expect any proposed plans to complement the currently available programming.
28. Question: How will this initiative work with existing initiatives? Can it work in tandem with initiatives from other departments?
Answer: Yes and Yes.
29. Question: Does the SD DOH have existing caregiver support infrastructure, data, or partnerships that the awardee would be expected to build upon or integrate with?
Answer: There is some caregiver support programming offered through Department of Health Healthy Brain and Cancer Programs, but caregiver support programming and training in South Dakota is primarily offered through the Department of Human Services. Additional information can be found at DHS.sd.gov. We would expect any proposed plans to complement the currently available programming.
30. Question: Are the "chronic disease programs" referenced in Section 1.1 specific to particular conditions (e.g., dementia, diabetes), or is the scope intended to be broad?
Answer: The scope is intended to be broad.
31. Question: Is the offeror expected to directly provide respite care services, or to expand awareness and referral pathways to existing providers?
Answer: No, the provision of direct services is not the intent of this funding.
32. Question: Are there existing caregiver support groups in South Dakota that the awardee would be expected to coordinate with or expand upon?
Answer: There is some caregiver support programming offered through Department of Health Healthy Brain and Cancer Programs, but caregiver support programming and training in South Dakota is primarily offered through the Department of Human Services. Additional information can be found at DHS.sd.gov. We would expect any proposed plans to complement the currently available programming.
33. Question: What data collection and outcome measurement tools, if any, does SD DOH currently use or prefer for caregiver support programs?
Answer: SD DOH currently is not using any specific data collection and outcome measurement tool.
34. Question: What is the expected format and approximate length of the monthly progress reports referenced in Section 3.2?
Answer: No specific format or length.
35. Question: Are the monthly programmatic meetings (Section 3.3) expected to be held in person, virtually, or a combination of both?
Answer: Virtually.
36. Question: Approximately how many national, state, and local webinars/trainings per year does SD DOH anticipate directing the awardee to attend (Section 3.4)?
Answer: Unknown at this time.
37. Question: How many caregivers does SD expect to support over the 17 month period?
Answer: This metric could be determined in partnership with the awarded vendor.
38. Question: How does SD plan to measure the success of the program?
Answer: Per South Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Project Narrative, the targeted outcome that this RFP scope of work would support is to reduce 30-day readmission rates for patients with chronic health conditions in rural hospitals. Other metrics may be determined in collaboration with awarded vendor(s).
39. Question: Can a consortium or partnership of organizations submit a joint proposal, and if so, how should lead and sub-roles be structured?
Answer: That should be determined by the consortium. The lead will be the organization that the SD DOH contracts with and they would be responsible for ensuring the sub-contractors adhere to contract deliverables and provisions.
40. Question: At what stage must subcontractor information be disclosed — at proposal submission or prior to contract execution?
Answer: Preferably at the time of proposal submission.
41. Question: Will offerors be notified if they are selected for oral presentations (Section 1.15), and if so, how much advance notice will be provided?
Answer: Oral presentations are not a part of this RFP evaluation.
42. Question: Is the State open to awarding multiple contracts to different vendors for different regions of the state?
Answer: Yes.
43. Question: How will the State weight the evaluation criteria in Section 6.1 relative to one another?
Answer: Within the review criteria, sections 6.1.1, 6.1.2, 6.1.3, and 6.1.4 each have a maximum score of 100. Sections 6.1.5, 6.1.6, and 6.1.7 each have a maximum score of 60.
44. Question: Does "similar" experience (Section 4.3) require prior work specifically with caregiver populations, or will adjacent health/social services experience be considered?
Answer: Adjacent health/social services experience will be considered.
45. Question: Is there a preference for in-person training?
Answer: No, but all proposed training options should exhibit their ability to effectively reach the target audience.
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .