1301-27-R-IFBD-00004

The Mississippi State Department of Health is requesting sealed bids for technical assistance to improve the Mississippi Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, with bids due September 25, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. CST through the MSDH OpenGov Procurement Portal. Bidders must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or corporations with a minimum of ten years of successful experience interfacing with Federally Qualified Health Centers across Mississippi — a restrictive eligibility requirement that filters the bidder pool substantially.

The scope encompasses identifying the top 15 underperforming FQHCs, identifying and coaching champions within each health system, conducting stakeholder needs assessments and engagement, developing quality improvement plans and training programs on program eligibility, enrollment management, patient navigation, and billing/reimbursement, establishing evaluation mechanisms, identifying capacity building opportunities, and providing ongoing communication and programmatic reporting. Deliverables include an Initial Priority Assessment report within 60 days of contract start, champion identification within 45 days, a stakeholder needs assessment with presentation within 120 days, and an initial response plan in final draft form within 180 days. All training and technical assistance must be completed by the contract end date.

Bidders must have demonstrated experience with CDC cooperative agreements, program planning and evaluation, quality assurance/improvement, healthcare provider engagement, health equity initiatives, data collection and reporting, and work with state health departments and rural health clinics. At least one principal staff member must hold a Master's degree or higher in Public Health, Health Administration, Nursing, Public Administration, Epidemiology, Healthcare Management, or a closely related field; a Bachelor's degree is acceptable with significant additional experience. Bidders must provide three references documenting ten or more years of FQHC experience; at least two references must be contactable within two business days of the qualification opening for responsiveness.

The contract term runs from November 4, 2026, through November 3, 2027, with renewal options at MSDH's discretion for one-year periods at the same prices, terms, and conditions, to a maximum cumulative term of five years. Pricing is submitted per-unit basis for each deliverable line item; the total contract value is not to exceed an amount to be specified. Travel costs are not separately reimbursed. The award goes to the responsive and responsible bidder submitting the lowest overall price. The contract is subject to approval by the Public Procurement Review Board and the Office of Personal Service Contract Review. Bid opening is anticipated for September 28, 2026, with Notice of Intent to Award on September 30, 2026. All contractor-furnished equipment, software, and materials are the contractor's responsibility. The Business Associate Agreement requires HIPAA compliance, NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 Moderate baseline controls, Zero Trust Architecture principles, encryption (FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 validated cryptographic modules with AES-256 or stronger at rest; TLS 1.2 or higher in transit), breach notification within five business days, and cloud environments meeting SOC 2 Type II or FedRAMP Moderate accreditation with PHI remaining within the continental United States.