EMS Regional Hub Development and Oversight Consultant

The South Dakota Department of Health, Division of Healthcare Access, Office of Rural Health and Emergency Services, is issuing Request for Proposal #26-09RHT-018 to procure consulting services for the development and oversight of regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) hub models statewide as part of the Rural Health Transformation initiative. The selected contractor will provide strategic planning, technical assistance, and implementation support to strengthen coordination and sustainability across South Dakota's fragmented EMS system, addressing critical challenges including workforce shortages, extended response times, and limited resource sharing. Key deliverables include designing and operationalizing EMS regional structures, facilitating stakeholder engagement with EMS agencies, hospitals, Tribal communities, and local governments, establishing governance frameworks, implementing coordination strategies, developing workforce sustainability plans, and creating performance measurement frameworks. The contractor must collaborate closely with the Department of Health throughout all project phases, with all major deliverables requiring DOH review and approval prior to implementation. Qualified offerors must demonstrate capacity to complete all scope of work requirements and describe their comprehensive approach to planning, implementation, and regional collaboration. Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 PM Central Time on June 1, 2026, to DOHEMSGrants@state.sd.us, with an anticipated award decision on June 18, 2026, and contract performance running from July 18, 2026, through October 30, 2027, with three optional one-year renewals contingent on funding availability and performance.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting organizational types from responding. No incumbent vendors or existing contractors are identified in the procurement materials. The contract is supported entirely by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Health and Human Services (HHS) federal funding, with up to $8,000,000 available in the current federal fiscal year for the Enhancing Sustainable EMS initiative, though the final contract amount will be determined through negotiation and may extend across the full contract period, with subsequent year funding subject to change based on CMS allocation. Contractors must submit separately detailed cost proposals including personnel costs with salary, fringe benefits, and percentage of time allocation, travel and training expenses reimbursed at state per diem rates with advance approval, and other costs such as supplies and contractual expenses. The contractor must maintain commercial general liability insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence), professional liability insurance ($1,000,000), business automobile liability insurance ($1,000,000 per accident), and workers' compensation insurance as required by South Dakota law, and all materials and deliverables developed under the contract become the property of South Dakota.