Expand and Strengthen Rural Community Health Worker Workforce

The South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Infrastructure and Accreditation is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP #26-09RHT-006) to procure technical assistance and support services for expanding and strengthening the Community Health Worker (CHW) and Community Health Representative (CHR) workforce throughout South Dakota. The selected organization will provide comprehensive support including program development and expansion guidance for organizations seeking to start or launch CHW/CHR initiatives, assistance with South Dakota Medicaid claims and financial sustainability planning, recruitment strategies targeting rural South Dakota, peer learning network development to support retention, and collaborative coordination with the South Dakota Department of Health, Department of Social Services, and the Rural Health Transformation Program to advance chronic disease prevention and management initiatives focused on opioid abuse, immunizations, heart disease, stroke prevention, and diabetes. Key qualifications require offerors to demonstrate experience with similar contracts and include at least three professional references from comparable work. The procurement schedule includes a Letter of Intent due March 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT, offeror questions accepted through March 10, 2026, state responses provided by March 17, 2026, and final proposals due March 31, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT. The anticipated award decision and contract negotiation is scheduled for May 8, 2026, with the contract period running from April 1, 2026 through October 30, 2027 (19 months), with three optional one-year renewal periods available at the state's discretion.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting eligible offeror types based on disadvantaged enterprise status. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. Proposals must include an executive summary, detailed point-by-point responses addressing each requirement, a separate cost proposal, and three professional references from previous similar contracts. Allowable costs include personnel expenses with salary and fringe benefits, travel and training reimbursed at state per diem rates (requiring advance approval), supplies, contractual and operating expenses, and administrative fees. The RFP does not establish a specific total budget amount or maximum award value; instead, offerors are required to propose costs for the 19-month initial contract period and budget projections through September 30, 2027. Contract funding is provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), though specific funding percentages are not detailed in the procurement documents.