Medical School Partnership

The State of Delaware Department of Health and Social Services is seeking professional services through a Request for Proposals to establish Delaware's first medical school under the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This procurement targets the development of an undergraduate primary care medical school leveraging existing Delaware healthcare and academic infrastructure with emphasis on rural and primary care training. Key deliverables and objectives include appointing a Medical School Dean by December 31, 2026; completing faculty appointments by September 2027; engaging at least five rural healthcare facilities by Fall 2027; enrolling an initial cohort of at least 40 students by Fall 2028; formalizing three rural Graduate Medical Education (GME) agreements by Fall 2028; and achieving full operational launch by Spring 2031. Proposals must address eight evaluation criteria: Organizational Foundation and Strategic Alignment (15 points); Understanding of and Commitment to Delaware (15 points); Project Leadership and Personnel (12 points); Medical Education Experience (15 points); Budget Framework and Sustainability (15 points); Launch and Ongoing Operations (16 points); Coordinated Program Management, Change Readiness, and Outreach (10 points); and Other Considerations (2 points). The deadline for questions is February 27, 2026 at 4:30 PM EST, with proposals due March 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM EDT through the Euna Procurement portal at https://dhss.bonfirehub.com/. Award notification is estimated for May 29, 2026, with a contract term of one year and four optional one-year extensions.

While the RFP does not explicitly identify set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises, vendors must submit diversity supplier participation reports post-award and identify any subcontractors in their proposals. Respondents must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) with an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), provide three business references, complete all required forms including Non-Collusion and Confidentiality statements, and maintain specified insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate, Automotive Liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, and Medical/Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate. All work must be performed within the United States with no offshore activities permitted, and vendors must leverage existing Delaware healthcare infrastructure and comply with data security requirements including encryption standards and United States-based data storage. The procurement anticipates approximately $100 million in RHTP funding over five years, requiring vendors to develop detailed budgets using the Project Cost Template and sustainable financial plans for post-RHTP operations including tuition revenue and philanthropic support models.