Rural Library-Based Health Access

The State of Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, is issuing a Request for Proposals for professional services to design, launch, and operate library-based health access services in rural Sussex and Kent counties. The procurement seeks a qualified vendor to provide integrated telehealth, health navigation, benefits enrollment, and social services support across nine rural library locations, with deliverables including telehealth technology and equipment, broadband connectivity enhancements, private consultation spaces, health navigation and enrollment assistance, community outreach and education, data collection and reporting systems, and administrative infrastructure. Key project objectives include expanding healthcare access in underserved rural areas through library-based platforms that integrate multiple health and social services. Required vendor qualifications include demonstrated experience with similar telehealth and health navigation services, organizational capacity to manage multi-location operations, relevant staffing expertise, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations including HIPAA requirements. Evaluation will employ a weighted scoring system across 23 criteria, with sustainability planning weighted at 10 percent and administrative oversight, relevant experience, and alignment with RFP goals each weighted at 7 percent, along with assessment of quality assurance measures, organizational resources, staffing structure, and cost effectiveness. The procurement timeline includes a deadline for vendor questions on March 4, 2026, a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting on March 18, 2026, and a proposal submission deadline of April 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM EDT, with estimated award notification on May 29, 2026 and an estimated project start date of July 1, 2026.

The RFP does not specify a fixed contract amount or budget range, requiring vendors to submit pricing as part of their proposals in response to the detailed scope of work and budget narrative requirements outlined in Appendix F. The contract structure establishes an initial one-year term with four optional one-year extensions for a potential five-year total engagement. Vendors must maintain minimum insurance coverage including commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 per aggregate, along with Workers' Compensation and professional liability or errors and omissions coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 per aggregate. The RFP does not identify any set-aside designations or restrictions limiting organizational types; however, vendors may declare diverse vendor certifications at both state and federal levels and must submit a minimum of three business references of similar size and scope along with subcontractor identification and diversity reporting requirements. No incumbent vendor or existing technology integration requirements are specified in the procurement documents. The State reserves the right to award the contract to a single vendor or multiple vendors, reject any or all proposals, and is not obligated to award to the lowest bidder, with awarded vendors required to execute a written agreement within 20 days of award and prohibited from beginning work until receiving a signed State purchase order.