Syringe Services Program

The State of Delaware, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) is seeking a provider to implement a comprehensive Statewide Syringe Services Program through a Request for Proposal (RFP) designated as Contract No. HSS-26-026. The procurement aims to deliver harm reduction programming for people who use drugs (PWUD) and injection drug users (IDU), with key services including syringe exchange, HIV and Hepatitis C testing, health communication, PrEP screening, and rapid drug testing. Potential vendors must have a minimum of five years of experience in public health or behavioral health services and at least two years of experience serving PWUD and/or injection drug users. The primary objectives include reducing HIV transmission, providing sterile syringes, offering naloxone training, conducting risk reduction counseling, and facilitating referrals to treatment and social services. The RFP was publicly noticed on October 3, 2025, with proposals due on December 8, 2025, at 1:00 PM EDT, and an anticipated award notification date of January 5, 2026. Vendors must comply with HIPAA regulations and be prepared to implement services within 30 days of contract award.

The contract opportunity includes provisions for various business enterprise designations, specifically encouraging participation from Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Woman Business Enterprises (WBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Veteran Owned Business Enterprises (VOBE), and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business Enterprises (SDVOBE). Subcontractors must be disclosed using a specific form, and state employees cannot be used as references. The initial contract term is three years with two optional one-year extensions, potentially running through January 5, 2029. The maximum contract expenditure is $1,000,000.00, with payment methods including Automated Clearing House (ACH), Purchase Card (P-Card), or check. Vendors must provide a minimum of three business references and disclose any previous state contracts held within the past five years. The program is contextually grounded in Delaware's public health landscape, where 3,786 people were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2021, underscoring the critical nature of this harm reduction initiative. Vendors will be required to provide detailed monthly reporting and maintain specific insurance coverages, including Commercial General Liability and Medical/Professional Liability.