RHT Resources & FAQs

Are minor renovations, small equipment purchases such as hospital beds and HVAC systems, to be funded under the sustainable rural workforce initiative, or do they fall under a different initiative?
There may be some possibility of funding for minor renovations or alterations in the Medicaid Rural Health Access and Quality Grants initiative if they are clearly linked to allowable uses of funds under the grant. The grant opportunity has not been released yet, but it is anticipated to be released soon. It will be released under the name Rural Strong Grants. As a reminder, there is a federal prohibition on using RHT funds for construction or building expansion, purchasing or significant retrofitting of buildings, cosmetic upgrades, or any other cost that materially increases the value of the capital or useful life as a direct cost. 

Our Clinic is not registered with sam.gov. Is this a requirement?
Your organization will be required to have a SAM.gov registration prior to receiving an award and a contract being signed and executed. SAM.gov registration is not required to submit a proposal for an RFP, but it is encouraged.

Does the Rural Health Transformation initiative directly partner with vendors that offer specialty access, referral optimization, or similar specialty‑focused digital tools?
The Rural Health Transformation initiative does not include a mechanism for direct engagement between DSS/Medicaid and specialty optimization or referral management vendors. The program’s design aims to place resources and decision‑making directly in the hands of healthcare providers. Organizations offering specialty optimization tools may find the most appropriate pathway through partnerships with individual providers or health systems participating in RHT activities, including PACT and digital modernization efforts, where such solutions may support quality and performance goals.

Which South Dakota Health and Human Services funding opportunities support the development of behavioral health crisis or stabilization services for youth in rural or tribal communities?
Organizations seeking support for rural or tribal youth behavioral health crisis services may find the most relevant opportunities within the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) behavioral health initiatives—specifically the Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) model. CCBHCs are designed to expand access to comprehensive behavioral health services and are required to provide 24/7 crisis response, which may include services that support youth and families in rural and tribal areas.

Information about CCBHC requirements, expectations, and eligibility is available through the South Dakota Department of Social Services. Providers who meet the criteria may apply to participate in the current CCBHC cohort. Additional RHT funding opportunities related to workforce development, infrastructure, or service expansion will be posted on the official state procurement and RHT resources pages as they become available.

We are a digital health company with a HIPAA-compliant, asynchronous telemedicine platform designed to reduce preventable ED return visits for rural infants and toddlers with acute respiratory illness. We are interested in being considered as a technology vendor for the Rural Health Transformation Project. Is there a vendor registry or a list of interested parties we can be added to be notified of relevant upcoming RFPs? We are on the ESM portal and watching RFPs.
All funding opportunities will be posted to the South Dakota Central Bidding website. Please register on that site to receive notifications on any funding that becomes available. https://postingboard.esmsolutions.com/3444a404-3818-494f-84c5-2a850acd7779/events

We encourage applicants to carefully review the scope of work for each RFP to determine which opportunity – or combination of opportunities – best aligns with their project needs and proposed activities.

Would any of these grants be available to improve access to medical equipment and supplies for Medicaid clients in rural areas?
We encourage applicants to carefully review the scope of work for each RFP to determine which opportunity – or combination of opportunities – best aligns with their project needs and proposed activities.

What federal funding initiatives are currently available to existing ambulance districts?
Are there specific federal grants or funding applications that ambulance districts are eligible to apply for directly? If so, could you please provide details on those programs and the application process?
If federal funding has been allocated to EMS in our area (I.e., Mitchell EMS), is that information made publicly available? If so, where can it be accessed, and how can we verify or identify those funds?
The Office of Rural Health and Emergency Services will be making Rural Healthcare Transformation funding available, focused on initiatives outlined in the EMS one-pager. Funding opportunities will be announced through the normal RFP procurement process and posted to the website: View South Dakota Funding Opportunities. 

Can a single project that will include multiple initiative areas be submitted on one application if the application clearly defines the funding needs, outcomes, and sustainability for each funding area? (E.G., a project that will rely heavily on technology for startup, recruitment incentives for proper medical staffing, and a new service line expansion through a hub and spoke model.)
No. Each initiative or funding opportunity requires a separate application. Applicants should submit an individual application for each initiative and must disclose any additional initiatives for which they are applying.

Will there be any upcoming RFP's released for IT professional services or temporary IT staffing under Initiative 1: Technology and Data Connection for a Healthier South Dakota?
At this stage, the State doesn't have any additional RFPs scheduled for IT professional services or IT staffing under Initiative 1.

Can I apply for this grant if I am an S-Corp, private practice in a mental health for-profit clinic? I am a perinatal mental health certified therapist.
Initiative 9, the BH Initiative, supports two distinct programmatic models. The first is the development of CCBHC. This model has specific federal requirements and standards that organizations must meet to achieve certification.  Based on your description, it does not appear that the work outlined aligns with the required CCBHC components.

The second program model supported under this initiative is the Collaborative Care Model. This model is specifically designed for primary care settings and focuses on integration of behavioral health into those environments by providing case management and access to psychiatric consultation to support primary care providers in addressing patient mental health concerns.  The primary applicant will be a primary care organization. 

Where can vendors find information about webinars, RFPs, deadlines, and other participation requirements for the Rural Health Transformation Project?
All current resources—including recorded webinars, FAQs, guidance materials, timelines, and announcements—are available on the Rural Health Transformation Resources & FAQs page. The State posts all Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Letters of Intent (if required), deadlines, and submission instructions through the official procurement portal at sd.gov/bhra. Any vendor checklists or participation requirements are included within each RFP once posted. Additional webinars or stakeholder sessions will be shared through the RHT resources page as they are scheduled.

Is it possible to view a recording of the webinar?
Yes, a recording of the information webinar held on February 19, 2026, is available at  ruralhealthtransformation.sd.gov. View the Webinar.

Is the sd.gov/bhra the only place where RFPs will be posted?
Yes, a link to all RFPs can be found on ruralhealthtransformation.sd.gov and on the BHRA procurement website at https://postingboard.esmsolutions.com/3444a404-3818-494f-84c5-2a850acd7779/events. If you don't know if you are a registered vendor, please contact OPM@state.sd.us 

If an entity applies for one RHT RFP, does that exclude them from applying for other RHT RFP opportunities? 
Although RFPs are asking for disclosure of other RHT funding, applying for one RFP does not automatically exclude an organization from receiving funding through another RFP.

When and how do I apply for a grant to strengthen chronic disease management?
All funding opportunities will be posted to the South Dakota Central Bidding website. Please register on that site to receive notifications on any funding that becomes available. There will be funding available for a variety of health entities sometime in April/May.

What is the difference between an ‘Invitation Only’ RFP and an ‘Open Invitation’ RFP in the state’s e‑procurement system, and how does each option affect how vendors are notified?
“Invitation Only” means the system sends notifications only to vendors registered with the relevant National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) codes. “Open Invitation” sends notifications to all registered vendors. These labels reflect notification settings only. RHT RFPs remain fully open and publicly accessible to any vendor, regardless of the notification type displayed in the system.

Are options to use RHT funds possible to apply for in any manner, or because Pennington County was shown as one of two counties that are not rural or frontier, are all possibilities for using these funds off the table?
Please refer to specific grant opportunities upon release for the applicant eligibility criteria. Rural Health Transformation funds are intended to help transform rural healthcare and benefit South Dakotans residing in rural areas of the State. In some grant opportunities, urban providers may be eligible either directly or as a partner of an applicant to the extent that the proposal benefits rural South Dakotans.

Will you have opportunities for vendors who provide Remote Patient Monitoring platforms to network and partner with local healthcare and educational facilities on a joint proposal to address the above Initiatives together?
Remote patient monitoring is a tool that healthcare providers may choose to utilize when they are looking at solutions for improving the care of their patients. However, since the PACT payments are paid directly to the healthcare providers in the form of the year-end quality bonuses and the monthly prospective payments, the arrangements would have to be between the RPM platforms and healthcare providers directly. We do not currently have a plan to create a networking opportunity.

Are purpose-built technology companies able to apply directly in an effort to partner across more providers and clinics at scale across the state, or does the application process require individual proposals from each provider group?
The Tech and Data initiative of the Rural Health Transformation Project is focused on the needs of rural healthcare providers and facilities. Our priority is to empower local teams to define their own challenges and solutions. The program is focused on provider-led strategy rather than technology procurement. No vendor applications are being accepted for this at this time.

If an organization applies as the managing consultant for a management grant, does that role prevent the organization or its partners from also receiving funding through the program?
Any organization may apply for a Request for Proposal (RFP) as long as it can provide the services defined within the RFP. A management consultant for a management grant serves in an administrative role to administer a program. An organization that serves as a management consultant is likely not eligible to apply for grant funding under that same program. Depending on the specific RFP, the consultant will likely have access to confidential application materials and will participate in scoring, evaluation, and award recommendations. Allowing it to compete for grants would likely create an inherent conflict of interest. Please contact a private attorney to discuss whether your organization's specific circumstances may create a conflict of interest. 

If hospitals are awarded funding as a subrecipient, can they then use that funding to contract consultants to help with the work? E.g., Can healthcare entities wishing to conduct needs assessments hire someone with the expertise to do this via contract?
Subrecipients must obtain written approval from the State before entering into any agreement with a third party. The subrecipient must determine if the relationship with the third-party is that of a contractor or a subrecipient. If that relationship is determined to be a subrecipient, specific information will be required to be in the agreement, and additional actions will be required. 

Are there any loan repayment plans for dentists working in a rural community? Also, does it seem like there is going to be any grant money for these rural dental practices in the future for equipment/facility improvements?
Dental students can participate in the Recruitment Assistance Program. Currently, all spots for dentists are filled, but communities can inquire to see if they are eligible to participate with a newly recruited dentist. This will allow for an eligible community and dentist to participate as soon as a spot is available.

Additional opportunities for dentists include the National Health Service Corps. The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) is a federal loan repayment program. The application period for this LRP is only open once per year. It is currently open until March 31, 2026. To qualify for this program, a participant must work at an NHSC-certified site. NHSC certified sites can be found at https://connector.hrsa.gov/connector/. If you would like to receive updates from HRSA on NHSC Programs or NHSC site certification periods, you can sign up for email updates at https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/. Go to the bottom of the page where it says, “Sign up for email updates.” Although this is a federal program and not a state program, Emily Paulsen, the Primary Care Program Coordinator with the Office of Rural Health and Emergency Services, does assist with questions about this program.

Future grant money for equipment and facility improvements is unknown. If funding becomes available through an initiative of the Rural Health Transformation Program, it will be included in a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Application (RFA), or another form of grant application. Please watch ruralhealthtransformation.sd.gov and https://open.sd.gov/ for information.

How can interested organizations and community members stay informed about the Rural Health Transformation project? Will there be public meetings or events where we can learn more and participate in the conversation?
At this time, we do not have a dedicated listserv or newsletter specifically for RHT. However, we regularly share relevant updates and communications about the project through our SD Rural Health email listserv. Find our available email listservs at https://doh.sd.gov/news-statutes/email-subscriptions/.

If an organization is interested in applying for funding to support activities such as upgrading electronic medical records, purchasing equipment for rural services, or hiring staff, which RFP should they apply to? Is it appropriate to submit applications to more than one RFP?
We encourage applicants to carefully review the scope of work for each RFP to determine which opportunity – or combination of opportunities – best aligns with their project needs and proposed activities.

Is there a listserv or news update service we can sign up for that would email us when RFPs are released related to any of the RHTP initiatives?
All funding opportunities will be posted to the South Dakota Central Bidding website. Please register on that site to receive notifications on any funding that becomes available.