Opportunity Overview
Ohio Department of Health Dental Access Collaborative RFP, ODH number DOH61298 and OhioBuys solicitation SRC0000041620, seeks one Ohio-based public or nonprofit organization to increase access to dental care for Medicaid-insured Ohioans, with particular emphasis on the 73 counties targeted by Ohio’s Rural Health Transformation effort.
The selected contractor will convene a Medicaid stakeholder workgroup, create a Medicaid credentialing toolkit, launch a targeted campaign to increase Medicaid-credentialed dentists, provide credentialing technical assistance, and help new or low-utilization Medicaid dental providers address barriers to treating Medicaid beneficiaries.
Funding, Contract Term and Deadline
The RFP states an estimated budget not to exceed $300,000 and anticipates up to one award. The initial projected project period is November 2, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with two optional 24-month renewals covering July 1, 2027-June 30, 2029 and July 1, 2029-June 30, 2031, plus a potential 90-day extension at ODH’s sole option.
Proposals are due Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. through OhioBuys. The controlling RFP does not state a time zone, so Atlas does not infer one. Inquiries are due through OhioBuys by October 6, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.. ODH prohibits direct solicitation-related contact outside the OhioBuys inquiry process.
Mandatory Eligibility
Offerors must be based in Ohio, must be a public or nonprofit organization, must have relationships with dentists sufficient to implement the program, and must submit a complete compliant proposal. The RFP says professional associations, universities, and public and nonprofit organizations are the expected offeror types. Dr. Miltie/QC Healthcare is therefore not eligible as a direct prime offeror under the stated entity requirements.
Scope and Deliverables
Required work includes a quarterly Ohio Medicaid stakeholder workgroup; a Medicaid Credentialing Toolkit covering enrollment with Ohio Medicaid and Medicaid managed care organizations, fee schedules and sustainability guidance; a targeted promotional campaign; technical assistance through the credentialing process; assistance addressing barriers to Medicaid participation and claims; monthly ODH check-ins; monthly written progress reports; and a final report due June 30, 2027. ODH’s stated program goals include a 3% increase in Medicaid-credentialed dentists and a 3% increase in dental claims provided by Medicaid-credentialed dentists.
Proposal Requirements
Offerors must submit a separately sealed electronic Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal through OhioBuys. Paper and email submissions will not be considered, and files must not be password protected.
The technical proposal must address contractor experience and expertise, ability to meet minimum requirements, capacity and financial capability, three references for similar services, project objectives and methodology, evidence-based practices where applicable, project timeline, key personnel and resumes, proposed subcontractors, and a detailed implementation work plan. Subcontracting of scope work requires prior written ODH approval.
The Cost Proposal Form must be completed in the exact provided format and submitted separately. The total price must be firm-fixed and include all one-time and ongoing costs, including travel, shipping and overhead. ODH states that costs not identified in the proposal will not be separately reimbursed.
MBE Participation
The RFP includes an embedded Ohio MBE participation structure. MBE certification is not stated as a mandatory prime-offeror eligibility requirement; instead, offerors are encouraged to set aside a portion of the work for Ohio-certified MBE businesses and receive evaluation points based on the percentage committed. The proposal must include an Ohio-certified MBE Contractor Plan stating the proposed percentage and describing the competitive selection process and work to be performed by the MBE subcontractor. The scoring table provides 0 points at 0%, 10 points at 1-5%, 20 points at 6-10%, 30 points at 11-15%, 40 points at 16-24%, and 50 points at 25% or more.
Evaluation
The technical evaluation emphasizes experience improving dental access in Ohio, existing dentist relationships and communication channels, staff experience engaging dental offices and stakeholders, breadth of Rural Health Transformation county reach, and the plan to increase Medicaid-credentialed providers. Technical scoring carries up to 500 points and cost up to 200 points; a minimum technical score of 300 points is required for award consideration. Final evaluation also adds MBE points.
Match / Cost Share
This is a procurement contract, not a grant. The RFP does not require non-federal match or applicant cost share. Offerors instead submit a complete firm-fixed-price cost proposal within the solicitation’s not-to-exceed budget.
Strategic Fit
Atlas Opportunity Score: 94/100. This is a clearly defined, statewide healthcare access procurement with a verified budget, formal scoring framework, specific deliverables and an open submission window.
N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. The required scope is statewide dentist outreach, Medicaid credentialing support, policy/access work and program administration. It does not call for telehealth equipment, connected physical examination technology or a clinical-device deployment. N9+ should not be forced into this procurement.
Direct-vendor eligibility: Dr. Miltie/QC Healthcare does not satisfy the RFP’s public-or-nonprofit prime-offeror requirement. A subcontracting role would also require prime-contractor selection and ODH approval, and the published scope does not present an obvious N9+ work package.
Potential Eligible Organization
Ohio Dental Association is a realistic high-fit offeror profile. It is Ohio-based, represents more than 5,000 member dentists, maintains statewide dentist communication channels, operates a Medicaid Working Group, and already partners with the Ohio Department of Health on Dental OPTIONS. Those facts align closely with the RFP’s dentist-relationship, Medicaid and access-to-care evaluation criteria. Actual eligibility, proposal strategy and organizational authorization remain the applicant’s responsibility.
Amendments and Monitoring
Atlas did not identify a separately published amendment in the materials indexed as of September 11, 2026. Offerors should monitor the OhioBuys solicitation directly for amendments, inquiry responses and any changes to submission instructions. The September 9 bidder conference has already occurred.