Tennessee ESA FY2027 Service Provider RFA

The Tennessee Department of Education is accepting applications through March 31, 2027 for up to 200 qualified Education Savings Account service providers. Approved providers receive no-cost State contracts and may be selected by participating families for allowable tutoring, educational therapy, transportation, summer/after-school programming, technology equipment and eligible postsecondary services.

FundingNo fixed grant award or contract value. TDOE will establish no-cost contracts with up to 200 qualified providers; participating families may then use ESA funds for allowable services, and payment amounts vary based on eligible services selected by families.

DeadlineMarch 31, 2027; the RFA does not state a closing time

Last verifiedSeptember 29, 2026

Required next actionBecause TDOE states that the first 200 complete applicants meeting all qualifications will receive no-cost contracts, qualified providers should review the FY2027 RFA and pass/fail rubric promptly, select only service categories for which they fully qualify, document credentials/background-check compliance and fair-market pricing, complete the online 2026-27 ESA Service Provider Application, and obtain a fully executed no-cost State contract before rendering reimbursable services.

Broad Eligibility

TDOE is seeking individuals or businesses that meet ESA Program qualifications for approved service categories including tutoring, educational therapy, transportation, summer programming, after-school programming, technology equipment and eligible postsecondary opportunities. Technology-equipment providers must be commercial businesses licensed to operate in Tennessee and offer approvable devices at or below fair market value that directly assist a student’s instruction. Provider personnel serving students must meet applicable credential and fingerprint-based background-check requirements.

Atlas Analysis

Tennessee’s FY2027 Education Savings Account Service Provider RFA is an open marketplace qualification opportunity rather than a traditional grant. TDOE will establish no-cost contracts with up to 200 qualified providers. The RFA states that the first 200 applicants that submit a complete application and meet all requirements and qualifications will receive a no-cost State contract, after which participating ESA families may use allowable account funds to purchase eligible services or products from approved providers.

Service categories include tutoring, educational therapy, transportation, summer and after-school programming, technology equipment and certain postsecondary opportunities. Provider personnel serving students must satisfy applicable credentialing and fingerprint-based background-check requirements. Technology-equipment applicants must be commercial businesses licensed to operate in Tennessee, must offer approvable devices at or below fair market value, and the equipment must be used for the student’s educational needs and directly assist instruction. The application is online only, paper applications are not accepted, and applicants must receive a fully executed no-cost State contract before providing reimbursable services.

The application deadline is March 31, 2027. The controlling RFA states the date but does not publish a closing clock time. Applications are evaluated on a pass/fail rubric. Atlas assigns low N9+ direct-vendor fit because the technology category is educational, not clinical: a remote physical-exam device should not be represented as ESA-eligible without an authoritative TDOE determination that the specific use directly assists instruction and satisfies all program rules.