The Request for Proposal for Telehealth Equipment Expansion has been issued by the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence at UT Health Science Center. A minimum of four (4) Telehealth Equipment Packages will be awarded through a competitive review process. Up to $25,000 per award. Equipment will be purchased and shipped to the awarded organizations. Duration: 12 months to implement and provide outcome data
Stipulations: No indirect costs are allowed
Applicants may propose equipment packages tailored to their organization, which may include (but are not limited to):
- Telehealth carts or workstations
- High-definition video conferencing systems
- Digital stethoscopes
- Otoscopes and exam cameras
- Remote patient monitoring devices
- Peripheral diagnostic tools
- HIPAA-compliant telehealth software (if applicable)
Applicants must include a detailed narrative describing how the proposed equipment meets the identified needs of the targeted rural population and supports the services outlined in the proposal.
89 of 95 Tennessee counties are considered rural for purposes of this grant. Excluded counties to serve through this program are Madison, Shelby, Knox, Davidson, Hamilton, and Sullivan. Installation and technical support may be provided as needed.
In addition, telehealth training and technical assistance may be offered to selected organizations that identify this as a need within their proposal. This award covers equipment and limited implementation support only. Ongoing operational costs are not included. Please include in your application if you would like implementation support and telehealth training.
The Eligibility Criteria, Scope of Work, and application and Evaluation Criteria can be found below. Additional details about the grant are on the Grant Opportunities Page. Questions regarding the RFP may be submitted to [email protected] until just prior to June 24, 2026. The deadline for submission is July 3, 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be a legally recognized organization operating in Tennessee
- Demonstrate capacity to utilize telehealth equipment effectively
- Serve populations that experience healthcare access barriers
- Provide documentation of nonprofit status, public entity status, or healthcare licensure
Eligible entities may include:
- Federally Qualified Health Centers
- Rural Health Clinics
- Hospitals and health systems
- Community mental health centers
- Local health departments
- Community-based nonprofit organizations
- School-based health providers
- Academic institutions
- Tribal health entities
Preference given to applicants that:
- Serve rural counties or Health Professional Shortage Areas
- Demonstrate broadband readiness
- Have established clinical telehealth partnerships
- Serve high social vulnerability populations
- Present clear sustainability plans
- Proposal integration into existing workflows
Scope of Work
- Procure and/or receive telehealth equipment based on approved proposal
- Integrate equipment into clinical or service workflows
- Provide staff training and designate responsible personnel
- Establish telehealth service partnerships (if not already in place)
- Maintain HIPAA-compliant operations
- Track and report telehealth utilization metrics
- Participate in evaluation activities
Submission Instructions
- Access InfoReady online portal here.
- If you are applying from an organization outside of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, please email Jamie Sowell to obtain access to the InfoReady portal.
Application and Evaluation Criteria
Organizational Overview (1 page max) – 10 points
- Mission, history, and core service focus of the organization
- Rural geographic service area(s) where telehealth services will be delivered
- Populations served, with emphasis on underserved or high need groups
- Existing healthcare, behavioral health, or community partnerships that support service delivery
- Experience managing technology-enabled or telehealth services
Statement of Need (2 pages max) – 20 points
- Key community health needs relevant to the proposaled telhealth services
- Documented healthcare access gaps ( ex: provider shortages, long wait times)
- Target population (s) to be served through telehealth
- Specific barriers telehealth will address (ex: distance, mobility, stigma)
Equipment Justification, Demonstrated Need and Implementation (2 pages max) – 30 points
- Types of clinical or support services to be delivered via telehealth
- Telehealth clinical or operational workflows
- Staffing model, supervision, and trainin plans
- Broadband capacity and technology infrastructure
- Implementation timeline from equipment receipt to service launch
- Detailed description of proposed telehealth equipment
- Clear justification for equipment selection based on community and organizational need
- Explanation of how the equipment supports service delivery goals
Current Telehealth Capacity and Utilization (1 page max) – 10 points
Applicants must include:
- Description of current telehealth equipment and platforms (if any)
- How existing equipment is currently used
- Telehealth utilization data (ex: visit volume or service types)
- Identified gaps, limitations, or unmet demand in current telehealth capacity
Sustainability Plan (1 page max) – 10 points
- Telehealth reimbursement strategy (ex: Medicaid, Medicare, commercial payers)
- Long-term funding sources to support telehealth services
- Plans for equipment maintenance, replacement, and technical support
- Integration of telehealth services into the organization’s strategic and operational plans
Data and Evaluation Plan (1 page max) – 10 points
- Expected service volume (ex: number of telehealth visits)
- Key performance indicators (ex: access improvements)
- Data collection and reporting capacity
- Use of data for quality improvement and performance monitoring
Budget Narrative (Required) – 10 points
- Itemized list of proposed equipment (not to exceed $25,000)
- Cost estimates or quotes (if available)
- Justification for all requested items and alignment with the Equipment Use Plan
Grant Training
Federal Grants Management Training Series
The Federal Grants Management Training Series is a self-guided training series that provides grantees with the information needed to assist with the successful and compliant management of federal grants and cooperative agreements. The training series consists of three modules:
– Module 1: Federal Grant Basics
– Module 2: Notice of Award, Award Budget, and Subrecipients
– Module 3: Federal Grant Management
The goal of this training series is to help public health organizations understand roles and responsibilities in federal grant management and how to be good stewards of their federal awards.
Grant-writing Tools
Applying for Grants to Support Rural Health Projects: Tips on grant-writing from the Rural Health Information Hub
How to Tackle Grants: Grant-writing Basics: A free course from the Tennessee Public Health Training Center
TEMA Grant-writing Resources: Helpful tips and linked videos on the basics of grant writing from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency