COVID-19 Community Testing Program Request for Proposals (RFP)

Posted by Philadelphia Department of Public Health on August 18, 2020

About the Philadelphia Department of Public Health
The mission of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all Philadelphians and to provide a safety net for the most vulnerable. PDPH is the City of Philadelphia’s lead public health agency responding to the coronavirus disease pandemic.

About COVID-19
COVID-19 is a new virus that was first discovered in 2019. While some persons infected with COVID-19 have no symptoms, others (particularly older adults and persons with chronic medical conditions) can become seriously ill. The next phase of epidemic control to suppress COVID-19 requires three actions: containment, social distancing, and protecting vulnerable populations. Containment will require the establishment of widespread COVID-19 testing, particularly among people who are at high risk for acquiring or transmitting the infection.

Purpose of this RFP
COVID-19 testing is available on a limited basis through providers in Philadelphia. However, existing test sites do not reach all people for whom testing might be beneficial. As COVID-19 case counts fall, PDPH seeks to:

• Identify people in populations with limited access to health care who might otherwise not be tested and who: (1) have high risk of serious infection or who have contacts that are vulnerable to serious infection, or (2) live or spend time in settings with elevated risk of disease transmission (e.g. congregate settings); and
• Identify COVID-19 cases more quickly so that contact tracing can stop the chain of transmission

Timeline and proposals process
The Program will receive proposals online on a rolling basis. Applications will be reviewed by PDPH, and the Program will notify applicants as soon as possible after receiving applications. Applicants should propose a timeline for providing testing services after notice of award. In general, PDPH expects awarded Provider Organizations to begin testing services within ten (10) days of notice of award.

Learn more and apply: https://www.phila.gov/media/20200728112624/RFP_COVID-19-Community-Testing_27Jul2020.pdf