Delaware Seeking Organization to Operate
Rural Health Challenge Innovation Program

September 21, 2026

WILMINGTON, Delaware — Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP), in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), is seeking an experienced program operator to design and implement the Delaware Rural Health Challenge (DRHC) innovation accelerator supported through Delaware’s Rural Health Transformation Program.

At this time, DPP and DHSS are requesting proposals from organizations interested in operating the DRHC. The application process for startup companies seeking Rural Tech Catalyst Fund grants will be announced at a later date.

The DRHC is part of the recently launched Innovate Delaware, which is a two-year pilot to advance and strengthen the statewide innovation ecosystem. This program is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of technology-driven innovations that improve healthcare access, affordability, quality and chronic disease outcomes for rural Delaware communities.

The DRHC will engage healthcare providers, community organizations, state agencies and other stakeholders to define specific gaps and barriers in delivering care to rural, medically underserved and health professional shortage areas. Once the top challenges have been identified, innovative health technology startups will be recruited to develop and deploy new solutions through an accelerator program. Via its Rural Tech Catalyst Fund, the DRHC will provide up to $5 million a year in grants to a qualifying cohort of startups without requiring them to give up ownership in their companies.

Recipients of Catalyst Fund monies will be expected to generate measurable progress across four interconnected areas: healthcare impact, startup commercialization, Delaware economic impact, ecosystem capacity and sustainability. The DRHC itself also will focus on sustainability, working to build durable commercialization relationships, capabilities and infrastructures that will benefit Delaware well into the future.

“The DRHC initiative seeks to advance two complementary objectives: improve health outcomes, access to care and healthcare delivery for rural Delawareans and strengthen Delaware’s startup, commercialization and innovation ecosystem,” said DPP Vice President of Innovation Noah Olson. “For this reason, we’re not seeking a traditional accelerator model built primarily around generalized curriculum, mentorship and a culminating pitch event. Rather, we need an operator capable of helping participating startups navigate the route from promising healthcare tech to and through meaningful validation, deployment, commercialization and scale.”

DPP will oversee the DRHC in partnership with DHSS. DPP will provide strategic leadership, procurement, fund management and program oversight, and the selected program operator will administer the DRHC programming on DPP’s behalf. DHSS will provide rural health expertise, regulatory guidance and oversight to ensure alignment with Rural Health Transformation Program objectives and applicable Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements. Day-to-day implementation of accelerator programming and participant support will be provided by the program operator.

The request for proposals is here, and submission is required by 11:59 p.m. EDT October 5. An information session is scheduled for September 30 at 4 p.m. EDT, and interested parties can register to participate here. Applicants selected for second-round consideration will be notified on or before October 12. Potential applicants may contact CatalystFund@ChooseDelaware.com with any questions. Additional dates and submission details are here.

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Delaware Prosperity Partnership is an economic development organization that builds Delaware’s economy, fosters scalable innovation, creates well-paying jobs, strengthens communities and positions Delaware as a premier destination for business investment. Collaborating with statewide partners since its creation in 2017, DPP has supported more than 90 location and expansion projects that account for over $3.72 billion in projected capital investment and almost 12,000 new and retained jobs.