# 2026 Tech Innovation Fund within CareIQ — Virginia Rural Health Transformation Program Virginia’s RHTP CareIQ Tech Innovation Fund provides non-dilutive, milestone-structured grants of $250,000 to $999,999 to organizations with novel healthcare technology solutions that can serve rural Virginia communities. Administered by the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) as a subrecipient of the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program, the fund supports technologies aligned with CareIQ objectives to improve chronic disease prevention and management, expand access to screenings and primary care services, modernize provider operations, and improve patient and provider outcomes in rural areas. Eligible products must be between proof-of-concept and minimum viable product stages, corresponding to Technology Readiness Levels 4 through 7, and must have a functional prototype, evidence or demonstration of feasibility, and readiness for deployment. Proposals must address rural-specific barriers such as provider shortages, geographic distance, limited healthcare infrastructure, and underserved or vulnerable populations, including Medicaid and low-income residents. Applicants must identify eligible rural Virginia localities for implementation, describe rural modifications and stakeholder engagement, and begin deployment within three months of funding award. VIPC anticipates 10–25 awards. No cost sharing or matching is required. Only direct project costs are permitted; administrative costs, indirect costs allocated to administration, pre-award costs, and profit or fee are prohibited. Funded subrecipients must track quarterly metrics, including active users, rural localities served, private sector capital catalyzed, and the required cross-cutting measure of people served, and must comply with 2 CFR Part 200, CMS RHTP terms, HHS grant conditions, and federal flow-down requirements. ## Key facts - Status: Closed - Type: RFA - Issued by: Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) (Virginia) - Posted: 2026-09-30 - Questions due: 2026-10-13 - Application due: 2026-10-29 - Funding: $250,000 – $999,999 - Eligible applicants: Startup, Company, University, Non-profit, Governmental, Tribal, Hospital / Health System, Other eligible entity capable of receiving federal subaward funding - How to apply: Applications will only be accepted through VIPC’s Proposal Submission interface at https://vipc.org/initiatives/rural-health-transformation-program/. Written questions were required to be submitted to RuralHealth@virginiaipc.org by Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at noon ET, with responses published at t… - Funding source: Rural Health Transformation Program (CMS) - Official source: https://vipc.org/wp-content/uploads/VIPC-Tech-Innovation-Fund-RFA_Final.pdf ## Eligibility Eligible applicants must be legally organized entities in good standing; be founded less than 10 years ago; have raised less than $50 million in prior funding since inception; hold an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in SAM.gov with no active exclusions, debarments, or suspensions; demonstrate capacity to manage federal subaward funds in compliance with 2 CFR Part 200, Section 71401 of Public Law 119-21, HHS grant terms, and CMS RHTP terms; complete the required risk assessment and certifications; agree to federal flow-down terms; provide direct services to rural Virginia communities as defined under Virginia’s RHTP; and be U.S.-based and U.S.-owned, with all RHTP-supported work performed in the U.S. by U.S. employees and contractors. Preference will be given to companies, startups, and Virginia-based organizations. Virginia-based organizations include those with a primary business address in Virginia or those legally registered to conduct business in Virginia with administrative and strategic operations performed in Virginia. Consideration will also be given to institutes of higher education, nonprofit, governmental, Tribal, hospital/health system, or other entities capable of receiving federal subaward funding that have novel technology. Eligible products or services must be at Technology Readiness Level 4 through 7 and not merely concepts with no validated science or fully commercialized products focused on marketing and sales. ## Requirements Applicants must propose a novel technology-based healthcare solution for rural Virginia that aligns with at least one CareIQ Tech Innovation Fund objective: fostering growth of Virginia’s health technology ecosystem or introducing more innovations to rural Virginia communities. Proposed technologies should improve chronic disease prevention and management, expand screenings or primary care access, modernize provider operations, or otherwise strengthen care delivery in rural communities. Products must be between proof-of-concept and minimum viable product stages, with a functional prototype, feasibility evidence, and demonstrated readiness. Applications must describe the team, novelty and market opportunity, proposed solution, stakeholder engagement, work plan and deployment strategy, performance measurement and evaluation, budget, sustainability, regulatory compliance including HIPAA as applicable, cybersecurity, and risks. Required activities include identifying rural deployment modifications, identifying implementation localities, coordinating with stakeholders as appropriate, beginning deployment within three months of funding award, defining PII collection policy consistent with NIST SP 800-122, tracking active users and people served, and reporting quarterly. Milestone payments may be structured as 20% initial award, 20% rural deployment strategy, 20% deployment, 20% six-month outcome, and 20% project closeout/final validation. All milestones must be completed by August… ## Required attachments - Online Application Cover Page completed through VIPC Proposal Submission Interface - Eligible Applicants and Products information, Risk Assessment, and Required Certifications and Assurances completed through VIPC Proposal Submission Interface - Executive Summary (PDF, 1 page) - Project Narrative (PDF, 10 pages, sections A-H) - Key Personnel Resumes (PDF, maximum 2 pages each) - Budget and Budget Narrative - Proof of active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in SAM.gov - Proof organization has no active exclusions, debarments, or suspensions - Virginia SCC number or documentation, if applicable ## Application package and source documents - [VA - 2026 - Press Alt+1 for screen-reader mode, Alt+0 to cancel Accessibility Screen-Reader Guide, Feedback, and Issue Reporting | New window Skip to content Linkedin (rural-health-transformation-program) (Program overview page (landing-page capture))](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/7de6d9ac-3411-48eb-a9bf-bf74c5a3edea/file) — official: https://vipc.org/initiatives/rural-health-transformation-program - [VA - 2026 - Ways to Apply](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/868df03f-3c94-4d08-b7b8-36cd87d5656d/file) — official: https://www.ruralhealthtransformationva.virginia.gov/ways-to-apply - [VA - 2026 - Implementation](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/94f090c3-92e5-47c7-a04d-e572ecdef912/file) — official: https://www.ruralhealthtransformationva.virginia.gov/implementation - [VA - 2025 - Virginia RHTP RFA Budget Template - Instructions](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/8002214c-cff5-40a0-a5bb-1119d8cadbb8/file) — official: https://vipc.org/wp-content/uploads/RHTP-Itemized-Budget-Template-for-Second-Tier-Subrecipients.xlsx - [VA - 2026 - Request for Applications: Virginia RHTP: CareIQ Tech Innovation Fund (Request for Applications (official RFA))](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/9fb11697-6071-4d40-b022-f08ff240aba2/file) (primary) — official: https://vipc.org/wp-content/uploads/VIPC-Tech-Innovation-Fund-RFA_Final.pdf - [VA - 2026 - CareIQ Tech Innovation Fund Request for Applications (RFA) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Revised October 8, 2026 (FAQ (Revised October 8, 2026, superseded by the October 21 revision))](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/14f7828b-8571-498e-b873-22d663360158/file) — official: https://vipc.org/wp-content/uploads/RHTP-RFA-FAQ_.pdf - [VA - 2024 - Award Terms and Subrecipient Guidance for Virginia RHTP Tech Innovation Fund (Terms & Conditions)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/e01a5579-f45e-491b-a632-10a175d2d392/file) — official: https://vipc.org/wp-content/uploads/Award-Terms.pdf - [VA - 2026 - VIPC Debarment and Exclusion Certification and Check (Debarment and Exclusion Certification and Check Form)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/4fa533c4-0c19-4319-bd94-d4dd789952e2/file) — official: https://vipc.org/wp-content/uploads/VIPC-Debarment-and-Exclusion-Certification-and-Check-Form.pdf - [VA - 2026 - Virginia RHTP RFA Budget Template - Instructions (FINAL)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/8590ffdf-a22d-4b3a-9d44-8ba5b8c4ae7f/file) — official: https://vipc.org/wp-content/uploads/RHTP-Itemized-Budget-Template-for-Second-Tier-Subrecipients-FINAL.xlsx - [VA - 2026 - Virginia Rural Healthcare Transformation Tech Innovation Fund Information Session October 2026 (Informational Webinar Slide Deck (Oct 6, 2026))](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/9d986bde-6022-448f-917a-3d823ae89f7b/file) — official: https://vipc.org/wp-content/uploads/RHTP-Tech-Innovation-Fund-Webinar-Slides.pdf - [VA - 2026 - Request for Applications: Tech Innovation Fund within CareIQ for RHTP](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/38afcb4a-357f-4c54-a5fd-2632959983fa/file) — official: https://vipc.org/initiatives/rural-health-transformation- - [VA - 2020 - Virginia RHT: Tech Innovation Fund Info Webinar (virginia-rural-health-transformation-tech-innovation-fund-info-webinar-tickets-2002748489645)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/45669d95-4f56-428f-b3d2-fecd75410dc0/file) — official: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virginia-rural-health-transformation-tech-innovation-fund-info-webinar-tickets-2002748489645?aff=oddtdtcreator - [VA - 2020 - Virginia RHT: Tech Innovation Fund Info Webinar (virginia-rural-health-transformation-tech-innovation-fund-info-webinar-tickets-2002747750434)](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/c6aed795-7e34-48db-801c-996b78f79d4a/file) — official: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virginia-rural-health-transformation-tech-innovation-fund-info-webinar-tickets-2002747750434?aff=oddtdtcreator - [VA - 2020 - Virginia RHT: Tech Innovation Fund Info Webinar](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/dd58a46a-787b-4724-b222-3b2411524b5c/file) — official: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virginia-rural-health-transformation-tech-innovation-fund-info-webinar-tickets-2002571063960?aff=oddtdtcreator - [VA - 2026 - Virginia RHTP CareIQ Tech Innovation Fund Request for Applications (RFA) #C-27-002 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Revised October 21, 2026 (FAQ (Revised October 21, 2026))](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/e84ddf12-4a30-4064-a870-e6f219e55cd9/file) — official: https://vipc.org/wp-content/uploads/RHTP-RFA-FAQ___.pdf - [VA - 2026 - Press Alt+1 for screen-reader mode, Alt+0 to cancel Accessibility Screen-Reader Guide, Feedback, and Issue Reporting | New window Skip to content Linkedin](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/fd45bd37-34f4-4063-a2d9-b0550f840655/file) — official: https://vipc.org/initiatives/rural-health-transformation-program/ - [VA - 2024 - Virginia RHTP Request for Applications Open](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/71ce27ec-332f-4f13-80cd-ccecb3e64434/file) — official: https://westpiedmontpdc.org/rural-health-transformation-fund/ - [VA - 2026 - Virginia RHT](https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/api/documents/ddba7de4-4efc-49eb-aeac-4ed4b85232d1/file) — official: https://www.ruralhealthtransformationva.virginia.gov/ More Virginia RHTP activity: https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/states/va (markdown: https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/states/va.md) --- Source: Rural Care Journey (RCJ), https://www.ruralcarejourney.com/opportunities/2026-tech-innovation-fund-within-careiq-virginia-rural-health-transformation-pro--161e9ee332 — data as of 2026-11-08. Cite the RCJ page for the summary and the linked official source for authoritative terms, deadlines, and amounts.