Contract Management

As outlined in “5 MRSA §1825-B. Bids, awards, contracts and grants”, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is required to award contracts through a competitive bidding process. These competitive bids are posted with Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services Division of Procurement Services (DAFS).

Vendor and Bid Opportunities

Prospective vendors should visit the Division of Procurement Services’ RFP website for up-to-date documents and information relating to DHHS Requests for Proposal (RFP), Requests for Information (RFI), and other bidding documents.

You may subscribe to receive notifications on RFP updates by visiting https://www.maine.gov/portal/subscriptions/email.html

Questions about the DHHS contract process?

If you are a new vendor and have questions on the Maine DHHS competitive bidding and contracting process, you may reach out to these resources:

Invoice Payment Information

Late Fees

Statute allows for the payment of late fees to providers in certain circumstances where the Department is overdue in making timely payments for submitted invoices.  5 MRSA §1554 Payment of late fees provides as follows:

In the event that a proper invoice is not paid within 25 working days after receipt of the invoice, or within 15 days following another date agreed to by the state agency and the business concern, the agency shall be liable to pay a reasonable late fee that shall not exceed the normal late charge that the business concern levies on the amount due on the invoice.

In the event that federal moneys are the budgeted source of funds for payment to business concerns for state agency purchases of goods, property or services, and these moneys are unexpectedly withheld and delayed from reaching the State in time to pay proper invoices without incurring a late fee, the state agency which made the purchases and the State of Maine shall not be liable for any late fees on overdue payments.

The application of any late fees is based upon three basic elements: 1) the invoice must be proper and have been submitted to the Department with necessary supporting documentation to be approved; 2) the number of days to review, approve, and process the payment for the invoice must exceed the timeframe specified in the statute; and 3) the reason for the payment delay must align with an allowable circumstance.   If you believe your payment may be eligible for a late fee, please reach out to the Division of Contract Management (Invoices-DCM.DHHS@maine.gov).  We will need the DHHS Agreement number, the invoice number, the dates of service covered by the invoice, and the invoice amount. 

Expedited Payments (for Cash Flow Issues):

There are times when providers run into financial hardships to the point where they may be unable to make payroll or will need to dip into/extend their lines of credit.  When these situations arise, DHHS has a process in place to support the providers and to expedite the payments through a prioritization process.  It is outlined as follows:

  • A member of the provider’s executive leadership team, either the Chief Executive Officer/CEO or the Chief Financial Officer/CFO (or the organization’s equivalents) can reach out to the Chief Operating Officer/COO for the DHHS office responsible for the contract explaining their challenges. 
  • The COO would discuss with the DCM Director the merit of the request and the appropriate measures to take to expedite the payment.
  • Depending on where the invoice is in the process, DCM will prioritize the invoice to ensure that it is expedited. DCM will also work with the Financial Service Center to expedite the payment with their work queues and with the Controller’s Office.

Division of Contract Management Responsibilities

The Division of Contract Management exists to ensure DHHS effectively procures and manages its contracts for services. As a Division of 25 plus staff, approximately 2000 procurement documents are reviewed, approved, and processed per year. The Division also oversees competitive bidding of services for DHHS and provides management tools for recording contract and performance information while providing technical assistance regarding contract development and management.

Division staff endeavor to coordinate RFPs and manage contracts with the greatest degree of consistency, accountability and cost effectiveness. The goal is to ensure that the delivery of services meets the needs of the consumers and the Department. The Division is committed to a procurement management system which ensures the best value, utilizing best business practices, which supports the DHHS public mission, and is in compliance with State and Federal statutes, rules, and regulations.