Capital Health Network

Capital Health Network (CHN) will establish and maintain a network of care finders to provide specialist and intensive assistance to help people within the care finder target population to understand and access aged care and connect with other relevant supports in the community.

We are seeking a Request for Proposal (RFP) from community and support organisations, and other health care providers, to work collaboratively with CHN in the delivery of the care finder program in the ACT region. CHN will procure one provider in this procurement activity to transition the care finder program from the outgoing provider, Community Options Incorporated, to the selected procured provider. Due to the limited time and funding available the procured provider will be required, and must have the ability, to begin Service Delivery within a short time frame.

The procured provider will establish a collaborative partnership between their organisation, Community Options Incorporated (the outgoing provider), and Meridian Incorporated (who is the second provider of the care finder program in the ACT) to assist in maintaining trust and continuity of service during the transition period. Longer term, the partnership with Meridian Incorporated will ensure warm referral pathways, coordinated service delivery where appropriate, joint assertive outreach and improved outcomes for older Australians.

Funding Available

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing will support CHN to fund care finder service providers over the relevant period. Approximately $1,414,719.53 (GST exclusive) will be allocated to the successful applicant, who will be contracted for care finder services, via this procurement (RFP) process for the period 1 October 2026 – 30 June 2029.

Target Persons

The care finder target population is people who are eligible for aged care services and have one or more reasons for requiring intensive support to:

• interact with My Aged Care (either through the website, contact centre or face-to-face in Services Australia service centres) and access aged care services; and/or
• access other relevant supports in the community.

Reasons for requiring intensive support may include:

• isolation or no support person (e.g. carer, family or representative) who they are comfortable to act on their behalf and/or who is willing and able to support them to access aged care services via My Aged Care
• communication barriers, including limited literacy skills
• difficulty processing information to make decisions
• resistance to engage with aged care for any reason and their safety is at immediate risk or they may end up in a crisis situation within (approximately) the next year
• past experiences that mean they are hesitant to engage with aged care, institutions or government.

The Care finder service also targets older Australians from the following priority groups:

• Financially and socially disadvantaged
• People experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness
• Lives in a rural or remote area
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
• People from a culturally and / or linguistically diverse background
• Has been affected by forced adoption or removal
• Care-leaver
• Veteran
• LGBTQ+

CHN will commission care finders to:

• Specifically target people who have one or more reasons for requiring intensive support to interact with My Aged Care (either through the website, contact centre or face-to-face in Services Australia service centres), access aged care services and/or access other relevant supports in the community.
• Establish and maintain a care finder network that addresses the specific local needs of the ACT region, in relation to care finder support; building knowledge and skills; integrating part of the local aged system; and collecting data and information to support evaluation of their programs.
• Leverage the network of care finders to strengthen the relationship of care finder providers, where a client is best supported by a different care finder provider, for example where a care finder’s strength is supporting LGBTQI+ populations or those who are homeless, warm referrals can be made for the client’s needs to be holistically met.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with the Elder Care Support Program providers and local First Nations Peoples services.
• Seek opportunities for the continuous improvement of the care finder program
• Proactively contribute to the integration between the health, aged care and other systems at the local level within the context of the care finder program.
• Employ care finders with relevant qualifications such as social work, human services, aged care, community services or health and/or relevant experience, whose primary function will include:
  – provide specialist and intensive assistance to help people in the care finder target population to understand and access aged care and connect with other relevant supports in the community
  – assertive outreach;
  – engagement and rapport building with potential clients and local intermediaries;
  – supporting people to interact with My Aged Care so they can be screened for eligibility for aged care services and referred for assessment;
  – support to explain and guide people through the assessment process including, where appropriate, attending the assessment;
  – high-level check-in with clients on a periodic basis and follow-up support once services have commenced.

Training and supervision requirements

• All care finders, their managers and triage staff will be required to complete mandatory online induction training regardless of prior training or experience.  The induction training package developed by the Department of Health and Aged Care will cover key foundational information for the care finder role and competencies.
• Client-facing staff will also be required to have completed training in cultural safety and trauma-informed care.
• Provision of support to care finder staff i.e. via clinical supervision or counselling to support wellbeing and reduce the risk of burnout.
• Care finder providers should read and understand the requirements and expectations of the care finder program provider as outlined in the care finder policy guidance for PHNs .

Important Dates

The RFP process commences Monday, 31 August 2026.

The closing date and time for this RFP is 5.00 pm Friday, 18 September 2026.

Questions and request for information close at 5.00 pm Friday, 11 September 2026. Questions and requests for information must be submitted in writing to tenders@chnact.org.au.

Additional Information

Additional materials and information provide in Request for Proposal.

All applications must be submitted on the Response Form as a pdf to tenders@chnact.org.au.

Responses to Questions will be uploaded to CHN Website Tenders page on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is the responsibility of applicants to check for any updates.

This Approach to Market is funded utilising Primary Health Network program funding from the Australian Government, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.