Department of Financial Management 411 West Ocean Boulevard, 6th Floor

Long Beach, CA 90802

(562) 570-6425

Appendix A

Evaluation Period 1: Questions & Answers

RFQ No. CM-24-479

Community Engagement and Outreach

This addendum changes and supersedes the language in the original RFQ. Please acknowledge receipt of this addendum by signing and submitting with your proposal. Any proposer who fails to submit this addendum may be disqualified.

The City would like to remind Proposers that pursuant to Section 5.2.21 of the RFQ, the City will not be responsible for or bound by any oral communication or any other information or contact that occurs outside the official communication process specified herein, unless confirmed in writing by the City Contact.

The questions and answers are as follows:

1. Q: When considering using this bench for federally funded projects, do you anticipate the need for priority population specific Community Based Organizations (CBOs) based on all of the recent federal funding changes and limitations?

A: The City is establishing this bench, in part, due to an increase in state and federal funds requirements that mandate or highly recommend that the City subcontract with non-City entities to facilitate community engagement and outreach services. Given the recent shift in federal priorities, this requirement may be less common. However, the City still anticipates a need for services that fall outside the expertise of City staff, are most effectively delivered by organizations familiar with and trusted by historically under-served populations and continue to be mandated by funders to be facilitated by non-City entities.

2. Q: Is this RFQ similar to the master agreement used by the county?

A: Placement on this bench does not guarantee work or a contract. This bench is to establish a list of pre-qualified vendors that the City can select from when there is a need for the services outlined in the RFQ. When a project arises, the City Department can request quotes directly from the vendors on the bench. Once the Department has selected a vendor from the bench, the Department will initiate and manage the contract with the selected vendor.

Evaluation Period 1: RFQ CM-24-479

3. Q: Is there a maximum number of vendors that will be selected to be on the bench or per description of services?

A: No, there is not a maximum number of vendors that will be selected to be on the bench.

The number of vendors selected to be on the bench will depend on the number of submissions that are selected as qualified vendors.

4. Q: Does out of state vendors qualify to submit qualifications for this RFQ?

A:. Yes, out-of-state vendors will be considered. Please note, upon selection, qualified vendors will be required to submit Proof of Registration with the California Secretary of State.

5. Q: Do City Departments issue their own RFP specific to the bench only? Is this a public bidding process?

A: This is a formal solicitation process to establish a bench of qualified vendors who can provide the services outlined in the Section 2 Scope of Work of the RFQ. Once the Responders are deemed qualified, they will be placed on the bench. When a City Department has a need for a specific community outreach or engagement service they will request quotes directly from the vendors on the bench.

6. Q: Is priority given to organizations based Southern California or serving Long Beach communities members?

A: No, there is no priority given to organizations based in Southern California or serving Long Beach community members.

7. Q: Are vendors required to have a City of Long Beach business license at the time of submitting their qualifications or only if they are awarded a contract for a specific scope of work?

A: No, vendors are not required to have a City of Long Beach business license at the time of submitting their qualifications. However, an active Long Beach business license will be required if your organization is selected to provide services.

8. Q: Is the LGBTQ+ considered one of the underserved populations under this RFQ? If so, can you provide specific details?

A:. The City typically considers the LGBTQ+ community as an underserved population.

Responders should justify a community’s underserved status by providing quantitative or qualitative data from a credible source that supports this designation.

9. Q: Are non-profit organizations eligible to submit a statement of qualifications for this RFQ?

A: Yes, non-profit organizations are eligible to submit a Statement of Qualifications.

10. Q: What is considered a reasonable rate? Should cost proposals be submitted by project or hourly rate?

A: A reasonable rate is fair, appropriate, and justifiable for the types of services described in the RFQ. The Cost Schedule should include fully loaded hourly rates for key staff.

11. Q: Should the Method of Approach also be included in the qualification narrative or is this a separate document that needs to be uploaded.

A: Yes, The Method of Approach should be included as a part of the Qualification Narrative, as outlined in Section 4.3 of the RFQ. The template is provided in the file attachments in the Bid Solicitation on LB Buys and must be completed and submitted as your Qualification Narrative.

12. Q: Could you provide examples of the types of completed projects that would be appropriate to submit. Is there a size limit to the submissions?

A: The City does not have samples of completed projects available to share. However, the City recommends that Responders submit up to three samples of completed projects (work samples) that best represent the services the Responders offer and demonstrate their qualifications relevant to the scope of work outlined in Section 2 Scope of Work of the RFQ.

13. Q: Can a Responder’s subcontractors include independent contractors such as 1099 workers or sole proprietor?

A: Yes.

14. Q: Is the City anticipating federal funding for potential task orders?

A: The City does not have any federally funded projects that require the services of the bench at this time.

15. Q: Can you provide information on the contract amounts?

A: No, the City does not have any specific project information at this time.

16. Q: If a company offers multiple services, does the RFQ allow us to specify each of those services or should we focus on providing a general overview?

A: If a Responder offers multiple services, Responders may briefly list all of the services, but should focus on providing examples and describing experience that show they meet the Qualification Criteria described in Section 3.3 of the RFQ.

17. Q: Should the supporting Narrative include work samples, such as a video or a link to a past outreach event with a supporting Narrative providing context of the activity.

A: Yes, Responders must provide 1-3 samples of a complete project. The sample(s) should demonstrate the organization’s attention to detail, compelling and accessible content, and skillful graphic displays. If your sample includes a video, please provide a link to the video and context explaining its relevance to your work.

18. Q: Can organizations partner together to submit a response to the RFQ?

A: Only one organization may serve as a Responder. However, the Responder may include other organizations as subcontractors in their response to the RFQ.

19. Q: Staff costs may vary depending on the type of scope needed for an event. What would be considered an appropriate range in personnel cost under this RFP?

A: The Responder’s Cost Schedule should include fully loaded hourly rates for key staff. When a Department issues a Request for Quote from the bench, the vendor can adjust the number of hours staff will provide based on the complexity or skillset needed for the project.

20. Q: Are sole proprietors encouraged to submit a response to the RFQ?

A: Sole proprietors may submit qualifications to the RFQ as long as they meet the minimum requirements described in Section 3.2 of the RFQ. However, please note, Departments typically prefer community engagement and outreach vendors that have the experience and capacity to provide most of the requested services directly.

21. Q: Is this RFQ primarily intended for an advertising, marketing, or public relations firm?

A: This opportunity encourages responses from both large firms and smaller community-based organizations (CBOs) that bring valuable local knowledge and expertise. The City is specifically looking for Responders with expertise to implement community outreach and engagement strategies that will strengthen community capacity, gather input, and raise awareness of City initiatives. Additionally, the City seeks Responders capable of centering equity and reaching historically underserved communities by offering community outreach and engagement services that are accessible, culturally responsive, and linguistically appropriate.

22. Q: If selected, will the contract be structured as a fixed fee or a time and materials arrangement?

A: The Department will specify eligible costs and cost structure when issuing a Request for Quotes for vendors on the bench.

23. Q: Can the City share the top three languages it aims to engage through this initiative?

A: The City typically provides translation and interpretation services for the Spanish, Tagalog, and Khmer speaking populations.

24. Q: Will all the work associated with this RFQ be conducted within the City of Long Beach?

A: Yes.

25. Q: What is the typical range of contract awards under this RFQ, from the lowest to the highest dollar amount?

A: The bench will be available to all City Departments in need of community engagement and outreach services. The Department’s scopes of work will vary, so the City is unable to provide a range of contract dollar amounts.

26. Q: Are responders required to list their subcontractors in their qualification’s submission?

A: Responders must identify subcontractors when submitting their Statement of Qualification or upon the award of a contract (See Addendum No. 4). However, Responders should identify any subcontractors that contribute to meeting the qualification criteria outlined in Section

3.3 of the RFQ with their Statement of Qualification. For example, if the Responder needs a subcontractor to provide services in multiple languages, then the Responder should identify the subcontractor that helps them meet that qualification criterion as part of their Statement of Qualification.

27. Q: Are subcontractors required to meet the same insurance requirements as the primary contractor? Can they be listed as Additional Insured under the primary vendor’s insurance?

A: Yes, subcontractors are required to meet the same insurance requirements as the primary contractor (refer to Section 5.3.2 of the RFQ for insurance requirements). Yes, they can be listed as additional insureds on the contractor’s general liability insurance (it would cost an additional premium). However, this wouldn’t apply to the contractor’s professional or cyber liability, as applicable.

28. Q: Are Departments required to release their Scope of Work or Request for Quotes within the entire bench, or are they allowed to select a few vendors from the bench?

A: Departments will have the flexibility to issue Request for Quotes to vendors on the bench who offer the services needed for the project.

29. Q: Will local preference apply to this RFQ.

A: No, Local Preference does not apply to this RFQ due to the potential use of federal funding.

30. Q: Are subcontractors allowed under this RFQ? If so, can a prime contractor add new subcontractors after the vendor bench has been established?

A: Yes, Responders may use subcontractors under this RFQ. Responders must identify subcontractors when submitting their Statement of Qualification or upon the award of a contract (See Addendum No. 4).

31. Q: Is a Certificate of Insurance required as part of the RFQ submission?

A: No, a Certificate of Insurance is not required when submitting the Statement of Qualification. However, it will be required if your organization is selected to provide services.

Refer to Section 5.3.2 for insurance requirements.

32. Q: Will the City accept qualifications submitted in languages other than English, or must all submissions be in English?

A: Statement of Qualifications must be submitted in English.

33. Q: Are City Departments required to select vendors from the established bench first? If none of the vendors meet the project requirements, will it go back out to bid?

A: Departments are not required to select vendors from the bench when seeking community outreach and engagement services. They may use other procurement processes to identify and select vendors.

34. Q: Can you clarify the plan for rolling RFQs in 2026. Will organizations already on the bench be competing with new entities as part of the additional RFQs?

A: Once a vendor has been placed on the bench, the vendor will not be required to resubmit their qualifications when the RFQ opens in 2026 and 2027. However, the existing vendors will compete with any new vendors placed on the bench.

35. Q: Could you clarify whether the following refers to any existing contracts the Proposer has with the City of Long Beach, or only to proposed terms related to this RFQ. If the Proposer does not have any applicable documents, would a statement indicating that non apply be acceptable.

In Section 5.2.10 on page 26 of the RFQ it states ‘Statements of Qualifications must include any and all proposed terms and conditions, including, without limitation, written warranties, and maintenance/service agreements, license agreements, lease purchase agreements and Proposer’s standard contract language. The omission of these documents may render a Statemen of Qualification non-responsive.’

A: The Terms and Conditions listed in Section 5.2.10 apply to this RFQ. If your statement of qualification includes any of the items listed, they should be included if applicable.

36. Q: If a Department reviews the bench of qualifications and finds that the vendors can’t provide the services they need, can they issue a new RFP to solicit proposals that better meet their requirements?

A: Yes, a Department may issue a Request for Proposals to solicit proposals that better meet their needs, but the resulting contract would only be for that specific City Department’s project.

37. Q: Will the sign-in sheets from the optional virtual Information Session and the In-Person

Information session be available for everyone to see?

A: No, we only post sign-in sheets for Mandatory Information Sessions or Pre-Bid Meetings.

However, the bid holder list is available on Long Beach Buys.

38. Q: What is the funding allocation for each year, and how many individual vendors does the

City plan to contract with?

A: The City does not have funding allocated for the bench. The funding amount and number of contracts will depend on the need of the Departments requesting services over the next five years.

39. Q: Have Statement of Qualifications and or contracts been awarded in the following areas in the past? If so, where can I find those contractors?

a) Art, History, and Culture

b) Budget and Finance

c) Capital Projects and Infrastructure

d) Economic and Workforce Development

e) Emergency Preparedness

f) Sustainability and Climate Resiliency

A: Responders may search solicitations in Long Beach Buys, search contracts on the Office of the City Clerk website, or submit a request a Public Records Request (PRA).

https://longbeachbuys.buyspeed.com/bso/ https://www.longbeach.gov/cityclerk/services/contracts-online/ https://www.longbeach.gov/cityclerk/services/contracts-online/ https://www.longbeach.gov/citymanager/Office-of-Ethics-and-Transparency/public-records-requests/

40. Q: Will respondents be evaluated and ranked separately for each service category listed or on their overall capacity to provide community engagement services?

A: Responders will be evaluated based on their overall capacity to meet the criteria described in Section 3.3 of the RFQ. A Responder’s “checked-off” disciplines provided in their Statement of Qualification will be used to assist Departments to identify suitable vendors if they are placed on the bench.

41. Q: The RFQ states that vendors must demonstrate the capacity to work “in multiple languages.” Are there specific priority languages the City requires vendors to cover? Can these requirements be met through subcontracted language services?

A: The City typically provides translation and interpretation services for the Spanish, Tagalog, and Khmer speaking populations. Yes, Responders may subcontract with other agencies to provide language services.

42. Q: How will vendors from the pre-qualified bench be selected for individual projects? Will

Departments issue mini-RFPs or solicit quotes from all vendors or only from a short-listed subset?

A: The Department will issue a Request for Quotes via e-mail to vendors on the bench who offer the services needed for the project. The Request for Quotes may include a project description, requested deliverables, timeline, eligible expenses, and preferred cost structure.

The potential vendor will respond to the Request for Quotes by providing a detailed budget, approach to the project, and other items as requested by the Department. The Department will then select the vendor that best meets the Department’s need while adhering to all City procurement policies.

43. Q: Once a Department identifies a need, what specific steps will the quote process follow

(timeline, submission format, evaluation team)?

A: See response to Question 42.

44. Q: Does the City anticipate a regular cadence for releasing opportunities to selected vendors or will request be strictly ad-hoc?

A: No, the City does not anticipate a regular cadence for releasing opportunities. The request for services will depend on Department needs.

45. Q: How will vendors be notified of opportunities (email blast, Long Beach Buys posting, both)?

A: Vendors on the bench will be notified of opportunities via e-mail.

46. Q: Will the City tier vendors in any way to ensure equitable access to contract opportunities?

A: The City is striving to create a bench that can provide services that are culturally responsive and tailored to the unique needs of historically under-served communities and neighborhoods, while ensuring that effective, linguistically appropriate, and accessible communication strategies are prioritized. While vendors will not be tiered, Departments will be encouraged and have the ability to request a quote for service from vendors on the bench who are able to provide such services, as appropriate.

47. Q: Given that projects are unknown at this stage, does the City prefer: (a) fully loaded hourly rates by labor category, or (b) a representative menu of unit price per activity?

A: Responders should include their fully loaded hourly rates for key staff. Once on the bench, vendors will be able to submit the costs of other expenses when responding to a Department’s Request for Quotes for a specific project.

48. Q: Should direct expenses, such as participant incentives, interpretation, and print collateral be shown as separate line items or included within overhead in the cost schedule?

A: Responders should include their fully loaded hourly rates by labor category as part of their Statement of Qualification. Once on the bench, vendors will be able to submit the costs of other direct expenses such as incentives and print collateral when responding to a

49. Q: How many years of financial stability documentation does the City require from respondents?

A: Refer to Section 4.2 of the RFQ.

50. Q: For firms with no company vehicles, will the City accept evidence of personal auto liability in lieu of a commercial auto policy?

A: If a firm does not use vehicles as part of their scope of services (i.e., if they don’t transport passengers or deliver goods), this insurance requirement can be waived.

51. Q: For owner-only LLCs, will the City waive the workers’ compensation requirements and accept a signed waiver of coverage?

A: If a firm is not required to maintain workers’ compensation to be compliant with the California Labor Code, then this insurance can be waived. Generally, sole proprietors with no employees, general partners of partnerships, and officers of corporations without non-officer employees meet these criteria.

52. Q: Because a stand alone cyber/privacy policy can be cost prohibitive for small businesses, would the City consider: (a) waiving the stand-alone cyber/privacy-liability insurance requirement, or (b) allow vendors to satisfy it through an endorsement on their professional-liability policy (e.g., minimum $100,000 privacy coverage)?

A: The cyber liability insurance requirement ONLY applies to firms whose services relate to the provision of internet or phone services or the collection of information digitally. If firms collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or data protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), then this requirement applies. Small business cyber liability insurance typically costs from about $500 to $5000 per year for $1 million limits (with a mean of about $1700). If the risk applies, it seems reasonable. If the risk does not apply, the insurance requirement can be waived.

53. Q: Is there a requirement for staff to reside in Long Beach, and does it impact the evaluation process?

A: No, there is not a requirement for the Responder’s employees to reside in Long Beach and it will not impact the evaluation process.

54. Q: Please confirm that firms are allowed to use a different format than the Narrative

Qualification Template in Section 4.3 of the RFQ?

A: Firms must complete the editable template and submit it as the narrative for their Statement of Qualification.

55. Q: Are there specific populations or Long Beach neighborhoods the City is prioritizing for engagement under this RFQ, particularly those affected by systemic violence or historic disinvestment?

A: While specific projects or neighborhoods have not been identified, the goals of this RFQ are to: 1) Strengthen the City's ability to connect with historically under-served communities by working with vendors who are familiar with and trusted by these communities. 2) Enhance the City’s ability to provide services that are culturally responsive and tailored to the unique needs of historically under-served groups and ensure that effective, linguistically appropriate, and accessible communication strategies are prioritized.

56. Q: As a small, BIPOC-led organization serving justice-involved and violence-impacted individuals, will On My Grind be evaluated equitably alongside larger firms? Is there equity scoring advantages for local, lived-experience-led, or CVI-certified organizations?

A: All Responders who meet the Minimum Requirements described in Section 3.2 and comply with Qualification Criteria described in Section 3.3 will be placed on the bench. Responders will not be evaluated based on how they compare with other Responders.

57. Q: Are indirect costs allowed in the cost schedule, and if so, what is the allowable cap? Should items such as stipends, food, and transportation be itemized separately or embedded within service rates?

A: The Cost Schedule should include fully loaded hourly rates for key staff. Once on the bench, vendors will be able to submit the costs of other expenses when responding to a

58. Q: For partnerships with grassroots CBOs or subcontracted credible messengers, what documentation is required at submission—resumes, MOUs, commitment letters, or all of the above?

A: Responders must identify subcontractors when submitting their Statement of Qualification or upon the award of a contract (See Addendum No. 4). An official of each proposed Subcontractor must sign and include as part of the Statement of Qualification submitted or upon the award of a contract, a statement to the effect that the subcontractor has read and will agree to abide by the Responder’s Obligations.

59. Q: Will the City provide templates or systems for tracking performance metrics (e.g., demographic data, engagement quality, and impact summaries)? Will training or technical assistance be available for small CBOs unfamiliar with City data systems?

A: City Departments will be responsible for determining the most appropriate performance tracking mechanism and related training on a per project basis.

60. Q: What are the City’s guidelines for providing stipends, food, and other participation incentives to remove barriers to community engagement? Should these be included as reimbursable line items, or built into program costs?

A: City Departments will have different guidelines as they pertain to providing stipends, food and other participation incentives. When submitting their Statement of Qualification, Responders should focus on including their fully loaded hourly rates for key staff. Once on the bench, vendors will be able to submit the costs of other expenses such stipends, food, and incentives when responding to a Department’s Request for Quotes for their specific project.

61. Q: Will experience in violence prevention, multilingual outreach, or trauma-informed care carry additional weight in the scoring process? Could the City share how each of the four evaluation criteria will be weighted?

A: The Responder may describe their experience in violence prevention, multilingual outreach, or trauma-informed care in their Qualification Narrative to show compliance with the qualification criteria described in Section 3.3. of the RFQ. The qualification criteria described in Section 3.3 is not scored or weighted, instead Responders will receive a “yes” or “no” designation indicating whether they comply with each criterion listed.

62. Q: Under minimum qualifications, can the founder’s individual experience be included in meeting the requirement? If not, is the 3-year requirement at application submittal or the anticipated award year?

A: Responders must have a minimum of three years experience providing community engagement and outreach services similar to the services described in the RFQ. This requirement can be met by demonstrating that the Responder has been in business for at least three years or by demonstrating that the owner, executive director, principal, or a comparable executive has three years of experience at the time of submission.

63. Q: Will every deliverable need to be provided in multiple languages or specific instances as they arise?

A: City Departments will specify interpretation and translation needs, if any, as part of their

64. Q: How many stakeholders and decision makers are part of the team?

A: An independent committee comprised solely of representatives of the City will be established to review Statements of Qualifications submitted in response to the RFQ, evaluate the Statements of Qualifications, and select a Qualified vendors for the pre-qualified list. The number of committee members has yet to be determined.

65. Q: Are there specific tools and technologies that the vendor will need to utilize or are we free to propose such?

A: City Departments may specify the necessary tools and technologies when issuing their Request for Quotes for a specific project to vendors on the bench.

66. Q: Can the City clarify how frequently it expects to issue scopes of work to the vendors from the pre-qualified bench?

A: The City does not have any specific project information at this time, therefore it is unable to estimate how frequently it expects to issue Request for Quotes to vendors on the bench.

67. Q: Will vendors be expected to build and maintain relationships with community-based organizations (CBOs) in Long Beach, or will the City facilitate introductions for specific projects?

A: City Departments will specify any CBO connections that will be required when issuing their Request for Quotes for their specific project to vendors on the bench.

68. Q: What level of data disaggregation is the City looking for when tracking outreach to historically underserved communities (e.g., by race, zip code, income)?

A: Responders can submit simple quantitative or qualitative data from a credible source to demonstrate that their work took place in a historically underserved community.

69. Q: Is there a target or commitment around engaging vendors with staff or subcontractors who reside in Long Beach or reflect the demographics of its historically underserved communities?

A: All Responders who meet the Minimum Requirements described in Section 3.2 and comply with the Qualification Criteria described in Section 3.3 of the RFQ will be placed on the bench.

The City does not require or prioritize Responders who reside in Long Beach.

70. Q: Will source materials such as images and video be provided by the City, or should vendors include the costs of sourcing these materials in their proposal?

A: City Departments will specify whether source materials will be provided by the City when the Department issues their Request for Quotes for their specific project to vendors on the bench. Vendors on the bench may include the cost of such materials at that time.

71. Q: If a responder is added to the bench during this fiscal year (or calendar) year, will they be allowed to apply cost of living adjustments or rate escalations in subsequent years?

A: The Responder should expect to adhere to the Cost Schedule proposed as part of their Statement of Qualifications over the five-year term of the bench. The City reserves the right to negotiate the fees or rates and payment schedules with the vendor either at the time of selecting the vendor for the qualified bench or at the time of initiating a specific project.

72. Q: If a responder qualifies and has experience in more than three of the disciplines listed in the RFQ, how can that responder best provide proof of experience, case studies, work samples, etc., that demonstrate this experience rather than just checking boxes in the RFQ template?

A: If a Responder offers multiple services, Responders may briefly list all of the services but should focus on providing examples and describing experience that show they meet the Qualification Criteria described in Section 3.3 of the RFQ. The Responders “checked-off” disciplines in their Statement of Qualification will be used to assist Departments to identify suitable vendors once they are placed on the bench.

73. Q: Are the thresholds and levels of professional liability insurance consistent across City Departments? (we previously worked with the Harbor Department, so we understand their rigor)

A: Yes, the thresholds and levels of professional liability insurance are consistent across City Departments. The insurance requirements listed in the RFQ are based off the services required in Section 2 Scope of work of the RFQ, not per Department.

74. Q: If a responder is compliant with insurance thresholds but needs support from other bidders on a particular piece of a project, can the City Departments connect the two, thus allowing a prime bidder to include another bidder as their subcontractor?

A: The subcontractors are required to meet the same insurance requirements as the prime contractor. (refer to question #27)

PREPARED BY: Keisha Sanker, Buyer I

ACKNOWLEDGED BY: __________________________________________________

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