Civic_Media_Fund_RFP_FINAL.pdf

Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)

Civic Media Program Grant Administrator

Eligible entities are invited to review and respond to this Request for Proposal (RFP) for Civic Media Program Grant Administrator #0000037492. In submitting a proposal, applicants must comply with the instructions in this RFP.

Project Title: Civic Media Program Grant Administrator Release Date: December 15, 2025 Proposal Due Date: January 16, 2026, 8:00 AM Pacific Time (PT)

GO-Biz Contracts/Procurement Point of Contact

1325 J Street, Suite 1800 Sacramento, CA 95814

GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov

Last Updated: December 12, 2025

Table of Contents

Background and Purpose

Available Funding

Definitions

Key Dates

Pre-Application Questions

Proposal Submission

Scope of Work (SOW)

Program Application Process

Program Administration

Program Evaluation

Minimum Qualifications

Organizational Qualifications

Staffing and Professional Experience

Operational Capacity

Communication and Collaboration

Payment Terms

Proposal Requirements

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Terms and Conditions

Disclaimer

Presentations and/or Interviews

Limitation

Copyrights

Awards and Protests

Small Business Incentive Program

Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE) Incentive Program

Public Records Act

GenAI Disclosure

Background and Purpose The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the state of California’s leader for job growth, economic development, and business assistance efforts.

Within GO-Biz is the California Civic Media Program (“Program”) recently established under SB 155 (2025). The Program’s goal is to support the sustainability of newsrooms and strengthen local reporting throughout the state. GO-Biz seeks to engage an intermediary that can act as a grant administrator and fiscal agent for this $10 million program.

The solicitation is open to private entities and non-profit organizations. Applicants must review the entire RFP and comply with all submission requirements outlined herein before submitting a proposal.

Available Funding GO-Biz expects to issue $10 million to an intermediary who will serve as the grant administrator and fiscal agent for the program. Applicants will need to have the capacity and scalability to request the full funding amount to deploy statewide. The full award amount of $10 million includes grants and expenses. Expenses will be capped at a maximum of 5% of the available funding, or no more than $500,000.

Definitions

A. “Advisory Board” means the nine-person board of news and media leaders appointed by GO-Biz to advise on the Program.

B. “Allocation Model” means the structure by which the Program will disburse funds to newsrooms, set to be finalized in 2026.

C. “Program Guidelines" means the qualifications that newsrooms will need to meet to be eligible for funding and requirements for how to use that funding, set to be finalized in 2026.

D. “Entity” means the third-party administrator managing the Program.

Key Dates RFP Release Date Friday, December 15, 2025

Deadline for Written Questions Friday, December 22, 2025, 5:00pm PT

Response to Questions Posted Friday, December 29, 2025

Proposal Submission Deadline January 16, 2026, 8:00 AM PT

Applicant Presentations and Interviews (as appropriate) January 19 – 30, 2026

Notice of Intent to Award February 2, 2026

Contract Period** May 2026 – October 2027

** = dependent on State approval processes and is subject to change.

Pre-Application Questions All questions pertaining to this RFP must be submitted via email to GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov with the subject line “RFP Civic Media Program Grant Administrator – Questions” by the deadline listed in the Key Dates section: Friday, December 22, 2025, 5:00pm PT

If a question pertains to a specific section of the RFP, please reference the corresponding page and section for clarity.

GO-Biz will review all inquiries and publish anonymized responses on Cal eProcure by the timeframe outlined under Key Dates. If any suggestion results in a change to the RFP requirements, GO-Biz will issue a formal amendment and post it to Cal eProcure.

Proposal Submission All proposals must be submitted electronically via email to GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov with the subject line: “RFP Civic Media Program Grant Administrator - [APPLICANT NAME]” (example: RFP Civic Media Program Grant Administrator – ABCXYZ Company). No mailed/hard copy submittals will be accepted.

Proposals must be received by January 16, 2026, at 8:00 AM PT and respond to how applicants will meet the Scope of Work listed below. Late submissions will not be considered under any circumstances. Respondents are solely responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of their proposal by the stated deadline.

It is recommended that you submit your proposal at least two business days in advance of the final deadline to receive confirmation of receipt and avoid potential delays due to technical difficulties.

A confirmation email will be sent upon receipt of the proposal.

Scope of Work (SOW) GO-Biz is seeking an entity to administer the California Civic Media Program on behalf of GO-Biz.

The entity will 1) develop an application process and portal based on the Allocation Model and Program Guidelines provided by GO-Biz; 2) review applications and distribute funds to selected candidates as a fiscal agent; and 3) develop a system to evaluate program effectiveness and audit applicants for compliance.

Across these three areas, the entity will meet consistently with GO-Biz and will be expected to join and occasionally present at Advisory Board meetings convened by GO-Biz.

Program Application

The entity will develop a program application based on the Allocation Model and Program Guidelines set forth by GO-Biz. This process will include:

• Program Information: create a website for applicants to access key information about the program. The entity will also be expected to create a system for applicants to have their questions answered.

• Applications: develop an application portal and an application that requests information necessary to ascertain eligibility for the Program.

Program Administration Once the Program launches, the entity will administer the Program by including, but not limited to the following responsibilities:

• Outreach Plan: draft and execute an outreach plan to inform California newsrooms from across the state about the Program, working in partnership with Advisory Board members and industry groups.

• Application Review: process applications based on the Allocation Model and Program Guidelines.

• Disbursement: distribute funds in a timely manner to awardees as a fiscal agent for the Program.

Program Evaluation After awardees receive their grants, the entity will be tasked with ensuring compliance and Program integrity.

• Compliance: develop a system to spot check compliance with Program Guidelines.

• Evaluation: analyze work of Program awardees and submit findings to GO-Biz and

Advisory Board. Provide a final assessment report in conjunction with GO-Biz to inform future year models.

Minimum Qualifications To be considered for this RFP, applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications. These requirements are essential to ensure that the selected entity possesses the expertise and capacity to successfully fulfill the objectives of the project.

Organizational Qualifications

1. Able to receive state funds.

2. Must have been in continuous operation and in good standing for a minimum of two (2) years.

3. Must operate an organization in the news, journalism, or media industry or a related field.

4. Demonstrated experience with developing and managing grant programs.

Staffing and Professional Experience

1. Lead Administrator: Minimum of (2) years of demonstrated success leading an organization that acts as fiscal agent or sponsor for a grant program. Preference will be given to experience administering news-specific programs. The Lead Administrator must have journalism experience, either as a journalist or working in newsroom operations.

Operational Capacity

1. Applicants will need to have the capacity and scalability to deploy the full funding amount statewide.

2. Lead Administrator must be available to join regular check-in calls with GO-Biz.

Communication and Collaboration

1. Maintain open, regular communication with GO-Biz.

2. Provide an alternate point of contact if the Lead Administrator is unavailable for more than 72 business hours.

Payment Terms

1. The entity is entitled to up to 5% of the total $10 million California Civic Media Program funding upon transfer or no more than $500,000.

Proposal Requirements The applicant responding to this RFP (“Respondent”) must submit the following information in one (1) Zip file.

1. Cover Letter:

a. Full legal name of the organization

b. Form of business - e.g. sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, not-for-profit organization

c. Firm/company background

d. Website address

e. Telephone number

f. Full mailing address

g. Business start date

h. Number of employees

i. Authorized Representative (individual authorized to bind the Respondent and submit the proposal, person GO-Biz may contact during the proposal evaluation process)

i. Full name

ii. Title

iii. Email address

iv. Phone number

2. Key Personnel

a. Resume/CV of the Lead Administrator and any additional support staff.

b. Clearly identify each team member’s role in the project and their specific areas of responsibility.

3. Experience / Methodology

a. Provide examples of past programs for which the entity successfully acted as a fiscal sponsor or agent, including any of the same tasks requested in the Scope of Work.

b. Describe how the entity would plan to set up the application process.

4. Cost Estimation and Budget Analysis

a. Provide a budget analysis that aligns proposed costs with the three main tasks and sub-categories outlined in the Scope of Work.

b. The suggested budget range is S400,000 – 500,000 (4% - 5% of total Program funding). Please do not go for the maximum budget amount if your application cannot justify your spending.

5. References (at least three)

a. At least three professional references, including contact information.

b. At least two references must be from organizations that have received the entity’s services as a fiscal agent or grant administrator.

6. Legal Disclosures and Compliance History

Must respond to each of the following questions and provide a brief explanation where applicable. All responses must cover the past five (5) years.

a. Has your organization had a contract for services terminated for any reason?

b. Has any order, judgement, or decree from a federal or state authority barred, suspended, or otherwise limited the right to engage in any business, practice, or activity?

c. Are there any pending or threatened litigation, administrative, or regulatory proceedings involving your organization?

d. Has your organization or any of its owners, officers, or primary partners ever been convicted of a felony?

Important: Failure to disclose any applicable information may result in the disqualification of the proposal or the termination of any resulting contract. This is a continuing disclosure requirement. Any relevant matters that arise after submission of the proposal, and, for the awarded contractor, during the contract period, must be reported to GO-Biz in writing promptly.

7. Vendor Forms To process payments, the awardee ("vendor") must submit the required forms to be entered into the State of California’s payment system. Blank copies will be included in the solicitation document.

a. Required Forms for All Respondents:

i. STD 204 – Payee Data Record*

1. U.S.–based vendors or vendors accepting payment to a U.S.

based address must complete and submit the STD 204 form

2. International or foreign vendors who possess a U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) are also required to complete and submit the STD 204 form

3. *Instructions to Foreign Vendors Without a U.S. TIN If the Respondent is an international or foreign vendor without a U.S. TIN, they must submit the appropriate IRS Form W-8 instead of the STD

204. The correct type of form will depend on the nature of your business and entity type

a. W8BEN form for individuals

b. W8BEN-E form for entities

ii. STD 21 – Drug-Free Workplace Certification

iii. CCC – Contractor Certification Clauses

iv. Darfur Contracting Act Certification

v. Bidder Declaration

This RFP and the Respondent’s submission to this document will be made part of GO-Biz’s procurement contract file. Respondents must contain all requested information and data and conform to the format described in this section. It is the Respondent’s responsibility to provide all necessary information for GO-Biz to evaluate the response, verify requested information, and determine the Respondent’s ability to perform the tasks and activities defined in the State’s Scope of Work.

Plagiarism, including but not limited to taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own, and failure to cite someone else’s work or ideas, is prohibited and is grounds for disqualification. Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools to complete any portion of an application, without citation, may be considered plagiarism and may also be grounds for disqualification.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated by individuals in a committee. The committee will evaluate each proposal and score each proposal individually using the Evaluation Criteria Score Sheet.

Proposals will be considered for their merits in accordance with the Scope of Work.

Bidders must score enough technical points (non-budget/cost) to advance in the evaluation phase and be eligible for invitation to any applicable interview or presentation phase.

Evaluation Score Sheet Maximum Possible Score

1.

Personnel: how well does the entity’s Lead Administrator meet the desired personnel qualifications?

• 0-6: Lead Administrator meets limited or no desired qualifications

• 7-13: Lead Administrator meets some desired qualifications

• 14-20: Lead Administrator meets desired qualifications

2.

Experience: how well does the entity’s experience directly relate to the Scope of Work?

• 0-6: Experience relates minimally or not all with the Scope of Work

• 7-13: Experience relates somewhat to Scope of Work

• 14-20: Experience relates directly to Scope of Work

3.

Application Process: does the entity’s plan for the Program Application meet desired needs.

• 0-5: Proposed plan meets no or limited application needs

• 6-10: Proposed plan meets some application needs

• 11-15: Proposed plan meets all application needs

4.

Budget/Cost justification

When scoring a proposal, cost/value effectiveness and cost adequacy may be judged, evaluated and awarded points as part of the technical score, but this must be in addition to cost points.

GO-Biz will use the suggested formula in SCM Vol 1, 5.25, B to calculate points for cost.

5.

References

• 0-5: Low-rated feedback

• 6-10: Fair-rated feedback

• 11-15: Adequate-rated feedback

TOTAL 100

Terms and Conditions Disclaimer GO-Biz reserves the right to amend the RFP at any time before the RFP submission deadline. All amendments will be posted on Cal eProcure. Each Respondent is advised to check for amendments periodically, particularly if the Respondent downloaded the RFP as the Respondent will not automatically receive amendments.

Additionally, GO-Biz may reject any applications, extend timelines, and cancel this RFP.

Respondents will not be reimbursed for expenses incurred to develop an application or for expenses incurred before executing the contract agreement. All application materials submitted become the property of GO-Biz. GO-Biz may amend, reduce, or cancel the remaining agreement if funding becomes unavailable. GO-Biz’s determination as to eligibility for funding, or the amount awarded, is final and not subject to appeal or protest. GO-Biz will be using a merit-based review process.

Presentations and/or Interviews Upon request by GO-Biz, each Respondent may be required to present their proposal virtually.

Limitation This RFP does not commit GO-Biz to award a contract or to pay costs incurred by the Respondent in the preparation of a proposal to this RFP.

Copyrights By submitting a bid proposal, the Respondent agrees that GO-Biz may copy the bid proposal for purposes of facilitating the evaluation of the bid proposal or responding to requests for public records. The Respondent consents to such copying by submitting a bid proposal and warrants that such copying will not violate the rights of any third party.

Awards and Protests

1. Notice of the proposed award shall be posted in a public place in the office of the Governor’s Office of Business

2. If any Respondent, prior to the award of agreement, files a protest with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, 1325 J Street, Suite 1800, Sacramento, CA 95814; and the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services, 707 Third Street, 7th Floor, Suite 7-330, West Sacramento, CA 95605, on the grounds that the (protesting) Respondent would have been awarded the contract had the agency correctly applied the evaluation standard in the RFP, or if the agency followed the evaluation and scoring methods in the RFP, the agreement shall not be awarded until either the protest has been withdrawn or the Department of General Services has decided the matter. It is suggested that you submit any protest by certified or registered mail.

3. Within five (5) calendar days after filing the initial protest, the protesting Respondent shall file with the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services, and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development a detailed statement specifying the grounds for the protest.

4. Upon resolution of the protest and award of the agreement, the Contractor must complete and submit to the awarding agency the Payee Data Record (STD 204), to determine if the Contractor is subject to state income tax withholding pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 18662 and 26131. This form can be found on the Internet at https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/FMC/PDF/Std204.pdf.

5. No payment shall be made unless the requested vendor forms have been returned to the awarding agency.

6. Upon resolution of the protest and award of the agreement, Contractor must sign and submit to the awarding agency, page one (1) of the Contractor Certification Clauses, which can be found on the Internet at https://www.aging.ca.gov/download.ashx?lE0rcNUV0zZK%2FYm8WzGo%2Fg%3D3D.

Small Business Incentive Program Current law encourages state departments to first consider a California-certified small business (SB) and microbusiness (MB) for contracting opportunities. The State of California is committed to supporting SB and MB participation in state contracting and seeks to use certified SBs and MBs whenever possible.

In accordance with GC Section 14835, et seq., certified small businesses and microbusinesses are encouraged to apply and can claim a five percent (5%) preference when submitting a bid on a state contract. A non-small business may receive a preference of five percent (5%) if the business commits to subcontracting at least twenty-five percent (25%) of its net bid price with one or more small businesses or microbusinesses.

A. The SB preference provides certified SBs and MBs a calculation preference in the amount of five percent (5%) of the highest scored, responsible, and responsive proposal submitted by a proposing firm who is not a certified small business.

B. The five percent (5%) preference is used only for computation purposes, to determine the winning bidder and does not alter the amounts of the resulting contract. A contract awarded on the basis of the five percent (5%) preference is awarded to the small business or non-small business for the actual amount of its bid. A complete copy of the firm’s current Small Business certification with the Department of General Services (DGS) must also accompany the response. Helpful resources pertaining to the small business program may be found here: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page- Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-ListFolder/Commercially-Useful-Function-for- Certified-Firms.

Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE) Incentive Program Prime contractors, with the exception of a certified Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE), who subcontract work to DVBEs a minimum of five percent (5%) of its net bid price to meet the DVBE participation goal will receive a five percent (5%) preference during the evaluation.

In accordance with section 999.5(a) of the Military and Veterans Code, an incentive will be given to bidders who meet or exceed the DVBE program requirement. For evaluation purposes only, the State shall apply an incentive to bids that propose California-certified DVBE participation as identified on the Bidder Declaration and confirmed by the State. A five percent (5%) preference will be given. A contract awarded on the basis of the five percent (5%) preference is awarded to the DVBE for the actual amount of its bid.

A complete copy of the firm’s current DVBE certification with the Department of General Services (DGS) must also accompany the response. Helpful resources pertaining to the DVBE program may be found here: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page- Content/Procurement-

Public Records Act By submitting an application, the Respondent acknowledges that GO-Biz is subject to the California Public Records Act (PRA) (Government Code section 7920.000 et. seq.).

Consequently, materials submitted by the Respondent to GO-Biz may be subject to disclosure pursuant to a PRA request. In the event that records of the Respondent are requested, GO-Biz will notify the Respondent, as soon as practicable, that a PRA request for the Respondent’s information has been received, but not less than five (5) business days prior to the release of the requested information, to allow the Respondent to seek an injunction. GO-Biz will work in good faith with the Respondent to protect any confidential information to the extent an exemption is provided by law.

GenAI Disclosure The State of California seeks to realize the potential benefits of GenAI, through the development and deployment of GenAI tools, while balancing the risks of these new technologies.

Bidder / Offeror must notify the State in writing if it: (1) intends to provide GenAI as a deliverable to the State; or (2), intends to utilize GenAI, including GenAI from third parties, to complete all or https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-a portion of any deliverable that materially impacts: (i) functionality of a State system, (ii) risk to the State, or (iii) Contract performance. For avoidance of doubt, the term “materially impacts” shall have the meaning set forth in State Administrative Manual (SAM) § 4986.2 Definitions for GenAI.

Failure to report GenAI to the State may result in disqualification. The State reserves the right to seek any and all relief to which it may be entitled to as a result of such non-disclosure.

Upon notification by a Bidder / Offeror of GenAI as required, the State reserves the right to incorporate GenAI Special Provisions into the final contract or reject bids/offers that present an unacceptable level of risk to the State.

Government Code 11549.64 defines “Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)” as an artificial intelligence system that can generate derived synthetic content, including text, images, video, and audio that emulates the structure and characteristics of the system’s training data.