RFI_TCBP_R2_ADA_1_1.14.26.pdf

Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) Request For Information

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009

Table of Contents

A. BACKGROUND

B. PURPOSE

C. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

D. SCOPE OF WORK

E. WEBINAR

F. WORK SCHEDULE/KEY ACTION DATES

Table 1: Work Schedule

Table 2: Key Dates

G. SUBMISSION

H. QUESTIONS

I. DISCLAIMER

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009

EXHIBIT A

SCOPE OF WORK

A. BACKGROUND

The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) is a cabinet-level council that coordinates multiple programs related to the intersection of climate, land-use, technical assistance, and housing. This solicitation will service one of SGC’s programs, the Tribal Capacity

Building Program.

The Tribal Capacity Building Program is a grant program that provides funding and technical assistance to California Native American Tribes, enhancing staff capacity to advance Tribes’ housing- and climate-related work. The goal of the program is to help

Tribes develop long-term capacity to secure funding and implement Tribal-led housing-and climate-related projects.

While Tribes are eligible for many of SGC’s existing capacity-building and grant programs, staff have received consistent feedback from Tribes that their sovereign status and historical relationship with the State of California necessitate a dedicated capacity-building program. Round 2 will allow SGC to continue to be responsive to these requests by administering a grant program tailored to the unique status and needs of

California Native American Tribes. The program is exclusive to all California Native

American Tribes listed on the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) Contact

List, including federally recognized and non-federally recognized Tribes. An application review panel will select Tribes to award grants to through a competitive process that will be specified in a forthcoming Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).

This program is administered by SGC’s Community Assistance for Climate Equity

(CACE) Program, which has a history of providing technical assistance and capacity-building resources to communities. Members of this team have also developed and implemented programs specific to Tribes, including the joint SGC and California Energy

Commission Tribal Government Challenge Planning Grant Program. The SGC’s CACE

Program has received and implemented a total of $22 million to carry out capacity-building and technical assistance programs. Since its inaugural pilot round in 2025, the

Tribal Capacity Building Program has awarded $1.45 million to six Tribes across

California.

The Tribal Capacity Building Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Invest (formerly Cap-and-Trade) dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment–particularly in disadvantaged communities.

The Cap-and-Invest Program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate

Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35% of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California

Climate Investments website.

https://sgc.ca.gov/grant-programs/tribal/ https://sgc.ca.gov/grant-programs/tribal/ https://sgc.ca.gov/technical-assistance/cace/ https://sgc.ca.gov/technical-assistance/cace/ https://sgc.ca.gov/initiatives/tribal/tribal-gov-challenge/ https://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/ https://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009

The Tribal Capacity Building Program furthers the purposes of AB 32 (Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006) and SB 32 (Chapter 249, Statutes of 2016) by investing in Tribal projects related to climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience that reduce GHG emissions. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), an account established to receive proceeds from Cap-and-Invest auctions, provides funding for the Tribal Capacity

Building Program. The Cap-and-Invest Program, a key strategy for achieving the GHG emission reduction goals of AB 32, issues a limited number of GHG emissions permits

(called allowances) each year. A portion of these allowances can be purchased from the state at quarterly auctions, thereby generating auction proceeds. These state auction proceeds are then deposited in the GGRF, where they become available for appropriation by the Legislature to further the purposes of AB 32.

A. PURPOSE

The SGC is seeking responses from potential partners, including technical assistance providers and Tribal serving organizations, regarding the technical assistance (TA) for the Tribal Capacity Building Program’s upcoming Round 2 and broad Tribal engagement across SGC programs.

The purpose of this contract is for a Technical Assistance Team (TA Team) to support Tribes participating in the Tribal Capacity Building Program and support SGC’s broader Tribal engagement. The Tribal Capacity Building Program will provide direct grants to Tribes to fund staff salaries and activities that include planning, securing funding for, and implementing housing projects and related efforts to advance climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. The TA Team will work directly with Tribal grantees and provide no-cost, flexible support that responds to each Tribe’s needs. The goal of the TA Team is to provide support to advance Tribes’ housing- and climate-related work. The capacity building and TA services offered should include, but are not limited to, grant application and management support; planning and implementation assistance; staff and economic development; trainings and workshops; partnership building; and peer learning.

The TA Team will work with 12 awarded Tribes for a three-year grant period to evaluate capacity-building needs and develop a scope of work that outlines the Tribe’s capacity-building plan and implementation strategy to achieve program objectives.

The overall goal of the Tribal Capacity Building Program is to help Tribes develop long-term capacity to secure funding and implement Tribal-led housing- and climate-related projects. Tribes are eligible applicants for an increasing number of state funding programs, but some Tribes may not have access to the resources needed to develop competitive applications and may rely on consultants to apply for and manage projects.

Technical assistance programs like this can support Tribes in applying for and implementing state funding while helping to build internal capacity for longer-term strategies. While Tribal applicants to state grant programs may face many of the same https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=200520060AB32&search_keywords https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB32

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009 barriers as other applicants, the unique status and needs of Tribes require additional, specific considerations in the design and implementation of technical assistance. In working directly with Tribes, the Tribal Capacity Building Program also advances the state’s commitment to build relationships with Tribes in California as mandated in Executive Orders B-10-11 (Brown, 2011) and N-15-19 (Newsom, 2019).

The Tribal Capacity Building Program aims to support Tribes that have limited capacity to apply for grant funds and implement housing and climate solutions, particularly due to barriers such as: limited staffing resources and capacity; reliance on costly contractors to apply for and implement grant funds; and challenges related to burdensome grant applications and reporting processes. Through this program, SGC can address these barriers and support Tribes by providing funding to hire staff; helping Tribal staff apply for and implement funds; building awareness of available funding opportunities; and bringing together and coordinating partners for grant application or administration.

For the broader Tribal engagement portion of the contract’s scope of work, the TA Team will conduct Tribal engagement across multiple SGC programs to ensure Tribes are aware of funding opportunities and facilitate coordinated, consolidated, and streamlined Tribal engagement. The SGC’s current active grant programs (in addition to the Tribal Capacity Building Program) include: the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, the Community Resilience Centers Program, the Transformative Climate Communities Program, and the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program. Depending on the needs and requests of Tribes, these outreach and engagement efforts may include staffing and logistical support for webinars, in-person and virtual workshops, Tribal consultations, legal support around Tribal issues, and/or hosting in-person Tribal regional meetings.

B. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The SGC encourages a wide variety of responses to this Request for Information. The

SGC is sharing potential minimum qualifications and/or requirements of a future solicitation to determine if requirements can be met by the bidder community.

Eligibility: The proposer must be a nonprofit recognized by the IRS as 501(c)(3) exempt

(academic institutions, including University of California/California State University, are also eligible as long as they fulfill this criteria) or a Tribal government to qualify to submit a proposal for this solicitation. Subcontractors can be any type of organization, as long as the proposer’s TA Team meets the minimum qualifications.

Team Structure: The program encourages a team-based approach to technical assistance, with various entities collaborating to contribute specific subject matter expertise. TA providers should identify an entity and an individual to serve as the project manager and primary point of contact for SGC.

Experience: The collective experience of the TA Team should meet the minimum qualifications in the following areas:

https://archive.gov.ca.gov/archive/gov39/2011/09/19/news17223/index.html https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009

• Existing relationships and significant experience working with California Native

American Tribes—either as a staff of a Tribe or having previously provided technical assistance to Tribes.

• At least three (3) years of direct experience working with Tribal communities in

California.

• At least three (3) years of experience applying to or providing technical assistance for housing- and climate-related federal and state grants, including grant writing, grant management, grant planning, and/or grant implementation.

• At least three (3) years of experience developing projects and plans related to housing and climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience.

• At least three (3) years of experience working on housing- and land use-related projects and plans.

• At least three (3) years of experience developing and delivering curriculum and trainings.

• At least three (3) years of experience developing and implementing programs that offer technical assistance, peer learning, and/or staff development.

• Ability and willingness to travel to meet with Tribes in person.

A successful proposal should also demonstrate that the collective experience of the

TA Team possesses the desired qualifications in the following areas:

• Experience managing cohorts made up of Tribes or Tribal-serving organizations.

• Ability to balance project expertise while respecting Tribal knowledge, and the empathy, emotional intelligence, and ability to receive feedback and revise practices as needed.

• Commitment to relationship- and trust-building with Tribes.

• Communications and media-related skills.

Knowledge: The collective experience of the TA Team should possess minimum technical knowledge in the following areas:

• Processes, regulations, and requirements related to developing housing on Tribal lands.

• Historical and current practices in Tribal governance.

• Tribal laws, regulations, and policies at the state and federal levels.

• Administrative, capacity, and policy barriers to Tribal collaboration with state and federal agencies.

• Integrating and protecting Tribal data sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge into work with Tribes.

• Affordable housing and transportation

• Climate resilience, adaptation, and mitigation planning

• Workforce development

• Community engagement

• Grant writing, contracting, project management, and implementation

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009

Members of the team may also demonstrate desired technical knowledge in the following areas:

• Climate change impacts on Tribal communities.

• Tribal approaches to environmental management and planning, especially in rural areas.

C. SCOPE OF WORK

Task 1 – Assessing Capacity-Building Opportunities

• Hold an in-person kickoff meeting with each grantee and SGC to begin to develop the scope of work for each Tribe and determine points of contact, with travel location to be determined by grantee.

• Work with each grantee to assess needs and gaps and identify priorities and achievable objectives that align with program goals to accomplish through the grant term.

• Work with grantees to develop a peer learning curriculum based on each grantee’s needs.

• Assist each grantee as they develop their scope of work to build capacity and achieve program objectives.

• Work with each grantee to carry out an agreement—to be determined by each

Tribe’s processes—outlining the scope of work for the services that will be provided to each Tribe and an expected travel plan for in-person engagements throughout the program term, subject to the requests of the Tribe and the TA

Team’s time and travel capacity.

• Work with each grantee to develop a communications plan to share stories and celebrate milestones throughout program implementation, with each Tribes’ communication and reporting preferences and capabilities in mind.

Task 2 – Implementation of Grantee Scope of Work

• Provide ongoing guidance and technical assistance to grantees to implement their scopes of work. Depending on the needs and requests of each grantee, these activities may include:

o Provide services and gather necessary tools and resources to implement each grantee’s scope of work.

o Assist grantees in developing, applying for, and securing competitive funding proposals for statewide and federally targeted grant funding.

o Connect grantees to technical assistance for grant applications and grant implementation related to housing, climate mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency, and supplement technical assistance activities as appropriate.

o Organize and record required housing trainings and general trainings for grantee’s staff based on the needs indicated by participating Tribes.

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009

(Required housing trainings may focus on affordable housing, land acquisition, site assessment, active transportation infrastructure, urban greening, etc. General trainings may focus on organizational readiness, nonprofit operations and compliance, staff development in the housing and climate change space, grants management, navigating state funding platforms, utilizing data tools, and/or other housing- and climate-related topics as specified in each grantee’s scope of work.)

o Host workshops and convenings to build trust and inform grantees of opportunities, needs, and resources to access housing and climate investments.

o Assist grantees in developing systems and processes to streamline grant application, implementation, and reporting processes.

o Regularly share information about grants, technical assistance, and trainings, as well as opportunities to participate in public engagement processes at the state level.

o Work with grantees to incorporate economic development and workforce development considerations into projects and planning as needed.

o Facilitate connections to state agency staff, foundations, nonprofits, and other key partners, as requested. Help grantees develop new collaborations with trusted partners and build capacity to achieve housing and climate objectives, as requested.

o Document and promote best practices and success stories.

• Facilitate peer learning opportunities among grantees based on needs and requests from Tribes, with one mandatory in-person peer learning session. This may include:

o Holding webinars/trainings for grantees that include full group discussions and/or breakout groups.

o Hosting focused discussion sessions for grantees facing similar challenges.

o Hosting one mandatory in-person learning session in the beginning of the grant term.

• Create one case study for each of the grantees highlighting key successes.

• Create one to three video reels for each of the grantees highlighting key successes.

• Compile a Best Practices Report of lessons learned and helpful actions that support general capacity building for all California Native American Tribes, including concrete examples from the Tribal communities served.

• Compile a Resource Library of recorded and edited trainings, best practices, case studies, and tools and resources used by grantees throughout the program that can be used to support grantees after the grant term and shared as a

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009 resource to others to support general capacity building for all California Native

American Tribes.

Task 3 – Coordination and Communication with Grantees

• Conduct an initial baseline and peer learning topic interest survey to gather feedback on baseline metrics and topics of interest for peer learning and trainings.

• Conduct an intake conversation at the in-person kickoff meeting to set capacity-building goals and a baseline of needs and gaps.

• Organize regular check-in meetings with each grantee to provide updates, timelines, and progress checks to promote reliability and trust.

• Organize at least one midterm meeting with each grantee to assess progress on their scope of work and make any needed adjustments.

• Conduct an exit conversation at the end of the program to track progress on capacity-building goals.

• Conduct a final evaluation survey to gather data on metric progress to compare with baseline data and feedback on the program experience.

Task 4 – Administration and Coordination with SGC

• Participate in a contract kickoff call with SGC staff.

• Participate in regular coordination calls with SGC staff.

• Coordinate with SGC staff to create press releases, social media posts, and other communications materials.

• Identify opportunities to coordinate with SGC and other state agency staff to align technical assistance resources.

• Provide quarterly invoicing and progress reports.

• Develop and submit a final report detailing successes, impact, and lessons learned reflecting on the program.

Task 5 – Broad Tribal Engagement across SGC Programs

• Conduct Tribal engagement across multiple SGC programs to ensure Tribes are aware of funding opportunities and facilitate coordinated, consolidated, and streamlined Tribal engagement.

• Depending on the needs and requests of Tribes, these outreach and engagement efforts may include staffing and logistical support for:

o Webinars o In-person and virtual workshops o Regional in-person meetings o Tribal consultations o Legal support around Tribal issues

• Potential deliverables may include:

o Consolidation of public input.

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009 o Evaluation of current outreach efforts.

o Identification of recommendations and trends around SGC’s Tribal engagement.

o Hosting in-person Tribal regional meetings.

D. WEBINAR

The California Strategic Growth Council will host an informational webinar on Jan. 22, 2026, at 1 p.m. to discuss contents of this Request for Information (RFI) including, but not limited to: Tribal Capacity Building Program background, RFI purpose and response guidance, technical assistance expectations, and anticipated timelines followed by a

Q&A.

Webinar (Optional Attendance)

Webinar Date: 1/27/2026 Webinar Time: 1 P.M. PST

Registration Link:

https://opr-ca.zoom.us/meeting/register/yQR9f7iTQKOFSlUQnkFpHQ

E. WORK SCHEDULE/KEY ACTION DATES

Table 1: Work Schedule Anticipated work schedule for TA Team, subject to change.

WORK SCHEDULE

Tasks Timeframe

Task 1: Assessing Capacity-Building

Opportunities January 2027 – June 2027

Task 2: Implementation of Grantee Scope of

Work February 2027 – January 2030

Task 3: Coordination and Communication with

Grantees January 2027 – January 2030

Task 4: Administration and Coordination with

SGC

September 2026 – March 2030

Task 5: Broad Tribal Engagement for SGC September 2026 – March 2030

Reporting & Invoices Quarterly

Final Report March 2030 https://opr-ca.zoom.us/meeting/register/yQR9f7iTQKOFSlUQnkFpHQ

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009

Table 2: Key Dates

KEY DATES

Item Date Time

RFI Released Jan. 14, 2026 –

RFI Webinar + Q&A Jan. 27, 2026 1 P.M. PST

Deadline to Submit Questions Jan. 29, 2026 5 P.M. PST

Posting of Q&A Feb. 3, 2026 5 P.M. PST

RFI Proposal Receipt Deadline Feb. 13, 2026 5 P.M. PST

F. SUBMISSION

Responses to this RFI solicitation must be submitted directly to: Contracts@lci.ca.gov

Response format: Up to five pages, 11-point font, PDF

Please respond to the following questions:

1) Provide a high-level description of how you would respond to the scope of work.

Please include the following information:

• Describe the capacity-building support, technical assistance, and Tribal engagement services that you and the Technical Assistance (TA) Team would be able to provide.

• Describe your and the TA Team’s experience and capacity to provide technical assistance for housing- and climate-related federal and state grants, including grant writing, grant management, grant planning, and/or grant implementation.

• Describe your and the TA Team’s experience working with California Native

American Tribes and capacity to create and facilitate culturally rooted, informative, and supportive check-in meetings, trainings/workshops, and peer learning sessions for the Tribal Capacity Building Program, including the ability to balance project expertise while respecting Tribal ecological knowledge and protecting Tribal data sovereignty.

• Describe your and the TA Team’s experience conducting meaningful engagement with California Native American Tribes and capacity to develop culturally relevant webinars, in-person and virtual workshops, regional in-person meetings, Tribal consultations, and legal support around Tribal issues.

• Describe your and the TA Team’s ability and commitment to travel to meet the 12 Tribal grantees for the in-person kickoff meetings.

2) Provide a shortlist of subcontractors you would include in your TA Team—include a bullet point list of the minimum qualifications and technical knowledge each mailto:Contracts@lci.ca.gov

RFI Solicitation #SGC25009 subcontractor would bring. Please note any minimum qualifications and/or technical knowledge that is not met by the proposed TA Team, if any. Please ensure at least one subcontractor has housing expertise.

3) Provide a simple budget plan detailing how you would allocate funds for each

Task Category (Task 1-5) to ensure task completion, as well as how you would allocate funds among the TA Team for a $2 million, 3.5-year contract. Please provide a brief budget justification that explains the proposed allocation of funds.

This can be submitted as text in a Word document or in an Excel spreadsheet.

4) In addition to the questions above, we’d appreciate your input on the RFI and scope of work and whether the bidder community is well-positioned to meet the outlined requirements and/or considerations to the Tribal Capacity Building

Program not captured above. Please share any feedback or concerns.

G. QUESTIONS

Any questions related to this RFI must be sent electronically only directly to the following mailbox: Contracts@lci.ca.gov

H. DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. A response to this RFI is not an offer and cannot be accepted by the state to form a binding contract.

RFI respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The state is not responsible for any expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

The submission of a response does not constitute any commitment on the part of the interested party. However, the RFI respondent agrees that the submitted information is correct to the best of the RFI respondent’s knowledge.

RFI respondents are advised that all documents submitted in response to this RFI will become the property of the State of California and will be regarded as public records under the California Public Records Act (PRA) pursuant to Government Code section

7920 et seq. The intent of this RFI is for market research purposes. Respondents should be aware that marking the response or questions “confidential” or “proprietary” will not exclude that content if the department receives a PRA request. Please do not include any confidential or proprietary information in responses to this RFI as it will be subject to the PRA and may be disclosed to the public under the PRA.

mailto:Contracts@lci.ca.gov