REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: (M.G.L. Ch. 30B) AiR Boston Program - Resident Artist Professional Services

Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture Joseph Henry

EV00017855

PROJECT SUMMARY:

The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture seeks three (3) professional artists to serve as Resident Artists in the AiR Boston program.

This RFP will be awarded as three separate contracts, with each selected artist assigned to a City department; the list of participating departments will be confirmed upon contract award.

Each selected artist will be embedded within their assigned department and work in partnership with a community-based organization to develop creative approaches to civic challenges through socially engaged art practice over one (1) year from approximately January 2027 to December 2027.

AiR Boston—formerly Boston Artist-in-Residence Program— is the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture’s Artist-in-Residence program, designed to bring artists and creative practitioners into City government to explore civic challenges, develop new ideas, and create meaningful connections between government, communities, through socially-engaged art.

AiR Boston defines socially-engaged art as an artistic and/or cultural practice that centers human relationships, community participation, and social dialogue as integral parts of creative work aiming to cultivate reflection, connection, and/or positive social change; through shared processes of inquiry, making, reflection, and action in order to address civic necessities. Socially-engaged art understands creative practice as a way to redistribute attention, resources, responsibility, and decision-making power toward more equitable and sustainable forms of civic and public life.

Therefore the AiR Boston program recognizes that artists contribute to the public in ways that extend beyond the production of permanent objects. Across Boston, artists are stewards of public goods preserving cultural knowledge, building community connections, creating opportunities for learning, and developing new ways for people to imagine and engage with their communities. AiR Boston creates a formal, paid pathway for this often-unrecognized civic and cultural labor.

Through the residency, three (3) selected artists will work alongside their own host City departments and Boston communities to explore a specific public challenge or opportunity. Artists will bring their creative practices, methods, and perspectives into the context of municipal government, creating opportunities to question existing assumptions by exploring a specific prompt through their respective mediums.

AiR Boston is intentionally structured to support experimentation and discovery rather than predetermined solutions. Depending on the artist’s practice and envisioned prototype, outcomes may include a gathering, performance, publication, exhibition, public conversation, civic tool, or other form of public engagement. The program values both tangible outcomes and the immaterial impacts of creative practice, including relationships formed, knowledge exchanged, new perspectives developed, and possibilities made perceptible.

Thus, a core component of each AiR Boston residency is public learning and knowledge-sharing. Resident Artists will be expected to make their work and process accessible beyond their host department through a public presentation, gathering, publication, exhibition, or other appropriate format. Artists will share not only what they produce, but also the questions they explored, methods they tested, lessons learned, and challenges that remain unresolved. This approach will allow individual residencies to contribute to a growing body of civic and artistic knowledge that can inform future projects, departments, and residency cycles.

AiR Boston complements the City’s existing investment in permanent public art through programs such as Percent for Art by creating a different pathway for artists to contribute to Boston’s public realm. Rather than focusing solely on permanent physical works, AiR Boston supports artistic processes that can influence relationships, systems, ideas, and approaches to civic challenges.

The program advances the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture’s broader goals of supporting Boston’s creative workforce, positioning Boston as a global creative city, and demonstrating the role of culture and creativity in advancing the common good. Through AiR: Boston, the City is investing both in artists and in its own capacity to experiment, learn, and work differently.

IMPORTANT DATES:

EVENT DATE

RFP Issue Date October 13, 2026, 12:00 PM

Optional Pre-Proposal Q&A Conference Call Location | Zoom/Teams link

November 10, 2026, 6:00 PM https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/re gister/WN_mKrRkLLvSMe5ZRo2kNNS Qw

Questions Due Date November 13, 2026

City Posts Consolidated Q&A November 20, 2026

Optional Supplier Portal Support

Vendor Support is available weekdays via 617-961-1058 or vendor.questions@boston.gov, and holds a virtual drop-in session on the first Tuesday of every month

December 1, 2026 Drop-in session from 2-4pm

Offered by the Procurement Department; please see boston.gov/procurement

Proposal Due Date January 4, 2027, 2:00 PM

*See the full RFP schedule in Section 1.3.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Deen Rawlins-Harris | deen.rawlinsharris@boston.gov All questions should be emailed with the RFP number (EV00017855) in the subject line.

You can access this RFP and related documents on the City of Boston Supplier Portal, via boston.gov/procurement.

mailto:vendor.questions@boston.gov https://www.boston.gov/departments/procurement

INSTRUCTIONS FOR VENDORS

WHAT IS A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) AND HOW

DOES IT WORK?

What: An RFP is a document that explains what services the City of Boston needs and is looking to purchase from vendors (you!).

Why: The RFP explains what a vendor needs to do to compete for this opportunity, how they will be evaluated, and how the contract will be managed.

How:

● Read through the RFP carefully and decide if you want to compete for the contract.

● Register as a vendor on the Supplier Portal (if you aren’t already); you can access the

Supplier Portal via boston.gov/procurement, and get assistance by emailing Vendor.Questions@boston.gov or joining their office hours

● Put together your technical proposal and price proposal and be sure to keep them separate. Failure to do so will disqualify your proposal.

● If you have questions, attend the information session on November 10, 2026, 6:00 PM or email questions to deen.rawlinsharris@boston.gov by November 13th, 2026, 5:00 PM.

● Submit your final technical and price proposals separately, as well as any other necessary forms. Do not include any price information in your technical proposal or presentation or the City will reject your entire proposal. Read the instructions carefully on how to submit each of these proposals. Be sure to leave plenty of time for submission.

RFP Structure:

Read sections I and II

Respond to sections III and IV

Follow the directions in section V http://boston.gov/procurement mailto:Vendor.Questions@boston.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I. INTRODUCTION AND PURCHASE DESCRIPTION 6

1.1 BACKGROUND 6

1.2 SCOPE OF SERVICES 8

1. Onboarding (Months 1-2) 8

2. Research & Community Dialogue (Months 3-6) 9

3. Prototyping & Implementation (Months 7-9) 10

4. Evaluation & Reflection (Months 10-12) 10

5. Support Provided to Selected Artists 11

1.3 PROPOSAL TIMELINE 12

1.4 WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS 12

1.5 CONTRACT TERM AND OTHER INFORMATION 13

II. HOW WE CHOOSE 14

2.1 MINIMUM EVALUATION CRITERIA 14

2.2 COMPARATIVE EVALUATION CRITERIA 15

III. YOUR TECHNICAL PROPOSAL 23

3.1 COVER PAGE 23

3.2 RESPONSE TO SCOPE OF SERVICES 24

3.3 OWNERSHIP DETAILS (INFORMATIONAL ONLY) 29

3.4 REFERENCES 30

3.5 INSURANCE DOCUMENTATION 32

IV. YOUR PRICE PROPOSAL 32

4.1 PRICE PROPOSAL (REQUIRED) 33

4.2 SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (OPTIONAL) 33

V. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS 34

5.1 SUBMISSION DEADLINE 34

5.2 SUBMISSION METHODS 34

5.3 IMPORTANT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 34

5.4 LATE SUBMISSIONS 34

5.5 CHECKLIST FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSAL 35

5.6 SUBMITTING PROPOSAL VIA BOSTON’S SUPPLIER PORTAL 35

5.7 SUBMITTING VIA MAIL / PHYSICAL DELIVERY 37

VI. APPENDICES 39

APPENDIX 1: RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS 39

APPENDIX 2: CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS 40

APPENDIX 3: INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS 41

I. INTRODUCTION AND PURCHASE DESCRIPTION

Read sections I and II

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

● By submitting a proposal, each proposer accepts the RFP specifications, Boston’s RFP terms, and Boston’s standard contract terms and conditions ( found in the Appendix below).

● Once awarded, the three resulting contracts will be governed by the terms and conditions listed in forms CM-10 and CM-11 and the CM-11 IT Supplement, which shall be incorporated by reference into this RFP. Please see Appendix 2 for a full list of the forms that the selected vendors will be required to sign and submit during the contracting process if awarded this contract. Please review these before submitting your proposal. Failure to agree to the City of Boston’s standard contract terms and conditions will result in your Proposal being deemed non-responsive to the solicitation and therefore rejected.

1.1 BACKGROUND

With this Request for Proposal (RFP), we are seeking to hire three Resident Artists to work closely with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and additional City departments during the 2027 Boston Artists-in-Residence Pilot Program. Under the new program model, this RFP will be awarded as three separate contracts, with each selected artist assigned to a City department (with the specific departments to be confirmed upon contracting).

Beginning in 2015, the Boston AiR program embedded local artists within City government with the goal of transforming the way the City of Boston thinks about governing. Through this initiative, the City brought together artists and City employees who shared a deep commitment to community and social justice and worked collaboratively to envision a more creative, equitable, and responsive city government. Artists contributed their creative expertise and innovative approaches, co-designing projects with City partners to test and implement new strategies for City policies and processes. These projects often addressed the social and political contexts of their respective years.

From 2014 to 2023, the program hosted five (5) artist cohorts with varying sizes, skill sets, and programmatic foci. Over its eight (8) years, Boston AiR welcomed thirty artists-in-residence, placing them within different Mayor’s Offices, city departments, and BCYF centers.

Between February 2026 and June 2026, MOAC led a strategic planning process to redesign Boston's artists-in-residence programming. The AiR Program Manager, a project facilitator, and the AiR Advisory Committee completed a participatory design strategic planning https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KPoQBuzMCIBqO6gKOOEdXzQq62zbTDox/view?usp=drive_link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L9jxNwAl55T2uLqHOKzrt_TndmPfYKA8/view?usp=drive_link process. At several community input sessions, the AiR Advisory Committee facilitated collaborative dialogue, co-creation sessions, and a shared decision-making process among artists, cultural workers, creative practitioners, community partners, and constituents to develop recommendations and strategies for an equitable, innovative, and responsive AiR program relaunch. The AiR Advisory team concluded drafting a report with recommendations for a future program model, objectives, goals, and partnerships. These recommendations exist as the foundation for the newly reimagined program under its new name, AiR: Boston.

Although this new iteration of the AiR program remains a civic initiative that embeds professional artists within city departments and community-based organizations, now the program explicitly seeks artists who will develop creative approaches to civic challenges, enhance community engagement, and integrate socially-engaged art into municipal processes, policies, and communities rather than solely artistic exhibitions or performances.

Below is a chart showing how the AiR Boston aligns with the MOAC’s Mayoral priorities.

MOAC

Mission

AiR Goal Aims

Grow and Retain Boston's Creative Workforce

Support Artistic Innovation, Well-being, & Career Development

The program aims to provide socially-engaged artists with the opportunities, resources, professional development, and civic infrastructure to undertake experimental, responsive, and civically engaged work.

Enable Everyone to Shape Cultural Life

Create Pathways for Civic Engagement

The program aims to embed socially-engaged artists as key contributors and community conduits to accessible, participatory civic processes and stronger civic engagement.

Advance Culture for the

Cultivate Meaningful Relationships

The program aims to cultivate meaningful relationships across collaborators and constituents to foster dialogue, Common Good for Systems Transformation trust, and mutual understanding that informs systems transformation strategy and implementation.

The Resident Artists (RA) will work alongside their assigned city department or office and their selected community-based organization to co-design and implement creative prototypes, conduct research, and develop policy or service proposals that respond directly to the city's needs.

We look forward to receiving your proposal.

1.2 SCOPE OF SERVICES

This section is very important. It outlines what we are asking for and gives an in-depth look at what we are expecting. In Massachusetts Procurement Law, this is part of the “Purchase Description.”

Resident Artist Responsibilities:

The three selected artists will serve as a catalyst for civic engagement, collaboration, and socially-engaged art throughout the one-year residency term. The artist will be embedded within one of three city department contexts (to be determined upon contract award) and work in partnership with a community-based organization of their choosing. Their work will be executed across four distinct phases with the following deliverables:

The residency will be executed through four integrated phases, each with specific activities and deliverables:

1. Onboarding (Months 1-2)

During this phase, artists will participate in orientation with MOAC, undergo training with the host department, receive staff introductions, begin a search for community-based organization partners, and create an individual work plan.

Artists will meet with departmental staff, shadow relevant processes where appropriate, attend briefings, and begin mapping the relationships between City systems and community networks. Once selected, the community-based organizations will help ground the artists in local knowledge, lived experience, neighborhood context, and existing trust-based relationships. By the end of this phase, each artist should have a refined work plan that identifies early engagement opportunities, project questions, needed support, and possible forms of socially-engaged art.

Key activities include:

● Artist orientation with MOAC, host department, and AiR Advisors

● Cohort gathering or retreat for the 3 resident artists

● Departmental briefings, staff introductions, and shadowing opportunities

● Identification of artist support needs, including space, materials, mentorship, access, and professional development

● Development of individual artist work plans and cohort communication norms

2. Research & Community Dialogue (Months 3-6)

Between Months 3 - 6, artists will conduct asset mapping, perform needs assessments, hold co-design sessions with community partners and stakeholders, participate in departmental briefings, facilitate community listening sessions, map city initiatives and networks, and collaboratively develop project questions and engagement opportunities.

The purpose of this phase is to generate community-informed civic insight and to test how artistic practice can support public learning, relationship-building, and departmental reflection. Artists should have enough structure to stay connected to the residency’s civic priority, but enough flexibility to follow what emerges from community engagement.

MOAC, the host department, and community partners will meet with artists regularly to review progress, troubleshoot barriers, and help translate emerging insights into forms the City can understand and use.

This phase also includes ongoing cohort reflection. The three artists will have regular opportunities to share methods, compare challenges, exchange feedback, and identify where their projects overlap or diverge. These internal learning moments are essential to making the residency more than a set of individual projects, and bring work together through a curatorial perspective.

Key activities include:

● Community partner search

● Mapping of City initiatives, community networks, public spaces, and existing engagement efforts

● Attendance at community gatherings and participatory engagement activities

● Artist-led research, interviews, observation, and creative documentation

3. Prototyping & Implementation (Months 7-9)

From Month 7 - 9, artists will launch, test, and refine socially-engaged prototypes. They will design and facilitate community engagement activities using artistic and participatory methods; collaborate with city department staff and a community-based organization;

document processes, participation, and learning; and generate community-informed civic insights through artistic practice. Artists will also work with a curatorial expert to thoughtfully present, publish, and exhibit their prototypes in public spaces to engage constituents.

This phase should not only showcase the prototype; it should clarify what was learned, what changed, what relationships were built, and what the city should consider next.

Evaluation will include artist reflection, community feedback, departmental feedback, and documentation of both quantitative and qualitative outcomes. The evaluation should include quantitative measures, such as, but not limited to, the number of participants, meetings, workshops, partner organizations, staff touchpoints, and any other printed or digitally developed materials, and qualitative measures that assess the program's guiding principles.

Key activities include:

● Department collaboration sessions and staff check-ins

● Iterative project development

● Ongoing documentation of process, participation, learning, and relationship-building

● Final project, prototype, report, exhibition, tool, performance, or public event

● Public presentation or community convening

4. Evaluation & Reflection (Months 10-12)

From Month 10 - 12 , artists will document project outcomes, share insights and lessons learned, participate in evaluation and cohort reflection meetings, archive their projects to support future scaling and implementation, submit a final documentation package, and contribute findings to MOAC’s annual learning report.

By the end of Month 11, each artist should submit a short reflection and documentation package. MOAC will also prepare a final learning report that summarizes the residency’s outcomes, challenges, recommendations, and potential pathways for continuation. During this phase, Resident Artists will work with an appointed curator to consider the ways their prototypes are implemented in public arenas for desired impact and engagement.

Possible next steps include scaling a prototype, continuing a community engagement model, integrating recommendations into departmental practice, securing additional funding, developing an extended implementation phase, or preserving the work as part of the City’s civic learning process. A formal decision-making process should specify what will continue, assign responsibilities, identify required resources, and outline how the City will remain accountable to the involved communities. Note that next steps may require a separate procurement and contracting process.

Key activities include:

● Cohort reflection meetings

● Artist reflection and documentation

● Community and departmental feedback sessions

● Final evaluation and learning report

● Recommendations for continuation, adaptation, or scale

● Public communication naming what the City learned and what it may carry forward

● Identification of emerging civic insights, access gaps, or practice recommendations

5. Support Provided to Selected Artists

The above phases are to be completed between January 2027 and December 2027.

In order to successfully complete these deliverables the selected artists will receive:

Operational Support:

● Program Manager providing contract management, coordination, performance tracking, and relationship building

● Program Facilitator supporting reflection, conflict resolution, and systems navigation within municipal systems

● Access to city department staff, meetings, data, and relevant initiatives to support prototype

● Cohort structure with regional Artists-in-Residence programs for peer learning and support

Professional Development:

● Capacity-building workshops and training opportunities

● Connection to AiR Alumni Network and AiR Advisory Team

● Connection to City of Boston leadership and staff

● Opportunities for professional growth and civic leadership development

Resources:

● Access to meeting spaces through city departments and community partners

● Insurance coverage provided by the City of Boston

● Administrative support for logistics and coordination

● Materials and community engagement budget (up to $30,000 total over one year, managed by MOAC)

● Secured shared-studio space for duration of residency

RFP PROCESS

1.3 PROPOSAL TIMELINE

The table below shows the preliminary RFP schedule. Dates are subject to change. For the most updated information, please visit the Supplier Portal via boston.gov/procurement.

EVENT DATE*

RFP Released October 13, 2026, 12:00 PM

Pre-Proposal Q&A November 10, 2026, 6:00 PM https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/regis ter/WN_mKrRkLLvSMe5ZRo2kNNSQw

Questions Due to the City Via email to deen.rawlinsharris@boston.gov November 13th, 2026, 5:00 PM.

Consolidated Q&A Posted by the City1 November 20th, 2026

Deadline for Proposals See Submission Instructions for Details January 4, 2027, 2:00 PM

Vendor Interviews/Demonstrations (if needed; see details in Section 2.3) January 10th, 2027 - January 19th, 2027

Contractor Selected (estimated) January 22nd, 2027

1.4 WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS

Vendors can ask questions live during the Pre-Proposal Q&A Conference Call (information in the table above). Outside of the Q&A Conference Call and before the proposal deadline, all communications must be emailed to deen.rawlinsharris@boston.gov with the EV00017855) in the subject line.2,3

3 After the proposal deadline, Vendors should not contact the RFP Coordinator or any other City official or employee about this RFP, except to respond to a request by the RFP Coordinator.

Vendors may continue to contact City officials and employees about issues unrelated to this RFP.

2 No other City employee, consultant, or contractor is empowered to speak for the City with respect to this RFP. Any oral communication is considered unofficial and non-binding to the City.

1 The consolidated Q&A posting will include answers to all RFP questions posed to the City at the Q&A Conference Call and by the email by the due date above. The City will update the Q&A if it chooses to answer any additional questions after that time. *All times are in Eastern Time

1.5 CONTRACT TERM AND OTHER INFORMATION

CONTRACT TERM*

Estimated Contract Dates

February 1st, 2027 – December 17th , 2027

Renewal Options

2 one-year options to renew at the City’s sole discretion

Estimated Annual Budget

$ 52,000.00

Payment Type

Phased Deliverables/Milestones

*Not to exceed 3 years except as articulated in 30B s. 12(b). Contract will be awarded to the most advantageous proposal based on a holistic evaluation of the technical proposal and price proposal

Additional Details

● Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of each deliverable/milestone as outlined in Section 1.2 Scope of Services.

● The City reserves the option to renew this contract for up to two additional one-year terms, at the City’s sole discretion, and subject to funding availability.

Payment for any such renewal periods will be determined by a negotiated plan of service, based on the decision-making process outlined in the 1.2 Scope of Services - Phase 4, as well as the hourly rates established in the 4.1 Price Proposal Template.

● All invoices must clearly reference the deliverable(s) completed and be submitted via email to audit.invoices@boston.gov mailto:audit.invoices@boston.gov

II. HOW WE CHOOSE

This section explains how we will evaluate respondents. It provides clear descriptions for what we consider a highly advantageous proposal.

We will evaluate your proposal based on two sets of criteria: minimum evaluation criteria and comparative evaluation criteria.

2.1 MINIMUM EVALUATION CRITERIA

First, we will review all proposals to see if they meet the minimum (or “quality”) evaluation criteria listed below. These are “yes-or-no” standards that will apply to every proposal.

These criteria reflect the standards that the City considers essential for this contract, as well as statutory thresholds for responsive and responsible proposers.

Any vendor that does not meet these minimum criteria below is “not responsive” and will be eliminated from further consideration.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENT DETAILS

1. A proposal submitted by the deadline that is appropriately completed and truthful, and includes all necessary forms and documentation requested in this RFP.

2. Separate technical and price proposals, with no price information in the technical proposal. (See below for further information and instructions about separately submitting your technical and price proposals).

3. Demonstrated understanding of Boston’s civic and/or cultural landscape, as shown through past project narratives and at-least five (5) Boston-area projects/showcases/exhibitions/workshops/classes or performances.

4. A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experiences as working artists in any medium as demonstrated in editorial digital/print media, a professional website, or publicly accessible critiques and reviews of work by reputable agencies.

5. Ability to commute to Boston daily for in-person meetings, engagements, and all AiR Boston activities.

6. Qualifications

○ Eligible to work in the United States

○ Able to provide W-9 tax documentation

○ No conflicts of interest with City of Boston

○ Must be 18 years of age or older

7. Capacity to Complete Work

○ Availability and staff capacity to properly manage the scope of work

○ Ability to commit 15-20 hours per week from January 2027 through

December 2027

○ Availability for daytime, evening, and occasional weekend activities

Proposals that do not meet these minimum requirements will not be evaluated further.

2.2 COMPARATIVE EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals that have met all minimum evaluation criteria will move to the next stage of evaluation. In this stage, we will evaluate proposals according to the comparative evaluation criteria described below.

CRITERIA 1: PROPOSAL CLARITY

RATING CATEGORY DESCRIPTION

Highly Advantageous

The proposal is well-written in clear, concise language.

Materials are organized and easy to navigate. As a whole, the proposal provides a complete response to this RFP and provides multiple relevant examples of past successes implementing similar solutions.

Advantageous The proposal is clear and well-organized. It provides a complete response to this RFP and includes examples of past successes.

Not Advantageous

The proposal does not address all aspects of the RFP. It is poorly written and/or difficult to read. It does not provide adequate information to evaluate the vendor’s ability to successfully meet the City’s goals.

CRITERIA 2: Artistic Practice and Methodology

RATING CATEGORY DESCRIPTION

Highly Advantageous

● Proposal demonstrates exceptional depth and innovation in socially-engaged artistic practice with clear evidence of transformative community impact.

● Methodology is sophisticated, culturally responsive, and explicitly designed or applied to center community voices and knowledge in Boston.

● Artist shares nine (9) or more experiences facilitating participatory processes that build trust and generate meaningful civic insights in the Boston-area.

● Approach demonstrates a deep understanding of power dynamics, equity, inclusion, and social justice in artistic practice.

Advantageous

● Proposal demonstrates solid experience in socially-engaged artistic practice with evidence of positive community engagement.

● Methodology is clear and appropriate for the work, with attention to community participation in the Boston-area.

● Artist shares six (6) to eight (8) experiences facilitating participatory processes and generating community insights.

● Approach demonstrates awareness of equity and inclusion in artistic practice.

Not Advantageous

● Proposal demonstrates limited experience in socially-engaged artistic practice or lacks clear evidence of community impact.

● Methodology is unclear, generic, or not well-suited to civic engagement work in Boston.

● Artist shares five (5) experiences with participatory processes or community-centered practice in Boston-area.

● Approach does not adequately address equity, power dynamics, or community voice.

CRITERIA 3: Understanding of Municipal Context and Civic Systems

Highly Advantageous

● The proposal demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how municipal government operates, including decision-making processes, policy development, and systems change.

● The applicant articulates nuanced understanding of both the limitations and opportunities for artistic practice within government structures.

● Identifies specific, well-researched policy areas or civic challenges relevant to the host department with clear rationale for artistic intervention.

● Shows strategic thinking about how creative practice can influence systems transformation.

Advantageous

● The proposal demonstrates a basic understanding of municipal government operations and civic processes.

● Artist articulates a reasonable understanding of how to work within government structures.

● Identifies relevant policy areas or civic challenges with appropriate rationale.

● Shows awareness of how artistic practice can contribute to civic goals.

Not Advantageous

● The proposal demonstrates a limited understanding of municipal government or civic systems.

● Artist does not adequately address the unique context of working within government.

● The identified policy areas or civic challenges are vague, insufficiently researched, or irrelevant to the host department.

● Does not clearly connect artistic practice to civic impact.

CRITERIA 4: Community Partnership and Collaboration Strategy

Highly Advantageous

● Proposal demonstrates a strong and nuanced understanding of community-based programming, with an evident five (5) years track record of meaningful relationships with community-based organizations (CBOs).

● Proposal references 5 or more Boston CBOs, with clear, detailed evidence of robust partnerships and successful co-delivery of arts and culture programming, including examples from within the past 5 years.

● The proposal articulates a comprehensive, equitable, and innovative collaboration strategy that is specifically designed to leverage the unique strengths of both the artist and CBOs, demonstrating deep commitment to shared leadership and mutual benefit.

Advantageous

● Proposal demonstrates a good understanding of community-based programming with an evident three (3) to four (4) years track record of meaningful relationships with community-based organizations (CBOs).

● Proposal references 2-4 CBOs with some evidence of past partnerships and successful delivery of arts and culture-related programming.

● The proposal outlines a collaboration strategy that is generally equitable and leverages the strengths of both the artist and CBOs, though it may lack some detail or specificity.

Not Advantageous

● Proposal demonstrates limited or unclear understanding of community-based programming and with an evident zero (0) to two (2) year(s) track record of meaningful relationships with community-based organizations (CBOs).

● Proposal references 1 or no CBOs, with little or no evidence of past partnership or relevant project delivery.

● The proposal offers a vague or underdeveloped collaboration strategy that does not clearly address equity or leverage the strengths of both the artist and CBOs.

CRITERIA 5: Work Plan and Project Delivery

Highly Advantageous ● Work plan is comprehensive, realistic, and strategically designed to achieve meaningful impact over the one year.

● The timeline demonstrates thoughtful sequencing of activities, with clear milestones and deliverables for each phase.

● The plan shows a sophisticated understanding of how to build momentum, deepen relationships, and iterate based on learning across the residency.

● Artist articulates clear priorities and demonstrates strategic thinking about resource allocation and support utilization.

● Plan includes specific strategies for documentation, evaluation, and sustainability.

Advantageous

● The work plan is clear and reasonable, with appropriate activities for each phase.

● Timeline includes relevant milestones and deliverables.

● The plan shows an understanding of the year arc, with appropriate progression through phases.

● Artist identifies priorities and demonstrates awareness of available support and resources.

● Plan includes consideration of documentation and evaluation.

Not Advantageous

● The work plan is vague, unrealistic, or fails to address the scope of work adequately.

● Timeline is missing key milestones or does not align with the phased approach outlined in the RFP.

● Plan does not demonstrate clear progression or learning through residency.

● The artist does not clearly articulate priorities or how support will be used.

● Plan lacks adequate consideration of documentation, evaluation, or sustainability.

CRITERIA 6: Demonstrated Civic Impact and Professional References

Highly Advantageous ● References provide compelling evidence of exceptional artistic practice, community engagement, and project delivery.

● References describe transformative impact on communities and organizations.

● Projects demonstrate sustained engagement, meaningful collaboration, and tangible outcomes.

● References speak to the artist’s professionalism, reliability, communication skills, and ability to navigate complex stakeholder relationships.

● The portfolio of work shows consistent excellence and innovation in socially engaged practice.

Advantageous

● References provide solid evidence of quality artistic practice and community engagement.

● References describe positive impact and successful project completion.

● Projects demonstrate appropriate engagement and collaboration with clear outcomes.

● References speak to the artist’s professionalism and reliability.

● The portfolio of work demonstrates competence in socially engaged practice.

Not Advantageous

● References provide limited or unclear evidence of the quality of artistic practice or community engagement.

● References do not adequately describe impact or project outcomes.

● Projects lack evidence of meaningful collaboration or tangible results.

● References raise concerns about professionalism, reliability, or communication.

● The portfolio of work does not adequately demonstrate socially engaged practice.

2.3 INTERVIEWS

An additional component of this evaluation process will include a(n) interview. We anticipate these taking 15 minutes and occurring during the dates of January 10th, 2027 - January 19th, 2027. We will use the evaluation criteria listed below to evaluate the interview.

Proposers should be prepared to:

● Present their artistic practice and approach and provide example or documentation of previous work (6 minutes)

● Discuss their understanding of the residency and proposed work plan (3 minutes)

● Answer questions from the evaluation committee (6 minutes)

Interview performance and content may be considered as part of the overall evaluation.

NOTE: Pricing information may only be included in your sealed price proposal. Do not include any pricing information or your entire proposal will be rejected.

CRITERIA 7: INTERVIEW

Highly Advantageous

Applicants are well-organized and provide clear, concise responses to questions. The presentation demonstrates strong insight into the City’s requirements, as described in the RFP and all questions posed by the City were specifically addressed.

Advantageous Applicants are organized. Presentation demonstrates understanding of the City’s requirements, as described in the

RFP.

Not Advantageous

Applicants are poorly organized. Presentation does not demonstrate an understanding of the City’s requirements, as described in the RFP. The vendor is not able to answer key questions posed by the City.

2.4 RULE FOR AWARD AND CONTRACT

The City will select the three responsible and responsive proposers (who have met all submission requirements and minimum evaluation criteria) who have submitted the three most advantageous proposals, based on both the proposed price and the comparative evaluation criteria.

Please Note: An award letter or award notification is not a communication of final acceptance of a Vendor's proposal. No final award has been made until the following three steps have occurred:

1. Final execution of a Contract by the Vendor and the City of Boston (by its Awarding Authority/Official and the City Auditor);

2. The approval of the final Contract by the Mayor of Boston; and

3. Contractor receipt of a City issued Purchase Order.

The forms in Appendix 1 of this RFP are incorporated into the Contract by reference.

***The City reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time until proposals are opened, and further reserves its right to reject all proposals after they are opened if the City determines doing so is in its best interest.

III. YOUR TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

Your application will be submitted in two parts. The first part (this section) is the Technical (Non-Price) Proposal. The Technical Proposal will be evaluated to determine whether it meets all of the submission and quality requirements specified in the RFP.

Do NOT mention pricing in this section. If you include pricing information in your technical proposal your proposal will be rejected in its entirety.

Why can’t you include price in the technical proposal? The law requires that we look at the technical and pricing proposals separately. This allows us to first determine who would be the best at implementing the project, without considering price. Next, we consider price proposals. Once both technical and price proposals are evaluated, we choose the most advantageous proposal that provides the best value overall.

Your technical proposal should consist of the following sections (each detailed in the following pages). Your technical proposal should be submitted as one document that addresses all components listed below.

● (3.1) Cover Page

● (3.2) Response to Scope of Services

○ Section 1: Cover Letter and Executive Summary

○ Section 2: Artistic Practice and Methodology

○ Section 3: Understanding of Municipal Context

○ Section 4: Community Partnership

○ Section 5: Work Plan and Timeline

○ Section 6: Work Samples

○ Section 7: Contract and Performance History

● (3.3) Ownership Details (Informational only)

● (3.4) References

● (3.5) Insurance Documentation

3.1 COVER PAGE

Please include a cover page as the first page of your technical proposal.

COVER PAGE

RFP Title and Number

Primary Organization Name

Contact Information Name

Title

Address

Email

Phone

A brief introduction highlighting why you would be a good partner for the City on this project (4–5 sentences).

3.2 RESPONSE TO SCOPE OF SERVICES

Your technical proposal must include the following sections in this order:

Section 1: Cover Letter and Executive Summary

Section 2: Artistic Practice and Methodology

Section 3: Understanding of Municipal Context

Section 4: Community Partnership

Section 5: Work Plan and Timeline

Section 6: Work Samples

Section 7: Contract and Performance History

*References: Provide 3 professional references using the template in Section 3.4.

References should be individuals who can speak to your artistic practice, community engagement approach, and experience with you delivering complex projects.

Q1: Cover Letter and Executive Summary

QUESTION:

Please explain why you are best-suited to manage this RFP. Suggested length: 1 page

An ideal answer will include:

● Brief introduction to your artistic practice (1 page)

● Summary of why you are interested in this residency and what you hope to achieve

● Confirmation that you meet all minimum requirements

RESPONSE:

Q2: Artistic Practice and Methodology

Please describe your artistic practice and methodology for producing socially-engaged art with and for communities in Boston. (Suggested length: 2-3 pages)

An ideal answer will include:

● Your artistic discipline(s) and how long you have been practicing professionally

● The motivations, theories, or values that underpin the ways you engage communities and develop socially-engaged art

● Specific methodologies or approaches you use to center community voices and build trust

● How your practice addresses equity, power dynamics, and social justice

● At least five (5) specific examples of your work in Boston area and explanation of how they have generated civic insights or community impact

Q3: Understanding of Municipal Context

Please explain your understanding of how municipal government works and how artistic practice can contribute to civic systems transformation. Specifically, identify and justify a policy area or civic challenge relevant to MOAC’s Mission and the AiR BostonProgram and goals(Suggested length: 2-3 pages)

An ideal answer will include:

● Your experience or knowledge of how municipal government operates, including decision-making processes and policy development

● Your understanding of both the limitations and opportunities for artists working within government structures

● A specific policy area or civic challenge you would be interested in exploring, with clear rationale for why artistic intervention could be valuable

● How you would approach building relationships and navigating municipal systems

● Your understanding of the role of government in civic life

● What you hope to learn or achieve through this embedded residency experience

Q4: Community Partnership

Please describe your proposed approach to partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) and your collaboration strategy. (Suggested length: 1–2 pages)

An ideal answer will include:

● Your methodology for identifying, selecting, and building relationships with Boston-based CBOs, including key considerations for alignment with residency goals and community needs.

● How you will establish and nurture mutually beneficial partnerships, drawing on your prior experience working with CBOs (include specific examples and outcomes of past collaborations, especially within the past 5 years, if applicable).

● The strategies you will use to ensure equitable, long-term, and meaningful collaboration, including how you plan to share leadership, decision-making, and resources throughout the year.

● The types of roles, resources, networks, or expertise you seek in CBO partners, and how you will leverage these assets to maximize the residency’s impact.

● How your approach fosters strong, sustained relationships and supports the capacity of both the artist and the CBOs for effective arts and culture programming delivery.

Q5: Work Plan and Timeline

Please provide a detailed work plan and timeline for the one-year residency period, addressing how you will meet the deliverables outlined in each phase of the scope of work. (Suggested length: 2-4 pages)

An ideal answer will include:

● February–December 2027: Specific activities and milestones for each phase (Research & Immersion, Community Engagement & Prototyping, Prototype Development & Presentation)

● Which deliverables you will prioritize and why

● How you will utilize the support provided (program staff, CBO partnership, cohort structure, professional development, resources)

● Your approach to documentation and evaluation throughout the residency

● Strategies for ensuring your work has lasting impact beyond the contract period

● Format: Include a visual timeline or Gantt chart showing key activities and milestones across the 12-month period.

Q6: Worksamples

Please provide 5-7 examples of your previous work that demonstrate your qualifications for this residency.

For each work sample, include:

● Title and date

● Brief description (100-200 words) explaining the project, your role, community partners involved, and outcomes or impact

● Visual documentation (images, videos, or links to online portfolios)

● At least 3 work samples should demonstrate socially-engaged or community-based artistic practice.

● At least 2 work samples should be from work conducted in Boston or with Boston communities.

Q7: Contract and Performance History

QUESTION: RESPONSE

Have you had a contract terminated for default during the past five (5) years, or have you been involved in litigation regarding a contract?4

Yes No

If “Yes”, please describe your position on the matter(s).

4 Please note: If you have had a contract terminated for default during the past five (5) years, or have been involved in litigation regarding a contract, this fact must be disclosed along with your position on the matter(s).

If you have experienced no such terminations for default in the past five (5) years and have not been involved in contract litigation, then you must indicate as such. The City reserves the right to request a copy of your firm’s audited financial statements, including a detailed balance sheet and profit and loss statement for three years, or Dun & Bradstreet reports or similar financial reports, in order to evaluate the financial strength of your company.

3.3 OWNERSHIP DETAILS (INFORMATIONAL ONLY)

OWNERSHIP DETAILS (INFORMATIONAL ONLY)

QUESTION RESPONSE

Is your organization a small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, and/or veteran-owned business?5

Small Local Minority-Owned Women-Owned Veteran-Owned

Is your organization certified as a small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, and/or veteran-owned business with the City of Boston?

Yes No

Are any of your proposed subcontractors a small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, and/or veteran-owned business?6

Yes No

If you are not certified but would like to be, visit boston.gov/departments/supplier-diversity for information on how to apply. Becoming a certified small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, and/or veteran-owned business with the City of Boston provides you with many opportunities:

● Targeted outreach for released procurements

● Support building your business and navigating the procurement process

● Access to the new Inclusive Quote Contract procurements, which provide a simpler way for businesses to get into government contracting.

6 Same as above.

5 These details are used to help us improve our outreach to all potential partners, and are for informational purposes only; this RFP is open to any vendor who would like to respond.

3.4 REFERENCES

EXAMPLE REFERENCE

FIELD EXAMPLE ENTRY

Organization Smith Events

Reference Name Jennifer Smith

Phone Number 845-111-2222

Email (if available) jsmith@smithevents.com

Project Description Planned and implemented a family-friendly concert on the steps of City Hall. Worked with diverse community organizations to select performers and vendors. Hosted 150 residents.

Project Start and End Dates March 2020 – May 2020

Expertise Demonstrated by this Project (see section 2.1 for more details)

Stakeholder Engagement, Project Design, Accessibility

REFERENCE 1

FIELD EXAMPLE ENTRY

Organization

Reference Name

Phone Number

Email (if available)

Project Description

Project Start and End Dates

Expertise Demonstrated by this Project (see section 2.1 for more details)

REFERENCE 2

Organization

Reference Name

Phone Number

Email (if available)

Project Description

Project Start and End Dates

Expertise Demonstrated by this

REFERENCE 3

Organization

Reference Name

Phone Number

Email (if available)

Project Description

Project Start and End Dates

Expertise Demonstrated by this

3.5 INSURANCE DOCUMENTATION

Review the City’s required insurance coverage for this scope of work. This can be found in Appendix 3.

If you have a different level of coverage, you must explain below why that is sufficient to manage the risk of this project.

IV. YOUR PRICE PROPOSAL

The Price Proposal is where you will share your estimated project budget with us and where you will explain your costs/budget.

IMPORTANT: The Price Proposal (and all pricing information) MUST be submitted separately from the remainder of the proposal. No price information may be included in the Technical Proposal or your Interview/Demonstration/Site Visit. If you do not separate all pricing information from your Technical Proposal, your entire proposal will be rejected.

The pricing proposal (which lists all costs associated with your proposed deliverable) is required in addition to the technical proposal. There are two steps:

1. Please complete the price proposal template provided below.

2. Please enter the total price for the initial one year contract term in the price line if submitted electronically through the Supplier Portal. More detailed instructions are available in the following section, Section VI, Submission Instructions.

Instructions can also be found on the Procurement Information Page.

Please note:

● The total price will be used to compare price proposals.

● In the price proposal, the City asks that you provide detailed pricing for all deliverables in the scope of services with the understanding that the deliverables and quantities of goods and services the City notes in this RFP are estimates only and that the final scope of services may change during contract negotiations between the City and the selected vendor(s).

http://boston.gov/departments/procurement/how-use-supplier-portal

● No additional charges will be allowed unless they are included in your Price Proposal.

● The vendor…