2024 Juneteenth Arts Sponsorship

The City of Pittsburgh's Office of Management and Budget is issuing a Request for Proposal to solicit qualified and experienced event producers to plan and execute a large, public-facing Juneteenth celebration event in June 2024. The procurement seeks comprehensive event production services with a specific emphasis on supporting local artists and musicians through direct compensation for performances, art displays, and technical crew work. The event must be held outdoors within Pittsburgh's municipal limits, be non-ticketed, and remain free and open to the public. Primary deliverables include organizing theatrical, dance, musical, and literary performances, visual art displays, and securing technical support crews, with secondary uses of funds available for equipment rental and additional support staff. Qualified respondents must demonstrate substantial experience in large-scale public event production and possess the capacity to prioritize compensation for local artists. The RFP was released on March 6, 2024, with questions due by March 22, 2024, and proposals due on April 5, 2024, at 5:00 pm. The City will conduct proposal review and scoring in April 2024, with contract awards expected the same month.

The City of Pittsburgh is emphasizing diversity and inclusion in this procurement and requires all respondents to demonstrate a good faith effort to involve minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and LGBTQIA+-owned businesses, with specific participation goals established for these designated groups. Preference will be given to proposals that prioritize local artists and production companies in their planning and execution. No incumbent vendors or existing contractor information is specified in this solicitation. The sponsorship funding is not to exceed $125,000 and is drawn from the City of Pittsburgh's $2 million allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds, which has previously supported arts programming, Juneteenth celebrations, and other public events. This budget represents the total available award for the comprehensive event production and artist compensation package.