California regional initiative for social enterprises program fiscal agent - request for proposals

The State of California, through the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), is issuing a Request for Proposals to procure a third-party Fiscal Agent to administer the California Regional Initiative for Social Enterprises Program (CA RISE 2.0). The Fiscal Agent will serve as a grantmaking administrator responsible for designing and executing the complete grantmaking process, including validating applicant eligibility, executing grant agreements, processing secure fund disbursements, and providing comprehensive reporting to the State. Key deliverables include disbursing one-time grants of up to $300,000 each to eligible Employment Social Enterprises (ESEs) and nonprofits throughout California, with all grant funds required to be fully distributed by March 31, 2028. The selected Fiscal Agent must demonstrate prior experience with CalOSBA in managing grant or loan programs, possess the ability to partner with workforce, social services, and justice system entities, and demonstrate capacity to deploy full funding statewide. Evaluation criteria are scored on an 85-point scale covering applicant experience (15 points), application validation and award distribution design (25 points), implementation schedule (5 points), program management and staffing (10 points), and budget and financial management systems (30 points). The RFP application period runs from April 9, 2026 through April 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM PT, with submissions required via email to GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov. Questions must be submitted by April 14, 2026 at 3:00 PM PST, with answers posted by April 16, 2026, and Notice of Intent to Award to be posted by April 30, 2026. The contract term spans from June 1, 2026 through March 31, 2028.

California-certified small businesses and Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises (DVBEs) are encouraged to apply and may receive five percent evaluation preferences if meeting specified criteria. No incumbent contractors or existing vendors are identified in the procurement materials. The total program allocation is $17,000,000, with CalOSBA expecting to distribute $12,528,000 in grants to eligible ESEs and nonprofits. The Fiscal Agent is permitted to request up to $612,000 for program administration costs, which must be justified and well-documented, with CalOSBA seeking competitive proposals that maximize grant awards through platform efficiencies. Payment structure includes an upfront payment for total grant distribution amounts, while administrative costs are processed monthly in arrears with final payment held until all disbursements and reporting are complete. All applicants must comply with State Administrative Manual collateral requirements, depositing securities valued at 110 percent of uninsured funds with the State Treasurer, and must complete mandatory payee documentation including the STD 204 form and Drug-Free Workplace Certification (STD 21) prior to contract execution.