Community Engagement Consultant Services

The Orange County Transportation Authority is soliciting proposals for Community Engagement Consultant Services to plan, implement, and evaluate a community outreach program for Orange County's underserved and underrepresented communities, with proposals due December 29, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

The scope targets Spanish and Vietnamese speakers, limited-English proficient populations, seniors, persons with disabilities, and Asian populations. The consultant will develop a Community Engagement Plan, create multilingual outreach materials, execute hybrid engagement strategies combining in-person and digital activities across community centers and ethnic media outlets, conduct a quantitative community survey, and deliver final findings and recommendations. Key personnel must include a Project Manager/Account Manager, Community Outreach Lead, Community Outreach Support staff, Media and Digital Strategist, Data and Evaluation Analyst, and Graphic Designer/Video Producer. Deliverables include monthly progress reports, partnership event documentation, and measured success metrics tied to participant demographics, social media reach, and awareness gains.

The estimated contract value is $885,000 for an initial two-year term, with an optional two-year extension. The contract is structured as time-and-expense with fully-burdened hourly rates for key personnel positions and other direct costs reimbursed at actual cost or contracted rates, whichever is less. Proposals remain firm for a minimum of 120 days. The consultant must maintain Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence), Automobile Liability ($1 million combined single limit), and Workers' Compensation insurance; professional liability is not required.

Evaluation criteria are weighted: Work Plan (30%), Staffing and Project Organization (25%), Cost (25%), and Qualifications of the Firm (20%). Proposals must not exceed 50 pages excluding appendices and resumes, formatted in 12-point, double-spaced type. A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for December 9, 2025, at 1:30 p.m., available in-person in Orange, California and via teleconference. Written questions are due December 11, 2025, with OCTA responses due December 18, 2025. Committee interviews are scheduled for January 29, 2026. Board of Directors approval is anticipated March 23, 2026, with contract execution by April 15, 2026. Proposals must be submitted through OCTA's OpenGov Procurement portal; no hard copies accepted. OCTA reserves the right to award, negotiate with multiple offerors simultaneously, or cancel the RFP entirely.