Executive Search & Recruitment Firm

West Virginia University (WVU) has issued Request for Proposal (RFP) number RFP202490000530 seeking an executive search firm to conduct a presidential search, with proposals due on April 12, 2024, at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. The selected firm will be responsible for working closely with the WVU Board of Governors and Search Committee to develop selection criteria, conduct focus groups, identify key issues, create a recruitment strategy, evaluate candidates, and manage administrative services for identifying the university's next president, whose current president's term expires on June 30, 2025. The proposal evaluation will be based on a 100-point system, with 35 points for Experience & Qualifications, 35 points for Proposer's Plan of Execution & Approach, 20 points for References, and 10 points for Cost Proposal. The firm must demonstrate deep understanding of higher education, particularly R1 research and land-grant institutions comparable to WVU, and will be expected to provide market intelligence on presidential compensation, develop comprehensive recruitment materials, conduct thorough candidate screening, and guarantee placement for 18 months. The primary contact for this RFP is Katie McGuire, reachable at katie.mcguire@mail.wvu.edu or +1 304-293-5711.

The RFP does not explicitly mention specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. The solicitation uses commodity codes 80111701 (staff recruiting services) and 80111715 (permanent professional staff), indicating a broad approach to potential vendors. Contractors must complete a Disclosure of Interested Parties form, which is mandatory for business entities entering contracts exceeding $100,000, and provide comprehensive liability insurance coverage, including $1,000,000 per occurrence commercial general liability, $1,000,000 combined single limit automobile liability, and workers' compensation coverage. While specific award values are not detailed, the RFP suggests the contract will be denominated in US Dollars and will require significant professional services expertise. The university reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to cancel the solicitation at any time, with the final contract subject to specific state agency contracting restrictions. WVU emphasizes that the contract will include provisions for intellectual property ownership, confidentiality, and compliance with state and federal regulations.