GO-SEMI Connectivity Portal: Strategic Advisory and Owner's Representative Services, RFP

New York State Empire State Development (ESD) is requesting proposals for strategic advisory and owner's representative services for the GO-SEMI Connectivity Portal, with proposals due September 1, 2026. The procurement carries mandatory participation goals of 30% total Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) and 6% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB), achievable through certified subcontractors or staff augmentation where commercially useful functions are met.

The engagement comprises three sequential milestones: Milestone 1 (discovery and future-state recommendations), Milestone 2 (strategy development, roadmap creation, and procurement planning), and Milestone 3 (procurement advisory and owner's representative services during vendor selection and implementation oversight). ESD has not established fixed completion dates; exact schedules will be finalized during contract negotiations. The selected consultant will ingest baseline analysis data provided upon contract award and conduct independent stakeholder discovery through interviews, focus groups, and supplementary research.

ESD has not published an estimated budget or spending cap; respondents must propose competitive cost schedules based on methodology, staffing allocation, and blended hourly rates. Out-of-pocket reimbursable expenses are capped at 10% of total proposed professional fees and must be included in the final cost proposal. Invoicing terms and payment structures—whether based on milestone acceptance, monthly hours, or deliverable completion—will be finalized during contract execution.

All technical recommendations must comply with ESD's IT Security Standard Brief, requiring ISO Standards 27001, 27005, and 27035 compliance (or ESD CISO-approved equivalent), GDPR compliance for relevant data collection, and adherence to NYS and Federal Cyber Security and Information Security Policies and Laws. Within 30 days of contract signing, vendors must identify applicable IT deliverables and document them as project milestones.

The selected consultant will be unconditionally disqualified from competing for the subsequent software development contract, with disqualification applying to the prime respondent, its affiliates, commonly controlled entities, and individual personnel, as well as to subcontractors if ESD determines they create a conflict of interest.

No incumbent contractor was identified for this engagement. Respondents must submit a mandatory Diversity Practices Questionnaire under penalty of perjury with notarization. Seven MWBE and SDVOB subcontractors have expressed interest as of August 5, 2026.