Government Relations and Legislative Lobbying Services - RIOPC

The Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education is requesting proposals for government relations and legislative lobbying services under RFP 27007056, with proposals due November 4, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST. The Q&A deadline is October 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), and Disability Business Enterprises (DisBEs) — collectively ISBEs — are emphasized in evaluation, with vendor scoring based on proposed ISBE utilization rate. This is a preference program, not a set-aside; all vendors may propose.

The scope encompasses government relations and legislative lobbying services. The contract term begins upon award, with options to renew for up to four additional 12-month periods contingent on vendor performance and fund availability. Pricing is vendor-specified and must be firm and fixed unless otherwise indicated in the proposal.

All proposal submissions must be made electronically through Ocean State Procures; mail, email, fax, and hand delivery are not accepted. Vendors must register in Ocean State Procures prior to submission and comply with Rhode Island General Laws and state procurement regulations.

Required insurance includes general liability of $1 million per occurrence, workers' compensation of $100,000 per accident, and automobile liability of $1 million per occurrence. A contract administrative fee of 0.33% will be withheld from all eligible contract payments, effective January 1, 2026.

The State reserves the right to award based on cost alone, accept or reject any proposals, and cancel the solicitation at any time in its best interest. Inquiries should be directed to Jonathan Nadeau at the Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education.