Interest Holder Engagement, Technical Assistance, and Recruitment Support for Maryland's Market Rate Survey

Maryland State Department of Education is requesting quotations for expert contractor services to support interest holder engagement, technical assistance, and recruitment for Maryland's biannual childcare market rate survey, with quotations due October 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM and questions due October 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM.

The contractor will facilitate stakeholder consultation sessions, deliver technical assistance to childcare providers (at least one session with two office hours and individualized support), design feedback sessions on survey instruments in English and Spanish, develop recruitment and communication strategies, create provider-facing materials including Q&A and FAQ documents, attend council consultation meetings, develop and execute a communication and reminder schedule, maintain tracking logs, and provide regular status reports to MSDE. Work is performed virtually.

Bidders must meet eight mandatory minimum qualifications: demonstrated deep roots in Maryland's early childhood landscape; strong stakeholder relationships; experience designing consultation and feedback processes; proven capacity to deliver technical assistance; ability to develop provider communications; demonstrated success with survey recruitment strategies; experience managing multi-touch outreach campaigns; and a track record of transparent reporting to state partners. Contractors must be registered to do business with the State of Maryland.

The total project cost may not exceed $49,999 for the contract term, with an estimated 400 hours of work. The contract term runs October 15, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Monthly billing is permitted; all invoices must be submitted within 60 calendar days of contract termination. Award will be made to the lowest-priced responsive and responsible bidder meeting all mandatory requirements. MSDE reserves the right to award contracts to multiple consultants and encourages responses from small, minority, and veteran-owned businesses. Bidders must submit a letter of interest, resume, completed Exhibit A bid form with itemized pricing, and an updated W-9 if applicable.