PDG: Strengthening Business Engagement in Child Care

The State of Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) is issuing a Request for Quotes (RFQ) to solicit competitive bids for the development of a statewide business engagement toolkit focused on child care efforts under PDG Activity 2.1.2.6. The procuring jurisdiction is Marion County, Oregon. The vendor will be responsible for convening business leaders and community partners—including educators, workforce and economic development representatives, government officials, faith leaders, and community members—to create a customizable toolkit addressing child care accessibility, provider sustainability, workforce recruitment and retention, and regulatory navigation. Deliverables include conducting discovery and landscape scans, identifying and interviewing key stakeholders, developing toolkit frameworks and content, facilitating focus groups and case studies, piloting components with select communities, and hosting virtual learning sessions. Offerors must submit a detailed proposed approach, draft scope of work, price offer, organizational information, and three references from governmental or educational entities. Key personnel requirements include demonstrated experience in engaging and convening with partners, knowledge of Oregon's child care sector, recent business engagement experience within the last three years, a bachelor's degree or higher in public administration, business management, early childhood, or related field, strong research and financial analysis capabilities, quality control practices, and availability for on-site work at DELC's Salem headquarters. Vendors must have successfully implemented a similar system in a production environment within the past three years and possess at least five years of experience providing comparable services. Evaluation will be conducted in two tiers: Tier 1 scoring assesses proposed approach (100 points), scope of work (150 points), price offer (50 points), and experience (50 points) for a maximum of 350 points, with Tier 2 potentially including presentations and demonstrations. The deadline for submitting questions and clarifications is March 5, 2026, with answers provided by March 11, 2026. Offers are due on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 1:00 PM PST, with all work to be completed by December 31, 2026, and invoices due within 30 days thereafter.

The RFQ documents do not specify any set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular types of organizations, disadvantaged enterprises, or minority-owned businesses. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement materials. The procurement does not reference any existing infrastructure or technology requiring integration with the proposed toolkit. DELC anticipates awarding one contract with a total value not to exceed $250,000. An Intent to Award will be issued to the successful offeror, with protests permitted within seven calendar days of the award notice. Interested vendors should note that the original RFQ closing date was extended from March 16, 2026, to March 18, 2026, through issuance of Addendum 2, providing additional time for proposal preparation and submission.