Plan for a Police Officer and Firefighter Career Pipeline Program

Connecticut's Office of Workforce Strategy is requesting proposals to develop a comprehensive statewide strategic plan for a police officer and firefighter career pipeline program, with proposals due September 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST. Eligible proposers are higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations located in Connecticut only.

The scope includes research and stakeholder engagement to assess current and projected workforce demand, identify recruitment and retention barriers, evaluate existing recruitment and training efforts, recommend statewide and regional pipeline strategies, identify youth and young-adult engagement opportunities, estimate implementation costs, and develop an implementation roadmap. The final draft report is due December 1, 2026, with the report to the Connecticut General Assembly due no later than January 1, 2027.

Total funding available is $200,000 over a four-month period from the state general fund, deployable immediately through December 31, 2026. One award will be granted. Proposers must demonstrate expertise in workforce development research, labor market analysis, public safety workforce issues, strategic planning, facilitation, public policy, economic analysis, data analytics, and program evaluation, with prior experience working with state agencies preferred.

Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Executive Summary (10%), Demonstrated Experience (25%), Scope of Work (45%), Staffing Plan (10%), and Budget (10%). Questions are due August 25, 2026, with answers provided by August 28. Proposals must be submitted directly to grace.suh@ct.gov and must include a signed cover page, conflict of interest disclosure statement, statement of assurances, and declaration of confidential information if applicable. The Agency Head makes the final selection decision. Unsuccessful proposers may request a debriefing within ten days or file an appeal within thirty days of notification.