RFO no. CFF 5563

First 5 California issued Request for Offer (RFO) No. CFF 5563 on March 3, 2026, seeking facilitation and support services for statewide collaborative efforts with partner and stakeholder groups. The procurement requires California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) contractors or authorized resellers to provide comprehensive facilitation services for State Commission meetings, Advisory Committee sessions, stakeholder convenings, workgroups, and focus groups addressing early learning and care quality, innovative healthy development approaches, workforce development, workforce compensation reform, and family engagement strategies. Key deliverables include conducting environmental scans and research to support First 5 California's programmatic and policy development, compiling data and analysis from facilitated meetings, and developing position papers on early childhood programs and policies. The contractor must hold current CMAS certification and comply with all state certifications, including civil rights, debarment, Darfur Contracting Act, and Executive Order N-6-22 Russia Sanctions compliance. Award determination will be based on Best Value criteria, with the contract term spanning two fiscal years from July 1, 2026 (or upon DGS/PD approval, whichever is later) through June 30, 2028. Critical deadlines include questions due by March 10, 2026, with responses provided by March 17, 2026; offers due March 24, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.; and state review of offers occurring March 29-31, 2026. Offers must be submitted to First 5 California's Contracts and Procurement Office at 2399 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 120, Sacramento, CA 95833.

Compensation will be based on actual allowable expenditures incurred at rates not exceeding the offeror's current Federal GSA Schedule pricing, with monthly invoicing in arrears and travel reimbursement capped at $5,000 subject to California state rates and prior authorization for out-of-state travel. The RFO encourages offers from California certified Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises, with subcontractors receiving more than 10 percent of purchase order value required to meet all CMAS contractual qualifications. Bidders must submit a cost worksheet listing all positions by GSA Labor Category job title with hourly rates for each task. Funding is contingent upon availability of California Children and Families Trust Fund resources and subject to any legislative restrictions or reductions, with the contract incorporating a Budget Contingency Clause allowing First 5 California to cancel with no liability if sufficient funds become unavailable. No specific budget amount is provided in the solicitation, and compensation structure is entirely based on actual expenditures within GSA Schedule rates rather than a fixed award value.