RFP #2025-26-01 Grant Writing Expertise Pool

Eastern Oregon University (EOU) has issued Request for Proposals #2025-26-01 for a Grant Writing Expertise Pool, seeking experienced federal grant writers to support initiatives targeting rural and under-served communities. The procurement aims to establish a pool of expert grant writers capable of developing federal grants across multiple domains, including Education & Workforce, STEM & Research Capacity, Rural Development, Health & Human Services, Public Safety & Emergency Management, and Humanities & Arts. Successful applicants must demonstrate a 1 in 2 success rate in securing federal grants over the past five years and provide a comprehensive expertise matrix detailing grant writing experience. The evaluation process will score proposals based on five criteria totaling 100 points: success rate and grant requirement knowledge (25 points), approach to institutional team collaboration (20 points), familiarity with post-secondary regional contexts and federal initiatives (25 points), awareness of rural economic contexts and educational opportunities (20 points), and cost summary (10 points). The proposal submission deadline is September 30, 2025, at noon Pacific Time, with an electronic submission requirement, and the university seeks to contract writers who can help secure two to three large federal grants annually.

The RFP does not explicitly outline specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations, though there is a clear emphasis on supporting underserved populations and rural economic development. While no incumbent vendors are specifically named, the solicitation prioritizes grant writers with proven federal grant success across agencies like the Department of Education, Department of Labor, USDA, NSF STEM, TRiO, FEMA, NEH, and NIH. The contract appears designed to establish a flexible pool of grant writers rather than a single, fixed-value contract, suggesting potential ongoing opportunities for selected writers. Though a precise budget range is not specified, the goal of securing two to three large federal grants per year implies substantial potential project value. The university's mission of integrating educational opportunities with rural economic ecosystems suggests a strategic approach to grant procurement that goes beyond traditional funding acquisition.