RFP 25-001 Cannabis Consumer Awareness Survey

The California Department of Cannabis Control is requesting proposals for consulting services to conduct cannabis consumer awareness surveys under RFP 25-001, with proposals due July 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM PT. A mandatory 3% Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation minimum applies — bidders failing to meet this threshold will be rejected as non-responsive.

The scope requires multimodal consumer market research surveys for calendar years 2026 and 2027 measuring adult-use cannabis consumers' knowledge of legal retail channels and establishing baseline consumer audience segments. Surveys must cover at least five jurisdictions permitting retail cannabis sales and five prohibiting such sales, reflecting urban, suburban, and rural populations. Administration must occur in both English and Spanish through remote distribution methods. The contractor will manage survey design and implementation, data analysis, final reporting, and monthly progress reports.

The contract term runs from September 30, 2026 through June 30, 2028, with DCC reserving the right to renew for one additional year at a maximum value increase of 30% of the original contract value. Award will be made to the lowest-cost responsive and responsible bidder meeting all technical requirements and DVBE participation goals. The contractor must supply all necessary software and bear all proposal development costs with no reimbursement if the contract is not awarded.

Questions are due June 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM PT, with answers posted by July 8, 2026. Team evaluations are estimated for the week of July 29, 2026, with scoring the following week. Proposals must include cost worksheets, certifications, DVBE declarations, business licenses or proof of good standing, and samples of similar prior projects, using the provided Excel worksheet format with costs rounded to whole dollars. The State reserves the right to reject all proposals.