RFP-25-017 panelist technical assistance

The California Arts Council is requesting proposals for a contractor to provide panelist technical assistance services under RFP-25-017, with proposals due July 2, 2026 by 5:00 PM PST. A Small Business preference of 5 percent and DVBE incentive participation are available.

The scope is to develop scalable technical assistance curriculum and training materials; assess staff training needs and workforce readiness; conduct panel operations assessments; and deliver recommendations aligned with strategic planning initiatives. Deliverables include curriculum and training resources with facilitator guides, staff readiness assessments, panel operations assessments, administrative process improvement recommendations, and quarterly progress reports. Minimum qualifications are at least five years of experience in technical assistance, capacity-building, training, curriculum development, or organizational development services, with experience serving arts organizations, nonprofits, or public agencies. Desired qualifications include experience with state arts agencies, peer review panels, operational workflow evaluation, workforce research, scalable service delivery models, and work with culturally diverse and historically underserved communities.

The contract is not to exceed $200,000 with a 12-month term commencing as early as the Department of General Services Office of Legal Services approval date; an estimated start is July 31, 2026 and end date August 1, 2027. Eligible bidders include California independent contractors, sole proprietors, partnerships, California Certified Small Businesses, Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises, 501(c)(3) organizations, and for-profit organizations based in California.

Evaluation occurs in three phases: Phase 1 (Administrative) is pass/fail on RFP compliance; Phase 2 (Technical) uses eight criteria across three evaluators with a maximum of 420 points total, addressing organizational experience, technical assistance and curriculum development, staff readiness, panel operations and participant engagement, process improvement methodology, work plan and timeline, project team qualifications, and equity and inclusion approaches; Phase 3 (Cost) awards up to 30 points using a formula, with bids exceeding $200,000 receiving zero cost points. Proposals are limited to 10 pages of narrative (excluding cover letter, table of contents, CVs, cost worksheet, references, and mandatory attachments). Questions are due June 23, 2026; answers posted by June 26, 2026. The anticipated award notice is July 7, 2026, with a protest period from July 8–15, 2026. Proposals must be submitted electronically to Procurement@arts.ca.gov in non-editable PDF format except the Cost Proposal Worksheet, which must be in Excel.