RFP 6098 - cofa language and culture subject matter experts

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has issued Request for Proposals (RFP) 6098 seeking 2-5 individual consultants to serve as COFA Language and Culture Subject Matter Experts. The procurement aims to hire contractors who will provide language and cultural expertise for migrants from Compacts of Free Association (COFA) nations residing in Oregon, with the primary goal of eliminating health inequities. Specific tasks include providing consultation to OHA staff, advising on operations and policies affecting COFA communities, and conducting community outreach and engagement. Proposers must demonstrate lived experience as COFA nation citizens or have at least 5 years of experience working with COFA migrant populations, and possess language proficiency in major COFA languages such as Chuukese and Marshallese. The evaluation criteria will assess proposers across four key areas: COFA lived experience, language proficiency, government program experience, and community engagement, with a maximum of 15 points possible in each category. The initial contract term is anticipated to be two years (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027), with options to renew up to a maximum of 4 years, and proposals are due on June 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time.

The RFP includes provisions for business inclusion and diversity, specifically encouraging participation of certified small businesses, including minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and emerging small businesses. Proposers are required to complete a COBID (Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity) Outreach Plan, detailing their approach to soliciting certified firms for potential subcontracting opportunities. The total combined budget for all contracts will not exceed $450,000 for the entire contract term, with an estimated hourly rate of $40 and a maximum not-to-exceed amount of $83,200 per consultant. Contractors must maintain professional liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 annual aggregate, and comply with federal regulations including equal employment opportunity standards. The procurement is funded through federal funds (Assistance Listings number 93.778) and will be conducted through OregonBuys under Bid # S-44300-00013107, with a focus on providing comprehensive consultation on operations and policy for COFA communities in Oregon.