RFP-Farm Viability Business Program Technical Assistant Support

The Oregon Department of Agriculture's Trade and Economic Development Services is issuing a Request for Proposal for technical assistance services to support the Farm Viability Business Program, a procurement designed to strengthen Oregon's food and agriculture supply chain. The contractor will provide educational training, business planning support, and farm succession planning services to three Regional Food and Agriculture Business Centers (Eastern Oregon, Mid-Willamette Valley, and Southern Oregon) and ODA grantees operating in the agricultural supply chain. Key deliverables include establishing project coordination meetings, developing train-the-trainer materials for RFABC staff, conducting 3-5 virtual workshops for ODA grantees focused on farm financial and business planning, and delivering six in-person farm business viability workshops (two per region consisting of one full-day and one half-day succession planning workshop), with all work to be completed by December 1, 2026. Evaluation will be scored on a 120-point scale: expertise and knowledge in Oregon's agricultural landscape and legal frameworks (40 points), producer engagement and training experience (30 points), methods for measuring financial business management knowledge and skills gained (30 points), and cost evaluation and pricing clarity (20 points). Proposals are due May 11, 2026, at 3:00 PM, with questions due by April 21, 2026, and Notice of Award anticipated for May 29, 2026. The initial contract term is nine months with renewal options up to a maximum of two years.

The solicitation encourages participation from Oregon-certified small businesses, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, and emerging small businesses, with the Agency applying a 10% cost preference for services performed entirely in Oregon. No incumbent contractor has been identified for this opportunity. Contractors must maintain commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate, provide workers' compensation coverage as required by Oregon law, and submit certifications regarding tax compliance, non-discrimination practices, and sexual harassment prevention policies. Offerors must also provide references and detailed cost sheets with their proposals. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has budgeted $80,000 for this project, with compensation structure to be determined based on the accepted proposal.