RFP for business capital and technical assistance

The City of Oakland Finance Department is soliciting proposals from a qualified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to deliver small business capital access services, with proposals due August 20, 2026 and a voluntary pre-proposal meeting on July 30. U.S. Department of Treasury CDFI certification in good standing is a mandatory qualification filter.

The scope spans seven primary tasks: intake coordination and eligibility verification, loan readiness technical assistance, underwriting and revolving loan fund deployment, loan servicing and portfolio management, capital referral and co-lending coordination, outreach and partner coordination, and data collection with reporting and compliance. The contractor will administer a City-supported revolving loan fund offering low-interest and zero-interest rate loans to Oakland small businesses. All services must comply with Community Development Block Grant (HUD) requirements, including eligibility determination, low- and moderate-income benefit documentation, and federal reporting standards. The contractor must demonstrate at least three years of experience in loan readiness technical assistance and small business lending and proven capacity to manage federally funded program compliance.

The City anticipates providing approximately $300,000 annually in capitalization funding subject to CDBG availability, designated for working capital loans, lines of credit, and bonding assistance to underserved construction contractors minus administrative overhead costs. An initial one-year contract with options to renew for two additional years is anticipated, commencing Fall/Winter 2026–2027. Annual performance targets include 40 businesses receiving one-on-one technical assistance, 15 loan requests underwritten, 8–10 loans funded, four workshops reaching at least 75 unique participants, 15 jobs created or retained, 150 unique businesses served with a minimum 51 percent LMI beneficiary requirement, and 15 businesses referred to partner providers. The L/SLBE participation requirement has been set at 0 percent for this scope. Evaluation criteria are weighted: project approach and work plan (25 points), relevant experience (20 points), equity and community partnerships (15 points), project team and qualifications (15 points), performance and outcomes (15 points), and costs (10 points). Questions are due August 6 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time.