RFP No. 223087 Government Relations Services

The City of Salem, Oregon issued Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 223087 for Government Relations Services, seeking a qualified consultant to provide strategic governmental affairs support. The procurement targets comprehensive government relations services, including advising on governmental issues affecting the City, identifying key legislative bills and priority issues, advocating before state regulatory and legislative bodies, facilitating meetings between City officials and state elected/appointed representatives, and assisting in pursuing state and local governmental program and discretionary funding. Proposal submissions were due by August 26, 2022, at 4:00 PM local time, with evaluation criteria focusing on organization structure, approach, key personnel qualifications, professional experience, and fee proposals. The City will select a consultant to enter into a Personal Services Agreement, with potential contract renewals for up to four additional one-year terms. Proposers were required to submit comprehensive proposals demonstrating their capabilities in government relations, legislative advocacy, and funding acquisition strategies.

The RFP indicates the City of Salem is an Equal Opportunity employer and requires compliance with civil rights and nondiscrimination laws. While specific set-aside designations were not explicitly detailed, the procurement process appears open to various consultancy firms with demonstrated government relations expertise. The City ultimately selected Perseverance Strategies, Inc. as the intended contract awardee, to be finalized on September 21, 2022. No specific budget range or contract value was predetermined in the solicitation, allowing proposers flexibility in presenting cost structures such as retainer, hourly, or alternative pricing models. The procurement did not mandate a specific organizational type or enterprise classification for respondents, instead emphasizing qualitative and strategic capabilities as primary selection criteria. The contract appears designed to provide flexible, adaptable government relations support tailored to the City of Salem's evolving legislative and funding needs.