RFR MassDOT Executive Search Firm 2026 Reopening

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is soliciting responses through a Request for Responses (RFR) for executive search firm services, with responses due November 24, 2026. The RFR reopens COMMBUYS Bid BD-25-1030-CPO1-CPO1-112673 and was posted October 27, 2026.

The services cover candidate identification, screening, interview coordination, and placement support for senior-level positions within the department. MassDOT will engage firms on an as-needed basis, with project details, staffing requirements, and pricing set in individual task orders or statements of work issued during the contract period. MassDOT will select one or more firms, evaluating relevant experience, industry expertise, past performance with executive-level placements, proposed methodologies, and cost competitiveness. Pricing is negotiated for each search assignment and weighed within overall value.

Responses require a Bidder Response Form (.xlsx), a narrative, a cost proposal, a Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) form, and references. The narrative must address financial stability, post-placement support, candidate assessment methods, recruitment approach, and communication strategy under RFR sections 2.2.2 and 4.2. Files must be non-password-protected, and PDFs must be searchable. The PPD form requests discounts for payment within 10, 15, 20, or 30 days, and the Commonwealth may use submitted discounts as a basis for selection. Contractors claiming hardship must document specific reasons, and volume discounts are not accepted as hardship justification.

Questions must be submitted through the COMMBUYS Q&A feature before the deadline in Section 1.3 of the RFR. The posting includes a Questions and Answers file dated February 25, 2025 and an Intent to Award Notification, with award terms contained in that notification. Awarded contractors must report quarterly sales and diversity spending and pay a 1% OSD Administration Fee. The standard contract form uses a 45-day electronic funds transfer payment cycle and incorporates MassDOT Terms and Conditions, IT Terms and Conditions, and contractor certifications covering employment, anti-discrimination, data security, debarment, and tax compliance.