S25DLSE016 Garment Worker Wage Claim Pilot Program

The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) is issuing Request for Proposal S25DLSE016 to procure comprehensive services for the Garment Worker Wage Claim Pilot Program, a competitive solicitation seeking qualified legal aid or community-based nonprofit organizations to develop and implement a program addressing wage theft and labor violations in California's garment industry. The program will deliver three core service components: education for garment workers on topics including minimum wage, overtime, sick leave, recordkeeping, wage adjudication, and retaliation protections; direct assistance from worker advocates to support workers filing wage claims; and legal assistance and representation throughout the wage claim filing and recovery process. All services must be provided at no cost to garment workers and must be accessible statewide. Qualified proposers must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with a minimum of five years of demonstrated experience working with and advocating on behalf of garment workers with a successful track record of winning wage claims, five years of proven project management and collaboration experience, and three years of knowledge in adult training delivery methods. Proposals will be evaluated on a 100-point scale consisting of technical criteria (70 points) and cost evaluation (30 points), with a minimum qualifying score of 70 points required for award consideration. The deadline for proposal submission is May 4, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. to Procurement@dir.ca.gov, with a bidders' conference and written question submission deadline of April 20, 2026, answers posted April 22, 2026, and an Intent to Award notice to be posted for five business days prior to final award. The anticipated project start date is June 1, 2026, with a 48-month contract term.

The RFP includes optional socio-economic preference programs offering disadvantaged veteran business enterprise (DVBE) and small business incentives or preferences to encourage participation from underrepresented vendor categories. No specific incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The total budget allocation for this contract is $7,575,000.00, derived from the $8.5 million Labor Workforce Development Fund (LWDF) appropriation approved by the California Legislature, with funds available for encumbrance or expenditure through June 30, 2030. Proposers must demonstrate organizational capacity and financial stability to manage a large-scale, multi-year program serving garment workers across California. No work shall commence until all required approvals and signatures are obtained and the DIR Project Manager provides direction to proceed with implementation of the awarded program.