San Mateo County Economic Development Strategic Plan

San Mateo County's County Executive's Office is requesting proposals for development of the County's first Economic Development Strategic Plan, with proposals due August 24, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. The County has adopted a Procurement Preference for Local Businesses Ordinance, under which preferences may apply to local businesses, local non-profits, local small or micro businesses, and local micro non-profits where qualified proposers respond.

The scope requires the contractor to establish strategic economic development and workforce development goals; analyze current economic conditions across four focus areas (North Fair Oaks, the Midcoast, the South Coast, and Countywide Initiatives); conduct cluster analysis; engage stakeholders and community members; and deliver strategic, actionable recommendations with an evaluation framework and performance metrics to measure effectiveness. Deliverables include two working drafts and a final EDSP by the end of 2027, with project kick-off scheduled for the week of October 12, 2026, first draft by June 1, 2027, second draft by August 1, 2027, and final presentation to the Board of Supervisors by September 6, 2027.

Minimum qualifications require proposers to have provided similar services for at least three years within the past seven years and to have completed at least three similar projects involving economic and workforce development strategic goals, research and analysis, and recommendations for improvement. Proposers must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) and provide a Unique Entity ID.

The contract term is three years. Proposals will be evaluated on method and approach (45 points), experience and organizational capacity (30 points), and price (25 points). Fee proposals must be submitted separately as a PDF. The County will conduct reference checks and proposal evaluations during the week of August 24, with contract negotiations anticipated for the week of August 31 and contract award on September 29, 2026. The Levine Act applies, requiring disclosure of campaign contributions to County officers if the contract exceeds $200,000.