Secondary State Lobbying Services

Orange County, Florida is seeking a qualified firm to provide Secondary State Lobbying Services through RFP #Y24-1105-MM, with electronic proposals due on July 11, 2024, at 4:00 PM EST via the OpenGov e-Procurement Platform. The five-year contract requires a secondary lobby firm to work alongside the County's primary lobby firm, focusing on targeted expertise in environment, land use, and water-related issues impacting local governments. Key deliverables include monitoring legislation, drafting amendments, obtaining research materials, securing bill sponsors, attending strategy meetings, and providing regular written and verbal reports to Orange County's government. The evaluation criteria for selecting the contractor is comprehensive, with weightings as follows: Technical Approach (35%), Qualifications of Staff (25%), Qualifications of Firm (20%), and Fee Proposal (20%). Respondents must submit questions by June 20, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST to the designated contact, Megan Miller, and are prohibited from hand-delivering, mailing, telephoning, faxing, or emailing offers.

The solicitation has specific restrictions, including that firms awarded the primary State Lobbying Services contract are ineligible for this secondary contract. While no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned, the RFP requires contractors to maintain specific insurance coverages, including commercial general liability, workers' compensation, and professional liability. The contract allows for potential price adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) with a maximum annual increase of 4%. Although a precise budget range is not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the lobbying services and the five-year contract term suggest a significant financial commitment. The procurement is managed by Orange County's Procurement Division, led by Carrie Mathes, and will be evaluated by a team considering the firm's technical approach, staff qualifications, overall firm reputation, and proposed fee structure.