State Government Affairs & Legislative Services

The City of Pittsburgh Office of Management & Budget is issuing a Request for Proposal for State Government Affairs & Legislative Services to engage qualified vendors or individual consultants with demonstrated lobbying and advocacy expertise at the state level. The primary scope of work encompasses monitoring and tracking state legislation, providing regular reports on bills and amendments affecting the City, communicating City positions to members of the General Assembly and state agencies, coordinating legislative and regulatory efforts, facilitating special projects with state agencies on funding matters, and maintaining an active presence in both Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. Required qualifications include proven experience in state-level lobbying and advocacy work. Proposals will be evaluated based on five criteria: firm qualifications and experience (15%), project team qualifications (15%), project approach and plan (30%), cost proposal with lowest cost receiving preference (30%), and MWDBE/VOSB good faith effort (10%). Key dates include a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting on March 31, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. via Microsoft Teams, a written questions deadline of April 7, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., and a proposal submission deadline of April 14, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. through the City's e-Procurement Portal. The resulting contract will have a four-year term, with proposal review and scoring anticipated in April 2026 and contract award expected in May 2026.

The City requires vendors to demonstrate good faith efforts to obtain participation from Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (18% goal), Women-Owned Business Enterprises (7% goal), veteran-owned small businesses (5% goal), and LGBTQIA+ small businesses (3% goal). All proposals must include a completed MWDBE/Veteran-Owned/LGBTQIA+ Solicitation and Commitment Form, vendor registration forms, W-9, and vendor contact sheets. Reimbursable expenses such as travel should align with United States General Services Administration (GSA) rates for Pittsburgh. All proposals remain firm for 120 days from the submission deadline. The RFP does not specify an incumbent vendor, existing infrastructure requirements, or explicit budget range. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, cancel the RFP, negotiate with selected proposers, or award to firms presenting the best qualifications and value. The City does not agree to late fees, penalties, interest, attorney's fees, or contingent liabilities.