Water Utility Registered Apprenticeship Program

The City of Boston's Office of Workforce Development is requesting proposals to develop a comprehensive Registered Apprenticeship Program for high-demand technical positions in water utility and heavy equipment infrastructure, with proposals due September 25, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET and vendor interviews scheduled for the week of October 5, 2026.

The scope encompasses fostering partnerships with the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), and other public and private sector stakeholders; assessing occupational skill needs and gaps; aligning RAP curriculum and standards with employer requirements and regulatory guidelines; convening a Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC); developing curriculum with minimum 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 150 hours of related technical instruction; managing regulatory registration with the Massachusetts Division of Apprenticeship Standards; and overseeing implementation and data collection for the first two cohorts, each targeting at least 10 graduating seniors annually from Madison Park Technical Vocational High School.

The contract runs from November 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029 (three years) with sixteen milestone-based payment phases and a maximum budget of $200,000. All quoted prices must be inclusive of travel, administrative time, and incidental expenses with no additional reimbursements permitted. Funding derives from Bloomberg Philanthropies' $90 million national skilled trades initiative, which selected Boston in April 2026.

Vendors must submit a non-price technical proposal separate from a sealed price proposal. A live Q&A session is scheduled for September 17, 2026, via Zoom, with written questions due September 18, 2026. Professional Services liability insurance of $2,000,000 per claim and aggregate is required alongside standard coverage including Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability, and Technology Errors & Omissions. Vendors must complete the Boston prevailing wage ordinance vendor agreement (WAGE-2), wage theft prevention certification (CM-16), and CORI compliance certification (CM-15A or CM-15B). Evaluation criteria include timely submission, proposal clarity, vendor qualifications and experience, industry partnerships, response to scope of services, diversity and inclusion planning, and interview performance. Contractor selection is anticipated by October 23, 2026.