Youth Safe Digging Education Program

The State of California's Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (Energy Safety) is issuing a Request for Proposals to develop a Youth Safe Digging Education Program curriculum package for elementary-age children in grades 3-6. The procurement seeks qualified vendors to design and deliver comprehensive digital educational materials that promote safe excavation practices in alignment with California's Dig Safe Act of 2016 and Government Code sections 4216-4216.24. The curriculum package will consist of a two-hour grade-based instructional program featuring 30 minutes of direct instruction and 90 minutes of interactive activities tailored to each grade level, with deliverables including lesson plans, branded handouts, visuals, and evaluation tools. Contractors must demonstrate a minimum of three years of directly relevant experience with the Dig Safe Act and related regulations, include a Project Manager with three years of curriculum development experience, and provide at least one staff member with one year of regulatory policy analysis experience. Proposals will be evaluated on a 100-point scale comprising technical approach and methodology (25 points), curriculum design and educational effectiveness (20 points), project management and work plan (10 points), team qualifications and resources (10 points), program evaluation and reporting (10 points), and total proposal costs (30 points). The contract term is 24 months, estimated to commence June 30, 2026, with an optional 12-month extension subject to budget approval. Critical deadlines include a written question deadline of May 27, 2026, a final proposal submittal deadline of June 9, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and an anticipated award date of June 12, 2026. All work will be performed remotely, and proposals must include proof of general liability and worker's compensation insurance, three professional references demonstrating similar work within the past five years, and compliance with conflict of interest disclosure requirements.

Small Business (SB) preferences of 5 percent are available for California-certified small businesses meeting Commercially Useful Function requirements, with additional non-small business subcontractor preferences available for firms committing to 25 percent SB participation. Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) incentive points ranging from 1 to 5 points are available based on confirmed DVBE participation levels from 3.01 percent to 7.99 percent. No prevailing wage requirements are indicated for this contract, and subcontracting is not permitted. While no incumbent vendors or current contractors are specified in the procurement documents, bidders must demonstrate compliance with conflict of interest disclosure requirements pertaining to investor-owned utilities and related entities. No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the available materials; however, cost proposals will be scored on a formula that awards points based on proximity to the lowest cost submission among eligible proposals. Interested vendors should note that all proposals must be submitted by the June 9, 2026 deadline, with written questions regarding the RFP accepted only through May 27, 2026.