F5SMC Communications Consultation Services (Aug 2026 - June 2028)

Background

First 5 San Mateo County Strategic Plan

The Commission was authorized to develop a Strategic Plan and allocate funds accordingly. On December 16, 2024, the Commission approved the most recent Strategic Plan for the years 2025-2030. The Commission identified the following desired outcomes to guide its efforts during the Strategic Plan period:

1. San Mateo County leaders and partners fully invest in young children and their families.

2. Communities provide a safe and healthy environment for young children.

3. Children have timely and affordable access to high-quality early care and education settings.

4. Families feel connected to and supported by their community and able to nurture their children’s health
and development.

5. Children have healthy relationships and stable attachments to their primary caregivers.

6. Children have access to and are utilizing appropriate health care services to meet their health and
developmental needs.

7. Families have agency and voice to direct policies and systems that impact their children.

The 2025-2030 Strategic Plan is consistent with the focus and intent of the Children and Families Act, building on what has been learned and accomplished locally and providing a framework for the Commission and the community for how Proposition 10 funds will be strategically invested over the next five years. Central to the success of these investments is a strong foundation that adequately prioritizes early childhood systems and services in San Mateo County. These foundational improvements will be furthered with investments in four core domains: Quality Care and Education, Healthy Children, Resilient Families, and Systems Change.

One of the strategies to achieve the Desired Outcomes is through policy, advocacy and community education. To cultivate a child-centered culture where children lead the way in San Mateo County, F5SMC will lead strategic policy, advocacy, communications, and research and knowledge development to build public and political will to invest in the well-being and success of our young children, and give stakeholders the information they need to change the systemic conditions for children and families. First 5 San Mateo County staff, grantees, or other partners will work to increase awareness about early childhood and educate the public on ways they can enhance the health, development, and learning of children prenatal to age 5. Strategic Planning efforts identified Communication activities as embedded components within each of the Four Core Domains listed above.

In light of the Commission’s declining revenues, F5SMC is expanding opportunities for partnership. During the Strategic Planning Process, the First 5 San Mateo County Commission examined how its role in the community could best maximize positive impacts for children, families and the community. For the duration of the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, F5SMC will focus on three primary community roles: Strategic Financial Investor, Community Partner in aligned efforts and as a Community Leader to advocate for the prioritization of young children and their families in decision making processes.  Respondents should be familiar with the content of the new Strategic Plan, Attachment A which is also available on the First 5 San Mateo County F5SMC website at www.first5sanmateo.org.

As a result of the Strategic Planning Process, the Strategic Plan Implementation Plan (SPIP) – Phase 1, was developed for the implementation of fiscal investments for fiscal years 2025-2026, 2026-2027, 2027-2028 and lists current and upcoming program funding and activities; see Attachment B.

Project Details

• Department: First 5 San Mateo County
• Department Head: Kitty Lopez (Executive Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-06-03T23:00:56.632Z
• Answers Posted By: 2026-06-05T23:00:08.199Z

Meetings & Milestones

Evaluation Criteria

• Firm and Team Member Qualifications (20 pts) —
  • Firm meets minimum requirements and is in good standing.
  • Team member expertise and staffing structure suitable for cope of project.
• Project Approach and Proposed Activities (30 pts) —
  • Understanding of project objectives. 
  • Creativity, clarity, and comprehensiveness of proposed strategies in scope of work and project approach.
  • Suitability of approach meet agency goals and needs.
• Relevant Experience, Work Samples and References (20 pts) —
  • Experience with similar projects or clients. 
  • Relevant experience in communications strategy, public relations, and/or media outreach.
  • Quality and relevance of past work.
  • Evidence of measurable outcomes or impact.
  • Feedback from prior clients or partners. 
  • Strength of professional reputation.
• Project Management, Capacity and Availability (20 pts) —
  • Ability to develop and communicate detailed plans and timelines, meet deadlines and manage resources.
  • Availability of team to start and complete work within desired timeline.
• Cost Proposal (10 pts) —

  - Reasonableness of estimated costs in relation to services offered.
  - Clarity and transparency of pricing structure.

• Interview (as needed) (100 pts) —

  If recommended by the Review Panel, proposing organizations may be interviewed by F5SMC to clarify proposal contents, address concerns, or discuss Review Panel feedback on and suggestions for the proposed project.

Submission Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications —

  Any proposal that does not demonstrate that the proposer meets these minimum requirements by the submission deadline shall be determined to be non-responsive and not eligible for further consideration in the evaluation process. 

  Proposer is defined as the prime firm, organization, or joint venture that is submitting a proposal for this RFSQ. 

  Proposers must meet the following Minimum Qualifications: 

• I certify that I am authorized to execute this Certification on my firm's behalf. (required) —

  Insert the Name and Title of the Authorized Representative completing this submission.

• Firm Experience (required) —

  Proposer shall have at least three (3) years of experience within the last five (5) years immediately preceding the issuance of this RFSQ in providing services of similar size and scope.

• Project Experience (required) —

  Proposer shall have completed at least two (2) projects of similar size and scope within the last four (4) years, for at least one (1) public entities that serve populations of at least 750,000 people, one (1) of which must have been in the State of California.

• System for Award Management (required) —

  Proposer is registered and in good standing with SAM.gov^® (https://sam.gov/content/home).

  Please use the above link to verify your firms registration in good standing, and enter the following information in this field:

  1. Registered as [Business Name]

  2. UEI No. [Business Number]

• I certify that the foregoing information is true and correct as of the date of this Certificate. (required)
• Desired Qualifications —

  F5SMC is seeking a consultant, agency and/or individual that has expertise and demonstrated ability in the fields detailed below: 

• Cover Letter (required) —

  Submit a cover letter for your proposal.  The letter must contain: 

  • Name, title and contact information (email, phone, and address) for a representative of the proposing organization who is responsible for communication related to this RFSQ. 

  • Name, title, contact information, and signature of the person authorized to commit the proposing organization to perform the activities contained in the proposal. 

  • Brief description (one or two paragraphs) of your proposal, including the following: 

  • Brief description of your organization 

  • Proposed annual and total budget amounts 

  • Names, roles and budgets of any proposed subcontractors or collaborating organizations 

  Submission of the letter will constitute a representation by proposer that it is willing and able to perform the commitments contained in the proposal and has not violated the terms of this RFSQ. 

• Project Planning and Development (required) —

  Please describe your experience in the following areas (Work samples supporting your responses may be submitted in another area of this RFSQ): 

  • Demonstrated success in implementing Strategic Communications Plans and Implementation Plans of comparable size and scope. 

  • Proven track record in establishing both short- and long-term communication goals and strategies that are measurable and results-driven. 

  • Proven ability to evaluate and measure the impact of communication strategies and tactics, including revising underperforming approaches to achieve successful project or campaign outcomes. 

  • Experience in evaluating and assembling teams to support communications efforts, including identifying staffing needs and providing recommendations to address gaps. 

• Expertise (required) —

  Please describe your experience and capabilities in the following areas (Work samples supporting your responses may be submitted in another area of this RFSQ):  

  • Familiarity with First 5 initiatives or similar early childhood programs, including understanding of the agencies and services commonly engaged by First 5 Commissions.  

  • Demonstrated success in creating innovative, effective communication strategies across multiple focus areas in previous projects. 

  • Skilled in identifying communication barriers and public misperceptions, and effectively reframing narratives to shift negative perceptions into positive support for programs, services, or organizations. 

  • Extensive experience in producing high-quality written content tailored to various audiences, featuring clear, targeted messaging appropriate to each group’s reading and comprehension level. 

  • Experience in developing communication policies, procedures, and templates to support internal staff in implementing organizational communications plans. 

  • Background in creating and defining brand identity, including the development of style guides. 

  • Strong graphic design skills, with effective use of infographics to enhance communication. 

  • Experience in enhancing and/or designing WordPress websites in ways that have demonstrably increased user engagement and site traffic. 

  • Proficient in creating video content that enhances public education and outreach efforts. 

  • Knowledgeable in leveraging various social media platforms to achieve communication goals, including an understanding of their unique benefits and outcomes. 

• Project Management and Budgeting (required) —

  Please detail your experience in the following areas:

  • Strong project management skills, including expertise in developing and managing budgets effectively.

  • Demonstrated ability to consistently deliver projects on time and within budget constraints.

• Effective Communication —

  Please describe your experience in the following area:

  • Demonstrated ability to engage and collaborate effectively with personnel at all levels within an organization, including experience working directly with Boards and/or Commissions.

  • Experience in communicating effectively and respectfully with diverse stakeholders, from policy makers to parents, to develop effective communication messages and implement outreach strategies.  
• Primary Contact Information (required) —
  1. Name of firm
  2. Address of firm
  3. Telephone number
  4. E-Mail address
  5. Primary contact person
• Brief History of Firm (required) —
  1. Legal structure (corporation, partnership, joint venture, etc.)
  2. Size of firm / staff
  3. Years in business
  4. Organizational chart of firm, and tenure of executive management
  5. If firm is a partnership or association, a listing of all the partners, general partners, or association members known at the time of submission, who will participate in the project if awarded must be included.
• Project Organizational Chart (required) —

  Provide Project organizational chart of this team, including role and time commitment of each team member for this project. If proposing a joint venture, provide a clear description of each teams’ roles. 

  Also, provide resumes of each team member including the following information: 

  1. Name, office location 

  2. Years of service with firm 

  3. Educational background 

  4. Professional experience 

  5. Anticipated services to be provided 

  6. *Response required 

• Meeting Attendance, Roles & Responsibilities —

  1. Specifically state who from your firm will attend major meetings 

  2. Within each firm, clearly state the responsibilities of everyone proposed for each phase of the project 

  3. Present written assurances that if awarded the project, the proposed team will be assigned for the duration of all appropriate phases of the project 

• Sub Consultants —

  1. Identify all consultants proposed for this project 

  2. Identify consultants who have submitted correspondence stating their intention to participate in the Qualifications Submittal 

  3. Provide correspondence submitted response. Proposed sub consultants may include, but are not limited to the following types of services: 

  • Graphic Designer 

  • Translation Services 

  • Technical / Copy Writing 

  • Web-designer 

  Note: F5SMC reserves the right to qualify, accept, or reject any proposed sub consultant or reject the use of internal staff to provide certain types of services. F5SMC also reserves the right to make recommendations for consideration regarding sub consultants. 

• General Project Approach —

  1. Describe your firm's philosophy about the importance of effective communication and outreach, and how it relates to F5SMC. 

  2. Describe your approach to transforming program data and outcomes into key messages that resonate with target audiences. 

  3. Describe your approach to developing communication processes to streamline tasks and reduce redundancies, while meeting the communications needs for multiple programs with differing project scopes and outcomes. 

  4. Describe your approach to developing and tailoring messaging for diverse target audiences e.g. legislators, parents/caregivers, business leaders, people who speak languages other than English. 

  5. Describe your capability to absorb additional workload, availability of personnel, and commitment to provide services on a timely basis. 

  6. Include a description of how, if selected, you will closely interface and coordinate with F5SMC Staff, Commissioners funded partners and other consultants throughout the phases of the Project. 

  7. Describe any challenges you anticipate in implementing the Strategic Communications Plan and Implementation Plan, and how you propose to address the challenges. 

• Unique Qualifications —

  This section is an opportunity to provide specific information that differentiates the Respondent from other firms or individuals or any additional supporting documentation or information that would be helpful in evaluating Respondent's qualifications and commitment.

• Client References —

  A.  For projects selected to demonstrate your firm's experience, complete Attachment D - Client Reference Form. 

  B.  Include a description of the projects, project budget, and describe your participation in the project 

  C. Submit at minimum 2 references and at most 3. 

• Audit or Financial Statements —

  Please upload your most recent audit or financial statements. Private businesses that are not subject to Federal or State audit requirements or to audit requirements put in place by a governing Board or Commission may submit their most recent financial statements and/or other documentation demonstrating the fiscal health of the organization in lieu of an external audit.   

• Project Budget —

  Please provide a budget detailing proposed expenses for yearly allocations for FY 2026-2027 (starting August 1, 2026), and FY 2027-2028, not to exceed $330,000, to meet the goals and objectives detailed in this RFSQ using the Communications Consultation Services Budget Form, Attachment F.  

  Qualifications Submittals that exceed this amount will not be considered. 

  The project budget will be finalized during contract negotiations with the successful candidate. 

• Scope of Work —

  Please upload your scope of work

• Can this firm provide the services outlined in the Scope of Work? (required)
• Technologies (required) —

  What technologies will be used for any of the services outlined in the Scope of Work (or type "N/A")?

• Project/Work Samples —

  Please provide samples of previous projects that you feel reflect expertise and demonstrated ability in the any of the areas listed in Scope of Work and Deliverables, Desired Qualifications, Submittal Instructions, and  Selection Criteria & Selection Process.   

  Maximum: 6 pages representing work from at least 2 different projects 

• Agreement term (years) (required) —

  Enter the agreement term in years

• Is there an extension to this agreement? (required) —

  Is there an extension to this agreement?

• Extension periods (required)
• Will there be a Pre-Proposal Meeting and/or Site Visit? (required)
• Include information that will be covered in the site visit. (required)
• Allow vendors to submit Confidential Information? (required) —

  In rare circumstances where there is an expectation that proposers will need to submit trade secrets or other confidential information in order to respond to an RFSQ.

• Use Electronic Line Item Pricing? (required)
• Will There Be Evaluation Criteria/Committee? (required)