Program Evaluation Services for the Local Community Benefits Fund

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (“Air District”) seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide performance measurement, tracking, and evaluation activities for the Local Community Benefits Fund., which distributes funding derived from the Air District’s Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy, as well as other enforcement-related funds, to support community-driven projects in areas disproportionately impacted by air pollution and environmental inequities. The Local Community Benefits Fund Round 1 will distribute funds in Benicia, Richmond, and surrounding communities.

Through this Request for Proposal, the Air District seeks services for two phases of the Local Community Benefits Fund to support the Air District:

• Phase A: Indicator Tracking Technical Assistance for early stages of grant implementation, including support with logic model development, initial outcome definition, data collection and targeted capacity-building support such as trainings, one-on-one technical assistance, and group office hours. This work will support grantees in effectively tracking, achieving, and maximizing measurable outcomes aligned with Local Community Benefits Fund program goals.
• Phase B: Output Tracking, Analysis, and Evaluation to provide ongoing support for long-term tracking, annual analysis, and periodic program evaluation of the Local Community Benefits Fund.

The Air District expects to enter into contract with one (1) firm. The anticipated duration of the contract will be for a period of up to six (6) years with a budget not to exceed of $200,000 for Phase A (1 year) and negotiable annual budget for Phase B (multi-year) depending on an interested firm’s proposal. Interested firms must submit a comprehensive proposal for both phases to be considered. The Air District, at its sole discretion, will determine the initial duration of the contract and any subsequent extensions.

Background

The Air District is the government agency responsible for protecting air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Air District is tasked with regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties that surround San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties. It is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors composed of locally elected officials from each of the nine counties. The Air District’s mission is to improve air quality to protect public health, reduce historical and current environmental inequities, and mitigate climate change and its impacts.

The Air District aims to achieve its mission through many strategic goals, including: reducing and eliminating health problems caused by air pollution, achieving and maintaining air quality standards, leading the Bay Area’s efforts to fight global climate change, creating high-quality regulatory programs, and applying environmental best practices in all operations. To do so, the Air District regulates air pollution emissions from stationary emission sources such as factories, refineries, and power plants, and from smaller facilities like gas stations and dry cleaners. The Air District ensures that such facilities comply with air pollution laws and regulations, provides incentives to replace older, higher-emitting vehicles and equipment with cleaner alternatives, and gives grants and provides outreach to encourage healthy clean air choices by businesses and consumers. The Air District implements these efforts with an equity focus, aiming to reduce air quality disparities and promote environmental justice by targeting local air pollution in overburdened communities.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2026-026
• Department: Community Investments Office
• Department Head: Emi Wang (Officer)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-07-24T23:00:00.000Z
• Answers Posted By: 2026-07-31T01:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Expertise (20 pts) —

  Technical expertise, size, and structure of the firm and proposed project team, including alignment with the Desired Qualifications for the applicable scope(s).

  Demonstrated understanding of evaluation, data analysis, and/or technical assistance approaches appropriate to the scope of work, and the ability to apply these approaches effectively to meet project objectives. Ability to perform and complete the work in a professional and timely manner.

  This criterion evaluates the proposer’s overall capability to perform the work, as demonstrated by qualifications, structure, and proposed approach.

  “Size and structure of the firm” refers to the ability of a firm’s size to meet the needs of the Air District. It does not give absolute preference to larger or smaller firms.

• Experience (20 pts) —

  Relevant past experience of the firm and proposed staff on projects of similar scope, particularly for governmental agencies or grantmaking programs.

  Demonstrated history of supporting evaluation, data analysis, or technical assistance efforts as appropriate to the scope; experience working with organizations of varying size and capacity; and experience working with communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution.

  This criterion evaluates the proposer’s track record of performing similar work, as demonstrated by prior projects, references, and past performance.

• Schedule, Approach, and Methodology (20 pts) —

  Responsiveness and quality of the proposed approach, including reasonableness of schedule, demonstrated understanding of the scope of work; clarity and feasibility of the proposed methodology; alignment of proposed strategies, tools, and level of effort with the scope of work; and ability to adapt approaches to evolving program needs.

• Cost (10 pts) —

  Reasonableness and cost‑effectiveness of the proposed budget; alignment of proposed costs with the scope of work, level of effort, and proposed approach; clarity of resource allocation strategy.

• References (10 pts) —

  Quality and applicability of references, including the degree to which references correspond to and support the submitted project examples

• Firm's Specialty Focus Area - Local Business (10 pts) —

  The Air District gives preferences to local businesses. “Local business” means that a firm’s headquarters is located within the nine counties of the Air District’s jurisdiction. Bidder must include a statement in their proposal self-certifying that the bidder qualifies as a local business to receive points for this criteria.

• Available Resources/Customer Relations (10 pts) —

  Responsiveness and effectiveness of the proposer’s approach to client service and communication, including speed and thoroughness in responding to inquiries and requests; clarity of communication protocols and tools used to support project coordination and tracking; and ability to support diverse stakeholders, including availability of multilingual staff or language assistance services.

• Advertising (10 pts) —

  Proposed plan to target customers. The advertising plan will be evaluated for effectiveness and the ability to reach as many prospective customers in the Bay Area as possible.

Submission Requirements

• Technical Proposal
• Cover Letter (required) —

  Include the name, address, and telephone number of the firm, and signed by the person(s) authorized to represent the firm.

• Contact Information (required) —

  Provide the following information about the firm:

  • Address and telephone number of office nearest to San Francisco, California and the address and phone number of the office that each of the proposed staff members are based out of if different
  • Name of firm’s representative designated as the contact and email address
  • Name of project manager, if different from the individual designated as the contact
• Summary (required) —

  State overall approach to Program Evaluation Services for the Local Community Benefits Fund, including the objectives and scope of work.

• Experience and Qualifications (required) —

  Provide a statement of your firm’s background and related experience in providing similar services to governmental organizations, if any. Describe the technical capabilities of the firm and, in particular, highlight the firm’s:

  1. Experience supporting air quality, public health, and/or community investment programs 
  2. Experience with logic model development, evaluation approaches, performance metrics, or early-stage outcome tracking 
  3. Experience conducting program evaluation, data analysis, and/or performance measurement activities of similar scope
  4. Experience supporting ongoing tracking, reporting, or evaluation across multiple projects, programs, or stakeholders
  5. Experience working with public agencies, grantmaking programs, or community-based initiatives
  6. Experience working with communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution, including environmental justice or equity-focused initiatives, and demonstrated ability to incorporate community perspectives into program evaluation or design
  7. Experience translating data into actionable insights and communicating findings to diverse audiences
• Past Projects (required) —

  Describe three (3) similar projects performed by your firm within the last seven (7) years completed by the firm or proposed team. Each example must not exceed one (1) page and preferably include at least one (1) project performed in the Bay Area region:

  1. A brief description of the project scope and objectives. Include the project name, a description of the nature of the work, and the size and complexity of the project.
  2. The firm's role and responsibilities.
  3. Key deliverables and outcomes.
• References (required) —

  Provide a minimum of three (3) references of other, similar projects including company name or government entity, contact name, title, phone number and e-mail address for all references listed. For each reference, include a description of services provided and dates the services were provided. Where possible, references should coordinate with the project examples included above. 

• Project Schedule, Approach and Methodology (required) —

  Provide a detailed description of the proposed approach and methodology, including: 

  • A proposed project schedule, including key milestones or benchmarks, deliverables, and timeline assumptions for completing Phase A and Phase B within the total time allowed
  • Key strategies, techniques, and tools that will be used to complete the scope of work 
  • Relevant administrative and operational capabilities 
  • How the proposed approach aligns with the requirements of this Scope of Work 

  Proposers should not simply restate or paraphrase the Scope of Work; responses should demonstrate understanding of the requested services as well as provide a clear and tailored approach.

• Project Organization (required) —

  Describe the proposed management structure, program monitoring procedures, and organization of the proposed team. Provide a statement addressing your firm’s ability and willingness to commit and maintain staffing to successfully lead project management and administration and conclude the project on the proposed project schedule. In addition, describe the firm’s approach to client service, communication, and stakeholder engagement throughout the project, including:

  • Typical response times to client inquiries and requests, and any communication protocols or escalation procedures
  • Approach to maintaining consistent engagement with project stakeholders
  • Tools or systems used to track requests, tasks, or deliverables
• Assigned Personnel (required) —

  Provide the following information about the staff to be assigned to the project:

  • List all key personnel assigned to the project by level and name. Provide a description of their background, along with a summary of their experience in providing similar services for governmental agencies, and any specialized expertise they may have. Background descriptions can be a resume, curriculum vitae, or summary sheet. Substitution of project manager or staff will not be permitted without prior written approval of the Air District’s assigned program manager.
  • Provide a statement of the availability of staff in any local office with requisite qualifications and experience to conduct the requested project.
  • Provide a statement of education and training programs provided to, or required of, the staff identified for participation in the project. Make particular mention of, with reference to, experience dealing with governmental agencies, procedures, and environmental regulations.
  • Describe the team’s ability to support diverse and multilingual stakeholders, including the availability of multilingual staff or translation/interpretation services.
  • Describe staff experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and approaches to ensuring accessibility and inclusive engagement.
• Retention of Working Papers (required) —

  All working papers are the property of the Air District. Proposer hereby acknowledges that if Proposer's firm is awarded the contract, firm will retain project related papers and related reports for a minimum of five (5) years.

• Subcontractors (required) —

  List any subcontractors that will be used and be sure to provide the following for each subcontractor:

  • Subcontractor Name
  • Work to be performed by Subcontractor
  • Total number of hours or percentage of time subcontractor will spend on the contract.
• Conflict of Interest (required) —

  Address possible conflicts of interest with other clients affected by contractors’ actions performed by the firm on behalf of the Air District. The Air District recognizes that prospective bidders may have contracts to perform similar services for other clients. Include a complete list of such clients for the past three (3) years with the type of work performed and the total number of years performing such tasks for each client. The Air District reserves the right to consider the nature and extent of such work in evaluating the proposal.

• GenAI Use and Reporting (required) —

  “Generative AI (GenAI)” means an artificial intelligence system that can generate derived synthetic content, including text, images, video, and audio that emulates the structure and characteristics of the system's training data (Gov. Code § 11549.64.). Proposers must include a statement disclosing:

  • Whether GenAI was used in the preparation of the proposal submission; and
  • Whether GenAI is anticipated to be used in the performance of any work under the resulting contract.

  If GenAI will be used during contract performance, the proposal must include a brief description of its use.

  If awarded a contract, all work performed must comply with applicable state, federal, and local laws and regulations, including any restrictions or disclosure requirements related to the use of GenAI.

• Self-Certification for Local Business —

  If applicable, include a statement self-certifying that your firm qualifies as a local business. “Local business” means that a firm’s headquarters is located within the nine counties of the Air District’s jurisdiction. 

• Cost Proposal
• Cost Proposal and Fees (required) —

  Upload your cost proposal and list of fees here. Be sure to include the following:

  • A clear description of the proposed pricing structure (e.g., hourly, fixed fee, milestone-based, or other), including how costs are allocated across tasks, phases, and staff roles as applicable.
  • Sufficient detail to demonstrate the level of effort required to complete the scope of work (e.g., estimated hours, deliverable-based costs, or other appropriate breakdowns).
  • A statement confirming that proposed rates or pricing will remain fixed for the initial term of the contract; if increases are anticipated after the initial term, include the proposed percentage or amount of increase.
  • List of anticipated reimbursable expenses, such as expenses for travel, presentation materials, supplies, deliveries, black/white and color printouts and copies, faxes, photo scans, copywriting and copyediting services and the rate charged for each.
  • Any other fees or charges.

  Please note: Costs provided are intended to represent general rates and approaches; actual budgets and level of effort will be determined in collaboration with the Air District. 

• Submittal Confirmation
• Additional Information (if needed) —

  For any additional information requested or required by any of your previously provided answers or as stated within this RFP please upload the additional documentation here.

  This includes any other essential data that may assist in the evaluation of your proposal.

  NOTE: DO NOT INCLUDE ANY COST INFORMATION HERE

• Submittal Confirmation (required) —

  Proposer hereby certifies that all information provided within this proposal is accurate to the best of their knowledge. Proposer acknowledges that they have examined and carefully studied all Contract Documents and any Addenda and that they have provided any necessary proof of their authority to submit a proposal on behalf of the Company Name stated on the proposal thereby committing the Company to the information contained within.

• Brief Description of Services (required) —

  Briefly describe the services within which you are looking for qualified service providers.

  Provide your response in a format as if filling in the highlighted blank of the statement below:

  The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (“Air District”) seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide _____________________.

• Budget? (required) —

  Has the Air District established a budget for this project?

• Budget Amount (required) —

  What is the established budget amount for this project?

  NOTE: Please input just the number. Do not type the "$"

• Local/Green Business (required) —

  Is local/green business criteria applicable to this RFP?

• Technical Proposal Format (required) —

  Select all pieces of the technical proposal that you wish to require. You will be given the ability to modify existing requirements and add any additional requirements as necessary for this individual RFP by updating the Proposal Format, Content, and Submittal (Vendor Questionnaire) section.

• Cost Proposal Format (required) —

  Do you wish to utilize the electronic pricing table available within OpenGov Procurement? Do you wish to obtain a full breakdown of fees and other costs submitted by Proposers within the Vendor Questionnaire? You may choose to use both if you wish.

  An example of when you may wish to use both is to obtain consistent pricing for a project through the electronic pricing table for an easier evaluation process but you may also wish to receive a more in depth breakdown via an uploaded file as well.

• Evaluation Criteria (required) —

  Select the evaluation criteria that you will be applying to the review and scoring of the proposals received in response to this RFP. The evaluation committee will be scoring all criteria that you select here and any additional criteria you add to this individual RFP. You may add additional criteria and modify the options for these later in the creation process.

• Applicable Contract? (required) —

  Which contract type is the applicable type that will be awarded as a result of this RFP?