Active SLED Opportunity · FLORIDA · CITY OF LAKELAND
AI Summary
The City of Lakeland, FL seeks qualified executive search firms for national recruitments of executive-level positions in municipal government and enterprise operations. Multiple contracts will be awarded for as-needed services supporting leadership needs across various departments including utilities, airport, and venue management.
The City of Lakeland, Florida (“City”), is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified executive search firms to establish a pool of firms capable of conducting national recruitments for executive-level positions across the organization. These recruitments will support both general fund and enterprise fund departments, ensuring the City continues to attract highly qualified, innovative, and service-oriented leadership.
The City seeks executive search firms with demonstrated experience recruiting senior leadership for both traditional municipal government functions and specialized enterprise operations. Traditional governmental services include, but are not limited to, police, fire rescue, public works, community and economic development, finance, human resources, information technology, parks and recreation, legal services, and other internal support and administrative functions.
In addition, the City seeks firms with expertise recruiting executive leadership for complex enterprise and operational environments, including municipally owned electric and water utilities, airport operations, and sports, entertainment, and event venue management. The City recognizes that these operational areas require specialized executive recruitment strategies and industry-specific candidate networks.
Firms may submit proposals for:
The City recognizes that firms may possess expertise in one or multiple operational areas and intends to establish a pool of qualified firms with diverse recruitment specializations to support the City’s wide range of operational and executive leadership needs.
The City intends to award contracts to multiple executive search firms with demonstrated expertise in public sector and specialized leadership recruitment. Selected firms will be utilized on an as-needed basis for upcoming executive vacancies.
Community
Located along the Interstate 4 corridor between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland is the largest city between these two metropolitan areas. Built upon historic character, philanthropy, and volunteerism, Lakeland offers its residents, businesses, and visitors a distinctive sense of place.
Incorporated in 1885, Lakeland quickly emerged as one of Florida’s premier cities. From the arrival of railroad service in the mid-1890s to being one of the first cities in Florida to provide electricity, Lakeland has long been a hub of innovation and progressive ideas. Today, the City continues to thrive as population and business growth are drawn to this strategically located community in the geographic center of the state.
Lakeland’s economic base includes warehouse and distribution, transportation, education, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and tourism. The City is home to Publix Supermarkets headquarters and Florida Southern College, which hosts the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. The City is also the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers, a Major League Baseball team.
Lakeland has received national recognition, including distinction on Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” list and rankings among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in Florida and the United States.
Lakeland has a population of approximately 124,990 residents, the 18th largest in Florida. Polk County’s population is approximately 874,790. The Lakeland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is the 7th largest in the state.
Organization
The City operates under a Commission-Manager form of government, in which the public elects six City Commissioners and a Mayor. The City Commission establishes policy, adopts ordinances, and appoints the City Manager, who is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, preparing the annual budget, making policy recommendations, and appointing department directors.
The City of Lakeland is a full-service municipality located in Central Florida, recognized for its strong financial management, strategic growth, and high quality of life. It provides a wide range of services, including public safety, utilities, transportation, and community development. The City is governed by a seven-member City Commission and supported by an appointed City Manager; employs approximately 2,500 individuals across all departments; operates with an annual budget of approximately $750 million; and spans 76 square miles.
In addition to its traditional governmental operations, the City also manages several enterprise functions that operate with business-oriented funding models and service delivery structures unique to the public sector. These operations require executive leadership with experience balancing municipal governance, financial sustainability, customer service, and revenue generation.
RP Funding Center: The RP Funding Center is a multi-purpose entertainment and sports venue that hosts concerts, conventions, and major events, playing a vital role in the region’s economic development and tourism strategy. The facility operates with an annual budget of approximately $8 to $12 million and attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors each year while hosting 300 to 350 events annually. It features more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space, an arena with a seating capacity of 8,000, and a theatre with a seating capacity of 2,200. The Center generates an estimated regional economic impact of $25 to $40 million, employs 102 individuals, including 32 regular full-time employees, and generates revenue through event rentals, ticket surcharges, concessions, sponsorships, and partnerships.
Lakeland International Airport: Lakeland Linder International Airport is a rapidly growing aviation hub that supports commercial, cargo, and general aviation operations, serving as a major driver of economic activity in the region and hosting nationally recognized events such as the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo. The airport encompasses 1,776 acres and features a primary runway of 8,500 feet and a secondary runway of 5,000 feet. It handles 160,000+ aircraft operations annually and operates with an annual budget of approximately $15.2 million. The airport generates an estimated economic impact of $1.5 billion annually and facilitates the flow of 12 million gallons of aviation fuel. It employs 36 individuals and serves as the host site for the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo, which attracts more than 200,000 attendees, features approximately 4,000 aircraft, and produces an economic impact exceeding $60 million during the event period.
Water Utilities: The City’s Water Utilities Department provides reliable water, wastewater, and industrial reclaimed water services to residents and businesses, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, regulatory compliance, and long-term infrastructure planning. The system serves a water service territory of 132 square miles and a wastewater service territory of 149 square miles, supports approximately 70,000 water customer accounts and 60,000 wastewater accounts, and is staffed by 259 employees.
Lakeland Electric: Lakeland Electric is the third largest municipally owned electric utility in Florida, serving more than 144,000 customers and a service area population of approximately 316,000 across a 246-square-mile territory. Established in 1889 and owned by the City of Lakeland since 1904, the utility operates its own generation, transmission, and distribution systems, playing a critical role in the City’s financial stability and economic competitiveness. Lakeland Electric employs 415 employees and owns and operates a portfolio of generation assets. The utility has earned the American Public Power Association’s Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) Gold designation, a national recognition of excellence in reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement.
“I attest no City of Lakeland employee, their spouse, or child has an ownership stake in this organization.”
As noted in Scope of Work, 3.4 Proposal Requirements, Item E
As noted in Scope of Work, 3.4 Proposal Requirements, Item D
A certificate of existing insurance coverage should be submitted with the proposal as proof of insurability. If the current coverage does not meet the RFP requirements, then the Respondent should request an affidavit of insurability from the Respondent’s insurance agent that certifies the requirements can and will be met.
THIS RFP SHALL BE VALID FOR SIXTY (60) DAYS FROM DATE OF OPENING.
The following RFP is in strict accordance with the City of Lakeland Request for Proposal No. 2026-RFP-057, dated Monday, June 1, 2026 and all attachments as referenced therein.
“I hereby certify that I understand and am aware that the City of Lakeland at its sole discretion reserves the right to waive technicalities or irregularities, to reject any or all proposals, and/or to accept that proposal which is in the best interest of the City. The award of this RFP, if made, may be based on considerations other than total cost and may be awarded based on various considerations, including without limitation; Respondent’s experience and/or qualifications, past experience, administrative cost, standardization, technical evaluation and oral and/or written presentations as required. The City reserves the right to accept all or part, or to decline the whole, and to award this RFP to one (1) or more Respondents. There is no obligation to buy. The RFP, if awarded, will be in the judgement of the City the most responsive to the City’s needs. The City of Lakeland encourages the use of minority and women owned businesses as subcontractors or in joint venture arrangements.
If claiming Local Vendor Preference, I certify that the company satisfies each of the following criteria at the time of their submission of a response to the solicitation necessary to qualify as a “Local Business”: a vendor, supplier or contractor that: (i) conducts business within the jurisdictional limits of Lakeland Electric’s service territory by providing goods, services or construction; (ii) maintains a physical business location within the jurisdictional limits of Lakeland Electric’s service territory in an area legally zoned for conducting such business; (iii) conducts business on a daily basis from the local business location; (iv) has conducted business from such location for at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the due date for the applicable bid or proposal; and (v) provides a copy of its local business tax receipt, if located within the City of Lakeland, or a copy of its Polk County local business tax receipt, if located outside of the City limits but within Lakeland Electric’s service territory.”
If claiming Local Vendor Preference, a valid Local Business Tax Receipt must be provided at the time the response is submitted in order to qualify for such consideration.
Respondents must provide at least 3 references with all details as requested.
These responses will be used to determine scores under Section 4: Selection Criteria.
Disclaimer: The City will make reasonable efforts to contact the references provided. However, the City assumes no responsibility for references that cannot be reached, do not respond, or are otherwise unavailable. It is the Proposer’s responsibility to ensure the contact information provided is current and accurate.
Provide all information requested below.
Reference Name & Address:
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Services Provided:
**You are only required to provide three references. If you would like to provide additional reference(s) you may choose to do so below. This is optional (not required).
Provide all information requested below.
Reference Name & Address:
Contact Person (who has knowledge of your firm's performance)
Phone:
E-Mail:
Services Provided:
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Q (Estimated Budget): Please confirm whether the City has established an estimated budget, anticipated annual spend, or funding range for the executive recruitment services contemplated under this RFP.
A: No, this is to have recruiters pre-approved and on a list in case the services are required over the years.
Q (New Contract, Incumbent Vendor, and Historical Spend): Please confirm whether this solicitation is for a new contract or a replacement/continuation of an existing contract for executive recruitment services. If it replaces or continues an existing contract, please identify the incumbent vendor or vendors and provide the historical spend, including annual spend and total spend by contract term, if available.
A: This is a new contract. Over the past several years, most executive recruitment has been handled in-house.
Q (Anticipated Award Date and Contract Start Date): Please provide the anticipated award date and the expected contract start date for the services contemplated under this RFP.
A: We anticipate an award date no later than July 30th, with services provided as needed thereafter.
Q (Anticipated and Historical Recruitment Demand by Category): The RFP allows firms to submit qualifications for Traditional Local Government Executive Positions, Specialized Enterprise Operations, or both. Based on the City’s current and anticipated needs, please indicate which category is expected to generate more recruitment assignments during the contract term. Additionally, please provide historical information, if available, regarding the number of executive recruitments conducted in recent years under each category, including Traditional Local Government Executive Positions and Specialized Enterprise Operations such as utilities, airport, and venue management roles.
A: This will vary based on the resignation/retirement/terminations of executives. We have several upcoming retirements that are in current executive roles.
Q (Local Vendor Preference): Please clarify how the City’s Local Vendor Preference will be applied to this RFP, including any percentage, point value, evaluation adjustment, or other preference methodology applicable to qualifying local vendors.
A: The City's ordinance for the Local Vendor Preference policy has been added to the Attachments tab. As stated in Section 2, Items A & B.2, of the ordinance, a local vendor meeting the criteria will receive additional points equivalent to five percent (5%) of their total combined evaluation score.
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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