Active SLED Opportunity · CALIFORNIA · PUBLIC WORKS/ENGINEERING DIVISION
AI Summary
The City of South San Francisco seeks proposals for legislative advocacy and strategic grant writing services to support State and Federal representation, capital projects, and public safety infrastructure. The RFP emphasizes experience, strategy, key personnel qualifications, communication, and cost effectiveness. Proposals are due May 23, 2026.
The City of South San Francisco is seeking proposals from highly qualified firms to provide comprehensive legislative advocacy and / or technical, strategic grant writing services. For the legislative services, the City will consider proposals for State representation, Federal representation, or a combined approach.
The City is seeking a firm(s) that will act as a strategic extension of City staff, ensuring policymakers can be proactive and well-represented regarding State and Federal legislation. The City is also seeking a firm(s) that will be responsible for identifying, positioning, and securing grant funding for high-priority capital projects, public safety infrastructure, and critical community and housing initiatives.
City staff are familiar with the process of working with lobbying firms, having retained lobbyists for over a decade. The lobbyists have worked on a number of initiatives on behalf of the City, including the passage of SB 390, closing a loophole in the Mello-Roos Act; successfully securing State and Federal congressionally directed spending; advocating on behalf of the City for priority legislation; and keeping staff informed on current Senate and Assembly bills.
Profile of South San Francisco
Located in north San Mateo County, the City of South San Francisco proudly remains The Industrial City, a reflection of its steel mill and ship building past, redefined to reflect the innovative, entrepreneurial, and industrious spirit which has made South San Francisco the Biotech Capital of the World, with nearly 250 active biotech companies and growing. Incorporated in 1908, the city is now home to a vibrant community of 66,185 residents with a daytime population of 90,000 workers and visitors. South San Francisco enjoys a high quality of life with an extensive public parks system, thriving library and learning programming, and a dynamic, civically engaged community making South San Francisco a great place to live, learn, work, and play.
The City of South San Francisco is a general law city, which operates under the council/manager form of government with a General Fund budget of over $152.5 million and a total budget of $302.9 million for Fiscal Year 2025-26. The City has a five-member City Council and elected City Treasurer and City Clerk. Known locally as “South City,” South San Francisco is a full-service city with its own police, fire, public works, housing and economic development, capital projects, parks and recreation, and library departments.
Proposers must demonstrate a proven history of success in municipal advocacy and / or grant acquisition. Evaluation will be based on the firm’s documented “wins” in securing significant State and/or Federal funding (especially for public safety infrastructure, transit, and capital projects). The City will prioritize firms with a verifiable track record of navigating complex legislative maneuvers, such as addressing the VLF shortfall, and those who maintain high-level, existing relationships with key administrative agencies (e.g., Caltrans, HCD, Cal OES).
The City will evaluate the proposer’s understanding of the scope of services and the technical approach to achieving the City’s goals. A high-scoring proposal will demonstrate a proactive strategy for auditing the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), anticipated capital projects, and departmental goals; creating a Council-adopted legislative platform; and developing a cohesive 12-month grant funding roadmap. The City is seeking a firm that does not only monitor legislation but actively positions the City for legislative and funding success.
Proposals should highlight the professional background of lead advocates and technical grant writers, emphasizing their direct experience in Sacramento and/or Washington D.C. The City will evaluate the assigned team's specific subject matter expertise in California municipal finance, public safety policy, federal infrastructure programs, and other services that align with the City’s goals. A physical presence in Sacramento and Washington D.C. is highly preferred.
The City requires a high level of transparency and frequent communication. Evaluation will focus on the Proposer’s internal systems for legislative tracking and reporting. A successful proposal will outline a clear cadence for bi-weekly status reports, updates for urgent legislative changes, and a quarterly matrix of upcoming funding opportunities. This section also evaluates the firm’s commitment to administrative excellence, including the timely and accurate filing of all mandated ethics and disclosure reports (FPPC/FEC).
While the City is looking for the best value rather than the lowest bid, the fee structure must be transparent, competitive, and commensurate with the level of service provided. The City will evaluate the clarity of the retainer or hourly fee model, the inclusion of travel and administrative costs, and any "value-added" services (such as staff training or coalition-building leadership) that enhance the overall return on investment for the City.
Did you read through the RFP document located in the Attachments Tab?
Proposal Guidelines
In developing a response to this RFP, proposers should be concise and limit their response to 12 pages. All materials (proposal and any attachments) must be submitted electronically. No paper copies will be accepted.
Proposals are to adhere to the following order and content of sections. Proposal should be straightforward and provide “layman” explanations of technical terms. Proposals which appear unrealistic in terms of commitments, lack of expertise, or are considered nonresponsive to this RFP may be rejected.
The proposal should respond to each question or requirement below in consecutive order, as follows:
1. Transmittal Letter
Include a letter of transmittal signed by a person within the firm who is authorized to bind the firm. The letter should state the firm’s understanding of the work to be completed, a statement as to why the firm believes itself to be the best qualified to perform the services specified herein, a commitment to perform the work within the time period, and a statement that the submitted proposal is a binding and irrevocable offer. List all subconsultants, if any.
2. Description of the Firm
Include a brief description of your firm’s background, size of your firm (i.e., number of professional staff), office locations in California, and location of the office from which the work on this engagement is to be performed. Include an overview of your firm’s history as it may be relevant to the services required. Describe your experience providing similar services for other public agencies and authorities, with an emphasis on California jurisdictions and agencies.
The firm shall provide information on the circumstances and status of any disciplinary action, fines, or ethics violations taken or pending against the firm during the past three (3) years by State or Federal regulatory bodies (such as the FPPC or FEC) or professional organizations.
3. Proposer’s Staff Team
List the professional staff you intend to assign to these services and the area(s) of specialization for each person, such as emergency response, flood mitigation, land use, housing, etc. Describe the role of each person who will be assigned to this work. Identify the Lead Consultant who will be the primary contact in providing services to the City, and who will be listed as a “key person” in any agreement with the City. Include professional biographies for professionals and subconsultants who will be assigned to provide services in your proposal; these can be included as attachments to the proposal and do not count towards the proposal page limit.
4. Approach to Scope of Work
Include an overview of the proposal and approach to providing the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work section of this RFP. Include ideas and strategies for maintaining open communication with City staff.
5. References
Please provide at least three (3) client references for whom your firm has performed similar work to that requested in this RFP during the past five years, preferably in California. For each client, please provide the name, street address, telephone number, and email address. Please also include a brief description of the services provided, and the contract start and end dates.
6. Examples of Past Work
Provide up to three examples to illustrate deliverables for similar services from your firm, and preferably from key staff that would be assigned to this engagement. This could include successful grant narratives, letters of support, legislative platforms, funding roadmaps, etc. These can be included as attachments to the proposal and do not count towards the page limit.
7. Fee Proposal
In a separate document, proposers will provide all pricing information relative to performing the scope of services as described in this RFP. Provide a specific “not to exceed” fixed fee including any direct expenses (i.e., printing costs, attendance at meetings, travel).
Upon completion of the evaluation and selection process, only the cost proposal from the most qualified consultant will be opened to begin cost negotiations. If project cost negotiations with the selected firm are unsuccessful, the City of South San Francisco reserves the right to enter into negotiations with other firm(s). Upon acceptance of a cost proposal and successful contract negotiations, staff will recommend a contract be awarded.
Attachment 1 includes the City’s standard consulting services agreement which outlines the City’s terms and insurance requirements. Please confirm that you have reviewed the City's standard consulting services agreement.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. Proposer must confirm below.
In addition to the electronic proposal submitted below in ProcureNow, proposer must submit five (5) hard copies of the Consultant’s proposal, and one (1) hard copy of a cost proposal submitted in a separate sealed envelope. The hard copies shall be MAILED ONLY WITH A POSTMARK date no later than the RFP Submission Deadline, Friday, May 22, 2026. Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed package clearly marked
“Request for Proposals for Legislative Advocacy and Strategic Grant Services” and addressed as follows:
Megan Wooley-Ousdahl
Project Manager
City of South San Francisco
Engineering Division
Public Works Department
315 Maple Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Electronic Proposals received after the time and date specified are not allowed in ProcureNow.
Hardcopies must be identical to electronic version. Submissions of a paper version that differs from the electronic version will result in disqualification.
Please upload your completed response here.
Please upload your completed Fee Proposal here.
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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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