San Mateo County Economic Development Strategic Plan

The County Executive’s Office of the County of San Mateo is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors to develop the County’s first Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP). As detailed further below, the County desires that the EDSP: (a) establish strategic goals that guide the County’s long-term vision for economic and workforce development; (b) analyze the County’s current economic conditions by region and sector; and (c) provide strategic, actionable recommendations to support business retention, recruitment and expansion,  growth in diversity of jobs for various skillsets and career pathways, and a resilient economic environment. Finally, the EDSP shall provide an evaluation framework with performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of its recommendations. The goal of the EDSP is to provide the County with actionable strategies that foster a welcoming and supportive business environment, reduce government burden on businesses, expand access to jobs and opportunities for advancement in various careers, and assist with prioritizing investments that make San Mateo County a premier destination for business and innovation – an inclusive community where people want to live, work, and experience.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2027-RFP-00003
• Department: County Executive's Office
• Department Head: Michael Callagy (County Executive)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-08-10T22:00:00.000Z
• Answers Posted By: 2026-08-14T22:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Method and Approach (45 pts) —
  • Understanding of the scope of services to be provided
  • Appropriateness of the proposed solution/services
• Experience and Organizational Capacity (30 pts) —
  • Qualification and experience of both the proposer and key personnel
  • Experience with other public agencies
  • Organizational resources and staff, apparent ability to meet any required timelines and other requirements
• Price (25 pts) —
  • Pricing will be evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively.
  • Evaluators will analyze the fee proposal based on the estimated cost to complete the project deliverables according to the County's key milestones

Submission Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications
• Has Proposer has been providing similar services for a minimum of three (3) years within the last seven (7) years? (required)
• Has Proposer completed at least three (3) similar projects that involve developing strategic goals for economic and workforce development, conducting the required research and analysis (e.g., Cluster analysis), and formulating recommendations for improving workforce development and economic growth? (required)
• Please confirm your firm is registered with System for Award Management (SAM) (required) —

  SAM.gov

• What is the registered Business Name and Unique Entity ID (UEI) No.? (required) —
  • UEI number can be obtained by registering your business through SAM.GOV
  • Should you be in the process of obtaining your UEI number, please enter the digits ‘123’ temporarily for your response below in order to proceed with proposal. This temporary number should be replaced with the correct registration number for submission of the proposal.
• Procurement Preference for Local Businesses and Local Non-Profits
• Is the Proposer a "Local Business"? —

  As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Business” means any for-profit business which has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response. 

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank. 

• Is the Proposer a Non-Profit? —

  A Non-Profit is defined as a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes. 

• Is the Proposer a "Local Non-Profit" —

  As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Non-Profit" means a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes, and has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response. 

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

• Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Business? —

  As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

  “Small Business” means any business which holds a Small Business Certification awarded by the California Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services (OSDS).

  “Micro Business” means any Small Business certified by the OSDS which is automatically designated by the OSDS as a Micro Business due to gross annual receipts falling below the OSDS-designated dollar amount.

  If the above designations apply, please provide the OSDS provided Certification ID. 

  If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank. 

• Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Non-Profit? —

  As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

  “Small Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of $1,000,000 to $2,500,000 according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

  “Micro Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of less than $1,000,000, according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

  If the above designations apply, please provide your latest filed IRS form 990. A filing from the last two calendar years is acceptable. 

  If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank. 

• Technical Proposal
• Introduction and Executive Summary (required) —

  Submit a letter of introduction and executive summary of the proposal.  The letter must contain:

  • Name, title and contact information (email, phone, and address) for representative of proposer that is responsible for communication related to this RFP.
  • Name, title, contact information, and signature of person authorized to obligate firm to perform the commitment contained in the proposal.

  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 RFP.

• Statement of Minimum Qualifications (required) —

  Describe how the proposer meets the minimum qualifications as set forth in Minimum Qualifications of this RFP.

  Submission of the Minimum Qualifications checklist is not a substitute for providing a detailed written response.

• Project Approach (required) —

  This section should correlate to the Scope of Work. Proposer should explain how it will perform the relevant work, including a detailed plan for how it will approach completing each required component of the EDSP identified in the Scope of Work according to the County's expected timeline.

• Proposed Schedule (required) —

  Attach a proposed schedule which references Proposer's ability to complete the project within the County's required time frame and in accordance with the Key Milestones in the Scope of Work section.

• Innovations (required) —

  Refence any notable innovations or improvements that you expect to provide (with respect to, for example, efficiency, technology, sustainability) 

• Firm Qualifications (required) —

  Attach information regarding background and qualifications, including the following:

  • A brief description of the proposer.
  • A description of not more than three (3) projects similar in size and scope conducted by the proposer, including the client, reference and telephone numbers, primary staff members involved, budget, schedule, and project summary.  Descriptions should be limited to one (1) page for each project.
  • If subcontractors are anticipated, identify them (if known) and provide information on how they will be used.
• Team Qualifications (required) —

  Provide a chart identifying:

  5. 2. • Project team and reporting structure
        • Lead project manager
        • Role each person will play in the project

  Provide a brief description of the experience and qualifications of the project team members, including short resumes if desired.

  Written assurance that the key individuals listed and identified will be performing the work and will not be substituted or reassigned without the County’s prior approval

• References (required) —

  Provide 3 references from successfully completed projects of similar nature to that described in this RFP document, including the name of the organization for which work was performed, and the name, phone number, and email address of an individual at the organization who was responsible for managing and accepting the work. Ensure that contact information is current. If the County cannot contact the reference because of incorrect information, the reference will be deemed not have been provided. 

• Fee Proposal (required) —

  The Fee Proposal should be submitted as a separate PDF file from the Technical Proposals detailed in Required Documents.

  The County reserves the right to accept other than the lowest priced offer and to reject any proposals that are not responsive to this request.

• Agreement term (years) (required) —

  Update below if needed.

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

  Is there an extension to this agreement?

• Extension (required) —

  Modify the extension information below, if needed

• Will there be a Pre-Proposal Meeting and/or a Site Visit? (required)
• Include the information that will be covered in the site visit. (required)
• Require vendors to provide References? (required)
• References (required) —

  How many references are required by the vendor? (Number)

• Use Electronic Line Item Pricing? (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 RFP. 

• Sample Agreement (required)