Federal Legislative & Executive Branch Consulting Services

The City of San Diego is seeking qualified government relations professionals to provide federal legislative and executive branch consulting services aimed at advancing the City’s policy priorities, securing federal funding through appropriations and grants, and building strategic advocacy with federal officials. The Contractor will operate under the policy direction of the Mayor and report to the Mayor’s designee, coordinating across multiple City departments to align federal engagement with local agendas. Key responsibilities include monitoring federal legislation and regulatory developments, drafting official correspondence on behalf of the City, arranging meetings between City leadership and federal representatives, and delivering monthly reports and at least two annual presentations to the City Council. The work must be performed with a demonstrated track record of success in securing federal resources for public agencies of similar size, and the Contractor must submit a comprehensive Work Plan that reflects a deep understanding of the City’s funding and legislative goals. Proposals must be electronically submitted via the PlanetBids portal before the August 17, 2026 deadline, with electronic signatures required via Adobe Sign, DocuSign, or a scanned signature; failure to include a valid electronic signature may necessitate submission of hard copies. The evaluation will assess responsiveness to the RFP, staffing qualifications, past performance, cost competitiveness, and a mandatory demonstration/presentation, using a best-value trade-off approach rather than lowest-price technically acceptable. A maximum total score of 112 points is available, including up to 12 bonus points for participation by Small Local Business Enterprises or Emerging Business Enterprises. Contractors must adhere to strict compliance requirements including criminal background checks for all personnel, mandatory vendor registration, drug-free workplace certification, ADA and non-discrimination obligations, and prohibitions on organizational conflicts of interest with the City. Key personnel must be approved and cannot be substituted without City consent, and all staff working on City premises must wear company-issued photo ID badges. The contract is contingent upon annual City Council appropriation of funds, and no fixed contract value is provided, though performance is expected to continue over a multi-year term. All submissions must follow a specific tabbed format, with the executive summary capped at one page, and failure to comply with submission rules may result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive.