Sector Investment Coordinators
The Application period closed on February 28, 2025 at 5PM. We are no longer accepting applications at this time.
The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to obtain services to support the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative (the Collaborative) in implementing its Regional Economic Strategic Plan (Regional Plan). This includes developing and administering investment strategies (“Activation Plans”) for the region’s priority industry sectors, building the region’s capacity to compete for federal, state, and other funding, and strengthening relationships key to the Regional Plan’s success. The Collaborative seeks proposals for up to five Sector Investment Coordinators. Applicants can include individuals, nonprofits, companies, and private firms. Subcontracting is welcome.
Applicants must have expertise in, or the ability to subcontract to individuals with expertise in, one or more of the following industries:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Battery Manufacturing
- Childcare and Early Childhood Education
- Healthcare
- Transportation Electrification
The period of performance will be no sooner than the end of March 2025 through September 30, 2026. Proposals must be received by Friday, February 28, 2025, at 5:00 pm PT. Please submit your proposals to the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative at [email protected] with the subject line “Sector Investment Coordinators – Proposal”. The following items must be submitted with your proposals:
One (1) PDF document with:
- Title Page
- Table of Contents
- Proposal Narrative Responses
- Entity Profile
- Reference Letters
- Compliance Questions Responses
- Required Forms
One (1) Excel document with
- Line-Item Budget (use this template)
Please read through the full RFP for important details.
Additional Information
We hosted a Bidder’s Conference (an informational session for applicants) on February 20th. You can review the slides or watch the Zoom recording.
Resources:
- Regional Plan Part 2 – outlines target sectors and strategies for the Bay Area Region to guide economic development and growth that prioritizes equity, job quality, climate resiliency, and community voice.
- Catalyst Program Framework – State of California program description for Sector Investment Coordinators.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section will be updated regularly as the Collaborative receives questions from potential applicants. Applicants can submit questions to [email protected].
PROJECT MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS
Question: Who is eligible to apply for this funding? *UPDATED INFORMATION*
Answer: Eligible applicants include: individuals, nonprofit organizations, companies, private firms, educational institutions, economic development and workforce development boards/collaboratives, local government, and unions. Subcontracting is also welcome for this RFP.
Question: Who is ineligible to apply for this funding?
Answer: Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative Steering Committee member organizations that received funding through the Catalyst Program. Individuals and their organizations who participated in the Collaborative Steering Committee’s Sector Investment Coordinator RFP Procurement Design Working Group and RFP Review Committee.
Question: My firm would like to apply for all the sectors, and to subcontract to the coordinators. Is this permissible for this grant?
Answer: Yes, this is possible.
Question: I would like to apply for multiple sectors – do I have to submit a separate application for each sector?
Answer: No, but please speak to your qualifications for all sectors you are applying for in your application.
Question: My firm would like to apply for multiple sectors – a 400-word count feels too little. Are we able to write more?
Answer: For those applying for multiple sectors, please disregard the 400-word count and write what you feel is necessary to convey your qualifications for the RFP.
Question: Based on what was shared about the word limit being waived, if we submit for more than one sector, do we submit one application, but provide enough detail to address the subject matter expertise in each sector?
Answer: Correct, please submit one application and speak to all the sectors that you are applying for.
Question: My organization submitted a proposal for multiple sectors. Is it possible that we may only receive funding for a couple of the sectors?
Answer: If you submitted a proposal for multiple sectors, you may only be offered funding for a subset of the applied for sectors. The award decisions will be based on the criteria listed in the RFP, including considerations around the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of multiple sectors as well as your organization’s sector-specific expertise.
Question: I would like to apply for the Battery Manufacturing sector for which there is already an Activation Plan. Can I review the Plan in order to prepare my proposal?
Answer: Yes, you can find the Activation Plan for Battery Manufacturing on our webpage.
Question: Can you please release the drafts of any other Activation Plans that have been drafted or started?
Answer: No other Activation Plans are in process at this time as this would be a task and deliverable for the Sector Investment Coordinator.
Question: Does the RFP Committee require full reference letters or does a list of client references suffice? And are reference letters required for sub-contracted partners?
Answer: The RFP requires two (2) full reference letters from the direct grantee only. The sub-contractors do not need to provide reference letters.
Question: Can resumes be attached additionally?
Answer: You are welcome to include additional materials, however, the RFP outlines what materials/information will be reviewed and scored.
Question: How closely does the Activation Plan need to stick to what strategies are in the Regional Plan?
Answer: Because this is not detailed in the RFP, we cannot go into those details. The Regional Plan is there as a reference; please speak to your expertise and vision for the Scope of Work.
Question: Are we able to collaborate outside of the four required stakeholder meetings as outlined in the RFP key deliverables?
Answer: Yes, as the RFP states, you will need to host at least four stakeholder meetings.
Question: What does the Technical Assistance to Catalyst projects entail?
Answer: As listed in the RFP, the support is focused on identifying additional funding for Catalyst projects.
Question: Can you clarify if subject matter expertise or project management is more important for this RFP? According to the RFP Evaluation Criteria, project management looks to be, but I want to ensure I’m interpreting that correctly.
Answer: You are interpreting that correctly, and their similar weights underline their interconnectedness. You will see that the subject matter expertise in the Scope of Work is linked with coordination, outreach, etc.
Question: Are community colleges eligible to apply for this funding?
Answer: Yes, community colleges are eligible – and encouraged! – to apply for this funding.
Question: Will the entities awarded the Sector Investment Coordinators funding be precluded from applying for the State’s Regional Investment Initiative $150 million Implementation program?
Answer: No, we do not anticipate any entity awarded Sector Investment Coordinator funding to be precluded from applying for the State’s Regional Investment Initiative Implementation program.
Question: The Sector Investment Coordinator grants program performance period will be approximately 18 months, beginning in late March. Does this mean that the State’s Regional Investment Initiative $150 million Implementation program will not issue an RFP until after the 18-month period ends? Do you know when that RFP is expected to be released?
Answer: We do not know when the State will release the RFP for the Regional Investment Initiative Implementation program, however, it will be prior to the end of the Sector Investment Coordinator RFP performance period. These two programs, while interconnected in many ways, are not dependent on one another.
Question: Will the Sector Investment Coordinator RFP results be announced to all Stakeholders, whether they submitted or not?
Answer: There will be a public announcement of awardees once selections are made and a few compliance items are complete. The estimated timeline for the announcement is early April.
Question: I sent my application at 5pm PST on February 28, 2025. Why hasn’t it been accepted
Answer: Unfortunately, applications must be received by 5pm PST on February 28, 2025. Please plan to submit your proposal a few minutes before the deadline in case of any email server delays.
CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE QUESTIONS
Question: I understand that stipends are not allowed but per diem is allowed; is per diem allowed for virtual meetings?
Answer: Yes, please see the Stipend Policy for more details.
Question: Is this registration as a City Supplier required before we submit by the February 28th deadline?
Answer: No, registration as a City Supplier is not required as part of the proposal submission; however, registering in advance can help expedite contracting if/when you are awarded the contract.
Question: What if you’re an Independent Contractor and do not have benefits?
Answer: If you don’t have any employees you would provide documentation to show this such as IRS Form W-3 or IRS 941. If you have more questions specific to your business please reach out to [email protected].
Question: Do all proposal team member partners also need to comply with SF OEWD’s requirements?
Answer: Subgrantees will only need to comply with the Secretary of State and Office of Attorney General (as applicable) requirements.
Question: Does the compliance with SF OEWD require a place of business address or residency in SF?
A: No, it does not require this.
