Tribal Community Engagement
UPDATE AS OF JULY 3, 2025: The RFP deadline was extended. Applications now must be received by Friday, July 18 at 5pm Pacific Time. Please review this updated RFP for timeline information; updated text will be in red. Please also see the Zoom recording and the slide deck from the information session.
The Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative (the Collaborative) is seeking a Tribal Community Engagement Consultant(s) to build on the Collaborative’s planning work. The Consultant(s) will design and lead a process to further gauge Tribal communities’ interest in partnering with the Collaborative, then develop a plan to successfully engage interested Tribal communities with the Collaborative’s regional economic development initiative. Tribal communities include federally and non-federally recognized Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal entities. The period of performance will take place no sooner than the beginning of August 2025 through March 2026.
Qualified applicants include those with deep experience working with Tribal communities (personal Tribal membership is welcome). Preferred applicants will hold additional qualifications such as familiarity with economic development concepts (including experience at the community, local, or other levels); alignment with the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative’s principles; and the capacity to begin work as soon as the week of August 4, 2025.
Eligible applicants include individuals, federally recognized and non-federally recognized Tribes, Tribal/Native-led organizations, non-profit organizations, companies, private firms, educational institutions, economic development and workforce development boards/collaboratives, local government, and unions. Teams of more than one consultant are welcome, and subcontracting is also permitted for this RFP.
Proposals must be received by Friday, July 18, at 5:00pm (Pacific Time). Please submit your materials to the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative at [email protected] with the subject line “RFP Submission – Tribal Community Engagement”.
One (1) PDF document with the following items must be submitted with your proposals:
- Cover Letter
- Experience and Qualifications
- Proposed Approach
- Rate(s) and Availability
- References
Additional Information
Tribal Community Engagement information session:
We hosted an information session on Thursday, June 26, 2025. Please find the:
Resources:
Regional Plan Part 1 – Provides a comprehensive baseline assessment of the Bay Area, its stakeholders, and the factors influencing its economic, environmental, and health conditions.
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.
We will also update the page’s “Frequently Asked Questions” section (see below) on a regular basis, so check back often. Applicants can submit questions to [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
This section will be updated regularly as the Collaborative receives questions from potential applicants. Applicants can submit questions to [email protected].
Q: Some projects focus on federally recognized tribes and some focus on tribes more generally – is there an anticipated scope for this project?
A: This project scope is open to support for engagement with federally and non-federally recognized Tribes, as well as Tribal organizations and Tribal entities.
Q: The RFP suggests that the consultant will lead the engagement with tribes and tribal entities – to what extent folks with the Collaborative want to be brought into the discussion/build their own relationships with tribes.
A: There are two objectives in the RFP – one is to increase the Collaborative’s understanding of the Bay Area region’s Tribal communities and the other is to grow the Collaborative’s authentic and meaningful relationships with regional Tribal communities. It’s up to the consultants to envision and propose an approach – assuming the availability of staff and others to engage – that meets those objectives.
Q: If multiple people are selected to be consultants, will the amount of $70,000 be divided per consultant?
A: We hadn’t anticipated hiring multiple separate consultants; if that comes up in the Steering Committee’s final decision process, then the funding would end up being divided between consultants, and those selected would be contacted to confirm if their work would still be possible with the different award. But, what is meant in the RFP is that subcontracting is permissible in case an applicant would be interested in hiring additional folks to support their work.
Q: Who is eligible to apply for this consultancy?
A: Eligible applicants include: individuals, federally recognized and non-federally recognized Tribes, Tribal/Native-led organizations, non-profit organizations, companies, private firms, educational institutions, economic development and workforce development boards/collaboratives, local government, and unions. Subcontracting is also welcome for this RFP.
Q: Who is NOT eligible to apply for this consultancy?
A: Individuals and their organizations who participated in the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative’s Tribal Community Engagement RFP Procurement Design Working Group and Review Committee are ineligible for this opportunity.
