Requests for Proposals or Qualifications
Consultant Services for Organizational Analysis and Recommendations for the Tulare County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC) (Submissions Due March 23, 2026)
The Tulare County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC) is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to conduct a comprehensive organizational analysis and provide strategic recommendations to strengthen TCEDC’s effectiveness and alignment with member agency economic development goals.
This effort will support TCEDC’s core purpose of creating good-paying jobs by stimulating and expanding economic activity across Tulare County. The selected consultant will work closely with the TCEDC Board, Technical Advisory Committee, and representatives from the County of Tulare and member cities.
A successful proposal should address:
• Organizational Assessment: Evaluate TCEDC’s current operations, programs, marketing, outreach, and structure to identify strengths, gaps, and inefficiencies.
• Strategy Development: Recommend a focused strategy centered on proactive recruitment of large job creators and high-growth sectors, especially along State Routes 99, 198, and 65.
• Efficiency Review: Identify duplicative or low-impact functions and recommend realignment of responsibilities where appropriate.
• Governance & Structure: Propose updates to organizational and governance structure, including Board composition, advisory committees, and member dues framework.
• Executive Director Recruitment Support: Develop an updated Executive Director profile, recommend compensation, and assist with recruitment and candidate evaluation.
• Implementation Roadmap: Deliver a practical, phased two-year roadmap for implementing recommended organizational and strategic changes.
RFP Document: PDF Download
Proposal Due: March 23, 2026 by 2:00 PM (PDT)
Submission Format: Electronic PDF, maximum 10 MB
Submission Email: mwasham@tularecounty.ca.gov
Subject Line: TCEDC RFP
RFP No.: 26-001
Issued: February 9, 2026
Questions Due: February 24, 2026
Subject Line: TCEDC RFP
Answers will be posted on this webpage by February 26, 2026
Please address any and all questions to mwasham@tularecounty.ca.gov.
Questions and Answers
1. Relationship between the County of Tulare, Grow Tulare County, and TCEDC
Tulare County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC) is an independent, nonprofit, membership-based economic development organization with its own governance and funding structure. Grow Tulare County operates within the structure of the County of Tulare as the County’s internal economic development initiative.
Following the recent resignations of TCEDC’s Executive Director and its only additional staff member, the County has assumed a temporary administrative and operational support role to help maintain continuity during this transitional period. The County’s involvement in this procurement reflects that interim support function and does not represent a permanent change to TCEDC’s governance or nonprofit status.
2. Status and composition of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
The Technical Advisory Committee has not yet been formally established. It is anticipated that the TAC will consist of economic development staff from member cities, along with city managers representing participating jurisdictions.
3. Role of the TAC and Board in consultant selection and project execution
The TAC will review and score submitted proposals and provide a recommendation to the Board. The full Board is expected to make the final consultant selection, with a target decision date of April 22, 2026.
During the assessment and project execution phases, both the TAC and Board will serve in advisory and oversight roles. The selected consultant should anticipate engaging a broad group of stakeholders that includes TAC members, Board members, and other key regional partners as part of the evaluation process.
4. Budget expectations and treatment of Executive Director recruitment
There is no formally adopted budget for this engagement.
Proposers may structure their scope and pricing as they deem most appropriate, including identifying recruitment as an optional or additive component if desired. However, recruitment of a new Executive Director is considered an important element of the overall project and should be addressed in the proposal in some form.
5. Timeline, milestones, and Board review process
The overall project is expected to be completed within six months. The target is to onboard a new Executive Director near the end of that period, ideally by Fall of this year. The fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30.
The Board currently meets monthly, although there have been discussions about moving to an every-other-month schedule. Regular progress updates to the Board are anticipated throughout the project. Any formal review period following Board approval will be coordinated through the regular meeting schedule and ongoing reporting process.
6. Proposal format and submission requirements
In addition to the 10 MB file size limit, there is no page limit or prescribed formatting requirement for the narrative proposal. Resumes and references may be included at the proposer’s discretion and do not need to be treated as supplemental or subject to any page limitation.
