Community Relations and Public Information for Highway 101 HOV Project

The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) is soliciting proposals through this Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified firms and/or teams ("Offeror") to provide comprehensive public information and outreach services for the Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project (Project). The requested services will support active construction segments in Montecito and Santa Barbara of the Project. The Offeror will work collaboratively with SBCAG, Caltrans, construction management teams, local agencies, and community partners to ensure the public receives timely, accurate, and accessible information regarding construction activities, traffic impacts, and project milestones. Work includes development and dissemination of construction updates, responding to public inquiries, stakeholder outreach, media coordination, website and digital content support, participation in standing coordination meetings, and maintenance of public‑facing communication tools such as SBROADS.com and the SB Roads Hotline. The Offeror should have demonstrated experience in transportation public outreach, construction communications, media relations, stakeholder engagement, and multi‑agency coordination on complex capital projects. Services are initially being sought through Fiscal Year 2026-27, ending June 30, 2027. Options to extend the contract will be available through the end of construction, currently anticipated to be complete by December 2028. The services performed by Offeror and included in the resulting contract may vary by Project segment, some of which are slated to conclude during the term of the contract. SBCAG works closely with Caltrans to implement the construction of the Project. Offeror, in working for SBCAG, will also be required to work closely both through SBCAG and independently with Caltrans team members. This RFP includes a base scope of services being sought for the Project, specifically focused on construction segments in Montecito and Santa Barbara. This RFP also includes optional tasks that SBCAG may elect to exercise during the course of the contract period, for a separate mitigation project from one of the completed segments on the Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara corridor. That project is the Toro Creek Fish Passage project (Toro Project). We ask that the Offeror acknowledge its willingness to negotiate in good faith with SBCAG on future services as described in the Scope of Services but Offeror is not required to submit any proposal of resources or costs. This project budget will be for services rendered through June 30, 2027 in a fixed fee amount of $650,000.