RFQ No.2023-MBI-03
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (“MassTech”) on behalf of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (“MBI”) is issuing this Solicitation for Municipal Digital Equity Planning Services (the “Program”) (Solicitation No. 2023-MBI-03).
About the Program
The ability to engage in digital equity planning activities will be a critical step for municipal leaders and staff to build a broad understanding of how internet access, or lack thereof, affects residents of their community. MBI is issuing this Request for Qualifications for municipal digital equity planning services to solicit responses from qualified contractors with experience in digital equity and broadband planning.
MBI intends to offer municipalities two planning options to pursue digital equity activities with the support from a selected prequalified planning consultant.
- Digital Equity Charrette: This planning option is intended to be a low barrier to entry option to support municipalities with limited staff capacity and existing knowledge or activities related to digital equity
- Digital Equity Planning: This planning option is designed to provide municipalities with an opportunity to execute a comprehensive planning exercise. For the Digital Equity Planning option, consultants will provide expanded data collection and dive into deeper conversations and engagement with plan participants.
Both planning options are intended to yield similar outcomes but will differ in process, duration of the planning activities, and level of detail and nuanced information provided to the municipality as an outcome of the planning process. Municipalities will be able to take advantage of both planning options if they so choose, thus enabling a pathway for municipalities to advance their thinking related to digital equity planning over time.
Respondents may be prequalified for one or both of the planning options.
Full details included in the RFQ linked below.
| Team Lead | Josh Eichen, proposals (at) masstech.org |
| RFQ Issued | September 14, 2022 |
| Initial Questions Due | September 30, 2022 @ 5:00 p.m. EST |
| Initial Questions and Answers File Posted |
October 6, 2022 @ 5:00 p.m. EST Responses to the initial set of questions (those submitted by 9/30) will be posted by 10/6. Questions will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis until the RFP is closed and answers to questions (those submitted after 9/30) will be posted periodically. |
| Bidders Conference | September 28, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m. EST; (Updated 9/19/2022) Presentation Slides (PDF) | Recording (Vimeo) |
| Initial Applications Due | October 17, 2022 @ 5:00 p.m. EST |
| Subsequent Quarterly Application Submission Deadlines |
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis according to the following submission deadlines until such time that MassTech deems it has sufficient capacity to fully execute the Program: December 5, 2022 @ 5:00 p.m. EST |
Download Application Documents:
- Download RFQ No.2023-MBI-03 (PDF) (Amended 9/19/2022)
- Download Attachment C Budget Template (Excel)
- Download Questions and Answers Document (PDF)