RFP: Economic Impact Evaluation of the Long Beach Early Learning Hub

Issued by: The Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach

Date Issued: May 23, 2025

Bidders Conference: June 9, 2025

All final questions: June 10, 2025

All final answers available: June 13, 2025

Proposal Submission Deadline: June 20, 2025

Estimated Contract Value: $25,000 - $35,000

Project Timeline:

• • Project Commencement: July 1, 2025
  • Project Completion: September 2025

Point of Contact: Karissa Selvester, Executive Director

Submittal Instructions: mayorfundlb@gmail.com

Subject: “Hub Econ Evaluation RFP – [Company Name]”

Introduction

The Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for children, youth, and families through collaboration with community, civic, and educational partners. Our mission is to improve the well-being and success of Long Beach residents by supporting impactful initiatives in early childhood education, youth development, family support, and community engagement.

The Mayor’s Fund operates under the Fiscal Sponsorship of Community Partners, whom administers all contracts, insurance, invoicing, and accounting.

We are seeking proposals from qualified evaluation firms or independent evaluators (herein referred to as the Firm) to conduct a comprehensive economic impact evaluation of the Long Beach Early Learning Hub (hereafter referred to as “The Hub”). The ideal firm will have a strong history and demonstrated ability to translate community-centered insights and evaluation findings into actionable, implementable recommendations. The selected Firm will conduct a holistic, systems-level analysis of the Hub’s direct, indirect, and induced economic effects including the assessment of short-term and potential long-term economic benefits generated by The Hub, with a particular focus on improved economic mobility for high-risk and at-risk families and enhancing access to childcare and related resources as a prevention method for further systems involvement. In addition to evaluating the economic mobility of families, the evaluation should capture the Hub’s general economic impact on the local Long Beach economy. This includes but is not limited to: the economic output of tuition assistance programs; increased household earning potential enabled by childcare access; administrative and operational savings for childcare providers; provider business stability; and local reinvestment through provider staffing and spending. The selected evaluator should also be skilled in communicating the significance of findings—whether strengths, gaps, or opportunities—in ways that clearly illustrate the Hub’s role in the community, inform future investment decisions, in ways that illuminate how the Hub can most effectively support families, particularly systems impacted, at-risk, or families in high-risk communities, guide future investment, and contribute to a stronger, more equitable early care and education system.

All interested parties are encouraged to apply.

Project Background

The Long Beach Early Learning Hub [https://thehublb.org/] is an innovative platform designed to streamline access to childcare services for families in Long Beach. It provides a centralized, multilingual system for families to search for childcare options, determine eligibility for financial assistance, and complete enrollment processes. The Hub is designed to offer specialized supports for high-risk families, enhancing their economic stability and socio-economic mobility.

Since launching in August 2023, The Hub has connected with families through more than 17,000 website visits and nearly 7,000 childcare searches. Over 400 applications have been submitted, resulting in 80+ tuition assistance awards. The Hub has also grown from an initial 10 participating organizations with 50 sites to a network of over 140 childcare sites across the community.

Project Objectives

1. 1. Assess Economic Impact for Families utilizing the Hub:
   • Analyze the short-term and long-term economic benefits, and socio-economic stabilization offered via The Hub services for families/households, including a specific analysis on high-risk and at-risk populations.
   • Evaluate improvements in economic mobility for families/households accessing childcare through The Hub, including changes in family income or earning potential, employment status, and financial stability.
   • Examine the unique methods by which The Hub targets and supports high-risk families, including those experiencing homelessness, potential child welfare involvement, or other adverse outcomes.
   • Estimate the increase in earning potential among families supported by the Hub and Hub childcare providers through access to childcare. Analyze how that income contributes to the local economy. Specifically, the evaluation should:
     1. Measure household income earning potential and economic mobility enabled by reliable childcare access;
     2. Estimate community return on investment by modeling increased local tax revenue, spending, etc.;
     3. Assess potential reductions in the use of public assistance programs.
   1. Evaluate Socio-Economic Stabilization of Hub ancillary financial support connectivity:
   • Assess the direct and indirect economic impact of The Hub’s tuition assistance program and connectivity to additional financial resource programs supported by the Hub. Analyze how the connection to childcare subsidies and/or tuition assistance contributes to the economic stability of the family and local economy. Specifically, the evaluation should:
     1. Measure household income earning potential and economic mobility enabled by reliable childcare access;
     2. Estimate community return on investment by modeling increased workforce participation, etc.
     3. Assess potential reductions in the use of other public assistance programs and improved outcomes in areas such as housing stability and food security.
   • Identify how The Hub could support socio-economic stabilization for families by connecting them to essential resources beyond childcare enrollment.
   • Evaluate the most effective ancillary support services that could contribute to family stabilization and economic mobility.
   1. Measure Economic Impact of Hub Participating Childcare Providers [preferred but TBD based on time/budget constraints]:
   • Evaluate the economic impact experienced by childcare providers participating with The Hub:
     1. Analyze how provider earnings are reinvested locally through staffing, purchasing, taxes, etc.
     2. Estimate the broader economic contribution of the local ECE sector on the community, including job creation and business stability.

1. 1. 1. Quantify the economic output of families enabled by Hub participating providers serving working families, including low-income families, at-risk, and systems impacted families.
   • Evaluate the economic impact of Hub participation on early care and education (ECE) providers in Long Beach. Specifically, the evaluation should:
     1. Quantify cost savings for providers related to reduced administrative workload and centralized application processing;
     2. Measure marketing and outreach savings resulting from Hub visibility and referrals;
     3. Assess childcare provider stability and revenue growth tied to participation in The Hub;
   1. Recommendations for Continuous Improvement:
   • Provide actionable policy and programmatic recommendations for enhancing The Hub’s operations, economic impact and support mechanisms for high-risk families.
   • Translate key findings into an executive summary and visual summary for broader communication (e.g., “Economic Impact at a Glance”).

Scope of Work

The selected Firm/evaluator will be responsible for the following:

• • Conducting qualitative and quantitative data collection, including field research, surveys, interviews, and focus groups with families.
  • Analyzing data to measure the economic impact and socio-economic benefits of The Hub.
  • Developing a final report with findings and actionable recommendations.
  • Collaborating with The Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach and other key stakeholders.

Proposal Requirements

Qualified applicants are required to submit a proposal that includes:

1. 1. Organizational Profile: Background, qualifications, and experience in conducting similar evaluations.
   2. Evaluation Approach and Methodology: Description of the approach, including data collection methods and analysis techniques.
   3. Project Timeline: Timeline to complete the evaluation, including key milestones.
   4. Budget: Detailed budget with a breakdown of costs, not exceeding $35,000.
   5. Team Composition: Names, qualifications, and roles of team members.
   6. References: Contact information for three relevant references.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• • Understanding of the project objectives.
  • Experience and qualifications of the evaluator.
  • Soundness of the proposed evaluation methodology.
  • Cost-effectiveness of the budget.
  • Capacity to complete the evaluation within the timeline.

Insurance Requirements

Firm shall procure and maintain at its own expense for the duration of this Contract the following insurance and bond against claims for injuries to persons or damage to property that may arise from or in connection with the performance of this Contract, its agents, representatives, or employees:

• Commercial general liability insurance (equivalent in scope to ISO form CG 00 01 11 85 or CG 00 01 11 88) in an amount not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) general aggregate. Such coverage shall include but not be limited to broad form contractual liability, cross liability, independent contractors liability, and products and completed operations liability.

Community Partners (fob Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach) as well as The City of Long Beach, their Boards and Commissions, officials, employees and agents shall be named as additional insureds; and this insurance shall contain no special limitations on the scope of protection given to Community Partners, the City, their Boards and Commissions, officials, employees and agents.

• Workers’ Compensation insurance as required by the California Labor Code.

• Employer’s liability insurance in an amount not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) per claim.

• Professional liability or errors and omissions insurance in an amount not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) per claim.

• Commercial automobile liability insurance (equivalent in scope to ISO form CA 00 01 06 92), covering Auto Symbol 1 (Any Auto) in an amount not less than Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) combined single limit per accident.

• Blanket Honesty Bond in an amount equal to at least fifty percent (50%) of the total amount to be disbursed to Organization hereunder or Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000), whichever is less, to safeguard the proper handling of funds by employees, agents or representatives of Organization who sign as the maker of checks or drafts or in any manner authorize the disbursement or expenditure of said funds.

Prior to the start of performance or payment of first invoice, Firm shall deliver to the Community Partners (via the Mayor’s Fund) certificates of insurance and required endorsements for approval as to sufficiency and form. The certificate and endorsements for each insurance policy shall contain the original signature of a person authorized by that insurer to bind coverage on its behalf. In addition, Firm shall, within thirty (30) days prior to expiration of the insurance required herein, furnish to Community Partners (via the Mayor’s Fund) certificates of insurance and endorsements evidencing renewal of such insurance. Community Partners (fbo the Mayor’s Fund) reserves the right to require complete certified copies of all policies and Firm shall make available to the Community Partners (via the Mayor’s Fund) or his/her designee during normal business hours all books, records and other information relating to the insurance coverage required herein.

Submission Instructions

Proposals must be submitted electronically to mayorsfundlb.@gmail.com ; Subject: “Hub Econ Evaluation RFP – [Company Name]”

Reservation of Rights

The Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive any informalities, and to accept the proposal that is determined to be in the best interest of the organization.

Evaluation Rubric - Evaluation Criteria and Scoring System

Understanding of Project Objectives (20 Points) - Clear demonstration of understanding of project objectives, background, and goals.

Evaluation Approach and Methodology (25 Points) - Comprehensive and appropriate approach for assessing economic impact, including data collection, analysis.

Experience and Qualifications (20 Points) - Proven experience in economic impact evaluations, expertise in socio-economic analysis, and qualifications.

Budget and Cost-Effectiveness (15 Points) - Detailed, realistic budget aligned with project scope and cost-effectiveness within the budget.

Timeline and Feasibility (10 Points) - Clear, feasible timeline that aligns with the project’s start and end dates.

References and Past Performance (10 Points) - Positive references demonstrating success in similar projects and strong past performance.

Scoring Guidelines

• Outstanding (90-100%) - The proposal exceeds expectations in most or all areas of evaluation, demonstrating exceptional understanding, a robust methodology, strong qualifications, and a cost-effective budget.
• Good (75-89%) - The proposal meets expectations in most areas with only minor weaknesses. The approach is solid, qualifications are appropriate, and the budget is reasonable.
• Satisfactory (60-74%) - The proposal meets basic requirements but may lack in certain areas such as methodology detail or cost-effectiveness.
• Unsatisfactory (<60%) - The proposal fails to meet expectations in several areas, such as lacking a clear approach, inadequate qualifications, or an unrealistic budget.

Evaluator Instructions

1. Review each proposal carefully, considering each criterion and the associated maximum points.
2. Provide comments for each criterion explaining the rationale for the assigned score.
3. Ensure all scores are consistent with the scoring guidelines.
4. Total the points for each proposal and rank them based on the final score.
5. Submit the completed evaluation rubric to the RFP review committee for final review and decision-making.