2026 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Request for Proposal

2026 Comprehensive Economic Development (CEDS) Request for Proposal

Request for Proposal (PDF Link)

OVERVIEW

Superior California Economic Development (SCED) seeks proposals from qualified consulting firms to prepare its next Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. The CEDS will serve as the region’s economic development roadmap and will guide strategic action, investment priorities, collaboration, and resilience planning across the Superior California Economic Development District.

The selected consultant will work closely with staff, board leadership, and a designated CEDS Strategy Committee to produce an EDA-compliant CEDS consistent with 13 C.F.R. § 303.7 and the 2025 EDA CEDS Content Guidelines. The work should be grounded in meaningful stakeholder engagement, current and relevant data, practical implementation planning, and a format that can support future annual performance reporting and five-year updates.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Superior California Economic Development is a regional economic development organization serving Shasta, Siskiyou, Modoc, and Trinity Counties in Northern California. The organization supports regional planning, capital access, project implementation, and works with local governments, tribes, lenders, chambers, employers, educational institutions, and other partners to advance economic opportunity throughout the district.

Located at the northern end of the Sacramento Valley and extending into the far northeastern corner of California, the District borders both Nevada and Oregon. It also connects westward to Del Norte and Humboldt Counties and south to Tehama County. Shasta County, and the City of Redding in particular, functions as the primary commercial hub for the region. The District includes 13 incorporated cities, as well as numerous unincorporated communities, many of which lack formal municipal governance structures.

Spanning approximately 11.3 million acres, the District is home to a population of approximately 244,000 residents and a labor force of roughly 99,000. The regional economy is diverse, with a mix of service-producing, goods-producing, and government sectors, though many communities face persistent economic challenges related to rurality, infrastructure, and workforce capacity.

This project will result in a five-year CEDS that meets the requirements of the U.S. Economic Development Administration and provides a clear, actionable framework for regional priorities. The plan is expected to support future grant applications, strengthen regional coordination, identify priority projects, and help align local, state, tribal, and federal economic development efforts.

The CEDS should reflect current economic conditions and emerging opportunities across the region, while also addressing economic resilience, infrastructure, workforce, housing, business development, and the distinct needs and assets of rural communities.

PROPOSED PROJECT SCHEDULE

  • RFP Issued - April 20, 2026

  • Questions Due - May 8, 2026

  • Responses to Questions Released - May 12, 2026

  • Proposals Due - May 15, 2026

  • Interviews and Selection - May 18 - May 29, 2026

  • Notice to Proceed - June 1, 2026

  • Projeck Kickoff - June 2026

  • Draft CEDS Due - December 2026

  • Public Comment Period - December 2026 - January 2027

  • Final CEDS Completion - March 2027

CEDS VISION & IMPLEMENTATION EXPECTATIONS

The following information is provided to clarify SCED’s vision and desired level of implementation detail for the 2027–2032 CEDS process.

SCED is seeking a practical, implementation-oriented strategy document that clearly connects goals, actions, accountability, funding alignment opportunities, and measurable outcomes. Respondents are encouraged to consider frameworks that include elements such as:

  • Action item

  • Responsible party

  • Metric/KPI

  • Baseline metric or existing condition

  • Measurement methodology/data source

  • Potential funding alignment opportunities

  • Implementation timeline/prioritization

Illustrative Example:

Strategic Goal: Strengthen the Regional Visitor Economy

Action Item

Example: Develop and implement a regional tourism marketing and visitor attraction strategy focused on overnight stays, outdoor recreation, cultural assets, and event-based tourism across the District.

Responsible Parties

Example: SCED in partnership with county tourism entities, Redding Chamber of Commerce, Siskiyou Economic Development Council, municipal governments, tribal partners, and destination marketing organizations (DMOs).

Metric/KPI

Example: Annual visitor spending by county.

Baseline Metric

Example: 2025 annual visitor spending totals for each county, to be identified and documented by the consultant.

Measurement Methodology/Data Sources

Example: Consultant should identify and recommend consistent annual data sources and methodologies for tracking visitor spending over time. Potential sources may include Dean Runyan Associates tourism economic impact reports, Visit California datasets, STR lodging data, local transient occupancy tax (TOT) data, mobile device visitation analytics, or other validated tourism economic impact sources. Final CEDS should include a recommended reporting and update framework.

This example is intended solely to illustrate SCED's desired level of specificity, implementation focus, and measurable performance tracking within the final CEDS document.

STRATSIMPLE PLATFORM

SCED anticipates utilizing the StratSimple community engagement platform to support public and stakeholder input during the CEDS process. Respondents should anticipate collaborating with staff on drafting and refining survey and stakeholder engagement questions.

QUESTIONS and RESPONSES

The following questions were submitted regarding the 2026 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Request for Proposal. Responses are provided for clarification purposes and will be considered part of the official RFP documentation.

Posted: May 2026

Question 1:

Question: Is there a defined budget range or target amount that proposers should consider when preparing the cost proposal?

Response: At this time, SCED is not providing a specific budget range, as we are interested in evaluating the range of approaches, scopes, and levels of effort that firms may propose. This approach will allow us to better assess overall value and alignment with project goals. Proposers are encouraged to submit a proposal that reflects the scope, methodology, and resources they believe are appropriate to successfully complete the CEDS.

Question 2:

Question: Is submission of the final CEDS to EDA included within the scope of this engagement, or is it considered optional?

Response: SCED will submit the final CEDS to EDA.

Question 3:

Question: Will there be an EDA point of contact assigned to review draft submissions? If so, will SCED coordinate and facilitate this review process?

Response: SCED will coordinate and facilitate the review process.

Question 4:

Question: Is the StratSimple platform license fully covered by SCED, or should proposers account for any additional costs?

Response: The StratSimple platform license will be fully covered by SCED.

Question 5:

Question: Has the CEDS Strategy Committee already been established, or will the selected consultant be expected to support recruitment? Additionally, how many committee meetings are anticipated?

Response: Yes, the CEDS Strategy Committee has already been established. SCED anticipates approximately one committee meeting per month from June through Fall 2026.

Question 6:

Question: Are there specific tribal nations that SCED expects to be engaged, and is there an existing tribal engagement framework or MOU template available?

Response: Yes. SCED expects engagement with the following tribal nations: the Redding Rancheria, the Pit River Tribe, and the Karuk Tribe. At this time, SCED does not have an existing tribal engagement framework or MOU template available.

Question 7:

Question: Will access to prior CEDS documents and the California Jobs First North State Regional Plan (Parts I and II) be provided prior to award, or only after contract execution?

Response: These documents are publicly available and may be reviewed at any time using the links below:

Question 8:

Question: Are there any preferred or required formats for data appendices and supporting files (e.g., ArcGIS shapefiles, Excel datasets)?

Response: Datasets should be provided in Microsoft Excel format.

Question 9:

Question: To what degree does SCED want specific goals/actions tailored to each of the 4 counties?

Response: We are looking for a single “core” document with collective SWOT analysis and Goals/Actions and Evaluation Framework for the whole SCED region.

Question 10:

Question: To what degree does SCED expect unique community engagement within each of the 4 counties?

Response: We plan to do focused outreach within each county. Focus groups and online surveys primarily.

Question 11:

Question: The RFP mentions persistent challenges around rurality, infrastructure, and workforce, are there any specific industries, corridors, or communities SCED wants the CEDS to prioritize that aren't reflected in the RFP?

Response: SCED welcomes the selected consultant’s expertise and recommendations regarding additional industries, corridors, communities, and emerging regional opportunities that should be prioritized through the CEDS process.

Question 12:

Question: Has SCED identified any specific economic shocks or vulnerabilities (e.g. post-wildfire recovery, timber industry decline, healthcare workforce recruiting challenges) that the CEDS should explicitly address in the resilience component?

Response: Yes, all those areas mentioned should be addressed in the resilience component. We also welcome the selected consultant’s expertise and recommendations of other shocks or vulnerabilities that are identified through the CEDS process.

Question 13:

Question: What role does Shasta County and the City of Redding play in CEDS governance versus the more rural counties like Modoc and Trinity? Has balancing those interests been a challenge in prior planning efforts?-

Response: Shasta County and the City of Redding play important leadership and economic roles within the region; however, the CEDS is intended to reflect the needs, priorities, and opportunities of all four counties and communities. While differing priorities naturally exist across such a large and diverse region, collaboration and regional coordination have remained strong throughout prior planning efforts.

Question 14:

Question: What changes are you hoping to make compared to your previous CEDS, and what do you feel was missing from earlier versions?

Response: Overall, we were satisfied with the previous CEDS. For this upcoming effort, we would like to see a stronger emphasis on measurable metrics and identified roles and responsibilities for implementation.

Question 15:

Question: Were there any stakeholder groups, communities, or industries that you feel were underrepresented or left out of prior planning efforts?

Response: SCED is especially interested in ensuring strong engagement with tribal communities, unincorporated communities, government agencies, private sector interests, nonprofits, community and labor groups, workforce boards, utilities, business community, county and local jurisdictions, local EDC’s and geographically isolated rural areas that may face barriers to economic participation and investment.

Question 16:

Question: Is there a recommended page limit for RFP submissions?

Response: SCED did not establish a formal page limit for submissions, however as general guidance, proposals in the range of approximately 15–20 pages should be sufficient.

Question 17:

Question: Are there specific expectations around stakeholder engagement format? For example, whether meetings should be held in-person or virtually, and whether they should be structured as individual or group sessions?

Response: SCED anticipates that most stakeholder engagement activities will occur virtually and primarily in group settings. However, individual meetings or targeted outreach may also be appropriate as needed, particularly for key partners, tribal representatives, or stakeholders with specific expertise or regional perspectives.

Question 18:

Question: How successful have you been in securing funding connected to your current or past CEDS efforts?-

Response: We have secured multiple EDA grants via the CEDS.

Question 19:

Question: Does SCED currently have a GIS-map of capital improvement projects in the district?

Response: No.

Question 20:

Question: In the last year, has SCED completed any county-level needs assessments?

Response: No.

Question 21:

Question: Will the CEDS Strategy Committee also be the group working directly with the consultant on the development and refinement of strategies within the Strategic Direction component of the CEDS?

Response: Yes.

Question 22:

Question: Is direct experience with StratSimple required for consideration as the successful bidder?

Response: No. Direct experience with StratSimple would be beneficial, but is not required for consideration.  

QUESTIONS

All questions concerning the RFP will be directed to:

Nikki Espinosa, Program Specialist
nikki@scedd.org
Superior California Economic Development
350 Hartnell Avenue, Suite A, Redding, CA 96002
Office: 530-225-2760