Issue Date: 6/12/26
Submissions Due: 6/26/26
EMAIL SUBMISSIONS TO:
amunoz@shorerivers.org & wgray@shorerivers.org
Facilitation services are sought for Envision the Choptank’s Producer-led Bundling Agricultural Practices Program. Responsibilities include convening an Advisory Committee, and organizational and administrative support of the Landowner Assistance Coordinator, Producer-Led Groups, and Community Liaisons. Facilitation services provided by the winning bidder will support the overall work of the Envision the Choptank partnership’s Whole Watershed work in the Upper Choptank watershed in Maryland and Delaware.
PROJECT INFORMATION:
ShoreRivers is a partner in Envision the Choptank, a network of more than 40 nonprofits, government agencies, scientists, and community groups that work together to restore swimmable, fishable waters to the Choptank River and support healthy and productive native oyster reefs in a way that best meets the needs of surrounding communities. In operation since 2015, the collaborative pairs local knowledge and values with the latest science and technology to target work in places where it will be the most effective and long-lasting for improving Choptank River water quality, wildlife habitat, and community well-being.
The Envision the Choptank (Envision) partnership was awarded a five-year grant through the Maryland Whole Watershed Act fund (WWA). Envision’s WWA project provides a holistic approach to improving watershed health by implementing projects across multiple sectors to maximize benefits within the Upper Choptank watershed. With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the facilitation services sought in this RFP will complement Envision’s WWA efforts to engage agricultural producers in an innovative, producer-led approach to create implementation plans for high priority agricultural conservation practices in the Upper Choptank watershed in Maryland and Delaware. The facilitation services are intended to support this work by organizing Advisory Committee meetings and Producer-Led Group meetings, as well as providing scheduling, management, and administrative support for both, as needed to best support the needs of the participants and the objectives of the project. Program Facilitators will also coordinate with and provide support to Community Liaisons.
The successful candidate will assist the partnership and support and engage producers in an innovative approach to accelerate the implementation of best management practices (BMPs) A key goal of this work is to identify local leaders who will assist Envision the Choptank with furthering its mission to improve water quality of the Choptank River while building up the capacity for communities to continue to implement water quality and resiliency practices that serve their constituents.
SCOPE OF WORK:
The awarded bidder is expected to supply the following:
Facilitation of Producer-Led Groups Provide coordination and facilitation of Producer-Led Groups for each of the focus sub-watersheds. This includes organizing, facilitating, and synthesizing the meeting outcomes to share with the Advisory Committee.
Facilitation of Advisory Committee Provide coordination and facilitation of an Advisory Committee. This includes communication, scheduling, management, and administrative support for the Advisory Committee to uphold the project objectives and participant needs. The facilitator will also act as a liaison between the Advisory Committee and the Producer-Led Groups by coordinating the sharing of ideas and information, and providing guidance.
Supervise the Landowner Assistance Coordinator (LAC) The facilitator will be the primary supervisor and work with the Talbot Soil Conservation District to provide overall management of the LAC. The facilitator will supervise the LAC in such a way as to ensure that the LAC can achieve their position goals and objectives.
Community Liaison Support Assist the LAC on the engagement, onboarding, and ongoing support of Community Liaisons. The Community Liaisons are farmers and/or agricultural landowners who will conduct outreach and recruit participants to engage in the Producer-Led Groups.
SCHEDULE:
Services are sought for a four-year term that starts on July 1, 2026, and ends December 31, 2030.
BID RESPONSE FORM:
Please provide the following in your response:
The name and full contact information of your company and, if applicable, any other entity comprising your team. Attach resumes of individuals involved.
Basic information and history about the business entity, financial information, technical capability, and any other details you feel are important for us to know.
A list and description of three projects completed within the previous five years that are relevant to this project. If the relevance is not immediately obvious, please briefly describe the relationship as you see it. Feel free to include any reports, communications, or other collaterals that exemplify the quality or content of past projects.
A narrative plan describing how the applicant will fulfill the objectives of this Request for Proposal. Please provide as much detail as possible.
A fee proposal that aligns with the narrative plan. Detail to the greatest extent possible the cost for service, hourly rates (if applicable), typical direct out-of-pocket costs such as travel reimbursement, copies, mailings etc., and any other anticipated expenses that you foresee.
A successful applicant must provide proof of insurance based on the services or product provided.
Submission deadline: Proposals must be emailed to Ariana Muñoz (amunoz@shorerivers.org) and Whitley Gray (wgray@shorerivers.org) no later than 5pm June 26, 2026.