The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is for the City of Olympia (City) to solicit proposals from qualified respondents to provide research regarding successful youth council models and best practices and providing recommendations on how to best organize and seat a Youth Council for the City of Olympia.

The City of Olympia would like to explore creating a platform for youth to engage their local government and be a part of the important decisions being made now that affect them in the short term and long term.  Currently there is not a structure in place to ensure the voices of youth are contributing to City of Olympia government and decision making in a meaningful manner.  In July 2019, the City Council passed Resolution No. M-2045, stating an ongoing commitment to working with youth on collective actions and strategies related to issues regarding climate change. 

Early civic engagement is mutually beneficial to young people and to the communities they live in.  In particular, participation in government is especially important for youth with diverse identities who traditionally have not had a seat at the table in government settings. Youth civic engagement is foundational to establishing sustained involvement in the democratic process.

The intent of a City of Olympia Youth Council will be to foster collaboration between young people and the governing bodies that serve them in various decision-making processes. The City wants young people to take a more active role in decisions regarding programs and policies impacting them.  A Youth Council can assist City policymakers in ensuring they are considering fresh perspectives and ideas for addressing the long-term needs of community members.

The RFP can be found on the City of Olympia website: https://www.olympiawa.gov/government/contracts___purchasing/rfps_rfqs.php

The deadline for submission of proposal is 4:00 p.m., Pacific Time (PT), Friday, September 23, 2022.

Proposals shall be submitted to the City by email to the RFP Coordinator at sgrisham@ci.olympia.wa.us. The proposal must be in Word or PDF format.

No faxed or mailed submittals will be accepted. For questions about this RFP, please contact the RFP Coordinator via email at sgrisham@ci.olympia.wa.us .  Questions via telephone will not be accepted.  All questions to this proposal must be sent to the RFP Coordinator via email by August 29, 2022.  Questions received after this date may not be answered.

To Make Public Records Request: To obtain records related to this RFP via a public records request, please visit our Public Records webpage. Public records fees apply.