Federal Lobbyist Request for Proposals

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR
FEDERAL LOBBYIST
RFP OPENING DATE: August 21, 2026
RFP CLOSING DATE: September 7, 2026
City of St. Louis
Office of the Mayor
1200 Market Street, Room 200
St. Louis, MO 63103

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ESTIMATED SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE): 2
I. Purpose and Intent 3
II. Contact Person & Questions 4
III. Submission & Deadline 4
IV. Required Qualifications & Certifications 5
V. Scope of Services & Project Objectives 5
VI. Method of Compensation 5
VII. Required Proposal Contents 5
VIII. Proposal Evaluation 6
IX. Standard Contract Terms 7
A. Recordkeeping & Audits 7
B. Non-Discrimination Policy 8
C. Public Records Law 8
D. Living Wage 8
E. Unauthorized Aliens Affidavit 9
F. Anti-Discrimination Against Israel Act 9
G. Independent Contractor 9
H. Indemnification 9
I. Insurance 10
J. Subject to Appropriation of Funds 10
K. Prohibition on Limitation of Liability Clauses 11
L. Termination 11
N. Prohibition of Clickwraps and End User License Agreements 12
O. Earnings Tax Requirements. 12
X. Governing Law and Venue 13
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ESTIMATED SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):
Date Activity/Time
8/21/2026 Request for Proposal Released
Deadline for Bidder's Pre-Application Questions - NO
9/2/2026
EXCEPTIONS 11:59 PM (CST)
9/7/2026 Due Date of Application - NO EXCEPTIONS 11:59 PM (CST)
9/11/2026 Selection by Selection Committee
9/14/2026 Notification of Award
9/21/2026 Tentative Contract Start Date
I. Purpose and Intent
The Office of the Mayor of the City of St. Louis seeks an experienced, hard-working, proactive,
and qualified federal lobbying team to advance the City's interests in Washington, D.C., focusing
on securing discretionary funding, influencing legislation related to urban infrastructure, public
safety, community development, and economic growth. Key priorities include maximizing
federal formula funds and leveraging grant opportunities for city initiatives.
In a time of profound federal uncertainty and dynamic policy shifts, the City of St. Louis cannot
afford to navigate Washington D.C. without a robust and exceptionally qualified federal lobbying
team. The Mayor's Office seeks proposals for a lobbying consultant whose services are not
merely beneficial, but essential to safeguarding the City's future. More than just advocates, the
successful firm will act as a trusted advisor and expert navigator, helping the City to secure
desperately needed federal funding, advance our federal policy agenda, address our financial and
disaster recovery needs, and monitor the rapidly changing political environment.
Strategic Advocacy
The firm will serve as the City's primary voice in Washington, D.C., proactively identifying and
shaping and executing a comprehensive legislative agenda that directly supports St. Louis's
strategic goals. This includes identifying emerging legislative opportunities, leading direct
engagement and advocacy efforts before the U.S. Congress, key federal agencies, and the
Executive Branch, and ensuring the City's specific priorities-especially those related to urban
infrastructure, public safety, community development, and economic growth-are advanced
during appropriations cycles and policy negotiations. The ultimate objective is to move beyond
mere representation to achieve measurable influence on federal policy decisions that impact the
City's long-term future and financial stability.
Legislative Monitoring & Intelligence
The firm must provide an advanced, high-stakes intelligence function to ensure the City
maintains a strategic advantage in a rapidly changing federal environment. This capability is
essential for preemptive action and maximizing opportunity. Key requirements include:
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Proactive Legislative and Regulatory Analysis: Provide timely, actionable intelligence
and detailed analysis of all federal legislation, regulatory changes, and Executive Branch
policy developments that could affect the City's operations, finances, and strategic
priorities. This goes beyond simple updates to include risk assessments and strategic
implications for municipal departments.
Comprehensive Policy Monitoring: Continuously track federal policy and funding
shifts related to critical urban issues, including but not limited to workforce development,
affordable housing, infrastructure modernization (especially transportation and
broadband), public health, public safety, and disaster response.
Fiscal Impact Assessment: Conduct or be able to support the conducting of rapid,
in-depth analysis of the immediate and long-term fiscal impact of proposed federal policy
changes (e.g., potential freezes, budget cuts, or new funding authorizations) on the City's
$177 million annual federal funding portfolio, enabling the Mayor's Office to prepare for
contingencies and advocate effectively.
Strategic Positioning: Offer expert advice on how the City should strategically position
itself to respond to emerging federal trends, including identifying earmarks, private
funding, and competitive grant opportunities before they are more widely distributed or
announced, thereby maximizing the City's competitive advantage.
Robust Communication: Provide immediate alerts on critical legislative moves like key
bills, amendments, or committee votes; notifications regarding federal funding
opportunities or grant deadline shifts; regular strategy reviews on progress and to adjust
goals; crisis briefs if a negative policy or regulatory change threatens key City matters;
pre- and post-meeting briefings for meetings with federal legislative, executive,
regulatory, and interest stakeholders; and direct access to senior team members..
Federal Funding
The City of St. Louis relies on approximately $177 million in federal funds annually, supporting
over 150 municipal projects and numerous City worker positions. This vital revenue stream,
which underpins critical local services, is currently under severe threat due to the federal
landscape of potential freezes and budget cuts. The loss of these funds would trigger widespread
service degradation and potential layoffs across multiple departments, demanding immediate and
expert intervention. Specifically, major programs facing severe impact include:
Housing and Development (CDA/DHS): Programs responsible for affordable housing
units, diminished oversight capabilities, and housing stabilization efforts would be
severely curtailed, leading to potential layoffs of staff and reduced assistance to clients.
Public Health (DOH): Critical health services such as the Tuberculosis (TB) program
would cease to exist, while HIV Surveillance, STD/HIV activities, and Core Medical
Services for people living with HIV/AIDS would be severely impacted, leading to an
increased risk of transmission, poor medical outcomes, and a lack of community
resources. Behavioral Health Bureau programs, which serve wards with the highest
mental health and overdose rates, would also face significant reductions.
Workforce and Economic Development (SLATE): Workforce training, employment
connection, and paid internship opportunities for over 11,000 people annually, including
at-risk youth programs like Jobs League and YouthBuild, rely heavily on this funding and
face possible cancellation.
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Public Safety: Funds supporting crime reduction efforts and technology are also at risk.
The City of St. Louis has a successful record of securing Community Project Funding (CPF) and
other discretionary federal grants, which are essential for addressing critical needs in human
services, public safety, and infrastructure. To maintain and expand this proven track record, we
require a federal lobbying partner to provide expert strategic guidance and proactive support.
This team will be crucial for navigating the complex federal funding landscape and ensuring the
City continues to secure the resources vital to its most urgent priorities.
Disaster Recovery
The City's federal imperative is urgently compounded by the May 16, 2025, tornado
(DR-4877-MO), which inflicted over $1.6B in estimated property loss and impacted more than
5,000 structures. The City requires aggressive advocacy to expedite and continue to shore up
critical federal approvals, including $25M in Public Assistance reimbursements, ongoing Private
Property Debris Removal (PPDR) mission support, and support for human services needs, while
actively and aggressively pursuing a vital HUD CDBG-DR allocation estimated at
$400M-$1B+.
Continued timely payments for the City's Public Assistance reimbursements remains critical to
maintain municipal liquidity. Especially critical is securing the anticipated $400M-$1B+ HUD
Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocation is particularly
critical, as these funds are essential for long-term affordable housing, economic development,
and infrastructure resilience. For several months, the city has worked closely with its federal
partners on this, providing information to position them for meetings and strategic efforts. This
allocation is highly competitive, demanding strategic positioning, coordinated messaging, and
high-level engagement with HUD leadership to ensure St. Louis receives its necessary share.
This is essential to secure the city's economic recovery and safe community reopening.
Relationship Management
The City requires a highly experienced federal lobbying and advocacy partner. The successful
firm must demonstrate a profound understanding of federal legislative and regulatory processes,
coupled with established, bipartisan relationships across the entirety of the federal landscape,
including the U.S. Congress, Executive Branch, and federal agencies. Maintaining and enhancing
the City's bipartisan reputation in Washington is paramount. The selected consultant will be
responsible for cultivating active and positive relationships with the Missouri Congressional
Delegation and key committee staff, and for organizing and facilitating direct engagement
between City leadership and federal decision-makers.
Reporting & Compliance
The successful firm is required to furnish to the Mayor's Office comprehensive reports on an
at-least biweekly basis that detail all lobbying activities, key federal contacts made, and potential
funding avenues secured. Furthermore, the firm must guarantee complete compliance with all
federal lobbying registration and disclosure statutes, including all required filings and statements.
The firm ultimately reports directly to the Mayor, with the Mayor's Chief of Staff serving as the
office's primary point of contact for the firm on the Mayor's behalf.
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Purpose of the RFP
The purpose of this RFP is to promote and ensure the fairest, most efficient means to obtain the
benefits of the most qualified, responsive, and responsible proposal. Hereinafter, organizations
interested in submitting a proposal in response to this RFP shall be referred to as "Respondents."
Issuing an RFP does not obligate the City of St. Louis to award a contract to any provider, nor is
the City of St. Louis or any of its employees or agents liable for any loss, costs, damage, or
liability of whatever nature incurred by the organizations in the preparation of proposals.
Nothing in this RFP nor in any proposal in response to this RFP is intended to be, nor should
anything be construed, as an offer of engagement, nor shall the selection of a Respondent be
construed as an offer of engagement unless and until a contract is fully negotiated and fully
executed by all parties. The City retains the right to award parts of the contract to several
bidders, not to select any bidders, and/or to re-solicit proposals.
The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals submitted and to waive any and/or all
non-material irregularities pertaining to the submission of the proposal. Additionally, any and all
RFP project elements, requirements, and schedules are subject to change and modification. The
City also reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate at its sole discretion any and all
aspect(s) of the RFP process to obtain further information from any and all respondents, and to
waive any defects as to form or content of the RFP or any responses by any
organization/business.
Any such modification, clarification, or revision will be by addendum. All RFP addenda will be
issued on the City website. To access addenda, Respondents must locate "RFP for Federal
Lobbyist" at the following address: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/procurement.cfm. It
is the sole responsibility of Respondents to be knowledgeable of all addenda related to this RFP.
This RFP may be canceled at any time and any and all proposals may be rejected, in whole or in
part, when the Mayor's Office determines it is in the best interest of the City. All submitted
materials will become the property of the City and will not be returned. At the discretion of the
City, any submitted documents may become open public records at any time during the selection
process. Any such documents shall become open public records at the conclusion of the
selection process. Proposals and communications exchanged in response to this RFP should be
assumed to be subject to public disclosure. By submitting a response to this RFP, each
Respondent acknowledges having read this RFP in its entirety and agrees to all terms and
conditions set out in this RFP.
Respondents may submit amended proposals before the deadline for receipt. Such amended
proposals must be complete replacements for a previous submission and must be clearly
identified as such in the transmittal letter. The Mayor's Office will not merge, collate, or
assemble the Respondent's materials. Respondents are permitted to withdraw their submissions
at any time prior to the deadline for receipt. Respondents must submit a written withdrawal
request signed by the Respondent's duly Authorized Representative(s) addressed to the Mayor's
Office
II. Contact Person & Questions
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Please direct all communications regarding the RFP Process to: Kaitlyn Smith, Policy Associate,
at smithka@stlouis-mo.gov, 314-622-3201. No contact with other City employees regarding this
RFP is permitted. Unauthorized contact regarding this RFP may result in disqualification or
rejection of a proposal.
Questions must be submitted no later than September 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM (CST). The Mayor's
Office will maintain a list of all firms or individuals requesting copies of the RFP and will ensure
that copies of all questions and responses shall be made available in writing to each firm on such
list, when requested. Answers will also be publicly posted at
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/procurement.cfm.
Questions should be asked in consecutive order, from beginning to end, following the
organization of this RFP. Each question should begin by referencing the RFP page number and
section number to which it relates. Short procedural inquiries may be accepted by telephone;
however, oral explanations or instructions given over the telephone shall not be binding upon the
Mayor's Office. Respondents should not otherwise contact the Mayor's Office directly, in
person, by telephone, facsimile, or by e-mail, concerning this RFP.
Contact with the Mayor's Office after the submission of proposals is limited to status inquiries
only and such inquiries are only to be directed to the above-named individual. Any further
contact or information about the RFP to the Mayor's Office or any of its employees or any
Selection Committee Members will be considered an impermissible supplementation of the
respondent's proposal.
III. Submission & Deadline
In order for the Mayor's Office to consider proposals, Respondent's submission must be received
by:
Date: September 7, 2026
Time: 11:59 P.M. CST
Location: Via email to smithka@stlouis-mo.gov.
Proposals received after this deadline will not be accepted.
The email must have a subject line: RFP FOR FEDERAL LOBBYIST.
IV. Required Qualifications
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Registration as a federal lobbyist and at least 5 years experience with clients of a similar size or
function.
V. Scope of Services and Objectives
The selected proponent shall provide the following services:
1. Establish and maintain a working relationship with federal-level government
agencies, officials and elected representatives and their staffs on behalf of the
City.
2. Represent the City in negotiations with federal-level agencies, officials and
elected representatives and their staff regarding proposed legislation or desired
funding as outlined by the Mayor of the City of St. Louis or her designee.
3. Arrange with the City for testimony at committee hearings, or submission of
written comments, to promote the legislative package or funding goals of the
City, or to respond to proposed legislation directly impacting such package or
goals, and assist in the preparation of same.
4. Assist the City in the preparation of proposals for funding.
5. Consult with the Mayor and designated staff members regarding the
development of a legislative package and federal funding goals and
development of a strategy maximizing the prospects for passage of such
legislation and achievement of such goals.
6. Monitor all federal legislation affecting the City.
7. At the request of the City, conduct research into federal legislation, programs,
sources of funding and other topics related to the interests of the City.
8. Provide regular verbal or written reports of legislation affecting the City and/or
detailing consultant's activities on behalf of the City as specified by the Mayor
or her designee.
9. Register or maintain registration, maintain all records and file all reports, as
required of the applicant pursuant to federal, state and local laws.
10. At the request of the City, make oral presentations following completion of the
initial contract term and each renewal term summarizing the results of the
consultant's activities on the City's behalf during each such term.
11. Other assignments as directed and requested in writing by the Mayor.
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VI. Term/Method of Compensation
The anticipated contract term is September 2026 - September 2029, with two successive options
for the City to renew for terms of 1 year each. City contracts typically provide for a right for
the City to terminate for convenience with 30 days notice.
Any agreement entered into pursuant to this RFP will provide compensation on a monthly basis.
Invoices for payment shall be submitted to the Mayor's Office. Invoices shall be submitted no
later than the fifteenth day of the month following completion of the service.
Payment shall be conditioned upon receipt of appropriate, accurate, and acceptable invoices
submitted in a timely manner with supporting documentation as required by the Mayor's Office.
VII. Required Proposal Contents
1. Statement of Qualifications:
Experience of Consultant - Provide a detailed description of the
consultant's experience providing the Services described in the Scope of
Services set forth in this Request for Proposals including the type and
number of clients served and the nature of the projects involved.
Experience/Qualifications of Assigned Professional(s) - Provide a
resume for each individual who will be assigned to provide the services
described in this RFP and designate the individual who would have
primary responsibility for overseeing these services. Also indicate the
specific role the listed individual(s) had in the above-referenced
services. Provide all relevant contact information for the primary
contact person.
2. Current Assignments:
Provide a statement concerning your firm's lobbying clients and your
ability to devote sufficient time and resources to this project in relation
to existing assignments.
3. Disclosure of Potential Conflict of Interest:
Provide a statement regarding any potential conflicts of interest your
firm, its principals or any of the listed individuals (other team members)
might have or encounter if your firm is selected to provide the services
described herein.
The firm's services will involve interaction with a number of City
public officials including, but not limited to, members of the Mayor's
Office of the City of St. Louis, the Board of Aldermen, various
department and offices of the City of St. Louis, and affiliated agencies
and authorities of the City of St. Louis. Please indicate whether the
firm, its principals or any of the listed individuals (other team members)
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have interests that may present a conflict with the interests of the City.
Respondents to this RFP must also disclose any other local government
entities in the State of Missouri with which they, their principals or the
individuals listed (team members) are currently doing business or with
which they have done business of this same nature over the past three
years.
4. Proposed Fees/Expense Reimbursement: Proposals shall clearly state all fees and
expenses to be charged for performance of all Services:
a. If based on an hourly rate, provide the hourly rates to be charged for each
individual who would be assigned to this engagement.
b. Provide an explanation if fees will be calculated on any other basis.
c. Itemize the type of expenses (other than fees) for which your firm would
seek reimbursement.
d. It is anticipated that a maximum fee for services will be established based
on the fees proposed in the proposal selected prior to the commencement of
any work by any respondent selected through the RFP. If a respondent to
the RFP is selected and does not wish to accept the maximum fee limitation
established, another qualified respondent may be selected.
5. Non-Discrimination
The respondent agrees that in performing any services resulting from
this RFP that neither it nor anyone under its control will permit
discrimination against any business, employee or applicant for
employment because of race, creed, color, sex, age, disability, religion,
national ancestry or origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.
6. References: Include references from three (3) clients (preferably government
entities) that have operations of similar scope and complexity for which your
organization has acted as a registered federal lobbyist.
7. Verification of License/Taxes: In this section, respondents must affirmatively verify
that the firm has a current business license with the City of St. Louis and is current
with tax remittance or agree to obtain such status before execution of a contract.
VIII. Proposal Evaluation
The evaluation of proposals will be performed by a Selection Committee composed of 3
representatives of the Mayor's Office, 1 representative of Comptroller's Office, and 1
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