Cannabis Appellations Program (CAP) Education and Outreach, RFP 26-0007

Background
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is seeking a contractor for the Cannabis Appellations Program (CAP) to create an outreach and education campaign. The CAP aims to raise awareness among cannabis cultivators, consumers, local officials, and industry members about the appellations of origin program. This initiative is part of the broader goals set by the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA), which mandates CDFA to establish a process for licensed cultivators to create appellations of origin for cannabis products.

Work Details
The contractor will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive outreach and education campaign that includes:

1) Creating artwork, graphics, and style guides for printed and electronic materials;
2) Developing speaker kits with talking points and visuals;
3) Conducting audience analysis to determine effective outreach strategies;
4) Identifying key stakeholders and media outlets for collaboration;
5) Executing a media outreach strategy plan that includes videos, trade magazine features, retail displays, website posts, social media posts, and in-person outreach at events;
6) Soliciting participation from retailers for promotional events;
7) Ensuring ADA compliance for online media;
8) Establishing metrics for tracking program interest.

All materials produced will be the property of CDFA.

Period of Performance
The contract term is from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, with an option to renew for an additional year if funding allows.

Place of Performance
The services will primarily be performed in California as the outreach campaign targets local cultivators, consumers, and government officials throughout the state.

Bidder Requirements
Proposers must demonstrate experience in developing outreach programs related to cannabis or similar industries. They should provide samples of previous work, links to relevant web pages developed by them, and detailed timelines consistent with deliverables. Additionally, bidders must comply with DVBE participation requirements of at least 3% of the total bid cost.