To download the full RFP as a PDF, please click here(PDF, 3MB) .
- SUMMARY OF CANNABIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The City of Alameda may issue a limited number of cannabis retail dispensary permits through this Request for Proposals (RFP) process. The RFP process may result in selected applicants securing eligibility to apply for a retail dispensary Cannabis Business Operator’s Permits (CBOP) with a condition of mandatory delivery.
In order to apply for and be eligible to receive a CBOP, the applicant must have control over a physical location outside of designated cannabis buffer zones for sensitive uses. Receiving an award to apply for a CBOP does not constitute an entitlement approval. All applicants whose proposals are accepted must thereafter submit a CBOP application and apply for and receive a land use permit, State license, and other applicable regulatory approvals.
The RFP process will be in two parts as described herein. Applicants responding to the RFP are required to:
On November 7, 2017, City Council adopted its first local regulations by ordinance, allowing commercial cannabis activities in Alameda. These local regulations became effective January 18, 2018. Later, the City Council created and expanded the cannabis zoning districts; amended the cannabis ordinances to refine definitions; allowed testing, manufacturing and cultivation businesses to apply for permits on a first-come-first-serve basis; allowed “Adult Use” (recreational cannabis); and increased the number of retail dispensaries from two to four and required two dispensaries to provide delivery services as part of the CBOP.
As part of the commercial cannabis regulatory framework, implementing regulations were promulgated (see Attachment 2).
The City is issuing this RFP for retail dispensary businesses only (other cannabis businesses including manufacturing, testing labs, and nursery cultivation can apply directly for a CBOP and use permit).
IV. PROPOSED Schedule
The City reserves the right to alter the following schedule as necessary:
RFP Issued
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Monday, April 22, 2019
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Written Questions from Applicants due
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Monday, May 6, 2019
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Submit LOI and documentation, and $900 LOI review fee due
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Monday, May 13, 2019 at 4:00 PM
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Letter Issued to Qualified Applicants Moving Forward to Proposal Phase
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Monday, May 20, 2019
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Answers to Written Questions Issued
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Monday, May 20, 2019
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Application and $4,400 fee due
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Monday, June 10, 2019 at 4:00 PM
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Initial Review
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Week of June 10, 2019
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Interviews
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TBD
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Announcement of Selected Applicants and Letters Issued to Successful Applicants
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TBD
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- Process
The City will have a two-part process for conditionally awarding the right to apply for CBOPs for retail dispensaries. To ensure compliance with local cannabis regulations (“delivery-required”), each applicant for the three (3) available permits subject to this RFP must be prepared to provide delivery, as part of the operations.
A retail dispensary permit is required for all activities for which State law requires a “Type 10,” or similar license, for the sale of Cannabis or Cannabis Products at a location open to the public.
All applicants responding to the RFP must timely submit the following (Late submittals will be returned to the applicant unopened):
- An LOI in the format outlined in Attachment 3. (All hand-delivered LOIs must be made by appointment.)
- A $900 fee, by check, cashier’s check or money order to cover the cost of staff review of the LOI. Credit or debit cards will not be accepted.
- Evidence of a secured location for the proposed cannabis business as described below.
- Evidence that the proposed cannabis business location is outside of the buffer zone for sensitive uses, as described below. By submitting an LOI, applicants acknowledge that it is their sole burden to conduct adequate due diligence to produce sufficient evidence of buffer zone compliance.
Applicants failing to submit the foregoing items will be eliminated from the RFP process. Applicants satisfying the submittal requirements will be listed on the City’s website.
Concerning the competitive portion of this RFP process, applicants with evaluation scores of 75% (60 points) or better will proceed to an oral interview (see below). Following the oral interviews, the top-rated applicants, subject to the number of available permits at the time, will receive notice informing them of the right to apply for a CBOP. Such applicants must apply for a CBOP within 120 days of receipt of the notice. Once the number of available permits has been reached, the remaining qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list that will be valid for two years from the date of the notice. If an applicant has the right to apply for a CBOP fails to secure all of the required entitlements within the proposed schedule or within one year from the date of the conditional award letter, whichever is sooner, the next applicant on the waiting list will have the opportunity to apply for a CBOP. The City Manager may extend this one-year time deadline for “good cause,” as that term is defined in the regulatory ordinance.
To download the full RFP as a PDF, please click here(PDF, 3MB).