Request for Qualifications for Professional Services (RFQ) – Small Business and Community Technical Assistance Program

The East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (East Central or Commission) seeks statements of qualification for professional services from qualified consultants to develop a technical assistance program to assist small businesses and/or communities with recovery from the economic impacts of COVID-19. The technical assistance program’s funding source is the Economic Development Agency’s (EDA) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Economic Development District and Indian Tribe Supplemental Disaster Recovery and Resiliency Award Program.

The Small Business and Community Technical Assistance Program (program) is intended to address economic and organizational impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses and communities. The program will connect small businesses and/or communities to resources to help them increase their operational strength and resiliency.

Responses to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) must satisfy the criteria identified within the scope of work included in this document to be considered. Modifications or enhancements proposed beyond the scope of work included in this document may be acceptable, but the applicants must describe how these modifications or enhancements will contribute to achieving the technical assistance program’s desired outcomes.

The successful consultant will clearly demonstrate:

• Previous experience with the development and implementation of similar technical assistance programs.
• The technical capabilities of the staff who will work on the program.
• A strong understanding of economic impacts of COVID-19 and successful approaches to working with business and communities to build organizational resilience.
• Experience working with small businesses and/or communities and have experience and/or demonstrated expertise in organizational operations. For the purposes of this program, small businesses are defined as having 25 or fewer employees. Small communities are defined as having a population of 12,000 residents or fewer.
• Thorough knowledge of the Northeast Wisconsin economy.
• The ability to develop the technical assistance program within the program’s timeline and budget.

Consultants and subconsultants that are awarded funds with this contract must comply with all 2 CFR 200 requirements.

Responses to this RFQ are closed.