Bid Detail

21-150 - Services Providers to assist in COS Small Business Technical Assistance Program

The City of Springfield recognizes that small businesses have been disparately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and is committed to supporting impacted Springfield businesses. In recognizing this commitment, the City of Springfield’s Development Services Division (DSD) is seeking to contract with one or multiple organization(s) that can assist Springfield in providing technical assistance to Springfield businesses.

The Springfield Small Business Technical Assistance Grant Program is intended to expand economic and entrepreneurial opportunity throughout Springfield. The program is designed to complement and enhance traditional public and private small business assistance networks by providing technical assistance or training programs for under resourced and disadvantaged businesses with 20 or fewer employees with particular focus on minority, women and veteran owned businesses.

Organization(s) must demonstrate a program design that includes knowledge and expertise related to business development, stabilization, financing, revenue generation and build connections that can provide further support to businesses. A selected organization(s) will also be expected to serve a significant role in the Rise Up! Springfield program.

All funding must be utilized in a manner that complies with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development CDBG-CV requirements.

The DSD intends for the selected organization(s) to provide an industry informed, comprehensive business technical assistance program that will stabilize businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City is seeking qualified and experienced service providers with a strong history or serving under-served communities.

Small Business Technical Assistance
Technical Assistance shall include counseling and mentorship within the following areas:

• Business finance
• Accounting
• Record-keeping
• Business licensing / Permitting
• Marketing
• Sales
• Revenue Forecasting
• Creation / Retainage of Jobs
• Exploring Strategic Partnerships
• Lending
• Achieve Economic Stability and Viability
• Recovery after COVID-19 Pandemic

The program seeks to facilitate economic viability for small businesses and to improve their ability to secure private and public financing, including micro-loans from the City.

Qualified small businesses will be those that have less than $1,000,000 in annual revenue and/or employ 20 or fewer employees. Community development corporations, community development financial institutions or other not-for-profit community-based organizations are also considered eligible for assistance. Businesses will be required to evidence either existing market traction for a startup or consistent tangible profit and forward scalability.

Proposer(s) will be responsible for all outreach and recruitment of businesses. Proposer(s) will be responsible for collection of all information and paperwork necessary to determine and document eligibility of businesses.

Proposer(s) will be expected to serve a minimum of twenty five (25) businesses per year. Businesses targeted by this initiative will be Low-Moderate Income businesses and/or entrepreneurs or businesses that serve low-moderate income neighborhoods/populations deemed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) eligible areas of Springfield.

Proposer(s) will be responsible for reporting of all accomplishments and activities to the City of Springfield DSD on a quarterly basis throughout the duration of the contract period.

Businesses will include new business start-ups, expanding businesses, and businesses in need.

Rise Up! Springfield
A selected proposer will also be expected to have an active role in the administration of Rise Up! Springfield, a hands-on business education program that utilizes Interise’s award winning StreetWise MBA curriculum. The program provides instruction and networks small business owners in Springfield and helps them create and manage a customized, three-year strategic growth plan.

The following Schedule of Events represents DSD’s estimate of the timetable that will be followed in connection with this NOFA/RFP:
March 31, 2021 NOFA/RFP Available and Posted on City of Springfield website
April 14, 2021 Deadline for Questions and/or Comments
April 16, 2021 City responses to Questions and/or Comments
April 21, 2021 Proposals Due by 2:00 PM (EST)

The Office of Procurement reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to adjust this Schedule of Events as it deems necessary. If necessary, DSD will communicate adjustments to any event in the Schedule of Events in the form of an addendum to this NOFA/RFP.

This procurement is funded, in whole or in part, by grant funds provided by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City will not be bound to any contract if funding is not made available or programming has been disallowed by HUD.
The City is not obligated to enter into a contract related to this NOFA/RFP.

The City of Springfield supports the goal of twenty percent minority and women participation in all contracts. No questions will be answered unless received by the Chief Procurement Officer at least 7 days prior to the expiration of the time set for submitting bids or proposals. The Chief Procurement Officer reserves the right to waive any informality in and to reject any or all bids if it is in the public interest to do so.

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