Loudoun Economic Development Issues 4 Small Business Assistance RFPs

Thanks to the generosity of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, the Department of Economic Development’s (DED) signature program, Launch Loudoun, has received over $400,000 additional funds to assist small business programming. Loudoun DED is seeking proposals to support existing programs that are designed to help small businesses in Loudoun County Start, Scale, and Soar.

1 Million Cups Marketing and Event Support
Administrative Support Services for Launch Loudoun Event Strategy
Financial Management Class Administration using the QuickBooks platform
Strategic and Administrative support services for Launch Loudoun Technical Assistance Pilot Program

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OVERVIEW: Launch Loudoun, a program of Loudoun Economic Development (DED), provides experiences and services for Loudoun entrepreneurs through the entire lifecycle of their small business. Find value in Day 1 and Day 1,001 via large-scale events, targeted programs, partner counseling, and personalized 1-on-1 services with industry specialists. We create an environment of success for businesses of all sizes and circumstances, targeting the core focus areas of entrepreneurial business growth: finance, legal, human resources/workforce, sales/marketing, and ownership/leadership. Loudoun Economic Development is excited to utilize this program to launch the next #LoudounPossible success story.

To support the Launch Loudoun program, DED was provided American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)[1] dollars to allow programming and events to be produced and available throughout the County, materials provided in multiple languages, technical assistance offered to both groups and individual businesses, bring in trainers and speakers in the key areas, and support specific tools for business stability and growth. Through Launch Loudoun, DED hopes to increase participation by and support specifically to rural, woman and minority-owned business across the County.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: DED is looking for professional and marketing services to help manage and promote the 1 Million Cups[2] (1MC) program as part of the broader Launch Loudoun strategy. The chosen vendor will be responsible for the items listed below across calendar years 2025 and 2026. Specific tasks include, but are not limited to:

Secure two small businesses to speak at 1MC events to be held at least once a month.
1. Each business who presents should have been in business less than 5 years and have a problem or opportunity with their business for which they are seeking community input or support. Topics can include, but are not limited to marketing, scaling, packaging, hiring, sourcing products, etc.
2. Each business who presents will have six minutes to tell the audience who they are, what they do and why they do it. After each presentation, there will be a 20-minute Q&A session that will give them the opportunity to connect with the audience, culminating with the million-dollar question: “What can we as a community do to help you?”
3. If a second business cannot be secured for a scheduled event, an educational resource partner whose expertise is within one of the five focus areas of Launch Loudoun[3] may be chosen for the second speaking opportunity
Market the event through dedicated 1MC social media platforms and in conjunction with DED’s marketing team so that attendance is between 30-40 small businesses each month
Manage the 1MC platform for onboarding speakers, ordering 1MC swag, banners, etc (all provided by the Kaufmann Foundation)
Provide data to DED on attendance including but not limited to attendee contact information and basic personal and business information as agreed upon with DED, and feedback from speakers and attendees
Work with DED to incorporate 1MC into the overarching Launch Loudoun strategy

Other events could be scheduled throughout the term of the agreement, or alterations made to the list of services needed for outlined events, but inclusion in this agreement would be at the joint agreement of DED and the chosen vendor. Loudoun County provides payment under approved Purchase Orders with net 30 terms. As such, all responses should include any additional payment terms including but not limited to a percentage required at signing necessary for fulfillment of the required components. The Full RFP is also attached here.

BUDGET: This project is made possible by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and must be in compliance with all rules therein as well as all procurement rules of Loudoun County. The budget for this agreement includes assumed administrative fees to allow the vendor to execute payments, the estimated costs of all the items noted above and is considered all inclusive. Responses should include information on the individual or organization’s experience similar projects, a list of past client or projects, the hourly rate for such services and an estimate of total hours needed to execute the listed events, names and backgrounds of the person/people who will be assigned to this account if not the primary respondent, and any information deemed relevant to execution of the agreement. Prior experience working with the Launch Loudoun program or similar projects is desirable and should be noted in all responses.

The total budget allocated for this project is $50,000 all inclusive.

TIMELINE:

RFP Released: Tuesday. July 30^th, 2024
Questions should be submitted to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov by August 9^th, 2024
Responses due no later than COB Monday, August 19th and should be emailed to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov
Services to begin early 2025 through 2026 based on date of approved agreement.

OTHER:

Please include in all responses any terms, conditions or standard contracts/agreements that are required for your services.

[1] [1] The chosen vendor will be receiving payment from the County of Loudoun of revenues from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program (SLFRF) established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) pursuant to sections 602 and 603 of the Social Security Act, as added by Section 9901, Public Law 117-2, codified at 42 U.S.C. 802 et. Seq. (March 11, 2021).

The third parties use of funds received as direct payment from the County pursuant to sections 602(c)(1) and 603(c)(1) of the Social Security Act will be used only to cover those costs that:

Respond to its negative economic impacts, and;
Have been approved by County Staff.

Funds received as a direct payment from the County pursuant to this agreement must adhere to official federal guidance issued or to be issued regarding what constitutes a necessary expenditure.

As a condition of receiving the SLFRF funds pursuant to this contract/certification, the chosen vendor shall retain documentation of all uses of the funds, including but not limited to payroll records, invoices, and/or sales receipts and must report on all uses of funds, and must maintain proper accounting records.

[2] 1 Million Cups is a nationwide program of the Kaufmann Foundation through which Loudoun County has enjoyed a partnership for several years. More information about the overarching 1 Million Cups program is available online here: https://www.1millioncups.com/s/

[3] Finance, Sales/Marketing, HR/Workforce, Ownership/Leadership, Legal

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: DED is looking for administrative support services to help execute Launch Loudoun’s event strategy throughout 2025 The chosen vendor will work with DED staff to understand the events’ vision and goals and then execute that strategy by facilitating necessary vendor arrangements, manage payment of invoices, paperwork, and event logistics, and coordinate and communicate back to DED staff on all arrangements made. DED will review and approve all vendors and purchases prior to execution.

Events already scheduled and specific tasks to execute include, but are not limited to:

Small Business Summit: Held during National Small Business Week, the Summit provides a half to a full day of educational opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The chosen vendor will work with DED on securing payment and execution for the following items:
1. Secure facility rental and any necessary paperwork
2. Secure food vendors to provide breakfast, lunch, and all-day beverage service.
3. Secure audio/visual services to include videography, photography, and a/v support for the event.
4. Coordinate and execute contracts with keynote speaker(s) including payment of fees[2]
5. Purchase branded materials or other items for event execution[3]
Monthly Lunch and Learn Educational Seminars
1. Use provided registration list to secure food and beverage for participants.
2. Purchase branded materials or other items for event execution.

Other events could be scheduled throughout the term of the agreement, or alterations made to the list of services needed for outlined events, but inclusion in this agreement would be at the joint agreement of DED and the chosen vendor. The chosen vendor is not expected nor is the time and effort included in this agreement to be present at events or provide strategic direction beyond what is noted here. Responses that include any additional support services will be reviewed. Loudoun County provides payment under approved Purchase Orders with net 30 terms. As such, all responses should include any additional payment terms including but not limited to a percentage required at signing necessary for fulfillment of the required components. The full RFP is also attached here.

BUDGET: This project is made possible by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and must be in compliance with all rules therein as well as all procurement rules of Loudoun County. The budget for this agreement includes assumed administrative fees to allow the vendor to execute payments, the estimated costs of all the items noted above and is considered all inclusive. Responses should include information on the individual or organization’s experience with executing administrative tasks for outside organizations, a list of past client or projects, the hourly rate for such services and an estimate of total hours needed to execute the listed events, names and backgrounds of the person/people who will be assigned to this account if not the primary respondent, and any information deemed relevant to execution of the agreement. Prior experience working with the Launch Loudoun program or similar projects is desirable and should be noted in all responses.

The total budget allocated for this project is $100,000 all inclusive.

TIMELINE:

RFP Released: Tuesday. July 30^th, 2024
Questions should be submitted to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov by August 9^th, 2024
Responses due no later than COB Monday, August 19th and should be emailed to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov
Services to begin early 2025 through early 2026 based on date of approved agreement.

OTHER:

Please include in all responses any terms, conditions or standard contracts/agreements that are required for your services.

The third parties use of funds received as direct payment from the County pursuant to sections 602(c)(1) and 603(c)(1) of the Social Security Act will be used only to cover those costs that:

Respond to its negative economic impacts, and;
Have been approved by County Staff.

Funds received as a direct payment from the County pursuant to this agreement must adhere to official federal guidance issued or to be issued regarding what constitutes a necessary expenditure.

[2] Please note that all contracts, terms, and conditions outside of the agreement under this proposal must be executed by the chosen vendor alone.

[3] DED will provide all logos and branded materials to the chosen vendor.

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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: DED is seeking support to offer educational classes on basic financial management using the QuickBooks platform as a best practice to small businesses in Loudoun County. DED has a dedicated budget (details provided below) for this project, a project overview and is seeking qualifications from individuals or businesses that can fulfill the tasks and reporting listed below in the timeline provided. Responses that provide additional services or opportunities will be considered, but all responses must include an agreement to complete and an execution strategy for the required components. Responses should explain the qualifications of the individual providing each component listed below included, but not limited to, formal training, education, and professional experiences relevant to this request. If services will be provided by a team or through a broader business, information regarding the business’ experience in the area, samples of past work in this area or references from previous clients should be included. Prior experience with the Launch Loudoun program or similar services is desirable and all responses should note these qualifications. Additionally, the program listed below covers two calendar years and DED will review all responses and consider all opportunities while reserving the right to issue a single award for both years, or split the award with one or more vendors across the two-year project timeline. Loudoun County provides payment under approved Purchase Orders with net 30 terms. As such, all responses should include any additional payment terms including but not limited to a percentage required at signing necessary for fulfillment of the required components. The full RFP is also attached here.

REQUIRED COMPONENTS:

The program should include a minimum of six, two-hour classes at no cost to the businesses, scheduled at different times of the day and evening, at different locations in the County to accommodate small business hours and locations over the course of two years (20225 and 2026). The focus of the training is to help small businesses understand both the importance of sound financial management and teach businesses how to effectively use QuickBooks as an affordable tool. The class must focus on methods and services for financial management and may cover other tools, but QuickBooks will be provided as the most widely used and commercially available tool.
1. The goal for participation is 25 businesses in each class.
2. Each business that attends will be eligible to receive a one-year subscription to QuickBooks for those who do not already have a license, and those who already have a license will be eligible for additional consulting services.
The chosen vendor will also be responsible for scheduling and providing up to three hours of individualized support for each attendee[2]. This service should include, but is not limited to, helping the business identify the appropriate version of QuickBooks for their specific business, establishing the initial license, providing the receipt for the license to the County[3], walking the business through the process of establishing their chart of accounts, and ensuring the business understands the features necessary for effective use of the software on their own.
The chosen vendor must provide a report of each of the above sessions that indicates the business worked with, basic information on the business, the number of hour spent working with the business, an overview of the meeting, and any follow-up questions or concerns identified by either the vendor or the business.
The County will work with the vendor to secure a location for the classes with preference for County-owned facilities, establish a registration portal and promotion of the agreed upon times and locations for the classes, and manage registration which will be provided to the vendor in advance of each class.
The vendor will be responsible for the scheduling and location of the one-on-one support, but space at the Department of Economic Development can be provided upon request and with advance notice.
The chosen vendor will be responsible for any materials provided to the attendees of the classes should they choose to provide any, but all materials must be reviewed and approved by the Department of Economic Development prior to use. The vendor agrees and acknowledges that any information used or provided within the training sessions is a public record and subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
Registration will include an option to have any provided materials translated, which the County will do so with funds separate from this contract.

BUDGET: The total available funds, all-inclusive, for this project is $100,000.

TIMELINE: The classes must be scheduled in calendar years 2025 and 2026 with follow-up sessions running concurrently but ending prior to November 1, 2026.

RFP Released: Tuesday, July 30^th, 2024
Questions should be submitted to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov by August 9^th, 2024
Responses due no later than COB Monday, August 19th and should be emailed to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov
Services to begin early 2025 through early 2026 based on date of approved agreement.

OTHER:

Please include in all responses any terms, conditions or standard contracts/agreements that are required for your services.

[1] The chosen vendor will be receiving payment from the County of Loudoun of revenues from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program (SLFRF) established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) pursuant to sections 602 and 603 of the Social Security Act, as added by Section 9901, Public Law 117-2, codified at 42 U.S.C. 802 et. Seq. (March 11, 2021).

The third parties use of funds received as direct payment from the County pursuant to sections 602(c)(1) and 603(c)(1) of the Social Security Act will be used only to cover those costs that:

Respond to its negative economic impacts, and;
Have been approved by County Staff.

Funds received as a direct payment from the County pursuant to this agreement must adhere to official federal guidance issued or to be issued regarding what constitutes a necessary expenditure.

[2] As noted in 1.b., attendees who already have a license will be given the option to instead receive an additional 2 hours of consulting services.

[3] The intended process for the purchase of QuickBooks is for the chosen vendor or the business to purchase the one-year license and the vendor will include the receipt with its invoice to DED who will reimburse the amount for the license. If the amount was covered by the vendor the vendor retains the reimbursement. If the business purchased the license, then the vendor is responsible for reimbursing the business and providing confirmation to the County of the completed transaction. Alternate methods or suggestions for managing this process should be included in the response to this request.

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Since its inception in May 2023, Launch Loudoun has seen over 2,000 attendees at programs and events, served over 100 individual businesses with over 50% of those served being minority-owned. A consistent need that Launch Loudoun hopes to address is a dedicated referral service and minimizing the cost burden to small businesses accessing critical technical support services. As an example, when a business attends a 1-on-1 meeting with DED staff or attends a Launch Loudoun event they often have questions about specific tasks or concerns they have with one of the five core focus areas of the Launch Loudoun program. They may need help reviewing or executing their first lease, help writing a business plan or preparing financial documents for their first loan or grant application, marketing support to get a website or e-commerce platform running, accounting support, or other professional services.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: DED is looking for strategic and administrative support services to help create the Launch Loudoun Technical Assistance Pilot Program whereby vetted Launch Loudoun clients with an identifiable need for technical support services can access a pre-determined list of Loudoun-based service providers who will provide a set number of hours of support at a reduced rate to those clients. Each Launch Loudoun client will be allowed to apply for up to two projects in the core focus areas. Each project can be approved for up to five hours of service with limitations based on the type of service requested and the stage of the business applying for support.[2] For purposes of this pilot program the vendor chosen under this RFP will be referenced as the Prime and the vetted and chosen technical service providers will be called Subs. This RFP focuses on the role of the Prime and the information provided below for the Subs is informational in nature to help respondents understand the intent of the program for which they will help create the strategy and execution plans. The Full RFP can also be found here.

Responsibilities of the Prime:

Work with DED to create a list of service providers and promotional language to encourage technical service providers to apply to be Subs.
Create and maintain a technical assistance service provider database with corresponding dashboard[3] for project overview and review to be wholly owned, accessible and maintained in perpetuity by Loudoun County Department of Economic Development (Proprietary software, or applications needing ongoing financial support or licensing will not be accepted).
- Please provide an overview and/or sample or screenshot of the type of database and/or dashboard for the database you would propose using for the project
Execution and enforcement of partnership agreements with chosen technical assistance service providers/Subs
Creation, execution and reconciliation of invoices to Subs.
Execution and follow-up on Subs and client surveys post-project.
Provide a written report on project execution, lessons learned and recommendations for future similar programming based on experience over the course of the project provided to DED within 60 days of final project completion.
Provide monthly accounting of project funds, funds remaining and any outstanding issues as well as a final accounting 60 days prior[4] to end of project period
Attend and assist with technical assistance service providers application review, evaluation and training
- Attend at least two Launch Loudoun or community partner events ahead of project premier to help support program.

Subs Requirements:

Licensed and in-good standing in the location where their primary business address is located
Core business function represents one of the following key areas:
1. Business Plan – Review and/or creation of business plan for start-up or early-stage businesses exploring business idea or preparing for initial funding request.
2. Finance – Including but not limited to basic accounting support such as creation or review of a chart of accounts, online financial software support and set-up, creation and/or review of financial projections, tax review and consultation, review of or support in loan application process, creation or review of business budget, creation or review of P&L, general ledger and cash flow statements
3. Legal – Including but not limited creation or review of contracts, leases, loan or other financial documents, insurance policies or other business-related documents, creation or review of franchise, partnership, acquisition, assignment, or sale documents, employment, environmental, or land development legal reviews or support, and intellectual property review and/or filing.
4. Human Resources – Including but not limited to creation or review of employee or Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) handbook, employee benefits review or support, review or creation of job descriptions and postings, employee development support.
5. Marketing – Including but not limited to review, update or creation of website, social media, print material, advertising materials, branded materials, logo creation, e-commerce platform, review, update or creation, event management or support, photography, videography, marketing plan review or creation,
Agree to all the following:
1. No-cost initial consultation meeting with client to evaluate project and provide company overview
2. After initial consultation provide within 5 business days a written proposal for total project hours, delineating amount under Launch Loudoun program and additional proposed hours and rate above and beyond
3. Complete a post-project survey to include all hours provided to client including those not funded by Launch Loudoun
4. Hours provided by Launch Loudoun will be covered at the regular hourly rate of the company or $75 an hour, whichever is lower. Subs may charge their standard hourly rate for any hours above and beyond the hours supported by Launch Loudoun, but the rate and number of hours must be disclosed to the client in the required proposal noted above and reviewed by DED and agreed to by the client.
5. Agree to use of company name and logo in all promotional materials.

Responses should include information on the individual or organization’s experience with executing administrative tasks for outside organizations, a list of past client or projects, the hourly rate for such services and an estimate of total hours needed to execute the listed events, names and backgrounds of the person/people who will be assigned to this account if not the primary respondent, and any information deemed relevant to execution of the agreement. Prior experience working with the Launch Loudoun program or similar projects is desirable and should be noted in all responses. Responses should include the amount proposed to go directly to the Subs and the amount retained by the Prime for strategic and administrative support services, acknowledging the budget amount listed below is the entirety of the project amount. Responses that include any additional support services will be reviewed. Loudoun County provides payment under approved Purchase Orders with net 30 terms. As such, all responses should include any additional payment terms including but not limited to a percentage required at signing necessary for fulfillment of the required components.

The total budget allocated for this project is $100,000 all inclusive.

TIMELINE:

RFP Released: Monday, August 5th, 2024
Questions should be submitted to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov by August 16^th, 2024
Responses due no later than COB Monday, August 26th and should be emailed to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov
Services to begin early 2025 through 2026 based on date of approved agreement.

OTHER:

Please include in all responses any terms, conditions or standard contracts/agreements that are required for your services.

The third parties use of funds received as direct payment from the County pursuant to sections 602(c)(1) and 603(c)(1) of the Social Security Act will be used only to cover those costs that:

Respond to its negative economic impacts, and;
Have been approved by County Staff.

Funds received as a direct payment from the County pursuant to this agreement must adhere to official federal guidance issued or to be issued regarding what constitutes a necessary expenditure.

[2] Business will be identified by a unique EIN. Business owners with multiple unique businesses will only be approved for one project for one business and added to a wait list if funds remain later in the program cycle.

[3] Dashboard should include a monthly review of technical assistance service providers used, clients assisted, hours associated with each project, content areas etc. DED will work with the chosen provider to establish content and design of dashboard and database.

[4] The date at which the final accounting report is due to the County may change based on County and/or ARPA final reporting requirements.