NYC EDC We Source NYC Business Technical Assistance Program Request for Proposals (RFP)
Release Date:
June 25, 2024
Information Session:
July 17, 2024
Submission Deadline:
September 4, 2024
New YorkCity EconomicDevelopment
Corporation 1 Liberty Plaza, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10006
Introduction
New York City Economic Development Corporation (“NYCEDC”) is pleased to invite eligible
entities (“Respondents”) to submit a proposal in response to this We Source NYC Business
Technical Assistance Program Request for Proposals (“RFP”).
Through this RFP, NYCEDC seeks to enter into an agreement with a consultant (the
“Consultant”) to operate a comprehensive business technical assistance and
communications program (the “Program”) to develop the capabilities of local small- and
medium-sized manufacturers, construction service providers, and industrial equipment
suppliers (“Local Suppliers”) to capture contract opportunities in regional OSW supply
chains, as further described in Section II Goals and Objectives and Section III Scope of
Work.
NYCEDC launched We Source NYC in 2023 to develop capacity among Local Suppliers to
fulfill industry demand for goods and services in the offshore wind (“OSW”) industry. We
Source NYC advances the goal of the City’s Green Economy Action Plan (“GEAP”) to
develop the local green economy to host 400,000 “green collar” jobs by 2040. In the GEAP,
the City of New York makes commitments across five categories including, building
decarbonization, renewable energy infrastructure development, low-carbon transportation
alternatives, climate innovation, and equitable economic development that will spur
private sector investment. We Source NYC responds to an important GEAP priority:
supporting transitioning businesses in green economy sectors.
The Consultant will, at minimum, be responsible for:
1. Developing and implementing an individualized business technical assistance
Program to increase the number of Local Suppliers in regional OSW supply chains;
And
2. Developing and implementing an accessible business-facing communications
initiative to increase awareness of OSW industry news and contracting
opportunities amongst Local Suppliers.
II. Goals and Objectives
The Program will support Local Suppliers in their efforts to capture contracting
opportunities in the growing OSW supply chain. The goals of the Program include:
• Goal 1: Increase the number NYC-based Local Suppliers that can successfully
secure contracts in the regional OSW supply chain
• Goal 2: Educate Local Suppliers about the OSW industry and increase their
awareness of consequential OSW industry news and contracting opportunities in
the regional OSW supply chain.
The objectives of the Program include:
• Create and deliver a technical assistance and communications program that
addresses barriers to entry to help Local Suppliers enter OSW supply chains
• Facilitate connections between Local Suppliers to major OSW procurement entities
(e.g. Tier 2-3 companies), international and domestic businesses, consulates and
foreign trade entities, and other relevant OSW supply chain entities as appropriate
• Assist Local Suppliers in teaming with value-added partners in the OSW supply
chain to respond to contracting opportunities in domestic OSW markets
• Create, launch, and manage an accessible business-facing communications
initiative to increase awareness of contracting opportunities in the regional OSW
supply chain for Local Suppliers. For example, this may include a web-based
community board or portal, a newsletter, and/or social media campaigns.
III. Scope of Work
The Program will include but is not limited to:
1. Provision of individualized technical assistance, which at minimum will take the
form of (1) individualized supply chain road maps (2) value proposition
documents and pitch training, (3) networking support and technical assistance
to foster partnerships (4) micro-grant provision to increase business
competitiveness (e.g. via enabling necessary industry or supplier certifications)
and (5) relevant tax incentive wayfinding services, focused on resources
available via the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA“).
2. Developing and implementing an accessible business-facing communications
initiative that will distribute value-add information such as OSW industry news,
procurement notices (as informed by the Industry Network), and upcoming
events within the local and regional OSW supply chains.
In this section we describe specific services that the Consultant will deliver as part of this
Program.
Task 1: Project Plan and Communication Protocols
– 1.1 – Project Kick off: Consultant shall conduct a project kickoff within the first
week post-contract execution to align objectives and produce a Project Plan as
defined in Task 1.2.
– 1.2 – Project Plan: Consultant shall develop a project plan that includes key
activities, milestones, and timelines; key review points and decision makers; and an
agreed upon form and cadence for recurring status updates (the “Project Plan”)
– 1.3 – Status Updates: Consultant shall provide regular status updates per the Project Plan.
Task 2: Strategy Development
The Consultant shall develop detailed implementation strategies for the communications
initiative and the individualized business assistance program into a document (the
“Strategy Document”) to be shared and presented to NYCEDC. NYCEDC will have final
approval authority over all aspects of the proposed strategies. All Program-related
collateral – business-facing informational materials associated with specific Program –
must adhere to NYCEDC guidelines and processes that will be shared with the Consultant
after contract award.
o 2.a – Outreach, Engagement, and Recruitment Strategy
▪ The Consultant shall identify firms from public and private databases (including
the We Source NYC survey data found in Appendix 1), subject to proposed
eligibility criteria to generate a list of businesses that may benefit from the
Program.
▪ The Consultant shall develop an outreach and recruitment plan to involve
eligible Local and M/WBE Suppliers in the Program. This plan shall, at minimum,
outline key outreach methodologies, networks and trusted messengers to be
utilized for outreach, and marketing and collateral needs.
o 2.b – We Source NYC Communications Initiative Strategy
▪ At minimum the Strategy Document should include details about the
communications initiative’s form, contents, design, and structure; the frequency
of communications (if applicable); proposed platform/vehicle for execution;
differentiating factors from other existing OSW supply chain related
communications initiatives; and a proposed workflow to incorporate
procurement opportunities from the Industry Network.
o 2.c – One-to-One Technical Assistance Strategy. The Consultant shall propose an
implementation strategy for the individualized business technical assistance services
for Program participants. This strategy must, at minimum, include an overview of the
proposed technical assistance services to be administered, their associated selection
criteria that will be used to determine eligibility of Local Suppliers for technical
assistance provision, and an overview of the associated client-facing materials to be
distributed to participating Local Suppliers. The technical assistance program must
include:
▪ (1) OSW Supply Chain 101: The Strategy Document will outline the proposed
content, length, and delivery format of an OSW Supply Chain 101 course to the
technical assistance program. At minimum, the workshop and/or associated
collateral will include:
• An overview of the OSW industry, with market drivers, local and global
market outlook, fundamentals of OSW energy production, phases of
OSW development, supply chain structure – including roles of
government, developer, and contractors.
• OSW contract procurement processes and general contracting timelines;
• Information regarding all planned regional and local OSW developments
and summaries of typical scopes of work that are procured for each
project, if known;
• Industry standards (certifications, HSEQ requirements, bonding norms,
contracting structures, etc.);
• Business resources (engineering and innovation consultation & solutions,
green & advanced manufacturing programs, local, City & State business
support entities & programs, financial resources, etc.)
▪ (2) Individualized Business Support Services: The proposed 1:1 business support
services should be responsive to any existing and announced as forthcoming
regional OSW supply chain development program or initiatives, particularly
those administered by the New York State Research and Development Authority
(“NYSERDA”), and shall include, but not be limited to:
• (a) Individualized supply chain road map developed for each eligible
Local Supplier. These should at minimum answer the following questions:
o What part of the OSW supply chain is the Local Supplier best
positioned to capture contract opportunities based on the goods
or services the Local Supplier provides?
o What regional OSW projects and firms will procure the Local
Supplier’s goods or services, and when?
o How can a Local Supplier become an eligible and competitive firm
(e.g. by attaining HSEQ business certifications, skills training,
equipment etc.) and how much time and resources it will take to
advance these steps?
• (b) Value Proposition Document and Pitch Training: The Consultant shall
support businesses to develop a written value proposition document that
outlines core business competencies and provides coaching to them to
deliver verbal business “pitches” to be utilized at supplier forums,
networking events, and individual meetings with potential procurement
entities.
• (c) Networking support and technical assistance for partnerships: The
Consultant shall provide personalized introductions to the appropriate
supply chain entities for the purpose of advancing contract opportunities
and/or the potential for business partnerships. A suite of technical
assistance tools that can support participating Local Suppliers in
teaming to apply to solicitations and secure contracts should also be
proposed.
• (d) Micro-grants for operational and business development costs: The
Respondent shall propose the specific type of expenses these
microgrants will cover in the Strategy Document and propose a maximum
micro-grant award amount per business. Costs could include the
acquisition of specific industry or supplier certifications, specialty
trainings, resources specific to entering the OSW supply chain,
manufacturing equipment, or conference registration fees. Additionally,
the Consultant is responsible for developing evaluation criteria and a
process (including any documents) for sourcing and selecting microgrant proposals. The Consultant is expected to lead all official
communications pertaining to micro-grant award processes to
applicants and selected firms in addition to administering the microgrants.
• (e) Tax incentive wayfinding services for Local Suppliers that may benefit
from tax incentives particularly those from the IRA.
o 2.d – Strategic Networking Events Strategy
▪ The Strategy Document will detail at minimum, the frequency and type of events,
proposed topics, proposed partner entities and/or speakers (if applicable).
These events could include larger public-facing events (e.g. supplier forums,
business to business matchmaking events, joint events with consulates and
OSW trade associations, etc.) and participant-facing events (e.g. OSW supply
chain speaker series).
o 2. e – Data Management and Reporting Strategy: The Consultant shall propose
metrics and processes for data collection, tracking, management, and analysis for
each program element to evaluate the Program’s impact.
▪ The Consultant will work with NYCEDC teams to review and confirm these
proposed metrics, collection methods and desired disaggregation timelines,
and milestones for data collection and analysis before they are codified in the
Strategy Document and utilized in Tasks 5 and 7.
▪ The Consultant shall also propose key milestones and/or timelines during and
upon conclusion of the Program when they are expected to present the collected
data to assess Program impact. At minimum, the awarded Consultant will
provide NYCEDC with quarterly updates on the progress of the Program.
Task 3: Implement We Source NYC Communications Initiative
– The Consultant shall execute a communications initiative upon NYCEDC approval
of the implementation strategy as agreed upon in Task 2 within 10 to 12 weeks of
contract execution.
Task 4: Outreach and recruitment
– 4.1 – Generate Business-facing outreach materials
o The Consultant will develop and/or maintain publicly accessible collateral,
including a Program webpage and a digital flier to market the program in
coordination with NYCEDC’s Marketing team.
4.3 – Execute the Outreach, Engagement, and Recruitment Strategy
o The Consultant shall execute the outreach and recruitment strategy
approved in Task 2. The Consultant will provide NYCEDC real-time updates
on a cadence to be mutually decided upon to assess progress on program
utilization and pivot methodologies if necessary.
Task 5: One-to-One Business Assistance – The Consultant will execute the following
services and related materials for one-to-one business assistance:
– 5.1 – Develop and administer Intake Application and/or Form(s) to select
program participants
▪ The Consultant shall develop an intake application and/or form(s) for
the 1:1 Business Assistance Program components, including the
workshop if needed, for potential Program participants.
▪ The Consultant will lead in the selection of applicants for the 1:1
business assistance services by reviewing applications and/or
interviewing businesses if necessary, as per an agreed upon
methodology and timeline in Task 2.
– 5.2 – Create and Deliver OSW Supply Chain Workshop
o 5.2.a – Introductory OSW Supply Chain Workshop Creation
▪ The Consultant will develop the workshop, including an
accompanying PowerPoint presentation and talking points.
▪ The Consultant shall develop at least one piece of collateral that
compliments the Workshop as approved in Task 2. The Consultant
shall develop both a digital and physical version of the collateral that
can be easily shared with participants.
o 5.2.b – Introductory OSW Supply Chain Workshop Delivery: The
Consultant will be responsible for the delivery of the OSW Supply Chain
Workshop to participants on an ongoing basis per Task 2. This includes
identifying and securing a physical classroom location equipped with the
appropriate technology or an online video conferencing platform to facilitate
the delivery of the workshop as necessary.
▪ The Consultant shall conduct NYCEDC-approved evaluation surveys
before and/or after the workshop program to collect feedback from
participants about the workshop and interest in other technical
assistance offered by the Program.
– 5.3 – Delivery of the required technical assistance services: The Consultant will
administer the required technical assistance services per Task 2c
5.4 – Delivery of any additional technical assistance services proposed by the
Consultant and approved by NYCEDC from Task 2
Task 6: Strategic Networking Events Production and Execution
– 6.1 – Finalize Strategic Networking event details
o The Consultant shall plan for and execute at least thirty strategic networking
events during the duration of the contract (See Section IV Program Duration
and NYCEDC Funding Contribution for more details).
– 6.2 – Event Collateral
o The Consultant will design and produce digital and print collateral required
for the events in partnership with NYCEDC’s Marketing team.
o The Consultant must have basic design skills and familiarity with graphic
design applications to create collateral required for the events. The
Consultant must have knowledge of handling graphics for production, such
as ensuring high resolution on graphics when printed and using correct file
types.
– 6.3 – Event Promotion
o The Consultant shall execute the outreach and event promotion strategy as
approved by NYCEDC in Task 2. The Consultant will create and execute
additional outreach tactics for specific platforms (e.g. social media, news
outlets) or constituency type (e.g. hard to reach manufacturing businesses)
as deemed necessary by NYCEDC.
o In addition to the event promotion, the Consultant is expected to create and
manage event registration systems to track and manage RSVPs to all events
– 6.4 – Event production, management, and execution
o The Consultant is responsible for all tasks and logistics related to the
production, management, and execution of the events.
Task 7: Develop evaluation metrics and execute program evaluation
– 7.1 – Data Management and Reporting: The Consultant will implement the data
collection, management, and reporting strategies approved by NYCEDC in Task 2.
Additionally, the Consultant will manage and execute data entry processes to enter
eligible Program participant data into the NYSERDA OSW Supply Chain Database.
– 7.2 – One-to-One Business Assistance Log: The Consultant shall maintain a log of
all technical assistance services administered, including a description of the
assistance and the administering staff person, recipient, date and time. This log
must be kept current and submitted to NYCEDC as a backup for requisitions for
payment.
7.3 – Program Review:
o The Consultant will submit quarterly reports to NYCEDC on progress of
Program implementation.
o The Consultant will conduct and draft a robust program evaluation inclusive
of topics to be provided to the Consultant by NYCEDC after contract award.
