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[Pages:33]THE NYS MWBE BUSINESS GROWTH ACCELERATOR (BGA)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Issued: May 9, 2017 Submission Deadline: June 5, 2017 by 12:00 PM ET

IMPORTANT NOTICE: A restricted period under the Procurement Lobbying Law is currently in effect for this Procurement and it will remain in effect until approval of the Contract. Respondents are prohibited from contact related to this procurement with any New York State employee, other than the designated contacts listed below (Refer to: ).

Designated Contacts for this Procurement:

Primary Contact: Secondary Contact:

John F. Discolo Ralph Volcy

All contacts/inquiries shall be made by email to the following address:

MWBEBGARFP@esd.

This RFP is posted on the Empire State Developments website:

Contents

I. INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS............................................................................... 2 II. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 2 III. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................. 2 IV. DEFINITIONS.......................................................................................................................... 4 V. SCOPE OF WORK................................................................................................................... 6 VI. PROGRAM FUNDING............................................................................................................ 8 VII. APPLICANT INFORMATION................................................................................................ 9 VIII. SCHEDULE OF DATES........................................................................................................ 13 IX. SELECTION CRITERIA ....................................................................................................... 13 X. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS........................................................................................... 14

i. Technical Proposal.................................................................................................................. 15 ii. Administrative Proposal.......................................................................................................... 17 XI. QUESTIONS .......................................................................................................................... 18 XII. GENERAL PROVISIONS...................................................................................................... 18 XIII. CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................... 20 i. State Finance Law Sections 139-j and 139-k forms ............................................................... 20 ii. Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire ..................................................................................... 21 iii. Iran Divestment Act................................................................................................................ 22 iv. Non-Discrimination and Contractor & Supplier Diversity Requirements.............................. 22 v. Encouraging the Use of NYS Businesses in Contract Performance Form ............................. 29 vi. Certification under State Tax Law Section 5-a....................................................................... 29 vii. Schedule A.............................................................................................................................. 30 viii. Project Sunlight ...................................................................................................................... 30 ix. Insurance Requirements.......................................................................................................... 30 x. W-9 Form................................................................................................................................ 31 xi. Not-For-Profit Organizations.................................................................................................. 31

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I. INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS

The New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) doing business as Empire State Development, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Economic Development (DED) through its Division of Minority and Women Business Development (DMWBD) Office (UDC and DED being hereinafter collectively referred to as "ESD") is seeking proposals from Anchor Institutions to award grant funding in support of the ESD Business Growth Accelerator (Business Growth Accelerator/BGA). The Business Growth Accelerator is a two-year program, providing eighteen (18) months of technical assistance and business development training for NYS certified Minority-and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs). ESD will award a grant to Anchor Institutions (Anchors) pursuant to the procedures set forth below.

II. INTRODUCTION

The mission of Empire State Development (ESD) is to promote a vigorous and growing state economy, encourage business investment and job creation, and support diverse, prosperous local economies across New York State through the efficient use of loans, grants, tax credits, real estate development, marketing and other forms of assistance.

Through the DMWBD, ESD seeks to promote equality of economic opportunities for MWBEs and to eliminate barriers to their participation and resources that increase access to information and opportunities for New York State certified Minority and Women-owned businesses throughout the State.

DMWBD's Key objectives are:

To assist state agencies that are engaged in contracting activities to award state contracts to MWBEs in keeping with the Governor's stated MWBE utilization goals;

To review applications by businesses seeking certification as an MWBE and to maintain a directory of certified MWBEs; and,

To promote the business development of MWBEs through education and outreach to MWBEs, prime contractors, and contracting agencies.

III. OVERVIEW

The Business Growth Accelerator is a two-year (18 month curriculum, 2 year reporting) cohort program providing actionable technical assistance and targeted business development training to participants. Anchors must identify three (3) industries that they will focus on in the delivery of this program. Selection of the targeted industries must include at least one (1) industry listed as part of the NYS Supply and Demand Utilization Initiative (SDU) (View Appendix A).

In the event that the remaining two (2) industries are outside of SDU areas, they must be clearly identified by the Anchor with provided quantitative and/or qualitative analysis detailing regional

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opportunities and/or projects that represent substantial growth opportunities for participating NYS certified MWBE firms. This analysis should provide a clear business case as to why and how these industries represent growth opportunities for MWBE firms and what the projected growth opportunity is in percentage terms. It is suggested that these industries align with the strategic priorities and pending projects of the respective Regional Economic Development Council (REDC). Consideration is also given for proposals that provide specific plans for MWBE growth based on involvement of firms on state procurement opportunities within a specific region.

Each program cohort will be comprised of 20-25 businesses, with balanced industry representation and based on MWBE firm availability in each industry, as identified and selected by Anchors, subject to ESD approval. To the extent possible, Anchors will endeavor to identify participants engaging in complimentary business activity to provide opportunity for and encourage partnership and/or joint ventures between businesses seeking to engage in public contracting.

The winning Anchors will develop and submit, as part of their RFP response, an 18 month curriculum detailing organized cohort seminars and individualized one-on-one business development assistance. Each Anchor must conduct a comprehensive individualized gap analysis of each firm during month one of the program curriculum. This gap analysis of each participating firm must critically assess each firm's current financial, operational, managerial, and marketing capacity prior to beginning workshops and one-on-one sessions. Results of the month one gap analysis will be provided to ESD in the first report, and should be referenced by the Anchor in implementing the one-on-one consultations. The results of the gap analysis will be used to determine minimum benchmarks for classroom sessions, and must support the one-on-one assistance needed and provided per firm. Analysis should be conducted on each participating firm, by an expert consultant in the field.

The overall goal of the curriculum developed by the Anchors should focus on participating MWBEs with comprehensive counseling, capacity building, and training assistance. DMWBD expects the curriculum to emphasize: (a) developing lasting business and problem-solving competencies that will translate directly into sustainable business growth, tangible and documentable business efficiency/practices, leveraging technology, identification of best practices within their respective industry, identifying opportunities for collaboration with prime vendors and/or joint ventures as well as mentor-prot?g? opportunities through the NYS mentor-prot?g? program (View Appendices B1 and B2); (b) successfully securing public and private sector contracts as a prime or subcontractor in areas with potential growth opportunities; (c) securing and/or expanding existing capital facilities to position these firms to handle the increased contract volume expected to be produced as part of this initiative; (d) increasing sales through increased State contract participation; and (e) documentable job creation and/or expansion.

MWBE & SDVOB Subcontractor Interest

New York State certified Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses (MWBEs) and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOBs) may request that their firm's contact information be included on a list of MWBE and SDVOB firms interested in serving as a subcontractor for this procurement. The listing will be publicly posted on ESD's website for reference by the bidding

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community. A firm requesting inclusion on this list should send contact information and a copy of its NYS MWBE or SDVOB certification to MWBEBGARFP@esd.. Nothing prohibits an MWBE Vendor from proposing as a prime contractor.

Per Article 4-A of the Economic Development Law, technical assistance to MWBEs through this educational program must include, but is not limited to:

1. The development and execution of business plans for MWBEs, including the formation, acquisition, management, or diversification of the firm;

2. Assistance with loan applications for obtaining funds from public and private financing sources, and the development of a working capital budget; and,

3. Referrals to other providers of technical assistance, where appropriate, including the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) established pursuant to Article 9 of the Economic Development Law.

IV. DEFINITIONS

The following definitions are provided for clarification of terminology utilized within this RFP.

Anchor Institution (Anchor) ? Eligible organizations responsible for the design, implementation, operation, and reporting of the ESD MWBE BGA program. These include Colleges or Universities or community based Non-Profit Organizations.

Annual Goal ? The numeric outcomes established for the contract year and made a part of the agreement. Reported data is measured against the goals established to determine results to date.

Annual Revenue Change ? Change in the annual income of a firm from the sales of goods, services, or any use of capital or assets, before any costs or expenses are deducted due to the main operations of a firm.

Businesses with Increased Sales ? The number of companies that increased sales in the reporting quarter.

Cohort ? Group of 20-25 firms selected by an Anchor Institution to participate in the training, services and other activities offered by the Anchor Institution, throughout the entirety of the BGA program.

Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) ? An online easy-to-use application for accessing State resources currently available through State agencies and authorities. It allows applicants to access multiple resources through one application process. This system streamlines and expedites the grant application process. For more information on the CFA process, go to:

Credit Growth ? Firm demonstrating expanded abilities to secure business loan(s), establish line of credit, improve business owner(s)' credit score, and/or improve business likelihood of receiving approval from lending institutions.

Division of Minority and Women's Business Development (DMWBD) ? A Division under Empire State Development, responsible for administering State of New York's MWBE program.

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 Dollar Amount of Increased Sales ? Dollar amount of increased sales reported by the businesses for the reporting quarter.

Expanded Employment ?The creation of new positions or hiring of new talents to continue alignment with business growth. The number of employees hired. Part time employees must be entered as .50.

Collective Number of New Employees ?The total number of new employees in all firms in a cohort.

Gap Analysis ? A method of performing comprehensive examination of a business to establish a business' benchmark for business operations, financial/accounting, sales, marketing, and management.

Jobs Retained ? Number of positions kept with no reduction in overall employment from the time the participating business initiated engagement in the BGA initiative.

Matching Dollars/Matching Funds ? The dollar amount contributed by the Anchor for the BGA. This match may not be paid by State funds, must come from non-State sources, and may not include enrollment fees. These costs are to be funded by the operator or a partner as cash or in-kind contributions. The selected awardees are required to contribute a match in an amount no less than 50% of the amount of funding provided by ESD. See Section VI for further information on requirements.

Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) ? A business concern which has been certified by the Division of Minority and Women's Business Development as meeting all eligibility requirements set forth by NYS Executive Law 15-A. For more information on the NYS MWBE certification process go to:

Mobilization Funding ? Initial payment made to anchor at the beginning of the program to cover program initiation costs.

Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) ? Statewide regional areas responsible for developing strategic plans to continue promoting Governor Cuomo's economic development agenda. For more information about the REDC process, go to:

Success Story ? A firm(s) which has demonstrated achievements in business growth, through securing contracts (public or private), expanding its workforce, improving its credit status, securing a business loan, establishing a line of credit, creating strategic alliances which leads to tangible results, expansion in equipment(s), relocation to facility greater business operations, and/or implementation of acquired technical skills/techniques that lead to tangible results. Success Stories grow in areas where minimum metric benchmarks have been provided.

Supply Demand Utilization (SDU) ? An initiative based on an analysis conducted by DMWBD, which reviewed State agency expenditure in certain industries and utilization of certified firms in those categories. The initiative aims to increase utilization of certified firms in targeted industries on state contracting opportunities. For information on the SDU, go to:

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V. SCOPE OF WORK

The Anchor would be required to provide cohort participants, directly or through partners, intensive technical assistance and business development support during the duration of the program. Training would be provided in the form of workshops, classes, group sessions, and individualized one-on-one support.

Training topics in this program, in addition to the areas identified above, should also include, but are not limited to:

Marketing (Market Research, Target Market, Positioning, Branding, Social Media, content management, Search engine optimization, web page development)

Finance (Financial Literacy, Credit Repair, Financing, Insurance/Bonding, Loan Packaging, Financial Statement Analysis)

Accounting (QuickBooks, Payroll, Accounts Receivable/Payable) Managerial/Business Operations (Employee Management, Project Management, Computer

Skills, Human Resources, Workers Compensation) Legal (Compliance, Employment/Labor Law, Industry Regulations, Business Law) Contracting (Licensing, Bid Development, EEO/Workforce, Cost Estimating, Proposal

Debriefs) Sales (Elevator Pitch, Selling Techniques) Global Markets (Export/Import)

The 18 month business accelerator program will prepare MWBE business owners on all aspects of growing and sustaining a successful business. Program highlights include:

Concentrated focus on individualized one-on-one consultation provided to cohort participants. Each participating firm to receive at least 30 to 50 hours of consultation, proportionate to what is needed and contingent on the results of the performed gap analysis. Appendix C breaks down the required hours of assistance and training each participant must receive, through a sample schedule. The respondent must include a proposed Year 1 class schedule in their response and what one-on-one resources would be utilized in delivering the program (View Appendix D);

Intensive business academic seminars for at least 35 hours, with subjects focused on areas where there is a collective need for standard business acumen. The respondent must include a proposed Year 1 class schedule in their response (View Appendix D);

Up to two (2) representatives from each business can participate, one must be the majority business owner, and an additional staff member selected at the discretion of the participating firm. Identified program attendees must remain active throughout the entirety of the program cycle;

The business owner will be the point person to submit all pertinent documents and applications to the Anchor as required;

Anchor must collect, assess, and submit information on all participants during the full two year program reporting period;

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 Anchors may charge a minimal fee, as determined by the ESD sliding scale:

Annual Revenue Range During the Most Recent Year $100,000 ? $199,999 $200,000 ? $399,999 $400,000 ? $599,999 $600,000 ? $799,999 $800,000 ? $999,999 $1,000,000 ? $3,000,000

One-Time Enrollment Fee

$200 $300 $400 $500 $750 $1,250

ESD estimates that as of February 2017, approximately forty percent (40%) of all NYS certified MWBE firms are sized between $100,000 and $3 million. The chart below includes additional information of all NYS MWBE certified firms by their reported annual revenue range. Applicants should use this information to project the likelihood of participating firms in each revenue range, in order to determine projected program income as part of the required submitted program budget.

Reported Annual Revenue

$5,000,000

Percentage of NYS MWBE Certified Firms 28% 26% 12% 23% 11%

COHORT ELIGIBILITY

Businesses interested in participating in the cohort would be required to complete and submit an application to the Anchor institution in order to be considered for the program. ESD will provide the cohort application form. The Anchor is responsible for evaluating and choosing the cohort participants, with final approval from ESD. If necessary, the Anchor may request additional information from applicants as part of their evaluation process. At a minimum, vendors are required to:

a) Submit an application to regional anchor b) Be a currently certified NYS MBE, WBE or MWBE c) Must be in business for at least 2 years d) Must have at least two employees e) Demonstrate annual revenues between $100,000 and $3 million during the most recent

year f) Business located in the anchor's region

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