Advantage Valley’s Disadvantaged Business Certification

Request for Proposal (RFP)

 

Title: Consultant Services for Helping Disadvantaged Businesses Receive Certification

Issued by: Advantage Valley, Inc.

Issue Date: December 2, 2024

Response Deadline: December 16, 2024

Statement of Purpose: Advantage Valley, Inc. is dedicated to fostering diverse economic growth within the Advantage Valley nine-county region (Boone, Cabell, Clay, Jackson, Lincoln, Kanawha, Mason, Putnum, and Wayne Counties). We are home to more than 500,000 people and are a significant economic hub for the state.

Many entities – Federal and State governments, public agencies, and national or multinational corporations — maintain procurement diversity goals focused on businesses owned by a disadvantaged owner (defined as a Woman, Minority, Veteran, or otherwise disadvantaged individual).  However, at a recent Advantage Valley trade show, when a company requested a partnership with a disadvantaged business, we were unable to offer a single candidate that held a certification. Clearly, this is an area of growth for Advantage Valley and the region at large.

We are seeking a qualified consultant to assist in educating Disadvantaged Business Owners and helping these businesses receive the necessary certifications.

Project Outline

Our project involves several facets.

First, and most central to our initiative, requires our chosen consultant to provide individual coaching assistance for Disadvantaged Business Owners.

During these coaching sessions, our selected consultant will be expected to help guide these entrepreneurs through the certification process. It is important to note that clients will be eligible to receive any type of certification that best fits their business – whether it is a federal certification [8(a), WOSB, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, or Veteran-Owned Certification], West Virginia state certification [Woman Owned, Minority Owned, Hispanic Owned, or Veteran Owned], or any 3rd Party certification.

It is possible that a client may not be sure of which type of certification to pursue. Should this be the case, we expect that our chosen consultant will be able to guide the client through the options, and help the individual select the most appropriate certification.

The other key facet of this project will be to host regular workshops to educate the public on the value of certification. These workshops are intended to…

  • (a) Broadly inform business owners how to receive a certificate.
  • (b) Explain why a certification is a valuable tool for a business to hold.
  • (c) Teach entrepreneurs how to properly utilize the certification once it is obtained.

The third point is particularly important. Take, for instance, the following metaphor. Consider a Disadvantaged Business Certification as a fishing license: it may be useful to hold a license that states you are eligible to fish (or, in our case, be eligible to sell to a government or 3rd party entity), but if one does not know how to fish (in our case, how to actually market oneself to these purchasing entities), the license (Disadvantaged Business Certification) is little more than a piece of paper.

Not every workshop will involve each of these facets. Instead, we envision scenarios where we host a multitude of workshops, each targeted towards a more specific goal. However, our selected consultant should be knowledgeable on each step of the process.

It is also worth noting that while we are open to working with any type of business who wishes to receive a certificate, we primarily hope to focus on manufacturers. However, if a company that offers services (engineering, accounting, professional cleaning services, etc.) wants to receive a certification in hopes of contracting with a government agency or larger corporation, we will happily enroll the entrepreneur into our program.

Scope of Work: The selected consultant will:

  • Develop strategies to educate Disadvantaged Businesses on the benefits of receiving third party certification.
  • Host five workshops a year, for three years, to educate the public in the benefits of certification.
  • Assist 45 businesses over three years in navigating the certification process by offering one-on-one consultation services to business owners (up to 10 hours/client).
  • Track progress and provide regular reports to Advantage Valley.

Qualifications:

  • Proven experience in working with Disadvantaged Businesses.
  • Knowledge of certification processes and requirements. This includes an understanding of the nuances between federal, state, and 3rd party certifications, and the ability to assist clients in selecting a certificate to pursue.
  • Relationships, or the ability to build relationships, with agencies in our region who are familiar with the Disadvantaged Business Certification process (Including the SBA, SBDC, RCAC Apex Accelerator, Women’s Business Council, etc.)
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Proposal Requirements: Proposals should include:

  • A cover letter.
  • A detailed work plan and timeline.
  • Information on the consultant’s relevant experience.
  • Budget and cost breakdown.

Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated based on:

  • Experience and qualifications.
  • Quality and feasibility of the proposed work plan.
  • Cost-effectiveness.
  • Past performance.

Submission Instructions: All proposals must be submitted via email by December 16 to Sam Lever at sam@advantagevalley.com. For any questions, please email Sam or call (304) 352-1165.

Thank you for your interest in this opportunity. We look forward to reviewing your proposal.