Loudoun Financial Improvement seeks proposals from certified distributors to implement and coordinate the Launch Loudoun Technical Help Pilot Program

OVERVIEW: Launch Loudoun, a program of Loudoun Financial Improvement (DED), supplies experiences and providers for Loudoun entrepreneurs by way of your entire lifecycle of their small enterprise. Discover worth in Day 1 and Day 1,001 by way of large-scale occasions, focused applications, companion counseling, and personalised 1-on-1 providers with trade specialists. We create an setting of success for companies of all sizes and circumstances, concentrating on the core focus areas of entrepreneurial enterprise development: finance, authorized, human sources/workforce, gross sales/advertising, and possession/management. Loudoun Financial Improvement is happy to make the most of this program to launch the subsequent #LoudounPossible success story.

To assist the Launch Loudoun program, DED was supplied American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)[1] {dollars} to permit programming and occasions to be produced and out there all through the County, supplies supplied in a number of languages, technical help supplied to each teams and particular person companies, herald trainers and audio system in the important thing areas, and assist particular instruments for enterprise stability and development. Via Launch Loudoun, DED hopes to extend participation by and assist particularly to rural, girl and minority-owned enterprise throughout the County.

Since its inception in Might 2023, Launch Loudoun has seen over 2,600 attendees at applications and occasions, served over 245 particular person companies with over 42% of these served being minority-owned. A constant want that Launch Loudoun hopes to deal with is a devoted referral service and minimizing the associated fee burden to small companies accessing vital technical assist providers. For instance, when a enterprise attends a 1-on-1 assembly with DED workers or attends a Launch Loudoun occasion they typically have questions on particular duties or issues they’ve with one of many 5 core focus areas of the Launch Loudoun program[2]: finance, authorized, human sources/workforce, gross sales/advertising, and possession/management. They could need assistance reviewing or executing their first lease, assist writing a marketing strategy or getting ready monetary paperwork for his or her first mortgage or grant utility, advertising assist to get an internet site or e-commerce platform operating, accounting assist, or different skilled providers.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: DED seeks proposals from certified distributors to implement and coordinate the Launch Loudoun Technical Help Pilot Program in partnership and on the route of DED. This Pilot Program will join vetted Launch Loudoun purchasers with an identifiable want for technical assist providers with a pre-determined listing of Loudoun-based service suppliers. A downloadable copy of this RFP may be discovered right here. The pilot program will accomplish the entire following:

Supply focused, 1-on-1 skilled assist to small companies.
Create a sustainable framework for connecting companies with pre-vetted service suppliers.
Generate measurable outcomes to tell future iterations and funding alternatives.

The chosen vendor will ship the entire following providers:

Create and Handle a Community or Checklist of Pre-Vetted Service Suppliers:
- Collaborate with DED to recruit and approve technical service suppliers.
- Keep supplier profiles inside a centralized system for monitoring providers and assignments.
Handle the Means of Connecting Authorized Launch Loudoun Shoppers with Authorized Service Suppliers[3]:
- Develop a clear course of to match companies with appropriate service suppliers.
- Embody instruments for monitoring requests, approvals, and mission outcomes, guaranteeing County oversight.
- Execute and implement partnership agreements with service suppliers.
- Create, execute and reconcile invoices with service suppliers.
Help Participant Outreach and Engagement:
- Help DED with outreach by way of newsletters, social media, and neighborhood partnerships.
- Handle participation boundaries akin to language entry and digital literacy by way of multi-format supplies and out there interpretation providers to be supplied by the County.
Challenge Monitoring and Efficiency Reporting:
- Implement instruments to watch mission standing, hours used, and outcomes.
- Submit month-to-month efficiency reviews and a remaining abstract report inside 60 days of program completion.
- Present month-to-month accounting of mission funds, funds remaining and any excellent points in addition to a remaining accounting 60 days prior[4] to finish of mission interval.
Compliance with ARPA Tips:
- Guarantee all program documentation aligns with ARPA compliance necessities.
- Retain information for County audits and reporting wants.
Information Assortment for Scalability:
- Collect insights on program effectiveness, participant satisfaction, and outcomes to tell program enhancements.

Responses ought to embody the entire following info:

Firm Profile:
- Overview of your group, together with expertise with program administration and small enterprise assist. Earlier expertise working with DED and/or the Launch Loudoun program needs to be particularly addressed.
- Identify, title and temporary background on major contact and another key personnel who will work on the mission.
Challenge Plan and Methodology:
- Detailed method for managing service suppliers, matchmaking companies, and program monitoring.
- Describe your course of for outreach, participant engagement, and efficiency reporting together with key metrics to be tracked.
Describe the system for use for managing supplier assignments and reporting[5].
Funds Proposal:
- Detailed price breakdown for providers and whether or not service is supplied at an hourly or general charge[6].
References or previous tasks that exhibit your experience in small enterprise program supply and vendor coordination.
Estimated timeline for mission from execution of settlement, preparation to when Launch Loudoun purchasers can entry the service.

BUDGET: This mission is made potential by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and have to be in compliance with all guidelines therein in addition to all procurement guidelines of Loudoun County and the Financial Improvement Authority. Responses that embody any further assist providers or charges not pertaining to the above necessities will likely be reviewed however should separate out these prices and providers.

Loudoun County supplies cost underneath accredited Buy Orders with web 30 phrases. As such, all responses ought to embody any further cost phrases together with however not restricted to a proportion required at signing vital for achievement of the required elements.

The price range for this settlement contains assumed administrative charges to permit the seller to execute funds, the estimated prices of all of the objects famous above and is taken into account all inclusive.

The whole price range allotted for this mission is $50,000 all inclusive.

TIMELINE:

RFP Launched: Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Questions needs to be submitted to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov by Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Responses due no later than COB Friday, February 28^th, 2025, and needs to be emailed to loudounbiz@loudoun.gov
Providers to start Spring 2025 by way of 2026 based mostly on date of accredited settlement.

OTHER:

Please embody in all responses any phrases, circumstances or commonplace contracts/agreements which can be required in your providers.

[1]The chosen vendor will likely be receiving cost from the County of Loudoun of revenues from the Coronavirus State and Native Fiscal Restoration Funds Program (SLFRF) established underneath the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) pursuant to sections 602 and 603 of the Social Safety Act, as added by Part 9901, Public Regulation 117-2, codified at 42 U.S.C. 802 et. Seq. (March 11, 2021).

The third events use of funds acquired as direct cost from the County pursuant to sections 602(c)(1) and 603(c)(1) of the Social Safety Act will likely be used solely to cowl these prices that:

Reply to its destructive financial impacts, and;
Have been accredited by County Employees.

Funds acquired as a direct cost from the County pursuant to this settlement should adhere to official federal steerage issued or to be issued relating to what constitutes a vital expenditure.

As a situation of receiving the SLFRF funds pursuant to this contract/certification, the chosen vendor shall retain documentation of all makes use of of the funds, together with however not restricted to payroll information, invoices, and/or gross sales receipts and should report on all makes use of of funds, and should preserve correct accounting information.

[2] https://biz.loudoun.gov/launch-loudoun/

[3] Every Launch Loudoun consumer will likely be allowed to use for as much as two tasks within the core focus areas. Every mission may be accredited for as much as 5 hours of service with limitations based mostly on the kind of service requested and the stage of the enterprise making use of for assist. Enterprise will likely be recognized by a singular EIN. Enterprise house owners with a number of distinctive companies will solely be accredited for one mission for one enterprise and added to a wait listing if funds stay later in this system cycle.

[4] The date at which the ultimate accounting report is as a result of County could change based mostly on County and/or ARPA remaining reporting necessities.

[5] All info supplied to or utilized by DED can and needs to be thought-about a public report for Freedom of Info Act (FOIA) functions. Please attain out to DED previous to your response to debate proprietary or confidential info that might be contained in your response.

[6] Please word that the funds out there for this mission do NOT embody the funds to pay the service suppliers. These funds are separate from these meant for the chosen vendor and will NOT be accounted for within the price range portion of the response. No fee or different charges could also be charged by the chosen vendor to the service suppliers or Launch Loudoun purchasers.