Determination - Regional Development Corporation for the Business Expansion and Retention Program

Solicitation No.

Determination - Regional Development Corporation for the Business Expansion and

Type / RFx

Source Sought

Status

Active

Level

county

Published Date

—

Due Date

—

NAICS Code

541618AI guide

Jurisdiction

Santa Fe County

State

New Mexico

Agency

Santa Fe County

102 Grant Avenue · P.O. Box 276 · Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-0276 · 505-986-6200 · FAX: 505-995-2740 www.santafecountynm.gov Justin S. Greene Commissioner, District 1 Anna T. Hamilton Commissioner, District 4 Anna Hansen Commissioner, District 2 Hank Hughes Commissioner, District 5 Camilla Bustamante Commissioner, District 3 Gregory S. Shaffer County Manager MEMORANDUM FOR SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION AND POSTING DATE: October 17, 2024 TO: File FROM: Bill Taylor, Procurement Manager RE: Sole Source Determination per Section 13-1-126 NMSA 1978 to Contract With the Regional Development Corporation for the Business Expansion and Retention Program for Santa Fe County, for a Total Amount of $250,000.00, Inclusive of NM GRT. BACKGROUND: The County Economic Development Plan adopted in 2024, provide economic assistance to new or expanding companies in Santa Fe County. The Business Expansion and Retention Program includes: • Business Outreach faclited through holding events at a number of locations throughout the County, in both English and Spanish. • Operating a mico-Grant program for existing target industries, businesses and no-profits. • Providing individual business technical support • Providing online business educational resources • Creating marketing materials and marketing the program • Providing quarterly progress reports, including outcome-based and long-term tracking The Regional Development Corporation (RDC) is a private non-profit 501© organization dedicated to improving economic development in northern New Mexico. The RDC provides private investment opportunities and technical assistance to facilitate job growth and diversify the economies of communities in the following seven Counties: - Los Alamos County - Mora County - Rio Arriba County - Sandoval County - San Miguel County - Santa Fe County - Taos County 102 Grant Avenue · P.O. Box 276 · Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-0276 · 505-986-6200 · FAX: 505-995-2740 www.santafecountynm.gov As well as other municipalities and Native American Tribes in northern New Mexico. Further, the contract with RDC will include a unique online program for providing educational resources to businesses provided by the Thornbridge Academy, a veteran-owned non-profit with decades of experience helping small businesses by helping them learn how to help themselves through online self-paced learning modules. These web-based tools have been developed to educate and evaluate business owners working with the RDC. These tools will provide business owners with a real-world education resource and will align and enhance the RDC mission to provide technical assistance, funding opportunities, and resources for small business owners. All elements of this economic development program will be available to any clients selected by the RDC for the duration of the agreement. The Web-based program includes: • A Centralized Training Portal • Educational Modules to provide applicants with educational resources • Video Tutorials • Downloadable resources • Evaluation Tools • Bilingual Support • Tracking • Technical Support The County worked alongside the City of Santa Fe to procure the services though a competitive solicitation. The University of New Mexico, Rainforest Innovations and the Arrowhead Center at NM State University submitted responses that would require them to create the platforms necessary to launch the program. The RDC already has the platform, outreach network and program to effectively provide the necessary services on an immediate basis. DETERMINATION: Due to the unique economic development and support program that is currently in place with the Regional Development Corporation, as well as the uniqueness with RDC’s contacts and current economic development in northern New Mexico, it is the determination of the County Central Purchasing Office and Chief Procurement Officer that it is in the best interest of the County that a contract with the Regional Development Corporation be awarded without competitive sealed bids pursuant to NMSA 1978, 13-1-126 Sole Source Procurement. Contract Information: Vendor: Regional Development Corporation 441 Greg Ave. Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 Pat Vanderpool, Executive Director Attachment A: RDC Proposal 10/7/24 Regional Development Corporation Proposal to Santa Fe County Background and Overview The Regional Development Corporation (RDC) is a private non-profit economic development organization that has been serving Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Taos, San Miguel, Mora and Sandoval Counties and the Native American Pueblos therein since 1996. The RDC develops effective workforce programs and provides technical assistance and funding opportunities to small businesses to increase revenues, facilitate job growth, diversify the economy, and develop a well-educated workforce in the region. The organization works with all types of for-profit businesses including tribal entrepreneurs, technology and manufacturing businesses, and small businesses. The focus is increasingly on developing rural small businesses in order to build vibrant local communities in underserved and less- populated areas of our service region. In 2015, the RDC proposed a Micro-Grant program to Santa Fe County and entered into an agreement to operate it through 2018. Over the 4-year span of the Santa Fe County Program, $20,000 per year was provided by the County for an average of 27 awardees of $3,000.00 each. In 2019 the RDC received funding from Triad National Security to create a regional Micro-Grant Fund geared at sustaining and growing small rural businesses in the RDC's seven-county service region. When COVID hit in in 2020, these grants became a critical funding source for businesses that encountered overwhelming challenges due to the pandemic. The current RDC Micro-Grant program has grown considerably since its inception from 8 applicants and 5 awardees in 2019 to 170 applicants and 59 awardees in 2023. This year's 59 awardees were spread over the RDC's seven-county service area. Twenty of these awardees are located in the proposed Santa Fe County (SSFC) service area; we intend to increase that number with this proposal. In addition to the lack of awareness about funding opportunities, there is a lack of one-on-one technical support in the field in SSFC. Small businesses in this area often don't have the time or wherewithal to locate needed resources and aren't able to drive long distances to meet with organizations in person. This proposal reflects our request for $100,000 per year for two years to enhance our existing Business Retention and Expansion efforts in Santa Fe County (SSFC) by offering bilingual events, one-on­ one in-person technical support, and additional Micro-Grants to improve small business success. The RDC will target the County's targeted industries as identified in the 2024 Economic Development plan, including outdoor recreation, value added agriculture, Arts, culture and creative industries and organizations working to alleviate poverty and advance affordable housing. The outreach and grant program will also include non- profit organizations. Proposal The RDC proposes to provide technical support services and increase the number of Micro-Grant awards to businesses in underserved and the most rural parts of Santa Fe County (SFC), including the following communities: • Santa Fe Airport Road Corridor • La Cienega • Cerrillos • Madrid • Galisteo • Golden • Edgewood • Stanley The RDC's goal is to continue to expand economic development efforts in Santa Fe County through our Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) program. This expansion will include: 1) hiring a Spanish-speaker on an hourly basis to assist with translation and interpretation services