07.01.26 Kent County Econ Dev Strategic Plan RFP - Final.pdf

Kent County, Maryland

Request for Proposals

For 2027 Economic & Tourism Development

Strategic Plan

RFP-ETD-27-01

Proposal Submission Deadline: Thursday, July 30th, at 11:59 PM EST

Primary Contact for Request for Proposals:

Department of Grants & Contracts

400 High Street, Chestertown, MD 21620 procurement@kentgov.org

Contents

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I. Project Overview

A. Introduction

B. Kent County Department of Economic and Tourism Development Overview

C. Background

D. Request for Proposals

II. Scope of Work and Deliverables

A. Project Details

B. Conclusions and Recommendations

III. Proposal Format, Content, and Submission Requirements

A. Submission of Proposals and Deadline

B. Equal Opportunity

C. Questions about the Request for Proposals

D. Minimum Proposal Requirements

E. Debarred, Suspended, and Ineligible Contractors

F. Acceptance of Vendor Proposals

G. Scoring Proposals

H. Contract Price and Payment

IV. Timelines

A. RFP Timeline

B. Project Timeline

Acknowledgement of RFP Terms and Conditions

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Kent County is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to assist the County in developing an Economic and Tourism Development Strategic Plan. The Scope of Work will include conducting stakeholder meetings and evaluating economic data, culminating in the creation of a deliverable 2027 Economic and Tourism Development Strategic Plan, including the County’s top priority goals related to economic and tourism development, strategies to achieve the goals, and objectives for measurement of the goals for the next 5 years.

An electronic copy of this Request for Proposals (RFP) may be downloaded from eMaryland Marketplace, the State of Maryland’s eProcurement system, at https://emma.maryland.gov, and the Kent County Government webpage at https://www.kentcounty.com/government/request_for_proposal.

Each proposal received in response to this RFP will be evaluated on the vendor’s approach to analysis, methodology, capacity, experience, and cost as outlined in this RFP.

All proposals must be submitted via electronic copy as outlined in Section III of this RFP and must include all elements described in Section III.D of this RFP to be considered fully responsive.

Questions can be sent in writing via email to procurement@kentgov.org, as directed in Section III.C of this RFP.

https://emma.maryland.gov/ https://www.kentcounty.com/government/request_for_proposal mailto:procurement@kentgov.org

I. Project Overview

A. Introduction

Kent County’s Economic and Tourism Development Department is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to build on its 2022 Economic and Tourism Development Strategic Plan.

The selected vendor will review and refine the County’s priority goals, strategies, and measurable objectives using current research, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

This work will culminate in the development of a 2027 Economic and Tourism Development Strategic Plan that will guide Kent County’s economic development efforts for the next five years.

B. Kent County Department of Economic and Tourism Development Overview

Kent County’s Department of Economic and Tourism Development works to strengthen the local economy by supporting business growth, workforce development, and sustainable tourism. The Department of Economic and Tourism Development (County Staff) and the Economic and Tourism Development Commission (Appointed Business Owners and Leaders) collaborate to attract new investment, assist existing businesses, and promote Kent County as a vibrant place to live, work, and visit. Through strategic planning, partnerships, and community engagement, Kent County fosters innovation and entrepreneurship while preserving the region’s natural beauty and historic character. Tourism initiatives highlight the county’s Chesapeake Bay heritage, outdoor recreation, and cultural experiences, drawing visitors and enhancing the quality of life for residents. Together, these efforts build a resilient economy rooted in local talent, creativity, and opportunity.

C. Background

The Department of Economic and Tourism Development and the Commission carry out the goals and objectives of the Board of Kent County Commissioners. The 2022 Economic and Tourism Development Strategic Plan, adopted on February 8, 2022, established a framework for economic growth and tourism advancement. Updating the plan is necessary to ensure Kent County’s strategies reflect current economic conditions, emerging opportunities, and evolving community priorities. A refreshed plan will guide decision-making, strengthen partnerships, and position the County to attract investment, support local businesses, and enhance tourism over the next five years. The 2027 plan will maintain momentum, measure progress, and keep Kent County’s economic development efforts responsive and forward-looking. The selected vendor will be expected to expand upon the current economic development framework and ongoing efforts, while also advancing community priorities through the introduction of innovative and effective strategies.

D. Request for Proposals

The County will award the contract to the vendor offering the most advantageous proposal, https://cms2.revize.com/revize/kentcountymd/Documents/Government/Boards%20and%20Committees/Economic%20And%20Tourism%20Development%20Commission/02.08.22_ETD_Strategic_Plan_Final.pdf?t=202507231435080&t=202507231435080 https://cms2.revize.com/revize/kentcountymd/Documents/Government/Boards%20and%20Committees/Economic%20And%20Tourism%20Development%20Commission/02.08.22_ETD_Strategic_Plan_Final.pdf?t=202507231435080&t=202507231435080 https://cms2.revize.com/revize/kentcountymd/Documents/Government/Boards%20and%20Committees/Economic%20And%20Tourism%20Development%20Commission/02.08.22_ETD_Strategic_Plan_Final.pdf?t=202507231435080&t=202507231435080 considering all evaluation criteria outlined in this Request for Proposals, including cost and the proposed timeline for completing data collection and developing recommendations.

Proposals will be reviewed privately and evaluated by a panel that will make the final award decision.

II. Scope of Work and Deliverables

A. Project Details

The vendor will be responsible for:

• Assessing available resources, constraints, and opportunities.

• Developing a clear mission and shared vision for economic and tourism development.

• Establishing achievable goals aligned with County priorities.

• Formulating and implementing action plans to achieve those goals.

• Designing measurable success metrics to track progress over time.

• Developing and executing a stakeholder engagement plan that includes business interviews and community meetings. The stakeholders’ list is to be determined with the Economic and Tourism Development staff.

The Plan will include data collection, analysis, and the production of a detailed plan that includes:

1. Business Attraction & Competitiveness

a. The vendor will conduct research to provide a data-based rationale for 3-5 priority sectors (e.g., agritech, marine trades, light manufacturing). The vendor will include relevant data summaries in the plan, including a comparison of Kent County to peer counties to identify competitive advantages and gaps in business attraction.

b. Based on the above, the vendor will propose relevant goals and action plans to support businesses' attraction and competitiveness as impacts these priority sectors, which may include recommendations for infrastructure, zoning, or permitting enhancements; prospect engagement strategies; and other business climate enhancements such as policy or process improvements that reduce friction for new businesses. Proposed strategies and action plans should include reference, wherever possible and appropriate, to successful approaches from similar jurisdictions and should reference resources needed to accomplish recommended actions.

2. Business Retention & Expansion (BRE)

a. The vendor will provide an assessment of current business and retention strategies, and identify challenges (e.g., workforce, permitting, infrastructure, etc.) in the current landscape.

b. Based on prioritized gaps as identified from data and the assessment above, as well as stakeholder engagement, the vendor will propose relevant goals and action plans to support a strengthened BRE framework, examples of which may address local supply chain mapping, business visitation strategies, growth support for businesses, or means to improve County responsiveness and communications with businesses.

Proposed strategies and action plans should include reference, wherever possible and appropriate, to successful approaches from similar jurisdictions and should reference resources needed to accomplish recommended actions.

3. Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development

a. The vendor will evaluate the current landscape that supports entrepreneurship and small business development in Kent County, including identification of existing resources (SBDC, mentors, lenders) and gaps in services, based on stakeholder feedback.

b. Based on the above as identified from data and stakeholder engagement, the vendor will recommend relevant goals and action plans to improve the support system for entrepreneurship & small business development, which may include action plans to establish small business resource hubs, or regulatory navigation tools. Proposed strategies and action plans should include reference, wherever possible and appropriate, to successful approaches from similar jurisdictions and should reference resources needed to accomplish recommended actions.

4. Workforce Development

a. The vendor should provide, based on data and stakeholder engagement, an assessment of the current and future workforce needs by industry and gaps faced by such industries in the County.

b. Based on the above, the vendor will recommend relevant goals and action plans to address workforce development needs, examples of which may include strategies in education and training alignment with local public schools, colleges, and trades schools, strategies to address top barriers identified in attracting workforce (e.g., housing, transportation, childcare, digital access), or addressing gaps in employer retention supports. Proposed strategies and action plans should include reference, wherever possible and appropriate, to successful approaches from similar jurisdictions and should reference resources needed to accomplish recommended actions.

5. Tourism Development

a. The vendor will identify and assess lodging, amenities, wayfinding, recreation, and visitor services as well as high-value visitor groups based on data and stakeholder engagement.

b. Based on the above, the vendor will recommend relevant goals and action plans to further strengthen tourism in the area, examples of which may include strategies related to tailored marketing; development of new or enhanced attractions, events, trails, waterfront experiences, cultural offerings, etc. Proposed strategies and action plans should include reference, wherever possible and appropriate, to successful approaches from similar jurisdictions and should reference resources needed to accomplish recommended actions.

As part of the proposed Scope of Work, the vendor should expect to develop a stakeholder engagement plan in coordination with Kent County’s Department of Economic & Tourism Development and conduct comprehensive stakeholder engagement sessions to gather insights, perspectives, and priorities from diverse stakeholders, including but not limited to the County Commissioners, businesses, community leaders, partner agencies, and County Department leadership. The Department of ETD will assist in staff and stakeholder sessions, but the selected vendor will be responsible for attending and facilitating such sessions.

B. Conclusions and Recommendations

The final plan must include:

1. A clear vision and mission for economic development that aligns with the Kent County

Comprehensive Plan and can be communicated to diverse audiences.

2. Targeted strategies for business attraction and competitiveness, business retention and expansion, entrepreneurship and small business development, workforce development, and tourism development.

3. An action-oriented plan that organizes and prioritizes economic development efforts into short-term (1-2 years) and medium-term (3-5 years) strategies. Recommendations should be specific, realistic, and actionable.

4. Defined objectives and performance measures to evaluate progress and outcomes for Kent County’s economy.

The plan should use these elements to inform the vision, mission, strategy, and action plans:

• Assessment of Kent County’s identity and competitiveness

• Strategies to strengthen economic development practices

• Integration of existing studies and data

• Data from Tourism Impact Studies (14 years), ESRI data, USDA Ag Census, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Surveys, and Lightcast Reports (available through Economic and Tourism Development)

The finalized Plan will be presented to the County Commissioners for adoption by resolution.

III. Proposal Format, Content, and Submission Requirements

A. Submission of Proposals and Deadline

Applicants will submit proposals in response to this RFP via email only to procurement@kentgov.org with “RFP-ETD-27-01” included in the subject line of the email.

Submitted proposals shall follow the content requirements outlined in Section III.D of this RFP, including Sections 1-5 as described.

Electronic submission must be received by THURSDAY, JULY 30TH at 11:59 PM EST.

Late proposals will not be accepted.

There is no expressed or implied obligation for Kent County to reimburse applicants for any expenses incurred in preparing proposals in response to this request. Kent County reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a proposal regardless of whether that proposal is selected.

Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the applicant of the conditions contained in this Request for Proposals, unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the contract.

B. Equal Opportunity

All qualified persons, firms, and proposers will receive consideration without regard to age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion or sexual orientation. Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women-Owned Enterprises (WBE), and Veteran-Owned Enterprises are encouraged to apply.

C. Questions about the Request for Proposals

Questions related to the scope of work, requests for additional information, and/or questions relating to the submission of the proposal may be directed to procurement@kentgov.org.

Only written questions submitted by email with “RFP-ETD-27-01” included the subject line will be accepted and responded to. No questions will be responded to via telephone or other methods. All questions must be submitted by 11:59 pm ET on THURSDAY, JULY 16TH 2026 to guarantee response. Questions received after that date may not receive a response.

Questions and Answers will be posted in the form of an Addendum to the original post on marylandmarketplace.com and on Kent County’s website at:

https://www.kentcounty.com/government/request_for_proposal by Thursday, July 23rd, 2026.

D. Minimum Proposal Requirements

1. Contents of the proposal shall include:

a. Section 1: An executive summary of not more than one page.

b. Section 2: Proposed Scope of Work not to exceed five pages, to include:

i. 2.1: Description of approach/methodology to the scope of services, including the integration of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan with the milestones for the deliverable product.

ii. 2.2: Description of deliverable products.

iii. 2.3: Implementation schedule of how the study would progress, and at what points various tasks will be completed, including 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of completion.

c. Section 3: A general background of your organization and any subcontractors included in the project team (if any), not to exceed three pages, to include:

i. 3.1: Description of similar support or projects undertaken.

https://www.kentcounty.com/government/request_for_proposal

ii. 3.2: Names and contact information for three references familiar with similar work.

iii. 3.3: Demonstrated track record of coordinating with government departments, non-profits, and municipalities

iv. 3.4: Familiar with Economic Development in Maryland

v. 3.5: Familiar with Kent County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore demographics

vi. 3.6: Resumes of staff members to be assigned (excluded from Section 3 page limit)

vii. 3.7: Samples of relevant prior work products (optional, excluded from Section 3 page limit)

d. Section 4: Budget Description, not to exceed one page, including:

i. 4.1: Costs by work product and total cost.

e. Section 5: Signed Acknowledgment of RFP Terms and Conditions

E. Debarred, Suspended, and Ineligible Contractors

The vendor certifies by submission of a proposal that it is not a debarred, suspended, or ineligible contractor by any Agency of the Federal or State government; no proposal received from a debarred, suspended, or ineligible contractor will qualify for an award.

F. Acceptance of Vendor Proposals

Kent County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any non-material irregularities in the proposal, to accept or reject any item or combination of items, and to accept any proposal that best benefits the people of Kent County. Kent County reserves the right to negotiate with any, none, or all the proposing vendors. Kent County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

G. Scoring Proposals

Each proposal will be rated and ranked in accordance with the following criteria:

1. Approach for conducting the analysis (15 points)

2. Specific methodologies for completing various aspects of developing the plan (20 points)

3. Demonstrated ability and capacity (15 points)

4. Technical qualifications of individuals to be assigned to the project (15 points)

5. Ability to meet proposed timeline (15 points)

6. Total price (20 points)

Qualified applicants may be invited to interview and respond to further questions about their approach, methodologies, and qualifications. Kent County reserves the right to award a contract based solely on the proposals or to negotiate with one or more consultants. During the evaluation process, Kent County may request additional information or clarification from applicants. The vendor will be selected based on the best fit for the County and may not necessarily be the lowest price. The vendor chosen must agree to execute a contract within 30 days after the Notice of Award. No contract may be assigned, either in whole or in part, without the prior approval of Kent County.

H. Contract Price and Payment

The Proposal must state the total planned hours and hourly rate by staff classification of those anticipated to work on the project. An all-inclusive maximum fee for the entire study must be included.

The price quoted in the proposal must be firm and not subject to change. The County has allocated up to $30,000 for the cost of this study. The price shall represent the total cost to Kent County, including direct, indirect, and out-of-pocket expenses. Quoted costs should include, but not be limited to, meetings with County staff, stakeholder meetings, public hearings, and presentation of a final report. Any additional costs, such as travel, should be explicitly stated.

Payment will be made upon approval of products at 25%, 50% and 75% completion. The final 25% will be paid upon completion and approval of all products.

IV. Timelines

A. RFP Timeline

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026 Release of Request for Proposals Thursday, July 16th, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET Deadline to submit questions Thursday, July 23rd, 2026 Answers to questions will be posted Thursday, July 30th, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET RFP Responses due to Kent County

B. Project Timeline

Interim due dates are estimated and will be confirmed upon execution of a contract.

Proposers are required to develop a more comprehensive proposed timeline for completion of the project. Award notifications are expected to be made in August, 2026. All work products must be completed by February 28, 2027.

Acknowledgement of RFP Terms and Conditions

Proposer, as part of its Response, must submit this document signed by a representative(s) authorized by the proposer to make representations for the proposer and to obligate the proposer to perform the commitments contained in its response.

Acknowledged and Agreed:

Signature Signature

Printed Name Printed Name

Title Title

Firm Name Firm Name

City, State City, State

Phone Number Phone Number

Date Date