Attachment 1-Statement of Objectives 4-27.docx

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

1.0 PURPOSE

This Statement of Objectives (SOO) is for Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) services for the Small Business Administration (SBA) This SOO is provided in lieu of a Government written Statement of Work (SOW) to provide potential offerors the flexibility to develop and present cost-effective solutions and innovative alternatives for meeting the Governments stated objectives.

For this requirement, the Contractor shall provide a work force possessing the skills, knowledge, and training to satisfactorily perform the services required to support the Small Business Administration, Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED) efforts to create new Regional Cluster Projects in support of the RIC Initiative.

These clusters will assist businesses in matching innovative technology to industry needs and increase the number of innovative small businesses and entrepreneurs in the nation’s supply chain. Additionally, these clusters will create and follow roadmaps that enhance the region’s ability to create sustainable job growth, compete on a national and global scale, and attract further business investments.

The SBA does not have a target industry. Interested vendors shall propose their target industry and geographic location for the RIC efforts in their proposal.

2.0 SCOPE OR MISSION

The Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED) is seeking the services of contractors to create new Regional Clusters. These clusters will involve public-private partnerships that align federal resources – including SBA’s entrepreneurial development network, lending and investing partners, business development programs and Small Business Innovation Research program – with existing state and local resources, regional strengths, and economic growth opportunities in communities both within the region and beyond. The contractor will be responsible for:

1. Cluster Management/Oversight

2. Cluster Service Delivery (training, counseling, mentoring consulting)

3. Building Cluster Network (adding cluster participants, formalizing linkages with TA providers, etc)

4. Report Development (quarterly and annual reports)

3.0 PERIOD AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Period of Performance: The period of performance consists of a 12-month Base Period with four 12-month Option Periods. Exercise of any options will be at the sole discretion of the SBA. The total term of the contract, including all extensions, shall not exceed 60 months.

Place of Performance: Services shall be performed at the Contractor’s facilities or at separate locations at the discretion of the Contractor based on the regional location of the work to be performed.

4.0 BACKGROUND

The mission of the SBA is to help Americans start, build, and grow businesses. The SBA was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the Federal Government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.

The Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) Initiative of the Small Business Administration (SBA) was launched in September 2010 to promote and support clusters-geographically concentrated groups of interconnected businesses, suppliers, service providers, and associated institutions in a particular industry or field across the United States. Clusters act as a networking hub to convene several resources to help navigate the funding, procurement, and supply-chain opportunities in a specific industry. Through technical and legal assistance, cluster networks also help innovators commercialize promising technologies needed by government and industry buyers. Recognizing the challenges that small business innovators, as well as technical and investor networks, face in creating impactful marketing, SBA actively supports small business membership in emerging and mature industry clusters.

4. 1 Definition of Regional Clusters A regional cluster is a geographically-concentrated, interconnected network of synergistic or complementary businesses, suppliers and associated organizations engaged in or with a particular industry sector, with active channels for business transactions, communications, and dialogue that share specialized infrastructure, labor markets and services.

A cluster’s region may cross municipal, county, and other jurisdictional boundaries. A cluster often encompasses local universities, government research centers, and/or other research and development (R&D) resources, which serve as catalysts for innovation and drivers of regional economic growth. In addition, participants in the cluster may have strategic partnerships with entities outside of the cluster’s geographic region. A successful cluster will leverage the region's unique competitive strengths across geographies and identify and develop networks for business financing, business-to-business sales, development, and workforce development as well as opportunities to expand into markets nationally and internationally. These networks work in concert with local governments, venture capitalists, private banks, private investors, workforce investment boards, non-profit organizations, and institutions of higher development (including community colleges), as well as other public and private agencies and institutions that may extend beyond the geographic region.

5.0 PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES, I.E., REQUIRED RESULTS

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking proposals from entities that lead regional cluster projects. SBA is interested in proposals that: (a) support the growth of an existing regional innovation cluster (i.e. RICs or “clusters”); (b) demonstrate strong regional, bottom-up support; (c) are market-driven; and (d) demonstrate high potential for success and sustainability. These clusters will involve public-private partnerships that align federal resources – including SBA’s entrepreneurial development network, lending and investing partners, business development programs and Small Business Innovation Research program – with existing state and local resources, regional strengths, and economic growth opportunities in communities both within the region and beyond.

Successful cluster proposals will include partnerships with and between business and industry groups, academic institutions, economic development organizations, entrepreneurial development programs, and training initiatives and will reflect an industry-specific focus and collaboration. These clusters will assist businesses in matching innovative technology to industry needs and increase the number of innovative small businesses and entrepreneurs in the nation’s supply chain. Additionally, these clusters will create and follow roadmaps that enhance the region’s ability to create sustainable job growth, compete on a national and global scale, and attract further business investments.

Offerors should also address how they will collaborate with other clusters receiving SBA funding to share best practices, measure impact, and as appropriate, connect their cluster participants with other clusters.

Offerors should further address how they will provide education, training, and business advising to small businesses that have experienced supply chain disruptions, staffing challenges, a decrease in gross receipts or customers, or a closure as a result of COVID-19 and at least three of the following services to small businesses involved in the cluster:

a) Business training

b) Business counseling/consulting

c) Mentoring

d) Technology transfer counseling/consulting

e) Commercialization of existing research and development (R&D) counseling/consulting

f) Export readiness counseling/consulting

g) Other services relevant to small businesses Offerors should also address how they will link small businesses with other small and large businesses, technology, development and financing opportunities, as well as initiatives to establish mentoring, contract matchmaking, and networking opportunities with seasoned entrepreneurs to help potential high-growth small businesses. This may include, but is not limited to, the following services:

a) Manage business growth

b) Build customer bases

c) Build networks and partnerships

d) Provide opportunities for showcasing and demonstration

e) Assist in market development in the region and beyond

f) Assist in ascertaining federal agency technology development requirements and priorities, matching and operationalizing cluster technology and capabilities to best meet these needs

g) Assist in developing areas of federal agency high growth potential which include, but are not limited to, advanced manufacturing, advanced electronics, advanced robotics, advanced defense systems, power / energy innovations, cyber-security, and applied lightweight materials.

h) Facilitate opportunities for accessing new resources and markets

i) Support underserved communities Comment by Arritola-Vazquez, Pedro: Removed question mark (?) which was a typo.

Recognizing the important role that Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs], Hispanic-Serving Institutions [HSIs] from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities [HACU], and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institutions [AANAPISIs]) play in meeting the needs of socially and economically disadvantaged markets, Offerors are encouraged to collaborate with MSIs to provide entrepreneurial development services to socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

Offerors will be required to report on the impact their spending has on the region’s economic growth and how much the region benefited from these activities; access to new markets; the creation of new products or business lines; accelerated business growth and economic activity of small businesses; and increased job creation.

Clusters must work collaboratively to coordinate their efforts to expand services and avoid duplication, particularly with other federally-funded programs and entities and also SBA-funded programs such as Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), SCORE, Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs) and U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEACs). Where a Regional Innovation Cluster is in regions with these programs, the cluster will proactively explore opportunities to coordinate with them in offering counseling and training and other forms of assistance to cluster participants. Regional Innovation Clusters are encouraged to fully employ the resources of other federal, state, and local government, academic and private sector programs concerned with aiding small businesses to provide seamless business development assistance at every stage of business growth.

Offerors will collaborate with their local SBA Regional and District Offices.

Offerors will be required to outline and periodically report on the impact their spending has on small businesses in the cluster area, as well as the broader region’s economic and job growth metrics.

Offerors will need to clearly establish the links between spending initiatives and regional outcomes.

Outcome measures and narratives should also include benefits to the region from cluster activities; development and access to new markets; increase in patents applied for and obtained; licensing and commercializing new technologies; the creation of new products, services or business lines; the development of new partnerships within the region as well as beyond the region; accelerated growth of small businesses; creation of new businesses; regional economic growth and increased job creation.

5.1 Quarterly Reporting - The Contractor shall provide a status report at the end of every quarter detailing activities completed, activities delayed, problem areas determined, and problems resolved. The report shall be submitted to the SBA COR within 15 calendar days following the last day of the quarter reported.

5.2 Annual Reporting - At the end of the base period or option period (if applicable), the Contractor shall provide a detailed report on the extent to which it provided all the services proposed including activities completed and outcomes from those activities, as well as any activities not completed with explanations. This report will highlight accomplishments and outcomes, including but not limited to:

5.2.1 Small Business Metrics:

· Growth in number of small businesses participating in cluster partnerships

· Growth in number of small businesses participating in cluster and support industries

· Growth in number of small business startup in the cluster area

· Growth in total capital flowing to small business participants in the cluster (grants, contracts, loans and investments from public and private sources), including description of the relationship between the funding opportunities obtained by the small businesses and the engagement activities of the cluster with such businesses (e.g., value of small businesses’ economic activity tied directly to cluster assistance as well as economic activity tied indirectly to the cluster by virtue of the small businesses being active participants in the cluster).

· Growth in job creation of small businesses

· Growth in new products, services, or business lines

· Number of small businesses receiving counseling, training, mentoring, or other technical assistance.

· Number of activities in Opportunities Zones and number attended.

· Number of activities with MSIs and number attended.

· Number of activities with small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

· Number of small businesses participating in other activities and services provided by the cluster, including showcasing events, networking events, matchmaking opportunities, and other convening activities.

· Number of patents obtained and /or applied for by small business participants in the cluster, as well as number of new technologies licensed.

5.2.2 Regional Economy Outcomes:

Regional economic growth and job creation

5.3 The Contractor shall provide the deliverables as defined in this document to the COR in excel spreadsheet or compatible electronic format unless otherwise noted.

5.4 The Contractor shall also comply with SBA requests for independent assessment studies conducted by agency representatives and/or contractors.