FY2023 Regional Innovation Cluster Webinar.pdf

2023 Regional Innovation Cluster Competition Solicitation number: 73351023Q0304

August 3, 2023

Regional Innovation Clusters | U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov) Solicitation questions and submissions can be sent directly to Nikeena.Brown@sba.gov.

We Will Start Shortly.

https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/regional-innovation-clusters mailto:Nikeena.Brown@sba.gov

Disclaimer:

This webinar will be recorded.

All questions will be consolidated and answered in a document posted on SAM.gov under the solicitation.

Logistics Information for Webinar

Closed captions are available.

Click “More” at the top of your screen and under “Language and

Speech” there is an option to turn on captions.

For our audience, your cameras and microphone are disabled for the duration of this meeting. Please include all questions in the chat.

Agenda

• Welcome and Brief Overview of Office of Investment and Innovation

• Competition Overview

• Solicitation Provisions and Materials

• Tour of the Solicitation Portal

Office of Investment and Innovation

U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Investment and Innovation

Building an inclusive public-private support ecosystem for high-growth small businesses from idea to IPO

Foster and facilitate a thriving national ecosystem that advances equitable investment in innovative high growth small businesses.

Office of Investment and Innovation Programs At-A-Glance

Investment

Small Business Investment Companies

(SBIC)

Ecosystem Development

Federal and State Technology Partnerships

(FAST)

Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC)

Regional Innovation Clusters (RICs)

Innovation

Small Business Innovation Research

(SBIR)

Small Business Technology Transfer

(STTR)

America’s Seed Fund

Competition Overview

Award Amount and Period of Performance

• We expect to make multiple awards under this solicitation.

• Award will be made through a Time & Materials contract.

• This solicitation is a small business set aside. The size standard is $19 million under NAICS code 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services

• The estimated range for this requirement is between $400,000 and $500,000 per year.

• Offerors should not interpret this figure as a ceiling (or as a floor) on quotes; rather, this information is provided as a courtesy to prospective offerors. The Government may select a quote for award with a price below, at, or exceeding this figure if it finds that quote provides the best value and funds are available.

• 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.

• Program goal: Involve public-private partnerships that align federal resources with existing state and local resources, regional strengths, and economic growth opportunities.

• 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.

• Cluster administrators will be responsible for:

• Cluster Management/Oversight

• Cluster Service Delivery (training, counseling, mentoring consulting)

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

• Report Development (quarterly and annual reports)

• Clusters need to provide education, training, and business advising to small businesses and at least three of the following services to small businesses involved in the cluster:

• Business training

• Business counseling/consulting

• Mentoring

• Technology transfer counseling/consulting

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

• Export readiness counseling/consulting

• 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.

Solicitation Provisions and Materials

Quote Submission Package: Key Dates

• Questions can be sent directly to Nikeena.Brown@sba.gov by August 9, 2023, by 1 PM ET.

• All questions will be collected, and answers posted on the solicitation page on SAM.gov

• Quote submissions due directly to Nikeena.Brown@sba.gov by August 21, 2023, by 10 AM

ET.

• Awardees will be notified by end of September.

Solicitation Provisions and Materials

• Review full solicitation synopsis for general information, purpose, scope, and mission of the solicitation.

• Review Statement of Objectives (SOO) for information on the scope and mission of the RIC program and to see reporting requirements, and small business and regional economic metrics of relevance to the program.

• Review Solicitation Provisions ‒ Section E in solicitation ‒ for a full explanation of what to include in your quote submission to the solicitation

• Also included in the solicitation documents

• Attachment 1: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

• Attachment 2: Past Performance ‒ Prior Experience Form

• Attachment 3: Pricing Schedule Form

• Attachment 4: Limitation on Subcontracting Report

How to Find the Solicitation

Solicitation Portal: SAM.gov

• On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed form the DUNS Number to the Unique Entity ID.

• Existing registered entities can find their Unique Entity ID by following the steps here.

• New entities can get their Unique Entity ID at SAM.gov and need to complete an entity registration before any award of federal funds can be made.

• The solicitation number is: 73351023Q0304 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0041254

Final Reminders

• This webinar is not intended to cover all details pertaining to the competition guidelines.

• You are responsible for reviewing the full and complete competition guidelines at SAM.gov

• Solicitation number is: 73351023Q0304

• Please send additional questions to Nikeena.Brown@sba.gov by August 9, 2023, at 1 PM ET.

• We will review questions and post answers on SAM.gov under the solicitation.

• Quote submissions due to Nikeena.Brown@sba.gov by August 21, 2023, by

10 AM ET.

Please put all questions in the chat.