Addendum 1 _ED Consulting Services QA Respons.pdf

ADDENDUM NO. 1

TO THAT CERTAIN DETAILED REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING

SERVICES

Addendum Date: September 9th , 2024

The following changes, additions, clarifications and/or amendments are made to the Request for Proposals as of the Addendum Date.

All capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Request for Proposals (“RFP”).

Note: This document is intended for informational purposes only. Any changes to the RFP must occur through a separate published addendum.

Invest Atlanta received the following inquiries with respect to the RFP. For the benefit of all potential respondents, Invest Atlanta now elects to publish each timely submitted inquiry, edited for clarity, along with Invest Atlanta’s response thereto. In the event of a conflict between previously released information and the information contained herein, the latter shall control.

Q & A Responses

RFP Number: RFP-ADA-20242208 RFP Title: Economic Development Consulting Services

Requesting Entity: Invest Atlanta Date: 9/09/2024 Issuing Officer/Procurement Manager:

Lazerick Russell

RFP Initially Posted to Internet: August 22nd 2024 eMail Address: lrussell@investatlanta.com Telephone: 404 609 3224 ext 3224

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO INVEST ATLANTA ON OR PRIOR TO 5:00 P.M., September 3rd, 2024:

# Questions Answers 1.

Is there a budget range for the project?

There has not been a specific budget allocated for this project.

Please be advised, that all Respondents should respond with competitive pricing and should not assume that interviews and/or negotiations will occur.

mailto:lrussell@investatlanta.com

2.

How is the budget structured? Is there a portion that is allocated to the initial deliverable (the strategy itself) and another allocated to implementation support?

The budget is intended to be structured as proposed in Exhibit B Fee Proposal. Please propose alternative milestone schedules and/or budget plans.

3. 2

Are you looking for executable strategies for Invest Atlanta to perform or are you looking for other actions for other organizations to perform as well?

Invest Atlanta expects executable strategies and action plans to be focused on Invest Atlanta. Actions for other organizations to execute independently are not expected to be included in the strategy.

4.

Are the SWOT Analysis and Five Forces Analysis deliverables focused on Invest Atlanta specifically, or the City of Atlanta as a whole?

The City of Atlanta as a whole.

5. 4

Are we able to see a list of attendees for the Informational Session conducted on 8/29?

Yes, Please see attached spreadsheet titled “Informational Session Attendance Sheet.xls”

6. Could you please comment on the level of in-person versus virtual engagement you anticipate for Objective 3: Strategic Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement?

Invest Atlanta anticipates that the early stages would be predominantly in-person and move to virtual based as needed.

7. Is your team open to a consultant proposing an alternative type of analysis to the Five Force analysis indicated in Objective 1: Strengthen Economic Resilience and Growth?

Yes. At a minimum, a Five Force analysis or similar type of analysis shall be provided.

8. Will potential respondents be able to access a record of the details shared during the Informational Session?

Yes, please see attached presentation.

9. Can a link to resumes be included in the mandatory scorecard worksheet, or must the information be copied and pasted into the document?

Please submit both a link and an additional attachment

10. What is the expectation around engaging the steering committee? Is this group intended only to receive milestone updates, or will they have more hands-on interest in project work as it’s being performed?

The steering committee will guide the strategic direction and deliverables. There will be a phased approach with the steering committee. We expect significant engagement on the front-end which will taper through the process to milestone updates.

11. Can you confirm the study area for this project? The City of Atlanta is the focus, but should take into consideration the Metro region

12. Was IA happy with the previous planning process?

What areas do you hope to improve?

Invest Atlanta was very happy with the prior strategy. The strategy was easy to consume and read. In addition, the strategy was succinct and provided a visual that all stakeholders could align on.

13.

Has IA made significant progress toward goals outlined in the previous 5-year plan?

Please visit the link below to Invest Atlanta’s Data and Insights page on progress towards the current economic goals. See link for a summary and the attached table for current progress (at end of document) Invest Atlanta Impact & Insights

14. Has the Steering Committee already been formed for the project? Who is represented on that committee?

Portions of the Steering Committee have already been identified.

However, final participating members will be defined with the most responsive and responsible Respondent.

15. Can IA provide office space for the consultant? No 16.

Will IA be available to support engagement activities (e.g., contacts, scheduling, venues, etc)?

Invest Atlanta will collaborate with the consultant on existing programmatic activities. Please define the type of support you would like Invest Atlanta to provide. Support will be defined with the apparent successful Respondent once the specific engagement activities have been defined.

17. Can you share what challenges IA has faced with the current toolkit?

Broad challenges have been communicated in the Introduction of the RFP. Please see the 5th paragraph within the Background and Objectives section of the Introduction.

https://www.investatlanta.com/impact-insights

18. When was the last Industry Cluster study completed for the city and/or region?

The last industry cluster was completed during the previous ED strategy.

19. A 6–9-month planning process was mentioned in the pre-bid, but the RFP states 9-12 months. Can you confirm preferred timeline for the planning project?

The minimum deliverables are expected to be provided in 9-12 months. The length in time of the planning process is dependent on the Respondent’s proposed approach and methodology for achieving the Scope of Work.

20. What level of consulting do you expect post-planning for implementation and progress tracking?

Invest Atlanta expects a minimal level of engagement/consulting to occur post implementation/after deliverables have been provided.

21. How much on-site time to you expect from the consultant team?

That is unknown at this time and heavily depends on the amount of information required to be gathered within the Respondent’s proposed approach and methodology.

22. What is IA’s vision for community, partner, and board engagement? Please see the Mayor’s Moving ATL Forward plan.

23.

Are there already identified dates for board convening that we should consider when developing an engagement plan?

We will define the dates as we move through the process. The minimum deliverables are expected to be provided in 9-12 months.

The length in time of the planning process is dependent on the Respondent’s proposed approach and methodology for achieving the Scope of Work.

24. Is there a scoring weight for MBE, FBE, SBE, and/or SDB vendors? What is that scoring weight? No

25. Who will make up the proposal review committee? The review committee will be a combination of subject matter experts and Economic Development Department leadership.

26. What is the preferred schedule for Board of Directors meetings, organizational meetings, and document sessions? Do you expect these to take place in person or virtually?

Board takes place on the second to last Thursday of every month.

These meetings can be attended in person or virtually.

27. Is it appropriate to offer incentives to underrepresented populations to encourage participation in engagement activities?

Invest Atlanta is not able to provide financial incentives to any group to participate in its programs.

28. Who will be the main point of contact for the project?

This will be defined with the most responsive and responsible bidder.

29.

Do you anticipate the need for multi-lingual facilitation? What are the most prominent spoken languages expected?

Invest Atlanta expects responses from firms that are well-versed on the demographics and make-up of the Atlanta community.

Georgia has a very diverse population. Some of the most common languages spoken in Atlanta, are English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and French.

30. What geographic scope would you like us to use in our data analysis of industry and other trends? E.g.

the City of Atlanta, Metro Atlanta, or a combination of the two where appropriate?

The geographic scope for the data analysis of industry and other trends should include Metro Atlanta, at a minimum. However, the City of Atlanta is the overall focus for the strategy.

31. When soliciting public input, do you envision trying to capture perspectives from Atlanta residents and businesses in general, e.g. through broadly circulated surveys or public forums, or more targeted input sessions with key stakeholders and regional partners?

Please propose the most appropriate method, based on your expertise, to accomplish the objectives in the Scope of Work

32. Do we need to submit answers to the Mandatory Requirements as a separate attachment? Yes

33. May we submit resumes as a separate attachment? Yes

34. In Section G, the RFP notes that “Invest Atlanta encourages all Respondents to promote opportunities for diverse businesses, including Minority Business Enterprises (“MBE”), Female Business Enterprises (“FBE”), and Small Business Enterprises (“SBE”) to compete for business as

No subcontractors and/or suppliers.” Does Invest Atlanta have a specific percentage threshold for total project fee/scope they would like to see provided by these types of businesses, and if so, how much?

35. Does Invest Atlanta have a specific timeline in mind for presentations and final deliverables, or would you prefer that the consultant team propose what we feel would be appropriate?

As indicated in Section III Scope of Work, all deliverables shall be provided within a 9-12 month timeframe. If the Respondent, would like to propose an alternative timeline, please provide the details in the proposal.

36. Does Invest Atlanta have a specific budget or cost range in mind for this effort, inclusive of all consultant costs (including travel, etc.)?

Please see response to question #1.

37. The RFP calls for a “comprehensive Five Force Analysis”; can you please say more about where to use these?

The Five Force Analysis, at a minimum, should be focused on Metro Atlanta. However, the strategy is intended to address the City of Atlanta as a whole.

38. The RFP mentions a contract duration of two years but submission of deliverables within 9-12 months of project commencement. What work is expected, if any, between deliverable submission and the end of the contract?

Invest Atlanta expects a minimal amount of work to be conducted during this period. The majority of the work will consist of progress checks and any additional advisory services addressing any adjustments or changes to the Scope of Work deliverables.

Request For Proposals for Economic Development Consulting Svcs

Invest Atlanta Procurement

Manager:

Lazerick Russell

Informational Session

Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions

-Meeting Notes •Purpose of Bidder’s Conference •Review of Solicitation Documents

•Overview of eRFP Sections •Completing the Mandatory Requirements •Completing the Mandatory Scored Requirements •Attachments to

•Review Schedule of Events •Questions

This meeting is being attended in person

A copy of this presentation is available to participants upon request. Email request to lrussell@investatlanta.com

Questions will be officially answered within a consolidated response following the conference

When speaking, please speak loud enough for everyone to hear, state your name, company, then ask question(s)

Respect the person talking Please keep side conversations to a minimum and within your teams.

mailto:lrussell@investatlanta.com

Purpose:

Purpose of Bidder’s Conference: This Conference is designed to inform Suppliers about the solicitation documents and the solicitation process, with 3 main objectives in mind

Objective #1: Review of Solicitation Documents

Objective # 2: How to Respond

Objective #3: Helpful Hints & How to Get Assistance

Review of Key Solicitation Documents:

Cost/Fee Proposal

Attachment B Fee Proposal

Mandatory Scored Requirements Technical Subcategories and weights, Attachment A Response Worksheet

Mandatory Requirements How to complete

Request For Proposal Document Overview of sections and key areas of focus

Section 1: Introduction:

Purpose & Intent, Background & Main Objectives, Historical context for services, Broad challenges

Section 2: Timeline of Events and Submission Instructions

Restrictions on Communications, Submitting Questions Preparing Responses, Submitting

Responses, Schedule of Events, Open Records Act.

Section 3:Scope of Services Desired Outcomes, Obj. 1: Strengthen Economic

Resilience and Growth, Obj. 2: Enhance Economic Mobility and Inclusivity, Obj. 3: Optimize Strategic Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement, Obj.

4: Evaluate and Improve Tools & Practices, Obj. 5:

Develop Metrics-Driven Implementation Plan, General Business Requirements

Section 4: Technical Requirements Mandatory Requirements (Yes/No), Mandatory

Scored Requirements (evaluated criteria), Additional Requirements & Forms

Section 5: Cost Requirements/Preliminary

Offer:

Rules for Fee Proposal, Attachment B Fee Proposal

Section 6: Evaluation Criteria and Selection process

How the solicitation will be evaluated and awarded, Technical Evaluation, How Negotiations will be conducted (If any)

Section 7: General Terms and Conditions:

Terms, Exceptions, etc.

Mandatory Requirements Worksheet

Total Mandatory Requirements: 10

1. Must Answer “Yes” to ALL

2. Be mindful of Requirements that require an uploaded attachment.

Total Mandatory Scored Requirements: 14

1. Must Answer ALL Questions

2. Be mindful of Requirements that require an uploaded attachment.

Must Haves….

• Responses to Mandatory Questions

• Cover letter (2 pg limit)

• Completed Exhibit A ED Mandatory Scored Worksheet

• Complete/Respond to ALL Questions

• Completed Exhibit B Fee Proposal

• Certification Statement

• E-Verify and SAVE Affidavit

• Request for W9

Maybe/Optional…

• Redline of Contract/Contract template

• Diversity Business Certification (s)

Cost Worksheet

1. Must complete “ALL” tabs to be considered responsive.

Complete all “Yellow/Note” colored cells.

2. Consultant Fixed Fee Tab

3. Hourly Rates

4. Alt. Payment Schedule

Please DO NOT WAIT

Schedule of Events-The Road Ahead

Release of RFP: 8/22/2024

Site Tour & Informational Session 8/29/2024 11:00 a.m. ET

Deadline for written questions: 9/03/2024 5:00 p.m. ET

Responses to Written Questions: 9/10/2024

Responses Due/Close Date/Time: 9/23/2024 5:00 p.m. ET

Invest Atlanta Website https://www.investatlanta.com/about-us/invest-atlanta-rfps https://www.investatlanta.com/about-us/invest-atlanta-rfps https://www.investatlanta.com/about-us/invest-atlanta-rfps

No. Particpant Name Title/Role Company 1 Janki Vashi Management Consulting Sr. Manager Accenture 2 Lakeisha Sesay Accenture 3 Sarah Richards Sr. Associate Economics AECOM 4 Eliana Pereyara Chief of Staff Alma Advisory Group 5 Kevin Sanders Risk and Contract Director, Public Sector Boston Consulting Group 6 Haley Miller Boston Consulting Group 7 Tony DeLisi ED Advisory Svcs Managing Director Ernst & Young LLP 8 Sally Wallace Ernst & Young LLP 9 Mike Daly Business Development Manager ESI econsult solutions inc.

10 Grace Hanoian ESI econsult solutions inc.

11 Mary Wong Founder/Principal Consultant EvaluCraft Global LLC 12 Eve Critton Sr. Consultant Fourth Economy 13 Brittany Pruitt Guidehouse 14 Mia White Guidehouse 15 Bethany Miller Sr. ED Consultant Hickey Global 16 Marilyn Davis Senior Advisor HR&A Advisors, Inc.

17 Alex Stokes Principal HR&A Advisors, Inc.

18 Stan Wall Owner HR&A Advisors, Inc.

19 Thomas Goff Sr. Associate/Partner Mass Economics 20 Tiffany Major Project 43 Consulting 21 Alfonso Syquia Marketing Coordinator SB Friedman Development Advisors, LLC 22 Sterling Johnson SB Friedman Development Advisors, LLC 23 Catherine SB Friedman Development Advisors, LLC 24 Grace Kim nm.,hjk\ SB Friedman Development Advisors, LLC 25 Fran Lefor Rood SB Friedman Development Advisors, LLC 26 Rebecca Deranian Proposal Writer TIP Strategies 27 Rachel Wise TIP Strategies 28 Wendy Brewer Proposal Strategy Director TPMA Inc.

29 Stephanie Flatten TPMA Inc.

30 Niklas Tessman TPMA Inc.

31 Anthony Kitchens Unknown 32 Teresa Munoz CSR Unknown 33 Annie Yang Unknown 34 Tiffany Major Unknown

Informational Session Attendance Sheet

# KPI

4-YEAR

TARGET

4 YEAR Actual Progress to Date (% Complete)

$ total capital Investment across all IA programs/initiatives (IA investment + leveraged capital)

$4,105,497,034 $2,427,683,894 59.1% a

$ total capital Investment across all ED programs/initiatives(IA investment + leveraged capital)

$669,124,389 $906,613,487 135.5% b

$ total capital Investment across all CD programs/initiatives (IA investment + leveraged capital)

$3,116,385,887 $1,487,790,048 47.7% c

$ total capital Investment via PACE program $312,100,000 $25,208,661 8.1%

Average net promoter score across programs (50 and higher is considered excellent)

70 67.5 96.5%

3 Average customer satisfaction score across programs (0/5 scale) 4.3 4.2 98.3%

5 # people engaged via IA community outreach efforts 43,409 41,038 94.5%

6 # business attracted, retained, or expanded through IA activities 125 112 89.6%

$ invested in small businesses by IA via grants and loans $27,132,641.58 $24,374,106.09 89.8% a

$ invested in small businesses by ED via grants and loans $6,500,000 $13,218,028 203.4%

Invest Atlanta Progress towards Goals (9/2024) b

$ invested in small businesses by CD via grants and loans $10,000,000 $1,873,437 18.7%

8 # total small businesses that received IA services, across all programs 5,925 4,896 82.6%

9 # hours of Formal Technical Assistance Provided to Small Businesses 8,008 8,721 108.9%

% of small businesses who receive support from IA, which are located in disinvested areas

45.1% 37.3% 82.7%

# good jobs created via IA activities 7,797 5,623 72.1%

# total jobs created or retained via IA activities 30,978 18,680 60.3%

# of low-income households supported through homeownership incentives (DPA, OOR, Anti-Displacement Tax Relief, First Mortgage Program)

702 1,126 160.4%

# of affordable single-family and multifamily development housing units that receive financing from IA (both new + preserved units)

7,237 3,792 52.4%

% of capital (invested + leveraged) that goes to disinvested neighborhoods 53.1% 43.8% 82.6%

# residents served through social impact-oriented projects (AEMI) 10,875 29,134 267.9%

$ private investment leveraged in TAD-funded projects $789,293,632 $319,933,436 40.5%

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