Addendum #1 IFB 2026-9-1.pdf
PDF 148 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Small Business Center Counseling Services
- Solicitation number
- 125-2026-9-1
- Issued by
- Jackson County, Teachey Town, North Carolina
About this file
This addendum provides clarifications and answers to questions regarding Southwestern Community College's IFB 2026-9-1 for Small Business Center Counseling Services in North Carolina. The solicitation seeks confidential one-on-one business counseling services for prospective and existing small business owners within the service area of Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties and the Qualla Boundary. Services are to be delivered via phone, email, virtual sessions, or in-person meetings on an as-needed basis, with counselors required to respond to inquiries within three business days and conduct initial sessions within 48 hours of client availability. The contract term is one year from the effective date of execution, with the state retaining renewal options for up to two additional one-year terms upon thirty days' written notice before the end of each term. Written questions were due September 29, 2026, with state responses provided October 1, 2026, and bids due October 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Pricing must be submitted on an hourly basis with a yearly estimated total based on 25 hours per month, and vendors may propose either a single blended hourly rate or alternative rate structures in an attachment. Previously billed services were at $100 per hour, with travel costs for in-person meetings to be included in the hourly rate and not separately reimbursed. The past year recorded 300 service hours for both administrative and counseling services combined, with no guaranteed minimum hours as all services are based on client needs. One award is anticipated but not guaranteed. Vendors may utilize multiple qualified counselors under the contract, and counselors need not be located in North Carolina but must demonstrate knowledge of local resources in the service area. All vendors must be registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State prior to contract execution and comply with E-Verify requirements if employing more than 25 employees in North Carolina. Evaluation criteria in descending order of importance are counselor qualifications and experience, service delivery approach, past performance and references, and cost proposal and value.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SBC Counseling IFB #2026-9-1.pdf | ||
| Counseling portion of the SBCN Operations Manual.pdf |
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Addendum #1
IFB 2026-9-1
Questions & Answers Please sign and return Addendum with your bid proposal. Signature page is at the end.
There were a few overlapping questions about Time, Pricing & Billing. Clarifications are consolidated at the end of the document.
1. Reference: Sections 4.3, 4.4, and 4.9, Pages 10 and 11
Question: If the Vendor proposes an approved subcontractor as the business counselor, may that subcontractor's qualifications, resume, and references satisfy
Sections 4.3 and 4.4 and Specification Item 3?
Answer: Yes. See Subcontractor description in 4.9
2. Reference: Section 5.0, Page 11
Question: Is in-person counseling required? If so, at what locations and how often, or may all sessions be delivered virtually and by phone?
Answer: In-person counseling is delivered strictly on an as-needed basis determined by client demand. The service area is the Small Business Center (SBC) service area (Jackson, Macon and Swain counties and the Qualla Boundary).
3. Reference: Sections 5.0 and 5.2, Pages 11 and 12
Question: Section 5.0 states the counselor must respond within 3 business days, and Section 5.2 states the initial session must occur within 48 hours of contact.
Which timeline governs?
Answer: The SBC counselor must respond within 3 business days to the eRequest for counseling. The initial counseling session is dependent on client availability.
4. Reference: Section 5.0, Page 11
Question: Can the College provide a copy of the SBCN Counseling Program
Guidelines before the bid deadline?
Answer: Yes, attached.
5. Reference: Section 3.1, Page 7
Question: Should Vendors submit a written narrative addressing Counselor
Qualifications and Service Delivery Approach? If so, is there a page limit or required format?
Answer: Yes, please submit both. No page limit or required format.
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6. Reference: Section 4.3, Page 10
Question: Must counselors be located in North Carolina, or is demonstrated knowledge of local resources in the College's service area sufficient?
Answer: A demonstrated knowledge of local resources in the College’s service area is sufficient.
7. Is there a minimum amount of in-person counseling or on-campus presence expected from the selected vendor?
Answer: No, in-person is on an as needed basis so is hard to predict.
8. Multiple Counselors: May a vendor utilize multiple qualified counselors under the resulting contract? If so, should all counselors provide services at the single hourly rate listed in Attachment A, or may different rates be proposed based on qualifications or areas of expertise?
Answer: Yes, a vendor may use multiple counselors. Please see pricing clarification on page 3.
9. The default insurance coverage from the General Terms and Conditions says that it is a Small Purchase. What is the maximum dollar amount that we must consider for insurance since this is considered a small purchase?
Answer: Vendors are responsible for meeting the state law minimums for your business. Insurance documentation does not need to be submitted with your proposal.
10. It states that the state will make award(s) based on evaluation and post the award(s) to the State’s eVP website. Can you tell us how many companies are anticipated to be awarded contracts?
Answer: One award is anticipated but not guaranteed.
11. You state that items offered by vendors must meet or exceed the Specifications listed in the Vendor’s Response diagram on the page. You also ask us to provide an explanation and documents to show how the vendor will meet the specifications. Are you asking proposers to answer the yes/no questions in the Vendor’s Response table on the page or are you showing this as an example of how we will be evaluated? Please clarify.
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Answer: Please check the box if you can meet that specification. Please also include documentation for backup. Section 3.1 lists the categories that will be used for evaluation.
12. Are the counseling sessions/services limited to small business in Sylva, NC and surrounding towns, municipalities and counties? Or are the services open to any small business located in the state of NC?
Answer: Only in our service area, please see question #2
Pricing Clarification:
Vendors may propose a single blended hourly rate or submit an alternative rate structure in an attachment. However, the primary rate for counseling services must be entered on Attachment A. We will use this for comparison purposes. A single rate for all services is acceptable and simplicity is preferred.
Contract expectations:
These services have been a short-term contract in the past so there are no comparison contracts available. The previously billed services were at $100/hr.
Travel for in-person meetings will not be reimbursed. Please include any travel costs in the hourly rate.
All services; administrative and counseling, are recorded in the SBC database. All recorded services are billable.
There are no guaranteed minimum hours, all services are based on client needs. This past year 300 service hours were recorded for both administrative and counseling services. The 25 hours on Attachment A is an average.
Additional administrative services for final yearly reporting may be negotiated with a
BAFO prior to award.
Vendor Name:
Signature:
Name & Title:
Date:
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