AI_Ready_Roanoke_RFP_FINAL.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

AI Ready Roanoke

Market Demand, Feasibility Study, and Implementation Recommendations

Issued by the Botetourt County Economic Development Authority on behalf of the AI Ready Roanoke planning coalition

RFP Release Date: August 31, 2026

Proposals Due: 11:59pm on September 30, 2026

Submit to: Kyle Rosner – Krosner@botetourtva. gov

1. Background and Purpose

The Botetourt County Economic Development Authority (the Authority), acting on behalf of the AI Ready

Roanoke planning coalition, invites proposals from qualified consultants to conduct a market demand and feasibility study for a regional AI Center of Excellence. The coalition includes Botetourt County, the

City of Salem, the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County, Carilion Clinic, Google, Virginia Tech, Radford

University, Roanoke College, Virginia Western Community College, the Roanoke-Blacksburg Innovation

Alliance, and the Roanoke Regional Partnership.

The Roanoke region is at an inflection point. Google's data center investment at the Botetourt Center at

Greenfield, paired with the region's concentration of advanced manufacturing, life sciences research, and higher education capacity, creates a rare opportunity to build durable regional prosperity around AI.

The 2025 Virginia Chamber AI Landscape Assessment found that approximately 115,300 jobs in GO

Virginia Region 2, roughly 32 percent of the total, are exposed to AI-related change, and that only 4 percent of AI training in Virginia is delivered by local or regional providers. The Assessment concludes establishing a Virginia AI Center of Excellence as a Region 2 priority. AI Ready Roanoke is the region's collaborative strategy for building that center of excellence.

The initiative envisions a center of excellence delivered across potentially three coordinated sites and organized around three activity pillars, described in Section 2. Before the coalition commits to construction, programming, and governance, it must validate regional demand and test the delivery model. That is the purpose of this engagement.

The selected consultant will validate regional demand for AI adoption, workforce, and innovation programming, and will test the proposed multi-site delivery model. Findings will underpin a GO Virginia

Per Capita Implementation Grant application and additional federal, state, philanthropic, and private funding requests.

2. Project Context

2.1 Activity Pillars

AI Ready Roanoke is organized around three integrated pillars.

• AI adoption in priority industry sectors. Sector-specific advisory, applied AI pilots, and computing access for regional employers, with emphasis on small and mid-size firms that currently lack the knowledge, tools, and trusted resources to adopt AI productively.

• Talent and workforce development. AI literacy, credentialing, and reskilling pathways for incumbent workers, displaced workers, and employers, coordinated across the region's higher education institutions and the Greater Roanoke Workforce Development Board.

• Innovation acceleration. Support for AI-enabled startups and applied projects, extending the

Roanoke-Blacksburg Innovation Alliance's existing accelerator programs rather than creating a parallel pipeline.

2.2 Proposed Sites

The planning coalition has identified potentially three sites at different stages of readiness. The consultant will test each and provide the highest level of need and probable success of the project in order of importance to the activity pillars. The consultant will also consider delivery of programming without a dedicated site.

• Innovation Hub at the Botetourt Center at Greenfield - A proposed new-build facility on county-owned land adjacent to Google's future data center campus and advanced manufacturers including Altec, Eldor, Munters, and New Belgium. Its focus would be AI adoption in priority sectors and innovation acceleration.

• Historic Salem Post Office - A building owned by Roanoke College in downtown Salem, proposed for adaptive reuse as the initiative's workforce development center and front door for AI education, literacy, and reskilling.

• RoVa Labs at Carilion Clinic - A fully operational biotech incubator supporting AI adoption and innovation acceleration in life sciences, including AI in drug discovery, medical devices, and digital health.

2.3 Target Industry Clusters

The study covers all four of GO Virginia Region 2's target industry clusters as identified in the Region 2

Growth and Diversification Plan.

• IT, Engineering Services, and Emerging Technology

• Manufacturing for Transportation, Energy, and Autonomy

• Advanced Materials Manufacturing

• Life Sciences and Biotechnology

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will perform six workstreams. Proposals should describe the approach and methodology for each.

3.1 Demand Analysis

Quantify regional AI adoption readiness, current and projected demand, and prioritized use cases across the four target clusters. The analysis will draw on primary employer interviews described in Section 5, data analysis of regional business composition and AI exposure, and coordination with the AM2 regional initiative for input.

3.2 Program Design

Translate demand findings into recommendations for the AI programming, training, expertise, and computing access needed to meet regional demand, including programming composition by site.

3.3 Workforce Analysis

Identify the specific occupations at highest risk of AI disruption and the corresponding regional employers, current credential offerings and gaps across regional institutions, and recommended pathway design for upskilling incumbent and displaced workers. The analysis should draw on Lightcast or comparable labor market data, Greater Roanoke Workforce Development Board program data, the

Virginia Chamber AI Landscape Assessment, and direct employer engagement. Recommendations should address program formats such as short-form workshops, stackable credentials, semester-long offerings, and degree pathways, along with the roles of higher education and workforce partners and pricing models for the implementation phase.

3.4 Site Feasibility

Evaluate the three proposed sites described in Section 2.2, including site selection validation, programming composition by site, site utilization projections, and infrastructure and compute access requirements at each site. For sites that warrant privacy/security, such as RoVa Labs, the analysis must include considerations for security, data storage, compliance, etc. The analysis must produce a defensible recommendation on site configuration that the implementation phase will execute against, or will detail where programming will be delivered if sites are deemed infeasible.

3.5 Cost Estimation and Financial Modeling

Develop capital and operating cost estimates for sites and programs, a five-year pro forma, and a sustainability model extending beyond GO Virginia investment. The pro forma must build on the demand and cost findings, not run in parallel with them.

3.6 Governance Design

Recommend a legal governing body and define partner roles across private industry, participating localities, and higher education. Recommendations should reflect the operating realities of comparable regional AI center models, including AI Ready RVA in Richmond and out-of-state models such as the New

Jersey AI Hub. Governance design should be aimed at making a nimble, innovative organization that can respond to fast-changing technological advances and industry needs.

4. Required Deliverables

The engagement will produce four deliverables. Each is designed to directly support a future GO Virginia

Implementation Grant application.

• Regional AI Industry Demand and Use Case Study. A primary research study quantifying AI adoption readiness, demand, and prioritized use cases across the four target clusters, with recommendations for programming, expertise, computing access, and sites.

• Workforce Analysis and Programming Recommendations. A regional workforce study identifying occupations at highest AI disruption risk, credential gaps, employer-validated program formats, partner roles, and pricing models.

• Site Feasibility Analysis. A feasibility analysis of the multi-site model with a defensible site-configuration recommendation, utilization projections, infrastructure and compute requirements, and capital and operating cost estimates. If identified potential sites are deemed infeasible, an analysis of other methods to deliver proposed programming.

• Business Plan, Governance Framework, and Sustainability Model. A complete business plan covering organizational structure, revenue model, proposed partner contributions, five-year operating projections, a sustainability path, and a recommended governance framework – all geared towards building a nimble, innovative organization that can meet industry needs quickly.

All deliverables are subject to review and acceptance by the AI Ready Roanoke executive committee.

The consultant will also deliver one to three presentations of findings, as described in Section 6.

5. Research and Interview Requirements

Primary research is central to this engagement. The following minimums apply. The organizing coalition will help facilitate these interviews whenever possible.

• Company interviews. 32 to 40 interviews across the four target clusters, with a minimum of 8 per cluster. Local economic developers will assist in facilitating interviews. These interviews are expected to be completed in person.

• Partner and institution interviews. 8 to 14 interviews with localities, anchor institutions, and prospective board members to inform governance design and the pro forma. These are separate from the company interview count and must be conducted in person.

• Model initiatives. 3 to 5 interviews with comparable AI initiatives, innovation hubs, and researchers who have examined such initiatives across Virginia and the nation. The coalition can make introductions to at least three model initiatives or researchers.

• Sampling frame. The proposer must define a sampling frame spanning company size, cluster, and

AI-adoption maturity so that interview counts are not met by reaching only the most accessible firms.

6. Period of Performance

The anticipated period of performance is 16 to 24 weeks from notice to proceed, structured in two phases. Proposers should propose a detailed schedule within this range.

• Phase 1: Demand analysis, interviews, program formulation, and site investigation.

• Phase 2: Program recommendations, cost estimation, pro forma, and governance design, with final synthesis in the last two weeks. The pro forma builds on demand and cost findings rather than running in parallel.

The consultant will deliver one to three presentations of findings to the executive committee and coalition partners at points to be agreed in the project schedule.

7. Contract Value and Budget

This will be a fixed-price contract not to exceed $250,000. Proposals must include a budget broken out by workstream and deliverable, and a payment schedule tied to milestone acceptance by the executive committee.

Funding contingency. $92,590 of the $250,000 is contingent upon GO Virginia Region 2 approval of the

AI Ready Roanoke planning grant application. A funding decision from GO Virginia is expected in

September 2026. If the grant is not awarded, respondents will be notified, and the coalition reserves the right to amend the scope of this RFP or cancel the solicitation.

All work product and deliverables will become the property of the Authority, with unrestricted rights provided to the coalition to use them in future grant applications and related efforts.

8. Proposer Qualifications

Proposers must demonstrate experience in regional economic development feasibility studies, primary employer research, real estate and program cost modeling, and governance design. Familiarity with AI workforce or innovation ecosystems and with the GO Virginia program is preferred. Proposals from teams of firms are acceptable; the proposal must identify a single prime contractor and clearly define team roles.

9. Proposal Requirements

Proposals must include the following elements.

• Firm profile and descriptions of relevant projects (no more than 3 pages)

• Proposed approach and work plan, which must include significant on-the-ground work in the region

• Interview methodology, including the proposed sampling frame

• Project team, roles, and resumes of key personnel

• Budget by workstream and deliverable, with a milestone-based payment schedule

• References from similar engagements

• Timeline consistent with the period of performance in Section 6

• Proposals should be no more than 20 pages, excluding resumes

10. Evaluation Criteria and Selection

Proposals will be evaluated by the AI Ready Roanoke executive committee using the following weighted criteria.

• Approach and methodology (30%)

• Relevant experience and references (25%)

• Team qualifications (15%)

• Cost appropriateness and value (15%)

• Knowledge of the topic and the region (15%)

The coalition may shortlist and interview Offerors as part of the evaluation process. Negotiations will be conducted with two or more Offerors deemed fully qualified and best suited in accordance with Virginia

Code § 2.2-4302.2. The EDA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or cancel this solicitation.

11. Administration, Schedule, and Submission

The Botetourt County Economic Development Authority will contract with the selected consultant and administer the engagement. The AI Ready Roanoke executive committee will oversee the work and accept deliverables.

Key dates are as follows. All deadlines are for 11:59pm of the date provided. Proposals received after the specified proposal deadline will not be considered.

• RFP release: Thursday, August 27

• Deadline for questions: Wednesday, September 23

• Proposals due: Wednesday, September 30

• Selection and award: Week of October 19

Questions regarding this RFP should be directed to Kyle Rosner – krosner@botetourtva.gov. Questions and corresponding answers will be posted 7 days prior to the deadline. Proposals must be submitted electronically to the same address by the due date and time above.

Appendix A. AI Ready Roanoke Executive Committee

Contacting committee members besides Kyle Rosner regarding this RFP are grounds for a proposal to be dismissed.

• Angela Joyner, Vice President of Economic Development and Corporate Education, Radford

University

• Brad Boettcher, Innovation Administrator, City of Roanoke

• Brad Fravel, Executive Director of LINK, Virginia Tech

• Chris Trumbell, Chief of Staff, Carilion Clinic

• Clay Allsop, Public Affairs, Google

• Erin Burcham, CEO, Roanoke-Blacksburg Innovation Alliance

• John Hull, CEO, Roanoke Regional Partnership mailto:krosner@botetourtva.gov

• Kyle Rosner, Director of Economic Development, Botetourt County

• Laura Treanor, President, Virginia Western Community College

• Megan Baker, Director of Economic Development, City of Roanoke

• Ryan King, Chief of Staff, Roanoke College

• Tommy Miller, Director of Economic Development, City of Salem

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF BOTETOURT COUNTY, VIRGINIA

GENERAL CONDITIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

The EDA uses substantially the same purchasing procedures and follows the same Purchasing Manual as Botetourt County. Therefore, Botetourt County rules and conditions apply to all purchases and are incorporated into each solicitation and every contract awarded by the Purchasing Office, unless otherwise specified. Offerors or their authorized representatives are expected to inform themselves fully as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting proposals: failure to do so will be at the Offeror’s/offeror’s own risk, and except as provided by law, relief cannot be secured on the plea of error.

Should an Offeror find discrepancies or ambiguities, or otherwise require clarification, the Offeror shall submit questions in accordance with the deadline and instructions specified in the solicitation.

Pursuant to section 23-216 of the Botetourt County Code and section 58.1-3703 of the Virginia Code, Contractors located in Botetourt County are required to have a business license. Contractors located outside Botetourt County who work in the county are required to purchase a Botetourt business license when gross receipts from work inside the County exceed $25,000 annually. Contact the Office of the Commissioner of Revenue for additional information on business licenses. It will be the responsibility of the successful contractor to verify eligibility to perform the work and obtain the necessary permits required to complete the scope of work requested.

Every Offeror shall include in its proposal the identification number issued to it by the State Corporation Commission confirming that it is organized or authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth pursuant to Title 13.1 or Title 50. If the Offeror is not required to be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth as a foreign business entity under Title 13.1 or Title 50 or as otherwise required by law, the Offeror shall include in its proposal a statement describing why the Offeror is not required to be so authorized. Any Offeror that fails to provide the required information shall not receive an award unless a waiver of this requirement is granted by the Executive Director of the Authority.

A. Proposal Procedures

1. The Offeror’s proposal must be received in accordance with the submission instructions specified in the solicitation prior to the deadline. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure its proposal is successfully received by the designated date and time.

2. In submitting a proposal, the Offeror signifies that it is fully informed as to the extent and character of the services necessary to perform the work in accordance with the solicitation documents and agrees to comply with all requirements thereof.

3. All information required by the solicitation must be supplied to constitute a responsive proposal. All information submitted must be legible, and the proposal must be signed by an authorized representative of the vendor to be considered.

4. The Offeror expressly warrants that the services proposed herein are not the result of an agreement or understanding expressed or implied with any other Offeror or Offerors.

5. Any proposal submitted with corrections must have the corrections initialed by the person who signed the proposal. No proposal changes will be permitted after the deadline for receipt of proposals, except as may be permitted through clarification or negotiation in accordance with the solicitation and applicable law.

6. The EDA requires that the proposal remain firm 90 days after the date of the closing.

At the end of the 90 days, the proposal may be withdrawn at the written request of the Offeror. If the proposal is not withdrawn at that time, it remains in effect until an award is made or the solicitation is canceled.

7. The EDA is exempt from the payment of federal excise tax and Virginia retail sales and use tax to the extent provided by law. Proposal pricing shall be exclusive of any taxes from which the EDA is exempt.

8. The right is reserved to waive any and all informalities and to cancel or reject any and all proposals.

9. The successful Offeror shall not assign, transfer, convey, subcontract, or otherwise dispose of the contract, or any right, title, or interest therein, without the prior written consent of the EDA.

10. The EDA reserves the right to take sufficient time following the proposal deadline to evaluate proposals and make an award in accordance with the evaluation and selection process set forth in the solicitation.

11. Failure to comply with the requirements of this solicitation may result in the proposal being removed from consideration.

B. Anti-Discrimination By submitting their proposals, offerors certify to the EDA that they will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, as well as the Virginia Fair Employment Contracting Act of 1975, as amended, where applicable, the Virginians With Disabilities Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and section 2.2-4311 of the Virginia Public Procurement Act. If the award is made to a faith-based organization, the organization shall not discriminate against any recipient of goods, services, or disbursements made pursuant to the contract on the basis of the recipient’s religion, religious belief, refusal to participate in religious practice, or on the basis of race, age, color, gender or national origin and shall be subject to the same rules as other organizations that contract with public bodies to account for the use of the funds provided; however, if the faith-based organization segregates public funds into separate accounts, only the accounts and programs funded with public funds shall be subject to audit. (Code of Virginia, sec. 2.2-4343.1).

In every contract over $10,000, the provisions in 1. and 2. below apply:

1. During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees as follows:

a. The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, or disabilities, except where religion, sex, or national origin is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the contractor. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

b. The contractor, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, will state that such contractor is an equal opportunity employer.

c. Notices, advertisements, and solicitations placed in accordance with federal law, rule, or regulation shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section.

2. The contractor will include the provisions of the foregoing paragraphs A, B, and C in every subcontract or purchase order of over $10,000 so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

C. Payments

1. Invoices shall be submitted in accordance with the payment schedule established in the resulting contract. Payment will be made following the receipt of a proper invoice and acceptance of the applicable milestone or deliverable.

2. Payment shall not preclude the EDA from making a claim for adjustment on any item later found not to have been in accordance with General Conditions and Specifications.

D. Disputes

Contractual claims, whether for money or other relief, shall be submitted in writing no later than 60 days after final payment; however, written notice of the contractor’s intention to file such claim shall have been given at the time of the occurrence or beginning of the work upon which the claim is based. Nothing herein shall preclude a contract from requiring submission of an invoice for final payment within a certain time after completion and acceptance of the work or acceptance of the goods. Pendency of claims shall not delay payment of amounts agreed due in the final payments.

E. Protest of Award or Decision to Award

Any Offeror who desires to protest the award or decision to award a contract shall submit such protest in writing to the Purchasing Office not later than ten days after the award or the announcement of the decision to award, whichever occurs first. No protest shall lie for a claim that the selected Offeror is not a responsible Offeror. The written protest shall include the basis for the protest and the relief sought.

F. Proprietary Information

All proposals submitted to the EDA shall become the property of the EDA and shall be subject to public disclosure in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and applicable provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act; however, the offeror must invoke the protections of section 2.2-4342F of the Code of Virginia, in writing, either before or at the time the data or material is submitted. The written notice must specifically identify the data or materials to be protected, including the section of the proposal in which it is contained and the page numbers, as well as stating the reasons why protection is necessary. The proprietary or trade secret material within the proposal must be identified by some distinct method such as highlighting or underlining, and must indicate only the specific words, figures, or paragraphs that constitute proprietary information. In addition, a summary of proprietary information submitted shall be submitted on a separate form. The classification of an entire proposal document as proprietary is not acceptable and will be rejected.

G. Indemnification

Contractor agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the EDA, its officers, agents, and employees from any claims, damages, and actions of any kind or nature, whether at law or in equity, arising from or caused by the services performed by the Contractor under the resulting contract.

H. Insurance

By signing and submitting a proposal under this solicitation, the offeror certifies that if awarded the contract, it will have the following insurance coverages at the time the contract is awarded. The offeror further certifies that the contractor and any subcontractors will maintain these insurance coverages during the entire term of the contract and that all insurance coverages will be provided by insurance companies authorized to sell insurance in Virginia by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

INSURANCE COVERAGES AND LIMITS REQUIRED:

1. Worker’s Compensation – Statutory requirements and benefits.

2. Employers Liability - $500,000

3. Commercial General Liability - $1,000,000 per Occurrence/$2,000,000 General

Aggregate. Commercial General Liability includes Premises/Operations Liability, Products and Completed Operations Coverage, and Independent Contractor’s Liability or Owner’s and Contractor’s Protective Liability.

4. Automobile Liability - $1,000,000 – Combined single limit. (Only if a motor vehicle is to be used in the contract.)

5. The Botetourt County Economic Development Authority must be named as an additional insured with respect to General Liability and Automobile Liability when requiring a Contractor to obtain Commercial General Liability coverage.

I. Nondiscrimination of Contractors

An offeror or contractor shall not be discriminated against in the solicitation or award of this contract because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability, or against faith-based organizations. If the award of this contract is made to a faith-based organization and an individual, who applies for or receives goods, services, or disbursements provided pursuant to this contract objects to the religious character of the faith-based organization from which the individual receives or would receive the goods, services, or disbursements, the EDA shall offer the individual, within a reasonable period of time after the date of his objection, access to equivalent goods, services, or disbursements from an alternative provider.

J. Drug-Free Workplace

In every contract over $10,000, the contractor agrees to:

1. provide a drug-free workplace for the contractor's employees.

2. post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance or marijuana is prohibited in the contractor's workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition

3. state in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor that the contractor maintains a drug-free workplace; and

4. include the provisions of the foregoing clauses in every subcontract or purchase order of over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

For the purposes of this section, "drug-free workplace" means a site for the performance of work done in connection with a specific contract awarded to a contractor, the employees of whom are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession or use of any controlled substance or marijuana during the performance of the contract.

K. Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

By submitting their proposal, Offerors certify that they do not and will not during the performance of this contract employ illegal alien workers or otherwise violate the provisions of the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

L. Authorized to Transact Business

Pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-4311.2, each offeror organized or authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth of Virginia pursuant to Title 13.1 or Title 50 of the Code of Virginia, (1950), as amended, or as otherwise required by law, is required to include in its proposal its Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) Identification Number. Any offeror that is not required to be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth of Virginia as a domestic or foreign business entity under Title 13.1 or Title 50 or as otherwise required by law is required to include in its proposal a statement describing why the offeror is not required to be so authorized.

Please complete the following:

A._____ Bidder is a Virginia business entity organized and authorized to transact business in Virginia and such bidder’s SCC Identification Number is ________________________.

B._____ Bidder is an out-of-state (foreign) business entity authorized to transact business in Virginia and such bidder’s SCC Identification Number is ________________________.

C._____ Bidder does not have an Identification Number issued to it by the SCC and such bidder is not required to be authorized to transact business in Virginia by the SCC for the following reason(s):

BOTETOURT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND NON-COLLUSION STATEMENT

Terms and Conditions: ALL enclosed General and Special Terms and Conditions shall apply to this Request for Proposals. Offerors are reminded to read and comply with all requirements of this solicitation.

My signature certifies that the accompanying proposal is not the result of, or affected by, any unlawful act of collusion with another person or company engaged in the same line of business or commerce, or any act of fraud punishable under the Virginia Governmental Frauds Act, sections 18.2-

498.1 et seq. of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended. Furthermore, I understand that fraud and unlawful collusion are crimes under the Virginia Governmental Frauds Act, the laws against bid rigging (sections 59.1-68.6 et seq.), and the Virginia Antitrust Act (sections 59.1-9.1 et seq.), and Federal Laws regarding the same, and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards.

I hereby certify that I am authorized to sign, personally or as an authorized Representative for the Firm:

Name of Firm or Individual: ________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________

Signature Date

Printed Name and Title

Telephone: ____________________ Email: ______________________

FEI/FIN No.____________________