Business_Development_Consultant_RFP_Cosmoprof_Bologna_FINAL.pdf

Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) Request for Proposal (RFP):

Business Development Consultant to Support Cosmoprof Bologna

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) invites consulting companies to review and respond to this Solicitation. In submitting a response, applicants must comply with the instructions found herein.

This is an open solicitation for consultants from private entities, non-profit organizations, and other governmental entities.

Before submitting a response to this solicitation, interested parties must read and review the entire solicitation.

Responses are due November 27, 2024, by 8:00 AM Pacific Time, to GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov with the subject line: “RFP 0000033261 FY 2024-25 Cosmoprof Bologna Consultant.”

GO-Biz Point of Contact:

1325 J Street, Suite 1800

Sacramento, CA 95814

GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

STATE OF CALIFORNIA | OFFICE OF GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM

mailto:GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov

I. SCOPE OF WORK

1. Background and Overview

This request for proposal (RFP) is for the International Affairs and Trade team within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). GO-Biz serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth, economic development, and business assistance efforts. GO-Biz is seeking a consulting company to provide business-to-business matchmaking, site visits, and market entry support for eight California exporters participating in the California delegation to Cosmoprof Bologna 2025, referred to as “the event” in the following RFP.

The consulting company will support GO-Biz in evaluating potential delegates and provide input on the potential of the delegates’ products and/or services at the event.

The consulting company will also host a Know Before You Go call for all delegates.

For each company in the delegation, the consulting company will

• conduct client intake calls

• identify potential customers and partners

• evaluate potential customers and partners with the company

• schedule meetings with potential customers and partners

• provide on-site support during the show

• identify potential networking events surrounding the show

• de-brief on market feedback and intelligence collected throughout the project and needed follow-up after the show

2. Minimum Qualifications

1. Professional Experience:

a. The lead consultant will have a minimum of 10 years of successful experience providing trade promotion services for goods and services.

i. Any assisting consultants will have a minimum of 2 years of successful experience providing trade promotion services for goods and services.

b. An established trade promotion/consulting practice office in Europe, preferably Italy.

c. Demonstrate experience assisting US corporations in exporting to European countries.

d. In-depth knowledge of European business practices including import, distribution, legal, and financial systems.

e. Fluency in speaking, writing, and reading in English

f. Preferred: fluency in speaking, writing, and reading in Italian

2. Education

a. Lead consultant must have at least a bachelor's degree. Master's degree preferred.

i. Preferred courses of study: international relations, economics, trade, business, or European studies

These minimum qualifications are essential for potential bidders to possess to be considered for the RFP. Candidates must meet all the above requirements to ensure they have the expertise and qualifications necessary to successfully fulfill the objectives of the project.

3. Scope of Work

The consulting company will be responsible for the following tasks:

3.1 Pre-Event Preparation:

• Conduct intake calls with each participating California company to understand their products/services, target markets, and objectives for the event.

• Conduct a market analysis for each participating company.

• Identify potential customers and partners for each company based on their offerings and market analysis.

• Evaluate potential customers and partners with each company to prioritize targets.

• Schedule meetings with potential buyers and partners. Meetings should be scheduled at the event, however, virtual and in-market (outside the event) meetings may be scheduled with California company approval.

• Collect relevant feedback on the California companies from potential buyers and partners during matchmaking outreach and share it with the California companies.

• Identify relevant networking opportunities surrounding the event for the delegation.

• Host a "Know Before You Go" call for all delegates to provide essential information about the event, regional market insights, and logistical details.

• Provide a draft meeting schedule for each company at least one week before the event to the relevant company and GO-Biz.

3.2 During Event:

• Provide a printed meeting schedule to each participating company the morning of the first day of the event.

• Provide on-site support during the event, including managing schedules and facilitating meetings.

• Identify additional networking events and activities surrounding the event that may be beneficial for California delegates.

3.3 Event Aftercare

• Within two weeks of the event, the consulting company will schedule a debrief with each company and GO-Biz to discuss the quality of meetings, share market feedback and intelligence collected during the event, and recommend follow-up strategies for leads.

4. Deliverables:

1. Market analysis for each participating company that will include, at a minimum, a high-level market overview of the beauty sector in the region and a brief analysis of the California company’s market potential (i.e., top competitors, typical sales channels, ideal partners, size of the market for their product, etc.).

2. Prioritized lists of potential customers and partners with contact details.

3. Schedule at least five to ten meetings for each participating company.

4. Meeting schedule for each participating company that includes the time, location, contact information, and brief synopsis of the companies and/or organizations they will be meeting with.

5. Post-event debrief reports with market feedback and actionable insights.

6. Recommendations for follow-up actions and support.

5. Timeline:

a. The consultant will commence work immediately upon contract execution, with pre-event activities starting no later than 3 months before the event.

b. The consultant's on-site support will span the duration of the event, with post-event activities concluding within one month after the event.

6. Operational Capacity

a. Shall have sufficient staff and equipment to effectively track and manage the workload required to actively support and successfully execute the required deliverables for eight companies.

b. The consulting company will provide at least one dedicated staff to support the California delegation at the event.

7. Communication and Collaboration:

a. Maintain open and regular communication with the IAT team, providing updates and addressing any issues or concerns in a timely manner.

b. If a consultant and/or front-facing support staff will be unavailable for an extended period of more than 72 hours during the work week, an alternative point of contact at the consulting company must be provided.

7. Payment:

a. GO-Biz will pay for services rendered on a per-company basis. If GO-Biz does not fully recruit for the California Pavilion, the agency will only pay for the number of companies that participate in the delegation.

b. Payment from GO-Biz will be made via a mailed physical check in U.S. dollars.

Twenty-five percent of the contract will be paid within 45 days of the beginning of the contract period and the final seventy-five percent will be paid up to 45 days after project completion.

II. PROPOSAL CONTENT

The individual responding to this RFP (“Respondent”) must submit the following information with the written proposal:

A. Cover Letter

a. Name of the consulting company, website, telephone number, and address, including e-mail address, of bidder.

b. Name and title of individual authorized to bind the bidder and submit the proposal.

c. Name, e-mail address, and telephone number of person GO-Biz may contact during the proposal evaluation process (if different).

d. Form of business - e.g. sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, not-for-profit organization.

e. Firm/company background including year established and number of employees.

B. Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume for the proposed consultant(s) and support staff.

a. Must highlight experience with assignments of a similar nature

C. Methodology

a. Provide an overview of the methodology to be used to identify potential buyers and partners for the California companies.

b. Provide estimated timelines and milestones for deliverables.

c. Provide a sample market analysis that includes, at a minimum, a high-level market overview of the beauty sector in a region and a brief analysis of a sample company’s market potential (i.e., top competitors, typical sales channels, ideal partners, size of the market for their product, etc.).

An anonymized report from a previous similar project is acceptable.

D. Cost Estimation and Budget Analysis

a. Provide a budget analysis. The analysis must include the performance costs and connect the budget to the specific tasks and due dates.

I. Include a detailed breakdown of costs for each task/activity, including staff time, consultant hours and rates, travel, and any additional expenses such as materials and administrative fees.

b. Provide a set cost per company with all expenses considered.

c. GO-Biz shall not be held liable for the full cost of eight companies if fewer are ultimately recruited.

E. References (at least three)

a. At least two references must be from US trade promotion organizations (e.g., US Chamber of Commerce, Economic Partnership of North Carolina, Great Lakes Economic Development Council, and Michigan Economic Development Corporation)

b. References from US beauty companies who utilized the consulting company’s services while a part of a state delegation may be used.

Preference will be given to companies that used the services for European markets.

F. Information concerning terminations, litigation, and debarment. Bidder shall provide answers to the following questions:

a. During the last five years, has the Bidder had a contract for services terminated for any reason? If so, provide full details related to the termination.

b. During the last five years, describe any order, judgment or decree of any Federal or State authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting the right of the Bidder to engage in any business, practice or activity.

c. During the last five years, list, and summarize pending or threatened litigation, administrative or regulatory proceedings, or similar matters. The Bidder must also state whether it or any owners, officers, or primary partners have ever been convicted of a felony. Failure to disclose these matters may result in rejection of the bid proposal or in termination of any subsequent contract. This is a continuing disclosure requirement. Any such matter commencing after submission of a bid proposal, and with respect to the successful Bidder after the execution of a contract, must be disclosed in a timely manner in a written statement to GO-Biz.

III. TIMELINE

RFP Released by GO-Biz October 31, 2024 Deadline for Written Questions

Please submit questions to GO- Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov

November 8, 2024 at 5:00 PM

Posting of RFP Questions and Answers on Cal eProcure

November 20, 2024

RFP Submission Deadline

November 27, 2024, at 8:00 AM

Must submit via email to GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov with the subject line “RFP 0000033261 FY 2024-25 Cosmoprof Bologna Consultant” Tentative Award Notice December 8, 2024 Contract Period January 1, 2025 – April 4, 2025

IV. EVALUATION

Proposals will be evaluated by individuals in a committee. The committee will evaluate each proposal and score each proposal individually using the Evaluation Criteria Score Sheet. Proposals will be considered on their merits in accordance with the Scope of Work.

Bidders must score at least 60 out of 70 possible technical points (non-budget/cost) to advance in the evaluation phase and be eligible for invitation to any applicable interview or presentation phase.

Evaluation Score Sheet Maximum Possible Score Score

1.

How well does the Proposer’s experience directly relate to the needs of the project, particularly in terms of international trade and market entry consulting?

2. How well does the proposal address the requirements of the RFP? 30

3. Quality of sample material provided 20

4. Are the budget/cost estimates provided realistic and well-justified? 30

V. TERMINATING CONTRACT

GO-Biz will have grounds to terminate the contract under the following conditions:

a. Non-performance: Failure to meet agreed-upon deliverables and objectives within the specified timelines and milestones.

b. Unresponsiveness: A pattern of unresponsiveness to communication efforts. If GOBiz or delegate contact experiences more than two instances where emails and/or voicemails are not responded to within five working days, it will be considered a breach of contract.

c. Quality of Work: Substandard or inadequate quality of work provided or failure to arrange relevant and productive meetings for small business owners. Deliverables must meet professional business standards and must be actionable and beneficial to the business objectives of the small business owners.

d. Lack of Transparency: Failure to provide regular updates, progress reports, and documentation as required. This includes maintaining an open line of communication with GO-Biz regarding the status of the project, challenges encountered, and strategies implemented.

If any of the above conditions are met, GO-Biz reserves the right to terminate the contract with immediate effect. Written notice of termination will be provided, outlining the specific grounds for termination.

PRESENTATIONS AND/OR INTERVIEWS

Upon request by GO-Biz, each Contractor may be required to present their proposal virtually.

REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION

Bidders are invited to submit written questions and requests for clarifications regarding the RFP. Bidders may also submit suggestions for changes to the requirements of this RFP. The questions, requests for clarifications, or suggestions must be in writing and received by the GO-Biz Contact Person before 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, before Friday, November 8, 2024. Oral questions will not be permitted.

If the questions, requests for clarifications, or suggestions pertain to a specific section of the RFP, the page and section number(s) must be referenced. Written responses to questions, requests for clarifications, or suggestions will be sent to vendors who received RFPs. The GO-Biz’s written responses will be considered part of the RFP. If GO-Biz decides to adopt a suggestion, GO-Biz will issue an amendment to the RFP.

AMENDMENTS TO RFP; DOWNLOADING FROM INTERNET

a) GO-Biz reserves the right to amend the RFP at any time before the RFP submission deadline.

b) All amendments will be posted on Cal eProcure. Each Bidder is advised to check this home page periodically for amendments to this RFP, particularly if the Bidder downloaded the RFP from the Internet as the Bidder may not automatically receive amendments.

RFP RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

This RFP and the Proposer’s response to this document will be made part of GO-Biz’s procurement contract file. Responses must contain all requested information and data and conform to the format described in this section. It is the Proposer’s responsibility to provide all necessary information for the State to evaluate the response, verify requested information, and determine the Proposer’s ability to perform the tasks and activities defined in the State’s Scope of Work.

Plagiarism, including but not limited to taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own, and failure to cite someone else’s work or ideas, is prohibited and is grounds for disqualification. Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools to complete any portion of an application, without citation, may be considered plagiarism and may also be grounds for disqualification.

The Proposer must submit their response electronically to the department contact name and email address indicated on the cover sheet to this RFP. Proposals should not exceed 50 pages in length.

LIMITATION

This RFP does not commit GO-Biz to award a contract or to pay costs incurred by bidder in the preparation of a proposal to this RFP. GO-Biz may accept other than the lowest bid based on the secondary evaluation method via the scoresheet shown in section IV, waive minor informalities, and award a contract based only on the written proposal without any discussions with the bidder.

VENDOR FORMS

Please include the completed vendor forms and submit them with your proposal. Blank copies of the required forms will be included in the solicitation documents. The necessary forms are as follows:

• STD 204 – Payee Data Record

• STD 21 – Drug Free Workplace Certification

• CCC – Contractor Certification Clauses

• Darfur

• Bidder Declaration

• STD 1000 GenAI Disclosure and Factsheet

COPYRIGHTS

By submitting a bid proposal, the Bidder agrees that GO-Biz may copy the bid proposal for purposes of facilitating the evaluation of the bid proposal or to respond to requests for public records. The Bidder consents to such copying by submitting a bid proposal and warrants that such copying will not violate the rights of any third party.

AWARDS AND PROTESTS

a) Notice of the proposed award shall be posted in a public place in the office of the

Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development for five (5) working days prior to awarding the agreement.

b) If any Proposer, prior to the award of agreement, files a protest with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, 1325 J Street, Suite 1800, Sacramento, CA 95814; and the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services, 707 Third Street, 7th Floor, Suite 7-330, West Sacramento, CA 95605, on the grounds that the (protesting) Proposer would have been awarded the contract had the agency correctly applied the evaluation standard in the RFP, or if the agency followed the evaluation and scoring methods in the RFP, the agreement shall not be awarded until either the protest has been withdrawn or the Department of General

Services has decided the matter. It is suggested that you submit any protest by certified or registered mail.

c) Within five (5) calendar days after filing the initial protest, the protesting Proposer shall file with the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services, and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development a detailed statement specifying the grounds for the protest.

d) Upon resolution of the protest and award of the agreement, Contractor must complete and submit to the awarding agency the Payee Data Record (STD 204), to determine if the Contractor is subject to state income tax withholding pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 18662 and 26131. This form can be found on the Internet at https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/FMC/PDF/Std204.pdf.

e) No payment shall be made unless a completed STD 204 has been returned to the awarding agency.

f) Upon resolution of the protest and award of the agreement, Contractor must sign and submit to the awarding agency, page one (1) of the Contractor Certification Clauses, which can be found on the Internet at

g) https://www.aging.ca.gov/download.ashx?lE0rcNUV0zZK%2FYm8WzGo%2Fg%3D3D.

Small Business and DVBE Certified small businesses, microbusinesses, and DVBEs are encouraged to apply and can claim a five percent (5%) preference when submitting a bid on a state contract. A non-small business may receive a preference of five percent if the business commits to subcontract at least twenty-five percent (25%) of its net bid price with one or more small businesses or microbusinesses. The five percent preference is used only for computation purposes, to determine the winning bidder and does not alter the amounts of the resulting contract. A contract awarded on the basis of the five percent (5%) preference is awarded to the small business, microbusiness, DVBE, or non-small business for the actual amount of its bid.

A complete copy of the firm’s current Small Business and/or DVBE certification with the Department of General Services (DGS) must also accompany the response.

Helpful resources pertaining to the Small Business and DVBE program may be found here: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division- Resources-List-Folder/Commercially-Useful-Function-for-Certified-Firms

PUBLIC RECORDS ACT

By submitting an application, the applicant acknowledges that GO-Biz is subject to the California Public Records Act (PRA) (Government Code section 7920.000 et. seq.).

Consequently, materials submitted by an applicant to GO-Biz may be subject to disclosure pursuant to a PRA request. In the event that records of the applicant are requested, GO-Biz will notify the applicant, as soon as practicable, that a PRA request for the applicant’s information has been received, but not less than five (5) business days prior to the release of the requested information, to allow the applicant to seek an https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/FMC/PDF/Std204.pdf https://www.aging.ca.gov/download.ashx?lE0rcNUV0zZK%2FYm8WzGo%2Fg%3D3D injunction. GO-Biz will work in good faith with the applicant to protect any confidential information to the extent an exemption is provided by law.

GenAI DISCLOSURE The State of California seeks to realize the potential benefits of GenAI, through the development and deployment of GenAI tools, while balancing the risks of these new technologies. Bidders/Offerors must notify the State in writing if their solution or service includes, or makes available, any GenAI technology, including GenAI from third parties or subcontractors. The State has developed a GenAI Disclosure & Factsheet to be completed by the Bidder/Offeror. Failure to disclose GenAI to the State and submit the GenAI Disclosure & Factsheet will result in disqualification of the Bidder/Offeror and may void any resulting contract. The State reserves its right to seek any and all relief it may be entitled to as a result of such non-disclosure. Upon receipt of a Bidder/Offeror GenAI Disclosure & Factsheet, the state reserves the right to incorporate GenAI Special Provisions into the final contract or reject bids/offers that present an unacceptable level of risk to the state.

Potential Proposers must email all required materials to GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov no later than November 27, 2025, at 8:00 AM PST. No mailed/hard copy submittals will be accepted. No late proposals will be accepted or considered under any circumstances.

It is recommended that you submit your proposal at least two business days in advance of the final deadline to receive a confirmation of receipt and avoid potential delays due to technical difficulties. If you should experience technical difficulties during the submission, please contact GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov immediately.