CS1775-26 BRE RFI.docx

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

CS1775-26

Professional Services for Marion County's Business Retention and Expansion Program Release Date: April 1, 2026 Response Due Date: April 30, 2026, 3:00:00 PM PST Electronic copies of this RFI and attachments, if any, can be obtained from the Marion County Procurement Collaboration Portal at the URL listed below.

https://contracts-marioncountygcc.msappproxy.net/gateway/ Submit responses via SurveyMonkey:

BRE RFI SURVEY LINK

REQUEST

Submit a response to the Survey (URL listed above) associated with this RFI if your organization:

Can provide a portion and/or all the services described in Section 5.

Has identified areas that may be missed in the services described in Section 5. If there are gaps identified, provide feedback on the gap that can be incorporated in a future solicitation.

Would be interested in responding to a Request for Proposals for the services described in Section 5.

INTRODUCTION

Marion County Community and Economic Development Department (County) is planning to release a Request for Proposals to award a multi-year contract(s) for Business Retention and Expansion Services for the Marion County Economic Development Program. The County is initially conducting this Request for Information to seek information regarding such services from individuals, firms, teams or consultants with knowledge and experience related to Business Retention and Expansion Services.

This project is funded by lottery distribution and must align with ORS 461.540 & 285B.410.

PURPOSE

Marion County seeks input from qualified organizations that engage in the design and delivery of a Business Retention and Investment Readiness Program. The purpose of this program will be to strengthen the County’s ability to understand, support, and respond to the needs of existing businesses, while ensuring the County is prepared when expansion or new investment opportunities arise.

This Request for Information uses a Statement of Objectives (SOO) format. Rather than prescribing specific tasks or methods, the County defines the outcomes it seeks to achieve. Interested respondents will offer approaches that efficiently meet these objectives.

PROGRAM CONTEXT

Existing businesses are the primary drivers of employment stability, reinvestment, and local economic resilience. At the same time, business attraction efforts are most effective when grounded in accurate, current knowledge of local conditions.

This program is intended to:

· Improve the County’s situational awareness of business conditions

· Enable timely, coordinated responses to business needs

· Strengthen the County’s readiness to support business expansion and location decisions

· Provide the County with recommendations for or implementation of incentive programs, such as the Rural Industrial Property Tax Exemption Program.

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

The County seeks to establish a program that achieves the following objectives.

Objective 1: Business Stability and Expansion Readiness Marion County has sustained awareness of the operating conditions, risks, and growth potential of existing businesses that allow for clear decision making. Desired outcomes:

The County can consistently differentiate between stable, at-risk, and businesses that are ready to expand.

Emerging risks and opportunities are identified early enough to allow meaningful intervention or support.

Up-to-date information and trends on businesses in the County is current, reliable, and directly applicable to County decision-making.

Support the County by providing recommendations for incentive programs and practical implementation guidance to retain and grow businesses.

Objective 2: Investment and Attraction Readiness Marion County is prepared to support business expansion and location decisions with credible, timely, and accurate information. Desired outcomes:

The County can respond to business inquiries within timeframes appropriate to competitive decision-making.

Expansion and attraction discussions are informed by verified local conditions rather than anecdotal or outdated information.

The County’s role in attracting new businesses is clearly defined, informed by evidence, and aligned with local capacity.

Objective 3: Reporting, Transparency, and Accountability The program gives leaders clear information to guide economic development decisions. Desired outcomes:

Performance is evaluated against defined outcomes rather than activity counts alone.

Trends, risks, and systemic issues affecting the business climate are visible at a leadership level.

The County can clearly communicate the value and return on investment of the program.

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued solely to determine vendor engagement and feedback on how we can request these services from entities that specialize in Business Retention and Expansion services; it does not constitute a solicitation. There will not be an evaluation or scoring of the material submitted. No information received in response to this RFI will be returned. Responses to this notice are not an offer and cannot be accepted by the County to form a binding contract. Respondents will not necessarily be notified of the result of this RFI, or future solicitation opportunities.

BACKGROUND

Located in the heart of the Mid-Willamette Valley, Marion County has a population of 347,818, stretches from the Willamette River to the Cascade Mountains, and encompasses nearly 1,200 square miles. Marion County has 20 cities, including Oregon’s capital, Salem. The Marion County government organization is headed by an elected Board of Commissioners and has 15 departments, seven of which are headed by elected officials.

Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) is a core component of Marion County’s economic development work. Existing businesses are the primary source of job retention, job creation, reinvestment, and long-term economic resilience.

Marion County hosts a diverse range of industries, including agriculture, food processing, government, lumber, manufacturing and tourism. The County holds many distinctive communities with thriving downtowns and main streets including Salem, Keizer, Silverton, Mt. Angel, Aumsville and many more. To support these communities and their industries, Marion County Economic Development Program currently partners with regional economic development partners to promote Business Retention & Expansion and Marketing.

PUBLIC RECORDS

Respondents should be aware that any records they submit to the County shall become the property of the County and a public record, subject to public disclosure as provided under Oregon’s Public Records Law.

If it is necessary to submit trade secrets or other confidential information in order to comply with the terms and conditions of this RFI, Responders shall label any information that it wishes to protect from disclosure to third parties as a trade secret under ORS 192.501(2) with the following: "This material constitutes a trade secret under ORS 192.501(2) and is not to be disclosed except as required by law." Each page containing the trade secret or other confidential information must be so marked.

The County shall take reasonable measures to hold in confidence all such labeled information but shall not be liable for release of any information when required by law or court order to do so, whether pursuant to the Oregon Public Records Law or otherwise and shall also be immune from liability for disclosure or release of information under the circumstances set out in ORS 646.473(3).

In submitting a response, each respondent agrees that the County may; (a) reveal any trade secret or other confidential materials contained in the proposal to County staff and to any outside consultant or third party who is hired by the County and (b) post the response on the County’s intranet for purposes related to its evaluation. Furthermore, each proposer agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the County and each of its officers, employees, and agents from all costs, damages, and expenses incurred in connection with refusing to disclose any material that the respondent has designated as a trade secret and/or as confidential information. Any respondent that designates its entire response as a trade secret may be disqualified.

CS1775-26- Professional Services for Marion County's Business Retention and Expansion Program Page 1 of 2 image1.png