Draft SOW for E200 SS

Attachment 2

DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

FOR TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

SBA Emerging Leaders (E200) Initiative (Office of Entrepreneurial Development)

I. Overview:

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), officially established in 1953, maintains and strengthens the nation’s economy by aiding, counseling, assisting, and protecting the interests of small businesses, and by helping families and businesses to recover from national disasters. SBA’s mission includes assisting small businesses start, grow, and compete in markets by providing quality training, counseling and access to resources.

The SBA is seeking proposals from responsible entities for on-site and remote training delivery of specialized instruction, specifically for executives from small business in underserved communities across the United States. This specialized training will involve entrepreneurial education that supports and aligns SBA business development and local resources with the growth needs of participating firms.

Each designated SBA District Office will work with the training contractor to coordinate local engagement of area partners within the participating underserved communities. A critical component of the initiative is the identification and recruitment of eligible viable small businesses that meet geographic, revenue, employment and capacity criteria. This recruitment will be accomplished through strategic marketing with local and national exposure, research and product placement within each designated location. Specialized training of participating firms is designed to foster additional business growth opportunities.

II. General History:

The SBA Emerging Leaders (e200) concept was designed to strengthen SBA’s core mission to support small companies that have achieved local success and are ready for the next level of growth. This targeted outreach identifies CEO-level executives from small businesses in select underserved communities across the country, that show a high potential for growth, and provides these businesses with the support network, training resources and motivation required to build and sustain businesses of size and scale within designated communities.

Small businesses, especially emerging entrepreneurs with growth-potential, create jobs and much needed products and services for diverse communities. This executive leaders training series has been delivered in 29 communities since inception. By promoting concepts of size and scale in small businesses in America’s underserved communities, there is great potential to build these businesses into strong economic dynamos that create jobs and opportunities within local communities. Moreover, this kind of initiative leads to sustained economic development and has the highest impact for distressed economies as it taps into local competitive advantages to create local prosperity.

SBA has been authorized, under Section 7(j) of the Small Business Act, to enter into grants, cooperative agreements or contracts, with public or private organizations that can deliver management or technical assistance to individuals and enterprises eligible for assistance under the Act. This assistance is delivered through the 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance Program to 8(a) certified firms, small disadvantaged businesses, and businesses operating in areas of high unemployment or low income or whose owners have low incomes. The purpose of the 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance Program [Section 7(j)(1) Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 636(j)(1)] is to help economically and socially disadvantaged businesspersons achieve competitive viability in the marketplace.

III. Scope of Work:

Working along with its contractor, based on availability of funding, SBA will select 27 – 30 SBA District Offices that serve urban and/or Native American underserved communities as local hosts for this initiative. This is a new contract to procure the services of a uniquely qualified vendor to simultaneously develop and deliver an entrepreneurial training curriculum designed specifically for executive leaders of small to medium sized businesses in underserved urban and Native American communities. SBA reserves the right to modify and/or change the final designation of training locations at a later date with advance notification to the service provider if necessary.

Offerors should specifically address how they will provide entrepreneurial educational services (classroom and remote training) to businesses in urban and Native American underserved communities. Offerors should also demonstrate how the training curriculum will link small business development, financing, procurement and mentoring opportunities available within these communities.

No training or services will be provided under this contract to any companies that have been previously enrolled as participants in the e200 initiative. Services provided under this contract are made to established companies that meet eligibility requirements for small business profiles and are specifically recruited for participation in the national training program.

The SBA Emerging Leaders (e200) Initiative specialized areas of training include:

· Business Development and Growth Strategies

· Business Financing and Access to Capital (SBA and beyond)

· Government Contracting (federal, state, and local)

· CEO Mentoring

The contractor will work closely with the SBA to develop and deliver a synchronized national training program that assists executives of urban and Native American small businesses in underserved areas, consistent with applicable SBA guidelines and specific to the unique communities incorporated into this initiative. On behalf of the agency, the contractor must have the ability to deploy and instruct a training curriculum on a national scale simultaneously throughout the course of rigorous 5-9 month training engagement.

This executive training and technical assistance provides operational and leadership strategies to build capacity, foster growth, expansion and ensure sustainability.

Participating locations have included, but are not limited to: Atlanta, GA - Albuquerque, NM – Baltimore, MD – Boston, MA - Dallas, TX – Denver, CO - Detroit, MI – Gallup and Farmington, NM – Fresno, CA – Helena, MT – Honolulu, HI - Jacksonville, FL - Memphis, TN - Milwaukee WI – Minneapolis, MN - New Orleans, LA – Philadelphia, PA – Phoenix, AZ - Portland, OR – Rapid City, SD – Santa Ana, CA - Seattle and Spokane ,WA - St. Louis, MO - Syracuse, NY – Tulsa, OK – Youngstown, OH.

Proposed locations for this contract can include previous locations and/or new locations as designated by the discretion of SBA.

IV. Program Objectives and Qualifications:

The contractor shall continue to deliver and implement training modules currently in place, and do so consistently, as described in this SOW. Offerors must provide specific information and documentation to demonstrate the following qualifications:

· The e200 Initiative will take place in designated communities across the country. The contractor must have the ability to deliver a successful synchronized uniform curriculum to small business executives, national in scope, yet tailored to the local needs in more than one city simultaneously during the course of a 5-9 month engagement.

· A teaching approach and curriculum that is benchmarked on a national scale yet adaptable on a local level and:

· focused on established second-stage businesses and designed for the executive level decision-makers [CEO, COO, CFO, or similar executive]

· has the ability to facilitate adult learning and experience with mentoring

· has been vetted by academics and “road – tested” by entrepreneurs

· utilizes the “case study model” with the cases drawn from the participating entrepreneurs’ businesses

· capacity to be delivered as part of distance learning

· Knowledge and at least 3 years previous experience regarding small business development and entrepreneurial training at the executive level with the capacity to establish and maintain a widely dispersed, nationally targeted, geographic and revenue based training program for small business executives.

· Provide evidence and experience of 3 years or more in helping diverse groups of entrepreneurs from underserved urban and/or Native American communities grow their existing small businesses to increase revenues job creation.

· Data supported evidence of 3 years or more, (case studies, statistics, demographics and other supporting documentation, etc.) of experience in, and commitment to, serving underserved communities.

· A proven track record of self-evaluation and transparency, such as organizational scorecards incorporating program impact, economic and social indicators within underserved communities.

· A proven track record of metrics and measurable outcomes such as increased revenue, increased access to new financing and markets, and increased employee hires by participating firms.

· The ability to demonstrate the long-term program impact of the training, with quantifiable evidence of continued growth of past program participants through data driven management.

· A proven track record of providing business development programs for small business executives that involve high quality, hands-on, and peer-to-peer training which is consistent with the initiative objectives.

· Proven quality control techniques and documented processes for hiring, training and supporting instructors with entrepreneurial experience in both the business sector and university level instruction while recruiting and hiring instructors from within the designated training communities.

· Experience in training and supporting federal government staff in the local delivery of a national training initiative and working in partnership with other local organizations to deliver training.

· Proven ability to deliver or scale a national program quickly and efficiently, while ensuring local quality control.

· The ability to continue to engage in regional support and outreach to current and past e200 participants.

V. Task Requirements, Services and Timeframes (Base Year):

This SOW requires the contractor to successfully implement this training initiative by producing the following requirements and services:

Task 1: Planning

· Attend a kick-off meeting with SBA to discuss the purpose, scope and plan of action to implement the national training curriculum.

TIMEFRAME: Within 10 days of contract award

Task 2: Plan and Develop e200 Initiative Training / Prep SBA District Offices and Instructors

· Plan initiative launch and expectations

· Curriculum review and adjustments

· Review cities and identify instructors

· Develop a plan for alumni engagement, regional support and outreach for e200 participants

TIMEFRAME: September 2012 through December 2012

Task 3: Hire Instructors and Training

· Training for participating SBA District Directors and Project Managers

· Recruit and hire instructors

· Contract and train all instructors

· Participate in monthly SBA conference calls

TIMEFRAME: January 2013 through February 2013

Task 4: Deliver e200 Curriculum Modules

· Quality assurance and session evaluations for instructors

· Quality assurance and session evaluations for participants

· Provide instructional support

· Provide SBA District Directors and Project Managers instructional resource support

· Participate in monthly SBA calls and provide module overviews

TIMEFRAME: March 2013 through July 2013

Task 5: Deliver e200 Modules, Graduations, and Conclusion

· Quality assurance and session evaluations

· Provide instructional support

· Provide SBA District Directors and Project Managers instructional resource support

· Participate in monthly SBA calls and provide module overviews

· Guide and support all participants with finalizing their 3-year strategic growth plan

· Debrief instructors and SBA District Directors and Project Manager’s

· Identify and deliver Best Practices report to SBA

· Continue to engage in regional support and outreach to current and past e200 participants

TIMEFRAME: August 2013 through November 2013

(End of Draft SOW)