STA26102-DCCI_qa.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR DELAWARE

COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR INITIATIVE (DCCI)

CONTRACT NUMBER STA26102-DCCI Q&A

Question 1 (Section II, Paragraph 2, Page 3)

Does this mean 15% can be used for indirect/admin/project management?

DSB Response: Correct. The 85% threshold guarantees that the substantial majority of program funds reach small businesses located within the awarded county. The remaining fifteen percent (15%) may be applied toward administrative costs, program management, compliance, and reporting expenses associated with delivering the program. It is not required to be deployed as additional grant capital.

Proposals that deploy a greater share of funds to businesses than the 85% minimum, meaning proposals that do not use the full 15% for administrative costs, will be viewed more favorably, as this directly demonstrates the capital deployment capacity scored under the evaluation criteria.

Question 2 (Section II, Paragraph 3, Page 3)

Does this mean the business owner has to provide 75% of the project cost from their own funds, which may include financing?

DSB Response: Yes. DCCI grants are structured to leverage private capital. The DCCI grant covers 10– 25% of total project cost, up to $25,000 per business; the balance must come from the business owner’s own funds, private financing arranged through the administering CDFI or lending partner, or a combination of both. This leverage requirement is central to the program’s design.

Question 3 (Section II, Paragraph 4, Page 4)

Can the selected firm define what businesses are eligible? Would non-profits and churches be eligible?

DSB Response: No. Eligibility is defined by the Division, not delegated to the selected firm, to ensure a consistent standard is applied across all three counties. DSB confirms the following as the eligibility standard.

● Eligible: An existing, brick-and-mortar small business whose principal place of business and primary operations are located in Delaware. Tax status doesn't determine eligibility; a nonprofit or a house of worship qualifies if it operates a genuine commercial storefront in a qualifying corridor.

● Not eligible: A location operated directly by an out-of-state parent company with no separately formed Delaware operating entity, and any organization without a genuine commercial storefront presence, such as a house of worship with no retail or commercial operation, or a nonprofit's back-office administrative space with no public-facing storefront.

Question 4 (Section II, Paragraph 5, Page 4)

Will the selected firm provide the definition for "adjacent"?

DSB Response: No. Eligibility determinations rest with the Division. Rather than relying on a fixed numeric distance, DSB will provide the selected firm(s) with a GIS-based reference map identifying the qualifying Commercial Corridor Area of Interest. An area is included on this map where it (1) is designated Level 1 or Level 2 under the 2025 State Strategies for State Policies and Spending, and (2) is not located within a designated DDD boundary. This map will serve as the selected firm's operational reference for screening proposed areas. The selected firm may submit a specific parcel to the Division for confirmation but does not have independent authority to determine eligibility.

Question 5 (Section II, Paragraph 5, Page 4)

Will exceptions be allowed in cases where the land use has been commercial for some time but has not been reflected in the zoning classification, subject to the jurisdiction’s approval?

DSB Response: A narrow exception will be permitted, but only where the local jurisdiction provides documentation confirming the property’s legal non-conforming use status, meaning formal written confirmation that continued commercial use is recognized and permitted despite the underlying zoning classification. A general assertion that a use has “been commercial for some time” is not, by itself, sufficient.

Question 6 (Section V, G.34(j), Page 33)

Is this a reimbursable program, or will the State release grant funds at contract execution?

DSB Response: This is not a reimbursement-only program. DSB will disburse grant capital directly to the selected firm(s), with an initial installment released upon contract execution. The remaining balance will be released in one to two additional installments tied to deployment milestones, for a total of two to three disbursements. The payment language currently in Section V is standard State of Delaware goods-and-services procurement boilerplate (invoicing, 30-day payment terms, P-Card) and was not drafted for this structure. DSB will replace it with a payment provision reflecting the installment schedule above, with the specific number, amount, and triggers for each installment finalized in the contract with the selected firm(s).

Question 7 (Appendix A, Paragraph 7, Page 3) Attachment 5 is a form for subcontractors; it is not a reference form.

DSB Response: Confirmed. This is a drafting error. Attachment 5 is the Subcontractor Information Form, already separately required under Appendix A, Item 8. There is currently no standalone Business Reference Form attached to this RFP.