Central County Economic Development Master Plan

Palm Beach County Procurement Department is requesting proposals for a Central County Economic Development Master Plan under RFP 26-048-CB, with the proposal deadline extended to August 20, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. local time. The Selection Committee meeting is scheduled for September 17, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.; all proposers must acknowledge receipt of Amendment No. 2 with their submission or risk non-responsiveness. Small Business Enterprises participation is weighted at 15 of 100 evaluation points, and local preference certification is required to be held by the prime consultant only.

The scope spans a multi-jurisdictional effort across seven municipalities (City of Atlantis, City of Greenacres, Town of Haverhill, Town of Lake Clarke Shores, City of Lake Worth Beach, Town of Lantana, and Village of Palm Springs) and unincorporated Palm Beach County areas, covering approximately 57 square miles with 280,908 residents. The consultant must develop a data-driven, thirty-month economic development strategy including evaluation of prior studies, land use and infrastructure analysis (water and sewer capacity), corridor design with streetscape elements, branding strategy, amenities analysis, annexation strategies, industry attraction, workforce development recommendations, and an actionable implementation framework. Deliverables include a Public Involvement Plan (45 days post-Notice to Proceed), a project website (60 days), a searchable electronic master plan with implementation strategy (18 months post-NTP, within 60 days of adoption), and a web portal integrating real estate, incentives, and shared resources (180 days post-NTP).

The contract carries a primary term of thirty months with three optional one-year renewals at the county's discretion, with an anticipated start date of October 1, 2026. The fiscal-year allocation is $1 million; total contract amount is not finalized. A performance bond or irrevocable letter of credit equal to 100% of the contract amount is required prior to work commencement. Proposers must demonstrate experience in economic development planning for metropolitan areas of at least 250,000 population with comparable land area, provide two years of financial audits, and submit samples of similar master plans completed within the past ten years. Evaluation weighs experience and qualifications (30 points), project approach and understanding (25 points), key personnel and operations (15 points), price proposal (10 points), SBE participation (15 points), and business location/local preference (5 points). Questions were due June 18, 2026; a pre-proposal conference was held June 11, 2026.