Community Engagement and Economic Development Consulting Services for Comprehensive Plan Update

Gloucester County, Virginia is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP 26-021-CJ) to procure Community Engagement and Economic Development Consulting Services in support of the County's Comprehensive Plan Update initiative titled "Charting Our Future." The County seeks qualified firms to provide non-professional consulting services organized into two distinct service groups: Group 1 (Community Economic Development Analysis) and Group 2 (Community Engagement and Facilitation Services), with offerors permitted to propose for either group individually or both groups combined. Group 1 deliverables include market and demographic analysis, target industry identification, strategic economic development recommendations, and a draft and final Economic Analysis Report. Group 2 deliverables encompass a comprehensive public and stakeholder engagement process utilizing focus groups (6 groups meeting 4 times concurrently), town hall meetings (4 total, one per phase), surveys, and facilitation activities centered on six core plan components (land use, economic development, infrastructure/transportation, community services/education, environmental sustainability, and history/arts/culture), culminating in a Directional Framework document with themes, goals, objectives, and implementation strategies. The anticipated project timeline spans 15-18 months, with work commencing immediately upon contract execution in May 2026 and continuing through project completion in Fall 2027 across four engagement phases: Assessing Needs (Listening), Setting Direction (Visioning), Focusing Efforts (Goals and Objectives), and Developing a Plan Implementation Approach. Evaluation criteria include demonstrated project understanding and proposed approach (30 points), firm experience and qualifications with comprehensive plan updates (20 points), key personnel qualifications (15 points), relevant experience with economic development analysis (7.5 points), relevant experience with community engagement and facilitation (7.5 points), price proposal (15 points), and proposal completeness and organization (5 points). Proposals must be submitted by March 31, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. to the Central Purchasing Office, with questions due by March 19, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. to Purchasing Agent Christine Joyce. Contract award is anticipated in May 2026, with optional contract extensions available in one-year increments or shorter periods as negotiated.

There are no stated set-aside restrictions limiting proposal eligibility based on organization type or disadvantaged enterprise status; however, Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned (SWaM) participation is encouraged but not required. Immigration Reform and Control Act certification is mandatory for proposal responsiveness. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. The County has not disclosed a publicly available budget or budget range for this project; instead, offerors must submit detailed line-item pricing using the standardized Price Proposal Form (Attachment B), with pricing evaluated for clarity, reasonableness, and alignment with proposed services. Offerors may propose additional or alternative engagement services beyond those specified, which should be clearly identified as optional or supplemental with separate pricing to allow the County flexibility in scope negotiations. The County reserves the right to make multiple awards for one or both service groups at its sole discretion and will evaluate proposals based on price and established evaluation criteria to determine the most advantageous offering. A W-9 form must accompany all submissions, and proposals are limited to twenty double-sided pages (forty total pages) excluding the Proposal Form, required attachments, resumes, and pricing forms.