Economic Development Organization to Implement the Business Growth Strategy for Waukesha County

Waukesha County is seeking a qualified not-for-profit economic development organization to implement its Business Growth Strategy through a Request for Proposal (RFP) numbered 2026001. The primary objective is to establish a central point of contact for businesses seeking workforce, financial, and site selection assistance while connecting them with appropriate support resources. The selected contractor must achieve four strategic outcomes: creating a central economic development contact point, helping retain and attract businesses, connecting businesses to workforce solutions, and promoting the GROW Fund revolving loan program. Proposals are due electronically via the Waukesha County Bonfire portal by February 5, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. CST/CDT, with finalists to be notified on February 12, 2026. The evaluation criteria will assess respondents based on business development experience (40%), approach to implementing the strategy (30%), collaboration with business and workforce organizations (20%), and pricing including in-kind contributions (10%). The contract will have an initial three-year term with potential for two additional annual renewals, commencing around May 1, 2026.

The procurement is specifically restricted to not-for-profit organizations registered to do business in Wisconsin, with foreign corporations required to obtain a certificate of authority from the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions within ten business days of award. The county will provide a minimum of $150,000 in funding for calendar year 2026, with potential supplemental funding from municipalities within the county. Subsequent annual funding will be subject to the county's budget approval process, and payment terms will be tied to specific performance measures negotiated annually. The successful contractor must maintain specific insurance requirements, including $100,000 worker's compensation coverage per accident and $1,000,000 commercial general liability insurance per occurrence. Pricing and in-kind contributions will represent 10% of the evaluation criteria, suggesting flexibility in funding structure. The contract is designed to be performance-based, with annual negotiations ensuring alignment with the county's economic development goals and ongoing strategic objectives.