Ellendale and Southeast North Dakota Strategic Planning

The North Dakota Department of Commerce, Division of Community Services, is seeking a consultant to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the community of Ellendale through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The procurement, which covers Eddy County, aims to produce a strategic planning document that includes updating the community vision statement, conducting an asset map, and developing a strategic action plan with community engagement. Key deliverables include identifying sustainable goals and objectives, establishing success metrics, assigning champions to each goal, conducting an essential services inventory, and creating a mayor-appointed growth task force. The solicitation (Number 110.7-24-092) requires a consultant to produce detailed interim reports, a first draft report, and a final document, with specific milestones including a contract start date of December 30, 2024, a kick-off meeting on January 7, 2025, interim reports due February 15 and March 15, 2025, a first draft report due April 1, 2025, and final document submission by May 15, 2025. Proposals are due on December 6, 2024, at 12:00 PM CT, with a total project budget not exceeding $50,000.

The RFP does not specify any specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations, nor does it indicate any incumbent vendors or mandatory integration requirements. The contract will require the selected consultant to obtain necessary insurance coverage prior to contract approval. Payment will be made based on a negotiated payment schedule, with no advance payments permitted. While no specific evaluation criteria are explicitly detailed in the provided documents, the complexity of the required deliverables suggests that respondents will need demonstrated experience in community strategic planning, asset mapping, and stakeholder engagement. The project has a defined timeline of approximately 5 months, from December 2024 to May 2025, with a maximum budget of $50,000 that must cover all costs associated with the strategic planning work. Interested consultants can direct any questions about the solicitation to Procurement Officer Chad Keech, who is responsible for managing this procurement process.