Small Business Center Counseling Services

Southwestern Community College, a constituent program of the North Carolina Community Colleges, is requesting bids for confidential business counseling services through the Small Business Center Network with bids due October 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET at Balsam Center, Room 190a in Sylva, North Carolina.

The scope is one-on-one counseling for prospective and existing small business owners, delivered via phone, email, virtual, or in-person sessions at 17 to 35 hours per month. Counselors must comply with SBCN Counseling Program Guidelines, sign the SBCN Contractor Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement, respond to counseling inquiries within three business days, conduct initial sessions lasting at least 30 minutes, and document all services in the SBCN Client Management System. All vendors must be registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State prior to contract execution. E-Verify compliance is required if the vendor employs more than 25 employees in North Carolina. Vendors must submit customer references, worker location certification, and financial condition certification.

The initial contract term is one year from the effective date of execution, with the state retaining renewal options for up to two additional one-year terms upon thirty days' written notice before the end of each term. Pricing must be submitted on an hourly basis with a yearly estimated total based on 25 hours per month.

Evaluation criteria in descending order of importance are counselor qualifications and experience; service delivery approach; past performance and references; and cost proposal and value. The state reserves the right to make awards to a single vendor or multiple vendors, reject any or all bids, negotiate with one or more vendors, or cancel the solicitation.

Written questions are due September 29, 2026 at 1:00 p.m., with state responses due October 1, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.