Trade and Foreign Direct Investment Representative for Japan

The Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon) is conducting a Request for Proposals (RFP S-12300-00011036) to secure a Trade and Foreign Direct Investment Representative for Japan. The selected contractor will provide comprehensive foreign direct investment recruitment, export, and trade promotion services specifically targeting the Japanese market. Key deliverables include generating a minimum of 5-8 new high-quality leads per month, cultivating 10-20 solid leads, securing 2-5 concrete project commitments within each 12-month contract period, and supporting up to 3 business recruitment and foreign direct investment missions annually, potentially including one Governor's mission per biennium. The contractor will be responsible for lead generation, project pipeline development, conducting in-person and virtual meetings, organizing outbound and inbound missions, and executing export promotion activities. Evaluation criteria will include assessment of the Project Plan, Qualifications, Lead Generation capabilities, and Proposed Fees. The proposal submissions were initially due by November 1, 2024, but an addendum extended the deadline to November 19, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The initial contract term is anticipated to be two years, with potential renewal options allowing for a maximum contract period of nine years.

The RFP emphasizes participation of Certified Firms, specifically encouraging involvement of minority-owned, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and emerging small businesses. Proposers are required to demonstrate their commitment to business inclusion and diversity by indicating if they are a Certified Firm, listing past collaborations with such firms, and describing strategies for soliciting Certified Firms as subcontractors. For the foreign direct investment services, Business Oregon will provide a flat fee not exceeding $130,000 annually, with additional negotiable costs for export services and reimbursement for actually provided services. The agency will also cover the contractor's inbound travel expenses to Oregon once per biennium, up to $10,000. In the most recent Notice of Intent to Award document, Intralink Ltd. was identified as the apparent successful proposer, scoring the highest at 600.5 points out of a possible score, following an evaluation by seven reviewers. Competing firms included Tractus Japan Co., Ltd., Fenetre Partners, Ltd., and Wavteq FZCO, with scores ranging from 472.3 to 527.0 points.