Request for Proposal Denver West Parkway Building 52, Suite 300 Golden, CO 80401

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1 14062 Denver West Parkway Building 52, Suite 300 Golden, CO ANNOUNCEMENT: The Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance is pleased to announce that it is seeking proposals from individual consultants or consulting firms or non-profit organizations to provide Customized Consulting to up to 30 firms which have been identified as having been negatively affected by or currently being particularly susceptible to changes in defense procurement. CAMA is developing a preferred list of consultants to provide customized consulting services to companies that may have been or could be affected by sequestration or defense cuts. The focus of this effort is to help individual companies recognize their core competencies to determine their opportunities for efficiency improvements in order to position them to grow sales in non-defense awarded businesses or identify additional defense programs that will diversify their existing defense portfolio. PROJECT BACKGROUND: The Defense Diversification assistance program is being implemented as a part of the FourFront Project. FourFront Colorado is a public-private partnership focused on accelerating the growth and resiliency of manufacturers across Colorado s Advanced Industries. FourFront is funded through a federal planning grant awarded to the State of Colorado by the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) to support and strengthen the Advanced Industries cluster. The FourFront project is being implemented through a partnership between the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (CAMA) and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). Colorado ranks 16 th in the nation with $9.6 billion dollars spent by the Department of Defense (DoD) in the state including payroll and contracts. Colorado ranks 15 th when you compare defense spending in the state as a share of state gross domestic product (GDP) as of August 20, Defense spending in Colorado equates to $1,815 for each of the residents of the state of Colorado (based on 2013 budget numbers and census statistics). The Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, on behalf of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, is soliciting applications from businesses impacted by one or more of the following criteria to participate in Colorado s defense diversification program. Request for Proposal Page 1 Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance

2 The firm must be a prime defense contractor or first, second, third, fourth, or lower tier subcontractor to a prime contractor affected by defense budget reductions from Federal Fiscal Years , 2015, or the upcoming fiscal year 2016; The firm must experience a loss of or an imminent threat of a loss of at least 5% of sales and / or production, or of a major product line (defined as 25% of total sales or production), and in employment; At least 5% of the firm s loss in sales / production must be attributable to defense budget reductions from Federal Fiscal Years , 2015, or the upcoming fiscal year After being determined to meet the criteria, the company will receive a free diagnostic analysis provided by a partner selected by CAMA. This process will assess the operational state of the company and identify areas where the overall value of the company can be improved and/or can be used to pivot the company into new non-defense directions. Once this diagnostic assessment is completed, the company will be eligible to receive a voucher for various support services (as further described below). This voucher will be in an amount up to $15,000 with a minimal match required to assure the company s commitment to the process. This voucher can be used for support services including but not limited to: Business or operation planning services Strategic Planning for Growth Innovation and Growth Services Competitive analysis Market analysis Market shifts Marketing plans Market research and analysis Commercialization Assistance, including new product/service launch (prototype development) ISO System Certifications ISO Management System Implementation FDA, UL, NSF, FCC and other product certifications Advertising plans Pricing analysis Competitor analysis Web Design & Search Engine Optimization Supplier Scouting Services Risk Management Analysis (system overview and audit) Risk management system design Risk management & safety training Value Chain Optimization Business Expansion & Acquisitions Planning Proposal writing and contract submittal assistance Loan proposals Management audit Customer Service & Operations Facility layout Purchasing and Inventory control Manpower plans Recruiting goals Training requirements Skills analysis Manager leadership development Project Management Request for Proposal Page 2 Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance

3 The purpose of this proposal is to solicit and pre-qualify individual consultants or consulting firms or non-profit organizations to provide these or additional needed consulting and support services. ELIGIBILITY For purposes of this Request for Proposal (RFP), Colorado-based for profit or notfor-profit corporations will be given preference. Only companies providing proof of good standing with its Secretary of State are eligible to submit proposals and a 2015 Certificate of Good Standing must be attached to the proposal. A certificate of insurance must be provided prior to signing the contract, commencing on the day the contract begins. DISCLAIMER This RFP does not form or constitute a contractual document. CAMA shall not be liable for any loss, expense, damage or claim arising out of the advice given or not given or statements made or omitted to be made in connection with this RFP. Also, CAMA will not be responsible for any expenses which may be incurred in the preparation of this RFP. NO COMMITMENT FOR CONSULTING WORK The acceptance of the individual consultant or consulting firm or non-profit organization into this program does not guarantee consulting work or fees. The selected impacted company will be free to choose their consultant from the preferred list of consultants developed through this RFP. RFP PROCESS TIMELINE DATES: Proposals (Due by 3:00 PM MST) October 14, 2015 Evaluate and Select Service Providers October 19, 2015 Contract Execution (Tentative Date) November 9, 2015 The proposals that meet the minimum qualifications will be evaluated and scored according to the criteria indicated below. There are 100 possible points. Vendors must score at least seventy-five (75) points to be considered responsive to this RFP. ELEMENTS OF SUBMISSION Each proposal must include: Narrative Company Information Qualifications Pricing Request for Proposal Page 3 Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance

4 NARRATIVE Must describe the mission of the applicant organization, the community it serves and its legal status (non/for Profit). The applicant should state the years of experience providing such technical assistance to companies, as well as provide a list of clients served. [CAMA reserves the right to contact these clients if deemed necessary.] The narrative should also demonstrate the applicant s knowledge of Colorado s defense and aerospace sectors as well as its knowledge of Colorado manufacturing and other advanced industries sectors. COMPANY INFORMATION Years in business Name of Principle owner or operator If the company is a Colorado owned and based company How many years has your company been providing the consulting requested in this solicitation. Area of Expertise The Company must clearly identify its area of consulting expertise to be delivered to impacted companies. QUALIFICATIONS Application must describe in detail the professional qualifications of the assistance professionals on staff and consultants regularly used for services based on the identified area of expertise identified in the company information section. The applicant must state if the professional is currently on staff or will be retained to deliver the consulting services. Attach the resumes of all personnel (staff or consultants), especially those delivering direct service. PRICE The applicant must provide consulting rates based on a per hour basis and estimated total hours assigned to the engagement to deliver the consulting identified as area of expertise. The applicant must provide also provide any additional expenses or costs associated with the performance of their consulting. CAMA reserves the right to negotiate a Fair and Reasonable hourly rate with firms selected to be included in the preferred list of consultants. EVALUATION Proposals received will undergo an initial review by an industry based steering committee to determine: Compliance with instructions stated in the Elements of Submission; and Area of Expertise Compatibility Request for Proposal Page 4 Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance

5 EVALUATION CRITERIA The proposals being requested will be scored on the following criteria: In-depth experience with the defense and aerospace industries in Colorado In-depth experience with the business community and advanced industries in Colorado Knowledge about needs, issues and opportunities within the state manufacturing community Relevancy of area of Expertise Qualifications of Personnel providing assistance to identified companies Availability to immediately begin delivering services to identified companies Price Total Possible Points 20 points 30 points 1 20 Points 100 points PROPOSAL FORMAT: Proposals should be simple and clear, using 12 point black type and 1 margins. Each proposal should be no more than 5 pages, plus forms and attachments. Please submit all proposals to CAMA in the following format: One electronic copy (Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat); of the complete application and attachments in a single file. The package must include the signature of the Chief Executive Officer of the single applicant organization or of the lead applicant organization singed Proposals should be ed to Randy@fourfrontco.com no later than the date and time of the deadline below. DEADLINE: The proposal must be received by no later than 3pm, on October 14, Applicant should request a receipt of delivery. QUESTIONS: Any queries may be addressed via to Karla@FourFrontco.com. Request for Proposal Page 5 Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance