Request for Proposals: Municipal Economic Development Services

I. Purpose and Scope of Services
The Town of Tazewell is accepting proposals from qualified candidates to render economic development consulting services that foster business recruitment, retention, and expansion within the Town of Tazewell. The candidate will collaborate with Town departments, including the Town of Tazewell’s Industrial/Economic Development Authority (I/EDA), funding agencies, and community partners and agencies to further the development of municipal economic development projects. The candidate will operate under the control and guidance of the Town Manager, must have at least five (5) years of experience as an economic development professional, work well in a team environment, and operate within sixty (60) miles of the Town. Specifically, the consulting services should provide the following:

• Within three (3) months of contract award, develop an action plan for attracting both retail and industrial development, followed by implementation of this plan that includes actively recruiting investors and business owners, and detailed monthly progress reports provided to the Town on the completion status of the plan
• Develop and maintain database listing all commercial and industrial space within the Town, including property owners, property size, building size and utility statistics, and real estate availability, to be completed within six (6) months of contract award and provided to the Town
• Develop and deploy a needs assessment targeting existing Town businesses to provide a detailed quantitative analysis of the key issues the businesses face, along with implementation of an action plan to address those issues, to be completed within six (6) months of contract award
• Provide grant writing services by identifying opportunities that further the Town’s economic development based on the action plan, building a successful relationship with grant funders, completion of the grant application with the Town as applicant after Town approval, and assistance with grant follow-up and reporting requirements
• Creation and implementation of a comprehensive marketing strategy through partnership with entities focused on tourism and marketing
• Attendance of monthly I/EDA meetings (in person or virtual) is mandatory and occasional Town Council meetings may be required, with a monthly report provided to the Town Manager
• Promote business retention by conducting regular business visitations and providing a summary of each visitation to the Town
• Develop a three (3) year plan of short term, intermediate, and long-term action items to recruit and sustain businesses within the town, identifying target industries and sectors for growth, to be completed within eleven (11) months of contract award

a) Competitive Negotiation
This procurement shall utilize competitive negotiation, pursuant to §§ 2.2-4302.2 and 2.24303.

b) Communications Prior to the Response Deadline
Any communications pertaining to the scope of work, the specifications, the preparation of submittal, and all other communications referred to in this solicitation must be made in writing to the contact person listed below. Such communications shall be made no later than seven (7) business days prior to the date set for the receipt of proposals.
Leeanne Regon
Town Manager, Town of Tazewell
tazmanager@taztown.org
Mailing Address
PO Box 608
Tazewell, VA 24651

II. Evaluation and Selection Criteria
Proposals will be considered based on the following criteria:
a) Experience in municipal economic development services. Expertise, experience, and qualifications of team in providing services in various scopes of work (50 points)
b) Experience in working with Towns of similar size to Tazewell. (10 points)
c) Proposed budget and breakdown of fees (10 points)
d) References and examples of other work and projects (10 points)
e) Knowledge and familiarity of funding regulations and agencies that provide funding to Virginia and the Town of Tazewell. (10 points)
f) Overall interview. (10 points)

III. Proposal Format
There is no strict ordering of proposal content. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content. Proposals must include a statement of qualifications that includes an organizational chart, resumes and responsibilities of key personnel, and a detailed listing of completed projects that are similar to the scope of this request. Proposal must include a detailed, itemized scope of proposed services and demonstrate the consultant’s understanding of the scope and professional services being requested.

IV. Submittal Instructions
Qualified, licensed firms shall submit four (4) bound copies of the firms’ qualifications by 2:00 p.m. Monday, October 13, 2025, to be considered. Submissions must be addressed to:
Mailing Address: Leeanne Regon, Town Manager
Town of Tazewell
MUNCIPAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT SERVICES 2025
P.O. Box 608
Tazewell, Virginia 24651
Physical Address: Leeanne Regon, Town Manager
Town of Tazewell
211 Central Avenue

Except as otherwise provided, and in accordance with Virginia Code § 2.2-4342, all proceedings, records, contracts, and other public records relating to the Town’s procurement transactions shall be open to the inspection of any citizen, or any interested person, firm, or corporation, in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Virginia Code § 2.23700 et seq.). Proposals shall not be available for inspection by Offerors until interviews, if scheduled, are completed. After award, all proposals become a matter of public record and are available for inspection by the public, except those portions of the proposals that were properly and timely identified as proprietary and/or copyrighted, and thus not subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Unless otherwise specified, all formal proposals shall be valid for a minimum period of ninety (90) calendar days following the date established for acceptance. At the end of the ninety (90) calendar days, the proposal may be withdrawn at the written request of the Offeror. If the proposal is not withdrawn at that time, it remains in effect until an award is made or the solicitation is cancelled.

V. Contract Award
a) Contract Negotiation
The Town intends to retain one municipal economic development consultant firm for retainer services. The Town shall consider the qualifications of each respondent firm and rank them accordingly. The Town shall negotiate fair and reasonable rates for services with the highest ranked firm. If the Town fails to reach an agreement with the highest ranked firm regarding rates, the Town shall conclude negotiations with the highest ranked firm and proceed to negotiate with the next highest ranked firm, until an agreement has been reached.

b) Term
The term of the contract shall be for three years. No firm shall perform more than $2.5 million worth of work per project or more than $10 million worth of work per year, pursuant to Section 2.2-4303.1 of the Code of Virginia.

c) Payment Terms
The fee schedules shall be negotiable upon the conclusion of each year. No firm shall perform more than $2.5 million worth of work per project or more than $10 million worth of work per contract term, pursuant to Section 2.2-4303.1 of the Code of Virginia.

d) Additional Information
The Town of Tazewell reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive any formalities or technicalities it deems appropriate.

MBE/WBE/SBE firms are encouraged to submit qualifications. Applicants must comply with the following: The President’s Executive Order Number 11246 prohibiting discrimination in employment regarding race, color, creed, sex, or national origin; the President’s Executive Orders Number 12138 and 11625 regarding utilization of MBE/WBE firms; and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Bidders must certify that they do not or will not maintain or provide for their employees any facilities that are segregated on the basis of race, color, creed, or national origin.

By signing this proposal, the Offeror certifies that it does not and will not during the performance of this contract violate the provisions of the Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which prohibits the employment of undocumented immigrants.

The Town of Tazewell is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Authorized By: Tazewell Town Council