Request For Proposal. The DeSoto County Board of County Commissioners is soliciting Requests for Proposals for preparation of Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element (EDE) and Support Document (EDESD) meeting the state guidelines for optional comprehensive plan elements. The EDE and EDESD are being funded through a $35,000.00 Florida Department of Economic Opportunity grant. The EDE shall contain principals and guidelines that may be expressed in goals, objectives, policies, and strategies regarding at a minimum phosphate mining reclamation, agriculture, targeted industries, and any other topics as described herein. The strategies shall establish meaningful and predictable guidelines and standards to implement the EDE. The EDESD shall contain relevant and appropriate data and analysis taken from professionally accepted sources and that supports the EDE. More specifically, the EDESD shall require the following:

• Collecting, analyzing and comparing to the heartland region, Florida and the US a diverse set of socio-economic data including, but not limited to: population and education component changes and trends to 2040 (e.g., births, deaths, migration, total population, population by age, total households, high school attainment, college attainment, trade and vocational schools, colleges and universities), employment components and trends to 2040 (e.g., wage and salary jobs, proprietors; non-services related, services related, and government; employment and wages by industry; employment change by industry; average annual unemployment rate, seasonal unemployment rate; labor force participation rate; cross-county earnings; employment change during national recessions and during recovery from national recessions), labor earnings component changes and trends to 2040 (e.g., wage and salary disbursements, supplements to wages and salaries, proprietors' income), personal income components and trends (e.g., labor earnings, non-labor income; by industry; average earnings per job and per capita income), and government revenues and expenditures changes and trends; and
• Collecting, analyzing and comparing to the Heartland Region, Florida, and the US DeSoto County's Infrastructure network (Roads, rail, and other transportation) and Utility network (Electric, telcom, natural gas, water, wastewater); and
• Analyzing and comparing to the Heartland Region, Florida and the US DeSoto County's education system (K-12, Post-Secondary, Technical, Trade, Adult, etc.); and
• Collecting and analyzing a diverse set of agricultural data including, but not limited to, soil resources, important farmlands, agricultural water supply, crops, agricultural infrastructure, agricultural economy and employment, the equestrian industry, the horticultural and ornamental industries; and
• Collecting and analyzing specific data for the following targeted industries: education and government, logistics and distribution, manufacturing, agri-business, life sciences, food processing and construction and real estate; and
• An implementation section describing: the federal, state, and local economic development framework (e.g., Economic Development Administration, Florida Heartland Economic Region of Opportunity, DeSoto County Economic Development Advisory Committee and Tourism Development Council, Chamber of Commerce); agricultural regulatory framework, i(e.g., US Department of Agriculture, Florida Farm Bureau, Institute of Food and Agricultural Services the right-to-farm act, and the rural agricultural industrial center under § 163.3177(7), F.S., and phosphate mining reclamation best practices; and
• Recovery strategies from catastrophic impacts to the citrus industry, the cattle industry, and a national recession; phosphate mining reclamation strategies; and strategies to improve the return from the Mosaic Rodeo Arena and the Turner Convention Center.

Based upon the data and analysis in the EDESD, the EDE shall contain, at a minimum, the following:

• One or more EDE goals, which goals could include preservation of agriculture, health farm economy, education and awareness, economic diversity, business climate and business assistance, and economic sustainability; and
• One or more EDE objectives for implementing each goal, including an objective on the citrus industry, the cattle industry, the equestrian industry, the agri-tourism industry, crop diversity, education and government, logistics and distribution, manufacturing, agri-business, life sciences, food processing and construction and real estate; and
• A measurable target or benchmark for achieving each objective; and
• One or more policies for implementing each objective and the goal or goals and for addressing the strategies.

A Pre-Bid/Proposal Conference shall be held on Friday, November 10^th, 2017 at 3:30 p.m. at it shall be held in the DeSoto County Governmental Center, 201 East Oak Street, Board Room 103, Arcadia, Florida 34266. The RFP due date in Monday, November 27^th, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.

Basis of Award. Proposals shall be evaluated according to the written response to the main and bonus criteria. The bonus criteria will be used to break a tiebreaker among those with the highest scores on the main criteria. Failure to respond to the main and bonus criteria will result in the disqualification of the proposal. It is highly recommended the proposer be familiar with the economic development studies that already have been conducted and that are available at: https://app.box.com/s/d77fva6cpgj3w89ulpgaa9fdqo3k81ja

In addition, please click on this link to see our branding and messaging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG4Nt6BNzGA

Main criteria response. Up to 100 points may be awarded by your response to the six below-described main criteria.

*Experience. Firm's experience and past performance and quality of similar projects, including qualifications and experience of the key project staff members as demonstrated by their past experience and performance on similar projects. Identify Comprehensive Plan experience, Economic Development Element experience and particularly rural county experience, and demonstrated record of success on work previously performed for other government agencies. DeSoto County may request copies of such work later in the evaluation process but consultant may submit work samples as part of the proposal for County consideration. Include resumes of supervisory staff that will have direct change of the project with educational background and qualifications. A maximum of 20 points may be awarded.

• Local knowledge. Familiarity with DeSoto County and its Comprehensive Plan, Economic Development Studies, policies, ordinances, procedures, as well as challenges and opportunities. A maximum 25 points may be awarded
• Timeliness. Demonstrated ability as substantiated by adequate staffing levels to submit the deliverables and complete the project within the identified dates and financial limitations. A maximum 25 points may be awarded.
• Coordination. Public participation experience in working with the public in formulating goals, objectives and policies and achieving consensus. A maximum 10 points may be awarded.
• Proposal. Completeness, accuracy, and clarity of the proposal A maximum 10 points may be awarded.
• Price. This project is being solely funded through a $35,000 Community Planning Technical Assistance grant. A maximum 10 points may be awarded.

Bonus criteria response. In the event of a tie among those with the highest scores on the main criteria, written response to the bonus criteria shall be used as the basis for the award. An additional 25 points can be awarded for responding to the following optional criteria.

• Initial thoughts. Briefly describe your initial thoughts on DeSoto County, Florida. A maximum 5 points may be awarded.
• Success and failure. Briefly describe what worked and failed in similar economic development element projects you have completed in the past. A maximum 5 points may be awarded.
• Rural versus urban. Briefly describe how economic development planning for a rural county is different than that for an urban county. A maximum 5 points may be awarded.
• County versus regions. Briefly describe how economic development planning in DeSoto County differs from that of the Heartland Region and the coastal region (i.e., Charlotte, Manatee, and Sarasota counties). A maximum 5 points may be awarded.
• Open ended. Briefly describe what other factors, if any, that DeSoto County should consider when awarding this grant. A maximum 5 points may be awarded.

Questions: Questions regarding this RFP should be directed to:

DeSoto County BOCC/Purchasing
Attn: Cindy Talamantez CPPO, CPPB
201 East Oak Street, Suite 203
Arcadia, FL 34266
PH: 863-993-4816
Fax: 863-993-4819
desotopurchasing@gmail.com