The New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (“Highlands Council”) is soliciting proposals consisting of a Statement of Qualifications, Technical Proposals, and Rate Schedule & Budget from a multi-disciplinary team (“Team”) with varied expertise in all facets of economic development, including market trends and analysis, community assets and competitive advantage, real estate trends, and the tourism and hospitality industry. The project is to develop an Economic Sustainability Plan for the Highlands Region and shall include an economic profile, identification of key industries and sectors, strategies and policies to secure future economic growth, and an implementation action plan for the ensuing 10 years.

The Highlands Region is a physiographic area of northern New Jersey, comprised of 88 municipalities within parts of 7 counties. The Highlands is a diverse landscape with both rural and densely developed areas. The Economic Sustainability Plan will focus specifically on the Highlands Region, considering the influence surrounding areas have on the region’s economy.

The project shall begin within stakeholder outreach. The Highlands Council will assemble a technical advisory committee (TAC) comprised of stakeholders who are familiar with various aspects of the Highlands Region, its economy, its population, and the social and business activities that are ongoing. The Team shall develop an outreach plan to engage the members of the TAC, as well as engaging other relevant entities that may contribute to a fuller understanding of the region and its economy.

The ultimate objective of the project is to develop an Economic Sustainability Plan for the Highlands Region. The Plan shall be forward-looking and creative in its analyses and implementation strategies. The resulting Plan will include the following components: Economic Profile of the Highlands Region, Analysis of Economic Growth Potential in the Highlands Region, Economic Growth Strategies, and an Implementation Action Plan.

It is anticipated that the project will take 15 to 18 months to complete and will include several public presentations at the regularly scheduled Highlands Council meetings.

Any questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing to Christine LaRocca, Chief Counsel, NJ Highlands Council, 100 North Road, Chester, NJ 07930 or email to: christine.larocca@highlands.nj.gov. Note that all questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 30, 2019.

Complete details are available in the RFP: https://www.nj.gov/njhighlands/news/rfps/esplan/esplan_rfp.pdf