Market Studies for the Cities of Ozark, Republic, and Buffalo, MO

The Southwest Missouri Council of Governments (SMCOG) is soliciting proposals from firms and/or individuals interested in offering contractual services to produce a market study for the Cities of Republic, Buffalo, and Ozark, MO, according to Attachments 1, 2, and 3 — Scope of Work.

Respondents should include a timeline of all project objectives identified in Attachments 1-3- Scope of Work; all work must be completed by October 31, 2021. Please also indicate the length of time for which the proposal is valid.

Interested firms/individuals that are capable of and desire to provide services shall email a proposal packet, to include all requested information as identified below, by Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 5 pm to ChrisKempke@MissouriState.edu. It is entirely the respondent's responsibility to examine this RFP, and to submit a proposal in a complete and timely manner.

The firm and/or individual is expected to possess adequate organization, equipment, and personnel to ensure that services are provided to SMCOG in a prompt and efficient manner. The firm or individual must be available to SMCOG staff as needed, including email communication, conference calls, and special presentations conducted in-person or by conference calls as directed by SMCOG.

All proposals should provide the following information:

• Firm/individual name, office location, mailing address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address;
• Firm's Federal Employer ID Number or individual's Social Security Number;
• Description and the history of the firm/individual;
• Description of individual personnel qualifications relevant to this project;
• Recent experience from the last ten (10) years demonstrating current capacity, familiarity, and expertise in best practices concerning work of a related nature. Experience that is similar in type to Attachments 1-3 will be most useful;
• Three (3) references for which the firm/individual has performed services within the past two (2) years that are similar in nature to Attachments 1-3;
• Timeline of work completion by project objective as listed in Attachments 1-3, with all work completed no later than October 31, 2021; and
• Proposed lump sum cost for each Scope of Work on Attachment 4.

Terms and Conditions

1. The respondent shall pay for all materials, labor, tools and equipment, transportation, insurance, and all other services and facilities necessary to execute, complete, and deliver work; proposal estimates must be lump sum, and inclusive of all costs incurred by respondents;
2. SMCOG is an Equal Opportunity Employer and reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received;
3. SMCOG reserves the right to award this contract to a single firm/individual completing all three Scopes of Work, or to several firms/individuals completing individual Scopes of Work;
4. SMCOG reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted;
5. SMCOG reserves the right to award any contract to the next most qualified applicant if the chosen firm/individual does not execute a contract within thirty days after the selection of the firm/individual

If you have any questions, please contact Christopher Kempke, Recovery Coordinator, Southwest Missouri Council of Governments (417) 836-6658, ChrisKempke@MissouriState.edu

Attachment 1

Scope of Work 1 – City of Ozark

The City of Ozark is requesting a study that would evaluate the city's current and potential competitiveness as a location for warehousing and distribution industries (NAICS code 49). The boundaries of the study will include all land within the Ozark Planning Tier 3 area, with special attention given to Tier 1 (see attachment 5). Project objectives include the following:

• Demographic profile;
• Analysis of warehousing and distribution workforce strengths and weaknesses;
• Identify existing warehousing and distribution operators by NAICS 6 digit code;
• Identify current and future market demands for warehousing and distribution growth by NAICS 6 digit code;
• Identify what advantages and vulnerabilities the City of Ozark faces regarding warehousing and distribution;
• Determine which segment(s) of warehousing and distribution would be the most viable to target, with consideration of maximizing employment and wages;
• Provide a list of firms within the most viable segment(s) for city to target with recruitment effort
• A general projection of the return on investment for recruitment of warehousing and distribution firms;

Final deliverables include all collected data, presentation materials to convey the findings of the study, an at-a-glance results page for marketing purposes and for distribution to elected officials, as well as a written report (provided in PDF form) that addresses all project objectives as identified above. If the findings of the study affirm Ozark as an ideal warehousing and distribution location, the results will be used as a justification for investment in infrastructure supporting that industry, as well as business recruitment, retention, and expansion efforts.

Attachment 2

Scope of Work 2 – City of Republic

The purpose of this study is to reevaluate the City of Republic's existing and potential retail trade market (NAICS codes 44 and 45). The City of Republic had conducted a commercial market study in 2017, which after the pandemic and recent major developments, is already dated. The results of Republic's previously completed Commercial Market Study will be made available to inform this study. The incorporated area of City of Republic will be the boundaries of the study. Project objectives include the following:

• Demographic profile;
• Analysis of retail trade workforce strengths and weaknesses;
• Identify existing retail trade operators by NAICS 4 digit code;
• Identify current and future market demands for retail trade growth by NAICS 4 digit code, with consideration of the impacts of COVID 19;
• Conduct virtual focus groups with local stakeholders, including the Republic Chamber of Commerce, to identify area retail related needs and views;
• Include a sales surplus and leakage analysis of the area of study, and identify firms that could be recruited to fill leakages;
• Identify what advantages and vulnerabilities the City of Republic faces in the NAICS codes 44 and 45 sectors, and;

Final deliverables include all collected data, presentation materials to convey the findings of the study, as well as a written report (provided in PDF form) that addresses all project objectives as identified above. The findings of this study would serve as a resource to the City of Republic in making decisions regarding land use changes and development, along with complementing other planning efforts.

Attachment 3

Scope of Work 3 – City of Buffalo

The purpose of this study is to examine existing economic conditions within the City of Buffalo and develop an economic development strategy that addresses all active economic sectors in the City. The boundaries of the study shall consist of an area five (5) miles around the incorporated city limits of Buffalo. Project objectives include the following:

• Demographic profile;
• Analysis of overall workforce strengths and weaknesses;
• Identify existing commercial and industrial operators by 4 digit NAICS code;
• Identify current and future market demands for commercial and industrial operators within the area of study;
• Include a sales surplus and leakage analysis of the area of study;
• Include market gap analysis of all industries within the of the area of study;
• Identify what advantages and vulnerabilities the City of Buffalo faces; and

Final deliverables include all collected data, presentation materials to convey the findings of the study, as well as a written report (provided in PDF form) that addresses all project objectives as identified above. The findings of this study will help city officials understand the overall impact of COVID-19 on their community, provide guidance for an economic development strategic plan, and inform an ongoing downtown revitalization plan.