REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Professional Services to Develop a Strategic Plan
(Economic Development and Organizational)
Aurora, IL

1. Introduction

During the months of June and July of 2024, the boards of three organizations serving the business community of Aurora, IL — the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, Aurora Downtown, and Invest Aurora — decided to consolidate the operations of their respective organizations into one new organization. There are discussions with a fourth group to join the consolidation. The decisions followed the recommendations of an extensive study into the metropolitan business organizations and economic development ecosystems of Aurora, IL and similarly situated communities. The study recommended the merger of these organizations due to their direct work with the business community, synergistic missions, stakeholder engagement for business attraction, expansion and retention, contribution to market research, stronger grant application narratives, coordinated calendars, and a need for additional resources.

Invest Aurora is seeking proposals from qualified consulting firms to develop a combined economic development and organizational strategic plan. The successful candidate will perform:

1. Engagement with community, business, and academic leaders to identify key priorities for the new organization ("Stakeholder Engagement");
2. Design initiatives, action steps, and metrics to advance the priorities identified by the Stakeholder Engagement;
3. Research and analysis into the industries that currently power Aurora's economy, identifying assets and challenges, and drafting an economic development strategic plan with specific outcomes ("Aurora Industry Strategy");
4. Design strategies to position Aurora for success with the industries that power the economy of tomorrow including quantum computing and artificial intelligence ("Emerging Technology Strategy"); and
5. Recommendations for the new organization as it relates to talent needed to accomplish the goals and objectives set forth in the strategic plan ("Talent Strategy").

2. Background

Aurora, the second-largest city in Illinois, is a vibrant and diverse community with a rich history and a promising future. Located approximately 40 miles southwest of Chicago, the City of Aurora is home to close to 200,000 residents. Its land covers 45 square miles and lies within 4 different Illinois counties – Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will. Illustrative of its history of industrial progress, Aurora earned its nickname the "City of Lights" due to being one of the first cities in the nation to implement an all-electric street lighting system in 1881.

Aurora boasts a strong foundation for the development of its business community and its economy. Aurora's proximity to major interstate highway I-88, O'Hare International Airport, Midway International Airport, and Aurora Municipal Airport makes Aurora a prime destination for industrial and commercial development.

In addition, Aurora takes great pride in its outstanding workforce. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's Peer City Identification Tool, Aurora has a robust labor participation rate of 72.7% which is higher than its peer cities and over 35% of adult residents hold a bachelor's degree.

All of this makes the City of Aurora an exciting place for business and economic development.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will develop a comprehensive strategic plan that will cover its work on the Stakeholder Engagement, Aurora Industry Strategy, the Emerging Technology Strategy, and the Talent Strategy. Performance of this work will require, but is not limited to, the following tasks:

1. Background Research. The consultant will perform all research necessary to the develop the strategic plan, including but not limited to:
   1. Review of the business plans for each of the merging organizations.
   2. Interviews with key personnel from each of the merging organizations.
   3. Thorough economic data research with respect to the City of Aurora to develop a comprehensive picture of Aurora's economy. The consultant will use state of the art data sources and tools to uncover Aurora's industry strengths and weaknesses and analyze the industry clusters in which Aurora's businesses participate.
   4. Research the emerging technologies sector, with a particular emphasis on quantum computing and artificial intelligence, and Aurora's current participation within the sector.
2. Stakeholder Engagement. The consultant will develop and execute an engagement plan that performs effective outreach to Aurora's business community. The engagement plan will be performed to determine the business community's expectations for the new organization and to identify the new organization's key priorities. The consultant will be expected to employ a variety of outreach activities, including, but not limited to, convening focus groups and designing and conducting surveys. In addition, the consultant will be expected to facilitate and lead a leadership retreat currently planned on November 6th, 2024 through November 7th, 2024 with key stakeholders within Aurora, IL. The successful candidate will be required to be available on those dates. The location of the leadership retreat will be within a 90-minute drive from Aurora, IL.

3. Strategy, Analysis, and Recommendations. Based on its findings from its background research and stakeholder engagement, the consultant will develop its recommended economic development strategy together with supporting analysis. Such strategy and analysis should include the following:

   1. Identification of clear goals and objectives for the new organization based on consultant's engagement with the business community.
   2. Recommended strategies and business plan for the launch of the new organization, synthesizing consultant's analysis on the merging organizations' existing operations and the consultant's proposed goals and objectives for the new organization.
   3. Recommendations on the industry clusters and/or industries the City of Aurora should target with supporting analysis and research.
   4. Thorough analysis on Aurora's opportunities and challenges within the emerging technology sector, particularly with respect to quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
   5. Well-informed and nuanced analysis and recommendations for protecting the City of Aurora's businesses and workforce from potential risks imposed by artificial intelligence.
4. Implementation Plan. The consultant will develop an implementation plan for achieving the recommended strategies and goals. Such plan must include:
   1. Detailed and specific proposals for new programs or initiatives necessary for achieving each of consultant's recommendations, strategies and goals, together with examples of similar programs/initiatives implemented in other cities, if available.
   2. Recommended revisions to existing programs/initiatives if necessary for alignment with goals.
   3. For each of the foregoing, a detailed plan of implementation that includes:
      1. Specific and detailed action items;
      2. Timelines for each item;
      3. A designation of the responsible party/organization for such item; and
      4. The estimated costs of such item.
   4. An assessment and recommendation on the staffing required to execute the implementation plan.
5. Performance Metrics. The consultant will set forth key performance metrics by which to measure the progress and success towards achieving the recommended strategies and goals.

4. Deliverables

The following deliverables are expected from the selected consultant:

1. Interim reports after each of the tasks set forth in the Scope of Work summarizing findings and progress.
2. A final report setting forth the findings, analysis, strategies and plans from the tasks set forth in the Scope of Work. The report must include an executive summary and a detailed implementation plan.
3. Presentation materials to stakeholders.

5. Anticipated Timeline

The following table outlines the anticipated schedule for this RFP process and the consultant's start of work. Invest Aurora reserves the right to modify or reschedule milestones as necessary.

RFP Announced — August 12, 2024

Proposals Due — September 13, 2024

Evaluation of Proposals — September 16-20, 2024

Interviews (optional at Invest Aurora's discretion) — September 23-25, 2024

Consultant Selected — September 27, 2024

Contract negotiation — October 1-4, 2024

Consultant Starts Work — October 7, 2024

Consultant Facilitates Leadership Retreat — November 6-7, 2024

6. Proposal Requirements

Proposals must include all information requested and meet all specifications and requirements outlined in this RFP. The following submittals must be part of your proposal; if any are not included, your proposal may be judged as non-responsive.

1. Firm Profile. Provide a brief overview of your firm, including:
   1. Description of firm's qualifications and experience with respect to the tasks set forth in the Scope of Work
   2. Firm's point-of-contact name, position and contact information
2. Summary of Approach. Explain your approach in performing the Scope of Work described in this RFP. Summarize your proposal and methodology.
   1. Describe your project management approach with a focus on managing scope, schedule, and budget.
   2. Describe your experience in effective stakeholder engagement and approach to qualitative and quantitative research and analysis.
   3. What are the analysis tools the team would use?
   4. How will the team effectively coordinate with our staff and other community stakeholders?
   5. Describe expectations from the Aurora staff including estimated weekly time commitment.
3. Project Schedule. Include a proposed timeline for completion of each task in the Scope of Work. The work schedule shall be confirmed at the time of contract negotiation.
4. Project Lead & Team Qualifications. Describe the project team's experience and capabilities/expertise in the proposed services and tools. Identify the individual you propose to assign as principal and any associate(s); include resume and relevant work experience for each member.
5. Cost. Provide a detailed budget for the requested services, including expenses, flat rate or billing rates and expected hours from all members of the consulting team.
6. References. Include a list of references, with contact information, of at least three (3) current clients, within the last three (3) years. Municipal or economic development organization references are preferred.
7. Work Samples. Provide samples of documents your firm has produced that are similar to the documents your firm would provide under this contract. The consultant selected for this project must provide work samples that highlight a strong ability to gain a deep understanding of a community through research and stakeholder engagement, draw strong supportable inferences from their observations, and effectively communicate outputs and recommendations that can be reasonably implemented.

7. Submission Instructions

Proposals must be submitted by e-mail by September 13, 2024 to the following contacts:

Kelly O'Brien
President/CEO, Invest Aurora
kelly@investaurora.org

Matthew Lee
Data Resources Manager, Invest Aurora
matt@investaurora.org

8. Questions and Clarifications

For any questions or clarifications regarding this RFP, please contact:

Matthew Lee
Data Resources Manager, Invest Aurora
matt@investaurora.org