Questions that have been posted since the RFP was released, can be found at the end of this post.
Economic Inventory, Assessment, Strategy, and Work Plan for Creative Economy/Industries
The East Central Vermont Economic Development District (ECVEDD) has been awarded grant
funds from the U.S. Economic Development Administration through its Partnership Planning
Assistance Program to conduct an economic inventory, assessment, strategy, and work plan for
our 40-town/regional creative economy. TRORC is supplementing the EDA award with TRORC
funds. We want to fully understand the extent, composition and contributions of our creative
and design industries – district wide — and to develop economic strategies that will cultivate
growth opportunities for creative and design jobs and businesses throughout the region.
ECVEDD is the region-wide federally designated economic development district whose mission is
to access and provide resources and to facilitate and support quality decision making for the
benefit of entrepreneurs, businesses and communities in East Central Vermont.
Please view the full RFP here: TRORC-Creative Economy-RFP
Contact: Loralee Morrow, [email protected]
Additional Questions and Information:
Submitted October 18, 2015:
Question:
- We would like to learn just what level of assistance [with regard to mapping] TRORC’s staff is willing and able to provide for this project – does this extend beyond providing maps already in place to the creation of new maps that might evolve from the project?
Answer:
- We have GIS staff who are quite experienced and ready to produce new maps that may come to fruition as a result of this project (in fact, that is our hope).
Submitted October 19, 2015:
Question:
- Are you looking for a firm that would be the prime contractor for the project? Or, is TRORC the prime contractor and you would sub-contract with a consultant or a team of consultants?
Answer:
- The firm will most definitely be the prime contractor. TRORC staff will be involved as much as possible along the “support staff” lines—e.g., mapping if needed, outreach coordination, final report design, etc.
Submitted October 26, 2015
Question:
- There was an impressive advisory structure for the CEDS study – do you anticipate that these people will also be available as a resource for the proposed creative economy study? We are considering an internal advisory group, but do not want to overlap what may be expected to be in place to help with our study.
Answer:
- The CEDS Strategy committee was in place long enough to get us through the CEDS process. That said, some would definitely be interested in participating in the Creative Economy project. We’ve also worked with a large number of folks outside of the CEDS process when envisioning our local economy, I suspect a few of those folks would be interested as well.
Question:
- I am wondering if some of the background data and research conducted for the CEDS study is easily accessible. For instance, when I worked on the Conn. River Watershed atlas project a few years back, we considered in-migration and out-migration from our region. There are population cohort tables in the CEDS report, but these data may mask some critical information about migration patterns. If the background information is available, it could save time and money to have access to it.
Answer:
- As to in- and out-migration, we rely on the Census data, as I’m sure you’re aware, some of our smaller towns are not accurately reflected in the Census data, so it can be a bit limiting. That said, we have a couple staff members who are pretty good with the background data and depending upon what data is needed, we can certainly help.
Question:
- “Creative economy” boundary definitions may vary from one person to another. While it is clear that the creative arts are included in this study as well as agricultural- and forestry-related businesses. The RFP also mentions businesses that support the above; however, there are other new initiatives that may support the above but also be sources of new employment, especially in the IT and manufacturing realms. Do you wish to have these investigated as well?
Answer:
- Including the IT and manufacturing realms makes a great deal of sense, so yes. (We can refine the “boundary” as well, once the project kicks off.)
Question:
- “Value-added” is also a term that can mean more than the technical economic term to some people. At best, one can get some idea of the likely added value to a region of successful creative businesses, and I assume that this is what you are searching for. This may not always be in economic terms as there are secondary and tertiary effects, which are challenging at best to predict. Can we assume the term is to be used relatively loosely, and be acknowledged as such?
Answer:
- We use the term “value-added” in reference to forestry and agriculture for the most part.
- Value added Agriculture: The region has a strong and growing network of farmers markets, growers, and specialty food producers, but more can be done to increase production and sales to local and wider markets evey beyond the ECV region.
- Value-Added Forest Products: There are opportunities to use more raw wood products in the region including firewood, semi-finished products such as wood pellets and rough swan lumber, and high-value finished products such as fie furniture.
Submitted November 2015
Question:
- One bullet point in the RFP (Page 5) says the deadline for submittal is Tuesday, November 5, 2015. November 5 is Thursday. The schedule at the bottom of page 5 says “Proposal Deadline November 5, 2015.” Is the proposal due Tuesday, November 3, or Thursday, November 5?
Answer:
- That is a typo on our end. To be fair, we will honor the later date. Therefore the proposal deadline is November 5, 2015 at 5 P.M.