This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) has been awarded a contract from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), for the purpose of implementing the Rural Downtown District Pilot Project. The FRCOG is seeking a qualified agency or organization to provide the services of a Downtown District Coordinator. The FRCOG will accept sealed proposals for Consulting Services. Consultants must submit separate sealed non-price technical proposals and price proposals, plainly marked as such, and labeled "RFP 2025-2155 Rural Downtown District Coordination Services Proposal" in the lower left corner. Proposals that are incomplete, not properly endorsed or signed, or otherwise contrary to instructions may be rejected as non-responsive by the Chief Procurement Officer. Qualified Minority and Women owned consulting firms are encouraged to apply. The FRCOG reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, in total or in part, as they deem in the best interest of the public. The following Scope of Services includes tasks required to be completed by the Consultant. The Consultant will provide Rural Downtown District Coordinator services to the three downtown/village center business districts (Northfield Center in the Town of Northfield, Turners Falls in the Town of Montague, and Shelburne Falls in the Towns of Buckland and Shelburne). The form of these services will be in a full-time District Coordinator position to complete these scope of services. The District Coordinator will work under the guidance of the host organization (i.e. the Contractor), and in collaboration with the Franklin Regional Council of Governments under this contract. Two of the towns (Montague and Northfield), have received separate grant funds through the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative (MDI), for technical assistance on implementing this program. The Consultant will work closely with the MDI consultant. The specific tasks of the District Coordinator include: 1. Create a working group in each participating downtown to identify 2-3 priority activities to be undertaken in the project term, and to provide input on how best to engage community and business leaders to encourage participation and sustainability in the program. (Milestone: Working groups formed.) 2. Implement 2-3 priority activities in each downtown over the course of the pilot period to demonstrate the value of district coordination services. Approximately $2,500 per downtown ($7,500 total) of the awarded funds under this contract are to be used to seed these activities. (Milestone: Priority activities identified and initiated.) 3. Engage municipal governments, businesses, property owners, non-profit organizations, and related stakeholders in each downtown to develop and build support for the program, and to refine the contribution funding model in each downtown to sustain the program in the future. 4. Develop and refine the roles and responsibilities of the District Coordinator position to best support multiple downtown business districts while being confined to a shared position, and while operating within the host organization and collaborating with regional and state partners. 5. Prepare a Rural Downtown District Action Plan that clearly describes: the refined roles and responsibilities of the shared District Coordinator position; the relationship of the host organization (i.e. the Contractor), participating communities and regional and state partners; and the contribution funding model for each downtown to sustain the program in the future. (Milestone: Completion of Action Plan) Deadline for submission of written questions Friday January 17 2025 at 10:00 a.m.