Economic Development Strategic Plan Consulting Services

The Vendor is required to provide the strategic economic development plan shall be structured to support the effective deployment of resources while advancing the city’s long-term economic vitality.
- The plan shall provide clear guidance on how economic development strategies, programs, and investments align with current and future growth.
- Economic and market assessment
•    Evaluate demographic, workforce, income, employment, and industry trends relevant to economic development purposes; 
•    Analyze regional and competitive market conditions to identify industries and uses that align with city infrastructure capacity and statutory economic development objectives;
•    Identify target industries, business types, and employment sectors appropriate for recruitment, retention, or expansion through type b-supported initiatives; 
•    Conduct retail and commercial market analysis to inform community development, downtown revitalization, and quality-of-life investments allowable under type b; 
•    Assess residential growth trends insofar as they relate to workforce availability, community vitality, and economic sustainability; 
•    Evaluate tourism, visitor economy, and downtown market dynamics that may support eligible projects and programs. 
•    Review of demographic, workforce, income, employment, and industry trends; 
•    Analysis of regional, sub-regional, and competitive market conditions; 
•    Identification of target industries, clusters, and employment sectors appropriate for city; 
•    Retail and commercial market analysis, including leakage and surplus and opportunity areas; 
•    Residential growth trends and housing market considerations; 
•    Assessment of tourism assets, visitor economy potential, and downtown market dynamics.
- Workforce and education alignment
•    Analyze local and regional workforce characteristics, including labor force participation, occupational trends, and educational attainment;
•    Assess alignment between workforce supply and the needs of current and targeted industries eligible for economic development support; 
•    Review education and workforce development assets, including k–12, post-secondary institutions, technical training providers, and workforce boards; 
•    Identify workforce gaps and training needs that may be addressed through type supported partnerships, programs, or facilities; 
•    Recommend strategies to strengthen talent pipelines, support employer needs, and enhance long-term economic competitiveness in compliance with type b statutory authority.
•    Analysis of the local and regional workforce, including labor force participation, educational attainment, and key occupational trends; 
•    Assessment of workforce availability and skills alignment relative to targeted industries and growth sectors;
•    Review of existing education and workforce development assets, including k–12, higher education, technical training, and workforce partners; 
•    Identification of workforce gaps, training needs, and opportunities to strengthen talent pipelines; 
•    Recommendations for partnerships, programs, or initiatives that support workforce readiness, retention, and long-term economic competitiveness.
- Infrastructure and growth constraints analysis
•    Assess water and wastewater capacity and limitations as they relate to industrial, commercial, residential, and community development opportunities; 
•    Identify infrastructure-related constraints affecting the timing, scale, and location of type b-supported projects; 
•    Evaluate how capital improvement planning intersects with economic development priorities; 
•    Develop scenario-based growth strategies that align type b investment decisions with infrastructure readiness and fiscal sustainability; 
•    Propose strategic infrastructure investment priorities aligned with projected economic and population growth, including identification of infrastructure projects that enable or unlock priority economic development areas.
- Downtown and community development strategy
•    Assess downtown city as an economic, historical, cultural, and community asset; 
•    Identify revitalization, place making, small business support, and public space strategies consistent with type b statutory purposes; 
•    Evaluate opportunities for city investment in facilities, programs, or partnerships that support downtown vitality; 
•    Integrate downtown strategies with broader citywide economic development and community development objectives. 
•    Assessment of downtown city as an economic and community asset; 
•    Identification of revitalization, place making, and small business support strategies; integration of downtown efforts with broader citywide economic development goals; 
•    Consideration of arts, culture, heritage, and tourism-related initiatives.
- Stakeholder and community engagement
•    Engagement with city leadership, board members, business and property owners, employers, and key institutional stakeholders; 
•    Public-facing engagement activities designed to gather input on priorities, opportunities, and challenges; 
•    Facilitated, on-site working sessions with city management, relevant city departments, and city staff to collaboratively evaluate economic development opportunities, infrastructure dependencies, operational constraints, and implementation responsibilities; 
•    Coordination-focused workshops intended to break down silos between departments and align economic development objectives with infrastructure, planning, utilities, transportation, and community development functions; 
•    Clear documentation of stakeholder and departmental input and its relationship to recommended type b-eligible strategies; 
•    Transparent communication regarding the role of the city and the statutory framework governing economic development activities. 
•    Development and execution of a structured engagement strategy; 
•    Engagement with city leadership, board, business community, property owners, and key stakeholders;
•    Public-facing engagement tools as appropriate (e.g., workshops, surveys, charrettes); 
•    Clear documentation of input received and how it informs recommendations.