Implementation of the Aerospace Cluster
Oshkosh WI

The City of Oshkosh is seeking qualified aerospace related economic development consultants to implement a regional Aerospace Cluster Plan with three components. The City has received a grant from East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (ECWRPC) to assist with implementation efforts surrounding development of aerospace business cluster in the Oshkosh region. ECWRPC's funding for these projects was received from the Department of Defense and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The grant requires all work be completed by December 31, 2018.

The Project is targeted towards expansion of existing manufacturers and/or the development or location of new aerospace related companies to the region, with the City as the lead community.

Three separate Requests for Proposals are being requested as follows. Interested parties may respond to one RFP or all three separate and individually. If submitting for more than one RFP, submitted proposals cannot be combined into one proposal.

A complete Proposal package can be obtained by contacting the City of Oshkosh Community Development office at 215 Church Avenue, Oshkosh, WI 54901; phone: 920.236.5055 or via email to aflanigan@ci.oshkosh.wi.us . Please identify which Request for Proposal packet you are requesting.

Request for Proposals #1 – Aerospace Niche Implementation

The selected contractor(s) will undertake the effort to increase staff and resource capacity to realize the cluster and implement the business plan for the cluster. The contractor(s) will also take responsibility for the Aerospace Talent Upload and Aerospace Talent Attraction, Retention and Development Best Practices Series. The Aerospace Talent Upload would replicate the recently successful Talent Upload Event in the Fox Cities, which brought in college students from around the region to learn about what our area has to offer in terms of quality of life and employment opportunities in information technology and engineering but instead the focus for this effort would be aerospace and aviation opportunities. During the planning effort, attracting talent to aviation and aerospace was identified as a critical need. The Talent Retention and Development Best Practices Series seeks to partner with the Chambers of Commerce in the region and Fox Valley Technical College to hold events designed to help employers in aviation and aerospace to share and learn about best practices in recruitment, retention and development of talent.

Sealed proposals must be received by 3:00 pm on Friday, March 3, 2017 at which time bids will be opened and publicly read. The outside of the envelope shall be marked "Implementation of the Aerospace Cluster – Aerospace Niche Implementation" and submitted to the City Clerk's office, 215 Church Avenue, Oshkosh, WI 54901. Fax or email copies will not be accepted. Any proposal received after this time will not be considered.

The CITY reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities.

Request for Proposals #2 – Creation of an Aviation/ Aerospace Fund Network

The selected contractor(s) will undertake an effort to design a regional network of investment funds to support the cluster activity, develop a template to create other funds in each community that is part of the cluster effort and build the first fund in Oshkosh. Increasing access to capital for companies which want to start or expand as part of the cluster has been identified as a critical need in the planning process and was a Charette action item. The network of aerospace funds would invest in companies which want to start or expand in the region as part of the cluster, including AeroInnovate companies. The objective is to build a network of funds with 50% public and 50% private support – one fund in each community of the cluster region. At least a portion of the fund would be evergreen in nature, with investment returns re-invested into the fund. Following year 1, the operations of the fund will be self-sustaining through an annual management fee and the contractor(s) would seek to share operational costs with another fund or organization.

Sealed proposals must be received by 3:00 pm on Friday, March 3, 2017 at which time bids will be opened and publicly read. The outside of the envelope shall be marked "Implementation of the Aerospace Cluster - Creation of an Aviation/ Aerospace Fund Network" and submitted to the City Clerk's office, 215 Church Avenue, Oshkosh,WI 54901. Fax or email copies will not be accepted. Any proposal received after this time will not be considered.

The CITY reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities.

RFP #3 - Development of Programming for Manufacturers and Suppliers Supportive of the Aerospace Cluster Development Efforts

The selected contractor(s) will undertake the effort to provide more opportunities for manufacturers and suppliers to interact and share knowledge. The Aerospace/Aviation Manufacturers Roundtable would be conducted during AirVenture and bring manufacturers in aerospace together to discuss challenges and opportunities; an Aerospace Supplier Forum will bring Wisconsin suppliers to aerospace and aviation together to talk about challenges and opportunities and an Aviation Additive Manufacturing Symposium will to bring together companies which are using additive manufacturing techniques with those in aviation who want to use these techniques to learn about best practices. It is anticipated that there will be benefits to the companies to participate in these types of educational forums, as well as to help better align the cluster to meet industry needs.

Sealed proposals must be received by 3:00 pm on Friday, March 3, 2017 at which time bids will be opened and publicly read. The outside of the envelope shall be marked "Implementation of the Aerospace Cluster - Development of Programming for Manufacturers and Suppliers Supportive of the Aerospace Cluster Development Efforts" and submitted to the City Clerk's office, 215 Church Avenue, Oshkosh, WI 54901. Fax or email copies will not be accepted. Any proposal received after this time will not be considered.

The CITY reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities.