Introduction

The East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (ECWRPC) is seeking a qualified economic development (or similar) Consultant(s) to develop and implement a planning process which results in a coordinated and collaborative strategy for 'corridor level' economic development, including several associated support and outreach tasks that help to build capacity for such activities.

Background

The Interstate 41 Corridor Regional Capacity Building Project (the Project) is a component of a larger effort – Initiative 41 - whose purpose is to create a NEW Way of Thinking by creating an atmosphere focused on a regional approach to economic collaboration; with an understanding by community, business and elected leaders that the region is interconnected and that success in one community is a success for all communities.

Initiative 41 was developed at the end of the previously received Phase I Economic Adjustment Planning Grant received from the Department of Defense-Office of Economic Adjustment. Initiative 41's primary goal is to diversify and strengthen the regional (corridor's) economy as it relates to corridor's primary assets. These assets include the corridor's diverse manufacturing base, supply chain system, skilled workforce, and the amenities offered by the four distinctly different metropolitan areas located along the corridor. A summary brochure on Initiative 41 is included as an appendix to this request for proposals and additional information, including a short video can be found at www.initiative41.org.

The primary purpose of the I-41 Corridor Regional Capacity Building component is three-fold:

1) Formulate a collaborative I-41 Corridor Economic Development Strategy;

2) Provide insights on the best organizational strategy for conducting corridor level economic development activities and actions;

3) Develop a distinct, yet integrated branding and outreach strategy for the I-41 corridor.

Study Area

The Project is focused on a 75 mile stretch of Interstate 41 in northeastern Wisconsin and includes the Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Fox Cities and Green Bay metropolitan areas and their respective Counties (Brown, Outagamie, Calumet, Winnebago and Fond du Lac). The corridor has a total population of approximately 759,000 which includes a workforce size of 380,000. The geographic nature of the corridor makes it the 'economic engine' of northeastern Wisconsin and therefore, it impacts an area much broader than that of the counties which it lies in. Adjacent counties (particularly Waupaca and Shawano Counties) and their nearby communities serve to house workers and businesses which are tied directly and indirectly to the corridor's micro-economy. These connections to the rural communities shall not be disregarded as the Interstate's connecting highway system also has a role in future economic opportunity for the region.

Project Oversight

The Project is being funded by the U.S. Department of Defense – Office of Economic Adjustment (DoD-OEA), through an award to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and subsequent sub-award to the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. Additional matching funds are provided from local sources.

The Project will be overseen by one or more task forces and coordinated by the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. The task forces will include representatives from other grant project components along with additional regional stakeholders. Local, County, Regional and State government interests will be present, representing the economic development, community development, workforce development, education, and entrepreneurship fields. The involvement of private sector individuals will also be sought to the extent possible.

Scope of Services

The Consultant(s) shall respond to the following scope of services and indicated tasks for this RFP. The tasks listed represent the general work which will be requested of the Consultant(s). The Consultant(s) shall, at a minimum, incorporate the following tasks into their overall approach to the project. Creativity and effectiveness of methods chosen to address each task is strongly encouraged and will be evaluated. Where applicable, the Consultant(s) may vary from this scope; however, if done, it shall be noted and explained appropriately as to why this is the case and how it may provide better products or results for the project. Of additional note, in further support of the tasks outlined in this RFP, ECWRPC has the ability to invest additional funds into two capacity building events. For example, bringing in outside speakers or entities to provide specific group training could be considered. Any response to this RFP does not need to quote or detail out such events, but it may wish to consider how the type or timing of such events may enhance the overall process.

The goal of this project is to build off the January 2015 report, A Collaborative Action Plan for the East Central Wisconsin Region (prepared by Future IQ), and to develop the foundation for enhanced regional capacity around the Interstate 41 Corridor as a focus for industry cluster expansion through entrepreneurial business and workforce development.

The following activities were identified as critical to developing the foundation for greater regional collaboration, and are based on the recommendations and strategies contained in the aforementioned Collaborative Action Plan. These tasks will need to be closely coordinated with the New North, an existing 18-County private economic development entity (www.thenewnorth.com), as their outcomes shall not seek to minimize or duplicate New North's role, nor shall they create any confusion amongst the region's stakeholders and general public. Both the vertical and horizontal alignment of products and outcomes from these tasks will be of critical importance. In order to develop this level of regional capacity the East Central Wisconsin RPC is seeking qualified Consultant(s) to develop and lead processes for the following key tasks:

1. Formulation of an I-41 Corridor Economic Development Strategy: Led by a Consultant(s), with support from ECWRPC, and additional coordination as needed by the Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission, the Consultant(s) will work with a task force to develop a more formalized corridor strategy to improve economic development collaboration in topic areas such as industry diversification, workforce development, entrepreneurship, talent development/retention/attraction, business retention/attraction, infrastructure and real estate, etc. This process will be conducted in the context of current/ongoing economic development planning efforts and will seek to synthesize current plans and reports as well as link them with a future corridor-based collaborative effort. Three main outcomes are expected as a result of this task.

• This component will begin with examining both the ECWRPC's and Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission's existing Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) documents prepared under EDA requirements. Assimilation of the Collaborative Action Plan strategies and recommendations into both CEDS documents — as a separate supplement — will be the first goal of the effort.
• Second, an inventory of current economic development plans and programs which exist at county, sub-regional, regional or state levels will be conducted for the purpose of identifying pertinent strategies and recommendations that could/should be considered in the context of the corridor, as well as their value as a collaborative opportunity.
• Thirdly, the arrangement of existing Collaborative Action Plan, or newly developed, strategies/recommendations around the I-41 Corridor will be fleshed out and assigned to various committed partners for collaborative implementation. Essentially, this effort will provide a more detailed set of actions that are built in the context of the I-41 Corridor and the CEDS strategies.

b. I-41 Corridor Organizational Development: Working with a Task Force empaneled from regional public and private leaders, alternative frameworks and geographies for organizing economic development activities around the I-41 Corridor will be developed and examined. Characteristics of existing entities, such as entity type, functions, roles, resources, benefits, challenges, and the like will be assessed by the Consultant(s) and Task Force through a formal process. Various organizational scenarios will be developed by the Consultant(s) that will best address the nature of corridor-based economic development, while considering potential new roles and responsibilities. The Task Force will provide a recommendation with regard to the best approach(es) to pursue for a sustaining effort that leverages the assets of the I-41 Corridor. This process shall build on information generated in the Phase I grant Charrette process; specifically, the Social Network Mapping (http://foxvalleynetwork.com/network-maps.php) results prepared by Future IQ Partners.

c. I-41 Corridor Brand Development & Outreach: Based on the strategies identified above, the Consultant(s) shall prepare a comprehensive outreach/branding strategy which leverages the assets along the I-41 Corridor. An examination of these assets, outreach approaches and brand development will be undertaken by the Consultant(s) (using professional design standards) along with involvement from a task force comprised of key stakeholders from the region. This work will be coordinated closely with all regional stakeholders (e.g., New North and WEDC) to ensure consistency in messaging. This effort will address the process of developing a regional brand and identity, and the development of a logo for the I-41 Corridor as a whole. The end result shall help to establish the identity of the corridor's program for diversification and strengthening of the economy. Note: This task does NOT include the actual creation of any outreach materials (e.g., videos, printed materials, social media materials) but shall provide recommendations on the best applications, uses and costs of various methods as deemed appropriate by the Consultant(s).

Deliverables:

The following items shall be required in terms of products and deliverables for this project. Note that all products and materials, such as notes, digital files, imagery, video, reports, surveys, etc., contributing to the deliverable shall become the property of ECWRPC and shall be provided upon request:

1) One or more printed/digital report(s) addressing the three tasks noted above that include specific actions and recommendations as they apply to the I-41 Corridor;

2) Development of a digital brand (e.g., Adobe AI files) and brand recommendations;

The full RFP is available for review at www.ecwrpc.org