ABOUT BELLEVUE

Bellevue is building the community of the future. Our welcoming, international, innovation-focused community attracts technology pioneers, outdoor enthusiasts, and family-focused professionals from around the world. Bellevue is Seattle's biggest, most technology-focused neighbor, and home to global corporations like Alibaba, Concur, Microsoft, REI, T-Mobile, and Valve. We are a community of diverse people, transit-connected neighborhoods, and a solid platform for professional growth.

The Cultural and Economic Development (CED) team supports the business and artistic communities with proactive services because we believe the fresh, inventive ideas they are building here will change the world. Our goal is to support the expansion of a world-class creative community, recruit global businesses to the Eastside, and support economic empowerment through entrepreneurship.

OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES

In this contract, the Proposer(s) will provide economic development analysis and strategic planning services to the City of Bellevue, with a focus on re-fashioning the City's current Economic Development Plan into a chapter-based document which identifies specific clusters to support, along with metrics, desired outcomes, and relevant implementation strategies.

The current basis for the Bellevue's economic development work, our Economic Development Plan, was adopted in July 2014. As a strategy, it was a good first step, as it moved the organization into a more intentional role as a regional leader in economic development service delivery. However, in 2019, the Plan will not accurately reflect the strong employment and tax growth which the city and region have experienced since 2014. Additionally, over the past four years, the City's economic development staff have learned many valuable lessons and created several valuable partnerships that need a place in Bellevue's long-term strategy for the economy.

The Cultural and Economic Development team is seeking a consulting partner which shares our bias for action, love for big ideas, and customer focus to assist in updating our guidebook to Bellevue's growing economy. This partner will help us leverage place-based economic development, meet major local risks (like escalating commercial real estate costs and municipal revenue constraints), and ensure stable growth for years to come. Ultimately, this Economic Development Plan update is intended to reflect these changing conditions and provide a blueprint for future work planning.

Project Objectives

1. Make the Economic Development Plan easier (and less time-consuming) to update.
2. Acknowledge the ongoing transformation of retail and its importance to Bellevue. Add more relevant information and specific implementation recommendations to grow that sector.
3. Understand and identify best practices for integrating businesses into the local community to ensure stability and meet important community needs.
4. Right-size expectations about small business support to reflect community resources and Washington's unique regulatory environment.
5. Address the role of the creative economy — arts, culture, and creative businesses — in the city's economy, quality of life, and attractiveness for businesses.

Based on our understanding of the market and conversations with stakeholders, staff have determined that the focus of this update will be on four key sectors and/or topical areas:

1. Small business and entrepreneurship
2. Retail
3. Capacity-building and partnerships
4. Creative economy

Elements of the existing Economic Development Plan will be incorporated and may be updated later, in a future phase of work.

Component 1: Data Analysis

In this phase, the Proposer(s) shall conduct quantitative and qualitative data analysis in order to develop a comprehensive picture of Bellevue's economy, with particular emphasis on focus areas for this update: small business and entrepreneurship, retail, capacity building and partnerships, and the creative economy. The results of this analysis will be used to identify unique opportunities and strategies for further development. The Proposer(s) should draw upon the following resources:

• Quantitative data analysis
• Interviews with local stakeholders (i.e. businesses, community organizations, education providers, similar organizations in nearby cities, etc.)
• Results from City of Bellevue business surveys (2015, 2017, and 2019)
• Results from City of Bellevue focus groups
• Existing plans, strategies, and documents, such as the 2014 Economic Development Plan, Diversity Advantage Plan, "Creative Edge" creative economy strategy, Startup 425 strategic plan, etc.
• Other resources as suggested by Proposer(s)

To the degree possible, City staff will make available local data requested by the Proposer(s), understanding that the Proposer(s) may have better and more convenient sources of data than the City. In addition to a full data and analysis report, a summary of the analysis produced as part of this component will be included in the first section of the final Economic Development Plan document.

Component 2: Stakeholder Engagement

Using the data analysis as a starting point, the Proposer(s) will facilitate conversations, focus groups, meetings, and/or workshops with key stakeholders (as identified by Proposer and staff) to better understand the existing conditions and develop strategies for further development or implementation. Proposer(s) will place particular emphasis on focus areas for this update: small business and entrepreneurship, retail, capacity-building, and the creative economy.

These focus groups, meetings, and/or workshops will include diverse stakeholders from these communities, including (but not limited to):

• Startup 425
• Bellevue Downtown Association
• Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
• Bellevue Arts Commission
• Local business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives
• Local retail property owners (i.e. Kimco Realty, Kemper Development Co., etc.) and tenants
• Businesses, organizations, nonprofits operating in the creative economy value creation chain
• Other stakeholders, as necessary

At present, City staff envision two stakeholder meetings per topical focus area (small business and entrepreneurship, retail, capacity-building and partnerships, and the creative economy) — one to analyze existing conditions and one to develop and refine strategies. However, we are interested in evaluating consultants' approaches and proposals. Ultimately, City staff will work with the selected vendor to develop the stakeholder engagement strategy.

Component 3: Strategy Development

In this phase, the Proposer(s) will conduct strategy development work in partnership with Economic Development staff, the Steering Committee, and outside stakeholders. Using the work conducted in Component 1 and Component 2 as a starting point, the Proposer(s) will identify strategies and goals for adoption into the Economic Development Plan and implementation.

In line with the City's desire to pivot to a chapter-based Economic Development Plan while incorporating existing content, strategy development will fall under four primary topic areas:

1. Small business and entrepreneurship.

• Acknowledge the different growth methods and needs between microbusiness, small business, and fast-growing tech startups, all of which are important to Bellevue's economic prosperity. Recommend a tailored approach for each to facilitate stronger job creation.
• Integrate support for Startup 425's services and strategic plan.
• This chapter should mostly draw upon existing resources, plans, and documents to clearly identify Bellevue's role in facilitating small business and entrepreneurship.

2. Retail.

• Study the local retail environment and identify ways the City or its partners can better support independent retail and restaurants. These establishments generate 20% of sales tax revenue and are important for building a strong identity for the City — and a compelling experience for residents, employees, and visitors.
• Identify specific steps we can take to encourage single-location retail and restaurants to take root along key corridors like the NE 6^th Street "Grand Connection" and Spring Boulevard.
• Identify ways to accommodate car dealerships during neighborhood redevelopment and encourage them to remain in Bellevue. (Vehicle sales provide 16% of Bellevue's sales tax revenue.)

3. Capacity building and partnerships.

• Understand the ways that businesses in Bellevue already participate in the community — whether through corporate volunteering, event sponsorships, employee match programs, etc. — and identify opportunities to build upon this involvement.
• Identify best practices in the U.S. for integrating businesses into the local community, via business associations or improvement districts, corporate philanthropy, volunteer programs, or other avenues.
• Evaluate opportunities to grow capacity for new activities (like placemaking, activation, and arts and cultural development) at local organizations and nonprofits, such as the Bellevue Downtown Association and others.

4. Creative economy.

• Bellevue's "Creative Edge" creative economy study and recommendations, completed in 2018, identified Bellevue's creative edge as the intersection of the City's diversity, its focus on the arts and creative learning, and its leadership in digital and interactive technologies.
• Incorporate lessons learned and recommendations from Bellevue's Creative Edge, the Bellevue Destination Development Plan, Bellevue's Cultural Compass, and other relevant studies (i.e. ArtsFund Social Impact Study, City of Seattle's Creative Economy Study) to develop an implementation strategy. (This section should build on existing documents — not conduct a new creative economy strategy.)
• Identify significant barriers to entry for new creative businesses and recommend specific steps the City or its partners can take to reduce those barriers.

Depending on the outcome of this strategic planning process and indications as toward the new Economic Development Plan's implementation, future chapters may involve other topic areas, such as economic diversity and resilience, real estate redevelopment, or international trade.

Contract Deliverables

The Proposer(s) will produce two primary deliverables through this contract:

1. Data and analysis report. This document should summarize the findings of the quantitative and qualitative analysis portion of the project. In general, this report may include:
   • Key economic clusters
   • Revenue impact
   • Retail sector analysis
   • Themes from data analysis and interviews with key stakeholders and/or regional leaders
2. Economic Development Plan. This document should encapsulate the entire planning process, and should include the following elements, at minimum:
   • Background & Analysis (new)
   • Vision (mix of existing and new)
   • Chapter 1: Foundational Strategies (existing)
   • Chapter 2: Business Retention and Expansion (existing)
   • Chapter 3: Business Recruitment (existing)
   • Chapter 4: Small Business and Entrepreneurship (new)
   • Chapter 5: Retail (new)
   • Chapter 6: Capacity Building and Partnerships (new)
   • Chapter 7: Creative Economy (new)
   • Appendices (mix of existing and new)

Technical Skills and/or Requirements

Successful Proposers will have at least five years' demonstrated organizational success in some or all of the following competency areas:

• Economic development strategic planning, particularly for municipal organizations
• Quantitative and qualitative data analysis
• Stakeholder engagement, including interviews, focus groups, and one-on-one conversations
• Managing diverse perspectives and stakeholders
• Expertise or specialization in one or more of the topic areas envisioned for update in this scope (small business and entrepreneurship, retail, capacity-building and partnerships, and the creative economy)

We welcome proposals from firms, consultants, or organizations operating across the United States and North America. Given Washington State's unique legal and constitutional framework for economic development, special consideration will be given to Proposers with experience developing revenue-generating strategies which do not rely on incentives and subsidies.

Individual Proposers which may not be capable of meeting all necessary requirements and tasks described in this scope of work are strongly encouraged to coordinate with other firms, consultants, agencies, or organizations to submit a joint proposal.

All questions and submissions must be made via Bellevue's Public Purchase portal here.