Ag consultants Sought in Sullivan County, New York

CONSULTANTS/FIRMS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SERVICES RELATED TO PRESERVATION, PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMLAND IN SULLIVAN COUNTY FOR SULLIVAN COUNTY DIVISION OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Prepared & Issued By: Sullivan County Dept. of Purchasing & Central Services;Sullivan County Government Center 100 North St. – P.O. Box 5012, Monticello NY  12701; (845) 807-0515 RFP#: R-10-27 Intent The County of Sullivan is seeking firms/consultants interested in providing technical assistance to the Division of Planning and Environmental Management (SC Planning) in areas related to the preservation, promotion and development of agriculture and farmland in Sullivan County. The position requires that the applicant have experience with agricultural related issues within New York State, specifically Sullivan County.

Tweet

SC Planning is the lead-agency for this project and therefore will have oversight and provide direction to the selected consultant.

Background

Farming in Sullivan County is at a crossroads. There is the undeniable potential for Sullivan County to provide a safe healthy food supply chain to many local and metro markets, and there is the fact that the number of farms in operation have been steadily decreasing. The decline is due to many factors such as the economic climate, taxes, and land values combined with government policies and standard farm practices which have our farmers exhausted, exasperated, and struggling financially. Investing time in diversification, distribution and other ways of reaching the lucrative metro markets and finding local outlets is not easy time-wise for farmers, or even fiscally possible in most cases.

Understanding that the centerpiece of a coordinated effort to spur the economic growth and rebirth of the Agricultural industry in Sullivan County resides within SC Planning, the Division is seeking to engage a consultant to provide assistance in conducting Agricultural Strategic Planning, Programmatic Administration, Business Development, and targeted Community and Economic Development related to agriculture.

Responsibilities

The consultant/firm will be responsible for maintaining, developing and promoting a viable agricultural economy in Sullivan County through Strategic Planning, Marketing/Branding, Project/Program Administration, Small Business Development, Funding/Financing Procurement, and General Land Use and Real Estate Development. Working with the agricultural community, which includes farmers and agri-businesses, as well as potential linkages, such as restaurants and retail businesses, will be a necessary component of this proposal.

Project Scope

The Consultant will be charged, at the direction of the Planning Commissioner, to expand upon prior work associated with the SC agricultural industry to develop a coordinated and comprehensive effort to create market demand for SC agricultural products through business development and strategic marketing professional services.

The Planning Commissioner may request specific services related to special projects as they arise. Consultant activities shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

·                Regular meetings with SC Planning, Agricultural Organizations and the agricultural community;

·                Prepare materials related to projects and/or administration of project funding;

·                Provide marketing, strategic and financial expertise;

·                Assist in the management and underwriting of Agricultural loan related documents;

·                Assist in enhancing and promoting the Sullivan County agricultural industry.

• Identifying connections and linkages between the agricultural community and potential businesses (i.e. restaurants, retail, not-for-profits, etc.)

Contract Period

The Contract period shall be from September, 2010 through December 31, 2011. Upon mutual agreement, this contract may be extended, on a yearly basis, for an additional year.

Payment shall be disbursed on a quarterly basis upon receipt of quarterly reporting requirements.

Qualifications

The Consultant sought shall assemble a team with proven track record in:

• Strategic Planning;
• Marketing/Branding;
• Project/Program Administration;
• Small Business Development;
• Funding/Financing Procurement;
• General Land Use and Real Estate Development.

The consultant/firm should have experience working within the Agricultural Community (i.e. feasibility or planning studies) and be able to demonstrate their familiarity with the state of agriculture in the region.

The County reserves the right to reject any and all submittals, and to invite multiple firms to make presentations to SC Planning, the agricultural community, and to the Sullivan County Legislature.

Organization of Proposal

This section outlines the information that must be included in your response. Please respond with your information in the same order as the items in this section. All submissions shall be submitted as simply as possible and provide a straightforward, concise description of the capability of the proposer to satisfy the requirements of the RFP including resumes and machine specifications. Emphasis should be concentrated on accuracy, completeness, and clarity of content. All parts, pages, figures, and tables should be numbered and clearly labeled. Vague terms such as “consultant complies” or “consultant understands” should be avoided.

Cover Letter. Each response to the RFP should be accompanied by a letter that describes the key points of the proposal, summarizing the recommended approach for undertaking the task, and recommended budget and other cost considerations associated with the proposal and which is signed by an officer of the firm authorized to commit the Vendor to the obligations contained in the proposal. The cover letter should also include a phone number, fax number and e-mail address for the contact person.

Company Information. Provide information related to yourself or your company and any company you are proposing to use as sub-contractors. Specifically address the following:

• Work you have done for the agricultural community, specifically in Sullivan County.
• Familiarity with issues facing the agricultural community, specifically in Sullivan County.

Experience. Provide information that clearly demonstrates your organization’s prior experience and background (both business and technical) in engagements similar to this project. This section must include:

·                A list of all clients/projects that related to agriculture and farmland preservation, promotion and development in the State of New York, specifically Sullivan County, along with the dates of engagement for each client and a summary of the services provided to the client.

• Names and contact information for at least three (3) references.

Qualifications. Provide information that clearly demonstrates that your organization is qualified and competent to provide the requested services:

·                Résumés for the key personnel to be involved in providing services to the County.

·                List any licenses, certifications, or education required to perform these services.

Scope of Work & Budget. Provide information that clearly demonstrates your objectives, activities/projects and timelines, as well as a detailed budget request for services. Hourly rates and/or generic fee schedules are not sufficient. The budget should clearly breakout costs for the remainder of 2010 and for the entire 2011 fiscal year. Final costs will be negotiated on a per project basis. Proposals that do not include a detailed budget will not be accepted.

Insurance Requirements. The Consultant shall procure and maintain at its own expense until final completion of the work covered by the contract, insurance for liability for damages imposed by law of the kinds and in the amounts hereinafter provided, issued by insurance companies authorized to do business in the State of New York, covering all operations under the Contract whether performed by the Consultant or by his subcontractors.

The successful Consultant shall furnish to the County all insurance requirements as outlined in the contract.

Submission of Proposals

Parties interested in seeking to be considered for Agricultural Consultant shall submit materials describing their proposal in triplicate, no later than 1:00PM, Friday, September 3, 2010.

Proposals shall be submitted to:

Kathy Jones, Director

Sullivan County Office of Purchasing and Central Services

100 North Street

P.O. Box 5012

Monticello, NY  12701

Tel:  845.807.0515

Proposals received after the deadline will not be accepted. The County of Sullivan reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and select the proposal that best meets the needs of the County.