Specifications include, but are not limited to: The selected Proposer will work with ROI communities identified by the Department to provide capacity and strategic support in achieving their individual project deliverables including but not limited to the following: • Review and refine work plans to help communities develop ambitious but achievable outcomes that further project goals; • Meet individually with selected ROI communities to assess projects and identify opportunities to provide capacity supports; • Assist communities in cultivating an understanding of statewide entrepreneurship strategies and resources; • Develop marketing materials and promotional copy for individual ROI projects; • Support each community in applying for at least one grant to leverage state funding; • Cultivate and maintain relationships with other ecosystem partners, facilitate connections that benefit ROI communities, including with other potential funders; • Provide technical assistance and other capacity building resources to ROI recipient organizations; • Support ROI communities with their project tracking and reporting obligations, as necessary; • Help ROI communities with strategic planning, project implementation, and leadership development, as needed; and • Participate in a kick-off conference with successful ROI communities in the winter of 2024. The selected Proposer will work with ROI staff on a more limited basis on the following non-exhaustive list of activities: • Create forms and documents for use by ROI communities to track progress and capture reporting requirements; • Contribute to the development of an entrepreneurial resource network for ROI communities and others; • Participate in ROI program meetings and events (virtual / in-person); facilitate planning or work sessions that further ROI goals; • Work with stakeholders to align the framework of Business Oregon’s ROI program with similar efforts by other ecosystem building partners; • Conduct research on other entrepreneurial ecosystem models, including their funding structure and evaluation methods; • Identify additional potential sources of financial support for the program and draft proposals, as requested; • Collaborate on end of term reporting, program assessment, and legislative requests; and, • Help develop a long-term funding strategy to sustain and expand ROI to support additional rural communities.
