SustainFloyd
Business Plan for Value-Added Agricultural Center
Prepared July 11, 2012
Proprietary and confidential
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
You are invited to submit a Proposal that provides the SustainFloyd Steering Committee (hereinafter referred to as SUSTAINFLOYD) with information necessary to award a contract for services in accordance with specifications and terms included herein. The submittal consisting of the original Proposal marked “ Business Plan for Value-Added Agricultural Center ”, must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. August 3, 2012:
VIA U.S. POSTAL SERVICE or OTHER GROUND DELIVERY
Mike Burton, Director, SustainFloyd 203 S. Locust Street, Suite H, Floyd, VA 24091
VIA EMAIL#
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 3
PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
SCOPE OF WORK 4
FUNDING LEVEL 5
ADMINISTRATIVE 5
PRIMARY CONTACT
DUE DATES
CONFIDENTIALITY
PAYMENT
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 6
RFP TIMELINE AND ANTICIPATED WORK SCHEDULE
GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION 7
ITEMS TO BE ADDRESSED IN PROPOSAL
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
PERSONAL PRESENTATIONS
EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD 7 - 8
CRITERIA
OTHER FACTORS
RIGHT TO RE-ISSUE RFP
DELIVERABLES 8 - 9
CONTRACT
MEETINGS IN PERSON
INTERIM REPORT
FINAL REPORT
MEETING PROJECT DEADLINES
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
SustainFloyd is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that assists the community of Floyd County, Virginia and the region in sustainable, place-based growth. Its vision is to develop new ideas that will support the next generation of its rural community while preserving its local traditions, history and natural and human resources. To move toward these goals, SustainFloyd hired consultants to conduct separate feasibility assessments.
Grantee was funded by the 2010 Specialty Crop Competitive Block Grant to perform a feasibility study around a food processing facility. This study was completed in October 2011 with a positive conclusion.
SustainFloyd was also funded by Appalachian Regional Commission and Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission to perform a feasibility study of a value-adding dairy processing facility. This study is underway and the preliminary findings confirm the market, technical and financial viability of building dairy and value-added food processing capacity in the region. The final report should be in hand sometime in August 2012.
Both these studies are available upon request.
In addition, Grantee actively pursues the development of a working model farm and farmer incubator in the region to address the supply side of the food system. To this end, we have raised $120,000 toward the project from USDA FMPP, Virginia Tech Beginning Farmer Rancher Coalition Project and Central Appalachian Network (CAN). We have been funded by blue moon fund out of Charlottesville, VA to create a financial viability plan for the farm and have since hired Earthwise Company to conduct the study.
To fund this project, SUSTAINFLOYD was awarded a 2012 Rural Development Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) to develop a complete business plan for a combined agricultural processing facility Floyd County, Virginia. The enterprise will offer a variety of dairy and other value-added agricultural products and services organized into five distinct business units under a single operating entity. A plan will be developed for each line of business to demonstrate their independent viability and unit economics.
SUSTAINFLOYD has assembled a steering committee to oversee this project. The selected vendor will report to this committee once work commences. In addition, SUSTAINFLOYD has secured assistance in the form of technical support and informational input, from the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture Innovation & Rural Sustainability (Virginia FAIRS), the Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and Virginia Cooperative Extension, all of whom have certain levels of expertise in project areas as proposed. A community advisory board has also been assembled representing a broad cross-section of the greater community and potential stakeholders to serve as a resource for the vendor and the project as a whole.
SCOPE OF WORK
As much as possible will be harvested from the feasibility studies; however, additional primary and secondary research will likely be needed to add further rigor to the assumptions and business model, and to complete the operations, marketing and financial plans.
The business plan will contain - at a minimum - the following elements, presented appropriately for each line of business:
1. Executive Summary
2. Company Description
3. Industry Analysis
4. Market Analysis
5. Marketing Plan
6. Management Team and Company Structure
7. Operations Plan including Building & Equipment Cost Estimates
8. Product/Service Design and Development Plan
9. Financial Projections
Based on the operating models identified in the feasibility studies, these business units include:
1. Dairy processing. This is a private label manufacturing operation with a cost-plus revenue model. It will manufacture a combination of fresh and aged cheese products, sold under a locally-branded label through both foodservice and retail channels.
2. Branded line of value-added agricultural products. This also is a private label manufacturing operation with a cost-plus revenue model. It will manufacture a variety of products such as sauces, dressings and dry mixes, sold under a locally-branded label to institutional and retail customers.
3. Contract processing of value-added agricultural products. The contract processing business is also called a co-packing operation. It will create products on a contract basis for customers to sell under their own brand name and through their own sales channels. The revenue model will either be cost-plus or fee-for-service depending on how raw materials are sourced.
4. Shared use kitchen. This business unit will offer access to its certified, commercial facilities as a shared use kitchen for clients to self-manufacture their products. The revenue model will include rental fees for hourly use of the kitchen and monthly storage of client property and finished goods. The kitchen will be available during off-peak and weekend hours.
5. Business services. For artisan food entrepreneurs who use the facility for contract processing or shared use kitchen space, the company may offer business consulting services for business planning, product development, branding and marketing. The revenue model may be fee-based, a percentage of revenue, or an equity stake in the entrepreneur’s venture.
6. Consolidated business entity. The business units will be co-located and share a variety of services such as sales and marketing, distribution, IT, HR, professional services, facility maintenance, etc. A parent or holding company will manage these shared services and own the plant and property; as such, it will have its own P&L with a method for allocating expenses to the business units. The consolidated financial statements will include the five business units and this corporate P&L.
FUNDING LEVEL
The budget for this project under the RBEG grant is $77,000. $76,000 is directed toward contractual costs and $1,000 is for travel.
ADMINISTRATIVE
PRIMARY CONTACT
Any questions concerning the project or the RFP must be directed to:
Name / Michael Burton, Director, SustainFloydAddress / 203 S. Locust Street, Suite H Floyd, VA 24091
Phone / (540) 745-7333
FAX / (540) 745-8431
Email /
DUE DATES
All proposals are due by 4 pm on August 3, 2012. Any proposal received at the designated location after the required time and date specified for receipt shall be considered late and non-responsive. Any late proposals will not be evaluated for award.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Any vendor agrees to keep the result and interpretations related to the project in strict confidence until the final study and action plan are completed and made public by SustainFloyd.
PAYMENT
Billing will comply with SustainFloyd funding requirements. Preferred schedule of payments is 25% upon signing, 50% with initial drafts and 25% upon completion. Invoices are payable net 30 days. Work will be performed under an Independent Contractor Agreement with appropriate nondisclosure agreements, indemnification, etc. Additional travel beyond the $1,000 budgeted will be absorbed by the Contractor. Payments will be made provided that an invoice and other proper documentation is received and reviewed by the SUSTAINFLOYD Steering Committee to determine the work has been satisfactorily completed.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
RFP TIMELINE & ANTICIPATED WORK SCHEDULE
Event / Date1. RFP Distribution to Vendors / July 11, 2012
2. Questions from Vendors about scope or approach due / July 20, 2012
3. Responses to Vendors about scope or approach due / July 28, 2012
4. Proposal Due Date by 4:00 p.m. / August 1, 2012
5. Target Date for Review of Proposals / August 6 &7, 2012
6. Final Vendor Selection Discussion(s)-- / August 13, 2012
7. Anticipated decision and selection of Vendor(s) / August 15, 2012
8. Anticipated commencement date of work / September 1, 2012
9. Anticipated completion of entire project / March 1, 2013
ANTICIPATED COMMENCEMENT AND COMPLETION DATES OF WORK
Projected timeline is 4-6 months after contract signing for the completed plan.
GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION
ITEMS TO BE ADDRESSED IN PROPOSAL
Vendor’s proposal in response to this RFP will be incorporated into the final agreement between SustainFloyd and the selected Vendor. The submitted proposals are suggested to include each of the following sections as outlined in previously in Scope of Work:
1. Executive Summary
2. Company Description
3. Industry Analysis
4. Market Analysis
5. Marketing Plan
6. Management Team and Company Structure
7. Operations Plan including Building & Equipment Cost Estimates
8. Product/Service Design and Development Plan
9. Financial Projections
Respondents are requested to provide an outline of the content that will be included in the business plan including but not limited to the categories listed above. The Market/ Industry Analysis should include an assessment of the regional food system and the role of the facility in that system.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
All proposals shall be submitted via email or by ground delivery to the pertinent address listed on the title page of this document no later than 4:00 p.m. on August 3, 2012.
PERSONAL PRESENTATIONS
SustainFloyd may ask to meet with prospective vendors in person. If so, it is hopeful prospective vendors will make every effort to accommodate such a request, although SustainFloyd understands such request may be made on short notice. If it is not possible to schedule a face-to-face meeting, an alternative request may be to meet via tele-conference to further discuss any proposal.
EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD
CRITERIA
Any award to be made pursuant to this RFP will be based upon the proposal with appropriate consideration given to operational, technical, cost, and management requirements.
The following elements will be important considerations in evaluating all submitted proposals and in the selection of a vendor or vendors:
1. Completion of all required responses in the correct format.
2. The extent to which vendor’s proposed solution fulfills SUSTAINFLOYD’s stated requirements as set out in this RFP.
3. An assessment of the vendor’s ability to deliver the indicated service in accordance with the specifications set out in this RFP.
4. The vendor’s stability, experiences, and record of past performance in delivering such services.
5. Availability of sufficient high quality vendor personnel with the required skills and experience for the specific approach proposed.
6. Overall cost of vendor’s proposal.
7. The vendor’s familiarity with and proximity to Virginia and/or the mid-Atlantic region.
8. Ability of vendor(s) to begin work and complete deliverables in a manner that will allow stated project deadlines to be met.
9. The vendor’s understanding of work to be performed, including procedures, estimated hours, visits to be made to area, and other pertinent information
SUSTAINFLOYD may, at their discretion and without explanation to the prospective vendor(s), at any time choose to discontinue this RFP without obligation to such prospective vendor(s).
OTHER FACTORS
Award of the contract resulting from this RFP will be based upon the most responsive vendor whose offer will be the most advantageous to SUSTAINFLOYD in terms of cost, functionality, and other factors as specified elsewhere in this RFP.
SUSTAINFLOYD reserves the right to:
· Reject any or all offers and discontinue this RFP process without obligation or liability to any potential vendor,
· Accept other than the lowest priced offer,
· Award a contract on the basis of initial offers received, without discussions or requests for best and final offers, and
· Award more than one contract.
Vendor's proposal shall be submitted as set forth below. The vendor will confine its submission to those matters sufficient to define its proposal and to provide an adequate basis for SUSTAINFLOYD’s evaluation of the vendor’s proposal.
RIGHT TO RE-ISSUE RFP
By August 3rd, 2012, should SUSTAINFLOYD not receive proposals, or should proposals submitted not meet with the approval of the steering committee due to either cost or failure to sufficiently meet the criteria outlined above, SUSTAINFLOYD reserves the right to further identify and pursue potential vendors in a non-competitive manner and without further public notice.
DELIVERABLES
CONTRACT
Upon selection of any vendor by SUSTAINFLOYD, the two parties shall enter into a contractual agreement that is mutually acceptable to both parties, before moving forward. Based on the aggressive nature of the project timeline, SUSTAINFLOYD expects to move forward in a very timely manner once vendor selection has been made.
MEETINGS IN PERSON
At a minimum, SUSTAINFLOYD would expect to meet face-to-face with vendor to discuss the project as soon as possible upon execution of a contract, at least once during the study period and then to review the findings of the final report. Such meetings shall take place in specific locations to be determined by SUSTAINFLOYD in the Floyd County area, unless SUSTAINFLOYD agrees otherwise.
INTERIM REPORT
The vendor shall provide at least one interim report during the project. This should be in the form of an executive summary and should provide findings to date along with evidence that the project is on track to meet stated deadlines with initial drafts for the enterprises.
FINAL REPORT
At the conclusion of the assessment, SUSTAINFLOYD requires written documentation of the approach, findings, and recommendations associated with this project. A formal presentation of the findings and recommendations to the SUSTAINFLOYD steering committee and/or the Board of Directors of SustainFloyd may also be required. The documentation shall include an executive summary report to summarize the scope, approach, findings and recommendations of the vendor. A complete hard copy of the report must be made available plus an electronic copy in its original format (e.g. Word.)
MEETING PROJECT DEADLINES
It is expected that vendor(s) will meet project deadlines unless vendor can document, to SUSTAINFLOYD’s satisfaction, good reason for delays or needed extensions.
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