Rural Economic Development Capacity Contractor

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Rural Economic Development Capacity Contractor
RFP 2026-04
Section 1 - Overview and Schedule
A. Executive Summary
The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) is requesting
proposals for a contractor to execute and advance an established technical assistance service for
project development within the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) counties of
Coos, Grafton, Carroll, Belknap, Sullivan and Cheshire for the purpose of providing Technical
Assistance and Capacity Building guidance and support to municipalities and non-profits
interested in pursuing NBRC and/or other state and federal grant opportunities.
The qualified contractor will assist communities with predevelopment strategies, program
financial planning and development, and application assistance to various state, federal and
private funding programs, in conjunction with BEA staff. With this support and guidance,
communities and non-profits in rural New Hampshire will be equipped to uncover and
successfully pursue new opportunities for business, community, and economic development.
The award of the contract is contingent on approval by the Governor and Executive Council.
B. Schedule
The following table provides a Schedule of Events for this RFP through contract finalization and
approval. The Agency reserves the right to amend this Schedule at its sole discretion and at any
time through a published Addendum.
EVENT DATE LOCAL
TIME
RFP Released to Proposers (Advertisement) May 8, 2026
Proposer Inquiry Period Ends May 13, 2026 12:00 PM
Final Agency Responses to Proposer Inquiries May 15, 2026 5:00 PM
Proposers Submit Proposals May 22, 2026 2:30 PM
Estimated Timeframe for Proposer Oral Presentations and June 2, 2026 TBD
Interviews (if applicable)
Estimated Notification of Selection and Begin Contract June 3, 2026
Negotiations
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Section 2 - Description of Agency/Program Issuing the Request for Proposals
The Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) is dedicated to enhancing the
economic vitality of the State of New Hampshire while promoting it as a destination for
domestic and international visitors and investment, including fostering and marketing the state's
excellent quality of life. BEA also serves as New Hampshire's lead agency in the state-federal
partnership Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC). For more information visit
www.nheconomy.com, www.choosenh.com, and/or www.nbrc.gov.
Section 3 - Proposed Scope of Work
BEA has received an NBRC Capacity Building grant. The goal of the grant is to enhance the
capacity of the non-profits and municipalities of the rural counties of the State to identify,
pursue, win, and effectively deploy private, state, and federal grants that advance community and
economic development goals and plans.
Proposals must be based on two 12-month periods and address each item listed below, as well as
additional items at the bidder's discretion:
1) Enhance the capacity of, and provide support for, local community and economic
development efforts in the rural communities of the State.
2) Perform intake processes for municipalities and non-profits inquiring about Northern
Border Regional Commission funding and screen project proposals for eligibility to
NBRC and various other funding sources.
3) Provide technical assistance to self-identified non-profit and municipal leaders in rural
New Hampshire to form program plans that develop, support, or advance an eco-system
that leads to job creation and retention and, in general, improves the region's economic
opportunities.
4) Deploy predevelopment strategies such as conducting feasibility research, developing
project plans and budgets, and curating data to form a strong case for support. Additional
assistance shall include introductions to other grant resources.
5) Work with the State of New Hampshire to identify sources of funding to fill the gaps,
both public and private.
Desired qualifications of the Contractor:
1) Direct experience researching, developing, budgeting, submitting and evaluating state
and federal grants.
2) Experience with the NBRC Capacity Building Grant program
3) Experience assisting others-particularly those with limited experiences and resources-
research, develop, budget, submit and evaluate state and federal grants.
4) Knowledge of and experience working with New Hampshire's Regional Planning
Commissions and Regional Economic Development Corporations.
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5) A team with the demonstrated capability of successfully guiding and supporting a wide
range of eligible entities who are pursuing funding for an array of infrastructure and non-
infrastructure projects.
The Contractor's deliverables are:
1) A minimum of bi-weekly meetings with designated BEA staff.
2) An accounting of all staff time and expenses, on at least a quarterly basis and submitted
with invoices, related to State Capacity Grant activities.
3) Provide a technical assistance report on projects they have assisted by the end of each 12-
month period, with details about the capacity-building services provided and the outcome
of the grant process-submission, award, etc.
4) Provide a list of projects for potential funding outside of NBRC; and
5) Additional reports and data as needed or defined by the State or the NBRC.
Section 4 - Process for Submitting a Proposal
A. Proposal Submission, Deadline, and Location Instructions
Proposals submitted in response to this RFP must be received by the BEA no later than the time
and date specified in the Schedule section, herein. Proposals must be submitted electronically
and must be addressed to:
State of New Hampshire
Department of Business and Economic Affairs
c/o
dedrfpresponses@livefree.nh.gov
With the SUBJECT: NBRC Capacity Contract
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
RESPONSE TO RFP 2026-04
Rural Economic Development Capacity Contractor
Unless waived as a non-material deviation in accordance with Section 6B, late submissions will
not be accepted and will be returned to the proposers unopened. Delivery of the Proposals shall
be at the Proposer's expense. The time of receipt shall be considered when a Proposal has been
officially documented by the Agency, in accordance with its established policies, as having been
received at the location designated above. The Agency accepts no responsibility for mislabeled
mail or mail that is not delivered or undeliverable for whatever reason. Any damage that may
occur due to shipping shall be the Proposer's responsibility.
All Proposals submitted in response to this RFP must consist of at least:
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a) One electronic copy of the Proposal with all Confidential Information fully redacted, as
provided for in Section 7E of this RFP.
Proposers who are ineligible to bid on proposals, bids or quotes issued by the Department of
Administrative Services, Division of Procurement and Support Services pursuant to the
provisions of RSA 21-I:11-c shall not be considered eligible for an award under this proposal.
B. Proposal Inquiries
All inquiries concerning this RFP, including but not limited to, requests for clarifications,
questions, and any changes to the RFP, shall be submitted via email to the following RFP
designated Points of Contact:
TO: dedrfpresponses@livefree.nh.gov
SUBJECT: NBRC Capacity Contract
Inquiries must be received by the Agency's RFP Points of Contact no later than the conclusion of
the Proposer Inquiry Period (see Schedule of Events section, herein). Inquiries received later
than the conclusion of the Proposer Inquiry Period shall not be considered properly submitted
and may not be considered.
The Agency intends to issue official responses to properly submitted inquiries on or before the
date specified in the Schedule section, herein; however, this date is subject to change at the
Agency's discretion. The Agency may consolidate and/or paraphrase questions for sufficiency
and clarity. The Agency may, at its discretion, amend this RFP on its own initiative or in
response to issues raised by inquiries, as it deems appropriate. Oral statements, representations,
clarifications, or modifications concerning the RFP shall not be binding upon the Agency.
Official responses by the Agency will be made only in writing by the process described above.
Vendors shall be responsible for reviewing the most updated information related to this RFP
before submitting a proposal.
C. Restriction of Contact with Agency Employees
From the date of release of this RFP until an award is made and announced regarding the
selection of a Proposer, all communication with personnel employed by or under contract with
the Agency regarding this RFP is forbidden unless first approved by the RFP Points of Contact
listed in the Proposal Inquiries section, herein. Agency employees have been directed not to
hold conferences and/or discussions concerning this RFP with any potential contractor during the
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selection process, unless otherwise authorized by the RFP Points of Contact. Proposers may be
disqualified for violating this restriction on communications.
D. Validity of Proposal
Proposals must be valid for one hundred and eighty (180) days following the deadline for
submission of Proposals in Schedule of Events, or until the Effective Date of any resulting
Contract, whichever is later.
SECTION 5 - Content and Requirements for a Proposal
Proposals shall follow the below format and provide the required information set forth below:
Organization and Experience
* Completed "Contractor Data Sheet" (Attachment A).
* Overview of the company and key personnel.
* A written one-page introductory statement including:
Experience in providing services as described in Section 3.
o
Expertise of participating personnel including a description of training and
o
development programs that ensure all personnel assigned to contract are capable
and qualified.
* A written one-page narrative detailing the implementation of the identified deliverables,
with language speaking to an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities
faced by New Hampshire's Northern Border Region's economy as well as how your
organization will support rural New Hampshire municipalities and non-profits that may
have limited human and financial resources/capacity.
* Provide resumes/portfolios of individuals or subcontractors performing major duties and
functions under the proposed contract; include role, responsibility, and qualifications.
* Provide at least three recent client references, with related projects. Include
contract/service dates and contact information.
SECTION 6 - Evaluation of Proposals
A. Cost Proposal
The proposal should provide a budget for the two-year contract period, inclusive of all
deliverable activities and products required in this Request for Proposals.
B. Criteria for Evaluation and Scoring
Each responsive Proposal will be evaluated and considered with regard to the following criteria:
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* Experience and qualifications of key staff and subcontractors as it relates to the activities
in Section 3 (30 points)
* Overall strategy, approach, and methodology for achieving goals in Section 3
(30 points)
* Creativity/Innovation in supporting under-resourced non-profits and municipalities in rural
New Hampshire (20 points)
* Budget Approach/Cost Effectiveness (20 points)
Grand Total (100 points)
If the Agency determines to make an award based on these evaluations, the Agency will notify
the selected Proposer(s). Should the Agency be unable to reach agreement with the selected
Proposer(s) during Contract discussions, the Agency may then undertake Contract discussions
with the next preferred Proposer and so on, or the Agency may reject all proposals, cancel this
RFP, solicit new Proposals under a new acquisition process, or seek to extend any existing
contract for the services outlined within this RFP in order to ensure the continuation of services
as part of its ongoing obligations and responsibilities to NBRC program award recipients.
The Agency will select a Proposer based upon the criteria and standards contained in this RFP
and from applying the weighting in this section. Oral interviews and reference checks, to the
extent they are utilized by the Agency, will be used to refine and finalize scores.
C. Planned Evaluations
The Agency plans to use the following process:
* Initial screening to ensure that the Proposals are in compliance with submission
requirements;
* Preliminary evaluation of the Proposals;
* Oral interviews (if necessary);
* Final Evaluation of Technical Proposals and scoring;
* Select the highest scoring Proposer and begin contract negotiation.
D. Initial Screening
The Agency will conduct an initial screening step to verify Proposer compliance with the
technical submission requirements set forth in the RFP and the minimum content set forth in
Section 5 of this RFP. The Agency may waive or offer a limited opportunity to cure immaterial
deviations from the RFP requirements if it is determined to be in the best interest of the State.
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E. Preliminary Technical Scoring of Proposals
The Agency will establish an evaluation team to initially score the Technical Proposals. This
evaluation team will review the technical proposals and give a preliminary score to the technical
proposals under the guidelines set forth in Section 6. Should a Proposer fail to achieve 70 Points
in the preliminary scoring, it will receive no further consideration from the evaluation team.
F. Oral Interviews
If the Agency determines that it is appropriate, proposers may be invited to oral interviews. The
Agency retains the sole discretion to determine whether to conduct oral interviews, with which
proposers; and the number of interviews. Proposers are advised that the Agency may decide to
conduct interviews with less than all responsive proposers.
The purpose of oral interviews is to clarify and expound upon information provided in the
written Proposals. Proposers are prohibited from altering the basic substance of their Proposals
during the oral interviews. The Agency may ask the Proposer to provide written clarifications of
elements in their Technical Proposal regardless of whether it intends to conduct Oral Interviews.
Information gained from oral interviews will be used to refine technical review scores assigned
from the initial review of the Proposals.
G. Final Technical Scoring of Proposals
Following Oral Interviews, Reference Checks (if appropriate) and/or review of written
clarifications of proposals requested by the Agency, the evaluation team will determine a final
score for each Technical Proposal.
H. No Best and Final Offer
The Proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the proposer can
offer. There will be no best and final offer procedure. The Proposer should be prepared to
accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations
may incorporate some or all of the Proposal.
I. Final Selection
The Agency will conduct a final selection based on the final evaluation of the initial proposals
and begin contract negotiations with the selected Proposer.
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J. Rights of the Agency in Accepting and Evaluating Proposals
The Agency reserves the right to:
* Make independent investigations in evaluating Proposals;
* Request additional information to clarify elements of a Proposal;
* Waive minor or immaterial deviations from the RFP requirements, if determined to be in
the best interest of the State;
* Omit any planned evaluation step if, in the Agency's view, the step is not needed;
* At its sole discretion, reject any and all Proposals at any time; and
* Open contract discussions with the second highest scoring Proposer and so on, if the
Agency is unable to reach an agreement on Contract terms with the higher scoring
Proposer(s).
SECTION 7 - Terms and Conditions Related to the RFP Process
A. RFP Addendum
The Agency reserves the right to amend this RFP at its discretion, prior to the Proposal
submission deadline. In the event of an addendum to this RFP, the Agency, at its sole discretion,
may extend the Proposal submission deadline, as it deems appropriate.
B. Non-Collusion
The Proposer's signature on a Proposal submitted in response to this RFP guarantees that the
prices, terms and conditions, and Work quoted have been established without collusion with
other Proposers and without effort to preclude the Agency from obtaining the best possible
competitive Proposal.
C. Property of the Agency
All material received in response to this RFP shall become the property of the State and will not
be returned to the proposer. Upon Contract award, the State reserves the right to use any
information presented in any Proposal.
D. Confidentiality of a Proposal
Unless necessary for the approval of a contract, the substance of a proposal must remain
confidential until the Effective Date of any Contract resulting from this RFP. A Proposer's
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disclosure or distribution of Proposals other than to the Agency will be grounds for
disqualification.
E. Public Disclosure
Pursuant to RSA 21-G:37, all responses to this RFP shall be considered confidential until the
award of a contract. At the time of receipt of proposals, the Agency will post the number of
responses received with no further information. No later than five (5) business days prior to
submission of a contract to the Department of Administrative Services pursuant to this RFP, the
Agency will post the name, rank or score of each proposer. In the event that the contract does not
require Governor & Executive Council approval, the Agency shall disclose the rank or score of
the Proposals at least 5 business days before final approval of the contract.
The content of each Proposer's Proposal shall become public information upon the award of any
resulting Contract. Any information submitted as part of a response to this request for proposal
(RFP) may be subject to public disclosure under RSA 91-A. In addition, in accordance with
RSA 9-F:1, any contract entered into as a result of this RFP will be made accessible to the public
online via the website Transparent NH (http://www.nh.gov/transparentnh/). However, business
financial information and proprietary information such as trade secrets, business and financials
models and forecasts, and proprietary formulas may be exempt from public disclosure under
RSA 91-A:5, IV. If you believe any information being submitted in response to this request for
proposal, bid or information should be kept confidential as financial or proprietary information;
you must specifically identify that information in a letter to the agency, and must mark/stamp
each page of the materials that you claim must be exempt from disclosure as
"CONFIDENTIAL". A designation by the Proposer of information it believes exempt does not
have the effect of making such information exempt. The Agency will determine the information
it believes is properly exempted from disclosure. Marking of the entire Proposal or entire
sections of the Proposal (e.g. pricing) as confidential will neither be accepted nor honored.
Notwithstanding any provision of this RFP to the contrary, Proposer pricing will be subject to
disclosure upon approval of the contract. The Agency will endeavor to maintain the
confidentiality of portions of the Proposal that are clearly and properly marked confidential.
If a request is made to the Agency to view portions of a Proposal that the Proposer has properly
and clearly marked confidential, the Agency will notify the Proposer of the request and of the
date the Agency plans to release the records. By submitting a Proposal, Proposers agree that
unless the Proposer obtains a court order, at its sole expense, enjoining the release of the
requested information, the Agency may release the requested information on the date specified in
the Agency's notice without any liability to the Proposers.
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F. Non-Commitment
Notwithstanding any other provision of this RFP, this RFP does not commit the Agency to award
a Contract. The Agency reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any and all Proposals,
or any portions thereof, at any time; to cancel this RFP; and to solicit new Proposals under a new
acquisition process.
G. Proposal Preparation Cost
By submitting a Proposal, a Proposer agrees that in no event shall the Agency be either
responsible for or held liable for any costs incurred by a Proposer in the preparation of or in
connection with the Proposal, or for Work performed prior to the Effective Date of a resulting
Contract.
H. Ethical Requirements
From the time this RFP is published until a contract is awarded, no bidder shall offer or give,
directly or indirectly, any gift, expense reimbursement, or honorarium, as defined by RSA 15-B,
to any elected official, public official, public employee, constitutional official, or family member
of any such official or employee who will or has selected, evaluated, or awarded an RFP, or
similar submission. Any bidder that violates RSA 21-G:38 shall be subject to prosecution for an
offense under RSA 640:2. Any bidder who has been convicted of an offense based on conduct in
violation of this section, which has not been annulled, or who is subject to a pending criminal
charge for such an offense, shall be disqualified from bidding on the RFP, or similar request for
submission and every such bidder shall be disqualified from bidding on any RFP or similar
request for submission issued by any state agency. A bidder that was disqualified under this
section because of a pending criminal charge which is subsequently dismissed, results in an
acquittal, or is annulled, may notify the department of administrative services, which shall note
that information on the list maintained on the state's internal intranet system, except in the case
of annulment, the information, shall be deleted from the list.
I. Challenges on Form or Process of the RFP
Any challenges regarding the validity or legality of the form and procedures of this RFP,
including but not limited to the evaluation and scoring of Proposals, shall be brought to the
attention of the Agency at least ten (10) business days prior to the Proposal Submission
Deadline. By submitting a proposal, the Proposer is deemed to have waived any challenges to the
agency's authority to conduct this procurement and the form and procedures of this RFP.
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