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County moves small-business support contracts to open solicitations to broaden access
Summary
County staff proposed transitioning most noncompetitive small-business support contracts to an open-solicitation model, piloting $300,000 for competitive awards and asking council feedback on scope, regional reach and partner involvement.
Montgomery County's Economic Development Committee heard plans to shift noncompetitive contracts for business support services into an open solicitation model intended to increase equity, broaden outreach and standardize pricing.
"We are recommending and I have been in agreement with you, to transition from the current non competitive contract, to an open solicitation model," said Nadia Klude, business center manager. Klude described three planned solicitations covering cohort training, business assistance services and an annual business center conference, plus a rotating task-order approach to distribute work quarterly and avoid a late-year rush.
Staff proposed pilot funding levels and program mechanics: $300,000 would support a pilot competitive process, $150,000 would target business support for federal contractors, and successful bidders could receive a 3% increase in year two of the solicitation. Klude said the county will set consistent fixed prices for commonly procured services (cohorts, hourly consulting, legal or accounting assistance) and require regional coverage so underserved areas receive services.
Council members and the county executive's team emphasized partnership with existing nonprofits and chambers. Council President Natalie Fani Gonzales urged that longstanding nonprofits and local chambers be true partners rather than only appearing on publicity materials: "partnerships... doesn't mean a name on a flyer. It means giving them funds so they can activate their membership," she said.
Staff also proposed a countywide business conference to gather resource partners and test a Business Launch Support idea to subsidize chamber membership and marketing assistance for early-stage firms. The committee asked staff to return with planned solicitation timelines, metrics for evaluating provider performance and communication plans to ensure broad outreach across the county's regional service centers.
The committee did not vote; members signaled support for moving forward while requesting more detail about outreach, evaluation and how a transition would treat four existing county-executive-managed contracts that currently fall outside the SBSS NDA.
