Company description Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA) is the largest mission-driven operator of farmers’ markets in Southern California and a leader in improving food access and nutrition education. Our programs include:

- Six farmers’ markets: Atwater Village, Central Avenue, Crenshaw, Echo Park, Hollywood, and MLK Campus.

- Benefits and Incentives Program which ensures that our markets serve as a venue for WIC and CalFresh redemption, partners with organizations to advocate for food access, and manages incentives which provide fruit and vegetable vouchers to low income customers.

- Bring the Farmer to Your School program, in which local California farmers have provided sessions about local agriculture to children at Title I schools for over 15 years.

- Pompea Smith Good Cooking | Buena Cocina Nutrition Education Program, which offers hundreds of nutrition education and cooking demonstrations across South LA each year. Job description

Project Name or Description: SEE-LA Food Business Accelerator

Contract Services: Food Business Consultant

Contract Period: March - Sept 2020

Contract Value:  $3,000

Company Name: Sustainable Economic Enterprises Los Angeles (SEE-LA)

Address:  1125 W Sixth Street #500, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Project Goals and Scope of Services

With collaboration from community partners, the Accelerator will provide direct services that include case management, linkage to financing opportunities, subsidized test kitchen space, educational webinars, networking events, and business and marketing support to a cohort of 12 Los Angeles based food entrepreneurs currently working in our farmers’ markets. We are seeking (4) individuals to serve as Food Business Consultants to work directly with 3 food entrepreneurs each for a minimum of 12 hours per client during the course of the contract. The Food Business Consultants will meet monthly with the food entrepreneurs to help with goal development, provide industry insights, troubleshoot business issues, and connect to resources and networks for the purpose of supporting the overall program goal of promoting food business sustainability and growth that leads to the creation of quality food-sector jobs. The program participants will also be working with a Marketing Consultant, and generalized business advisors through SBDC (Small Business Development Center), so advising from Food Business Consultants will be complimentary to these services and focused on personalized coaching, mentoring, and best practices in the food and beverage industry.


Timeline

Proposals due: February 28, 2020, 5:00PM, Pacific Time

Proposal review and first-round interviews: March 2 to March 9, 2020

Finalist notification and second interviews:  March 11 to March 20, 2020

Vendor Selection Notification: March 23 to March 27, 2020

Contract start and end dates: March 30 to September 30, 2020 (approximate)


Elements of Proposal

The proposal shall contain sufficient detail to convey the consultant’s knowledge, skill, experience and ability to satisfy project requirements. The following must be provided:

• Individual/Firm information:
  • Contact information
  • A summary of the individual or firm’s history, experience, and capabilities. Include information such as: year business/consultancy was established, strategic intent of company/consultancy, and SLB (Small Local Business), MBE (Minority Owned Enterprise), WBE (Woman Owned Enterprise) certifications if applicable.
• Resume of individual/team that will be working on the project.
• List of recent clients or significant accomplishments.
• Approach and scope of work: Description of proposed methodology to meet contract requirements (12 hours minimum of business coaching per client). Include expected outcomes and hourly consulting rates.
• Contact information for 3 business/client references.

Format:

-PDF preferred.

-No longer than 5 pages in length and in 12 point type

Evaluation Criteria

Selection criteria include:

• Compliance with this RFP
• Demonstrated understanding of the project
• Detailed narrative of services to be provided
• Track record of success and expertise in food and beverage industries.
• Demonstrated interest in working with communities/clients that are low-income, people of color, and/or women identified.
• Qualifications of the individual/firm
• References

Budget

Up to $3,000 over 6 months

Challenges

• Funding for this program is released monthly and is invoice based, thus SEE-LA requires a sufficient turn-around time to pay consultants (30 days).
• This is the first time SEE-LA has formalized this type of technical assistance work for food entrepreneurs. There may be program start-up challenges during the first months of program launch.
• Some food entrepreneurs will have minimal business plans in place. The consultant/firm selected must be able to work with entrepreneurs in a variety of stages of development.

 

Compensation this position is : contract Application instructions DeadlineFebruary 28, 2020