TOWN OF MORRISTOWN
Community Development Coordinator
Tricia Follert
Town of Morristown
P.O. Box 748
43 Portland St.
Morrisville, VT 05661
(802) 888-6669 x 231
tfollert@morristownvt.org
Request for Proposal
Market Feasibility Analysis
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
The Town of Morristown (the Town) proposes to engage the services of a qualified
professional, firm, or team to complete a market analysis of Morristown and Morrisville. An
analysis that will evaluate the feasibility of locating a food coop in downtown Morrisville is
included as a subset of the requested market study.
1.2 Objective
The objective of this RFP is to provide the Town with qualified proposers capable of carrying
out the work herein defined. The subsequent proposer submissions will form the basis for
evaluation, interview, and selection.
1.3 Background
Morristown is a rural town of approximately 5,800 people located in the center of
Lamoille County and serves as the region's center for commerce, services, and State
of Vermont branch offices. The population makes up almost one-quarter of Lamoille
County’s population. Morristown has an incorporated village, Morrisville, within the
town. Morristown is home to Copley Hospital, the major employer in the community.
Morristown’s last full market analysis was completed in 2003. The economic
underpinnings of the community and the larger region have changed significantly
since this time. A full market analysis of Morristown and Morrisville is a critical tool
needed for the continued redevelopment and revitalization of Morrisville. Without an
updated market analysis, Morristown has no way of knowing if another food retailer,
sporting goods store, or other business gap exists in Morristown or in downtown
Morrisville. . As a subset of the market analysis, special attention must be given to
strengths, weaknesses and gaps in downtown Morrisville, including a feasibility
analysis of the viability of a food coop in downtown Morrisville. This feasibility
study is needed before limited available funds are spent on this endeavor by the
Morristown Food Co-op (MoCo), which is an active group of engaged citizens that
desire to return a grocery store to the Village in the form of a food co-op. The vision
for MoCo, if feasible, includes a downtown Morrisville retail location with a large
produce section, a bakery, a butcher shop, dry and cold storage, community space and
retail food coop market, along with a compost production/waste management system
supporting the prepared foods.
In the spring of 2011, the Town of Morristown participated in the Vermont Council
on Rural Development’s Community Visit Program, a structured process that enables
a community to identify and prioritize goals, fosters local leadership, and with a track
record that proves it serves as a catalyst for the development and realization of
concrete, achievable action plans. Over 150 participants engaged in the three month
Community Visit process, identifying four priorities for future actions, including
Redevelop Empty Downtown Buildings & Developing a Morristown Food Coop /
Organize the Food Industry. The requested market study and subset food coop
feasibility analysis allows the Town to efficiently address both of these issues that
were prioritized during the Community Visit process. Gaining the knowledge of
what new businesses are likely to succeed in Morristown, in downtown Morrisville
and determining if a food co-op located therein is feasible is of paramount importance
to the local government and multiple town committees.
Post Community Visit, a Downtown Buildings Task Force and Morristown Food
Coop Committee, both comprised of local citizens were formed. Both groups have
been holding regular monthly meetings to rejuvenate the underutilized properties in
downtown Morrisville and to examine establishing a food coop to serve Morristown
residents and the surrounding communities (with the co-op ideally being located in
one of the underutilized downtown buildings). This RFP is the result of the both of
the citizen led committees joining forces to efficiently garner needed technical
assistance. The MoCo Committee has been particularly active, focusing on: outreach
and securing active committee members; researching community, regional, and state
business development support options; meeting with established cooperatives to
examine what has ensured their success, and; creating a community-based vision for
MoCo . Both committees feel that it is in our best interest to obtain a new market
analysis and to conduct a formal feasibility study in order to justify the expense of
pursuing a food coop based in downtown Morrisville, while providing potential
financial supporters with quantifiable data supporting the viability of the co-op
endeavor.
1.4 Project Summary
The goal of the project is to conduct a market analysis of Morristown and Morrisville and to
execute a feasibility study of a local food center based in downtown Morrisville, Vermont.
2.0 SCOPE OF WORK
2.1 Consultant Performance
(i) The Town has appointed Tricia Follert as Project Manager, the designated point of
contact for the Consultant.
(ii) Tricia Follert, on behalf of the Town of Morristown will oversee the project.
(iii) The Consultant will participate in one Project Initiation meeting with the Project
Manager, Town staff, MoCo Steering Committee, and key stakeholders (as identified
by the Project Manager), to review milestones, confirm deliverables and establish
project protocols. The Project Initiation meeting will be held at the Town Offices and
at the Town’s discretion, may be conducted during normal business hours or in the
evening.
(iv) The Consultant will prepare a Market Analysis Study to include findings as specified in
the Scope of Work, in Section 2.2 and 2.3, and at the Town’s discretion. The
Consultant will review the findings of the Market Analysis in one meeting with the
Town and designated stakeholders.
(v) During the preparation of Final Market Analysis Study, and through the coordination
with the Project Manager, the Consultant will meet up to 3 times with the group on
site during the performance of the work to review project progress and status and
will provide hour long conference calls monthly
(vi) Provide (3) three paper copies of the Final Market Analysis Study, with additional
provisions of all information in Microsoft Office, Adobe PDF, or other formats as
directed by the project manager. All materials and documents provided in the Scope
of Work shall become the property of the Town.
2.2 Morristown Market Analysis
The Town is seeking a Market Analysis Study that takes into consideration (but is not limited
to) the following criteria:
1. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of the economy
of Morristown shall be conducted.
2. The Morristown SWOT analysis shall identify the potential business opportunities
that build on the town’s existing manufacturing company base (ex. MSI has been
very successful doing exactly this).
3. The Morristown SWOT analysis shall also identify any impediments to the growth
from the Town’s existing business base related to infrastructure.
4. A separate SWOT analysis of the economy of Morrisville shall be conducted that
pays special attention to the downtown CB zoning district.
5. The Morrisville SWOT analysis shall examine the existing business base in the
downtown (ex. the Bijou, the sporting goods stores and restaurants) and offer an
opinion about services or products that these businesses could offer to improve their
prospects.
6. The Morrisville SWOT analysis shall identify business gaps in the downtown and
offer an opinion if a new business filling said gap could be viable (ex. another
clothing store, a white-tablecloth restaurant, a wine bar, other service or retail
opportunities).
7. The Morrisville SWOT analysis shall pay special attention to the opportunities
created by the pending construction of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which bisects
the northern end of the downtown business district.
8. The Morrisville SWOT analysis shall examine if the downtown business base could
better capitalize on its proximity to Stowe.
9. Both SWOT analyses shall examine the potential benefits and detriments that the
under construction Morrisville Bypass limited access highway will have on the
Town’s Uptown businesses and the Village’s downtown businesses.
10. Both SWOT analyses shall offer suggestions on how to best capitalize on the pending
Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.
11. Both SWOT analyses shall explore the relationship between the uptown and the
downtown. Do they cater to different businesses, or does uptown cannibalize the
downtown business base?
12. Both SWOT analyses shall examine if allowing the addition of new retail
opportunities in the newly created Airport Business zoning district or the Business
Enterprise zoning district would have a detrimental impact on the downtown or
uptown businesses districts.
13. Both SWOT analyses shall employ a weeklong zip code survey during the month of
September, which will breakdown where the current customer base lives and offers
suggestions of untapped markets.
2.3 MoCo Feasibility Study
The Town is seeking a Feasibility Study that takes into consideration (but is not limited to)
the following criteria:
(i) A feasibility study of locating a food coop in downtown Morrisville, as a
subset of the market analysis, including:
a. Level of interest and support from the community
b. Financial viability of MoCo
c. Specific goods and services desired by consumers
d. Analysis of what MoCo can provide that is not already available at
existing food vendors in Morristown (Hannaford’s, Price Chopper, Green
Top Market and Apple Tree Natural Foods).
(ii) An assessment of provided potential coop locations; including:
a. Visibility
b. Building size requirements
c. Cost/benefit analysis of downtown Morrisville location
d. Access to parking
e. Utilities access
f. Truck loading/unloading
g. Permitting requirements
(iii)Supplier and vendor assessment, including:
a. Inventory of major grocery store suppliers and distributors
b. Inventory of local farmers, particularly noting farms that participate in
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs and
yourfarmstand.com.
c. Inventory of farmers market vendors
(iv) Financial budgets and projections, including:
a. Evaluation of associated costs including; real estate purchase,
development costs, operation, and maintenance costs
b. Funding options-review all potential public and private funding sources
for the project
c. Availability of capital and willingness of members and lenders to invest
d. Development of a financial model, including:
1.
Sources and Uses Budget
2.
Pro Forma Budget
(v) Evaluation of available talent, both for organizing and operations, to include:
a. Analysis of planning phase volunteers, committee members, etc.
b. Analysis of potential operational phase staff/availability of appropriately
skilled workforce.
(vi) Analysis of the potential opportunities and barriers to implementation.
(vii) Detailed plan for moving forward with the Coop from vision to
implementation.
2.4 Client Reporting
The Consultant will provide monthly project memoranda, updating the progress of the
Project, preferably via e-mail. In addition, the Consultant will e-mail a written monthly report
to be distributed to the MoCo Steering Committee. Format of periodic reporting will be
confirmed at the Project Initiation meeting.
2.5 Term of Contract
Proposals for a five-month agreement are being sought. Upon selection of the Consultant, the
Town and Consultant will enter into an agreement for a period of up to five months beginning
August 1, 2012 and ending December 1, 2012 unless otherwise amended by the Town. All
costs will remain fixed for the term of the contract period. The contract shall include a 30-day
termination clause.
3.0 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
3.1 Submission Details
RESPONSE TO THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING:
Those firms interested in providing professional services for this project must submit one (1)
electronic PDF copy of their proposal via email or on a Compact Disc or Jump Drive and the
proposal must include the items specifically enumerated in section 3.2. The proposal should be
submitted to:
Town of Morristown
P.O. Box 748
43 Portland St.
Morrisville, VT 05661
(802) 888-6669 x 231
Attention: Tricia Follert, Community Development Coordinator
at:
tfollert@morristownvt.org
Proposals shall be clearly titled Request for Proposal for Morristown Market Analysis and
delivered on or before 1 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), July 26, 2012. Please do not fax
proposals. The Town shall not be responsible for late delivery of a proposal under any condition.
Late proposals will not be considered.
3.2 Proposal Development
(i) Required Content of proposal:
The detailed requirements set forth in the Proposal Format are mandatory. Failure
by any Proposer to respond to a specific requirement may result in disqualification.
The Town reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals. Proposers are
reminded that proposals will be considered exactly as submitted. Points of
clarification will be solicited from proposers at the discretion of the Town. Those
proposals determined not to be in compliance with provisions of this RFP and the
applicable law and/or regulations will not be processed.
All costs incurred by the proposer associated with RFP preparations and subsequent
interviews and/or negotiations, which may or may not lead to execution of an
agreement, shall be borne entirely and exclusively by the proposer.
The information and proposed budget for the consultant selected for contract award
will form the basis for negotiation of a contract. The Town reserves the right to
issue a contract without further negotiation using the information contained in
the RFP. Failure of a prospective contractor to accept this method of contract
development will result in cancellation of the award.
(ii) Proposal format:
The proposal format requirements were developed to aid Proposers in their proposal
development. They also provide a structured format so reviewers can systematically
evaluate several proposals. These directions apply to all proposals submitted.
The purpose of the proposal is to demonstrate the technical capabilities, professional
qualifications, past project experiences, and knowledge within this industry.
Proposer’s proposal must address all the points outlined herein as required, in the
following order.
a. Transmittal Letter: A transmittal letter must be submitted with an Proposers
proposal which shall include:
1. The RFP subject;
2. Name of the firm responding, including mailing address, e-mail address,
telephone number, and names of contact persons;
3. A brief profile of the firm, outlining its history, philosophy, and target
market; and
4. The name of the person or persons authorized to make representations on
behalf of the Proposer, binding the firm to a contract.
b.
References: A minimum of three separate references from past Market Analysis
and or Feasibility Study projects completed must be provided. At least one
reference provided has to be for a Market Analysis project. At least one
reference provided also has to be for a feasibility analysis. The references should
demonstrate success on a specific market analysis services. Consultant project
experience may be provided as part of this requirement. Please include client
contact, date completed and total project cost. . Please note that preference will
be given towards projects completed within the past five years.
c. Technical Proposal: Shall be no more than (15) pages and include in order:
1. A list and description (including graphics and photos) of similar projects
successfully completed by the firm within the last 5 years.
2. An overall description of the strategy and methods by which the firm
intends to approach the project; this shall include detailed examples of
the approach to be taken toward completion of the project, an
explanation of any variances to the proposed scope of work as outlined
in the RFP, and any insights into the project gained as a result of
developing the proposal.
3. Provide the names of any outside consultants and/or subcontractors,
and/or project owners/managers including location of offices, and the
specific individuals to be utilized on this project team. Include a brief
description of their role on the project, and organizational chart and the
resume of project team members.
4. A task analysis for each task indicating the personnel, assigned by
name and title; amount of time to be expended; and joint venture
(including the use of subcontractors). The indicated personnel should
appropriately match the scope of work proposed.
5. A proposed schedule showing the project milestones, deliverables,
various tasks and total time frame proposed to complete the project that
is consistent with Section 2.1 requirements submitted in bar chart
format.
d. Qualifications: Proposer is required to provide a description of the proposed
project team, staff qualifications, experience and credentials:
1. A brief description of the firm, organization structure, location of
principal offices, number of professional personnel.
2. A qualification summary containing a description of the firm’s
qualifications and the resumes of all key personnel and anticipated
personnel to be employed on this project including their longevity with
the firm.
3. The name and relevant experience of the principal in charge.
4. The name and relevant experience of the project manager who will have
direct and continued responsibility for the project. This person will be
the Town’s contact on all matters dealing with the project and will
handle all day-to-day activities from project initiation to completion.
5. A brief description ensuring the consistency of the consulting team
personnel assigned to the project.
e. Costs: A Cost Proposal consisting of:
1. The firm’s standard hourly rate fee schedule. Also, include the standard
hourly rate fee schedule for each team member.
2. A composite schedule, by task, of direct labor hours.
3. An itemized schedule of all expenses, including both labor and direct
expenses. If the use of sub-consultants is proposed, a separate
schedule of expenses must be provided for each sub-consultant.
3.3 Proposal Evaluation Criteria
The Town will evaluate proposals based on the factors outlined within Section 3.3, which
shall be applied to all eligible, responsive proposals in selecting the successful Proposer. The
Town reserves the right to disqualify any proposal for, but not limited to, person or persons it
deems as non responsive and/or non responsible; a failure to respond to each section; or
who’s experience does not describe the competencies required. The Town reserves the right
to make such investigations of the qualifications of the proposer as it deems appropriate.
Award of any bid may be made without discussion with proposers after responses are
received. The Town reserves the right to cease contract negotiations if it is determined that
the proposer cannot perform services specified in their response. Proposal evaluation criteria
will be grouped into percentage factors as follows:
(i) Quality of Proposal (Maximum 25 points)
a. This criterion will evaluate the consultant’s understanding of the overall project
and their proposed approach to the project within each major element defined in
the Scope of Services.
b. Proposer’s responsiveness to the proposal requirements and guidelines.
(ii) Technical Capabilities and Specialized Knowledge (Maximum 25 points)
a. This criterion involves an evaluation of the technical capabilities and specialized
knowledge needed to successfully perform the specified Scope of Services, and a
review of the proposing firm’s demonstrated previous ability to deliver the work
required in a timely and proficient manner. Specifically, the Town will evaluate
firm’s capabilities of providing the following in a professional, successful, and
timely manner:
1. Experience in market analyses and feasibility studies for public and
private entities of comparable scope and complexity;
2. Project strategies and methodologies proposed to be used;
3. Cost of professional services;
4. Completeness of the submission’s requested information and
documentation; and
5. Any other factors the Town deems relevant and appropriate in its
decision-making process.
b. The Consultant’s past performance, overall capabilities, and references
submitted in the proposal will also be evaluated.
(iii) Professional Qualifications, Knowledge, and Experience (Maximum 25 points)
a. This criterion involves an evaluation of the qualifications, knowledge, and
experience of the Principal, Project Manager, and professional staff assigned to
this project. It will involve a review of the background, experience, performance
records, competence, and integrity of the firm, as well as an assessment of the
qualifications of the project team who will be responsible for the performance of
the Scope of Services. The overall team capacity, balance, and organization will
also be evaluated. This factor will also include an assessment of the availability
and ability of the firm (including the Project Manager and key personnel) to
perform the Scope of Services in a timely manner.
(iv) Morristown Food Coop Steering Committee Collaboration (Maximum 25 points)
a. Collaboration with stakeholders such as the MoCo Steering Committee is an
integral part of this process and proposals should appropriately reflect this aspect.
b. Particular consideration will be given to the proposal that best exemplifies an
appropriate and creative stakeholder participation element.
4.0 SELECTION PROCESS
4.1 Review and Presentation
The Town will review the proposal submittals. Depending on the number of proposals received,
the Town may elect to interview all of the responding Consultants, or develop a preferred list, to
be interviewed by the Town and participating stakeholders.
4.2 Award of Contract
The Town will award the contract in the manner which will obtain the highest quality of service
at the most competitive price. Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria in Section 3.3.
4.3 Contract Negotiation
The selected Consultant will be responsible for developing and submitting a detailed Project
Scope and Time Schedule to be included in the contract documents. This scope and schedule
shall be consistent with the requirements of this RFP and is subject to approval by the Town.
4.4 Further Information
For additional information or to answer questions relative to this project, please contact Tricia Follert,
Morristown Community and Economic Development Coordinator at (802) 888-6669 x 231 or via email at
tfollert@morristownvt.org.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this
institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin,
age, disability, religion, sex, and familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all
programs.)
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, 1400
Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice)
or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).