The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation (WTHP) is requesting Statements of Qualifications from professional consulting firms (hereinafter called “Consultants”) with expertise in economic analysis in a historic preservation context for the purpose of developing a report outlining the impact the Washington State Main Street Program (WSMSP) and state-designated Main Street communities in Washington State have had on local economies and the state economy over the last 35 years.

Program Background
Since 1984, the WSMSP has been helping communities revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their downtown commercial districts in Washington State. In 2010, the program was moved from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation (DAHP), which elects to contract program management to the WTHP.

Substantial growth has occurred since 2010 in terms of the number of local communities involved in the WSMSP network. In the period of six years, the program grew from 11 to 33 designated Washington Main Street Communities. There are an additional 28 towns involved as Affiliates of the program, a designation that indicates their interest in Main Street but does not come with the same slate of services or requirements as does the Community designation.

Washington Main Street Communities have access to a unique local funding resource called the Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program. The tax credit program provides a Business & Occupation (B&O) or Public Utility Tax (PUT) credit of 75% for contributions given to Washington Main Street Communities. This is a significant state resource that provides operational and programmatic funding for local Main Street efforts in Washington State.

Project Objective
The economic impact study will quantify, qualify, and present the economic value of the WSMSP to the State of Washington and to local communities across the state. It will summarize the program’s impact over its 35-year history, present meaningful data related to economic development in a historic preservation context, and highlight success stories from local programs. The economic impact study will be a respected tool for the WTHP and DAHP to utilize when speaking with both public and private stakeholders about the value of the WSMSP.

Scope of Work
The Consultant shall utilize data collected from Washington Main Street Communities and additional sources to present new jobs, business growth, building rehabilitations, public and private investment, tax base, and additional metrics to be defined upon project initiation. Overall return on investment calculations are desired for the WSMSP and for an average local program in Washington, if applicable.

Data analysis will be paired with qualitative elements, including testimonials and case studies that highlight the value of WSMSP and local Main Street programs. The Consultant will work under the guidance of WTHP staff to identify persons and communities to feature prior to soliciting testimonials and case study information.

The culminating report will be drafted and designed by the Consultant. The Consultant will also work closely with the WTHP to implement a roll-out plan for the final report, including a plan for utilizing the report to strategically improve and grow the WSMSP.

Deliverables
The primary deliverable is a report detailing the impact of the WSMSP. It shall include information about the state of the program, general information about the value of Main Street nationwide, as well as the quantitative and qualitative impacts outlined above. The Consultant will provide draft documents for review and comment prior to final deliverable.

Work Requirements
The Consultant will need, and is solely responsible for, obtaining all necessary data (e.g. demographics, income, sales tax, etc.) not readily available through the WSMSP quarterly statistics reporting process. This may also include coordination directly with staff from Washington Main Street Communities regarding case study material and/or additional or clarified data.

Submittal Process
Qualifications should be prepared as simply as possible and provide a straightforward, concise description of the firm’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFQ. The Qualifications shall include, at a minimum:

  • Company profile outlining history, experience, size, and affiliations of your firm
  • Demonstrated experience in the following areas:
    • Articulating the value of historic preservation and community-centered economic development
    • Measuring the economic impact of local and statewide revitalization efforts
    • Preparing and designing impact reports for Main Street coordinating programs
  • Names, titles, and rates of personnel to be assigned to this project along with estimated hours of involvement
  • List of all subconsultants and resumes for key personnel with estimated hours of work
  • Proposed project schedule
  • The project approach, including comments on schedule and budget, coordination with WTHP, project management, understanding of the work
  • At least three (3) recent project examples, preferably with similar needs in scope and size, including for each project
    • Name, address, and telephone number of contact person for each project
    • Discussion of the scope of work
    • Project budget
    • Responsible persons from your team that worked on the project
    • Identify if project examples resulted in any positive outcomes or identified goals

Request for Qualifications Format
Statements of Qualifications will be submitted electronically to Chris Moore at cmoore@nullpreservewa.org and should include as the subject line: “Washington Main Street Impact Study.” Responses shall be compiled in one email, utilizing a shared file link for multiple attachments, if necessary.

All proposals must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, June 14, 2019. Proposals received after the time and date specified above will not be considered and will be returned unopened to the proposer.

Inquiries Regarding RFQ
All questions and inquiries are to be placed in writing and emailed to Chris Moore at cmoore@nullpreservewa.org.

Anticipated Schedule

  • Deadline for RFQ response: Friday, June 14, 2019
  • Interview of top candidates (if applicable): Beginning week of June 17, 2019
  • Announcement of Final Selection: No later than July 1, 2019
  • Draft impact report delivered: February 10, 2020
  • Final impact report delivered: April 1, 2020

Evaluation Criteria for Qualifications
The following criteria will be used in the evaluation of the consultant:

  • Understanding and approach to project (10 points)
  • Experience and qualification of staff assigned to the project (20 points)
  • Experience with similar projects (20 points)
  • Capacity to perform the work within the anticipated schedule and budget (10 points)

General Terms and Conditions
The following terms and conditions apply to all Statement of Qualifications to provide services to WTHP. WTHP expressly reserves the following rights:

  • To reject any and/or all irregularities in the Statement of Qualifications submitted
  • To reject any or all Statement of Qualifications or portions thereof
  • To base award with due regard to quality of services, experience, compliance with specifications, and other such factors as may be necessary in the circumstances
  • To make the award to any vendor or combination of vendors whose qualifications(s), in the opinion of the WTHP, is in the best interest of the WTHP

All documents, reports, qualifications, submittals, working papers, or other materials prepared by the Consultant pursuant to this RFQ shall become the sole and exclusive property of WTHP, and not the property of the Contractor. The Contractor shall not copyright, or cause to be copyrighted, any portion of said items submitted to the WTHP because of this solicitation.