Request for Proposal: Chamber Seeks Empower Facilitator

Responses Due: Close of business (5:00 pm EST), September 10, 2021.

Background: EMPOWER is a 10-month cohort which blends professional business coaching with innovative curriculum and problem solving, designed exclusively for mid- to upper-level management women business leaders. It guides participants as they identify their own leadership strengths, values and goals, while empowering them to eliminate barriers to advancement. The fourth cohort of Empower is scheduled to begin September 30,2021 with 25 participants.

Scope of Work: The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce (“Chamber”) is seeking a qualified facilitator to provide the following consultative services to support EMPOWER for a contracted
period of one-year, with two automatic annual renewals subject to performance. The term will begin September 20, 2021.

Facilitate opening retreat (incl. overnight stay).
- 2021 Date: September 30th (2:00 pm) through October 1st (9:00 am – 4:00 pm).
Facilitate closing retreat
- 2022 Date: June 24th (9:00 am – 4:00 pm).

Desired Goals of the Retreats:

Establish a safe space for leaders to share their personal and professional goals, challenges and stories.
Promote cohort bonding- begin to establish connections that will build over the course of the cohort journey.
Outline goals of the program- including surveying the class for desired topics to cover.
Peel back the “public persona” of these leaders to provide an opportunity for genuine & honest sharing and feedback.
Establish boundaries for the retreat experiences- taking into account diverse experiences and backgrounds of cohort members.
Closing retreat only – synthesize the 10 months’ learnings and provide an opportunity to reflect on the journey while planning for the next steps, how to take these learnings into the next stages of their careers.

Request for Proposal Criteria: Each Request for Proposal (RFP) will be evaluated according to the following criteria by a committee including staff and Chamber volunteers:

Facilitator is connected to a Chamber member organization in good standing.
Prior success in facilitating group retreats service for its clients. Applicants should highlight examples.
Experience and qualifications of the facilitator.
Fees and costs per opening and closing retreats. Lodging for opening retreat and meals provided by the Chamber. Time estimated at approximately 20 hours of hands on instruction/facilitation over both sessions.

Submittal Requirements: Interested firms should submit a written proposal, which includes:

Maximum of two pages to address the RFP criterion (1-4 above) and plan for reaching desired goals in scope of work.
Proposal Due Date: September 10, 2021.
Proposal Time: 5:00 pm EST
Submissions must be returned via .pdf in an email by the due date.

Please remit to: Stephanie Keinath (skeinath@dacc.org).

Follow-up phone / virtual interviews may be requested selected firms between September 13 and 16, 2021. A final decision is projected for September 16, 2020. If no firms match criterion,
Chamber holds the right to extend the RFP bid due date.

Questions must be submitted directly to skeinath@dacc.org. Responses will be shared with all respondents.

Download/Print this RFP.