Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Consultant Services

Background
The Upper Shore Regional Council (USRC) is a regional planning and development organization serving Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties in Maryland. Established to foster regional collaboration, USRC supports economic and workforce development, infrastructure planning, and strategic growth initiatives. The goal of this contract is to develop a five-year Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) that will act as a roadmap for regional economic development initiatives across the three counties. This strategy will ensure that USRC and its partners remain competitive for federal funding opportunities by meeting the requirements of an EDA-funded CEDS.

Work Details
The selected consultant will be responsible for the following key tasks:

1. Review and Analysis of Existing Reports & Data: Conduct a situational assessment synthesizing existing economic development plans and reports from the three counties; update demographic, economic, and industry analyses using current data; identify key regional trends, challenges, and opportunities.

2. Stakeholder Engagement & Public Outreach: Conduct public meetings, interviews, and surveys with economic development leaders and community stakeholders; develop outreach materials for diverse representation; provide monthly progress updates to the USRC consultant overseeing the project.

3. SWOT Analysis & Economic Resilience Strategy: Conduct a SWOT analysis addressing economic resilience considering vulnerabilities to downturns and external shocks.

4. Strategic Direction & Action Plan: Develop a vision and mission statement for regional economic development; identify key industries and workforce needs with a focus on infrastructure planning; create an actionable strategy with prioritized initiatives ensuring alignment with EDA CEDS requirements.

5. Evaluation Framework & Implementation Strategy: Establish performance metrics and an implementation roadmap; define roles and responsibilities for local governments, business organizations, and other stakeholders; outline funding strategies to support long-term economic growth.

Period of Performance
The maximum project duration is 12 months, starting from May 1, 2026.

Place of Performance
The contract will be performed across Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties in Maryland.

Bidder Requirements
Qualified firms must demonstrate expertise in regional economic development and strategy development. They should have prior experience in creating CEDS with successful EDA grant-funded projects, conducting industry and workforce research, facilitating public engagement, and developing evaluation frameworks with key performance indicators.