Closed: Request for Proposals for Strong Entrepreneur Ecosystems

RFP 2022-JAII-02

The Innovation Institute, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is issuing the Strong Entrepreneur Ecosystems Solicitation (Solicitation No.2022-JAII-02) to solicit responses from qualified organizations that help entrepreneurs launch and grow companies in Massachusetts  that are interested in receiving grant funding to build or strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems within their communities. Respondents will be competing against each other for grant funding and the submissions of all Respondents shall be compared and evaluated pursuant to the evaluation criteria set forth in this Solicitation; a single Respondent may be selected. 

Known as the Innovation Institute’s “Strong Entrepreneur Ecosystems” initiative, this solicitation is intended to aid Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) or other civic, nonprofit, or academic institutions in their efforts to enhance collaboration among stakeholders in their regional entrepreneur ecosystem to generate local entrepreneurial growth and productivity.

The Innovation Institute’s Strong Entrepreneur Ecosystems initiative aims to aid ESOs in regions across Massachusetts in the development and implementation of strategic plans that:

• enhance connectivity within the supporting infrastructure of local entrepreneur ecosystems;
• address the needs of local entrepreneurs;
• foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship;
• increase employment opportunities; and
• attract private capital to regions across the Commonwealth.

Strategic Plans developed as a result of this solicitation will outline a comprehensive “entrepreneur-led economic development strategy" for targeted regions across Massachusetts. Entrepreneur-led economic development strategies put successful local founders at the heart of development initiatives to understand their unique needs and align startup support organizations and resources in the community around a common mission of helping more local entrepreneurs succeed. These strategies are dependent on feedback loops between entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders, and other local decision makers that ensure local entrepreneur ecosystems address the needs of founders and foster conditions for entrepreneurial success.

Full details included in the RFP below.

Download Application Documents: