Third party program management services for the State of Tennessee's small and minority-owned business assistance program
The State intends to secure a contract with one firm or organization to provide program management services for the State of Tennessees Small and Minority-Owned Business Assistance Program, hereinafter referred to as the Program. The Program was created by the Tennessee General Assembly by Chapter 830 of the Tennessee Public Acts of 2004. Chapter 830 required the State to develop by rule an assistance program to support outreach to new, expanding, and existing Qualifying Businesses in Tennessee that do not have reasonable access to capital markets and traditional commercial lending facilities. The State has promulgated such rules and the same are attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference as RFP Attachment 6.6, hereinafter referred to as the Rules.
For purposes of the Program, a Qualifying Business means a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a limited liability partnership, a limited liability corporation, or any other incorporated entity which satisfies the following definitions under the Rules: is not an Ineligible Business; is either a Small Business or a Minority-Owned Business; is eligible to do business in Tennessee; and is located in and maintains operations in Tennessee at the time Program Services are requested and for the term that Program Services are provided.
The Program is comprised of two assistance components: Loans, and Program Services. The entity selected as the Program Manager under this RFP will be responsible for assisting the State with these assistance components as outlined in Paragraphs A and B below. The Program Manager selected under this RFP will also be responsible for providing the marketing, and communication materials and forms for the Program as outlined in Paragraph C below.
