Macon-Bibb County’s Procurement Department, Attorney’s Office, and Office of Small Business Affairs (OSBA) will offer assistance for small and local businesses on the Rosa Parks Square Renovations RFP, as well as how they can become a Certified Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE). The coaching session will take place Thursday, December 8, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. in Commission Chambers at City Hall (700 Poplar Street).
“We are using the Rosa Parks Square RFP as what we hope will be the first in many similar technical sessions to help our small and local businesses better understand an RFP and make a qualified bid,” says OSBA Director Charise Stephens, who says attendees will be given a tour of the Park and an in-depth discussion of its potential. “Rosa Parks Square is one of our great Downtown parks, and thanks to the Macon Action Plan, will undergo a major renovation that will make it an even greater hub of activity for our community.”
During the session, participants will learn about and start the SLBE certification process. For more information about the program, click here. The Procurement Department will talk with attendees about how to properly respond to an RFP and talk them through how the overall process works.
“We want to make sure our small and local business owners are part of Team Macon-Bibb and making these major improvements to our community, and these sessions – which we intend to have moving forward with other projects – will give them that chance,” adds Stephens.
About the Rosa Parks Square Renovation
A design for Rosa Parks Square was identified as part of the Macon Action Plan as way to make it more usable for residents, businesses, and visitors, while making sure it remains a place where people can reflect on and learn about our history through the plaques, markers, and monuments there.
“We want to create a vibrant public space in the center of our Downtown that draws people to it, and while there, they have the chance to learn from the lessons of our past,” says Alex Morrison, Executive Director of the Urban Development Authority.
About the Macon Action Plan
The Macon Action Plan (MAP) is a comprehensive, community-driven plan that envisions the future of Macon’s historic downtown and intown neighborhoods. More than 2,500 people contributed to the Macon Action Plan through in-person sessions, interviews, surveys, small group meetings, and through the 21-person steering committee. They helped craft a collective vision for the future and identify key actions for change to make our shared vision become reality.
Development began in 2014, and the Plan was originally published in October 2015. It was updated in 2020 with new input from our ever-growing community members and downtown businesses. Since the completion of the first plan for Macon’s Urban Core, Downtown has seen $5 million in foundation grants, and more than $400 million of additional public and private investment in Downtown. So far, 92 percent of the strategies from the original plan have been implemented.
About the Small Local Business Enterprise Program
The SLBE Program is a race and gender-neutral procurement tool for Macon-Bibb County’s use in its efforts to ensure that all segments of its local business community have a reasonable and significant opportunity to participate in County contracts for construction, architectural and engineering services, professional services, non-professional services, and commodities. It also furthers the County’s public interest to foster effective broad-based competition from all segments of the vendor community, including but not limited to, minority business enterprises, small business enterprises, and local business enterprises.
There is no application fee for SLBE certification. All applications for certification must be accompanied by a sworn affidavit attesting to the accuracy and truthfulness of the information provided. Macon-Bibb County shall provide eligibility determinations for new candidates within 90 days of receipt of a complete application.