Last week the Village Board of Trustees has authorized me to enter into a contract with Strategic Development Specialists, LLC for one year to perform Grant Writing and Consulting Services.
The Village of Massena issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Grant Writing Services earlier this month which were due to be submitted no later than May 12, 2015. Strategic Development Specialists was one of four firms that submitted proposals to the Village to provide the services for one year.
At a Special Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees held on May 26, 2015, three of the firms were invited to make presentations to board members. After the review of written proposals and considering the presentations, Trustees opted to select Strategic Development Specialists, LLC as the firm the Village would move forward with.
All four firms presented unique opportunities and impressive portfolios. I felt very comfortable with all the proposals submitted, however, after doing our due diligence, the Board of Trustees felt that Strategic Development Specialists was best suited to meet our current needs.
The proposal from Strategic Development Specialists, LLC outlines a monthly fee of $3,500.00 ($ 42,000.00 annually) for services which will include:
- Consultation with the Mayor, other Village officials, department heads, staff and community partners, to ascertain funding needs, prioritize projects and review opportunities
- The research of funding opportunities and coordinating them with the projects and priorities of the village
- Preparation and submittal of grant funding applications and follow through with these applications every step of the way
- Follow up and assistance with the administration of grants and funding
I am pleased with the Village Board’s decision on grant writing. I expect that this will be a significant step forward for this community, in terms of economic development and infrastructure improvements.
In the coming months you will hear much more about this exciting endeavor.