Have a business or social enterprise? Or a great idea? BOB can help pay your consultant fees!

Building Opportunities with Business is pleased to announce our new Consultant Fees Program, designed to help businesses and social enterprises gain access to top quality business consulting. If you need advice on building your business plan, marketing plan, project management, sustainability or other key areas BOB has $36,000 to go towards future ventures in the inner-city. Read below for further details.

The purpose of the Consultant Fees Program is to pay for consultant fees on behalf of local businesses and social enterprises to enable a timely response to business opportunities or issues.

Objectives of Business Project Consultant Fees Program:

The funds must be used to hire a qualified external consultant for a project that will strengthen the local business and result in community benefits from business operations in the inner-city, including: employment, procurement, environmental performance, smart growth strategies, increased sales and business viability.
Proposed Program Guidelines

Eligibility

Characteristics of target business and/or social enterprise applicants for the Consultant Fees Program:

• Must be located in one of Vancouver’s inner-city neighbourhoods.
• Existing businesses, start ups or ventures including non-profit owned social enterprises are all eligible.
• The business illustrates market viability including customer contracts, track record of sales and profitability of financial results and/ or funding in place.
• Business and respective principals are in good standing – i.e. legally and financially.
• Business management team has required industry and business expertise and has made a financial and time commitment to the project being considered for funding.
Local businesses and social enterprises should aim for community benefits accruing to Vancouver’s inner-city neighbourhoods, such as:
Procurement and Business Development
o Procures goods and services from inner-city suppliers.
o Currently, or willing to become, a member of BOB Business Directory.
o Implements policy and practices that reduce waste/energy use, increase recycling and re-use materials.
o Produce or provide “green” products or services that are relevant to inner-city residents and neighbourhoods.
Employment of inner-city residents
o Employs and accommodates people with barriers to employment, especially residents of the inner-city.
o A partner of BOB’s HR Services – e.g. SEP, Job Postings, Industry Nights, Business Links, etc.
o HR policy encourages and funds transferrable training of low-income residents.
o Pays a “living wage” – i.e. higher than minimum wage – to all employees.
Investment in inner-city business and community
o Located in the inner-city (e.g. Gastown; Chinatown; Strathcona; Mount Pleasant; False Creek Flats; Downtown South; DTES).
o Donates time and/or money to inner-city community development causes.
o Has displayed a strong track record of corporate environmental and/or social responsibility within the community.
o Invests in the business’ premises – e.g. green building upgrades and/or retrofits.
o Participates in BOB’s industry clusters.

Application and disbursement process

Submission of a Letter of Interest which should be no more than 1-3 pages to:

brian.smith@bobics.org

In your letter of interest please include:

1. A brief overview of the business: the stage of growth, target clients, # of employees, product and service offering, etc.
• Explain how the funds will be used, why this is necessary for business development, what the impact will be, and what the timeline for completion of each activity will be. Project must be completed by September 15th, 2010.
• Provide success measures indicate willingness to report on outcomes.
• Explain link between the proposed project and community benefits in the inner-city– i.e. jobs for local residents, procurement from local businesses, location in the DTES, etc.
• Explain consultant selection process: criteria used, etc. Or if the applicant has already selected a consultant justify the decision and consultant qualifications. Attach bios and/or CVs.
• Provide a project budget, total cost, amount requested from BOB, applicant contribution including in-kind and/or cash.
• Add any other considerations the applicant feels BOB needs to take into account to render a decision.
2. The completed Letter of Interest will be forwarded to BOB’s Review Committee for consideration among other proposals received.
3. The Committee may ask for more information or make a decision based on the information at hand and/or instruct the Business and Social Enterprise Developer to proceed accordingly.
4. The Business and Social Enterprise Developer will notify the approved applicants of the decision and prepare the contract between BOB, the applicant, and the consultant, as appropriate.
Other parameters of this Consultant Fees Program:
• Seminar/information session on the local green economy: June 22nd, 10:30-11:30am, at BOB (163 East Pender), attendance is recommended but not required.
• Application Deadline: June 25th, 2010, 5pm.
• Please submit your Letter of Interest, by email, to BOB’s Social Enterprise Developer <brian.smith@bobics.org>
• Maximum amount is $10,000 per client, although BOB is looking to contribute to 5-8 applicants, from a total of $36,000 available.
• Preference will be given to projects that will help Vancouver achieve its goal of being the Greenest City.

For more information regarding this program contact: brian.smith@bobics.org

For more information on starting a business or social enterprise in Vancouver’s historic inner-city visit www.buildingopportunities.org