Vendors needed to help with OKC Rescue Program

The OKC Rescue Program launched last week, and already we’ve seen more than 200 applications from businesses and nonprofits seeking COVID relief. One of the most popular elements of the relief program is technical assistance, where we match our applicants with local vendors to provide needed business services. As we anticipate many more applications in the weeks and months to come, we are looking for additional technical support vendors in Oklahoma City.

Technical assistance can provide the business or nonprofit up to $15,000 in services such as marketing, a new website, human resources, financial, business planning and architecture and engineering services through pre-screened local vendors. The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City qualifies the vendors, matches them to the business or nonprofit on an approved scope of work, then pays the vendor at completion. It’s a win-win; the funds provide much-needed services for the nonprofit or business and the dollars stay local, paying professionals in our community for the services they provide.

Already, we’ve seen high demand for accountants and media/marketing services from our applicants. We are especially looking vendors who have some experience with small businesses, minority-owned businesses and businesses in low-income census tracts. Vendors with Spanish language proficiency are encouraged to apply.

Local subject-matter experts provide technical assistance in these areas and more:

· Accounting and financial advice and services

· Website, social media and marketing

· IT support for remote work, file storage and improved access

· Human resources advice, updates to policy, hiring assistance and benefits

· Legal best practices, contracting and service agreements

· Architecture and engineering services to adapt, expand or renovate space

We first offered technical assistance for the COVID relief programs we developed in 2020 and had almost immediate success stories. A dry cleaner received a new website with easy online ordering, a non-profit received help updating their employee manual to address new remote work guidelines and a dentist received digital and social ads to reach new patients. Small businesses and nonprofits have shown true resilience; they also report that having professional assistance in these key areas has enabled them to rebound faster from COVID impacts.

The Alliance for economic development has an open RFQ on our website for these service providers at https://bit.ly/OKC-Rescue-Vendors. The architecture and engineering RFQ is here: https://bit.ly/OKC-Rescue-AE-RFP.