Economic Vitality - Small Business Technical Assistance

The City of Pontiac is seeking a qualified organization to strengthen the capacity, sustainability, and long-term success of Pontiac’s small-business community. The selected vendor will provide accessible, individualized business consulting and with a focus on providing technical assistance to help entrepreneurs and existing businesses address operational challenges, improve business practices, connect with available resources, and pursue opportunities for growth. Services should be practical, responsive, and tailored to the needs of businesses at varying stages of development. It is expected that much of the programming offered will be used to provide technical assistance through classes, workshops and individual consultations between business owners and experts in the following areas: general business, human resources, technology, marketing, accounting, and legal services. The project is also intended to expand access to business-support services through bilingual Spanish-English consulting, translated resources, targeted outreach, and culturally responsive marketing. The selected vendor will plan and deliver educational workshops on topics relevant to small-business development. Through coordinated outreach, client tracking, performance reporting, and collaboration with the City of Pontiac and community partners, the project will create a more inclusive and connected support system for local businesses while producing measurable outcomes that can guide future economic-development efforts.