Launch Loudoun Issues Request for Business Service Providers

REQUEST FOR Service Providers: DED is creating a database of qualified vendors to participate in the Launch Loudoun Technical Assistance Pilot Program from Spring of 2025 to the Fall of 2026. This pilot program will connect vetted Launch Loudoun clients with an identifiable need for technical support services with a pre-determined list of Loudoun-based(1) service providers.   

TIMELINE: 

• Request Released: Monday, April 7, 2025 

• Applications due no later than COB Friday, April 18th, 2025, and should be submitted through this link.  

• Services to begin Summer 2025 through 2026 

This outreach effort is an opportunity to be selected as a chosen vendor of the pilot program. The goal of the program is to subsidize the payment of services that get at the heart of the five key areas of Launch Loudoun: Sales/Marketing, Finance, Legal, HR/Workforce and Ownership/Leadership. Payments will not be made for fees associated with the everyday cost of doing business (e.g. interest payments, application fees, debt) or one-time events or actions that are not working towards stability or growth for the small business. Chosen vendors will be paid a subsidized rate of $75.00 per hour for a pre-determined number of hours with the option to charge market rate for any hours above the program’s approved limit.  

Business Categories and Focus Areas: Please choose no more than 3 focus areas under a business category. Please note that businesses who choose multiple focus areas under multiple categories may be chosen for only one category or one focus area or not at all. Please choose those areas of your business that are most aligned with the overall Launch Loudoun program goals and most fitting for start-up and early-stage businesses.  

1. Marketing and Sales 

• Website creation 
• Website updates 
• SEO  
• Public Relations 
• Advertising – Traditional or Digital  
• E-Commerce  
• Brand creation or update (including logos)  
• Print or digital materials – design and print services  
• Grant writing / Proposal writing 
• Translation services  

What is NOT included:  

• Event Management 
• Branded Materials – Ordering (Design can be included)  

2. Finance 

• Bookkeeping – Set-up or ongoing  
• Accounting  
• Tax preparation or review 
• Accounting software support  
• Inventory or ordering processes or systems  
• Credit builder programs  
• Grant writing  
• Financial projections for loan or grant applications  

What is NOT included:  

• Payment of debt 
• Application fees 
• Interest payments 

3.  HR/Workforce  

• Writing or evaluating job descriptions 
• Workers’ compensation support  
• Employee retention programs  
•  Payroll services  
• Health and wellness programs  
• EAP programs  
• Translation services  

What’s NOT included:  

• Workforce salary studies 
• Employee/Owner compensation  

4. Legal 

• Franchise support/agreements 
• Lease or mortgage document review/creation  
• Partnership agreements 
• Business filings (LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, foreign entities etc.)  
• Immigration 
• Intellectual Property  
• Employment law  
• Contract review or creation  

What’s NOT included:  

• Business or real estate litigation   

5. Ownership/Leadership 

• Leadership coaching 
• Public speaking training 
• Pitch deck or presentation support or training  
• Sales training 
• Organizational management/leadership review  
• Work/Life balance training  
• Health and Wellness programs  

What’s NOT included:  

• Retreats 
• Conferences 
• Travel  

6. OTHER – The program will also support the following critical areas 

• Business Plan – writing, editing or review  
• Cybersecurity or other technology services  

Examples of Projects:  

• A new restaurant owner could apply for support with setting up a new Point-of-Sales system with inventory tracking that connects directly to their accounting system. The Technical Services Pilot Program could support payments to the vendors setting up the sales and inventory systems and/or the accountant/bookkeeper setting up the new accounting system. The program would NOT support the ordering of the inventory, uniforms for employees or the fees associated with operating a Point-of-Sales system or the monthly subscription for said services.  

• A tech company has created a new widget and is getting ready to market their new product. The company could apply for support in getting their widget’s intellectual property protected as well as the creation and/or protection of a logo or other creation of other marketing materials. The program would NOT support the ordering of the boxes or labels for said widget or ongoing or monthly maintenance fees for the website.  

• A small medical office is getting ready to hire its first employees and applies for support in creating job descriptions and setting up a new payroll system that directly connects to their accounting system. The program would support the fee for drafting the job descriptions, the set-up fee for the payroll system or the work needed from a bookkeeper or accountant to establish the connection to the accounting system. The program would NOT support the monthly fees for the payroll system or any salaries or compensation of employees of the business. 

All requests to participate from vendors as well as all requests for financial support will be evaluated against program criteria, Launch Loudoun’s goals, Department of Economic Development’s mission, vision and values, County policies and procedures, and ARPA policies and procedures. Loudoun County reserves the right to approve or deny vendors and/or requests for funding that do not align with any of the above areas of review and at any time in the process.   

Vendors who wish to participate must fill out the form linked below and agree to all of the following terms and conditions:  

1. Participation in the program is not a guarantee of selection for any individual project. An approved contractor will conduct matchmaking services that will determine which vendors are most appropriate for each approved project.  
2. Adherence to all program, County, State and ARPA guidelines. 
3. Be a business offering services in one of the listed areas and be verified by the Commission of the Revenue as licensed and in good standing.  
4. Acceptance of subsidized rate for no more than 10 hours per approved project. 
5. Meet with potential program participants for no more than one hour at no charge to scope the project and provide back to program and client an estimate of work, hours, and fees above the subsidized rate. The goal of the program is that each approved project has at least two and no more than 4 vendors matched that will meet with the Launch Loudoun client before a decision is made(2).  
6. Complete after-project survey and provide data as requested by DED or its chosen contractor pertaining to the approved project and associated work(3). 
7. Receive payment for services via electronic funds transfer.  
8. Attend at least one training session for the program and be available for a minimum of two Launch Loudoun Lunch and Learns or other agreed upon events where chosen vendors will be able to provide a brief overview of the services they offer.  

Vendors will be asked to choose areas of specialty (no more than 3) within the overall program categories. This will ensure the best possible matches are made for the approved projects. Vendors interested in the program should understand and be willing to work with Launch Loudoun clients who are new to the process of hiring and retaining service providers, and/or early in their business growth. This program’s success is dependent on clear and ongoing communication between all parties participating.  

While participation in the program does not guarantee a vendor will be chosen for a project, the hope is that vendors also have the opportunity to meet potential new long-term clients and build more lasting relationships beyond the pilot program. A subset of the chosen vendors will also have the opportunity to participate in the Launch Loudoun Small Business Summit on Tuesday, May 6th and provide a preview of the work they will be doing as part of the pilot program. Chosen vendors will be featured on all program materials and in promotional opportunities through DED.  

Applications will be accepted through April 18th at 11:59pm. Once the application closes all vendors will be reviewed and vetted. All applicants will be alerted of their status, and those chosen for participation will be asked to choose a time to attend program training. Those not chosen may request a response from DED.  

SAMPLE APPLICATION: 

1. Company Name 
2. Owner Name 
3. Primary Contact for Program (if not Owner)  
4. Phone 
5. Email 
6. Business Address 
7. EIN  
8. Languages – If you have the ability to offer services in languages other than English and are comfortable doing so, please indicate those languages below: 
9. What communities do you identify with or consider yourself a part of? (Optional) 
   1. Asian-Owned Business 
   2. Black-Owned Business 
   3. Disability-Owned Business 
   4. Hispanic-Owned Business 
   5. Minority-Owned Business 
   6. Native American-Owned Business 
   7. Veteran-Owned Business 
   8. Woman-Owned Business 
10. Website  
11. Social media channels 
12. Narrative: Please briefly describe why you are interested in the Technical Services Pilot Program and what you hope to get out of participation. (250 words or less)  

Launch Loudoun Overview:  Launch Loudoun, a program of Loudoun Economic Development (DED), provides experiences and services for Loudoun entrepreneurs through the entire lifecycle of their small business. Find value in Day 1 and Day 1,001 via large-scale events, targeted programs, partner counseling, and personalized 1-on-1 services with industry specialists. We create an environment of success for businesses of all sizes and circumstances, targeting the core focus areas of entrepreneurial business growth: finance, legal, human resources/workforce, sales/marketing, and ownership/leadership. Loudoun Economic Development is excited to utilize this program to launch the next #LoudounPossible success story. 

To support the Launch Loudoun program, DED was provided American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)(4) dollars to allow programming and events to be produced and available throughout the County, materials provided in multiple languages, technical assistance offered to both groups and individual businesses, bring in trainers and speakers in the key areas, and support specific tools for business stability and growth. Through Launch Loudoun, DED hopes to increase participation by and support for rural, woman and minority-owned business across the County. 

Since its inception in May 2023, Launch Loudoun has seen over 3,100 attendees at programs and events, served over 293 individual businesses with over 43% of those served being minority-owned.  

A consistent need that Launch Loudoun hopes to address with this pilot program is a dedicated referral service that minimizes the cost burden to small businesses accessing critical technical support services. As an example, when a business attends a 1-on-1 meeting with DED staff or attends a Launch Loudoun event they often have questions about specific tasks or concerns they have with one of the five core focus areas of the Launch Loudoun program(5): finance, legal, human resources/workforce, sales/marketing, and ownership/leadership. They may need help reviewing or executing their first lease, help writing a business plan or preparing financial documents for their first loan or grant application, marketing support to get a website or e-commerce platform running, accounting support, or other professional services. 

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(1) Non-Loudoun based businesses will be considered on a case-by-case basis where a Loudoun-based business is not available to offer the same or similar services in the chosen category.  

(2) Each Launch Loudoun client will be allowed to apply for up to two projects in the core focus areas. Each project can be approved for up to five hours of service with limitations based on the type of service requested and the stage of the business applying for support. Business will be identified by a unique EIN. Business owners with multiple unique businesses will only be approved for one project for one business and added to a wait list if funds remain later in the program cycle.

(3) All information provided to or used by DED can and should be considered a public record for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) purposes. Please reach out to DED prior to your response to discuss proprietary or confidential information that could be contained in your response.

(4) The chosen vendors will be receiving payment from the County of Loudoun of revenues from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program (SLFRF) established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) pursuant to sections 602 and 603 of the Social Security Act, as added by Section 9901, Public Law 117-2, codified at 42 U.S.C. 802 et. Seq. (March 11, 2021). 

The third parties use of funds received as direct payment from the County pursuant to sections 602(c)(1) and 603(c)(1) of the Social Security Act will be used only to cover those costs that: 

• Respond to its negative economic impacts, and; 

• Have been approved by County Staff. 

Funds received as a direct payment from the County pursuant to this agreement must adhere to official federal guidance issued or to be issued regarding what constitutes a necessary expenditure. 

As a condition of receiving the SLFRF funds pursuant to this contract/certification, the chosen vendor shall retain documentation of all uses of the funds, including but not limited to payroll records, invoices, and/or sales receipts and must report on all uses of funds, and must maintain proper accounting records. 

(5) https://biz.loudoun.gov/launch-loudoun/