Salt Lake Center of Opportunity Partnership (CO-OP)

Salt Lake County Economic Development (the County) sees an opportunity to grow our economy by providing entrepreneurs & small businesses a path to achieve their potential. The County also acknowledges that certain groups within its boundaries have experienced historical economic opportunity gaps. These groups include, but are not limited to: 
 

• American Indian/Alaska Native  
• Asian/Asian American  
• Black/African American 
• Hispanic/Latino/a/x 
• Middle Eastern/Northern African 
• Multiracial/Biracial 
• Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander  
• White 
• Women  
• LGBTQIA+  
• Persons with disabilities 

We, the County, created the Salt Lake Center of Opportunity Partnership (CO-OP) Program to focus on businesses from communities experiencing economic opportunity gaps, or what we call “Opportunity Businesses.” Our goal is to grow an ecosystem of businesses, community-based organizations, vetted business services, and resources. Therefore, the county benefits when we help Opportunity Businesses access resources available to achieve their objectives. 

 To address this need, we seek partners to provide business outreach and business services to Opportunity Businesses, described as follows:

Business Outreach Partners

Organizations that connect Entrepreneurs and Opportunity Businesses with services and resources through Navigators.

Navigator:

Designated staff from Business Outreach Partner that reaches out to the community to make connections with Opportunity Businesses, assesses their challenges and needs to refer them to the appropriate Business Services Partners.   

Business Services Partners

Organizations that provide services like - but are not limited to - bookkeeping, permitting assistance, grants & loans, translation, website, and other services. These services are paid or partially paid by the County.  

Unpaid Administratively Approved Business Service Partner:    

These organizations go through a Salt Lake CO-OP approval process. They create clear value for Opportunity Businesses. They do not receive payment from the County to provide their services. The Outreach Navigators are required to make the referrals to these. Examples of Administratively Approved Services include MoFi and Zions Bank Business Resource Center.  

In the CO-OP Ecosystem, partners are interconnected, creating a constantly evolving relationship in which each partner becomes flexible and adaptable to thrive and grow. 

Through the CO-OP Program, community-based organizations provide business outreach, leveraging their broad relationships within the community to understand business needs, bring businesses into the ecosystem, and ensure they are supported through quality services and other resources. 

To find information, including minimum qualifications, requirements, costs, and fees refer to the RFA of your organization will want to apply.

2023 Business Outreach RFA 

Download 2023 Business Outreach Application

2023 Business Services RFA

Download 2023 Business Services Application

To apply, please follow these steps: 

1. Review the RFA for the type of partner your organization is interested in applying for: Business Outreach Partner or Business Services Partner.
2. Download and complete either the Business Outreach Partner or Business Services Partner application. If applying for both the Business Outreach Partner and the Business Services Partner, please complete both applications. Please note that some questions will appear in both applications; you can use the same response for both. 
3. Click the “Submit” button on this page. 
4. Complete the submission form and upload your application(s) and other requested documents. 
5. Submit the form. 

Apply to be an Administratively Approved Services Partner 

The benefits of being a non-funded Business Services Partner include increasing access to Opportunity Communities, a potential pipeline of businesses in need of services, and scaling impact. 

To apply to become an Administratively Approved Services Partner, please fill out the application, and submit it using this form. 

Please download and review the following documents. You will be asked to certify your compliance with these requirements in your application.

• ARPA Subaward Agreement Terms
• ARPA Subaward Rider
• Environmental Compliance Statement and Non-debarment Certification

Antonella Packard, Economic Development Manager 

Phone: 385-468-4868 
Email: acpackard@slco.org  

Madeline Martinez, Economic Development Coordinator 

Phone: 385-468-4867 
Email:  mademartinez@slco.org  

Total 2023 funding for CO-OP Business Outreach is expected to not exceed $600,000, and Business Services amount is expected not to exceed $300,000.  

The County anticipates making 10-15 contracts as part of CO-OP. Initial contract amounts will be determined based on applicants' submitted budgets, community need, and overall available program funding. Our goal is to maximize impact and inclusion based on input from all applicants. 

CO-OP has approved total funding of $4 million through 2026. 

Business Outreach Partners will be reimbursed for the work of their Navigators. Beyond a base rate of $25 per hour. Business Outreach Partners will receive compensation for referrals submitted by Navigator ($50.00 per referral). Business Outreach Partners will also receive compensation for evaluation surveys completed by Opportunity Business ($200 per survey)  

See Section II ("Reimbursement") of the Business Outreach RFA for more information. 

Business Services Partners will be reimbursed for their staff's work and other costs for delivering services to businesses brought to them through CO-OP, as agreed on by the Partner and County. 

Business Services Partners will be reimbursed based on the services provided. Business Services Partners will propose their price for services per Opportunity Business.  The County reserves the right to negotiate the price proposal. The final reimbursement amount will be specified on the contract if approved and funded.  

See Section II ("Reimbursement") of the Business Services RFA for more information. 

NO.  

The total contracted amount will be disbursed monthly and will be based on the estimated hours and businesses engaged, the County will offer a contract through December 31, 2023. Following the process described below, the County will disburse payments monthly, with flexibility allowed to increase or decrease payments based on performance and progress toward targets.  

See Section V. Cost and Fees of the Business Outreach RFA and the Business Services RFA for more information. 

NO. 

Business Services Partners and Business Outreach Partners selected for contracts are required by the Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to complete certain tasks, mandatory forms, and mandatory reports, provided by the County, for data and tracking purposes. 

See Section IV. Tasks To Be Completed of the Business Outreach RFA and the Business Services RFA for more information. 

Applicants may perform both outreach and services, with some limitations. The County will not compensate for Business Services when an Outreach Navigator refers a business to their own organization for services. 

See Section II (“Reimbursement) of the Business Outreach or the Business Services RFA for more details. 

Please note that Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are applicable to the contracts awarded through this RFA. A Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), which can be obtained from SAM.gov (full registration not required), will be required to contract with the County. In addition, Partners will be required to agree to the terms of the ARPA funding contract rider attached to the RFA.  

Partners must have operated for at least three years and be qualified to provide or facilitate the assistance described in the RFAs.  

If a Partner has not operated for at least three (3) years, it must provide justification to support its ability to execute their proposed program for the duration of the contract period. 

 No, your organization must show the ability to serve Opportunity Businesses in a culturally sensitive way. Partners serving businesses in Opportunity Communities (Opportunity Businesses) will receive favorable consideration, per the evaluation criteria outlined in section VI ("Application Submission Criteria and Evaluation Weight") of the Business Outreach Services RFA for more information. 

The CO-OP program is funded through the Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds awarded to the County; Opportunity Businesses that can be served through this funding will be defined using the eligibility requirements for ARPA.  

Opportunity Business Must:  

• Be a micro business with five or fewer employees, one or more of whom owns the business 

OR  

• Be a small business with no more than 500 employees; AND  

• • qualify as “disproportionately impacted” by the COVID-19 pandemic due to operation in a Qualified Census Tract (see map here); or  
  • qualify as “impacted” by the COVID-19 pandemic due to:  

• • • decreased revenue or gross receipts  
    • financial insecurity  

• • • increased costs  
    • lack of capacity to weather economic hardship / or  
    • challenges are covering payroll, rent or mortgage, and other operating expenses.  

The program is focused on serving Opportunity Businesses in Salt Lake County. Applications that provide a plan for serving these businesses within Salt Lake County will be scored more favorably.

See Section VI ("Application Submission Criteria and Evaluation Weight") of the Business Outreach Services RFA for more information.