Regional Innovation Clusters

The Small Business Administration's Office of Investment and Innovation is soliciting proposals under RFP 47QACA26R0295 to establish Regional Innovation Clusters (RIC) designed to strengthen regional capabilities for high-growth, technology-focused small businesses in critical industries. These priority industries include advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, defense industrial base technologies, energy and critical materials, food supply systems, and transportation infrastructure. The government intends to award up to 10 multiple, single-award, firm-fixed price contracts, with an estimated value for each award ranging from 600,000 to 1,000,000 dollars. The period of performance is 24 months, and services may be performed at contractor facilities, onsite at small businesses, or at other physical or virtual locations. The scope of work comprises four primary components: maintenance of the cluster network, small business support service delivery, cluster management and oversight, and report and metrics development. Deliverables include providing education, training, and business advising, as well as submitting quarterly narrative and quantitative reports on membership, participation, and outcomes. Performance will be monitored by a full-time Contracting Officer's Representative using random, periodic, and 100% inspections based on acceptable quality levels. Awards will be made based on best value using a three-step evaluation process. Step 1 focuses on small business support and cluster network expansion, Step 2 covers management and reporting, and Step 3 evaluates past performance. Proposals must achieve a Medium or High confidence rating in the first two steps to proceed, while a Neutral rating is acceptable for Step 3. Non-price factors are weighted more heavily than price. Proposals must be submitted via email to George K Pollock by August 24, 2026, at 4 p.m. EST, and must include a technical proposal, a price proposal, and three prior experience questionnaires.