Memorandum    

To:    Procurement  File    From:    Kim  Tesch-­‐Vaught,  Executive  Director    Re:    Justification  for  Sole  Source  Procurement  –  Startup  Quest™    Date:    August  21,  2014    CareerSource  North  Central  Florida  (CSNCFL)  was  awarded  a  highly  competitive  Workforce  Innovation  Fund  grant  from  the  United  States  Department  of  Labor,  Employment  and  Training  Administration  (DOLETA).    The  Workforce  Innovation  Fund  is  a  DOLETA  program  created  to  cultivate  and  test  innovative  approaches  to  workforce  training  and  encourage  the  replication  of  evidence-­‐based  practices  in  the  workforce  development  field.    Built  upon  the  success  of  a  competitive  grant  from  CareerSource  Florida,  Inc.  (formerly  Workforce  Florida,  Inc.)  that  enabled  CSNCFL  to  implement  Startup  Quest™,  this  Workforce  Innovation  Fund  grant  will  enable  the  expansion  of  Startup  Quest™  using  collaborative  and  multi-­‐dimensional  relationships  with  numerous  stakeholders  in  eight  workforce  regions  across  Florida.    Startup  Quest™  provides  a  short-­‐term  targeted  entrepreneurship-­‐training  curriculum  that  uses  experience  successful  mentors  in  non-­‐traditional  learning  and  workshop  environments.    These  environments  are  in  marked  contrast  to  other  entrepreneurship-­‐training  programs.    Developed  and  exclusively  offered  to  CSNCFL  by  the  University  of  Florida’s  Office  of  Technology  Licensing  (UF/OTL),  Startup  Quest™  connects  identified  technologies  ready  for  commercialization  with  individuals  interested  and  enabled  to  do  so.    In  addition  to  the  Startup  Quest™  curriculum,  UF/OTL  trained  and  certified  master  trainers  and  certified  participants  that  successfully  completed  the  program.        A  majority  of  technology  innovations  are  licensed  to  existing  companies  with  the  resources  and  infrastructure  already  in  place  to  develop  the  technology  into  a  product.    However,  startup  companies  commercialize  a  number  of  game-­‐changing  technologies  because  these  technologies  are  so  radically  different.    It  is  these  technologies  that  are  the  most  appropriate  for  use  in  the  Startup  Quest™  program.    These  technologies  will  have  the  following  characteristics:    

• Clear  vision  of  end  product  or  process;  • Patent  application  submitted;  • Available  for  licensing  to  a  startup,  as  determined  by  the  institution’s  licensing  office;  • An  inventor  who  is  willing  to  share  additional  information  and  explanations  with  

participants;  and  

 

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• Appeals  to  a  mentor  in  the  Startup  Quest™  program  who  will  choose  it  as  their  team’s  technology.  

 Startup  Quest™  also  promotes  the  engagement  of  higher  education  institutions  with  their  local  workforce  investment  boards  and  community  employers  to  enhance  understanding  of  training  and  education  needs.    The  uniqueness  and  the  success  of  the  Startup  Quest™  program  garnered  the  attention  of  the  United  States  Government  Accountability  Office  (GAO),  which  featured  the  program  as  one  of  the  14  case  studies  in  its  January,  2012  report,  Innovative  Collaborations  between  Workforce  Boards  and  Employers  Helped  Meet  Local  Needs,  describing  best  practices  in  the  development  of  innovative  collaborations  between  the  workforce  development  system  and  regional  employers  across  the  United  States.    UF/OTL  has  given  the  rights  to  use  this  curriculum  solely  to  Focused  Management  Solutions,  Inc.    (FMS).    Given  the  unique  features,  benefits,  and  track  record  of  Startup  Quest™,  CSNCFL  believes  that  a  sole  source  procurement  of  Startup  Quest™  from  FMS  is  justified.    CSNCFL  will  electronically  post  this  Memorandum  for  five  (5)  business  days  on  its  website:  www.careersourcencfl.com.    The  posting  will  include  a  request  that  prospective  vendors  provide  information  regarding  their  ability  to  provide  an  entrepreneurship-­‐training  program  that  provides  features,  benefits,  and  track  record  that  are  similar  in  implementation,  outcome  and  competitive  with  Startup  Quest™.    Any  responses  must  be  sent  within  five  (5)  business  days  from  the  date  of  this  Memorandum  to:    ktesch-­‐vaught@fmsworks.com.    After  five  (5)  business  days,  if  there  are  no  responses  from  any  prospective  vendors  or  after  reviewing  any  responses,  it  remains  the  considered  opinion  of  CSNCFL  that  the  desired  curriculum  and  methodology  are  available  only  from  FMS,  CSNCFL  shall  initiate  negotiations  for  and  agreement  for  FMS  to  provides  Startup  Quest™  authorization,  training,  and  certification  services  that  will  enable  the  BASEC  Implementation  Consortium  to  provide  training  services  for  Startup  Quest™  program.