Are you a small business owner in Salt Lake County who's looking for resources to help your business grow? The Salt Lake County Co-op has immense resources and support available to support local businesses.
With the right information, you can access high-quality programs at no cost - giving you a leg up in making sure that your small business is set up for success.
Please read below to find out more about how your organization can become a CO-OP Partner.
Applications are due July 19, 2024 at 5:00 PM MST. No late applications will be accepted.
The Salt Lake Center of Opportunity Partnerships (CO-OP) is the County’s Small Business Assistance program aimed at increasing the sustainability, capacity, and readiness of Opportunity Businesses throughout our communities. Through partnerships with Businesses Outreach Partners, Community‐Based Organizations (CBOs) which conduct business outreach and navigation, and Business Service Partners, which deliver vetted services and other vital resources, the CO‐ OP ecosystem functions to improve the success and resiliency of Opportunity Businesses.
Business Outreach Partners are selected through a competitive process. Outreach Partners are provided with funding and contracted to provide a dedicated Navigator to fulfill the CO-OP objectives. Navigators conduct outreach to Opportunity Businesses, refer the businesses to approved Service Partners to receive vital services and resources provided at low or no cost to the business. Outreach Partners are Community‐Based Organizations (CBOs), such as chambers of commerce, that have a connection to Opportunity Businesses throughout the County.
Business Service Partners are selected through a competitive process. Service Partners work closely with Outreach Partners and Navigators to understand the needs of Opportunity Businesses and successfully provide appropriate assistance by delivering approved services and resources to businesses that have been properly referred. They are provided with funding for the completion of these services which may include bookkeeping, websites, strategic planning, and more.
Administratively Approved Business Service Partners are selected through an administrative approval process and are not provided funding through the CO-OP program. They work closely with Outreach Partners and Navigators to understand the needs of Opportunity Businesses and successfully provide appropriate assistance by delivering approved services and resources to businesses that have been properly referred.
Thank you for your interest in becoming a CO-OP Outreach Partner.
Use the links below to find full detailed RFA information including eligibility requirements, instructions for applying, and documents needed to complete your application.
Thank you for your interest in becoming a CO-OP Service Partner.
Use the links below to find full detailed RFA information including eligibility requirements, instructions for applying, and documents needed to complete your application.
CO-OP does not provide financial assistance grants for small businesses. Funds are awarded through a competitive process as a contract for the delivery of specific services to organizations selected as either Business Outreach Partners or Business Service Partners.
Partner organizations must be registered to do business in the State of Utah and be qualified to provide or facilitate the assistance described in the RFAs. Outreach Partners must be a Community Based Organization (CBO) registered as a nonprofit.
Outreach Partner awards will result in a not to exceed (NTE) funding amount that will be for one full time dedicated Navigator and administrative funds. Additionally, outreach partners will be eligible for performance incentives for completed surveys and new businesses.
Service Partners will receive awards based upon the cost of services approved.
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.
Partners will invoice the county monthly to request payments towards the full amount based on provided back up documentation and referral incentives.
NO.
To be eligible for payment, Business Service Partners and Business Outreach Partners selected for contracts are required 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 Service RFA for more information.
For the 2024/2025 CO-OP RFA, applicants must choose whether to apply as an Outreach Partner OR a Service Partner. Organizations will not be selected for multiple contract types.
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.
Opportunity Businesses are businesses in communities that, through no fault of their own, face real economic hardships and experience opportunity gaps.
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.
Check out some of our exciting 2024 partners and the assistance that they can provide!
CO-OP connects small businesses with free or heavily discounted services through Navigators that work with local community-based organizations. You can get started by calling or emailing a Navigator. Their contact information is provided below.
For 2023, the following services are among a wide range of options with which the Navigators can connect you.
Please feel free to contact any of the Navigators below to get started. While Partner organizations may focus on specific communities, any Navigator will be more than happy to help.
Organization |
Contact Name |
|
Phone |
| GK Folks Foundation | Kaye Thomas | kaye.thomas@gkfolks.org | |
| LGBTQ+ Chamber | Miel Franco Pérez (They|Them) | miel.francoperez@utahlgbtqchamber.org | |
| PIK2AR | Cencira Teʻo | cencira@pik2ar.org | |
|
(Utah African American Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation) |
Daisy Hall | daisy@blacksuccesscenter.com | |
| Utah Muslim Civic League | Menna Rashwan | rashwan.menna@gmail.com | |
| Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | Lehi Cruz | lehijcruz@gmail.com | |
| Utah African Chamber of Commerce | Esther Onuoha | estheronuoha72@gmail.com | |
| Utah African Chamber of Commerce | Eugene Emenogu | africanchamberut@gmail.com | |
| The Chinese Association for Science and Technology (CAST-UT) | Ching Xu | castutcra.xu@gmail.com | |
| The Chinese Association for Science and Technology (CAST-UT) | Xiaoming Sheng | xiaoming.sheng@gmail.com |
Small business ownership is a key to wealth building and overcoming intergenerational poverty. As Salt Lake County supports small businesses, we increase economic opportunity while making our economy or prosperous and resilient.
In 2018 we completed our Business Outreach project, having interviewed over 500 small-and-medium businesses. We have analyzed the data at the municipal level. Find your municipal report below.
Note: if your municipality isn't listed, it is because we were not able to conduct enough interviews in your municipality to generate a report.