What will a company/consulting firm interested in a community send?

A community can receive a Request for Information (RFI) from either a business directly or from the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. It will typically include the following: a project description, the project investment, and an approximate number of new jobs that will be created. This document will help you prepare what you need to have on hand when a business or consulting firm is looking to locate in your community. We also provide an example and a template for you to use.

Project Description: Here is where a company or consulting firm will share briefly about their project. Based on how high profile the project is they might share very little about the project giving no clues about what the actual project is or they may provide a high level of detail. The standard is somewhere in between. They will also share if they wish to purchase a building, build their own building on a prepped site, or if they are open to purchasing a greenfield property. Often, you will receive a time frame in which they need a response. This can range from 24 hours to 5 business days. 

Project Investment: Typically, the company will share the approximate project investment and if the amount does or does not include building purchase or lease. 

New Job Creation: The company will share approximately how many jobs will be created.

What you need to have on hand for a company/consulting firm looking to locate in your community

It is important that a community is able to answer all of the below questions about any available sites for new or expanding businesses. The best way to be prepared is to complete the linked template NOW for each available property in the community's city/county. Conduct a yearly review of the document to account for any changes in utility capacity or other businesses capacities. Local utility companies will be able to provide infrastructure answers.

Specifications

• Total Building Space (square feet)
• Expandable to
• Ceiling Height
• Number of Dock Doors
• Number of Drive-in Doors
• Column Spacking
• Site Area (acres)
• Construction Type
• Roof Type
• Floor Type/Thickness
• Parking Spaces (number)
• Prior Building Use Restrictions

Utilities

Are these utilities available on site?

• Electric Requirements (Y/N, amp, capacity)
• Natural Gas (Y/N, line thickness)
• Water (Y/N, capacity)
• Sewer (Y/N, capacity)
• Fiber/Broadband (Y/N)

Transportation

• Distance to Interstate or 4-lane Arterial Highway
• Distance to Major International Airport
• Distance to Commercial Airport
• Rail Served (Y/N, spur)
• On Public Transit Line

Other

• Property Zoning
• Number of Trucks/Day
• Special Emission Requirements
• Distance to Major University

In responding to a RFI, it is CRUCIAL to include all of the requested information. If an answer is unknown, find someone who knows! Often leaving requested information blank will result in the community being excluded from the project. It is also important to have photos of all properties, inside and outside of buildings, to submit with the RFI if allowable. 

Being clear and concise will enhance the likelihood of a site/building being included in the final decision round and potentially being selected for the project. Remember, provided RFI deadlines are not suggestions. Locations not submitted before the deadline are often immediately excluded from the process. This is why it is important to be proactive by gathering information on all available sites and buildings in the community so all are prepared to respond quickly when a RFI comes in. 

To ensure that a community is receiving the most views as possible from businesses looking to expand or relocate, work with the local economic development team to upload every available site onto the state’s economic development website. KY Zoom Prospector houses every available site and building over 5,000 square feet. Based on website analytics, searching companies will often check this website for available properties before ever reaching out to the state or community. 

Help the community get noticed by checking KY Zoom Prospector for the available sites, and uploading any sites that are currently missing from the website.