The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship (Center) seeks a consultant to support strategic planning and the development of a Governance Plan for the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania (WCO). The WCO is a value chain network of more than 600 creative entrepreneurs, organizations and communities based in the highly rural Pennsylvania Wilds region, a premier outdoor recreation destination. Together, WCO members and the PA Wilds Center are addressing PA Wilds market demands by connecting and scaling the unique establishments and producers that are central to the region’s place-based tourism development.

The goal of this project is to attain recommendations for an evolved WCO governance structure and to evaluate how it can better leverage partner strengths and help the region’s businesses thrive. See “Project Scope” in the full RFP for more details.

Download and review the full RFP here.

Timeline Details:

RFP Issued: April 9, 2024

Responses Due: June 7, 2024

Potential Interviews: June 28, 2024

Notifications: July 1, 2024

Contract Period: July 15 – March 31, 2025

Draft Deliverables Due: March 14, 2025

Final Deliverables Due: March 31, 2025

Budget: $70,000 – budget to cover consultant services and outreach efforts outlined in the consultant activities section of the RFP

Contact: Send questions and proposals to: [email protected]

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ABOUT THE PA WILDS

The Pennsylvania Wilds is a 13-county region that includes the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren, and northern Centre. The PA Wilds is home to the greatest concentration of public lands in the Commonwealth. The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to integrate conservation and economic development in a way that inspires the communities of the Pennsylvania Wilds. Based in the region, the Center is the lead nonprofit for the PA Wilds Conservation Landscape effort, a 15+year collaborative effort by local, state and federal partners to establish the region as a premier outdoor recreation destination as a way to diversify local economies, attract investment, inspire stewardship, improve quality of life and attract and retain the region’s working-age population. PA Wilds Center works closely with PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, PA Department of Community and Economic Development, the region’s county governments, and other investors in the regional strategy.