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HomeMy WebLinkAboutContract 57346 CITY SECRETARY57346 CONTRACT NO. FELLOWS AGREEMENT This Agreement ("Agreement') is made by and between FUSE Corps, a California non- profit corporation ("FUSE") and the City of Fort Worth, Texas ("C ") (FUSE and the City are sometimes referred to herein collectively as the"Parties" and individually as a WHEREAS, FUSE is a nonprofit organization that operates an executive-level fellowship program with a mission to enable local government to more effectively address the most pressing challenges facing urban communities; and WHEREAS,FUSE recruits, supports, and places individuals (the"Executive Fellows" and each, a"Fellow") enrolled in the FUSE Executive Fellowship program (the"Program")for twelve- month fellowships working cooperatively with nonprofits and local government agencies; and WHEREAS, in connection with the Program,the City may, at its discretion,work cooperatively with Fellows during the term of this Agreement to participate in opportunities to serve the community; and WHEREAS,FUSE will employ the Fellows and maintain responsibility for the Fellows' actions and liabilities; and NOW,THEREFORE, in consideration of mutual covenants contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the Parties hereto hereby agree as follows: 1. Purpose_The purpose of this Agreement is to document a framework of cooperation for the Parties to work on the specific projects described in Attachment 1 (the "Individual Placement Agreement" or"Project"). The Parties agree that it is to their mutual benefit and interest to work cooperatively to effectuate the Project. 2. Term and Effective Date. The Term of this Agreement shall commence upon full execution of this Agreement, and expire on April 24, 2023,unless earlier terminated by the Parties in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or unless extended through an amendment(the"Term"). 3. Placement. Upon completion and execution of this Agreement, the City will cooperate with Fellows who the staff of FUSE shall recruit, select, retain, and place to work on the specific Projects described in Attachment 1. 4. Compensation. City shall pay Vendor an amount not to exceed twenty five thousand dollars and 00/100 ($25,000.00)in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. 5. Fellow's Salary. FUSE shall provide for compensation to be paid to each Fellow for services rendered in service to this Agreement. The City shall not be required to pay any additional compensation to the Fellow. OFFICIAL RECORD CITY SECRETARY Fellows Agreement FT. WORTH, TX 6. Early Termination. The City and FUSE may each terminate this Agreement for any reason at any time by giving thirty days written notice to the either party. All finished and unfinished documents and materials procured for or produced by a Fellow pursuant to a Placement Agreement, including all intellectual property rights thereto, shall become City property upon the date of such termination. a. If the effective date of termination occurs after the City signs an Individual Placement Agreement and on or before a Fellow's first day of work in the City, the City may seek reimbursement of all payments made pursuant to the Individual Placement Agreement, and the City shall be released from all further payments in connection with such project. The parties acknowledge and agree that$25,000 of the Compensation is non-refundable, being associated, among other things,with FUSE's various pre- fellowship services, such as project scoping, executive search, candidate screening and selection, on-boarding preparation and new fellow's Orientation Week, etc. b. Non-appropriation of Funds. In the event no funds or insufficient funds are appropriated by City in any fiscal period for any payments due hereunder, City will notify FUSE of such occurrence and this Agreement shall terminate on the last day of the fiscal period for which appropriations were received without penalty or expense to City of any kind whatsoever, except as to the portions of the payments herein agreed upon for which funds have been appropriated. 7. Project Extensions. The Parties may mutually agree to continue the Projects beyond the initial 12-month term of the Projects under the terms of this Agreement upon execution of an amendment. 8. Cooperation by the City. The City intends to assist and cooperate with FUSE and the Fellows in the performance of services in accordance with this Agreement and Attachment 1. To the extent allowed by law,the City,will provide physical or technical resources, including a computer and dedicated workspace, as the City determines are necessary in support the Fellow's work. In a virtual or hybrid work setting, the City will provide the Fellow with the appropriate technology (e.g. computer). 9. No Employment Relationship with Fellow or FUSE. The Executive Fellow will be an employee retained by FUSE and will not be deemed to be an employee, independent contractor, consultant, agent, loaned executive or loaned employee of the City. The Fellow will have no authority to supervise, control or direct the work of any City employee and will not perform the functions of a City employee. The Fellow is expected to provide expertise not otherwise required of or possessed by City employees. The Fellow will not occupy any supervisory or confidential position, or one designed to affect the City's public policy. During the term of the Project, the Fellow shall not to engage in any work,paid or unpaid, that creates an actual or potential conflict of interest with the City. At all times relevant to this Agreement, the Parties, and any affiliates thereof, shall remain contractors independent of one another, and neither Party (including representatives and sponsors of that Party or the Fellows) shall be deemed an employee,joint venture, or partner of the other. Neither Party has the authority to bind the other, and no employee, agent, sponsor, nor other representative of either Party shall at Fellows Agreement Page 2 of 18 any time be deemed to be under the joint control or authority of the other Party, or under the joint control of both Parties.Neither Party shall have the right to control the other Party; however, FUSE and the City mutually agree as to the objectives set forth in this Agreement and Attachment 1. Each Party shall be solely responsible for the payment of its own federal, state, and local income taxes, as well as any Social Security ("FICA") and unemployment("FUTA') taxes that Party may owe. FUSE and the Fellow shall not be entitled to, and shall not seek any benefits made available to the City's employees, including, but not limited to: group health insurance (including dental, vision, and any other enhancements from time to time), disability insurance, group term life insurance, workers' compensation, participation in any retirement plan for the City's employees, a salary reduction plan for certain child care and medical care costs, or training programs 10. Indemnity. FUSE shall indemnify, protect and hold harmless the City and its officials, employees and agents (the"Indemnified Parties")up to a maximum amount of two times the total Compensation paid under this Agreement from and against any and all liability, claims, demands, damage, loss, obligations, causes of action,proceedings, awards, fines, judgments, penalties, costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising or alleged to have arisen, in whole or in part, out of or in connection with(1)FUSE's breach or failure to comply with any of its obligations contained in this Agreement, or(2)negligent or willful acts, errors, omissions or misrepresentations committed by FUSE, its officers, employees or agents in the performance of work or services under this Agreement(collectively "Claims" or individually "Claim"). If a court of competent jurisdiction determines that a Claim was caused by the sole negligence or willful misconduct of Indemnified Parties, FUSE Corps' costs of defense and indemnity shall be (1)reimbursed in full if the court determines sole negligence by the Indemnified Parties, or(2) reduced by the percentage of willful misconduct attributed by the court to the Indemnified Parties. The provisions of this Section shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement. 11. Legal Compliance. FUSE and each Executive Fellow shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws,rules,regulations, and ordinances applicable to the performance of all services. Each Executive Fellow shall comply with all city policies and procedures applicable to the performance of all services and associated with their treatment of City employees and other persons encountered while performing the services, associated with their use of City property,both real property and personal property, and related to any reimbursement of expenses approved by the City. 12. Right to Audit. FUSE agrees that City shall, until the expiration of three (3) years after final payment under this Agreement, or the final conclusion of any audit commenced during the said three years, have access to and the right to examine at reasonable times any directly pertinent books, documents,papers and records, including, but not limited to, all electronic records, of FUSE involving transactions relating to this Agreement at no additional cost to City. FUSE agrees that City shall have access during normal working hours to all necessary FUSE facilities and shall be provided adequate and appropriate work space in order to conduct audits in compliance with the provisions of this section. City shall give FUSE reasonable advance notice of intended audits. Fellows Agreement Page 3 of 18 13. Conflict of Interest Questionnaire. If required, FUSE and each Executive Fellow shall complete, file and update a Conflict of Interest Questionnaire in compliance with Chapter 176 of the Texas Local Government Code. FUSE and each Executive Fellow acknowledge that the law requires the City to provide access to this questionnaire on the official Fort Worth website. 14. Miscellaneous. a. This Agreement is binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns. The Parties shall not assign their rights and shall not delegate their duties under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Party. b. All notices to either Party to the Agreement must be in writing and must be delivered by hand, facsimile,United States registered or certified mail, return receipt requested,United States Express Mail, Federal Express,UPS or any other national overnight express delivery service. The notice must be addressed to the Party to whom it is given at its address below. The Party giving the notice must pay all postage and, Either Party may change its address for notices and communications to it by written notice to the other Party in conformity with this subsection. C. The representative of the City for notice is: Fernando Costa Assistant City Manager 200 Texas St Fort Worth, TX 76102 Femando.Costa@fortworthtexas.gov d. The representative of FUSE for notices is: James Weinberg Chief Executive Officer One Embarcadero Center,Unit 26070 San Francisco, CA 94126 Email:j ames@fusecorps.org e. Failure of either Party to insist on strict compliance with any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of that provision. Waiver by either Party of any breach or anticipated breach of any provision of this Agreement by the other Party shall not be deemed a waiver of any other contemporaneous, preceding or succeeding breach or anticipated breach, whether or not similar, on the part of the same or the other Party. An approval by a City Executive, or by any other employee or agent of Ci, of any part of FUSE's performance does not waive compliance with this Agreement or establish a standard of performance other than that required by this Agreement and by law. A City Executive, or any other employee or agent of City is not authorized to vary the terms of this Agreement. Fellows Agreement Page 4 of 18 f. This Agreement supersedes all prior discussions and agreements between the Parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement, and this Agreement contains the sole and entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the matters covered in it. This Agreement shall not be altered or amended except by an instrument in writing signed by both Parties. g. This Agreement shall not be interpreted to include anything that is effective as a waiver of sovereign immunity or of any affirmative defenses available to City. h. The headings as to contents of particular sections or paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be interpreted as a part of this Agreement. i. This Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with the applicable laws of the State of Texas and the United States of America. Venue for any disputes relating in any way to this Agreement shall lie exclusively in Fort Worth, Texas. j. If a competent authority holds any part,term or provision of this Agreement void, illegal, unenforceable, or in conflict with any law of a federal, state or local government having jurisdiction over this Agreement, the validity of the remaining parts, terms or provisions of the Agreement shall not be affected by that holding. k. Under this Agreement,FUSE is acting as an independent contractor and not as an agent or employee of the City. FUSE shall not represent or otherwise hold out itself or any of its Executive Fellows, directors, officers,partners, employees, or agents to be an agent or employee of City. 1. FUSE represents and warrants that, to its knowledge, FUSE's performance of its obligations under this Agreement does not infringe upon any third party's intellectual property rights, including, without limitation, patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, rights of publicity and proprietary information. in. No Boycott of Israel. If FUSE has fewer than 10 employees or this Agreement is for less than $100,000, this section does not apply. FUSE acknowledges that in accordance with Chapter 2270 of the Texas Government Code,the City is prohibited from entering into a contract with a company for goods or services unless the contract contains a written verification from the company that it: (1) does not boycott Israel; and (2) will not boycott Israel during the term of the contract. The terms "boycott Israel" and "company" shall have the meanings ascribed to those terms in Section 808.001 of the Texas Government Code. By signing this contract,FUSE certifies that FUSE's signature provides written verification to the City that FUSE: (1) does not boycott Israel; and(2)will not boycott Israel during the term of the contract. n. Prohibition on Boycotting Energy Companies. FUSE acknowledges that in accordance with Chapter 2274 of the Texas Government Code (as added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., S.B. 13, § 2), the City is prohibited from entering into a contract for goods or services that has a value of$100,000 or more,which will be paid wholly or partly from public funds of the City, with a company (with 10 or more full-time employees) unless the contract contains a written Fellows Agreement Page 5 of 18 verification from the company that it: (1) does not boycott energy companies; and (2) will not boycott energy companies during the term of the contract. The terms "boycott energy company" and "company" have the meaning ascribed to those terms by Chapter 2274 of the Texas Government Code(as added by Acts 2021,87th Leg.,R.S.,S.B. 13,§2).To the extent that Chapter 2274 of the Government Code is applicable to this Agreement,by signing this Agreement,FUSE certifies that FUSE's signature provides written verification to the City that FUSE: (1) does not boycott energy companies; and (2) will not boycott energy companies during the term of this Agreement. o. Prohibition on Discrimination Against Firearm and Ammunition Industries.FUSE acknowledges that except as otherwise provided by Chapter 2274 of the Texas Government Code (as added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., S.B. 19, § 1),the City is prohibited from entering into a contract for goods or services that has a value of$100,000 or more which will be paid wholly or partly from public funds of the City,with a company(with 10 or more full-time employees)unless the contract contains a written verification from the company that it: (1) does not have a practice, policy,guidance,or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association; and(2)will not discriminate during the term of the contract against a firearm entity or firearm trade association. The terms "discriminate," "firearm entity" and "firearm trade association" have the meaning ascribed to those terms by Chapter 2274 of the Texas Government Code(as added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg.,R.S., S.B. 19, § 1). To the extent that Chapter 2274 of the Government Code is applicable to this Agreement, by signing this Agreement, FUSE certifies that FUSE's signature provides written verification to the City that FUSE: (1)does not have a practice,policy,guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association; and(2)will not discriminate against a firearm entity or firearm trade association during the term of this Agreement. 15. Reports and Information. FUSE shall furnish the City with such statements, records, reports, data, and information as City may reasonably request pertaining to matters covered by the Agreement. 16. Americans With Disabilities Act. FUSE and City certify that each will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq., and its implementing regulations. FUSE and City will provide reasonable accommodations to allow qualified persons with disabilities to have access to and to participate in its programs, services and activities in accordance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. FUSE and City shall not discriminate against persons with disabilities or against persons due to their relationship to or association with a person with a disability. Any subcontract entered into by FUSE,relating to this Agreement, to the extent allowed, shall include a provision similar to this section. 17. Insurance. During the term of this Agreement, FUSE shall provide and maintain at its own expense a program of insurance having the coverages and limits customarily carried and actually arranged by FUSE. Fellows Agreement Page 6 of 18 ACCEPTED AND AGREED: City: FUSE: By: By: Name: Fernando Costa Name: James Weinberg Title: Assistant City Manager Title: Chief Executive Officer Date: Apr 4,2022 Date: 3/31/2022 CITY OF FORT WORTH INTERNAL ROUTING PROCESS: Approval Recommended: Contract Compliance Manager: By signing I acknowledge that I am the person responsible for the monitoring and administration C of this contract, including ensuring all By. Christi n a Brooks(Apr 4,2022 13:35 CDT) performance and reporting requirements. Name: Christina Brooks Title: Director,Diversity and Inclusion By: Veronica Villegas(Apr 4,2022 13:34 C Name: Veronica Villegas Approved as to Form and Legality: Title: Diversity and Inclusion Manager dpU��� 4 By: O p�►° o Name: John B. Strong �o g'� 0 Title: Assistant City Attorney City Secretary: ��o o �ir�r�ette S ��rrs7�CG Od'� ° ° °° oo cJ By: Jannette S.Goodall(Api4,202214:36 CDT) � 000Op00 b Contract Authorization: Name: Jannette S. Goodall ��nEXASoA M&C: Title: City Secretary OFFICIAL RECORD CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TX Fellows Agreement Page 7 of 18 Attachment I FUSE CORPS INDIVIDUAL PLACEMENT AGREEMENT Host Agency: Diversity and Inclusion Department Fellow Reports to: Christina Brooks, Chief Equity Officer, Department of Diversity and Inclusion. Location of Fellowship: City of Fort Worth, TX General Terms and Conditions between the City and FUSE The City department executing this Individual Placement Agreement and FUSE Corps (FUSE) acknowledge that the terms and conditions of the Individual Placement Agreement apply to the City department and FUSE as it relates to the performance of this Individual Placement Agreement. FUSE and the City department shall notify the City Manager's Office upon execution of this Individual Placement Agreement. Illustrative Services Provided by FUSE 1. Prior to the start of the fellowship year: • Project Development: Convene meetings with host agency officials to identify project priorities; conduct in-depth interviews with host agency officials to clarify project idea; develop a draft Project Description for review by host agency officials; and conduct rounds of edits as needed to finalize approval of the Description. • Recruitment: Conduct a local and national candidate search, cultivating applicants from various job boards, associations, and networks; respond to inquiries from interested applicants seeking additional information; and manage an online application portal and a candidate management system. • Screening: Review applications to determine the most appropriate next steps for each candidate; conduct an initial phone-screening interview with candidates deemed to be most promising for the role; conduct an additional follow-up video-interview with candidates deemed strong enough to reach the semi-finalist round. • Selection: Select up to three finalists for each project and collect electronic references on those individuals from current and former employers and colleagues; help the City to coordinate logistics for an in-person interview for each of the three finalists with designated host agency officials. ;edicated On-Boarding: Place the selected individual under agreement as an employee of FUSE to the specified project; communicate with both fellow and host agency officials in the weeks leading up to the start of the program year to help prepare all parties for the fellowship. • Orientation: Organize and facilitate a national, in-person orientation for new fellows that is designed to help prepare them for their year of service, introduce them to the program's various tools and techniques, build peer-to-peer connections to help create an interactive `community of practice' among all fellows and alumni; and cover the costs of travel, accommodations, meals, facilitates, speakers, and expenses for fellow to attend orientation week. Fellows Agreement Page 8 of 18 2. During the fellowship year: • Coaching: Pair fellow with an executive coach who will be available to work one-on-one with the fellow during the year. • On-Going Support: Organize and facilitate seminar calls hosted by staff, alumni, industry experts, and others to provide ongoing development and skill building opportunities. Host an online communication platform to allow fellows to regularly ask questions of peers and FUSE staff as they pursue project goals. • Project Refinement: Schedule a call with the fellow, host agency officials, and FUSE staff within the first three months of the project to assess the extent to which any changes may be necessary to the Project Description and designated fellowship project goals. • Mid-Year Retreat: Organize and facilitate a national, in-person mid-year retreat for all fellows that is designed to review progress achieved and lessons learned to date, clarify plans for increasing impact during the second half of the fellowship year, build plans for sustaining the impact of the project following the conclusion of the fellowship, and continue to foster interactive `community of practice' among all current fellows and alumni; and cover the costs of travel, accommodations, meals, facilitates, speakers, and expenses for fellow to attend the mid-year retreat. • Status Checks: Check-in with fellows and host agency officials periodically throughout the term of the fellowship to ensure that the fellowship is on track to achieve its stated goals; conduct a formal survey of fellows and host agency officials at both the mid-year point and at the end of the fellowship year to determine progress achieved and lessons learned to date. Fellowship Proiect Description: "Creating Flexible and Affordable Financing Opportunities for Businesses in Fort Worth" PROJECT CONTEXT It's been just over a year since pharmaceutical companies launched vaccines in the fight against Covid-19,ushering in hope for the end of the pandemic, lockdowns, and social distancing from friends and loved ones. With this promise, the economy began to rally, consumers broadened their spending, and business growth and activity increased. However, small businesses and entrepreneurs, who comprise the heart of the American economy, continue to face challenges arising from the pandemic. This includes being unable to receive financial assistance due to a lack of financial readiness/literacy and access to capital. This is a unique challenge for small businesses and entrepreneurs of color. These households have lower pre-existing levels of wealth and savings to put towards a business. At the same time,banks and other creditors are less likely to approve loans for Black or Hispanic small-business owners than white business owners. Without upfront capital to invest in their businesses, entrepreneurs of color continue to struggle to run or pivot their operations to meet the unprecedented businesses challenges arising from the pandemic. Fellows Agreement Page 9 of 18 The City of Fort Worth was recently ranked as the nation's ninth-best large city to start a business,ranking high for its overall business environment and access to resources. However, Fort Worth was noted as falling short in business costs —with unequal access to capital as a significant obstacle to launching and sustaining a business in the city. To address this challenge, the city is looking to scale its supply of available financing through expanding community development financial institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs are private financial institutions that are 100% dedicated to delivering responsible, affordable lending to support small business owners, affordable housing developers,non-profits, consumers, and commercial real estate in historically under-served communities. By 2028, the city seeks to increase its CDFI spending from $39 per person to the US average of$235 per person, gaining 125-$250M in new CDFI financing for businesses and entrepreneurs. The City of Fort Worth will partner with FUSE Corps to build a permanent, sustainable CDFI friendly system in the city. The FUSE Executive Fellow will collaborate with CDFI Friendly America to utilize their national expertise and success in Bloomington/South Bend, IN, and work to understand where there are financing gaps in the city that CDFIs can fill,how the city can best work with CDFIs, and how to attract more CDFIs to the city by making it easier for them to identify the opportunities they can finance. The Executive Fellow will also build the financial literacy and preparedness of local entrepreneurs and businesses to ensure they can access these new opportunities for capital. This work will supply entrepreneurs,businesses, and developers with flexible, affordable, and patient financing, and as a result, Fort Worth will be more vibrant, economically stronger, and more resilient. PROJECT SUMMARY & POTENTIAL DELIVERABLES The following provides a general overview of the proposed Executive Fellowship project. This summary and the potential deliverables will be collaboratively revisited by the host agency, the Executive Fellow, and FUSE staff during the first few months of the Executive Fellowship, after which a revised scope of work will be developed and agreed upon by the FUSE Executive Fellow and the host agency. Starting in April 2022, it is proposed that the FUSE Executive Fellow will work to quickly build working relationships with a wide range of critical stakeholders. This will include identifying and conducting outreach to local financial institutions in the city (banks,lending institutions, credit unions, CDFIs), community leaders, community-based organizations, local business leaders, chambers of commerce, and city officials. The Executive Fellow will convene small focus groups of these stakeholders, collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information. This information should clarify capital gaps, the rates of minority and women- owned businesses accessing traditional forms of capital, the financial literacy of entrepreneurs and developers in various neighborhoods, and the perceived potential benefits/roles of CDFIs in Fort Worth. The Executive Fellow will build coalitions of these stakeholders and convene them at an in- person conference in July. The Executive Fellow will coordinate the planning and delivery of this conference—setting logistics, such as invites and conference space, and facilitating the day- of schedule of events. This conference aims to build consensus around Fort Worth's financing goals and strategies, ensuring CDFIs can easily find and finance opportunities in the city. The Fellows Agreement Page 10 of 18 Executive Fellow will prepare `deal sheets' for each business or development program, pairing these entrepreneurs and development projects with financial institutions, including local and national CDFIs. The Executive Fellow will support the business or development program in utilizing these deal sheets to build partnerships with these financial institutions to facilitate immediate investment. The Executive Fellow will follow this portfolio of partnerships and potential investments closely over the next nine months, ensuring the entrepreneurs and developers are successful in acquiring this capital and preparing them to report back to the financial institutions on utilization of the capital. The Executive Fellow will operationalize a sustainable system for matching businesses and development projects with investments in the next phase. This will include developing a comprehensive and easily digestible toolkit for community use that outlines critical financial literacy principles, investment application requirements for various financial institutions, and the processes for transiting from non-traditional financial institutions (such as CDFIs) to traditional financial institutions (banks) for sourcing capital. The Executive Fellow will develop a platform that captures eligible businesses and development projects and notifies financial institutions of high priority and applicable investment opportunities. This platform should also reach CDFIs outside of Fort Worth, attracting additional funders to the city. Based on the success of the July conference, the Executive Fellow may also prepare a schedule of convenings to support building these partnerships and addressing challenges the community faces in accessing financing in person. By April 2023,the Executive Fellow will have overseen the following deliverables: • Build robust relationships and convene internal and external stakeholders — Demonstrate cross-cultural agility and successfully engage with all relevant stakeholders; develop working relationships with all relevant departments in Fort Worth, community-based organizations, community leaders,local business leaders and owners, chambers of commerce, and financial institutions; convene stakeholders and tailor these conversations to ensure the entire Fort Worth community comes together,learns, and understands how CDFI financing can benefit under- resourced entrepreneurs or potential developments • Prepare and launch a convening for sourcing investments in July 2022 Build coalitions of stakeholders to invite to the conference; prepare logistics and facilitate the in-person event; develop deal-sheets for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and development projects, connecting them to various financial institutions—ensure `matches' meet the needs of both parties, such as the business being equipped to complete the technical requirements of receiving the investment and the financial institution benefiting by meeting CRA requirements • Operationalize a sustainable program for financing under-resourced business and development projects —Develop ways to provide financial literacy and educate to the community consistently; form a toolkit for accessing capital and utilizing CDFIs; build out a platform for capturing eligible businesses and development projects and notifying financial institutions of high priority opportunities (ex.project is in a neighborhood that has been traditionally underinvested or is a high community priority) or those that are generally applicable to that institution; prepare a multi-year schedule of convenings, creating feedback loops between the community, city, and local financial institutions; garner best practices and lessons learned, addressing on-going challenges Fellows Agreement Page 11 of 18 Fellow Support provided by the Placement: The City and its staff will facilitate introductions and meetings with key staff within the City as well as the community as appropriate to support the goals of the project. Executive Sponsor: The Executive Sponsor is a high-ranking member of the agency's management team. They are the visible champion of the project within the agency and is the ultimate decision maker,with final approval on all phases, deliverables and scope changes. The Executive Sponsor will help ensure that this project achieves its full potential for impact. The designated Executive Sponsor for this project is Fernando Costa, Assistant Ci . Manager, City Manager's Office. Project Supervisor: The Project Supervisor is the day-to-day driver of the project and will work directly with the fellow to oversee progress toward goals. They will introduce the fellow to key stakeholders, identify conflicts and help remove obstacles that may occur during project work. The designated Project Supervisor for this project is Christina Brooks, Chief Equity Officer, Department of Diversity and Inclusion. Financial Considerations Between the City and FUSE Corps regarding the Fellow: The City Manager's Office will provide no stipend to the Fellow in addition to the salary provided by FUSE. During a Fellow's appointment, the City, at its sole discretion, may authorize and pay for all reasonable project-related expenses incurred by such Fellow in connection with the performance of services pursuant to the Placement Agreement for such Fellow including,without limitation, business expenses, travel expenses, and office supplies, all in accordance with the City's applicable policies and procedures. The City Manager's Office will have no financial obligation for expenses related to duties required by FUSE, such as travel by the Fellow to FUSE trainings or events. Financial Commitment Between the City and FUSE as it Relates to the Individual Placement for FUSE Fellow for the Period Effective April 18,2022. By executing this agreement, the City affirms that it has appropriated sufficient funds and taken all necessary steps to commit to the Placement and Funding Structure below. Timeline Placement and Funding Structure December 1, 2021 Agreement between FUSE and City Department to host a fellow in the upcoming program year April 25, 2022 Payment of$12,500 total fee is due Fellows Agreement Page 12 of 18 April 25, 2022 Week-long Virtual Opening Leadership Institute May 2, 2022 Fellow's first official day working onsite, including structured onboarding actions directed by the Fellow's direct report April 24, 2023 Final day of work for Fellow (unless agreement is extended) Fellows Agreement Page 13 of 18 Attachment 1 (Contd.) FUSE CORPS INDIVIDUAL PLACEMENT AGREEMENT Host Agency: Economic Development Department Fellow Reports to: Robert Sturns, Director, Economic Development Department Location of Fellowship: City of Fort Worth, TX General Terms and Conditions between the City and FUSE The City department executing this Individual Placement Agreement and FUSE Corps (FUSE) acknowledge that the terms and conditions of the Individual Placement Agreement apply to the City department and FUSE as it relates to the performance of this Individual Placement Agreement. FUSE and the City department shall notify the City Manager's Office upon execution of this Individual Placement Agreement. Illustrative Services Provided by FUSE 1. Prior to the start of the fellowship year: • Project Development: Convene meetings with host agency officials to identify project priorities; conduct in-depth interviews with host agency officials to clarify project idea; develop a draft Project Description for review by host agency officials; and conduct rounds of edits as needed to finalize approval of the Description. • Recruitment: Conduct a local and national candidate search, cultivating applicants from various job boards, associations, and networks; respond to inquiries from interested applicants seeking additional information; and manage an online application portal and a candidate management system. • Screening: Review applications to determine the most appropriate next steps for each candidate; conduct an initial phone-screening interview with candidates deemed to be most promising for the role; conduct an additional follow-up video-interview with candidates deemed strong enough to reach the semi-finalist round. • Selection: Select up to three finalists for each project and collect electronic references on those individuals from current and former employers and colleagues; help the City to coordinate logistics for an in-person interview for each of the three finalists with designated host agency officials. ;edicated On-Boarding: Place the selected individual under agreement as an employee of FUSE to the specified project; communicate with both fellow and host agency officials in the weeks leading up to the start of the program year to help prepare all parties for the fellowship. • Orientation: Organize and facilitate a national, in-person orientation for new fellows that is designed to help prepare them for their year of service, introduce them to the program's various tools and techniques, build peer-to-peer connections to help create an interactive `community of practice' among all fellows and alumni; and cover the costs of travel, accommodations, meals, facilitates, speakers, and expenses for fellow to attend orientation week. 2. During the fellowship year: Fellows Agreement Page 14 of 18 • Coaching: Pair fellow with an executive coach who will be available to work one- on-one with the fellow during the year. • On-Going Support: Organize and facilitate seminar calls hosted by staff, alumni, industry experts, and others to provide ongoing development and skill building opportunities. Host an online communication platform to allow fellows to regularly ask questions of peers and FUSE staff as they pursue project goals. • Project Refinement: Schedule a call with the fellow,host agency officials, and FUSE staff within the first three months of the project to assess the extent to which any changes may be necessary to the Project Description and designated fellowship project goals. • Mid-Year Retreat: Organize and facilitate a national, in-person mid-year retreat for all fellows that is designed to review progress achieved and lessons learned to date, clarify plans for increasing impact during the second half of the fellowship year, build plans for sustaining the impact of the project following the conclusion of the fellowship, and continue to foster interactive `community of practice' among all current fellows and alumni; and cover the costs of travel, accommodations, meals, facilitates, speakers, and expenses for fellow to attend the mid-year retreat. • Status Checks: Check-in with fellows and host agency officials periodically throughout the term of the fellowship to ensure that the fellowship is on track to achieve its stated goals; conduct a formal survey of fellows and host agency officials at both the mid-year point and at the end of the fellowship year to determine progress achieved and lessons learned to date. Fellowship Proiect Description: "Designing Small Business Supports to Strengthen Fort Worth's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem" PROJECT CONTEXT It's been just over a year since pharmaceutical companies launched vaccines in the fight against Covid-19,ushering in hope for the end of the pandemic, lockdowns, and social distancing from friends and loved ones. With this promise, the economy began to rally, consumers broadened their spending, and business growth and activity increased. However, small businesses and entrepreneurs, who comprise the heart of the American economy, continue to face challenges arising from the pandemic—predominantly minority-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs of color. Small businesses owned by people of color already face systemic barriers to accessing financing and business resources and are more likely to have to take drastic steps to stay afloat. Given this,the City of Fort Worth has provided small businesses with an influx of information, resources, and funds, supporting them in pivoting to meet the unprecedented businesses challenges arising from the pandemic. This included distributing financial assistance through the Preserve the Fort Small Business Grants Program, awarding almost$55.0 million dollars in funding to more than 1,600 local small businesses; supporting the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber in awarding over $15,000 in microgrants to small businesses; and collaborating with PeopleFund to launch the Business Resiliency Microloan Program,which provided for the establishment of an $850,000 loan pool for eligible companies. Fellows Agreement Page 15 of 18 Another key service that enabled the survival of small businesses in Fort Worth at the height of the pandemic was the Economic Development Department's Business Assistance Center (BAC). The BAC is a one-stop shop that provides training,technical assistance, funding opportunities, and business support services to established, start-up small businesses and micro-enterprises. During the pandemic, the BAC and its partners successfully shifted their services to support the immediate needs of small businesses in the city. However, small businesses' needs have now permanently changed in the face of the pandemic, and the BAC must adapt to provide programs and resources that grow and strengthen Fort Worth's entrepreneurial ecosystem post-pandemic, placing a renewed focus on nurturing the uptake of services by minority-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs of color. The City of Fort Worth will partner with FUSE Corps to build the BAC's capacity, enabling it to supply the most impactful technical and programmatic resources to the city's minority and women- owned small businesses. The FUSE Executive Fellow will work closely with the small business community to capture these businesses' needs, ensure the assistance provided by the BAC meets those needs, and tailor recommendations and process improvements that revitalize the BAC through a lens of equity. Through the successful execution of this work,there will be more opportunities to start and grow businesses for anyone in Fort Worth,thus creating a more diverse and inclusive business environment. PROJECT SUMMARY & POTENTIAL DELIVERABLES The following provides a general overview of the proposed fellowship project. This project summary and the potential deliverables that follow will be collaboratively revisited by the host agency, the fellow, and FUSE staff during the first few months of the fellowship, after which a revised scope of work will be developed and agreed upon by the FUSE Fellow and the host agency. Starting in April 2022, it is proposed that the FUSE Executive Fellow will connect with a wide range of critical stakeholders, including staff across city departments, a dozen on-site and off-site BAC collaborative partners, chambers of commerce, community-based organizations, neighborhood councils, and small business owners. Utilizing this initial listening tour with key stakeholders, the Executive Fellow will build off of any existing assessments and map the programs and technical assistance provided by the BAC, including one-time assistance necessitated by the pandemic and which partners provide these services. The Executive Fellow will conduct extensive research on supporting entrepreneurial innovation at the local level,reviewing Boulder, Kansas City, and Dallas's programs, to determine national best practices and cutting-edge programs and policies that support small business growth, assessing applicability locally. The Executive Fellow will then design a survey to capture critical information on small businesses in the city, capturing data from minority-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs of color. The survey will collate the needs of these businesses in light of the pandemic, gaps in programming,the ideal programs or technical resources the BAC should provide, user experience with the BAC, and accessibility barriers. The Executive Fellow will ensure the survey can reach the entire small business community, accounting for potential language needs and the digital divide. This process should be clearly mapped, ensuring the Economic Development Department can make updates to the survey and use it as a yearly feedback loop on Fort Worth's small business needs. In the next phase, the Executive Fellow will make recommendations for revitalizing the Fort Worth Fellows Agreement Page 16 of 18 Business Assistance Center (BAC), focusing on enhancing uptake of services by minority-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs of color. The Executive Fellow will make additional recommendations to support the Economic Development Department in facilitating program management and continuity of assistance, despite staff no longer being physically located in the BAC. The Executive Fellow will then initiate recommendations and activities that are most urgent and can be implemented quickly. • Conduct a thorough review of the current landscape Conduct an in-depth landscape analysis of the BAC, collating all relevant programming and processes; map providers and identify cross-cutting themes, strengthen existing lines of communication between stakeholders, conduct deep research on supporting entrepreneurial innovation at the local level, reviewing national best practices and models • Design, launch, and analyze a survey ofsmall business owners Utilize an equity lens in the development of the study, detail questions or prompts to extract: the needs of each business/industry,the ideal programs or technical resources the BAC should provide,user experience with the BAC, usage rates programming and the impact of those resources; analyze data, map gaps in programming,and determine barriers to accessibility; ensure survey can be used yearly,to support a feedback loop with the community • Form recommendations, engage stakeholders, and catalyze buy-in — Build out proposals to support the use of the BAC by minority-owned small business and entrepreneurs of color; support process improvements; design program solutions for the BAC to best meet the needs of the small businesses surveyed; detail how to provide continuous services or a schedule of programming without staff physically present at the BAC;identify barriers to implementing any recommendations; solicit and incorporate input from stakeholders to build consensus around changes • Roll-out recommendations and support long-term implementation Work with leadership across Departments to effectively advance recommendations; support capacity building, creating internal infrastructure and systems; measure and broadly share progress towards goals, and ensure that the needs of small businesses and racial/gender equity are centered in all strategies Fellow Support provided by the Placement: The City and its staff will facilitate introductions and meetings with key staff within the City as well as the community as appropriate to support the goals of the project. Executive Sponsor: The Executive Sponsor is a high-ranking member of the agency's management team. They are the visible champion of the project within the agency and is the ultimate decision maker, with final approval on all phases, deliverables and scope changes. The Executive Sponsor will help ensure that this project achieves its full potential for impact. The designated Executive Sponsor for this project is Fernando Costa; Assistant City Manager, tY Manager's Office. Project Supervisor: The Project Supervisor is the day-to-day driver of the project and will work directly with the fellow to oversee progress toward goals. They will introduce the fellow to key stakeholders, identify conflicts and help remove obstacles that may occur during project work. The Fellows Agreement Page 17 of 18 designated Project Supervisor for this project is Robert Sturns, Director, Economic Development Department. Financial Considerations Between the City and FUSE Corps regarding the Fellow: The City Manager's Office will provide no stipend to the Fellow in addition to the salary provided by FUSE. During a Fellow's appointment, the City, at its sole discretion, may authorize and pay for all reasonable project-related expenses incurred by such Fellow in connection with the performance of services pursuant to the Placement Agreement for such Fellow including, without limitation, business expenses, travel expenses, and office supplies, all in accordance with the City's applicable policies and procedures. The City Manager's Office will have no financial obligation for expenses related to duties required by FUSE, such as travel by the Fellow to FUSE trainings or events. Financial Commitment Between the City and FUSE as it Relates to the Individual Placement for FUSE Fellow for the Period Effective April 18,2022. By executing this agreement, the City affirms that it has appropriated sufficient funds and taken all necessary steps to commit to the Placement and Funding Structure below. Timeline Placement and Funding Structure December 1, 2021 Agreement between FUSE and City Department to host a fellow in the upcoming program year April 25, 2022 Payment of$12,500 total fee is due April 25, 2022 Week-long Virtual Opening Leadership Institute May 2, 2022 Fellow's first official day working onsite, including structured onboarding actions directed by the Fellow's direct report April 24, 2023 Final day of work for Fellow(unless agreement is extended) Fellows Agreement Page 18 of 18