PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach is seeking organizations to partner with the City’s Department of Economic Development to develop and implement citywide solutions through its ActivateLB program to increase customer spending by $1 million at Long Beach small businesses and support their economic recovery. The ActivateLB program’s Request for Proposals (RFP) is open through 11 a.m. on August 30, 2022, on the City’s vendor portal: Long Beach Buys.

ActivateLB is designed to support equitable economic recovery for small businesses hardest hit by the pandemic, with focus on local businesses owned by Black, Latinx, Cambodian, and Asian and Pacific Islander individuals as well as businesses located in low- and moderate-income areas. ActivateLB programs may be in the form of events, campaigns, technological developments or other creative solutions, but should be citywide in reach, designed to benefit as many businesses as possible. The scope of ActivateLB’s work includes developing and implementing large-scale customized customer activation programs, ensuring equity and inclusivity throughout their implementation and reporting on program impact.

The City is seeking applicants that have at least two years of experience delivering similar programs and services, have knowledge of the small business community in Long Beach, and have delivered effective strategies for supporting linguistically and culturally appropriate messaging for diverse business owners. Examples of customer activation strategies include experiential marketing, digital marketing, events, promotions and voucher or gift card programs, among many other possibilities.

This is a challenge-based procurement, and the City is looking for vendors to propose solutions that can meet program goals. Specific details related to eligibility requirements and submission instructions are available on the Long Beach Buys website. Interested organizations should sign up online for a free virtual information session scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 10.

This program is made possible by the Long Beach Recovery Act, a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for Long Beach residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than twenty million dollars has been allocated to support direct business support, which includes prioritizing small businesses and nonprofits heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional information about the Long Beach Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery.

The ActivateLB Programs align with Goal 4 of Long Beach’s Race and Reconciliation Initiative to advance economic equity.

Media inquiries can be directed to Courtney Chatterson, LBRA Program Manager, Economic Development Department, Business Development Bureau, at 562.668.1019 or courtney.chatterson@longbeach.gov.