Research & Program Evaluation Partner RFP

Request for Proposal

Research & Program Evaluation Partner

About I Be Black Girl I Be Black Girl (IBBG) is a collective for Black women, femmes, and to actualize their full potential and authentically be. Located in Nebraska, IBBG i serves as a collective for Black women, femmes and girls to actualize their full potential to authentically be. We do this through our four areas of work: •

People Power, creating Black political power through community led leadership

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Economic Opportunity, building economic security, access and abundance by addressing system disinvestment

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Maternal health Initiatives, catalyzing movement for positive birth outcomes by disrupting the systems that perpetuate harm to Black birthing folks.

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Community Led Investments, resource distribution led by and for Black women, femmes and girls.

Project Overview & Goals This RFP will help IBBG select a partner to evaluate the Business Catalyst program’s existing impact as well as name gaps, opportunities and other relevant themes in the Nebraska entrepreneurial landscape through a strengths-based frame to deepen IBBG’s and current stakeholders understanding This includes but is not limited to exploring innovations, gaps, and untapped potential within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This research and evaluation project will assess the impact and effectiveness of IBBG’s Business Catalyst Program that centers Black women and femme entrepreneurs.

Goals of evaluation and research project: 1. Demonstrate a deeper understanding of ongoing barriers, success and opportunities for Black women and femme entrepreneurs in Nebraska 2. Identify common themes, system change needs and opportunities to better support to Black women and femme entrepreneurs 3. Evaluate the relevance and impact of current Business Catalyst curriculum This evaluation will guide improvements to the Business Catalyst program and help inform the larger entrepreneurial ecosystem on how to support Black women and femme entrepreneurs.

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Business Catalyst History & Overview The origins of the Business Catalyst program trace back to a pivotal study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City – Omaha Branch. Their report Black Women Business Startups, highlights the persistent barriers Black women entrepreneurs face.

Despite being among the fastest-growing groups of entrepreneurs, they continue to face limited access to capital, peer networks, and technical support. These findings reflect realities for Black women and femme entrepreneurs in Nebraska, emphasizing the need for culturally grounded, community-based programs like the Business Catalyst that are intentionally designed to meet those challenges.

Guided by these insights, the one-day summit transformed to a 10‑week hybrid custom business accelerator launched to meet the urgent need for culturally relevant technical assistance. The Business Catalyst’s goal is to support Black women and femme entrepreneurs in Nebraska to build sustainable businesses and generational wealth.

Since its inception, we’ve graduated 6 cohorts totaling 83 founders and continually evolved curriculum based on feedback and changing ecosystem conditions.

The Business Catalyst program was designed to provide intentional space for founders to actualize their entrepreneurial vision through module-based learning, technical support training and building a strong peer network with like-minded individuals. Participants gain access to resources, professional services, business coaching, and actionable toolkits to help build, grow, or maintain their business. Looking forward, the Business Catalyst program is committed to evaluating and amplifying its impact—deepening financial access, expanding partnerships, and embedding equity-focused curriculum that focuses on the lived experiences of Black women and femme entrepreneurs in Nebraska.

Who We’re Looking For We are seeking an individual or team with experience in program evaluation, participatory research, and conducting landscape analysis—particularly with an approach rooted in racial equity. Ideal partners will demonstrate humility, alignment with IBBG’s values and strong ability to collect and analyze data.

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Project Scope

Activity 1 – Survey Design and Deployment •

Design and administer two separate surveys—one for Business Catalyst alumni and another for non-alumni Black women and femme entrepreneurs in Nebraska.

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The surveys should assess current business needs, impact of the Business Catalyst program, proposed curriculum updates, and the broader entrepreneurial landscape.

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Respondents should be engaged through a mix of outreach strategies.

The consultant will be responsible for designing the questions, managing distribution, collecting responses, and providing a summary of key findings.

Activity 2 – Curate and Administer Listening Sessions •

Facilitate a series of group listening sessions to gather deeper qualitative insights from Catalyst alumni, non-alum entrepreneurs, and relevant ecosystem partners including recruitment.

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Sessions should be designed to encourage honest, reflective dialogue and surface themes that may not emerge in survey data. Consultant will lead facilitation, note-taking, and synthesis of insights.

Activity 3 – Storytelling 1:1 Interviews •

Conduct deep dive storytelling individual interviews with a diverse group of stakeholders—including alumni, coaches, partners, and community members— to explore personal experiences, program impact, and ecosystem gaps.

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These interviews will also support a future storytelling component, so responses should be documented and, where possible, video recorded (with consent) for use in a public-facing piece.

Activity 4 – Analyze & Synthesize Data to Produce a Final Report •

Develop a comprehensive final package that clearly communicates the findings from all research and evaluation activities. This should include: •

Business Catalyst Program Evaluation Report - A detailed internal report assessing the effectiveness and outcomes of the Catalyst program, with recommendations for curriculum updates and program improvement.

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Public-Facing Landscape Analysis - An accessible, strengths-based report summarizing key trends, insights, and opportunities across Nebraska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem— especially as they relate to Black women and femme entrepreneurs. This should include a polished executive summary.

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Storytelling Asset – Curate content for a video-form, digital story telling piece with content from the interviews that highlights the lived experiences and voices of participants.

Consultant will collaborate with IBBG and/or an external videographer as needed.

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Timeline The work will be conducted over 4-6 months with the ideal partner beginning in October 2025.

RFP opens

August 4th

RFP closed

August 29th

Applicant Interviews September 9-11th Notifications

September 15th

Proposal Submission Guidelines Interested parties should submit a proposal of no more than two doublespaced pages using the below questions to guide your response and how you would build this project based on the scope outlined above: •

How would you approach building this project based on the scope of activities outlined above (surveys, listening sessions, interviews, final deliverables)?

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What tools, frameworks, or methods would you use to synthesize findings and ensure actionable insights?

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Please share brief descriptions or links to 1–2 relevant projects you’ve led or contributed to, particularly those involving underrepresented communities, entrepreneurship, or ecosystem evaluation.

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Who will be leading and supporting this project?

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What lived/professional experiences do your team members bring that make them well-suited for this work?

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How do you root your approach and work in justice-based practices?

In your submission, please also include bio(s) of key team members who will be involved.

Submit proposals and questions to: ashlei@ibeblackgirl.org

www.ibeblackgirl.com 2306 N 24th St, Omaha, NE 68110 4