EAST PROVIDENCE — The City of East Providence has initiated a request for proposal (RFP) for a qualified consultant or consultant team to conduct a feasibility study on the conversion of a former Oldham Elementary School building on Bullocks Point Avenue into a small business incubator.

The RFP for the feasibility study comes after the City was awarded a U.S. Economic Development Administration (USEDA) Adjustment Assistant Program planning grant.

East Providence was awarded $200,000 to be used toward its East Providence Small Business and Blue Economy Incubator Project.

The feasibility study, which includes market research, potential competition and analysis of startup and development costs, is the first step in the city transforming the former Oldham School into a multi-use small business incubator. The study will also assist in the development of a plan of action for the space.

The building was shuttered for instructional use a decade ago by the state-appointed Budget Commission due to the need for considerable repair.

The city took ownership of the building and the land from the school district in late 2022.

In the interim, the district used the structure as a storage facility.

A previous RFP set out earlier this calendar year by city administrators included the possibility of converting the structure into mixed-use/residental. It received a pair of responses.

The incubator will be centered on the creation of jobs through business startups and will provide a network of business resources to small businesses that will ensure a greater level of long-term success.

This bid opening will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 11 a.m. in Conference Room A at East Providence City Hall. The bids will be publicly recorded. Bids received with a time of 11:01 a.m. or later will be rejected.

All questions should be submitted in writing to Jessica Lamprey, Procurement Specialist, at jlamprey@eastprovidenceri.gov not later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14.

For details on the current Oldham RFP visit https://eastprovidenceri.gov/rfp/2023/small-business-incubator-feasibility-study.