CSC Real Estate
- Client: CSC Real Estate
- Service: Bid Manager
- Industry: Property Development
- Location: New York
Company Bio: Founded in 2010 by New Jersey resident Al Smeke, CSC Real Estate (link) is a minority-owned real estate management and investment firm based in New York. The company’s mission is to deliver exceptional value while addressing the growing demand for sustainable urban development. The firm manages multifamily residential and mixed-use workforce housing. With investments in over 10,000 properties and over $4.0 billion in assets under management, the firm has experienced resounding success. In addition, CSC Real Estate builds and monitors portfolios for institutional investors, public pension funds, and private capital partners.
“Our investment firm is successful in part because we choose partners that will help our large-scale real estate investment projects succeed on every level– not just for investors, but for the neighborhoods and families that make up the fabric of our communities. We chose to work with The Bid Lab because they fundamentally understood the goals of our business, which is to give back to the very communities that have shaped the lives and contributed to the successes of so many.”
– Alberto Smeke, Managing Partner, CSC Real Estate
CSC Real Estate Overview
- Drafted, designed, and developed a response for a bid on behalf of an incumbent vendor in the property development industry
- Developed professional, polished content that clearly defined the responsibilities and goals of two partnering enterprises
- Worked closely with the company co-founders and C-suite teams to verify compliance and include all required certifications, registrations, and licenses
- Submitted a compliant, comprehensive response for a bid issued by a New Jersey county– and won!
The Challenge
CSC Real Estate, a minority-owned business enterprise, has been at the forefront of transformative real estate investment and development. Guided by a firm set of in-house principles for responsible investing, the company works to revitalize local economic development. By unlocking the value of underused assets, they hope to make a lasting, sustainable impact on communities and neighborhoods.
With CSC Real Estate, every project is personal. However, this time, an opportunity practically appeared in the backyard of the company’s founder. This procurement, issued by the company founder’s home county in New Jersey, sought to develop and manage the local community snack bar. CSC Real Estate had already won this contract opportunity once before. So as the incumbent, the company wanted to deliver a knock-out winning bid to secure another contract term.
By winning this bid, CSC Real Estate could continue to manage the snack bar for the benefit of its neighbors. But to do that, the company would need to ensure its bid was as compliant as it was compelling. The bid would also need to clearly introduce and describe the expertise and experiences of CSC Real Estate’s proposed partner firm– a small business in the food services industry.
Fortunately, CSC Real Estate knows how to find partners who are just as committed to leaving a positive impact as they are. So, with a high-stakes bid on the line, they decided to collaborate with The Bid Lab.
The Solution
First, The Bid Lab helped draft an outline that clearly differentiated the roles and goals of two organizations: CSC Real Estate and their partner firm. By establishing the relationship between these two partnering organizations from the outset, the voice and tone of our response naturally fell into place. This also served to create a consistent writing style and tone to model for the rest of the bid!
With The Bid Lab, obtaining and submitting the relevant registrations and paperwork was a snap. As we worked together, we simultaneously began creating a content library for CSC Real Estate. This content library could help the firm create and respond to any future bids, grants, and other projects. In the meantime, CSC Real Estate uploaded photos of the snack bar facility to include in the bid response. As the project incumbents, they could personally attest to the power of a solid before-and-after-photo college.
As this was a government-issued bid, we scoured the relevant county regulations, bid portal and website to ensure the project would be delivered exactly in line with all regulatory specifications. Once our work was complete, our editor and designer polished the document and formatted it in accordance with any required standards. Together, we were able to successfully submit the response. But would our efforts work to secure this community contract?
“We enjoyed working with The Bid Lab! And we wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone in the property development industry. Their professionalism, expertise, and problem-solving prowess helped us win our bid and secure an important contract.”
– Alberto Smeke, Managing Partner, CSC Real Estate
The Results of the Engagement
As the incumbent, CSC Real Estate had already worked with the County. But with The Bid Lab, CSC Real Estate was able to build on that previous relationship with another winning bid! Now, CSC Real Estate can breathe a sigh of relief– and move forward with their project to ensure the community continues to enjoy the comfort and benefits of their local snack bar for years to come. Even more impressively, CSC Real Estate has committed to donating any revenue they receive as a result of this contract to charity. That’s right– for CSC Real Estate, this is a 100% non-profit venture.
As CSC Real Estate is a minority-owned business, the firm ensures that 20%+ of their procurement is sourced from other certified minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE). Since that win, we’ve assisted them with developing new narratives for many of their MWBE-certified partner vendors for other projects, which they can use to help them market future RFPs to other organizations looking to meet required participation goals.
Thanks to our work together, CSC Real Estate now has a solid content library stuffed with previous samples, branding, and language to help them promote their background, capabilities, previous work, and the history of their diverse partnerships.
CSC Real Estate Won With The Bid Lab— And So Can You!
Are you wondering if a third-party review might benefit your upcoming solicitation response? Or do you need guidance to help explain a complicated partnership using a limited number of pages or words? Whether you’re an incumbent or new to bidding, The Bid Lab can help you improve the quality of your response. So, are you ready to discover how we can help you develop and submit a winning proposal response? Then, feel free to reach out! The Bid Lab is always available for a free consultation. Learn more by calling 1-844-4BIDLAB or emailing respond@thebidlab.com.
Want to read more examples of how we exceed client expectations?
- See what else we’ve done for other property development industry clients! Check out our case study for ARKA Builders and DEC Contracting Group.
- Read more about our success in the US Northeast with other regional clients like Scheer Partners, Taurus, and C-360 Agency.
- Or, win more bids in the US Northeast by reading through a few of our ultimate state guides:
