Request for Proposal - Marketing

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

1. Summary

The Grand Valley Metropolitan Council (GVMC), a coalition of local governments in the Grand Rapids Metropolitan area, is currently accepting proposals from firms interested in assisting GVMC in developing new marketing materials to target businesses and residents. West Michigan has seen tremendous value from the Grand River. The Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW), an agency of GVMC, helps local communities meet the public education and outreach requirements of their municipal separate storm sewer system permits. These communities are responsible for promoting best management practices (BMPs) for stormwater solutions internally and to the public. GVMC is seeking help creating outreach resources for print and digital media to help serve local communities with advertising and public awareness of specific environmental topics.

2. Proposal Guidelines

This Request for Proposal represents the requirements for an open and competitive process. Proposals will be accepted until February 24, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Any proposals received after this date and time will be returned to the sender. All proposals must be signed by an official agent or representative of the company submitting the proposal. If the organization submitting a proposal must outsource or contract any work to meet the requirements contained herein, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. Additionally, costs included in the proposals must be all-inclusive of any outsourced or contracted work. Any proposals which call for outsourcing or contracting work must include the name and description of the organizations being contracted. Contract terms and conditions will be negotiated upon selection of the winning bidder for this RFP. All contractual terms and conditions will be subject to review and will include scope, budget, schedule, and other necessary items pertaining to the project.

3. Timeline

• RFP Publish Date February 1, 2023

• RFP Questions Submittal Deadline February 10, 2023

• RFP Questions and Answers Posted February 17, 2023

• RFP Due Date February 24, 2023

• Selection and Draft Contract Review March 2-6, 2023

• Contract Development and Finalization March 17, 2023

• Project Initiation March 27, 2023

Questions that arise prior to the RFP deadline shall be submitted in writing no later than February 10, 2023. Questions can be directed to Courtney Marek, Courtney.marek@gvmc.org. Responses to this RFP are limited to five (5) double-sided pages. Number all pages consecutively. Proposals exceeding these limits will not be accepted. Inclusion of promotional literature of a general nature is not solicited, but if submitted, will not? count toward the overall length restriction. Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 pm, February 24, 2023, as an electronic copy or a hard copy. Hard copies must be postmarked by the due date or delivered directly to the following address: Wendy Ogilvie Grand Valley Metro Council 678 Front Ave., NW, Suite #200 Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Electronic copies should be submitted as a PDF with the subject line, “GVMC Public Education Outreach Proposal”. Submissions should be sent to the following email address: Wendy.ogilvie@gvmc.org

4. Project Scope of Work

The following section outlines expectations for the development of marketing materials for GVMC. GVMC will work hand in hand with the awarded contractors to provide educational language and resources for topics to cover. The tasks the consultant will be expected to accomplish for the project within six months are listed below.

1. Create marketing materials for kiosk signs, tip cards, and flyers to promote water quality practices targeting residents and businesses

2. Update and design a new LGROW brochure, using the past brochures for reference

3. Design “Now entering ___ Watershed” signs that will be placed along local roads

4. Design images and content to share on social media platforms

5. Design billboard/bus ads

6. Design display panels for tabling events

The following documents should be used as reference materials to complete the Scope of Work: • Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds www.lgrow.org a. Disposal Page www.lgrow.org/disposal b. Intro to Stormwater Page www.lgrow.org/stormwaterintro c. Pollution Solution Page www.lgrow.org/pollution-solutions

5. Proposal Evaluation and Contractor Selection Evaluation Process

Proposals submitted on time will be reviewed by GVMC. GVMC reserves the right to engage in negotiations to determine the proposal that is in the overall best interests of the intent of the project. Neither GVMC nor the selected firm shall be legally bound in any way until a contract is signed. Selection of the consultant will be made in consideration of the following:

• Proposed work plan and thoroughness of the proposed scope of work.

• The qualifications of the firm or individual and experience regarding similar work.

• The capacity of the individual or firm to meet the project timelines.

• The reasonableness of the allocation of resources to the various tasks.

• The consultant's demonstrated understanding of the project and local environmental issues.

• Proposed hourly fee and expenses.

View the full document, here.