1-265X901168 Recycling Program Sponsorship Management.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) – SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

RECYCLING PROGRAM SPONSORSHIP MANAGEMENT

– PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

DUE DATE: MAY 15, 2026, by 12:00 PM ET

RFI NUMBER: 265X901168

SUBMITTAL: https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/

All proposals must be submitted electronically via the City’s Bonfire portal at the above link.

Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, or e-mail will not be accepted. See “SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES TO THE RFI” for more details.

Requests for information related to this Notice should be directed to:

Jennifer Sherman at jennifer.sherman@cincinnati-oh.gov

NOTE: The City publishes information on the City of Cincinnati Internet web site at www.cincinnati-oh.gov, which includes the Cincinnati Municipal Code (CMC) and the information concerning the rules and regulations governing the City’s Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program and Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program. Responders may register as a City vendor online at https://vss.cincinnati-oh.gov/vssprod/Advantage4

Disclaimer

This is not a procurement solicitation. The City will not reimburse any costs associated with the development and submission of materials in response to this request. There is no solicitation available at this time. However, should a procurement solicitation materialize, no basis for claims against the City shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI or the City’s use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent procurement solicitation.

https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/ mailto:jennifer.sherman@cincinnati-oh.gov http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/ https://vss.cincinnati-oh.gov/vssprod/Advantage4

I. REQUEST

PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

The City of Cincinnati ("City"), through the Office of Environment & Sustainability (OES), is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to gather Statements of Qualifications (SOQs), recommended project approaches, and project ideas from professional service firms experienced in turn-key sponsorship program management.

The City owns a fleet of approximately 100,000 green recycling carts and 300 blue recycling corner cans that are deployed throughout the city in support of the residential curbside recycling program. This is augmented by approximately 20 public recycling drop-off sites. Approximately 80,000 existing but aged carts will be swapped out in 2027 for brand new carts. The City would like to implement a sponsorship program for the cart and corner can infrastructure and the recycling program itself (i.e., asset based and system based).

The information gathered through this RFI will help the City better understand the expertise, capacity, and innovative approaches present among our region’s sponsorship program management experts. Our goal is to identify one or more qualified firms who can help shape and accelerate Cincinnati’s recycling sponsorship program.

This RFI is part of the broader waste diversion goals of the City. These efforts align the goals and measures set forth in the Green Cincinnati Plan and the Greater Cincinnati Comprehensive Climate Action Plan.

This RFI is intended solely for information‑gathering and market research purposes. It does not constitute a solicitation, request for pricing, or an offer to contract. Respondents will not be reimbursed for any costs incurred in preparing a response.

Respondents are encouraged to propose:

• Sponsorship sales and partnership development approaches

• Production, installation, and maintenance responsibilities

• Community engagement strategies

• Methods to ensure durability, cleanliness, and rapid issue response

The City is interested in understanding:

• Direct financial contributions

• In-kind contributions

• Blended models

• Sponsorship tiering

• Exclusive and shared models

• Local business participation pathways

SCOPE OF SERVICES

Sponsorships are the solicited assistance of money, material, or service from individuals, associations or business entities to support City activities or City programs or projects.

The City may solicit sponsorships of money, materials, or services for the residential curbside recycling program. The City reserves the right to select sponsors based on the compatibility and propriety of the sponsor with the program and with the mission and goals of the City. Money, material and equipment must be accounted for in accordance with City policies and procedures.

To recognize a sponsor for their contribution of money, products, or in-kind services to the program, the City may produce and display public acknowledgement of these sponsors. The City may also establish additional terms and conditions.

No acknowledgement shall convey an endorsement of a particular sponsor or product. An endorsement is defined as the expression of a favorable opinion about the quality, value, or effectiveness of a particular product, service, company or organization.

The City may reject sponsorships from any entity whose activities are either intended or may be construed to influence the outcome of any City election, permitting, contracting or other regulatory program.

The City seeks information from qualified program management firms supporting turn-key recycling sponsorship program services.

Program Criteria:

• Sales, Sponsorships, Structure, Tiers.

• Community Engagement Approach.

• Creative Design and Trafficking.

• Production, Installation, Maintenance, and Refresh.

• Inventory Management.

• Reporting.

• Data and Privacy.

• Local Economic Inclusion.

Program Terms:

• Revenue Share.

• Minimum Annual Guarantee.

• Public Service Announcement Set Aside.

• Measurement and Decisions.

• Bonding and Insurance.

• Term Period.

Creative Specifications:

• Sponsor visibility.

• Civic aesthetics.

• Residential cart decal.

• Public corner can panel.

• Content Safeguards.

• Right-to-Remove.

• Accessibility.

Placement Rules:

• Residential carts.

• Public corner cans.

• Online.

• Other Media.

RFI Respondents are asked to provide:

• Statements of Qualifications (Required)

• Recommended approaches and methodologies (Required)

• Conceptual or preliminary project ideas relevant to Cincinnati (Required)

RESPONSES TO THE RFI

Responses should provide information that helps us understand your capabilities, experience, and potential role in future sponsorship turn-key program management. This information will contribute to a broader understanding of who is active in the region.

All responses must include the sections listed below.

1) STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS (Required)

a) Introduction & Organizational Overview

i) Brief introduction of the firm or organization

ii) Professional services provided

iii) Interest in collaborating on future sponsorship program development in Cincinnati

iv) Organizational structure, ownership, and years in operation

v) Relevant licenses, certifications, or registrations

vi) Primary contact information

b) Experience designing, installing, integrating, operating, implementing, maintaining, or advising on the technology and professional services most applicable to sponsorship program management

c) Capacity to deliver sponsorship programs for commercial, institutional, or municipal scale applications

d) Experience navigating applicable or relevant and appropriate local, state and federal regulations

e) Experience collaborating with residents, public agencies, and/or community‑based organizations

f) Summary of representative past programs, including:

i) Professional services provided and scale

ii) Client type

iii) Role of the respondent in the program

iv) Completion date

v) Outcomes

2) Recommended Approaches and Methodologies (Required)

a) Sponsorship Model

i) What sponsorship structures have you successfully implemented in municipal settings?

ii) What key metrics do you use to measure the success of a sponsorship program?

iii) What terms and conditions specific to sponsorship programs should be expected?

b) Revenue and Value

i) What level of annual sponsorship value is realistic for this scale?

ii) What mix of cash versus in-kind support is typical?

c) Community Acceptance

i) How do you balance sponsor visibility with civic aesthetics?

ii) What approaches minimize public concern?

iii) How have opt-out or neighborhood customization models worked?

d) Operations

i) What are best practices for production, installation, maintenance, and refresh cycles?

ii) What service levels are standard?

e) Content and Brand Alignment

i) How do you ensure sponsor content aligns with public-sector values?

ii) What co-branding formats are most effective?

iii) What creative specifications are most effective?

iv) What placement rules are most effective?

3) Program Ideas (Required)

a) What other ideas do you have that could result in a successful sponsorship program?

Program ideas do not require detailed strategic or financial modeling at this stage. The information will be used to demonstrate sponsorship potential and readiness in our region to attract public and private funding.

In the event a procurement solicitation or contract materializes for this service, all Offerors shall be subject to the provisions of the economic inclusion programs found in Chapter 323 and 324 of the Cincinnati Municipal Code and the Equal Employment Opportunity Program found in Chapter 325 of the Cincinnati Municipal Code. Information about these programs can be obtained by visiting the following website http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/inclusion/.

TIMETABLE

Milestones for the Process are: Date

1. Release of RFI 04/10/2026

2. Deadline for Questions 04/24/2026 at 12:00 PM ET

3. Offerors submit responses 05/15/2026 at 12:00 PM ET

4. City issues procurement for related services (if necessary) 07/20/2026 http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/inclusion/

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING INFORMATION

Include information as requested or required. Be sure the information submitted is complete and properly identified. The cover page of the document shall indicate the RFI Reference Number, Time, Date Due, and the title of the RFI. Information must be received by the Office of Procurement by the date and time specified as the due date.

An electronic response must be submitted through the City’s Bonfire portal at https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/. Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, or e-mail will not be accepted.

Important notes:

• Logging in and/or uploading your file(s) does not mean your response is submitted.

Offerors must successfully upload all file(s) and must click the submit button before closing time.

• You will receive an email confirmation receipt with a unique confirmation number once you finalize your submission. This will confirm that you have successfully submitted your Statement of Qualifications.

• If a requested file is mandatory, you will not be able to complete your submission until the requirement is met.

• Uploading large documents may take time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your internet connection speed.

• Please note the type (.doc, .pdf, etc.) and number of files (one only or multiple) allowed.

The maximum file size for upload is 1,000 MB. Please do not embed any documents within your uploaded files as they will not be accessible or evaluated.

For technical questions or issues related to your submission, please contact Bonfire directly at support@gobonfire.com or 1 (800) 354-8010, ext. 2. The support team is available Monday- Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET. You can also visit their help forum at https://bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc.

All Responses shall be received no later than May 15, 2026, by 12:00 PM ET.

QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES

Questions and inquiries, written only, will be accepted from any and all firms. Inquiries pertaining to this Request for Information must include the following in the subject line: RFI number and RFI. All written questions should be directed to Jennifer Sherman via email @ Jennifer.Sherman@cincinnati-oh.gov. All questions shall be received no later than April 24, 2026, by 12:00 PM ET.

CORRECTIONS AND ADDENDA

If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFI or provide additional information, an addendum will be issued. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that all addenda are received and incorporated prior to submitting a response.

https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/ https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/ https://bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc mailto:Jennifer.Sherman@cincinnati-oh.gov