Atlantic Cape Community College

Request for Proposal RFP282 Media Buying Services – Digital and Social Media – FY27

ISSUE DATE: March 18, 2026 PROPOSAL DUE DATE: April 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM (EST) Prevailing Time

Procurement Authority This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by Atlantic Cape Community College (the “College”) in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:64A-25.5.

The contract will be awarded to the responsible proposer whose proposal is determined to be most advantageous to the College, price and other factors considered.

Contract Term The contract shall be for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, subject to Board of Trustees approval.

Overview Atlantic Cape Community College (Atlantic Cape) seeks the services of a highly experienced and qualified firm to provide strategic digital and social media buying services in support of its recruitment, retention, and branding campaigns, covering the period from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, fiscal year 2027.

Atlantic Cape intends to issue a separate Request for Proposal for Traditional Media Strategy and Buying services for Fiscal Year 2027. Agencies may submit proposals for one or both RFPs if qualified.

The estimated digital media buying budget for fiscal year 2027 will not exceed $200,000. The award of this RFP does not guarantee full expenditure of this amount; instead, it provides access to media buying services as needed, funded by institutional and/or federal, state, and local grants. This includes initiatives funded by the HESAA Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) and others, as awarded.

The contract is expected to be approved at the Board of Trustees meeting on May 19, 2026. The selected firm will be notified the week of May 24, 2026.

Background Atlantic Cape Community College is a comprehensive two-year public institution serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties, enrolling nearly 6,000 full- and part-time credit students. The College operates three campuses: Atlantic City, Cape May Court House, and its main campus in Mays Landing.

A statewide anchor institution, Atlantic Cape is home to the Academy of Culinary Arts—named the #1 culinary school in New Jersey—and a highly regarded nursing program. Its growing STEM offerings include aviation and drone certifications, and its Workforce Development division maintains strong partnerships with local employers.

The College maintains articulation and transfer agreements with institutions across New Jersey, including Rutgers University, which has a dedicated building on the Mays Landing campus.

Mission Atlantic Cape Community College provides inclusive, accessible, and equitable educational programs and services to transform lives and empower students to successfully meet their academic, social, and career goals, while also supporting the diverse needs of our community.

Vision Atlantic Cape Community College provides an innovative, student-centered approach to learning. The College anticipates and fulfills academic and workforce needs, strengthens our community’s economy and partnerships, and creates seamless pathways to maximize student growth and success. An integral part of the community, Atlantic Cape is known as a caring institution focused on delivering quality educational programs and support services throughout all aspects of the student experience—both inside and outside the classroom.

Scope of Services – Digital and Social Media The selected agency shall provide strategic planning, placement, management, and optimization of digital advertising services in support of the College’s marketing and enrollment objectives. Services shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

· Paid social media advertising across platforms such as Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube

· Search engine marketing, including but not limited to Google Ads and Bing

· Programmatic display advertising

· Streaming and connected television (CTV) advertising

· Geofencing and other location-based advertising strategies

· Retargeting and audience segmentation strategies

· Identification and utilization of emerging digital advertising platforms, as appropriate and beneficial to campaign performance The agency shall recommend platform selection and media allocation based on data-driven strategies, target audience behavior, and campaign performance objectives.

Deliverables The selected agency shall provide comprehensive digital media planning, placement, management, and reporting services. At a minimum, the agency shall be responsible for the following:Develop strategic digital media plans aligned with Atlantic Cape’s enrollment, retention, branding, and awareness campaigns.

· Provide media recommendations that maximize reach among priority audiences, including prospective students ages 18–34, adult learners, Hispanic and African American communities, and families in Atlantic and Cape May counties.

· Manage and optimize paid campaigns across digital platforms, including paid search, paid social, display, and streaming services.

· Develop audience targeting strategies using demographic, behavioral, and geographic data.

· Implement conversion tracking and audience segmentation tools to measure campaign performance.

· Provide ongoing campaign optimization to improve performance, including adjustments to targeting, creative placements, and budget allocation.

· Provide monthly performance reports summarizing impressions, reach, engagement, conversions, and recommendations for optimization.

· Provide analysis of campaign performance through dashboards or reporting tools that include click-through rates, conversion metrics, cost-per-click, cost-per-conversion, and recommendations for optimization.

· Implement retargeting strategies to reach prospective students who have previously visited Atlantic Cape websites or engaged with digital campaigns.

· Coordinate with Atlantic Cape’s traditional media vendor to ensure integrated campaign timing and messaging.

· Provide ongoing recommendations regarding emerging digital platforms, audience behavior trends, and advertising opportunities.

· Ensure that all advertising accounts (Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, etc.) are accessible to Atlantic Cape for transparency and reporting purposes.

· Atlantic Cape will retain ownership of all advertising accounts, audiences, pixels, and campaign data created during the contract period.

Proposal Format Proposals shall clearly demonstrate the proposer’s qualifications, experience, and approach to providing digital media buying services in accordance with the Scope of Services. Submissions shall include, at a minimum, the following:

· Agency Overview

· Provide a summary of the firm, including background, years in operation, organizational structure, and relevant experience providing comparable services.

· Digital Media Experience

· Demonstrate experience planning and managing digital advertising campaigns across platforms including, but not limited to, paid social media, search engine marketing, programmatic display, and streaming/connected TV (CTV).

· Include examples of campaigns targeting Gen Z, adult learners, or similar audiences.

· Strategic Approach

· Philosophy and approach to digital media planning, targeting, and campaign optimization.

· Describe how your agency approaches audience targeting and segmentation for higher education enrollment campaigns. Include examples of how audience insights influence platform selection, budget allocation, and campaign optimization.

· Describe how your agency approaches digital advertising across different stages of the enrollment funnel (awareness, inquiry, application, and enrollment).

· Client Examples

· Provide two (2) to three (3) examples of comparable digital campaigns, including measurable results such as reach, engagement, conversions, or similar performance metrics.

· Higher Education Client Disclosure

· Agencies must disclose any current or recent media buying relationships with higher education institutions in New Jersey, including community colleges, four-year institutions, and technical schools.

· Please indicate the institution name, type of services provided, and whether the engagement is ongoing.

· Disclosure of such relationships does not preclude a firm from submitting a proposal. Atlantic Cape reserves the right to evaluate potential conflicts of interest during the proposal review process.

· Reporting and Collaboration

· Description of reporting tools, dashboards, and collaboration with client marketing teams.

· Include the firm’s approach to collaboration with internal marketing teams and coordination with other vendors.

· Fee Structure

· Clearly describe the proposed compensation model for media planning and buying services.

· Compensation shall be based primarily on a commission or percentage of media spend.

· Monthly retainers or fixed fee structures will not be accepted, as this requirement ensures alignment with variable public funding and fiscal accountability under New Jersey Title 18A procurement standards.

Atlantic Cape Community College is not requesting speculative creative concepts, campaign designs, or advertising artwork as part of this RFP. Creative services are managed separately by the College.

Minimum Qualifications

· The proposer shall have a minimum of five (5) years of demonstrated experience in media planning and buying services of a similar size and scope.

· The proposer shall demonstrate experience managing geographically targeted digital advertising campaigns, preferably within regional or multi-county markets.

· The proposer shall have the capability to manage integrated digital advertising campaigns across multiple platforms, including but not limited to paid search, paid social media, programmatic display, and streaming/connected TV (CTV).

· The proposer shall have experience managing digital media budgets of at least $200,000 annually, with evidence of effective budget allocation and performance optimization.

· The proposer shall provide a minimum of two (2) client references for similar services performed within the past three (3) years.

Mandatory Confidentiality Agreements Upon award of contract, the selected agency must sign a confidentiality agreement that includes:

· Compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), including the proper handling, protection, and non-disclosure of any student information provided by the College;

· A requirement to maintain the confidentiality of all proprietary, confidential, and/or sensitive information of Atlantic Cape Community College, including but not limited to marketing plans, campaign strategies, institutional data, and internal documents;

· A prohibition against the use or disclosure of such information for any purpose other than the performance of services under the contract; and

· An obligation to return or securely destroy all confidential information upon completion or termination of the contract, in accordance with applicable laws and College requirements.

Vendor Compliance

· Firms are to comply with the following:

· Current W9 signed and dated

· New Jersey Business Registration Certificate (N.J.S.A. 52:32-44)

· Stockholder Disclosure Certification (N.J.S.A. 52:25-24.2)

· Non-Collusion Affidavit

· Affirmative Action Compliance (N.J.A.C. 17:27)

· Political Contribution Disclosure / Pay-to-Play Compliance (N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.4 et seq.)

· Disclosure of Investment Activities in Iran

· Disclosure of Investment Activities in Russia/Belarus

· Certification of Non-Debarment / Suspension

· Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance Certification

· FERPA Agreement (as applicable to services) Submittal

· Proposals must be submitted electronically via the College’s Bonfire eProcurement Portal at https://atlanticcape.bonfirehub.com/

· No paper or physical submissions will be accepted. Proposals will not be able to be submitted after the stated deadline in accordance with New Jersey Title 18A procurement requirements.

Evaluation of Proposals Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the Competitive Contracting provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:64A-25.5, which permits the award of a contract based on price and other relevant factors.

The College will utilize a weighted scoring methodology to evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:

· Agency experience and qualifications, including demonstrated success providing similar services.

· Relevant market experience and understanding of the regional audience

· Strategic approach to media planning, targeting, and campaign optimization

· Demonstrated results from prior campaigns, including measurable performance outcomes

· Reporting capabilities and ability to collaborate effectively with the College

· Fee structure and overall cost effectiveness

· Overall quality, completeness, and responsiveness of the proposal Each proposal will be scored based on these criteria, with consideration given to both technical qualifications and cost. The contract will be awarded to the responsible proposer whose proposal is determined to be most advantageous to the College, price and other factors considered.

Rights of the College The College reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive minor informalities, and award the contract in the best interest of the College in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:64A-25.5.

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