26-8644_Solicitation.pdf

(Template Version 1)

COLLIER COUNTY

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

FOR

TOURISM RESEARCH SERVICES

SOLICITATION NO.: 26-8644

PATRICIA DOBROVODSKA, PROCUREMENT STRATEGIST II

PROCUREMENT SERVICES DIVISION

3295 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, BLDG C-2

NAPLES, FLORIDA 34112

TELEPHONE: (239) 252-8946

patricia.dobrovodska@collier.gov (Email)

SOLICITATION PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

(RFP) NUMBER:

26-8644

PROJECT TITLE: TOURISM RESEARCH SERVICES

DUE DATE: APRIL 8, 2026, AT 3:00 PM EST

PLACE OF RFP OPENING: PROCUREMENT SERVICES DIVISION

3295 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, BLDG C-2

NAPLES, FL 34112

All proposals shall be submitted online via the Collier County Procurement Services Division Online Bidding System: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/collier-county-fl.

INTRODUCTION

As requested by the Tourism Division (hereinafter, the “Division or Department”), the Collier County Board of County Commissioners Procurement Services Division (hereinafter, “County”) has issued this Request for Proposals (hereinafter, “RFP”) with the intent of obtaining proposals from interested and qualified Proposers in accordance with the terms, conditions and specifications stated herein, in the Solicitation and/or attachments. The Proposers, at a minimum, must achieve the requirements of the Specifications, Scope of Services, or Scope of Work stated herein.

All references to “Proposer” are also referred to as “Consultant,” “Firm,” “Offeror,” “Contractor,” and “Vendor.”

The Tourism Division is searching for a firm that can perform research to determine various data and analytics resulting from the tourism advertising and promotional efforts of the County. Historically, County departments have spent approximately $120,000 annually; however, this may not be indicative of future buying patterns.

BACKGROUND

The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is a part of Collier County Government and serves as the marketing arm of the Collier County Tourist Development Council (TDC). The Collier County Tourism Division administers the work of both the TDC and the CVB.

Collier County is located in Southwest Florida. Naples, the seat of Collier County, is about twenty-five (25) miles south of Fort Myers and the Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). The full-time population of Collier County is about four hundred thousand (400,000), although a seasonal peak of about four hundred fifty thousand (450,000) occurs between November and April. The structure of the Collier County Government is based on the standard constitutional form of county governments in Florida.

Visitors have much to discover along Florida's Paradise Coast of Naples, Marco Island & the western portion of the Everglades. Visitors will find an escape, serenity, and relaxing beachside fun along the Gulf of Mexico in beautiful Southwest Florida. Visitors will also enjoy pristine natural wilderness, perfect for bird watching or outdoor adventure in the world-famous Everglades. The area is most known for its over 30 miles of soft white sand beaches, exceptional accommodations, family attractions, outdoor eco-adventures, golf, a dynamic culinary scene, arts and cultural performance centers and activities, and exceptional shopping.

It is also home to FC Naples (a United Soccer League franchise), Paradise Coast Sports Complex, the U.S. Open Pickleball Championship, and is host to three major PGA / LPGA, nationally televised, championship tournaments.

The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is a part of the County Manager's Agency in Collier County Government. The CVB, with oversight by the Tourist Development Council (TDC) Advisory Board, markets and promotes the entire County as a worldwide leisure travel, group meetings, and sports event destination.

The CVB promotes the destination to high-end, luxury consumers with discretionary travel dollars, to travel industry professionals such as meeting planners, travel agents, and tour operators, to golfers, sports enthusiasts, and fishermen, arts and culture, heritage seekers, and nature and adventure enthusiasts.

The annual budget can fluctuate as it is based on the Tourist Development Tax (“TDT”) collections from the previous year is the 5% bed tax that is collected from overnight accommodations with Collier County, including resorts, hotels, and short-term rentals). The funds are allocated per Florida State statutes to cover pre-determined, approved uses that include beach renourishment, beach park facility maintenance, sports facility programming and maintenance, programming for County-owned museums, and tourism marketing and promotion.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/collier-county-fl

The budget for the CVB is determined from the five percent (5%) tourist development tax collections on short-term lodging (six months or less) within Collier County. A predetermined allocation of the tax collected directs funds to various uses, including promotion and advertising, beach renourishment and inlet management, beach park facilities, and County owned museum operation.

As part of promoting the destination, research of various data and analytics on tourism is needed for department decision making and improved spending of the budget.

AWARD AND TERM OF AGREEMENT

Collier County reserves the right to select one, or more than one Proposers for award as deemed the best value to the County; however, it is the intent to:

• Single awardee

The results of this solicitation may be used by other County departments/divisions once awarded.

The agreement term is intended to be for three (3) years with two (2) one (1) year renewal options. Prices shall remain firm for the full duration of the awarded Agreement.

DETAILED SCOPE OF SERVICES

The Proposer, at a minimum, must achieve the information below:

All reports shall be addressed to CVB office.

1. VISITOR PROFILE STUDY

• Interviews at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) when possible

• Interviews at sports and special events as assigned by Project Manager or designee

• The following is requested monthly:

o Interviews conducted on-line with past visitors or information inquirers o Face to face interviews in hotels and attractions o Monthly reports to CVB office outlining but not limited to the following:

Visitor demographics Economic, psychographic and budgetary factors Separate breakouts for business, meeting and leisure travelers Separate detailed origin and demographic reports on international and domestic visitors Tourism Industry employment statistics for Collier County Airport arrivals in South Florida airport entry points Quarterly reports for combined visitor and hotel analytics for distribution to County Commission Monthly third-party reports for economic trends, competitive destination information and group meeting impact Sampling of visitor comments from face to face and on-line interviews Annual Calendar and Fiscal Year reports of visitor impacts in all the above categories

2. HOTEL OCCUPANCY & AVERAGE DAILY RATE (ADR) STUDY

• Annual report with comparisons to previous year

• Seasonal reports for high, low and shoulder times of year

The following is requested monthly:

• Survey of hotels to determine occupancy, ADR, Rev Par, Room Demand, Number of Visitors, Visitor Spending, Visitor Economic Impact, Hotel Room Nights and three-month forecast of visitation

• Report to County on results with comparisons to previous months and previous years

3. IMPACT OF TOURISM STUDY

Annual Report on economic impact of tourism on Collier County shall include:

• Measurement of sales, gas and tourist development tax revenue and impact

• Tax savings to Collier County residents resulting from visitor spending

• Employment impact of tourism (i.e. jobs supported, jobs created, wages earned)

• Ranking of visitor activities that attracted tourists and what activities they enjoyed during their visit

• Visitor spending at hotels, restaurants, shopping, attractions, sports and special events, gasoline

• Return on investment of advertising dollars to visitor spending

4. FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH

These sessions should be conducted in domestic and international feeder markets. Three to four focus groups per year are recommended with one being international. The research agency will work with the Tourism Department to determine the research studies each year. Qualitative research on an as needed basis to measure or test the following:

• Testing of Advertising concepts

• Testing of brand positioning and perceptions

• Testing of consumer preferences, activities and perceptions of Collier County as a visitor destination

• Testing of preferences and buying habits with group meeting planners

• Testing of website and social media effectiveness, ease and methods of use

• Executive summary and detailed tabulation of the results of each study

RESPONSE FORMAT AND EVALUATION GRADING CRITERIA FOR DEVELOPMENT OF

SHORTLIST:

1.1 Proposers are encouraged to review the Request for Proposals Instructions, which includes the evaluation process.

1.2 For the development of a shortlist, the following Evaluation Criteria will be utilized by the County’s Selection Committee to score each proposal. Proposals must address all the following criteria:

No. Evaluation Criteria Maximum Points

1 Cover Letter/Management Summary 5 Points

2 Certified Woman and/or Minority Business Enterprise

5 Points

3 Business Plan 20 Points

4 Cost of Servies to the County 20 Points

5 Experience and Capacity of the Firm 20 Points

6 Specialized Expertise of Team Members 20 Points

7 Local Vendor Preference 10 Points

TOTAL 100 Points

Detailed Criteria Descriptions are further described below. Proposals must be assembled, at minimum, in the order of the Evaluation Criteria listed or the proposal may be deemed non-responsive.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 1: COVER LETTER/MANAGEMENT SUMMARY (5 Total Points Available)

Provide a cover letter that includes:

• The Proposer’s philosophy in providing the services requested.

• Name(s), telephone number(s) and email(s) of the authorized contact person(s) concerning proposal.

Note: Submission of a proposal certifies that the Proposer will accept any awards as a result of this

RFP.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 2: CERTIFIED WOMAN AND/OR MINORITY BUSINESS

ENTERPRISE (5 Total Points Available)

Submit certification with the Florida Department of Management Service, Office of Supplier Diversity as a

Certified Woman and/or Minority Business Enterprise.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 3: BUSINESS PLAN (20 Total Points Available)

Include but not limited to:

• Description of the proposed research plan and the details of how each task in the Scope of Services will be collected and reported.

• Timeline for delivery of each task throughout the contract year.

• Creative ideas in the way that your firm will collect data, unique interviewing techniques and reporting delivery and suggestions, new or unique data collection methods.

• Explain how you ensure that the data collected is accurate and at what level of confidence will that data be reported.

• Include with the Business Plan or as an attachment, a copy of a Visitor Profile Study report, or a report provided to a Tourism Department showing monthly data collection as an example of work product. This shall be for one of the projects listed as a reference.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 4: COST OF SERVICES TO THE COUNTY (20 Total Points Available)

Include but not limited to:

• Provide the projected monthly and yearly total cost for each of the five (5) research tasks outlined in this Scope of Services. Provide pricing on table below.

• Provide the projected monthly and annual cost of out-of-pocket expenses such as travel for focus groups and special projects that would be in addition to the monthly service fee for the services below. “Out-of-pocket expenses” include but are not limited to travel expenses such as parking fees, reasonable commercial transportation, reasonable gratuities, hotels, taxes, shipping fees, tolls and shipping and postage costs. Office expenses in support of these services should be included in the monthly service fee.

• Provide an hourly fee for special projects not included in the four (4) research tasks listed and provide the projected monthly.

The above cost is for evaluation purpose only, the County reserves the right to negotiate the proposed amount.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 5: EXPERIENCE AND CAPACITY OF THE FIRM (20 Total Points Available)

Include but not limited to:

• Firm and subcontractors’ qualifications, capacity, skills, and financial strength, and number of years of experience in providing the required services.

• Team members’ successful collaboration on previous projects.

• References: Submit three (3) through ten (10) references using the County’s Reference Form.

Include up to two additional pages per project to illustrate relevant experience. The references must be for projects within the last two (2) years whose projects are of a similar nature, size, scope and complexity of this solicitation.

Task Description Frequency Quantity per Year

Unit Price Total Price

1 Visitor Profile Study Monthly 12 $ $ 2 Hotel Occupancy & Average Daily Rate Study Monthly 12 $ $ 3 Impact of Tourism Study Monthly 12 $ $ 4 Focus Group Research Each 1 $ $ Out of Pocket Fees (maximum) Monthly 12 $ $ Yearly Price $

Description UOM Rate Hourly Rate for Special Projects Hour $

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 6: SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE OF TEAM MEMBERS (20 Total Points Available)

Include but not limited to:

• Description of the proposed contract team and the roles.

• Brief resumes of all proposed project team members who will be involved in the management of the total package of services, as well as the delivery of specific services.

• Resumes of letters of intent for sub-contractors/vendors.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 7: LOCAL VENDOR PREFERENCE (10 Total Points Available)

Local business is defined as the Proposer having a current Business Tax Receipt issued by the Collier or Lee County Tax Collector prior to proposal submission to do business within Collier County, and that identifies the business with a permanent physical business address located within the limits of Collier or Lee County from which the Proposer’s staff operates and performs business in an area zoned for the conduct of such business.