UTAH TECH

UNIVERSITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Media Buying Services & Marketing Strategy

SOLICITATION #26-0824

BID RELEASE DATE

Friday, September 4, 2026

12:00 PM MDT

INTENT TO BID DATE

Friday, September 11, 2026

5:00 PM MDT

PROPOSAL DUE

Friday, September 25, 2026

12:00 PM MDT

Utah Tech University Purchasing Department

Buyer: Jake King 225 S University Avenue

St George, Utah 84770 - 3875

Procurement Platform: Utah Public Procurement Place (U3P) / Bonfire Portal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1 – UNIVERSITY OBJECTIVES & SCOPE OF SERVICES 3

1. SOLICITATION DESCRIPTION 3

2. UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY BACKGROUND 3

3. PROJECT OBJECTIVE 3

4. TARGET AUDIENCES 3

5. SCOPE OF SERVICES 3

PART 2 – VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS & PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS 4

6. VENDOR REQUIREMENTS 4

7. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 5

8. VENDOR RFP QUESTIONS 6

PART 3 - PROCUREMENT, CONTRACT & EVALUATION 6

9. BUDGET & PRICING 6

10. CONTRACT TERM 6

11. SOLICITATION SCHEDULE 6

PART 4 – AWARDING & ACKNOWLEDGMENT 7

12. AWARDING THE SOLICITATION 7

13. PROJECT START, INVOICING & PAYMENT 7

14. SCORING CRITERIA 7

RFP# 26-0824 UTAH TECH MEDIA BUYING SERVICES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

PART 1 – UNIVERSITY OBJECTIVES & SCOPE OF SERVICES

1. SOLICITATION OVERVIEW

Utah Tech University is looking to partner with a media buying vendor to help us reach prospective students through a targeted marketing campaign using University created content. Rather than focusing solely on brand awareness, we want to prioritize reaching audiences who are most likely to enroll at Utah Tech, including prospective students in Washington County and key markets throughout Utah and surrounding states, as well as students interested in earning their degree online and those pursuing graduate programs. We are looking for a vendor who can help us develop and implement effective strategies for reaching each of these audiences and maximizing the impact of our marketing investment.

A smaller allocation of the campaign’s advertising budget will support Utah Tech Athletics. While increasing game attendance is a goal, we also want to build community pride and strengthen the connection between the University and our surrounding community (making Washington County a key focus area).

The goal of this project is to generate strong, qualified leads that our admissions team can convert into completed applications, helping more students discover that Utah Tech is the right place for them.

2. UNIVERSITY BACKGROUND

Utah Tech University is an open, comprehensive polytechnic university in St. George, Utah, emphasizing active, applied learning to develop skilled, resilient, and lifelong learners. The university is committed to academic excellence, student success, innovation, and entrepreneurship, fostering responsible citizens, creative problem-solvers, and leaders. Utah Tech values opportunity and belonging, collaboration, public service, and engagement with local and global communities, with a focus on addressing regional needs through innovation and responsive initiatives.

3. PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The selected vendor will work with Utah Tech University to develop, execute, and optimize a comprehensive media strategy designed to reach priority audiences and support enrollment across our undergraduate, transfer, online, graduate, and athletics initiatives. By selecting one vendor to manage this work across our university-wide, online, and athletics marketing efforts, we hope to create a more unified and consistent experience for the people seeing our ads and content.

4. TARGET AUDIENCES

4.1. The primary target audience for this marketing strategy are prospective students:

● New and transfer students from Washington County

● New and transfer students from key markets throughout Utah and surrounding states

● Students seeking online degrees

● Students seeking graduate degrees

4.2. Local community to support athletics

5. SCOPE OF SERVICES

Utah Tech University will generally provide all creative assets, advertising content, messaging, photography, videography, and graphic design materials. The selected vendor's primary responsibility is strategic media planning, media buying, audience targeting, campaign optimization, tracking, reporting, and related recommendations.

5.1. SERVICES may include, but are not limited to:

5.1.1. Digital media strategy and planning

5.1.2. Paid search, including branded and non-branded keyword campaigns

5.1.3. Digital advertising across multiple platforms

5.1.4. Media purchasing and placement

5.1.5. Campaign optimization and budget recommendations

5.1.6. Ongoing analysis and strategic recommendations

5.1.7. Lead generation and conversion tracking

5.2. DELIVERABLES

5.2.1. Strategic media buying & implementation plan

5.2.2. Audience development and segmentation recommendations

5.2.3. Annual media plan

5.2.4. Monthly performance reports

5.2.5. Accessible analytics dashboard

5.2.6. Attribution and conversion tracking reports

5.2.7. Strategic optimization recommendations

5.3. DESIRED OUTCOMES

5.3.1. Increase qualified prospective student leads and inquiries for undergraduate, online, and graduate programs.

5.3.2. Improve advertising efficiency through audience segmentation, optimization, testing, and strategic budget allocation.

5.3.3. Establish clear attribution and conversion tracking to better measure the impact of campaigns, audiences, channels, and placements.

5.3.4. Strengthen engagement with the Washington County community through targeted athletics marketing efforts.

5.3.5. Provide actionable reporting and insights that support ongoing optimization and future media investment decisions.

PART 2 - VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS & PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

6. VENDOR REQUIREMENTS

6.1. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS - By submitting a Proposal, respondents agree to the following:

6.1.1. Compliance with the University’s Supplemental Terms and Conditions. Vendors that do not agree in full may submit a redlined version for review by the University’s Legal Counsel. Submission of redlines does not guarantee approval. Failure to obtain approval of proposed changes may result in disqualification.

6.1.2. Agreement to the University’s Purchasing Terms and Conditions.

6.1.3. 7+ years of relevant industry experience.

6.1.4. Have demonstrated media buying experience across multiple mediums, including demonstrated success with digital marketing to targeted populations.

6.1.5. Provide an accessible reporting/dashboard solution.

6.1.6. Demonstrate lead and conversion tracking capabilities.

6.1.7. Provide a dedicated account representative.

6.1.8. Respond to customer inquiries within 24 hours/one business day.

6.1.9. Provide an escalation process for urgent issues.

6.2. PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS

6.2.1. Have provided comparable media strategy, media buying, or marketing services to a higher education institution, or an organization of similar size, complexity, audience reach, and public visibility of Utah Tech, within the past five (5) years.

6.2.2. Demonstrate the ability to develop effective media strategies for Utah-based audiences, most specifically, in the Washington County area.

6.2.3. Have the ability to meet on the Utah Tech campus at least once per academic semester, as requested by the University.

7. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Proposals are submitted as separate files (PDF format unless otherwise specified) and uploaded on the U3P website. Emailed or hard-copy proposals will not be accepted. Any additional information or files will be ignored and will not be considered as part of the evaluation. This RFP requires you to submit [6 files] Please title each file with the corresponding file number and your company name (e.g. “File 1 - ABC Corporation”).

7.1. File #1 – Company Overview - (1-2 pages only)

7.1.1. Executive summary - should include a brief overview of the company’s history, experience, and areas of expertise.

7.1.2. Provide the legal name, address, and contact information for their organization.

7.1.3. Describe one representative project that demonstrates their ability to work within a higher education environment.

7.1.4. Awards, accreditations, and recognition the company has received that is relevant to the goals of this RFP.

7.2. File #2 – Dedicated Team & Communication - (2 - 3 pages only)

7.2.1. Description of team who will work on the project including roles and responsibilities

7.2.2. Dedicated account representative

7.2.3. Communication and escalation process

7.3. File #3 – Portfolio/Relevant Experience - (no page limits, but reasonable for a committee to review)

7.3.1. Include Higher Education and Student Recruitment experience

7.3.2. Media purchasing, including paid search and digital media

7.3.3. Lead generation/conversion

7.3.4. Athletics and community involvement campaigns

7.4. File #4 – Implementation - (no page limits, but reasonable for a committee to review)

7.4.1. Vendor proposed media buying strategy

7.4.2. Vendor proposed timeline for marketing strategy implementation

7.4.3. Proposed audience segmentation strategy

7.4.4. Recommended media mix

7.4.5. Examples of reporting methodology

7.5. File #5 – Cost Proposal

7.5.1. Utah Tech University has established a maximum budget of $280,000 - $300,000 annually for this project. All proposals must be fully compliant with this funding limitation.

7.5.1.1. Vendors must provide annual pricing for the initial contract term and each potential renewal year identified in Section 10, including any annual increases, adjustments, fees, or other pricing variables.

7.5.2. Proposals exceeding the budget will be considered non-responsive.

7.5.2.1. Proposals exceeding the annual budget in any contract year will be considered non-responsive.

7.5.3. Vendors must provide a transparent and itemized cost proposal showing annual costs for each potential contract year, including any increases or additional fees, and the total contract cost.

7.6. File #6 – References

7.6.1. Provide contact information for at least three (3) professional references from similar higher education or large-scale institutional projects. At least one institution with 10,000+ students.

Redacted Copy(s) - Proposals may be made public if requested under GRAMA. It is your responsibility to upload any redacted versions of the files listed above. Please note that entire files cannot be redacted or labeled as confidential. If you submit redacted files, they must be named with the exact file title, with “REDACTED” added to the title. If redacted files are not provided, it will be assumed that your entire proposal may be considered public information. (File 1 - ABC Corporation - REDACTED)

8. VENDOR RFP QUESTIONS

8.1. Do any of the minimum requirements listed above require additional clarification or explanation? If yes, please provide the clarification.

8.2. Describe how you would approach this campaign and what you think would be the most effective way to fulfill the University’s marketing needs. Since the University will be providing all the assets for the campaign, your company’s focus can be exclusively on the media buying strategies necessary to reach the University’s various audiences, as mentioned in the project summary.

8.3. Describe any experience, awards, accreditations, and recognition your company has received that would be applicable to the goals of this RFP.

8.4. Describe the implementation process and what you require the University to provide to make implementation successful.

8.5. Describe the team that will be working on the project.

8.6. Describe the customer service and technical support options that are included if the University needs assistance.

8.7. Describe how you communicate with your clients. Specifically, how frequently, how we get in touch with each other, and via what means do you prefer (email, phone, meetings, etc.)

8.8. Disclose any current or anticipated business relationships, partnerships, commissions, rebates, incentives, or compensation arrangements that may influence vendor media recommendations.

PART 3 - PROCUREMENT, CONTRACT & EVALUATION

9. BUDGET & PRICING

9.1. All pricing must not exceed a range of $280,000 - $300,000 annually. Vendors are required to provide transparent, itemized pricing that includes:

9.2. Base Package (Required within budget cap)

9.2.1. Pricing must include any fees or spend related to:

9.2.1.1. Agency fees

9.2.1.2. Media spend

9.2.1.3. Paid search

9.2.1.4. Digital advertising

9.2.1.5. Print

9.2.1.6. Technology and analytics dashboard

9.2.1.7. CRM integration

9.2.1.8. Other costs or pass-through costs

9.2.2. Vendors must clearly identify:

9.2.2.1. One-time implementation costs

9.2.2.1.1. This fee must be listed separately and must not be included in the annual recurring cost.

9.2.2.2. Annual recurring costs

9.2.2.3. Licensing/hosting fees

9.2.2.4. Multi-year pricing (if discounted)

10. CONTRACT TERM

The University anticipates awarding a one (1) year contract with annual renewal options up to five (5) years maximum, subject to satisfactory performance, available funding, and institutional need.

11. SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

11.1. Friday, September 4, 2026 (12:00 PM MDT) – Request for Proposal posted to U3P

11.2. Friday, September 11, 2026 (12:00 PM MDT) (5:00 PM MDT) – Intent to Bid Due

11.3. Monday, September 21, 2026 (12:00 PM MDT) – Deadline for Questions

11.4. Friday, September 25, 2026 (12:00 PM MDT) – Proposal Submission Deadline

PART 4 - AWARDING & ACKNOWLEDGMENT

12. AWARDING THE SOLICITATION

12.1. The RFP will be awarded based on the bids as requested by the committee. Costs will not be a determining factor in selection; however, after an agency is selected, costs will be negotiated to determine how much of the budget will be used. We will not agree to exceed the stated budget, if noted.

12.2. Evaluation committee members will individually score each criteria as listed on the Evaluator Scoresheet.

Each proposal will receive an average score for each criteria based on the scores from all evaluators. The average of all the criteria will be added together to determine a total score.

12.3. Interviews: The Scoring Committee shall determine whether interviews are necessary as part of the evaluation process. If interviews are deemed necessary, the Purchasing Office shall provide written notification via email to the highest-scoring agencies.

12.4. The maximum RFP score is 100 points. If interviews are conducted to assist in selecting an agency, an additional 50 points may be awarded. The agency with the highest total overall score will be awarded the

RFP.

13. PROJECT START, INVOICING AND PAYMENT

13.1. Utah Tech University's standard payment terms are Net 30. The University discourages and generally does not allow prepayments, deposits, or advance payments unless explicitly approved in writing prior to award. Progress payments may be requested in accordance with contract terms and are tax-exempt.

13.2. No work may begin without an official Purchase Order (PO) issued by the University’s Purchasing Department. Purchase Orders are issued on a fiscal-year basis (July 1 – June 30). Multi-year engagements require a new PO each fiscal year.

13.3. Invoices must be itemized and include quantity, unit price, and total amount due. Each invoice must reference a valid Purchase Order number and be emailed to accounts.payable@utahtech.edu with the PO number included in the subject line (re: PO#) to ensure timely processing. Payment via ACH is strongly encouraged.

14. SCORING CRITERIA

Criteria Subject / Description Related Files Possible Points

Company Experience & Qualifications File #1 – Executive Summary 15

Dedicated Team & Customer Service File #2 – Dedicated Team & Communication 10

Higher Education Experience File #3 – Portfolio/Relevant Experience 15

Portfolio File #3 – Portfolio/Relevant Experience 20

Media Strategy & Approach File #4 – Implementation 25

Analytics and Reporting File #4 – Implementation 10

References File #6 - References 5

TOTAL (without DEMO) 100

DEMO BY INVITATION ONLY 50

TOTAL W/ DEMO 150