5-RFP Document Advertising and Marketing Services.pdf

University of Texas at Dallas

Scope of Work for

Advertising and Marketing Services

RFP# UTD20260427-TB

Issued May 7, 2026

Submittal Deadline: June 8, 2026, 5:00 PM CDT

Prepared by:

Tonya Bester, Senior Buyer

The University of Texas at Dallas Office of Budget & Finance – Procurement Management

About University of Texas at Dallas (“UTD”)

The University of Texas at Dallas is a Carnegie R1 classification (Doctoral Universities – very high research activity) institution, located in a suburban setting twenty miles north of downtown Dallas.

The University enrolls more than 30,139 students — 76 percent undergraduate and 24 percent graduate

— and offers a broad array of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs.

Established by Eugene McDermott, J. Erik Jonsson and Cecil Green, three founders of Texas

Instruments, UTD is driven by the entrepreneurial spirit of its founders and their commitment to academic excellence. In 1969, the public research institution joined The University of Texas System and became The University of Texas at Dallas.

UTD is one of the fastest growing universities in the country and is among the top three public universities in Texas, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. UTD is home to nationally ranked programs in a variety of fields, including those in science, engineering, business, and audiology. The

University also has educational paths in the liberal arts and social sciences. UTD’s faculty includes members of the National Academies and more than 560 tenured and tenure-track professors. UTD’s

Department of Intercollegiate Athletics includes 15 teams that compete within the NCAA Division II

Lone Star Conference.

UTD20260427-TB

I. Background, Overview and Goals

BACKGROUND

The University of Texas at Dallas Executive Education, part of the Naveen Jindal School of Management, offers premier programs such as the Executive MBA, Customized Online MBA, and MS in Leadership and Organizational Development. Designed for mid- to senior-level professionals and corporate partners, these programs emphasize flexibility, practical business applications, and the credibility of a top-ranked business school.

While paid media efforts have delivered solid results, limited in-house capacity has created challenges in scaling campaigns, optimizing performance, and targeting niche professional audiences with long decision cycles. To strengthen brand visibility, improve lead quality, and achieve greater ROI, Executive Education seeks a strategic advertising partner with the expertise to manage, optimize, and expand digital campaigns across platforms.

OVERVIEW

The University of Texas at Dallas Executive Education, part of the Naveen Jindal School of Management, offers premier graduate-level programs for mid- to senior-level professionals and corporate partners, including the Executive MBA, Customized Online MBA, and MS in Leadership and Organizational Development. To support enrollment growth and strengthen brand visibility, we are seeking a strategic advertising and marketing partner to manage and optimize paid media campaigns across search, display, and social platforms.

The selected agency will help generate high-quality leads, enhance targeting and retargeting strategies, and deliver measurable ROI through data-driven campaign management and reporting. This partnership will expand our reach, improve conversion outcomes, and build on the strong foundation already established by our internal marketing team.

GOALS

The goal of this RFP is to identify a qualified advertising and marketing partner to enhance UT Dallas Executive Education’s paid media efforts and support enrollment growth across its portfolio of programs.

Specifically, we seek a partner who can:

• Generate and convert a higher volume of qualified leads for both individual professionals and corporate partners.

• Implement advanced targeting and retargeting strategies tailored to niche professional audiences with longer decision-making cycles.

• Increase brand awareness at the local, regional, and national level.

• Highlight the unique value propositions of each program to strengthen market differentiation.

• Deliver data-driven insights through regular performance reporting, attribution modeling, and campaign optimization.

• Ensure ROI-focused execution across paid search, display, and social platforms.

Contract Term: One year with two optional one-year renewals.

II. General Information

Submission of Proposals Proposals must be submitted via Bonfire prior to the published date and time.

Type of Contract The terms and conditions contained in the Sample Agreement and the Purchase Order Terms and Conditions included in the Bidding Documents will govern any award that may result from this RFP. If awarded, University and Contractor shall enter into an agreement on terms materially similar to those in the Sample Agreement attached hereto, which shall control and will constitute any award resulting from this solicitation.

Respondent should, therefore, review the Sample Agreement and the Purchase Order Terms and Conditions carefully.

Respondents must comply with the requirements and specifications contained in this solicitation, including the Sample Agreement (ref. ATTACHMENT A) and applicable Purchase Order Terms and Conditions (ref.

ATTACHMENT C). If there is a conflict among the provisions in this solicitation, the provision requiring Respondent to supply the better quality or greater quantity of services will prevail, or if such conflict does not involve quality or quantity, then interpretation will be in the following order of precedence: 1) Sample Agreement; (2) University Purchase Order Terms and Conditions, 2) University solicitation including all amendments issued by University, 3) the solicitation response as accepted and awarded by University.

Respondent may offer for University's consideration alternate provisions to the Sample Agreement and/or the Purchase Order Terms and Conditions. Alternates proposed must refer to the specific article(s) or section(s) concerned. General exceptions such as “company standard sales terms apply" or "will negotiate" are not acceptable.

Respondent’s exceptions will be reviewed by University and at the sole discretion of University may result in disqualification of Respondent’s response as non-responsive to this solicitation. If Respondent’s exceptions do not result in disqualification of Respondent’s response, then University may consider Respondent’s exceptions when University evaluates the Respondent’s responses.

Respondent’s silence as to the terms and conditions contained in the Sample Agreement, Purchase Order Terms and Conditions, and this solicitation, shall constitute evidence of Respondent’s complete acceptance of these conditions as written.

The University shall not accept, consider or agree to any exceptions taken to the following terms and conditions as specified in the Sample Agreement and Purchase Order Terms and Conditions:

1. Arbitration;

2. Limit of Liability;

3. Indemnification by University;

4. Wavier of class action by University;

5. Personal jurisdiction or subject matter jurisdiction;

6. Any law other than Texas law;

7. Use of University Logos, except with written permission;

8. Monetization or sale of any data;

9. Mediation; and

10. Waiver of any aspect of sovereign immunity of the State of Texas.

Proposal Length and Format Requirements To ensure consistency and fairness in the evaluation process, all proposals must adhere to the following formatting and length guidelines:

• Maximum Page Limit: The main body of the proposal must not exceed (30) pages, excluding the cover page, table of contents, and appendices.

• Page Size: Standard 8.5” x 11”

• Font: Minimum 10.5-point, Arial or Times New Roman

• Margins: At least 1 inch on all sides

• Spacing: Single or 1.15 line spacing

Proposals exceeding the page limit may be disqualified or not fully reviewed.

Demonstrations/ Presentations Vendor demonstrations or presentations may be requested at a later stage of the evaluation process. Only shortlisted vendors will be invited to participate.

III. Scope of Work

The successful vendor will partner with UT Dallas Executive Education to plan, execute, and optimize paid media campaigns that support program awareness, lead generation, and enrollment growth. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

Vendor Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning

• Develop program-specific advertising strategies tailored to audience, program goals, and delivery format.

• Recommend channels, budget allocations, and campaign timelines.

• Creative Development (Optional)

• Provide ad copy, visuals, and creative concepts aligned with UT Dallas branding.

• Test variations of creative for performance optimization.

Media Planning & Buying

• Manage ad placements across Google, LinkedIn, Meta, and other relevant platforms.

• Optimize bidding strategies to maximize ROI and reduce cost per lead.

Campaign Execution

• Launch, monitor, and adjust paid campaigns to ensure effectiveness.

• Deploy retargeting campaigns and audience segmentation strategies.

Performance Tracking & Reporting

• Deliver regular reports on key performance metrics, including impressions, clicks, conversions, cost per lead, and ROI.

• Provide insights and recommendations for ongoing improvements.

• Establish attribution models that connect awareness-building with lead conversion.

Account Management

• Maintain regular communication with the UT Dallas Executive Education marketing team.

• Participate in scheduled check-ins to review progress, performance, and adjustments.

Deliverables

• Campaign strategy documents and media plans for each program.

• Creative concepts (if applicable) tailored to platforms and target audiences.

• Monthly campaign performance reports with analysis and recommendations.

• Final summary report at the end of each campaign cycle with ROI analysis.

Timelines

• Initial campaign strategy and media plan due within 30 days of project kickoff.

• Campaign launch for priority programs within 6–8 weeks of contract signing.

• Ongoing reporting delivered monthly, with quarterly deep-dive reviews.

University Responsibilities

• Provide access to brand guidelines, program information, and marketing assets.

• Supply timely feedback and approvals on proposed creative and campaign strategies.

• Share access to necessary digital platforms (e.g., Google Ads, LinkedIn Campaign Manager).

• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to align messaging and ensure compliance with UT Dallas policies.

IV. Minimum Service Requirements

• Strategic Planning – Develop tailored advertising strategies for each Executive Education program, including channel recommendations.

• Media Planning & Buying – Identify effective paid media channels, manage ad spend, and execute media buys.

• Digital Marketing Execution – Manage and optimize campaigns across search, display, and social platforms.

• Performance Tracking & Reporting – Provide regular, actionable reports with key metrics

(impressions, clicks, CPL, conversions) and recommendations.

• Program-Specific Campaign Strategies – Reflect each program’s value proposition and target audience in campaign execution.

V. Experience and Qualifications

Vendors must meet the following qualifications to be considered:

• Experience in Paid Media Management-Demonstrated success managing and optimizing multi-platform paid campaigns (Google, LinkedIn, Meta, display, etc.) for lead generation.

• Strategic Campaign Development-Ability to create program-specific strategies that include channel selection, media planning, and execution aligned with enrollment goals.

• Analytics & Reporting Capability- Proven capacity to provide regular, data-driven performance reports, including impressions, clicks, conversions, cost per lead (CPL), and ROI analysis.

• Audience Targeting & Retargeting Expertise-Experience reaching niche professional audiences with longer decision-making cycles through targeted and multi-touch digital strategies.

• Operational Capacity-Ability to launch campaigns within 6–8 weeks of contract execution.

• Capacity to manage advertising budgets in the range of $20,000–$60,000 annually per program.

• Client References-At least two relevant client references demonstrating comparable project success.

• Certifications-Current Google Ads and Google Analytics certifications (agency or key personnel).

VI. Response Format

1. Agency Overview

a. Company profile, years in business, team size

b. Relevant certifications or partnerships

2. Case Studies or Relevant Work

a. Examples that demonstrate results

3. Strategic & Creative Approach

a. Your process for research, ideation, execution, and measurement

b. Sample campaign ideas

4. Team Structure

a. Key personnel and their roles on our account

5. Proposed Timeline

a. Milestones and campaign phases

6. Budget & Pricing (The cost proposal must be submitted separately and must not be included within the technical proposal.)

a. Fee structure*, pricing breakdown, or sample project estimates

*For consistency and easier comparison across proposals, we request that advertising agencies present a standard monthly fee structure.

7. Client References

a. 2–3 current or past clients we may contact

VII. Evaluation Criteria

EVALUATION CRITERIA WEIGHT

SIGNATURE PAGE Pass/Fail

TERMS & CONDITIONS Pass/Fail

COST PROPOSAL 25

RELEVANT WORK SAMPLES 15

EXPERIENCE WITH SIMILAR 10

CLIENTS

TEAM EXPERTISE 10

BUDGET ALIGNMENT AND VALUE 10

CLIENT REFERENCES 10

REPORTING/DASHBOARDS 20

The final award(s) will be made in accordance with Texas Education Code §51.9335 using a best-value determination.

Any discussion of the RFP with a department staff member can result in Proposer disqualification. All questions regarding the RFP should be directed through the Bonfire portal.