J.5 Q&A_Version 1.xlsx
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- Attached to
- Take Back Your Health Campaign
- Solicitation number
- 75P00125R00028
About this file
This document is a Questions and Answers (Q&A) file for the Department of Health and Human Services' "Take Back Your Health" Campaign solicitation, which seeks a contractor to develop a national public health campaign targeting diabetes prevention through messaging about ultra-processed foods. The solicitation, numbered 75P00125R00028, is an open competition with a budget range of $10-20 million for the base campaign (CLIN 1), with options for five additional campaign components focusing on clean eating, physical fitness, and spiritual growth. Key campaign objectives include motivating behavior change around dietary habits, measuring improvements in diabetes prevention, and creating "bold, edgy" messaging that can go viral across multiple media channels.
The Q&A file provides detailed insights into the government's expectations, including requirements for proposal submissions, oral presentations, creative concepts, and campaign strategies. Notable details include a campaign launch anticipated for mid-September 2025, a 12-month performance period, expectations for tracking public health outcomes, and a focus on targeting high-risk audiences related to diabetes and nutrition. The government will provide baseline health data and expects vendors to develop comprehensive campaign strategies involving paid, earned, owned, and donated media across platforms like social media, television, digital, billboards, and public service announcements. Vendors must submit technical proposals, creative videos, past performance references, and pricing for both the base and optional campaign components.
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Q&A
| Q&A-Take Back Your Health | |||||
| Section | Page # | Question | Answer | ||
| 1 | C | 6 | Regarding quantitatively improving health outcomes, are there specific metrics that HHS expects offerors to | ||
| track and measure? | HHS expects offerors to track and measure public attitudes and knowledge about the role of ultra-processed foods in fueling the diabetes epidemic and other chronic diseases. |
Offerors should track and measure decreased consumption of ultra-processed foods. See C.2.3 Regarding public health data, see Q2 and Q3.
| 2 | C | 6 | Are there specific metrics or KPIs that carry more weight | |
| than others for this Component? | We are looking for stable or decreased incidence of new cases and stable or decreased prevalance of total cases of diabetes and prediabetes. See C.2.3. The public health data will be provided by HHS both before and after campaign. See Q3. | |||
| 3 | C | 6 | Will HHS be providing data to help establish the pre- campaign health baseline to measure improvement | |
| against? | HHS will provide baseline public health data and outcome data. Vendor will be expected to draw from health data the Government provides to demonstrate improved outcomes, such as changes in incidence and prevalence of diabetes or prediabetes. The RFP has been edited to reflect this (Section C.1.II). |
Vendor will be expected to acquire health attitude polling and ultra-processed food consumption data. See C.2.3.
| 4 | C | 4 | How does HHS define a “measurable behavior change?” Is it a self-reported habit shift, reduced processed food consumption, increased physical activity, etc.? | Behavior change in Component 1 may include metrics such as self-reported habit shifts, substituting ultra-processed food with real food, limiting sugary drinks, or preparing more food at home. | |
| 5 | C | 4 | What barriers to behavior change (psychological, cultural, economic) are considered most critical to | ||
| overcome in this campaign? | This campaign is intended to overcome personally modifiable barriers to behavior change, such as psychological barriers. | ||||
| 6 | C | 4 | Are there specific population segments HHS has already identified as behaviorally or culturally high-risk for diabetes (e.g., by age, ethnicity)? | No. HHS expects at-risk population segments to include those with prediabetes or diets high in ultra-processed foods. See C.2. HHS will provide public health data shortly after award that should be analyzed by vendor to determine target audiences. | |
| 7 | C | 4 | How much flexibility is there in interpreting “spiritual | ||
| growth? Is HHS expecting this campaign to lean more secular and behavioral, or are faith-based messages and / or religiously focused foods or rituals possibly in play? | Component 1 will focus on the role of ultra-processed foods in diabetes. Subsequent campaigns will incorporate clean eating, fitness, and spiritual growth. See Q260. Spiritual growth will be further defined if and when a subsequent campaign focusing on it is required. | ||||
| 8 | C | 4 | Does HHS want us to design interventions at the | ||
| individual level (e.g., pledges, gamification), community level (e.g., local events, peer support), or both? | HHS anticipates interventions at the individual level but is interested in hearing any compelling ideas vendors have for the state/community level. | ||||
| 9 | C | 4 | What kinds of community partnerships, if any, is HHS envisioning to help extend reach on the ground (food banks, other nonprofits, etc.)? | FQHCs, nonprofits | |
| 10 | C | 4 | Does HHS have a definition of the "processed foods" | ||
| that are fueling the diabetes epidemic? Or lists of these kinds of foods? | We want people to move towards eating whole, single-ingredients foods. |
HHS intends for all instances of "processed food" in the RFP to refer to the classification of "ultra-processed food." Please note this is not an official definition, but vendors can interpret ultra-processed foods as packaged food, with a long shelf life, that has a long list of ingredients, many of which are unrecognizable.
| 11 | C | 5 | What does HHS consider to be bold, edgy marketing, | ||
| beyond the past "stop smoking" campaigns referenced in the RFP? | Got Milk?, This Is Your Brain on Drugs, Just Do It | ||||
| 12 | C | 5 | Many of the "Stop Smoking" campaigns of the past | ||
| have used fear and the harsh realities of negative health outcomes as the motivator to achieve behavior change and campaign success. Does HHS see a role for fear and harsh realities in the "Take Back Your Health" campaign? | Yes, HHS expects the campaign to stress the consquences of poor nutrition on health and also deliver the solution. This may include fear of consequences. | ||||
| 13 | C | 5 | Conversely, how is HHS thinking about the balance between urgency and empathy in the messaging, especially given the diversity of attitudes around food and health? | HHS expects to balance urgency with inspiration, to promote pride in healthy habits that build a stronger community and a more resilient nation. See C.2 | |
| 14 | C | 6 | What does HHS consider to be daring, viral messaging? | ||
| Any such comparisons similar to the mentioned "stop smoking" campaigns? | See Q11 | ||||
| 15 | C | 5 | Along with past "stop smoking" campaigns, are there any prior campaign references (successful or not) that HHS has run related to diet, fitness, or diabetes? What behavior change outcomes were observed or missed? | HHS, out of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, has run the Move Your Way campaign. HHS does not have behavior change outcomes to report as a result of this campaign: |
https://odphp.health.gov/moveyourway
| 16 | C | 4 | For the optional future campaign Components, is HHS | ||
| envisioning thematic continuity between Components or separate creative platforms per issue? | HHS expects thematic continuity across creative concepts for subsequent campaigns. | ||||
| 17 | C | 4 | Are we expected to develop a standalone digital experience (e.g., microsite, mobile app, campaign | ||
| portal), or will digital campaign materials be deployed only via existing HHS platforms? | HHS expects a standalone website or webpage to be developed for the campaign. See C.1.II. and Q121. All other digital campaign materials are expected to be deployed via established HHS platforms. | ||||
| 18 | L | 123 | As the RFP states that Phase I written submissions will only be evaluated after Oral Presentations, will HHS be making a down select, or will all offerors with properly formatted and complete Phase I submissions be invited to Oral Presentations? How will that selection be made? | As noted under L.7 "Please note that these documents will not be evaluated until oral presentations are held. Therefore, no evaluations of these documents will preclude an Offeror who meets the submission requirements from presenting in Phase I." See Q85 | |
| 19 | L | 125 | Regarding identifying Key Personnel and the | ||
| corresponding organizational chart, we typically prefer to create an org chart designed around client structure to ensure proper support around clear roles and responsibilities. Can HHS provide any detail how the HHS marketing team will be structured? | HHS key personnel will comprise of individuals across the Immediate Office of the Secretary, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health in collaboration with each other. | ||||
| 20 | L | 127 | Regarding Proposal Bidding Assumptions, what is the | ||
| anticipated all channel year one media budget range for the Component 1 campaign? | As noted under L.9.2 "To provide all Offerors an idea of the magnitude of the diabetes campaign, it’s anticipated that the estimated range in value for Component 1 shall be $10 million to $20 million, depending on the work to be performed in the proposed PWS. The government anticipates that each campaign will be of similar size and complexity to the Component 1 campaign." | ||||
| 21 | L | 127 | Regarding media buying, is there currently a media | ||
| planner or buyer entity this campaign or should that be part of our proposal? | No. HHS expects this to be part of the proposal. | ||||
| 22 | L | 128 | Regarding the Financial Capacity statement required | ||
| under L.9.4.1, is this stipulation a means of identifying any potential conflicts of interest, or does it have to do with HHS's expectations around payment schedules for the campaign Components? | The information requested helps the government assess the risk of non-performance due to financial limitations. Specifically, whether your company can sustain operations throughout the period of performance, if you can cover upfront costs before receving contract payments and whether there are any foreseeable financial dependecies or gaps that could impact the contract execution. | ||||
| 23 | C | 4 | What is the primary call to action? | The primary call to action is: stop eating ultra-processed foods and take personal responsibility for your diet. |
Campaign pitches should focus on inspiring Americans to change their habits, not on promoting the purchase or usage of specific products. References to utilizing technology should include a variety of tools that are low-cost, scalable options to help measure diet impact. The RFP has been updated to reflect this. See C.2.2
| 24 | L | 121.123 | If Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) were submitted in response to the earlier Take Back Your Health (TBYH) RFP, which was subsequently canceled, will the government consider those PPQs for the current solicitation? Requesting clients to complete the same forms again creates an unnecessary burden, and we would appreciate confirmation on whether previously submitted PPQs can be reused or referenced. | HHS amended the scope of the campaign and the requirements of the current solicitation. HHS expects Past Performance Questionnaires to satisfy the requirements of Solicitation 75P00125R00028. See M.5.2 FACTOR 3: PAST PERFORMANCE EVALUATION |
| 25 | C | 7-Jun | The campaign objectives reference a strong preference for 'measurable changes in health outcomes' rather than campaign outputs. Can the Government elaborate on its expectations for measuring health outcomes in the base year of performance? | See Q1 and Q2 |
| 26 | C | 6 | The Government identifies “individuals with prediabetes or poor nutrition habits” as high-risk audiences, and more broadly references Americans with “poor health habits.” Can the Government clarify how it defines ‘poor health habits’ for targeting and message development purposes? For example, does this include lack of physical activity, inadequate sleep, high stress, or is the definition specific to dietary behavior alone? | For the purposes of Component 1, 'poor health habits' will focus on dietary behavior and the role of ultra-processed foods in diabetes and other chronic disease. See Q4 for possible habit change metrics. See Q10. |
Subsequent campaigns will incorporate clean eating, fitness, and spiritual growth.
| 27 | L | 123 | Capability Statement: May we include a separate cover page with company name, contact info, and title, such that the single double-spaced page is used exclusively for the statement of capabilities? | Yes. See Q106. |
| 28 | L | 123 | Capability Statement: For visual elements such as charts or graphics, is it acceptable to use a smaller font (e.g., 10pt) within those visuals, while keeping narrative text at 12pt? | Yes, but the Government requires that tables be used for displaying numerical data, comparisons, and lists, and they enhance the overall readability of a document by removing detailed information from the main text. Font should not be smaller than 10pt. The main text should not be included in a chart. |
| 29 | L | 123 | Are there specific margin requirements for the Capability Statement? | Margin requirements for the Capability Statement should match the margin requirements for the technical proposals at 1-inch. See L.8 |
| 30 | L | 123 | How would the government like the company name and the key project personnel provided? Should this be within our email response, or on separate documents? | HHS's preference is to include the company name and key project personnel in a document. See Q106 |
| 31 | L | 124 | For oral presentations, are there any restrictions on the type of support materials used during the presentation? | There are no restrictions, aside from 15 minute timeframe (as noted uder L.7) for presentation and 10-minute maximum for questions. |
| 32 | F | 35 | Section F.1 (p. 35) lists August 1, 2025, as the potential contract start date. Can the Government clarify when it expects the campaign to go in market (i.e., when public-facing activities such as paid media and outreach would begin)? Understanding the anticipated in-market date will help inform media planning and production timelines. | HHS expects the campaign to go in market by mid-September 2025. |
| 33 | L | 127 | Can the Government provide the anticipated budget or funding range for the base year of the Take Back Your Health campaign (Service Component 1? This information would support appropriately scaled planning across strategy, media, creative, and research efforts. | Refer to Q.20 |
| 34 | L | 131 | Does the Government have a target percentage of contract value it expects to be subcontracted to small businesses under this procurement? If so, can the Government confirm whether the standard HHS benchmark of 30% small business participation applies to this requirement, or whether a different target should be used for planning purposes? | The goals for this year are located on the SBCX system and can be found on the attached link. https://osdbu.hhs.gov/ |
| 35 | G | 38 | Can the government confirm that a small business subcontracting plan is not required at the proposal stage? | Confirmed. See G.8 |
| 36 | L | 123 | Are offerors required to submit presentation slides for the oral presentation? If so, should offerors submit slides 24 hours before their scheduled date and time? | No. Slides are not required to be submitted. |
| 37 | L | 124 | Can the government confirm that graphics can be used in the technical response and that content in those graphics do not have to be double spaced? | Yes, but the Government requires that graphics be used for displaying information that enhances the overall readability of a document by removing detailed information from the main text. Font should not be smaller than 10pt. The main text should not be included in a graphic. |
| 38 | L | 124 | Can tables or graphics contained in the technical response use font smaller than 12 point? | Yes, but the Government requires that tables and graphics be used for displaying numerical data, comparisons, and lists, and they enhance the overall readability of a document by removing detailed information from the main text. Font should not be smaller than 10pt. The main text should not be included in a graphic. |
| 39 | L | 124 | Are letters of commitment required for all key personnel? | Yes. See L.8 and L.9.4 |
| 40 | L | 125 | When submitting video samples in the technical approach, should offerors include a link to the videos or does the government have a secure location where they would like the videos to be uploaded? | Concept video can be shared in secure file format of vendor's choice (e.g., .mp4 or .mov) and uploaded to a secure cloud-based platform (e.g., OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box). Ensure link settings allow view-only access, protect the link with a password , if required. |
*All materials must be accessible via secure file link or embedded within your proposal package, and comply with the submission instructions outline in RFP.
| 41 | L | 125 | Can offerors submit their storyboard and other creative examples in the same shared site as their videos, outside of page count? | See Q42 |
| 42 | L | 125 | The government states the offeror must provide written concept, storyboard, and any other campaign concepts the vendor deems significant. Can the government confirm whether or not these items must be included in the allotted 60 double-spaced page requirements? | Yes, but vendors should be mindful that the Government is seeking the ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely. This applies to both the 60-page PWS and to creative concepts. |
A written concept, storyboard, and other creative campaign concepts may be submitted outside the alloted 60 page limit, for instance, in a linked folder along with the videos or in the Appendix.
| 43 | L | 125 | Can the government confirm that bios and resumes for key personnel do not count toward the 60 double-spaced page limit? | Confirmed. See L.8 |
| 44 | L | 125 | Can the government verify the Information and Communication Technology Accessibly response documentation is not part of the 60 double-spaced page limit? | Confirmed. See L.8 |
| 45 | L | 127 | Is there a page limitation to the business proposal? | Yes. The RFP has been edited to reflect a 30 page, 12pt font, double spaced, 1-inch margin limit. See L.9.1. |
| 46 | L | 127 | Are there format requirements for the business proposal? | See Q45 |
| 47 | L | 127 | The government states that to provide all Offerors an idea of the magnitude of the diabetes campaign, it’s anticipated that the estimated range in value for Component 1 shall be $10 million to $20 million, depending on the work to be performed in the proposed PWS. Can the government provide its expected budget for paid media purchases for the diabetes campaign? | Offeror should propose a budget that they believe allocates the $10 million to $20 million budget appropriately between paid media and labor costs in order to best achieve performance obectives. |
| 48 | L | 127 | Can the government provide an estimate or not to exceed value for travel for the diabetes campaign? | The Government requests the option of including a travel budget for the vendor to meet HHS in-person in Washington, DC, on occasion and otherwise does not anticipate travel costs associated with the diabetes campaign and recommends technical proposals are designed appropriately. However, if vendor deems travel to be critical to campaign, they are allowed liberty to include in PWS and business plan, with rationale for inclusion. |
| 49 | B | 2 | Could the government please clarify whether the services are considered nonseverable across the entire period of performance, including all option periods, or if they are severable by CLIN or period? We seek clarification on how the nonseverability designation aligns with the inclusion of option periods. | Each CLIN is a non-severable campaign, which means the government only recieves value upon full completion of that specific effort. Option periods are included to allow the Government the option for future campaigns, independent of work in prior CLINS. This structure allows each campaign to be clearly scoped & executed separately. |
| 50 | B | 2 | B4. Lists five optional CLINS (2-6) and requests the offeror provide a firm fixed price estimate for each. For pricing purposes, can HHS provide information on the requirements for these optional campaigns or an estimated value for each optional CLIN? | The campaigns for the optional CLINS will be determined at a future date, however, it estimated that the value of each CLIN will be from $10 to $20 million. See Q115, Q251, Q260, Q227 |
| 51 | C | 4 | Has HHS conducted or compiled research on process foods that describe which foods The RFP requires "fuel the diabetes epidemic and other chronic diseases" to inform our pitch campaign concepts and ensure that our outcome evaluation aligns with HHS's intended outcomes? | See Q10 and Q53 |
| 52 | C | 4 | Could HHS define what foods are included in "processed foods" described in the purpose to inform our outcome evaluation? | See Q10 |
| 53 | C | 4 | The first step in any effective social marketing campaign, before developing pitches (Phase II), is to conduct formative research to inform the behavioral changes (e.g., eating real food, physical fitness, and spiritual growth) that would be effective at improving disease outcomes. Has HHS already completed this step to prepare this RFP and if so, can that research be provided to offerors? Alternatively, can the pitches be high-level to adjust to research conducted later? | HHS reviewed existing public literature demonstrating an association between ultra-processed food and diabetes and expects vendor's pitches to address the role of ultra-processed food on the prevelance of diabetes. See Q4 and Q10. |
| 54 | C | 4 | On p4, the RFP states "HHS may, at its own discretion, provide and require specific advertising concepts for execution by the vendor." For pricing purposes, can HHS specify what advertising concepts might be required since this is a fixed price agreement? | HHS does not have requirements at this point, but may provide specific video ad concepts. See Q264. |
| 55 | C | 30 | Section C.10 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan states "Contractor meets timeframes agreed upon." Given that there is no delivery schedule included in the RFP, is it HHS' expectation that the contractor will propose a delivery schedule as part of its proposed PWS for HHS"s approval and that the approved delivery schedule will serve as the measure for this aspect of the QASP. | Yes. HHS expects the contractor will propose a delivery schedule, and the approved delivery schedule will serve as the measure for this aspect of the QASP. |
| 56 | C | 16 | Will the information system used to operate the system of records "storing contact information from pledge takers and other individuals to whom badges and other graphic assets are distributed" be considered a Federal Information System? If yes, will it require an Authority to Operate (ATO)? | Yes, any user contact information, such as emails, associated with this campaign will be considered federal records and will require an Authority to Operate (ATO). |
| 57 | C | 16 | Will the information system used to operate the system of records storing information about "individual influencers/experts engaged to assist in recognizing/promoting the campaign" be considered a Federal Information System? If yes, will it require an Authority to Operate (ATO)? | Yes. See Q56. |
| 58 | C | 16 | Will the information stored in either the system of records for "storing contact information from pledge takers and other individuals to whom badges and other graphic assets are distributed" and/or for storing information about "individual influencers/experts engaged to assist in recognizing/promoting the campaign" be considered Controlled Unclassified Information? | Yes, information in both instances would be considered Controlled Unclassified Information and should be handled appropriately. |
| 59 | C | 4 | Will the website designed to integrate future campaign iterations be a government website? If yes, will it require an Authority to Operate (ATO)? | See Q121. If website is a standalone, it will require an Authority to Operate. |
| 60 | C | 30 | In order to mitigate our risk under this fixed price contract, can the government confirm that the contractor is only required to "adheres to guidance provided by COR" ( QASP in C.10.) that complies with offerors accepted proposal and terms and conditions of our contract, and that guidance outside of the agreement will not negatively impact performance? | Yes. Guidance provided by the COR must comply with the agreed upon terms of the contract. Only the CO has the authority to modify the contract. See G.3 |
| 61 | L | 124 | We have estimated that the cost of preparing the items required for Phase II (e.g., video) will require offerors to invest over $100,000 and significant time. Can HHS confirm 1) the total number of offerors anticipated to move to phase II and 2) the amount of notice (e.g., days, weeks) offerors will be given that they qualified for phase II so offerors can properly plan and evaluate this opportunity? | HHS anticipates advising only those vendors who receive a high confidence rating in Phase I to participate in Phase II. At this time, HHS is unable to provide a specific number of Offerors who will achieve such a rating. |
Offerors will be allowed 10 business days after notification of Phase II selection before technical proposals and video are due.
HHS would also like to stress that the video is intended to demonstrate campaign concept and provide clear sense of capability to create "bold, edgy" ads. This video is NOT intended to be a market-ready advertising asset.
| 62 | L | 124 | Will offerors be notified of how many firms are selected for phase II? | No. |
| 63 | L | 124 | Can offerors opt out if they do not want to proceed to phase II? | Yes, offerors can opt out at any time. |
| 64 | L | 123 | For the Oral Presentation Medium and Format, will laptops be allowed to show via projecter sample creatives and/or videos? | Yes. Laptops will be allowed and there will be a large TV screen where slides, creatives, and/or video can be displayed. See Q226. |
| 65 | L | 125 | L.8.2 SUBFACTOR 2, bullet 2 - can "large-scale" be defined further? | See Q72 |
| 66 | L | 125 | L.8.3 SUBFACTOR 3 - are resumes included in the overall 60 page count? | As noted under L.8, ". Tables of contents, and works cited and the Technical Appendices are not included in the page count. |
The technical appendices shall only include transcripts, resumes, and letters of commitment and HHS Section 508 Evaluation Template.
| 67 | L | 125 | L.8.4 SUBFACTOR 4 - please confirm if all proposal submission documents need to be covered by this subfactor? | The subfactor applies to any products or information developed for the government following award. Proposals and videos submitted in response to Phase I are not subject to 508 accessibility requirements. |
| 68 | L | 128 | 1. Financial Capacity - please confirm if a letter of credit will be acceptable? | "The Offeror shall submit any information deemed relevant to convincingly demonstrate its ability to perform the requirement from a financial point of view; this may include providing a copy of the Offeror's most recent financial statement." |
| 69 | L | 128 | 1. Financial Capacity - please confirm what duration "recent financial statement" should cover? Annual? Quarterly? | An annual financial statement will be sufficient. |
| 70 | L | 129 | L.9.7 - Please confirm if "explanation of the process used to identify OCIs" is still required if no potential or actual OCI is determined. | If no potential or actual OCI is determined, the vendor should provide a summary of the process whereby they reached that conclusion. |
| 71 | L | 123 | For the Oral Presentation Medium and Format, will laptops be allowed to show via projecter sample creatives and/or videos? | Yes. See Q226. |
| 72 | L | 125 | L.8.2 SUBFACTOR 2, bullet 2 - can "large-scale" be defined further? | Leadership team must demonstrate a proven track record in successfully executing multi-channel initiatiatives that lead to measureable changes in target audiences' behavior across the United States. |
| 73 | L | 125 | L.8.3 SUBFACTOR 3 - are resumes included in the overall 60 page count? | As noted under L.8, ". Tables of contents, and works cited and the Technical Appendices are not included in the page count. |
The technical appendices shall only include transcripts, resumes, and letters of commitment and HHS Section 508 Evaluation Template.
| 74 | L | 125 | L.8.4 SUBFACTOR 4 - please confirm if all proposal submission documents need to be covered by this subfactor? | See Q67 |
| 75 | L | 128 | 1. Financial Capacity - please confirm if a letter of credit will be acceptable? | See Q68 |
| 76 | L | 128 | 1. Financial Capacity - please confirm what duration "recent financial statement" should cover? Annual? Quarterly? | See Q69 |
| 77 | L | 129 | L.9.7 - Please confirm if "explanation of the process used to identify OCIs" is still required if no potential or actual OCI is determined. | See Q70 |
| 78 | C | 4 | C.1.II - Scope: With the $10-20 million what is the Government's expectation of the balance between paid, labor and other activities? | See Q47 |
| 79 | C | 6 | Section C.2.3: Will HHS provide access to existing public health data sets or survey infrastructure to benchmark against "Improved Health Outcomes"? | See Q3 |
| 80 | L | 128-129 | Section L.9.7 requires “Offerors” to “identify actual and potential organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) related to the services described in the statement of work for itself, as well as employees, consultants and subcontractors proposed” including “[t]he existence of conflicting roles that might bias judgment . . . . “ |
| Pursuant to FAR 9.504, does the government consider providing marketing, advertising or public relations services to a manufacturer or seller of processed foods to be a potential or actual OCI? If so, what does the government consider to be “processed foods?” | No. The Government does not consider providing marketing, advertising, or public relations services to a manufacturer or seller of processed or ultra-processed foods to be a potential or actual OCI. | |||
| 81 | L | 128-129 | Section L.9.7 requires “Offerors” to “identify actual and potential organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) related to the services described in the statement of work for itself, as well as employees, consultants and subcontractors proposed” including “[t]he existence of conflicting roles that might bias judgment . . . . “ |
| Does the government consider a separately incorporated and operating corporate affiliate that will not be performing the awarded contract to be included as part of the “Offeror” for OCI review and identification? | No. If corporate affiliate is not involved in the performance of awarded contract, their work does not need to be reviewed for OCI. | |||
| 82 | L | 128-129 | Section L.9.7 requires “Offerors” to “identify actual and potential organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) related to the services described in the statement of work for itself, as well as employees, consultants and subcontractors proposed” including “[t]he existence of conflicting roles that might bias judgment . . . . “ |
| Pursuant to FAR 9.504, does the government consider providing marketing, advertising or public relations services to manufacturers or sellers of any products or services other than “processed foods” to create a potential or actual OCI? If so, what other products or services will create an actual or potential OCI. | See Q80 | |||
| 83 | L | 128-129 | Section L.9.7 provides that “[i]f an actual or potential OCI is identified, the offeror shall submit a mitigation plan as part of its proposal.” |
| If the government considers providing marketing, advertising or public relations services to a manufacturer or seller of processed foods or other products or services to be a potential or actual OCI, what mitigation measures will the government consider adequate to mitigate such OCIs? | See Q80 | |||
| 84 | L | 122 | L.6 states "After the Government completes the evaluation of Factor 1, Offerors will receive an advisory notification via e-mail from the Contracting Officer. This notification will advise the Offerors of the Government’s advisory recommendation to proceed or not to proceed with Phase II submission. Offerors who are provided a high confidence level for Phase I will be advised to proceed to Phase II of the proposal submission process." |
| Will the Government confirm approximately the date it estimates notifying Offerors of its recommendation to move forward with Phase II once Factor 1 evaluation is complete? | See Q61 | |||
| 85 | L | 123 | L.7 states "Offerors who submit the required documents by the due date and time shall be invited to pitch campaign concepts in-person…" and "Eligible vendors will be notified of presentation date by COB, June 27th." |
| Will the Government please confirm that all offerors who meet the June 26th requirements and deadline will automatically participate in oral presentations or will there be a down-select for orals? | Yes, this is correct, all offerors who meet the L.7 requirements will be invited for Phase I, Oral Presentations. | ||||
| 86 | E | 31-32 | Sections D.1 and E.1.2 General Acceptance Criteria indicates that work products shall be submitted in hard copy and electronic copy. Will the Government clarify that hard copies are required for all final deliverables only at the end of the contract and not for each draft throughout the period of performance? | The Government does not expect final deliverables to be provided in hard copy unless explicitly requested. | |
| 87 | L | 123 | L.7 in reference to the Offeror oral presentation participants it states "The Government requires that the remaining participants be personnel the Offeror deems as Key Personnel and/or the responsible corporate official." |
| Will the Government accept the Offeror sending another representative(s) in person, if the key personnel is not available? | No. The Government requires that the individual serving as Project Manager must attend, and any other participants must be designated as Key Personnel and/or the responsible corporate official. There is no minimum on number of oral presentation attendees, and vendor is at liberty to send only those key personnel who are available, provided the presence of the Project Manager. | ||||
| 88 | L | 125 | L.8.2 Is there a preferred list of channels/platforms that the Government expects the Offeror to include in their media mix? | No. Offeror should propose channels and platforms they believe will best achieve performance objectives. |
The campaign will include delivery across paid, earned, owned, and donated media.
The Government anticipates that assets may include social media campaign; ads for TV, print and digital; a website designed to integrate future campaign iterations; billboards; transit ads; public service announcements; text/email content; and audience engagement tools. See C.1
| 89 | C | 5 | C.2 Performance objective 1, Defining target audiences. Are young adults (18-35) and mid-life adults (36-55) your priority audiences within the identified high-risk categories? | The Government expects the campaign to target high-risk audiences across all age groups. Baseline data will assist with identifying high-risk audiences. See Q3. | |
| 90 | C | 6 | C.2 Performance objective 3, Quantitatively measuring and demonstrating improved health outcomes. Can HHS fast-track OMB approval of custom research, if required? | HHS may have access to a generic clearance vehicle for collecting feedback. HHS is working to ensure fast-track OMB approval is an option for vendors. | |
| 91 | C | 6 | Can you share an example of a "bold, edgy" campaign that you see as a strong analog for what you are looking for? | See Q11 | |
| 92 | C | 6 | Can you share an example of a commercial brand you think is doing a great job in the health context? | This question is not able to be answered. | |
| 93 | C | 6 | Who do you see as experts in nutrition and health that are to be relied upon for their insights? | Nutrition guidance will be derived from updated 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines. | |
| 94 | C | 7 | Can you provide more details around ‘Audience Engagement Tools’? Are there any specific tools we should focus on? | Offerors should pitch ideas for audience engagment tools. | |
| 95 | C | 7 | What platforms are considered highest priority for viral social media messaging — Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or others? Has the US government's restriction of TikTok usage been lifted? | See Q88. TikTok usage is acceptable. | |
| 96 | C | 8 | What are the federal content clearance procedures and turnaround timelines for social media posts, including real-time and/or crisis-related content? | Social media posts will be cleared by the Government Project Manager within three (3) business days. Crisis-related content will be cleared in one (1) business day. | |
| 97 | C | 8 | Given creative concepts are requested for phase I, will the government provide any mandatories or guidelines for language that needs to be included or should be avoided? | HHS expects the campaign to stress the consquences of ultra-processed food on health and also deliver the solution. | |
| 98 | C | 9 | Quantitative and qualitative testing for the US government campaigns has previously required OMB package development and approvals, a process that could be lengthy depending on OMB approval processes. Can you share the expectations for content and timing of OMB package development, vetting and approvals for the quantitative testing? | OMB package for quantitative testing should be developed immediatly after award. The Government is pursuing options to expedite OMB approvals to within 15 business days. See Q90. | |
| 99 | C | 9 | What level of interactivity or community management is expected on social media platforms (e.g., real-time replies, moderation, engagement campaigns)? | No real time replies or moderation is expected. Any proposed community engagement campaigns should be limited to what can be performed through HHS personnel and platforms. See Q17. | |
| 100 | C | 9 | Are there existing HHS social media accounts that are expected to be published through, or should new campaign-specific channels be created? | See Q17 | |
| 101 | C | 9 | What are the government partnership guidelines for working with health-focused social media communities and/or creators? | There are no Government guidelines, as long as vendor can compellingly demonstrate that partnerships serve to fulfill performance objectives. | |
| 102 | C | 9 | What are the stats and/or sources of measurement against which changes in health outcomes will be measured? | See Q1, Q2, Q3 | |
| 103 | L | 123 | Section L.7 Oral Presentation Instructions – Phase I. The Solicitation states that for oral presentations, “participants must be an employee of the Offeror or Major Subcontractor(s).” | ||
| What is the definition of Major Subcontractor? | Per FAR 209.571-1, “Major subcontractor” means a subcontractor that is awarded a subcontract that equals or exceeds— |
(i) Both the certified cost or pricing data threshold and 10 percent of the value of the contract under which the subcontract is awarded; or
(ii) $55 million.
| 104 | L | 123 | Section L.7 The Solicitation states that Major Subcontractors shall only subcontract and propose with one Offeror in response to this solicitation. | ||
| Does the Government require letters of commitment from each major subcontractor? | Yes. | ||||
| 105 | L | 126 | Is it acceptable to include links in the Capability Statement and in the example of recent, similar work? | See Q209 | |
| 106 | L | 126 | Section L.7 instructs that "vendors shall submit |
key project personnel, including title and role on project, capability statement (limited to one (1) page, double spaced, 12pt font) and one (1) strong example of recent, similar work for innovative, cutting-edge behavior change campaign of similar size and complexity, including campaign outcomes (limited to two (2) pages, double spaced, 12pt font)".
Does a cover page and a cover letter count within this page limitation so they can be included? If so, will a submission package with these contents, in this order be acceptable: Page 1: cover page, Page 2: cover letter, Page 3: capabilities one-pager, Pages 4 and 5: work example two-pager, Page 6: key project personnel. The proposed submission package is acceptable.
(Page 1: cover page, Page 2: cover letter, Page 3: capabilities one-pager, Pages 4 and 5: work example two-pager, Page 6: key project personnel.)
| 107 | L | 126 | Oral Presentation and Medium Format: Is the government willing to consider an extension due to an advertising industry event? Many of the best creative teams in the world are at this industry event this week, so we want to make sure that they have sufficient time to create something that delivers on what HHS is looking for. | The Government is operating on an expedited timeline, but will extend the Phase I submission deadline to 3 PM on Friday, June 27, 2025. | |
| 108 | L | 130-131 | L.10 Past Performance Instructions – Phase II The Solicitation provides that a maximum of 3 performance references shall be submitted for contracts under which performance has occurred within the past three years. Does this mean within the past three years from the date of the Solicitation? Do the past experience examples have to be the same as those submitted for Past Performance? | Yes, performance references should be from within the past three years from the date of the Solicitation. Past experience examples do not have to be the same as those submitted for Past Performance. | |
| 109 | M | 133 | M.4.1 Factor 1: Oral Presentation. What is considered a “reasonable project timeline”? | A timeline that demonstrates convincing and realistic ability to fulfill performance objectives in the Period of Performance. The Government antipicates a launch date for Campaign 1 by mid-September, 2025. See Q261. | |
| 110 | M | 133-134 | M.5.1.1 Subfactor 1 – Technical Approach / Performance Work Statement. The Solicitation provides that the offeror must provide a PWS to include separate non-severable Components but the topics of Optional Components are not identified. Can more specific information/instructions be provided? | See Q251, Q260, and Q227 | |
| 111 | M | 138 | M.7 Basis for Award. | ||
| What is the order of importance for the nonprice factors? Are the nonprice factors all of equal importance? | 1. Oral Presentation |
2. Technical Proposal
3. Past Performance
All evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are significantly more important than price.
| 112 | B | 4-5 | Can HHS clarify whether offerors should submit pricing for all CLINs (including optional campaigns 2–6) at the time of proposal, or only for the base campaign (CLIN 1)? If options are to be priced now, can HHS provide additional detail on the expected scope, deliverables, and period of performance for each optional campaign to ensure accurate pricing? | Offerors should submit pricing for all CLINs, including optional campaigns 2-6. See Q115, Q251, Q260, and Q227 |
| 113 | B | 4-5 | Will HHS provide any direct funding or separate reimbursement for media buys, paid placements, or production costs, or should these be included in the firm-fixed price for each CLIN? If so, are there any limits or guidelines on allowable media spend? | These should be included in the firm-fixed price for each CLIN. See Q47. |
| 114 | B | 4-5 | Is the government open to progress payments, monthly billing, or milestone-based invoicing throughout the duration of each campaign (CLIN), or is payment strictly contingent on full completion of each nonseverable service? If milestone or progress payments are possible, can HHS provide guidance on acceptable billing milestones or partial payment scenarios (e.g., in the event of campaign cancellation)? | See Q215 |
| 115 | B | 4-5 | The RFP does not specify the expected size, scope, or level of effort for the optional campaigns (CLINs 2–6) relative to the base campaign (CLIN 1). Should offerors assume that each optional campaign will be similar in scope, duration, and deliverables to the base campaign for pricing purposes? If not, can HHS provide additional guidance or assumptions to ensure pricing consistency and comparability across proposals? | Yes, for pricing purposes, the Offeror should assume that optional campaigns will be similar in scope, duration, and deliverables to the base campaign. See Q205. |
| 116 | C | 4 | Does the government have a pre-determined idea of the scope of the formative research? Would engaging with industry partners be within the scope of the formative research? | See Q3 and Q117 |
| 117 | C | 4 | Is engaging with relevant industry organizatons, advocacy groups and coalitions within the scope of the the Government's expectations for formative research? | No. See Q3. Industry organizatons, advocacy groups and coalitions may be partnered with to amplify campaign, but should not be used to conduct formative research. |
| 118 | C | 6 | What existing government technology will be available to the selected vendor to support distribution of content so as to avoid unnecessary distribution costs? | HHS website and social channels will be available to amplify appropriate content. |
| 119 | C | 6 | What existing government data will be available to the selected vendor to determine baseline audience numbers (e.g., demographics for audience segmentation) and health data to support tracking health results before, during, and after campaign runs-- so as to avoid unnecessary costs to obtain metrics? If so, how long does it take HHS to provide aggregated, audience segemented health information? | See Q3. HHS intends to provide public health data shortly after award for formative campaign strategy. |
| 120 | C | 6 | Will there be a single Government decision maker on all art concepts and associated products so as to avoid additional production costs and slower production time? If not, please provide the Government's review process so that offeror costs for process participation can be accounted for in pricing. | There will be one project manager that is coordinating approvals from project team. HHS is conscious of production timeline and will work to expedite reviews as much as possible. |
| 121 | C | 6 | C.2: (A) Does the "resource hub" need to be a website, and if so, (B) will the government upload content on behalf of vendor, and (C) will the vendor have real-time access to website metrics? | The resource hub is intended to be a website or HHS webpage. |
If vendor proposes a website, vendor will be expected to host, build, secure, and maintain this website as part of the contract. At contract completion, the vendor must ensure that the website and its assets are government owned or fully transferrable without additional licensing fees; All code, content, documentation, and backend infrastruture are deliverable in an open, editable format; any third party or proprietary platforms/tools are accompanied by clear documentation and transfer plans, including account credentials, licenses, and user guides; the solution is scalable, maintainable, and consistent with federal web policies, including Section 508, the IDEA ACT, and use of USWDS, etc.
If vendor proposes HHS webpage, the Government will upload content on behalf of the vendor. In that case, the vendor will not have real-time access to website metrics.
| 122 | C | 6 | Regarding "popularize technology," can this be by-name technology or must it be generic (e.g., Apple or Android vs. "smart phone")? | Technology must be generic. |
| 123 | C | 6 | Regarding "target high-risk audiences," will the government provide specific groups based on it's existing data (e.g., demographic subsets, rural, African-Americans, below the poverty line)? | The vendor should provide target audiences based off of existing data provided by HHS after award. See Q3 and Q6, |
| 124 | C | 6 | Regarding "HHS may elect to expand the campaign" -- will that be done with a contract modification, to include additional funding or within Component 1 during performance? | That will be done within Component 1 during performance. This clause relates to broadening messaging within the established scope: "The campaign should be a wake-up call to Americans that eating processed foods dramatically increases the risk of diabetes and chronic disease." (C.1.II) Addressing other chronic diseases is not intended to increase overall cost. |
Any work beyond the scope will require a modification with an addition of funds.
| 125 | C | 6 | Regarding, "Create bold, edgy nationwide marketing," what communication assets will the government provide (e.g., video footage, stock photos) or should the vendor budget to produce/purchase these campaign elements and associated copyrights for distribution? | The vendor should budget to produce/purchase these campaign elements and associated copyrights for distribution. |
| 126 | C | 6 | Does the government have a (1) designated text system/service the campaign can access to use throughout the campaign to avoid duplicated costs and distribution delays, and if so, (2) which one? | No. |
| 127 | C | 6 | Does the government have a (1) designated email system/subscription service the campaign can access to use throughout the campaign (e.g., all-employee, GovDelivery) to avoid duplicated costs and distribution delays, and (2) which one? | The Government expects Offerors to include a designated email service in their proposals. |
| 128 | C | 6 | Regarding social media, (1) does the government expect real-time interaction with post, and if so (2) will vendor be responsible for manning the site and producing response-based content - or will the government staff? | No, the Government does not expect real-time interaction with social media or for the vendor to man social media accounts. See Q17. |
| 129 | C | 6 | Does the government have an existing social media tracking tool, and if so which one? | No. The contractor should propose a tracking tool that can be integrated into HHS platforms. |
| 130 | C | 27-32 | The RFP's Section C.4 outlines a range of information security requirements, many of which (such as FIPS 199 categorization, NIST controls, and federal system operation) appear to apply only if the contractor will operate a federal information system or have access to non-public government information. Our understanding is that, for a campaign focused on creative development, public-facing assets, and standard communications—without access to HHS internal systems or sensitive government data—only the basic safeguarding requirements of FAR 52.204-21 and standard commercial practices would apply. Can HHS confirm this interpretation, or clarify which specific security requirements in Section C.4 are likely to apply to a contractor delivering the anticipated scope of work? | The vendor is correct that this campaign is focused on public-facing assets, but HHS anticipates possible audience engagement tools such as pledges or email follow-up. HHS is open to considering survey and pledge instruments that collect limited PII if the vendor can justify why this will maximize campaign impact on users. This PII would be subject to Privacy Act requirements and would not be intended for public release. The Privacy Act considerations are outlined in C.4.1.c and C.5. |
| 131 | C | 27-32 | To ensure we align our security and privacy controls appropriately, can HHS clarify whether it anticipates providing any non-public or sensitive government information under this contract, or if all deliverables will be intended for public release? | HHS is open to considering survey and pledge instruments that collect limited PII if the vendor can justify why this will maximize campaign impact on users. This PII would be subject to Privacy Act requirements and would not be intended for public release. See Q130 |
| 132 | G | 39 | May offerors include travel cost in pricing for engagement if relevant ? | See Q48. |
| 133 | L | 123 | Given the late notification for Oral Presentation will the Government consider hybrid presentations? | No, presentations must be in person. |
| 134 | C | 4 | By " role of processed foods in fueling the diabetes epidemic and other chronic diseases," does “chronic conditions” refer to those conditions associated with diabetes, e.g. obesity, or MASH? Can you further qualify? | "Chronic conditions" should refer to any chronic condition associated with ultra-processed food. |
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