Bearpaw Sole Source Letter.pdf

November 15, 2025

Fulton County Board of Health- Office of Procurement Subject: Sole Source Justification for the Stop HIV ATL Program Re: Bearpaw Partners - Vendor 158

To Whom It May Concern, Bearpaw Partners submits this letter to outline why we should be considered the sole source provider for the Stop HIV ATL program.

Bearpaw Partners is a Fulton County based business. The agency was founded in Fulton County in 2014. Many employees live and work in the county. Our team has supported the Stop HIV ATL program for eight years. We have managed strategy, creative, media, and website operations during that period.

Over the course of the program, we have executed more than 100 advertising campaigns with an average click through rate of 2.8 percent. We have produced more than 25 videos that have generated more than 420,000 impressions. We have created more than 300 social posts across five platforms that have produced more than 5 million impressions. This long term involvement built a strong foundation of program knowledge, audience insight, and creative consistency.

During the third quarter of 2023, the Stop HIV ATL website reached 15,000 new visitors and 48,700 page views. Traffic sources included 40 percent from social media, 41 percent from search, and 11 percent from direct visits. The site was bilingual and included lead capture for fentanyl test requests, general inquiries, and the Navigator program. During the same quarter in 2023, program content across social, paid, organic, and direct channels generated 1,051,908 impressions.

Our team has designed and produced collateral for major digital and event campaigns. These campaigns include fentanyl test strip distribution, monkeypox awareness, the Survivors Event, Black Pride, Atlanta Pride, and the Condom Fit initiative. We also managed a fentanyl test strip billboard campaign that reached more than one million people in Fulton County within six months.

500 Bishop Street | Suite E5 | Atlanta, GA | 30318

The following points support sole source consideration.

1. Risk if another vendor were selected-

Selecting a new agency would slow the restart of program activities because a new team would need time to learn the full history, structure, audience insights, and operational needs of the Stop HIV ATL program. As the senior partner, I have overseen this work for years, and our senior account manager has managed day to day coordination throughout the program. This continuity supports a faster relaunch and reduces the risk of message inconsistencies once activities resume.

2. Proprietary knowledge and program specific systems

Bearpaw Partners holds extensive knowledge of the program’s creative framework, audience insights, keyword structures, media patterns, and long term performance results. This knowledge developed over eight years and is specific to the Stop HIV ATL program. A new vendor would need to rebuild this understanding, which would lengthen the time needed to restart marketing and outreach.

3. Long term performance results

The program produced consistent outcomes across eight years. Campaigns delivered steady reach, engagement, and audience growth. These results support accurate planning and efficient decision making when activities resume.

4. Local presence and community understanding

As a Fulton County based agency with many employees living in the county, our team brings direct awareness of the community. This supports cultural relevance, quicker coordination for local events, and alignment with the needs of Fulton County residents.

5. Cost efficiency and reduced administrative load

Continuing with the current agency avoids the time and expense required to orient a new vendor. A new team would require extensive background briefings and historical review.

This would increase the workload for Fulton County staff and slow the timeline for restarting activities. Bearpaw Partners brings established familiarity with the program’s goals and processes.

6. Experience with sensitive public health topics

The Stop HIV ATL program requires clear, accurate, and culturally aware communication. Bearpaw Partners understands how to present information in a way that supports trust and relevance. A new vendor would need time to gain this level of subject familiarity, which introduces risk of tone issues once activities resume.

7. Timeliness related to public health needs

The program often responds to urgent public health conditions. Rapid communication is important once activities resume. Our team already understands the approval processes and messaging needs that guide this work. A new vendor would need time to learn these details, which would slow the release of new materials.

8. Unique qualifications for the program

Bearpaw Partners brings a combination of long term program history, established creative systems, audience insight, and operational familiarity that is specific to the Stop HIV ATL program. No other agency holds this level of program specific context and continuity.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, Brad Cooper Bearpaw Partners