COMPREHENSIVE_ADVERTISING_SERVICES_(Addendum_#3_Revision).pdf

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,

WALTON COUNTY, FLORIDA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

For

COMPREHENSIVE

ADVERTISING SERVICES

RFP NO: RFP 24-27 - Tourism

Introduction

PURPOSE:

The County has issued this Request for Proposals (RFP) for the purpose of obtaining proposals from interested and qualified Proposers offering to provide COMPREHENSIVE

ADVERTISING SERVICES, in accordance with the specifications stated herein and enter into an annual Agreement with a qualified full-service advertising company that can counsel, produce market strategies, and deploy multifaceted campaigns in support of the Walton County Tourism

(WCT) mission.

Scope of Work

OVERALL MARKETING / ADVERTISING

1. Provide extensive marketing agency services within the tourism and hospitality industry.

2. Manage a multi-million-dollar organizational budget effectively.

3. Develop and implement strategies to support and drive sustained annual growth of the tourism economy in Walton County, Florida, specifically related to increasing visitor spending and economic impact.

4. Relate effectively to DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) structures, including formal committees and councils, boards, community participation, and county government, ensuring adherence to Florida Sunshine Law and comprehensive records retention requirements.

5. Advance all media payments and hard costs (production-related expenses) as an agent for the WCT, in accordance with reimbursement practices.

6. Execute contracts and legal obligations with subcontractors and vendors as needed to provide the services described herein as an independent consultant without representing at any time or in any manner that Consultant or any of Consultant's agents, servants, or employees are in any manner agents, servants, or employees of the County.

7. Possess intimate knowledge of the destination and engage frequently in market participation and collaboration with industry members and the community.

8. Support client initiatives through an integrated and internal depth of staff resources including leadership, strategy and account management, project management, administration, finance and billing, research and analytics, social media, creative, broadcast production services, media planning and buying, and digital services.

9. Maintain and service multiple brands simultaneously under the Walton County

Tourism brand.

10. Provide multi-pronged crisis communication across all communication platforms.

11. Provide recommendations for product development within the brands to maintain and enhance the tourism economy.

BRAND STRATEGY AND ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

1. Develop brand positioning strategies and provide strategic oversight based on experience and existing available research for all brand initiatives, including leisure, group, and niche audiences, target markets, seasonality, and brand attributes across all

WCT brands.

2. Create tactical recommendations to benefit all brands through key knowledge of tourism trends and collaboration, aspiring to be an effective best-in-class leader in tourism.

3. Attend key meetings and keep client informed of all active projects through frequent communication to include weekly status sheets, and highly responsive email and phone communication at all times.

4. Maintain ongoing partner/stakeholder communications appropriately in line with

WCT Standards.

5. Obtain three equitable documented quotes or bids for any expenditure exceeding the

WCT’s requirement for procurement.

6. Ensure that the marketing and advertising activities are within budget and fulfill

Florida statutory requirements with a comprehensive understanding of all processes.

7. Complete monthly billing with all appropriate back up documents, including detailed time sheets, media proof of performance and detailed invoices, original lined item receipts, and comprehensive billing recap including projections through end of fiscal year to match WCT's itemized budgets.

MEDIA PLANNING AND BUYING

1. Develop and execute comprehensive, multi-channel plans (including digital/social/SEM/email, print, TV, radio, and out-of-home) targeting a highly select demographic in primary and emerging markets during key time periods through an equitable evaluation process. Create plans for all brands including Leisure (co-op, brand, and reserve spending), Group/Sales, Beach Safety, and events.

2. Manage media buys/contracts in media buying software and media flowchart.

3. Maintain a goal of negotiated added value of at least 50% of net media buy.

4. Optimize media buys on an ongoing basis to impact spending of budget.

5. Audit all media buys for accuracy and provide proof of performance (i.e., tear sheets, photo sheets, screenshots, run reports, affidavits, etc.) and ensure make goods as necessary to meet set goals and objectives.

CO-OP MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE

1. Develop a comprehensive co-op media plan for stakeholders with approximately 250 opportunities with goal of at least 75 percent participation.

2. Create a sales kit showcasing all co-op options for stakeholders demonstrating the value of co-op participation with minimum guaranteed leads/clicks for distribution to all qualifying stakeholders.

3. Execute sales process for co-op media plan, including partner sign-up, billing, fulfillment of partnership, and reporting.

4. Establish a system to ensure fair buying experience for partners through time stamping of co-op submissions and equitable distribution of co-op opportunities.

5. Invoice and collect payment for co-op into a separate holding account for future brand reinvestment.

6. Secure creative assets, approvals, and documentations from partners and ensure accuracy and brand cohesion for final ad placement.

7. Provide all campaign reporting via an easy to use dashboard.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION

1. Maintain Walton County Tourism and all sub brands affiliated with WCT including but not limited to Authentic Walton and South Walton

2. Adhere to and maintain the 60+ pages of rigorous brand standards to the highest possible level for all creative elements.

3. Oversee the creative development process from strategic brief creation to concept development, ensuring adherence to the approval process at all stages. Produce multimedia creative materials that meet high standards, aiming to achieve Flagler

Award-winning quality.

4. Develop, write, produce, resize, package and traffic all creative assets for paid media and advertorial insertions to meet every deadline.

5. Design, write and produce a custom destination and multiple niche guides (both printed and digital), serving as the authoritative guide to the destinations.

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT AND CONTENT MARKETING

1. BRAND CONTENT

a. Understand and apply the philosophy of paid-earned-owned media as it relates to content marketing.

b. Develop content marketing plan to strategically deploy throughout a variety of platforms for the purpose of organically delivering the brand attributes and increasing brand value for all WCT Brands

c. Compose and publish content articles utilizing SEO best practices to serve as the foundation for all extensions on a monthly basis.

d. Create and post visual content (photos, videos, infographics, imagery, etc.) to complement the written content.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA

a. Maintain regular content on all WCT brands as required, create content for daily distribution on major social channels, including but not limited to Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube regularly.

b. Monitor and respond to followers creating a highly engaged audience in accordance with social media best practices.

c. Foster organic growth on each platform that exceeds industry averages through development and implementation of opportunities and tactics.

d. Collaborate with paid media efforts to support social content on an ongoing basis.

3. INFLUENCER MARKETING

a. Create and implement guidelines for influencers who represent all WCT brands.

b. Monitor and respond to all influencer requests.

c. Negotiate with potential influencers to ensure all WCT brands are represented as stated contractually.

d. Collaborate with social and paid media to support any influencer content created.

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER PUBLICATION

1. Create, implement, and maintain all content for WCT’s quarterly newsletter publication.

2. Collaborate with local distribution outlets to ensure publication is provided to the local community.

3. Maintain a website dedicated to the quarterly publication and all its archives.

EMAIL MARKETING

1. Implement a monthly email marketing program with various deployments, including newsletters for the leisure and group sales targets to inform and maintain communication with a currently engaged audience.

2. Create and deploy emails in accordance with industry best practices, including database growth and management and A/B testing.

DIGITAL PLATFORM MANAGEMENT

1. Develop digital programs as needed or required by WCT.

2. Manage website and social media archiving in compliance with Florida Sunshine laws and respond to any requests for public records in a timely manner.

3. Conduct user testing, make optimization recommendations, and execute upon approval.

4. Resolve website bugs and errors in a timely manner.

5. Assist in cloud-based management of digital resources, including photos and video.

6. Maintain all websites making updates as necessary on multiple platforms for optimal user experience.

BRAND ACTIVATIONS

1. Research and identify potential opportunities to bring the South Walton experience to a concentration of HNWI at extraordinary, out-of-market events.

2. Develop custom concept and attendee experience, from planning to production of activations needs (i.e., negotiations, floor plans, creative needs, booth coordination, merchandise, etc.) with a presence on par with or exceeding national brands.

3. Manage full execution of activation including on site Ambassadors representing

WCT.

4. Provide social media, paid media, and on-site support before, during, and after the event.

5. Produce wrap up reports on the brand activation complete with metrics.

REPORTING & ANALYTICS

1. Develop and compile regular reports with digital dashboards on organic and paid initiatives to include monthly activities, monthly statistics, comprehensive monthly analytics of up to 30+ KPl, and annual reporting.

2. Generate custom reports as needed regarding social listening, demographic/psychographic insights, occupancy projection and visitor attribution as provided through software partnerships, etc.

3. Evaluate data and make optimization recommendations for improvement of all KPl.

4. Develop and present reports at TDC Council meetings, committee meetings, workshop presentations, etc. as needed.

OTHER

1. Compile and submit award applications for top accredited associations in marketing and tourism.

Submittal Requirements

General Requirements

The purpose of the proposal is to demonstrate the qualifications, competence, capacity, and methodology of the Proposer seeking to provide the services in conformity with the requirements of this RFP. The proposal should demonstrate the combined qualifications of the Proposer and of the particular staff to be assigned to this engagement.

While the proposal shall address all the points outlined in the RFP, it should also specify an approach that will meet the RFP requirements. The proposal should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the Proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the RFP requirements.

Format Requirements

Interested Proposers shall include the following information in their submittal responses to this

RFP. The following format and sequence should be followed in order to provide consistency in

Proposers’ responses and to ensure each proposal receives full consideration. Use 8 ½” x 11” sheet pages only with minimum font size of 10 points and with tabs or section dividers to separate sections as defined below.

Tab 1: INTRODUCTION LETTER

Provide an introduction letter introducing Proposer, including corporate name (if applicable), address, telephone number, email of principal officer, number of years in business, and size of staff. Briefly state that Proposer fully understands the scope of services, possesses the capacity and ability to perform said services, and will make a positive commitment to perform the services as described herein. The introduction letter shall be signed by an individual authorized to bind Proposer.

Tab 2: QUALIFICATIONS OF PROPOSER/RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Provide a description of your experience and underlying philosophy in providing the marketing services as described and requested herein. The description should include details such as abilities, capacity, skills, strengths, number of years in business, and any other relevant information you believe should be included. Proposers must be knowledgeable and experienced in delivering marketing services within the tourism industry. Provide an overview of your operational and management experience and reputation relevant to developing and executing marketing strategies, particularly in relation to promoting tourism and local events. The proposal should include past performance, highlighting similar projects successfully completed.

Tab 3: REFERENCES

Provide references for which you provided similar services within the past two (2) years of the scope and nature required by this RFP, similar to the services sought by the County. These references must include, at a minimum: name of company or entity, contact person, address, email, and telephone number. References shall include the general description of the services and contract dates. Letters of commendation or recommendation may be included in this section.

Tab 4: ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONAL REQUEST

A. Current Affiliations:

o Do you currently represent a tourism-related organization within the State, such as a

Tourism Department, Convention & Visitors Bureau, or Chamber of Commerce? If yes, please specify and describe how you would manage that account alongside the

WCT Department.

B. Local Business Involvement:

o Do you currently represent a company within Walton County's travel and tourism industry (e.g., hotel, resort, restaurant)? If yes, please provide details.

C. Company Expertise and Strengths:

o What expertise does your company possess that makes you the best-suited proposer to handle the WCT Department account? What is your company's greatest strength?

D. Full-Service Capabilities:

o Why do you consider your company a full-service advertising agency?

E. Market Research Approach:

o What market research strategies do you rely on or are you willing to conduct to better serve the WCT Department?

F. Media Placement Experience:

o Describe your experience in placing deployments and positioning products/services in various markets. How would you rate your buying/placement power for traditional media?

G. Digital Marketing Expertise:

o What experience do you have in social content marketing and digital placement across different platforms and channels?

H. Understanding of Destination:

o What about our destination makes South Walton exceptional compared to other destinations in Florida, based on your existing knowledge?

I. Company History and Team Expertise:

o Provide an overview of your company's history, corporate structure, and years in business. Detail the expertise of proposed team members, including skills, education, training, experience, and availability to serve the Walton County account.

J. Strategic Marketing Approach:

o Describe your firm's philosophy in developing broad and multifaceted strategic marketing campaigns across various channels (TV, Radio, Print, Web, Social, etc).

K. Strategic Alliances:

o Does your company have any business relationships or strategic alliance partnerships with other industry entities that could benefit the WCT Department?

L. Additional Considerations:

o Is there any additional information about your company that you believe should be considered when evaluating your proposal?

Tab 5: REQUIRED SUBMITTAL FORMS: Proposers shall submit the required forms listed on the Vendor Questionnaire. Copies of Proposers support documentation such as licenses, resumes, or certifications may be provided here.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated using criteria listed. The following represent the principal selection criteria, which will be considered during the evaluation process. Oral presentations may be requested, upon notification.

The Committee may short list no less than three Consultants, assuming that three proposals have been received, that it deems to best satisfy the selection criteria. The committee may then conduct interviews and/or require oral presentations from the short-listed Consultants.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Experience and Expertise Evaluate the marketing agency's extensive experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, especially in managing multi-million-dollar budgets and driving sustained annual growth in tourism economy.

Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

2. Compliance and Legal Adherence Assess the agency's ability to navigate

TDC/DMO structures, formal committees, and county government while adhering to Florida

Sunshine law and comprehensive records retention requirements.

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

3. Financial Capacity and Management Review the agency's financial capability to advance media payments and hard costs, execute contracts, and manage billing efficiently, ensuring adherence to budgetary constraints and statutory requirements.

Points Based 25 (25% of Total) https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/waltoncountyfl/projects/82595/document?section=621145

4. Strategic Planning and Execution Evaluate the agency's capability to develop brand strategies, manage accounts effectively, and create comprehensive media plans across various channels, with a focus on optimizing media buys and achieving targeted results.

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

5. Performance Tracking and Reporting Assess the agency's proficiency in auditing media buys, tracking performance metrics, and generating comprehensive reports with actionable insights to optimize marketing strategies and meet key performance indicators.

Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

6. Local Vendor Preference Points Based 5 (5% of Total)

Procurement Rules and Information

Contact Person

Jason Cutshaw

Purchasing Director

176 Motgomery Circle

DeFuniak Springs, FL, 32435

(850) 892-8176 email: cutjason@co.walton.fl.us

All questions regarding this RFP should be directed to the County's e-Procurement Portal

Question & Answer feature. Questions shall be submitted no later than 12:00 am Monday, July

8, 2024 Questions submitted after that date and time will not be answered. DIRECTING

QUESTIONS TO ANY OTHER STAFF, AGENT, REPRESENTATIVE, OR EMPLOYEE

OF THE COUNTY IS PROHIBITED AND WILL RESULT IN SUBMITTAL BEING

DISQUALIFIED. The Bid and Proposal Analyst and County staff will review and answer questions. If applicable, answers citing the question(s) asked but not identifying the questioner will be published on the Walton County, Florida e-Procurement Portal. Failure to submit requests in writing by the specified time shall not be grounds for a protest. Note: Written requirements in the RFP or its amendments are binding, but any oral communications between you and us are not.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Listed below are the important actions and dates/times by which the actions must be taken or completed. If the County finds it necessary to change any of these dates/times, it will be accomplished by addendum. All listed times are local time in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

Advertised: June 12, 2024

Pre-Proposal Meeting (Non-Mandatory): June 27, 2024, 10:00am

Visitor Center

Last Day for Questions: July 8, 2024, 12:00am

RFP Close Date: July 15, 2024, 10:00am

Review of Submittals: July 16, 2024 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/waltoncountyfl/projects/82595 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/waltoncountyfl/projects/82595

Review Committee Ranking: July 23, 2024, 8:30am

Call in Number 850.635.0655 ext 261217

Visitor Center 25777 U.S. 331 S

Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

Interviews (If Required): July 25, 2024, 10:00am

BCC Award: August 13, 2024

Submission of Proposal

Each proposal shall be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise delineation of Proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Fancy bindings, colored displays, and promotional material are not desired. Emphasis in each proposal must be on completeness and clarity of content.

RFP Opening

Proposals will be accepted until Monday, July 15, 2024 no later than 10:00 am and will be opened immediately thereafter.

Proposals are due at the time and date specified. Proposals received late will not be considered and will be marked as LATE.

Insurance Requirements

The Proposer shall purchase and maintain through the contract period workers compensation, comprehensive general liability (occurrence form), comprehensive automobile liability, professional liability, including error and omissions coverage if applicable, builder’s risk, and other insurance as is appropriate for the project being performed hereunder by the Proposer, its employees, subcontractors, or agents. The amounts and types of workers compensation, comprehensive general liability (occurrence form), and comprehensive automobile liability insurance shall conform to the following minimum requirements:

Worker's Compensation

Coverage must apply for all employees and statutory limits in compliance with the applicable state and federal laws, unless Proposer provides a current Florida Workers Compensation exemption certificate. In addition, the policy must include the following:

• Employer's Liability with a minimum limit per accident accordance with statutory requirements.

• Notice of Cancellation and/or Restriction. The policy must be endorsed to provide the

County with thirty (30) days’ written notice of cancellation and/or restriction.

Comprehensive General Liability

Coverage must include:

• $1,000,000 limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage.

• Contractual coverage applicable to this specific contract, including any hold harmless and/or indemnification agreement.

• Additional Insured. The County is to be specifically included as an additional insured.

• Notice of Cancellation and/or Restriction. The policy must be endorsed to provide the

County with thirty (30) days’ written notice of cancellation and/or restriction.

Comprehensive Automobile Liability

Coverage must be afforded on a form no more restricted than the latest edition of the

Comprehensive Automobile Liability Policy filed by the Insurance Services Office and must include:

• $300,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage.

• Owned Vehicles.

• Hired and Non-Owned Vehicles.

• Employee Non-Ownership.

• Additional Insured. County is to be specifically included as an additional insured.

• Notice of Cancellation and/or Restriction. The policy must be endorsed to provide the

County with thirty (30) days’ written notice of cancellation and/or restriction.

Professional Liability Coverage must include:

• Minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and in the aggregate for claims of malpractice, negligence, and errors and omissions.

• Notice of Cancellation and/or Restriction. The policy must be endorsed to provide the

County with thirty (30) days’ prior notice of cancellation and/or restriction of coverage by changed exclusion.

Certificates of Insurance evidencing the insurance coverage specified in this Article shall be submitted to the County with the executed contract. The Certificates of Insurance shall be filed with the County before this contract is deemed approved by the County. The required

Certificates of Insurance not only shall name types of policies provided, but also shall refer specifically to this contract. All the policies of insurance so required of Proposer shall be endorsed to include as additional insured the County, its officers, employees, and agents, except for Worker's Compensation. If the initial insurance policy expires prior to contract expiration or termination, renewal Certificates of Insurance shall be furnished thirty (30) days prior to the date of the policy expiration.

The purchase of any of the above-referenced insurance policies shall not release Proposer or any

Surety created by this contract from any obligation, warranty, or guarantee provided in this contract.

The Insurance Company(ies) shall be authorized to conduct business in the State of Florida. Any risk of loss of completed work on the project, or work in progress on the project shall be borne by the Proposer through the date of contract expiration or termination.

Cost for Preparing Proposals

The County is not liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in responding to this RFP, including those for oral presentations.

Disposal of Proposals

All proposals become the property of the County and will be a matter of record. The County shall have the right to use all ideas, or adaptations of those ideas, contained in any proposal received in response to this RFP. Selection or rejection of this proposal will not affect this right.

Rules for Withdrawal

Proposals may be modified or withdrawn prior to the submission deadline. Modifications and withdrawals shall be made via the County's e-Procurement Portal. To modify a proposal, log in to your vendor account: https://procurement.opengov.com/login, and go to your submitted proposal. Click on “Unsubmit Proposal”, make the required changes, and submit the proposal again. To withdraw a proposal, log in to your vendor account:

https://procurement.opengov.com/login, and go to your submitted proposal. Click on “Unsubmit

Proposal”.

Any submitted proposal shall remain valid for 60 days after the submission date, but the County at its sole discretion may release any proposal.

Rejection of Proposal

The County reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal as may be deemed necessary by the County to be in its best interest. The County further reserves the right to waive any and all formalities, and reserves the right to reject all nonconforming, unresponsive statements of qualifications. The County reserves the right to reject the proposal of any Proposer if the County believes that it would not be in the best interest of the County to make an award to the Proposer, because the proposal is not responsive or responsible, or the Proposer is unqualified or of doubtful financial ability, or fails to meet any other pertinent standard or criteria established by the County.

Verbal Instructions

No negotiations, decisions, or actions shall be initiated or executed by the Proposer as a result of any discussion with any County employee. Only those communications from Proposers, which are signed, and in writing will be recognized by the County as duly, authorized expressions on behalf of the Proposer. Any and all communication with County Commissioners or County staff other than the Office of Central Purchasing is prohibited during the time of the RFP advertising.

Proposers directing questions or communications to anyone other than staff at the Office of

Central Purchasing shall be disqualified.

Sales and Use Tax

The Proposer agrees that all applicable federal, state, and local sales and use taxes that are incurred by the Proposer are included in the stated proposal price for the project. The County is tax exempt from federal excise and state sales tax.

Public Entity Crimes

The Proposer must sign and complete a Public Entity Crime Sworn Statement as defined under

Section 287.133(3) (a), F.S. A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction of a public entity crime may not submit a proposal on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a proposal on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit proposals on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a consultant, supplier, or subcontractor, under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section

287.017, for Category Two for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

https://procurement.opengov.com/login https://procurement.opengov.com/login

Drug Free Workplace

The Proposer must complete the County’s Drug Free Workplace Certification form, attached and made a part of the RFP. According to Walton County policy, preference shall be given to businesses with drug-free workplace programs. Whenever two or more proposals, which are equal with respect to price, quality, and service, are received by the state or by any political subdivision for the procurement of commodities or contractual services, a proposal received from a business that certified that it has implemented a drug-free work place program shall be given preference in the award process. Established procedures for processing tie proposals will be followed if none of the tied Consultants have a drug-free workplace program.

Addendums

The County may issue addendums to modify the RFP as deemed appropriate. Addendums and clarification to this RFP will be posted online on the County's e-Procurement portal. The

Addendum Acknowledgement shall be submitted via the County's e-Procurement portal with each Proposer’s submittal responsive to this RFP.

Notices

Any notices to be given under a contract shall be given by United States Mail, addressed to the

Proposer at its address stated therein, and to the County at its address stated therein. Additional notice may also be given by email in which case it shall be deemed that notice was provided on the date said email was received. The party providing notice by email shall confirm that the email was received by the other party.

Protest

Any person or entity whose proposal is rejected, in whole or in part, or who submits a proposal but is not awarded the contract, may protest such decision. Written notice of intent to file a protest must be submitted to the Central Purchasing Office or Chief Financial Officer within twenty-four (24) hours after the Board’s declaration of its intention with regard to an award.

Written protest must be submitted to the Central Purchasing Office or Chief Financial Officer within ten calendar days after filing written notice of intent. Each written protest must be accompanied by a protest bond in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to the Walton County Board of County Commissioners, in an amount equal to 1% of the protestor’s proposal received by the County, but in no case less than $500.00. The condition of the protest bond shall be that, should the protest be determined to be without merit and non-valid, the bond shall be forfeited to the County in its entirety.

Blackout Period

The period between the beginning of the advertisement for the Request for Proposal, Request for

Qualifications, Invitation to Bid, or any other competitive solicitation and the contract award, or any resulting bid protest is resolved, or the solicitation is otherwise canceled is referred to as the

Blackout Period. During the Blackout Period, any communication regarding the aforementioned solicitations is prohibited between the Consultant (or its agents or representatives) or other entity with the potential for a financial interest in the award (or their respective agents or representatives) regarding such competitive solicitation, and any County Commissioner or

County employee, selection committee member or other persons authorized to act on behalf of the County including the County’s architect, engineer or their subconsultants, or anyone designated to provide a recommendation to award a particular contract, other than Purchasing

Division staff. Each competitive solicitation shall provide notice of the Blackout Period.

Exceptions to the Blackout Period

The Blackout Period shall not apply to:

A. Communications at any public proceeding or meeting, including pre-bid conferences, selection committee presentations, or pre-award meetings.

B. Communications during contract negotiations between designated County employees and the intended contract awardee.

C. Communication with the Proposer initiated by a Purchasing Division employee following the opening of the solicitation submittals to clarify the Proposer’s bid, proposal, or intended scope of services.

D. Communication following the filing of a protest between the protesting party and the

Purchasing Division, County Administrator’s Office, and County Attorney’s Office, during the dispute resolution process.

E. Purchases exempt from competitive selection, sole source procurements, single source procurements, and emergency procurements, as defined in Walton County Purchasing

Policy and Procedure manual.

F. Communications with existing Proposers in the performance of existing contracts.

Indemnifications

The Proposer shall indemnify and save harmless the County, its officers, agents and employees, from all claims, suits or, actions at law or equity, damages, losses, and expenses, whether direct or indirect, or consequential, including but not limited to, charges of engineers, attorneys, and other professionals and costs of both defense and appeal, in a court of law or other tribunal, for any reason whatsoever, including but not limited to bodily injury, sickness, disease, or death of any person, including employees of the Proposer or any subcontractor, or injury to or destruction of property, including loss of use, which claims are arising out of, related to, connected with, or caused by (a) the Proposer or any subcontractor or supplier of the Proposer, negligent performance or non-performance of the project; (b) noncompliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations by Proposer, or any subcontractor of Proposer; or (c) the failure of

Proposer, or any subcontractor of Proposer to obtain or renew the insurance coverage's required by the Contract Documents. The provisions of this indemnification agreement shall include all claims made, whether or not caused in part, by any act or omission of the County, its respective officers, agents, or employees, provided the Proposer shall not be required to indemnify the

County for the County’s own negligence.

The foregoing indemnification shall not constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity beyond the limits set forth in Florida Statutes, Section 768.28.

Public Access

A request to inspect or copy public records relating to this Contract must be made directly to the

County. If the County does not possess the requested records, it shall immediately notify the

Proposer of the request, and the Proposer must provide the records to the County or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time (§119.0701(3)). If the Proposer fails to provide the public records within a reasonable time, the Proposer may be subject to penalties under §119.10, F.S.

The Proposer shall comply with the requirements of Florida’s Public Records law in accordance with Section 119.0701, Florida Statutes, the Proposer shall (1) Keep and maintain public records required by the public agency to perform the service; (2) Upon request from the public agency’s custodian of public records, provide the public agency with a copy of the requested records or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time at a cost that does not exceed the cost provided under Florida’s Public Records law or as otherwise provided by law;

(3) Ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the contract term and following completion of this contract if the Proposer does not transfer the records to the public agency; and (4) Upon completion of the contract, transfer, at no cost, to the public agency all public records in possession of the Proposer or keep and maintain public records required by the public agency to perform the service. If the Proposer transfers all public records to the public agency upon completion of the contract, the Proposer shall destroy any duplicate public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements. If the Proposer keeps and maintains public records upon completion of this contract, the Proposer shall meet all applicable requirements for retaining public records. All records stored electronically must be provided to the public agency, upon request from public agency’s custodian of public records, in a format that is compatible with the information technology system of the public agency.

IF THE PROPOSER HAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION

OF CHAPTER 119, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO THE CONSULTANT’S DUTY

TO PROVIDE PUBLIC RECORDS RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT,

CONSULTANT SHALL CONTACT THE CUSTODIAN OF PUBLIC

RECORDS AT:

Genara Roop, Records Management Liaison Officer

161 E. Sloss Avenue

DeFuniak Springs, Florida 32433 850-892-8110 publicrecords@co.walton.fl.us

Representation

The Proposer represents to the County that:

A. The Proposer is properly certified and licensed; is solvent financially; is experienced in and competent to complete the project.

B. The Proposer is familiar with all federal, state, local, or other regulatory laws, ordinances, and regulations, which in any manner whatsoever, may affect the project.

Unauthorized Aliens

The County prohibits contracting with Proposers that knowingly utilize services of unauthorized aliens in the performance of contracts for goods or services with the County. Proposers shall complete and submit the attached Unauthorized Aliens Form with their proposals.

Identical Tie Proposals

In the event of a tie between identical proposals responsive to this RFP, the County shall make the final determination of the award.

E-Verify

The Proposer shall utilize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of; (a) all persons employed by the Proposer during the term of any contract resulting from award of this RFP to perform employment duties within Florida; and

(b) all persons (including subcontractors) assigned by the Proposer to perform work pursuant to the contract.

Lobbying Prohibition

No funds received pursuant to this contract may be expended for lobbying the Florida

Legislature, judicial branch, or any state agency, in accordance with Section 216.347 Florida

Statutes.

Prohibition Against Considering Social, Political, or Ideological Interests in Government

Contracting

Pursuant to §287.05701, Florida Statutes, the County may not request documentation of or consider a contractor's social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the contractor is a responsible contractor. Further, the County may not give preference to a contractor based on the vendor's social, political, or ideological interests.

Contents of RFP

This section contains instruction regarding the format of the RFP that are to be submitted.

Contact for Contract Administration

Proposers shall return the Contact for Contract Administration Form. This shall be the

Proposer's representative for the day-to-day activities of this contract. The signer shall have the authority to bind the Proposer to the submitted proposal.

Forms

Proposers shall submit the required forms listed on the Vendor Questionnaire.

Term of Contract

This term shall be for two (2) years, with the option of two (2), one year extensions each at the sole discretion of the County, unless earlier terminated by the Board of the County

Commissioners. The County may terminate this contract at any time with or without cause, or with or without prior notice when it is in the best interest of the County.

Award of Contract

The County will award this RFP to the MOST responsible, responsive Proposer with the best cumulative score that meets the County’s needs. In the event the Proposer with the best cumulative score is found to be non-responsive, the County may proceed to the responsible, responsive Proposer with the next best cumulative score and continue the award process.

Vendor Questionnaire

Proposal Submittal*

Upload your RFP response in accordance with Submittal Requirements.

*Response required

Proposal Fee Schedule *

*Response required https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/waltoncountyfl/projects/82595/document?section=703063

Information Sheet For Transactions and Conveyances Corporate Identification

The following information will be provided to the Office of the County Attorney for incorporation in legal documents. It is, therefore, vital all information is accurate and complete.

Please be certain all spelling, capitalization, etc. is exactly as registered with the state or federal government.

Is this a Florida Corporation?* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "No"

In what state was it created?* *Response required

When equals "No"

Name as spelled in that State:* *Response required

What Kind of corporation is it?* ☐ "For Profit"

☐ "Not for Profit"

*Response required

Is it in good standing?* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

Authorized to transact business in Florida?* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

Florida Department of State Certificate of Authority Document Number* *Response required

Does it use a registered fictitious name?* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

Name of Officers:*

• President

• Vice President

• Secretary

• Treasurer

• Director

• Other

Name of Corporation (as used in Florida)* Spelled exactly as it is registered with the state or federal government.

*Response required

Corporate Address* Please provide post office box and street address for mail and/or express delivery; also for recorded instruments involving land.

*Response required

Federal Identification Number* For all instruments to be recorded, taxpayer’s identification is needed.

*Response required

Name and Title of individual who will sign the instrument on behalf of the company.* (Upon issuance of the Notice of Award, contract shall be signed by the President or Vice-

President. Any other officer shall have permission to sign via a resolution approved by the

Board of Directors on behalf of the company. Awarded contractor shall submit a copy of the resolution together with the executed contract to the Office of Central Purchasing)

(Spelled exactly as it would appear on the instrument)

*Response required

Vendor Certifications and Forms

Drug-Free Workplace Certification* Identical tie bids: preference shall be given to businesses with drug-free workplace programs.

Whenever two or more bids which are equal with respect price, quality, and service are received by the state or by any political subdivision for the procurement of commodities or contractual services, a bid received from a business that certified that it has implemented a drug-free work place program shall be given preference in the award process. Established procedures for processing tie bids will be followed in none of the tied Consultants have a drug-free workplace program. In order to have a drug-free workplace program, a business shall:

A. Publish a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the workplace specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition.

B. Inform employees about the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace, the business’s policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace, available drug counseling, rehabilitation providing employee assistance programs, and the penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations.

C. Give each employee engaged in providing the commodities of contractual services that are under bid a copy of the statement specified in paragraph #A.

D. In the statement specified in paragraph #1, notify the employees that, as a condition of working on the commodities or contractual services that are under bid, the employee will abide by the terms of the statement and will notify the employer of any conviction of or pleas of guilty or no contest to, and violation of Chapter 893 or of any controlled substance law of the United States or any state, for a violation occurring in the work place no later than five (5) days after such conviction.

E. Impose a sanction on or require the satisfactory participation in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program if such is available in the employee’s community, by any employee who is so convicted.

F. Make a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of this section.

As the person authorized to sign this statement, I certify that this firm complies fully with the above requirements.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

CONTACT FOR CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION*

Please provide the following information for the contact:

• Name

• Title

• Company Name

• Address

• Telephone Numbers

• Fax Number

• Email

*Response required

Public Entity Crimes* Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• PUBLIC_ENTITY_CRIMES.docx

*Response required

Unauthorized Aliens* Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Unauthorized_Aliens.pdf

*Response required

Proof of Registration with State of Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz.org) * *Response required https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/70274/423fc7d5-a24a-4d15-bde4-e66f0c61072e_PUBLIC_ENTITY_CRIMES.docx?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4JIFKZK4U%2F20240708%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240708T185906Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEFIaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIHYHhHxihIzqeTIy6awtoFaOGBnmf7GqRhZHC7KnviMMAiEAjLeUKuo2cdcHNEt4TOb4UfKyVaUDXRwC9K0X9plHqm4qgwUIGxACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDPKuz3PrkkhlilSO8irgBJbj611RD3skzOV69YuHyFMb9g4%2B%2B73dYmI4G71Q%2FQSR5dChyLXtkeadVxa5%2B5l3gcXVwi966S0JDuqmJ0ZZ4uJE3Iwk3R0pkIzGdW%2Bi66svvvZLcfuNxOoo3VcCQwk5vi7R7y1L%2BNjguxGEwDZ9%2FRPsAhXn%2FDzFcrlJTDtxXFONoGFFwkF%2FNgp9y7%2BBdFqKSeR4xplEd40W4MVstxuJxgD2kJhqeWBcvYNGlKJNEA0Ic4zZML7LeyZKM66GNgbcLb22YwtE25jQ11AIbPMiwLH8ct8uhIgLI36fuWoBnqIrrGnkUqH8afPoT0GuHueeQhmWTXnsQKvqIWxevXBatwFvrf6inHdwAe8yc7IUi6syzulh3d8HB5X0s3zZvMnG16Li9DZW0WeG%2BdNo0ejNbeFU9RLUq7OxUYhJDO4B1qWoDbPL7a66T1jPivJpUdjot4a6FnFqAz7eFSU4oys0CpN6qV2NfgBqhqmf4V9Lw2AA8woAo1sUjwpEIod3yuxJs1PlwBpBDvSzSba002fbmfDgEgWJo9%2BLtL6yNyG7clZVAve2yxx7v6QluORF%2F9iL3EgGktTLEW9dV%2BaVvBuMM2rNB%2Be0kO%2FgxryS1njQKu6r472mRafRFCYzwmirt%2Fx%2B78nJ3bkaAwNrTQQhjJ43%2Fh%2FChyWooZqGKWMhQqwvc3nw9JkmkH5xNXIwswq4lPUF10O3vaHGqplnDNORj8ui3MemczVh4JMQyjcBUQSZyDTlmWaHuTgKRZUmXXPkX1IGKoH82HgPkO4jsIXPhXDafpgwZaX2zMwL%2B5ZhwYzXcYJHMLXNsLQGOpsB8tBaf2jjxlWmZ%2B1r4WWpKvwDwwCDVPyBCr0eAbrAVmgpF7v0FDLoheXpL%2BA1lxB21EPm%2FiZhtwo0KnJnKTGXFDlCuKcA4%2FEn7UhWjpS9G42Gj13H8rNxGA8z09OFv46i6LC1NYx30xyWF54YhTCSIf%2FArOH3bmkHo5h%2BmlFSIiKDRXy7dbj3qEKDWlVQaKOPfmc5inTiymAg0PA%3D&X-Amz-Signature=2fba08eb2f21c8873f63579f078f79507b39fee1a1d4c51e65036773ce7ed0f8&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22PUBLIC_ENTITY_CRIMES.docx%22&x-id=GetObject https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/70274/c0a27443-ccbb-4c46-8d3c-7432bfe422d8_Unauthorized_Aliens.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4JIFKZK4U%2F20240708%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240708T185906Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEFIaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIHYHhHxihIzqeTIy6awtoFaOGBnmf7GqRhZHC7KnviMMAiEAjLeUKuo2cdcHNEt4TOb4UfKyVaUDXRwC9K0X9plHqm4qgwUIGxACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDPKuz3PrkkhlilSO8irgBJbj611RD3skzOV69YuHyFMb9g4%2B%2B73dYmI4G71Q%2FQSR5dChyLXtkeadVxa5%2B5l3gcXVwi966S0JDuqmJ0ZZ4uJE3Iwk3R0pkIzGdW%2Bi66svvvZLcfuNxOoo3VcCQwk5vi7R7y1L%2BNjguxGEwDZ9%2FRPsAhXn%2FDzFcrlJTDtxXFONoGFFwkF%2FNgp9y7%2BBdFqKSeR4xplEd40W4MVstxuJxgD2kJhqeWBcvYNGlKJNEA0Ic4zZML7LeyZKM66GNgbcLb22YwtE25jQ11AIbPMiwLH8ct8uhIgLI36fuWoBnqIrrGnkUqH8afPoT0GuHueeQhmWTXnsQKvqIWxevXBatwFvrf6inHdwAe8yc7IUi6syzulh3d8HB5X0s3zZvMnG16Li9DZW0WeG%2BdNo0ejNbeFU9RLUq7OxUYhJDO4B1qWoDbPL7a66T1jPivJpUdjot4a6FnFqAz7eFSU4oys0CpN6qV2NfgBqhqmf4V9Lw2AA8woAo1sUjwpEIod3yuxJs1PlwBpBDvSzSba002fbmfDgEgWJo9%2BLtL6yNyG7clZVAve2yxx7v6QluORF%2F9iL3EgGktTLEW9dV%2BaVvBuMM2rNB%2Be0kO%2FgxryS1njQKu6r472mRafRFCYzwmirt%2Fx%2B78nJ3bkaAwNrTQQhjJ43%2Fh%2FChyWooZqGKWMhQqwvc3nw9JkmkH5xNXIwswq4lPUF10O3vaHGqplnDNORj8ui3MemczVh4JMQyjcBUQSZyDTlmWaHuTgKRZUmXXPkX1IGKoH82HgPkO4jsIXPhXDafpgwZaX2zMwL%2B5ZhwYzXcYJHMLXNsLQGOpsB8tBaf2jjxlWmZ%2B1r4WWpKvwDwwCDVPyBCr0eAbrAVmgpF7v0FDLoheXpL%2BA1lxB21EPm%2FiZhtwo0KnJnKTGXFDlCuKcA4%2FEn7UhWjpS9G42Gj13H8rNxGA8z09OFv46i6LC1NYx30xyWF54YhTCSIf%2FArOH3bmkHo5h%2BmlFSIiKDRXy7dbj3qEKDWlVQaKOPfmc5inTiymAg0PA%3D&X-Amz-Signature=818f1b4cceb7b2f717dd78376f53909bb80354cdf629995ee31c9b3cf8ef45a2&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Unauthorized_Aliens.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject

Local Preference Application

I hereby certify under penalty of perjury that my business qualifies as a local vendor/contractor in accordance with Walton County Purchasing Policies and Procedures, Procedure No: PP017. * ☐ My business maintains its principal place of business within Walton County; OR

☐ My business has maintained a permanent place or places of business within Walton County and has employed people who live in Walton County on a regular and continuing basis for at least six (6) months prior to the advertising of this Request for Proposal.

☐ My business does not qualify as a local vendor/contractor under the Walton County

Purchasing Policies and Procedures, Procedure No: PP017. Therefore, we are not claiming a local preference.

*Response required

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

For purposes of determining any possible conflict of interest, all Consultants must disclose if any

Walton County employee(s), elected official(s), or if any of its agencies is also an owner, corporate officer, agency, employee, etc., of their business.

Indicate either “YES” (a County employee, elected…