ESBD_511448_1779400736867_RFP 001-26-TES Questions and Responses Addendum 1.pdf

ADDENDUM 1

SUBJECT: RFP 001-26-TES – Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan Media, Outreach, and Newsletter Communications Date of Issue: May 4, 2026 Scheduled to Close: May 27, 2026

FROM: Shelly Hendrix, Sr. Director/CFO of Finance

DATE: May 21, 2026

THIS NOTICE SHALL SERVE AS ADDENDUM NO. 1 TO THE ABOVE

REFERENCED RFP

THE ABOVE MENTIONED RFP IS HEREBY AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

1. ADDED: ASR Conserve 2025-10.pdf ASR Conserve 2025-12.pdf EAHCP Steward September-October 2025 FINAL.pdf EAHCP Steward November-December 2025 FINAL.pdf

Below are questions that were asked in accordance with the restriction on communication.

The EAA’s official response to the questions are as follows:

Question 1: Can you provide recent examples of both the digital and print newsletters?

Response 1: For our digital newsletter, the EAHCP Steward newsletter, please visit the link https://www.eahcpsteward.org for past issues of this publication. For our print newsletter (Conserve), please see the attached files. Each newsletter is usually 1-2 featured stories (with no prescribed word count limit).

Question 2: Please clarify whether the print version is a direct adaptation of the digital content or requires separate development? Additionally, what is the typical length and structure of each newsletter (e.g., number of articles, approximate word count)?

Response 2: There are two distinct newsletters that will need to be developed by the selected bidder: the EAHCP Steward newsletter (digital only) and the EAHCP Conserve newsletter (print only). The Steward newsletter is intended for a general audience to inform and educate on various topics related to the EAHCP. The Conserve newsletter has a more targeted audience of those interested in the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) and Voluntary Irrigation Suspension Program Option (VISPO) programs.

Each newsletter is usually 1-2 featured stories (with no prescribed word count limit).

Question 3: Is content primarily provided by EAA staff, or is the selected vendor expected to conduct interviews and develop original content, and if interviews are required, what is the typical number expected per issue?

Response 3: Content creation is a collaborative process between the EAHCP staff and the selected vendor. Interviews are always required for each newsletter edition and will be determined upon the brainstorming process.

Question 4: Can you clarify what is included under “outreach support,” including whether it involves event attendance, stakeholder interviews, presentation development, or material distribution, and approximately how many outreach events or engagements are anticipated annually?

Response 4: Outreach support will conceivably encompass a number of activities, from meeting attendance and conducting interviews as needed to recommending effective ways to reach the general public through both print and digital media. Your input is valued. You can expect at least 8-10 meetings for our standing committees and several other ad-hoc meetings throughout the year.

Question 5: Can you provide examples of the types of videos anticipated under this scope, clarify the expected level of production, such as basic interview-style content versus full production with scripting, filming, and editing, and confirm whether filming will primarily take place in the San Antonio area?

Response 5: There is no desired, formulaic style of video content that we are seeking and are looking to see what innovation can be recommended to enhance our outreach messaging. The EAA region encompasses multiple counties and filming could take place in any county in our region. Counties include:

Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, Atascosa, Caldwell, Guadalupe , Comal and Hays.

Question 6: What is the expected frequency and format of meetings, such as monthly, quarterly, virtual, or in-person, and which stakeholders or departments will the selected vendor regularly coordinate with?

Response 6: Our EAHCP meetings do not have a standard frequency and will be held throughout the year. There are a few standing committees that will have a few meetings at different points of the year and at any given point, there may be a couple of ad-hoc committees that will meet as needed. A calendar of meetings (and Outlook meeting invites) will be provided for these meetings in advance. All coordination with any stakeholders/outside departments will be orchestrated by EAHCP staff.

Question 7: Is there an overarching theme or narrative you'd want to run consistently across the newsletters, videos, and outreach materials? Or does each deliverable serve a distinct purpose?

Response 7: Each deliverable (newsletter) serves its own distinctive purpose, driven by the content covered in each edition.

Question 8: Who is the primary audience for all of these materials — community members, programme participants, government stakeholders, partner organisations, or a mix?

Response 8: There is no targeted audience; we would like this to reach any interested member of the general public.

Question 9: If this communications programme goes exactly as you hope, what changes for the programme or the organisation?

Response 9: The expected outcome of this solicitation is to find a vendor who will be a collaborative partner that will amplify our outreach efforts for the EAHCP.

Question 10: Is there one set budget for this RFQ or does each portion have it's own budget we should keep in mind?

Response 10: There will be a 'not-to-exceed' overall budget, broken down into individual task budgets. We should note in advance that we will ask to be invoiced for the level of effort to produce each newsletter edition for Tasks 2 and 3.

Example: If the overall projected cost to produce 6 editions of the EAHCP Steward newsletter (Task# 2) is $24,000, we would ask the selected bidder to provide an invoice for a flat $4,000 for each newsletter produced.

Question 11: On the videos

• Do you have a sense of what these four videos cover — are they programme overviews, participant stories, informational explainers, event recaps, or a mix?

• Are all four videos similar in format, or do they vary in style and length?

• Where are you looking to film this content? Do you need us to book studio space, or are we filming on site?

• Where will these videos live once they're produced? Website, social channels, regional meetings, or all of the above?

• Is there a production timeline for the videos, or does that follow after the contract is awarded?

Response 11: See responses below in bold:

• Do you have a sense of what these four videos cover — are they programme overviews, participant stories, informational explainers, event recaps, or a mix? You could expect a mix of the examples that you gave for our content purposes.

• Are all four videos similar in format, or do they vary in style and length? There is no set format of these videos, and they certainly can vary in style and length (maximum of 10 minutes).

• Where are you looking to film this content? Do you need us to book studio space, or are we filming on site? Any filming will be scheduled on-site at various locations by EAHCP staff; no studio space will be needed.

• Where will these videos live once they're produced? Website, social channels, regional meetings, or all of the above? All of the above

• Is there a production timeline for the videos, or does that follow after the contract is awarded? Yes, this will follow after the contract is awarded. No timeline has been established yet.

Question 12: On the newsletters

• On the electronic newsletters, you mentioned six bi-monthly issues - Are these going to a defined subscriber list, and do you have a platform already in place, or would that be part of the scope?

• On the hardcopy newsletters, you mentioned six issues for programme outreach - what's the typical print run and distribution method?

• Are these mailed, distributed at meetings, or both?

• On photography — is this the same photography feeding into both the electronic and hardcopy newsletters, or are they treated separately?

Response 12: See responses below in bold:

• On the electronic newsletters, you mentioned six bi-monthly issues - Are these going to a defined subscriber list, and do you have a platform already in place, or would that be part of the scope? There is an existing ListServ list that will be shared with the selected vendor. These newsletters were previously created through Wix platform, which we still maintain, but the selected vendor is not required to make use of this platform.

• On the hardcopy newsletters, you mentioned six issues for programme outreach - what's the typical print run and distribution method? Once the selected vendor has finalized a print-ready file, this will be shared with our (separate) newsletter printer vendor who will then handle the printing and mail-out services using our established address list.

• Are these mailed, distributed at meetings, or both? These are mailed only, but we have the ability to distribute at meetings (this is handled by a separate vendor)

• On photography — is this the same photography feeding into both the electronic and hardcopy newsletters, or are they treated separately? Any photography taken can be used in either newsletter.

Question 13: On the outreach materials

• On the postcards and promotional materials — how many regional meetings are we talking about, and how frequently do they occur?

• Is the photography for regional meetings a separate deliverable from the newsletter photography, or is it the same pool of assets being repurposed?

• Are there specific events or dates already on the calendar that we should be building around?

Response 13: See responses below in bold:

• On the postcards and promotional materials — how many regional meetings are we talking about, and how frequently do they occur? Up to 4 regional meetings each year can occur and are determined as needed.

• Is the photography for regional meetings a separate deliverable from the newsletter photography, or is it the same pool of assets being repurposed? Any photography taken can be repurposed for any applicable content

• Are there specific events or dates already on the calendar that we should be building around? No, there are no specific or established dates that can be shared at this point. Once a bidder has been selected, this will be further discussed during a kick-off meeting

Question 14: On the admin support

• On programme meeting attendance — how frequently do these meetings occur, and are they in person in San Antonio, virtual, or a mix?

•On content review and story identification — is that primarily with you as the point of contact, or are there other stakeholders we'd be coordinating with regularly

Response 14: Meetings vary. You can expect at least 8-10 meetings for our standing committees and several other ad-hoc meetings throughout the year.

Generally, all of them will be done in hybrid fashion (in-person and virtual). Our meetings can be anywhere in the EAA jurisdiction but are almost always held in either San Antonio, New Braunfels, or San Marcos.

For content creation and review, the selected bidder will work EAHCP staff.

Question 15: Is there an anticipated budget range or not-to-exceed amount Offerors should be aware of when preparing proposals?

Response 15: No, there is no defined budget range or not-to-exceed amount and we would like to see any bidders demonstrate their innovation on how they can help give enhance our communication efforts (through reasonable and justifiable means).

Question 16: For the EAHCP Steward and EAA newsletter support, can you provide guidance on the anticipated average length or editorial depth of each issue (number of stories, level of original reporting/interviews, etc.)?

Response 16: Article length can vary, depending on the topic. For the EAHCP Steward, newsletter editions usually vary between 5 to 7 pages and will often feature one to two stories, depending on the amount of content created

Question 17: For the video deliverables, can you provide additional guidance regarding anticipated production scope, such as expected number of filming locations, interviews, or production complexity?

Response 17: This is a new aspect to our outreach efforts. Thus, we do not have an expected or prescribed scope of our video production needs just yet and would like to see the level of innovation that each potential bidder can provide to enhance our efforts.

Question 18: While videos are described as “up to ten (10) minutes,” is there a typical or preferred target runtime range for planning purposes?

Response 18: Video content is a new enhancement that we would like at add to our outreach efforts. Thus, there is no precedent for this and no typical/preferred examples for reference purposes to provide. We would like for the selected bidder to demonstrate any innovative ideas to help our program share its mission with the general public. This will be further discussed in brainstorming meetings once a contract is awarded to the winning proposal.

Question 19: For physical proposal submissions, can proposals be hand-delivered directly to the Quincy Street address listed in the solicitation during normal business hours?

Response 19: Yes, hand delivery is acceptable and must be received by the due date specified in the RFP. Please ensure the response includes all required deliverables.

Question 20: Newsletter Specifications For the six (6) EAHCP Steward (electronic) newsletters and six (6) EAHCP Conserve (hardcopy) newsletters, could the EAA clarify:

• Approximate length per issue (word count, page count, or number of feature stories)?

• Current design template or brand standards we should follow?

• Preferred email platform or distribution method for the electronic newsletter (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact)?

Response 20: See responses below in bold:

Newsletter Specifications For the six (6) EAHCP Steward (electronic) newsletters and six (6)

EAHCP Conserve (hardcopy) newsletters, could the EAA clarify:

• Approximate length per issue (word count, page count, or number of feature stories)? For the EAHCP Steward, newsletter editions can vary between 5 to 7 pages. For the EAHCP Conserve, newsletter editions can vary between 2 to 4 pages. Both will often feature one to two stories, depending on the amount of content created.

• Current design template or brand standards we should follow? No specific template is required and our previous newsletters were previously created through the Wix platform, which we still maintain, but the selected vendor is not required to make use of this platform.

• Preferred email platform or distribution method for the electronic newsletter (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact)? Our previous efforts were done through Constant Constant, which has now been integrated into the Wix platform.

Question 21: Distribution and Audience Size To scope our outreach work accurately:

• What is the current subscriber count for the Steward Newsletter?

• What is the anticipated hardcopy distribution volume for the Conserve Newsletter?

• Will the EAA provide the existing distribution list, or is list-building part of the scope?

Response 21: See responses below in bold:

• What is the current subscriber count for the Steward Newsletter? Less than 300

• What is the anticipated hardcopy distribution volume for the Conserve Newsletter? Approximately 1,300

• Will the EAA provide the existing distribution list, or is list-building part of the scope? Yes, this will be provided to the selected vendor.

Question 22: Budget and Context

To help us calibrate our cost proposal:

• Is there an incumbent vendor, and if so, may the EAA share the prior contract value or anticipated budget range for this engagement?

Response 22: There is not an incumbent vendor. The previous vendor, Boggess Communications, had an annual contract amount of approximately $50,000 for this scope of work in 2025.

Question 23: Video Production For the up to four (4) video productions:

• Are there anticipated subject matters, filming locations, or target audiences (public education, permittee outreach, etc.)?

• Will the EAA provide on-camera talent, access to locations, and pre-production materials, or are these the Offeror's responsibility?

Response 23: See responses below in bold:

Video Production For the up to four (4) video productions:

• Are there anticipated subject matters, filming locations, or target audiences (public education, permittee outreach, etc.)? This is TBD and will be discussed with the selected vendor at the kick-off meeting

• Will the EAA provide on-camera talent, access to locations, and pre-production materials, or are these the Offeror's responsibility? The EAHCP staff will provide and coordinate the on-camera talent and locations for any filming needs

Question 24: Meeting Cadence: Could the EAA provide an estimate of the annual number of EAHCP Implementing, Stakeholder, Science Committee, special meetings, workshops, and Board meetings, and how many are expected to be attended in person versus accessed via recording?

Response 24: This can vary, but you can expect 8-10 meetings total for our EAHCP Implementing, Stakeholder, and Science Committees. The number of additional meetings can vary. The total number of meetings would likely not exceed 20 per year. It should be noted that not every EACHP meeting will be necessary to attend (this will be determined through ongoing communication with the selected vendor), and most meetings will have a virtual option and will be recorded.

ADDENDUM 1