FFY27 RFQ Traffic Safety Media Campaign.pdf

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Grants & Research

Highway Safety Division

Request for Quote (RFQ) – PRF86 - Category 5:

Advertising, Marketing & Event Planning Services

Posted: October 16, 2026

Maura T. Healey Governor

Kimberley Driscoll

Lieutenant Governor

Gina K. Kwon Secretary

Kevin J. Stanton

Executive Director

Request for Quotes

RFQ File Name/Title: Traffic Safety Public Awareness Campaigns - Occupant Protection and Related Traffic Safety Initiatives

Purchasing Department: Executive Office of Public Safety & Security (EOPSS), Office of Grants and Research (OGR)

Address: 35 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 302, Braintree, MA 02184

Project Manager(s) / Contact Person(s): John Fabiano – john.fabiano@mass.gov Renee Algarin – renee.p.algarin@mass.gov

Key Dates:

Key Task Date

RFQ Posted October 16, 2026

Deadline for Written Questions October 23rd, 2026 @ 4:00 PM

Bid Responses Due November 13th, 2026 at 4:00 PM

Award Notification (Tentative) November 2026

Performance Period November 2026 – September 2027

I. Description or Purpose of Engagement

The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), Office of Grants and Research (OGR), serves as the Massachusetts State Highway Safety Office and administers federal highway safety funds awarded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under 23 U.S.C. §§ 402 and 405, consistent with the Commonwealth's Triennial Highway Safety Plan (3HSP) and Annual Grant Application (AGA).

Massachusetts law (M.G.L. c. 90, § 13A) requires operators and passengers of private passenger motor vehicles to wear properly adjusted and fastened safety belts, and M.G.L. c. 90, § 7AA establishes child passenger restraint requirements. Adult safety belt use in Massachusetts is subject to secondary enforcement: a citation for a safety belt violation may be issued only when a vehicle has been stopped for another violation. Massachusetts' observed safety belt use rate was 86% in 2025, below the national average of 91.3% according to NHTSA, and unrestrained occupants continue to account for a significant share of traffic fatalities in the Commonwealth. Increasing consistent safety belt use by all occupants, in every seating position, on every trip, remains one of the most effective means of reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

Through this RFQ, OGR is seeking one (1) vendor under Statewide Contract PRF86 to plan, develop, and implement a statewide public awareness campaign to increase safety belt use among Massachusetts motor vehicle occupants (the "Initial Campaign"). Only vendors awarded under PRF86 Category 5 are eligible to respond to this RFQ. The terms of the PRF86 Master Contract Record and Contract User Guide apply to the resulting engagement. The selected vendor will conduct formative research and develop creative concepts and assets, and plan, place, and reconcile paid media, in coordination with OGR and its partners. OGR reserves the right to substitute or re-sequence the Initial Campaign topic prior to execution of the SOW.

mailto:john.fabiano@mass.gov mailto:renee.p.algarin@mass.gov

OGR further reserves the right, during the term of the resulting engagement and subject to funding availability, to assign additional traffic safety public awareness campaign topics (including but not limited to impaired driving, Move Over Law compliance, speeding, distracted driving, motorcycle safety, and pedestrian/bicyclist safety). Any additional campaign will be scoped, budgeted, and authorized through the initial Statement of Work (SOW), a subsequent SOW, or an SOW amendment executed by OGR and the vendor. OGR anticipates that an impaired driving paid media buy may be included in the initial SOW or added by SOW amendment; any such buy will be separately budgeted, funded, and tracked, and agency services will be priced at the hourly rates proposed in response to this RFQ. Bidders should propose on the basis of the Initial Campaign while demonstrating capability across traffic safety and behavior-change communications generally.

ALL MATERIALS PURCHASED AND DEVELOPED UNDER THIS ENGAGEMENT ARE THE

PROPERTY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS AND MUST BE APPROVED BY

EOPSS/OGR PRIOR TO RELEASE OR PUBLICATION.

II. Whether Single or Multiple Contractors Are Required for Engagement

Single Contractor Multiple Contractors

Single Contractor. One (1) vendor will be awarded a single engagement under this RFQ. The engagement will carry two separately established and separately tracked funding lines: (a) Creative Services and (b) Media Planning and Buying, as described in the Funding, Invoicing, and Reporting Requirements subsection of this RFQ. The allocation between funding lines, including the allocation of the Media Planning and Buying line between agency compensation and net media, will be established in the SOW negotiated with the selected vendor and may be adjusted as provided in the Funding, Invoicing, and Reporting Requirements subsection of this RFQ.

Limited User Contract – Restricted to Use by Issuing Entity Only. Any contract resulting from this RFQ will be restricted to use by the issuing Purchasing Department, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Office of Grants and Research.

III. Expected Duration of Engagement

Performance Period: Approximately one (1) year from the date of execution not to exceed September 30, 2027.

Anticipated Renewal Options: Two (2) options to renew for one (1) year each, exercised at the sole discretion of EOPSS/OGR, conditioned on satisfactory contractor performance and the continued availability of federal funds (anticipated renewal terms ending September 30, 2028 and September 30, 2029).

Renewal is not automatic and confers no entitlement. The engagement is subject to appropriation and to the availability and continued authorization of federal highway safety funds; OGR may reduce, suspend, or terminate the engagement in whole or in part if funds become unavailable. The contract resulting from this RFQ may be extended in the event that a successor statewide contract replacing Contract PRF86 is not finalized, consistent with OSD guidance.

IV. Anticipated Funding for Expected Duration

OGR anticipates making approximately $500,000.00 available annually for this engagement, inclusive of creative services, media placement, and agency compensation. Actual funding may be greater or less than this anticipated amount, based on the availability of federal funds, campaign needs, vendor performance, and will be established in the SOW and any SOW amendments.

Additional funds, in excess of the annual amount stated above, may be added to the engagement during the initial term or any renewal term for additional campaign topics assigned under the Description or Purpose of Engagement section of this RFQ.

V. Engagement Performance and Business Specifications – Scope of Service

The vendor will work with OGR to perform the following. The Initial Campaign SOW will define specific deliverables, timelines, and budgets within this scope. The SOW may be structured in phases, with OGR approval required before the vendor proceeds from formative research to final creative production and media placement.

a. Research, Testing, and Evaluation

• Conduct formative research to inform campaign strategy, which may include review of Massachusetts crash and citation data provided by OGR, observed safety belt use survey results, environmental scans of occupant protection campaigns in other states, discussions with key stakeholders (e.g., State Police, local law enforcement, MassDOT, injury prevention and public health partners), and other applicable methods.

• Conduct message testing (focus groups and/or surveys) with Massachusetts road users to test creative concepts and identify the media platforms to which target audiences are most receptive.

• Develop and execute a campaign evaluation plan, including pre- and post-campaign measurement of awareness and self-reported behavior when feasible, and ongoing performance measurement of all paid and earned media.

• Provide campaign performance data, analytics, and reporting sufficient for OGR to meet its federal reporting obligations to NHTSA, including paid media reporting.

b. Creative Development, Media Planning, and Buying

• Develop creative concepts and messaging to increase safety belt use among Massachusetts motor vehicle occupants, including front- and rear-seat occupants, with emphasis on audiences, locations, and conditions with lower belt use identified through research and data (e.g., young adult males, pickup truck occupants, and nighttime travel). Creative should be designed for adaptability, emphasizing the core behavior, so that assets can be efficiently updated and reused across flights, including high-visibility enforcement periods.

• Create audience personas based on campaign objectives to better inform creative direction.

• Live-shot video is the preferred production method when appropriate and according to the approved media plan.

• Coordinate with OGR regarding existing branding and messaging.

• Produce campaign assets across formats, which may include television/video, radio/audio, digital display and video, paid social, out-of-home, and print, in dimensions and specifications appropriate for the approved media plan.

• Deliver all materials in English and Spanish. Materials may also be required in additional languages, including but not limited to Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cape Verdean Creole, as directed by OGR to ensure statewide reach. Translation and interpretation services may be obtained through OSD Statewide Contract PRF75 (Foreign Language and Translation Services) at pass-through cost, with the vendor coordinating, consistent with the PRF86 Contract User Guide.

• Ensure all deliverables meet applicable accessibility standards (including captioning of video assets and accessible digital formats).

• Develop a comprehensive, measurable paid media plan identifying recommended channels, markets, flight schedules, and estimated reach, frequency, and impressions (or GRPs) for each platform, targeted using crash data and audience research.

• Negotiate, place, and manage all approved media buys. Secure added-value, bonus placement, and earned/leveraged media opportunities where available, and report their value.

• Traffic all advertisements and secure subcontracted services as needed, subject to prior written approval by OGR.

• Provide a final post-campaign report within forty-five (45) days of the conclusion of each media buy, including: a narrative recap by medium; units ordered vs. run (including bonus placements); proof of performance; reach, frequency, engagement, and impressions; expenditures; results against the media plan; evaluation findings;

lessons learned; and recommendations.

• Prior approval of deliverables. All materials must be submitted to OGR for review and approval at least two (2) weeks prior to intended release or placement. Approval timelines may be extended where review by EOPSS leadership or the Governor's Office is required.

VI. Funding, Invoicing, and Reporting Requirements

This engagement will be funded with federal funds administered by OGR: Section 402 and/or Section 405(b) Occupant Protection funds for the Initial Campaign. Any impaired driving paid media will be funded with Section 405(d) Impaired Driving Countermeasures funds and/or Section 402 funds, as applicable. Funding sources may vary by campaign topic, will be identified in the SOW or SOW amendment, and must be separately tracked and invoiced.

The contract resulting from this RFQ will be funded 100% by federal funds, which are subject to congressional appropriation and are based on a federal fiscal year of October 1 - September 30. If the federal funds that support this engagement were ever to be withdrawn from OGR, there would be no state funds available to continue the contract activity.

The selected vendor will enter into an agreement with OGR in the form of a Purchase Order referencing Statewide Contract PRF86. Pre-billing is not allowed, and the Purchase Order will operate on a reimbursable basis. All vendor-incurred expenses, including paid media placement, will be reimbursed at actual documented cost.

Payment through Electronic Funds Transfer is required for any contract awarded through this solicitation.

A Statement of Work will establish separate budgets for (a) Creative Services and (b) Media Planning and Buying. Within the Media Planning and Buying line, agency compensation (planning, buying, account management, reconciliation) and media dollars to be placed will be separately stated line items. OGR expects the majority of the Media Planning and Buying line to be allocated to net media (media dollars actually place with outlets/platforms). The final allocation among Creative Services, agency compensation, and net media will be established in the SOW, based on the selected vendor’s proposed budget and subject to negotiation with OGR prior to the execution of the Purchase Order.

Invoicing must separately identify each funding line; itemize labor hours and rates for agency services; and attach supporting documentation for media placements, including outlet or platform invoices and proof of performance, and copies of subcontractor invoices for which reimbursement is sought.

Monthly financial expenditure reports must be submitted within fifteen (15) days after the end of each reporting month. All expenditures must be detailed and supported with appropriate backup documentation (e.g., payroll records, itemized invoices), including a schedule of services detailing monthly hours and costs. All billable work must be completed by the end of the applicable performance period, with final expenditures due no later than thirty-one (31) days thereafter.

OGR follows the Office of the Comptroller's bill payment policy. The vendor shall provide Prompt Payment Discounts as established in the Contract User Guide for Statewide Contract PRF86. All invoices must reference Statewide Contract PRF86. Payments will be made within 45 days in accordance with the Massachusetts Bill Payment Policy, or sooner where a Prompt Payment Discount applies.

Compensation will be project-based consistent with the PRF86 Contract User Guide. Proposed hourly rates may not exceed the vendor’s published ceiling rates on the PRF86 Master Price File and are expected to be competitive below ceiling. Any third-party discounts or commissions received by the vendor must be passed through to OGR.

Consistent with the PRF86 Contract User Guide: no prepayment will be made for services not yet rendered; no sales tax may be applied to invoices; and no fees or surcharges (including travel, fuel, or delivery) may be applied to invoices.

Funds may not be moved between the Creative Services line and the Media Planning and Buying line without prior written approval from OGR.

a. Federal Requirements

• All costs must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable under 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), 2 CFR Part 1201, and applicable NHTSA requirements including 23 CFR Part 1300.

• 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix II - required contract provisions for non-federal entity contracts under federal awards (including remedies for breach (contracts exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold); termination for cause and for convenience (contracts exceeding

$10,000) Equal Employment Opportunity; Davis-Bacon and Contract Work Hours provisions where applicable; rights to inventions; Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act; debarment and suspension; Byrd Anti-Lobbying certification;

procurement of recovered materials; and domestic preferences);

• 2 CFR Part 180 / 2 CFR Part 1200 - the vendor must not be debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from participation in federal programs; the vendor and any subcontractors will be verified in SAM.gov prior to award;

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related nondiscrimination authorities;

• 23 CFR Part 1300 requirements applicable to paid media, including documentation sufficient for OGR to report paid advertising costs and cost-effectiveness measures to

NHTSA;

• Record retention and access requirements of 2 CFR 200.334–200.338.

• Promotional and give-away items (i.e., gifts, souvenirs, and memorabilia) are unallowable costs under federal awards (2 CFR 200.421) and may not be purchased or invoiced under this engagement's federal funding. Any promotional items must be separately authorized in writing by OGR and funded from non-federal sources, if at all.

• Fee structure. Compensation calculated as a percentage of media dollars placed (commission-based or cost-plus-percentage-of-cost pricing) is prohibited (2 CFR 200.324(c)). Agency compensation must be structured as fixed fees and/or hourly labor at fixed, fully loaded rates. Media placements will be reimbursed at actual documented cost with no markup.

• Lobbying. No funds under this engagement may be used for lobbying activities or grassroots lobbying appeals (2 CFR 200.450; 31 U.S.C. § 1352).

b. Additional Requirements

• Attend regularly scheduled meetings (virtual and/or in-person) with OGR and its stakeholders, expected at least bi-weekly during active campaign development, and provide written progress reports covering milestones achieved, deliverable status, budget status by funding line, problems or delays, and planned activities for the next period.

• Coordinate with subject matter experts and stakeholders identified by OGR, which may include the Massachusetts State Police, MassDOT, and other organizations.

• Provide OGR with suitable copies of all physical and digital assets developed under this engagement, including but not limited to video, print, and digital files and photography.

OGR retains ownership of all such assets.

• Comply with all applicable requirements outlined in the OGR Subrecipient Grant Conditions document, included as a read-only attachment to this bid on COMMBUYS.

c. CORI Requirements

• Prior to any work, the awarded Contractor shall obtain a Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, through the iCORI system maintained by the

Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) in accordance with 803 CMR 2.00, on any individual employee who will enter public offices of the Commonwealth or provide services on-site to the Commonwealth under this engagement. Any associated costs are the responsibility of the awarded Contractor.

d. Performance Requirements

• OGR is endeavoring to deliver the Best Value to meet its needs. However, it is important to measure performance to ensure compliance with what has been requested and what the Contractor has offered in this RFQ. The following performance areas will be subject to measurement:

1. Timely Delivery (Commodities, Services, Reports, Billing, etc.)

2. Responsiveness to Departmental Inquiries

3. Quality of Deliverables (Commodities, Services, Reports, etc.)

4. Performance Targets/Benchmarks (Quantities, Reports, Outcomes, etc.)

5. Attendance at scheduled meetings and events

6. Adherence to Accessibility Standards across all deliverables

7. Adherence to the approved Statement of Work

8. Adherence to the approved Project Budget

VII. Evaluation Criteria and Instructions for Submission of Responses

Responses will be scored out of a maximum of 100 points as follows. Narrative responses should be approximately 500 words per item unless otherwise noted, prepared with 1-inch margins and 12-point font, and must directly answer the questions below in the order listed.

1. Describe your experience developing traffic safety, public safety, or comparable behavior-change public awareness campaigns. (12 Points)

2. Describe and provide examples of your experience conducting formative research, message testing, surveys, and focus groups. (10 Points)

3. Describe your experience developing and executing paid media strategies for public-sector or federally funded clients, including planning, buying, reconciliation, and performance documentation. (12 Points)

4. Describe your experience developing multilingual, culturally competent campaigns designed to reach diverse populations statewide. (10 Points)

5. Provide two examples of your experience evaluating campaign effectiveness and modifying campaigns based on evaluation results. (10 Points)

6. Provide two examples and describe your experience conducting outreach, developing innovative collateral, or using creative strategies to engage communities in support of campaign goals. (8 Points)

7. Identify the account manager and key staff who would work on this engagement and briefly describe the relevant experience of each individual. Include each individual's role and estimated allocation. (6 Points)

8. Describe your experience managing budgets and multiple concurrent projects on tight timelines, including your quality-control and financial-management processes. (6 Points)

9. Provide a detailed illustrative budget for the Initial Campaign at the annual funding level stated in Section IV. The budget must separately identify: (a) Creative Services; (b) agency compensation for media planning, buying, account management, and reconciliation; and (c) net media dollars to be placed with outlets or platforms. Explain the rationale for the proposed allocation, including any proposed formative research, message testing, or evaluation, and how the allocation maximizes the cost-effectiveness of paid media. Include hourly rates of the Project Manager and other staff or consultants who will routinely be involved in this work, within the allowable limits. State the number of rounds of edits or corrections (artist adjustments) included at no additional charge and the charge after that level is reached. Identify any overhead or indirect fees associated with this work. Budgets will be evaluated on reasonableness, cost-effectiveness, and the proportion of funds directed to net media relative to the proposed strategy. (12 Points)

10. Supplier Diversity Program (SDP): Ten (10) points will be assigned based on the SDP Plan commitment already provided within the vendor list in the Contract User Guide for Statewide Contract PRF86. No narrative response is required for this item. (10 Points)

11. Attach relevant supporting documents and work samples, including up to five (5) samples of video and/or digital advertisements that best illustrate your creative content and audience engagement. Media should be easily accessible, and embedded links to creative content are welcome. Samples must be reviewable in under 10 minutes and should include examples of live-shot advertisements. (4 Points)

a. Additional Response Requirements/Information

• The forms listed below are included with the bid documents on COMMBUYS and must be included with a vendor’s response.

Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing Form

OGR Subrecipient Risk Assessment Form

• All responses are to be submitted electronically using the online submission tools available to vendors registered in COMMBUYS. There is no charge to register in COMMBUYS. To register, go to www.COMMBUYS.com and click the “Register” link on the front page

• All quotes must be received by EOPSS/OGR before the date and time of the Bid Opening displayed on COMMBUYS. Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Saving (US), as applicable.

• Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission, considering potential online submission impediments such as internet traffic, connection speed, file size, and file volume. EOPSS/OGR is not responsible for delays encountered by bidders or their agents, or for a bidder's local hardware failures associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time-stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock, which is the official time of record.

b. File Format

• Scanned documents will be accepted and must be scanned in such a way that they can be read on a computer monitor and printed on 8½″ × 11″ paper, unless otherwise http://www.commbuys.com/ specified. Attachments must be uploaded individually and cannot be combined in a zipped file.

c. Public Records

• All information, documents, and attachments submitted in response to this RFQ are considered public documents subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L.

c. 66, § 10, and M.G.L. c. 4, § 7, cl. 26. Please be aware that checking the “confidential” box in COMMBUYS does not bar these documents from being released as a public record pursuant to these statutes once the procurement is awarded, unless statutorily exempt from disclosure.

VIII. COMMBUYS Support

A link to a job aid on How to Submit a Quote on COMMBUYS

COMMBUYS Resource Information: www.mass.gov/osd/commbuys

Email inquiries: OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov

Telephone: 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197 (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday–Friday, except federal and state holidays)

Technical assistance is available during the procurement process. Every effort is made to respond to inquiries within one to two business days. Bidders are advised that COMMBUYS will be unavailable during regularly scheduled maintenance hours, of which all users will be notified.

IX. Deadline for Responses

Bid Response Deadline: Friday, November 13th, 2026 at 4:00 PM

Deadline for Written Questions: Friday, October 23rd, 2026 @ 4:00 PM

Written questions may be submitted to John Fabiano – john.fabiano@mass.gov & Renee Algarin – renee.p.algarin@mass.gov.

Answers to all questions received will be posted and available to all bidders no later than October 28th, 2026 @ 4:00 PM.

https://www.mass.gov/doc/how-to-create-a-quote-in-commbuys/download http://www.mass.gov/osd/commbuys mailto:OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov mailto:john.fabiano@mass.gov mailto:renee.p.algarin@mass.gov