Granville County Photography RFP_July 2025.pdf

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Photography Services

RFP Release Date: July 22, 2025

Proposal Due Date: August 15, 2025, by 5:00 pm

For questions, contact: Stephanie Velazquez Granville County Economic Development Coordinator stephanie.velazquez@granvillecounty.org

Introduction

The Granville County Economic Development (“County”) is seeking proposals from qualified photographers to provide professional photography services that will help build a high-quality, versatile portfolio of images. The County is initiating a long-term marketing strategy to better position our community as a competitive destination for business investment, talent attraction, and quality of life. These images will showcase the people, places, and economic vitality of Granville County. As part of this effort the selected photographer will work closely with the County staff to capture images that reflect both the authentic character and momentum of the community. The resulting images will be used across a variety of platforms, including websites, social media, marketing materials, presentations, and recruitment materials.

The purpose of this RFP is to engage a photographer who can support the County’s marketing and attraction efforts by creating a library of high-quality, images that tell the story of our people, industries, and lifestyle.

Background and Purpose

Granville County is a growing rural community located in central North Carolina. It is home to five municipalities: Oxford, Butner, Creedmoor, Stem, and Stovall — each offering a unique sense of place, opportunity, and community.

Located just outside the Research Triangle region, Granville offers advantages of proximity to major markets while maintaining its small-town charm and high quality of life. The County is home to a diverse range of employers in manufacturing, healthcare, and education— many with long-standing roots in the area.

Economic development efforts in Granville focus on business recruitment, talent retention, and site readiness with the support of strategic marketing efforts. As the County begins to develop a marketing strategy, building our library of photographs is key and currently lacks that material. Our goal is to develop a content library that reflects the community's vibrancy, economic assets, and lifestyle appeal. The images will help convey an authentic story of a community that values growth, stability and community. Economic development efforts in Granville focus on business recruitment, talent retention, and site readiness, supported by strategic marketing initiatives. As the County develops a new marketing strategy, building a strong library of high-quality photographs is a key element. The County currently lacks the visuals needed to effectively showcase Granville County to site selectors, consultants, developers, and other economic development stakeholders. Our goal is to create a diverse collection of photographs to use across multiple platforms— including websites, social media, presentations, and promotional materials. These images will reflect the vibrancy of Granville County, its economic assets, workforce readiness and quality of life, all of which are essential to attract investment in the community.

Scope of Work

The selected photographer (“vendor”) will be responsible for capturing and delivering high-quality photographs related to the themes listed below. The examples listed under each theme are to be used for guidance; final location and subject choices will be determined upon project kickoff. The vendor is encouraged to use creativity and their expertise to visually tell the story of Granville County. The primary purpose of this RFP request is photography; the County may consider drone footage or videography service as the project unfolds. Please include all relevant pricing when submitting your response.

A. Photography Categories

1. Quality of Life

• Families at community events, parks, trails, and public spaces (e.g., farmers markets, major events)

• Local downtowns, small businesses, restaurants, and retail

• Education settings: students in classrooms, school events, athletics

• Recreational scenes: disc golf, biking, sports, playgrounds

2. Workforce

• Exterior and interior shots of local industries

• Employees or talent at work (manufacturing, healthcare, trades, etc.)

• Behind-the-scenes images of production, manufacturing, or construction

• Career and technical education or job training programs

3. Infrastructure

• Active or planned development sites

• Transportation (interstate, rail, local airport)

B. Technical & Delivery Requirements

• Final files will be edited for vibrancy in colors and shading using standard photo editing practices and/or editing out undesirable elements when necessary.

• Final deliverable files will include the original raw photo file and the edited file in high resolution as well as a high quality (300 dpi) web friendly .jpeg version.

• Final images to be delivered via cloud-based folder or external drive, organized by subject and location

• The vendor will be responsible for self-scheduling and meeting project timelines in coordination with County staff; all photo sessions must be pre-approved and scheduled in collaboration with the County.

• The vendor will be responsible for scouting locations (with staff support for permissions and introductions)

The project’s preferred timeline will begin in late August-early September 2025 with deliverables submitted by November 26, 2025.

Proposal and Formatting Requirements

To be considered, proposals must include the following:

1. Experience & Qualifications: Provide a cover letter to detail your professional experience working in similar photography settings. Include the number of years of experience you have in photography.

2. Client Consultation Methods: Provide a statement outlining how you work with a client to determine the appropriate strategies to reach the client’s goals.

3. Sample of Previous Work: Provide at least 5-10 high resolution samples relevant to this project. Photos must be suitable for commercial use, websites, and social media. Suggested examples include community settings, commercial/industrial images of workers and/or facilities, events, festivals, and similar subjects.

4. Pricing:

Clearly outline your rates for the following services:

• Photography (hourly and per session)

• Drone footage (hourly and per session)

• Videography (hourly and per session)

• Post-production/editing

• Mileage

• Rescheduling terms and fees

• Any other applicable fees or charges

5. Availability: Provide a statement of your availability to provide the services. The selected candidate may begin work shortly after the selection process if available.

6. References: 3 professional references who can speak about the quality of your work and professionalism

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals submitted will be reviewed by the Granville County Economic Development staff for completeness and qualifications. The County may choose the most highly qualified respondents for further discussions. Selection of an applicant will be made considering the following criteria:

Criteria Description Points

1. Relevant Experience & Qualifications

Demonstrated experience in similar photography projects, particularly in economic development, commercial, or place marketing. Vendor’s style aligns with the County’s goals (e.g., attracting businesses, talent, or tourism). Includes résumé, portfolio, and summary of qualifications.

2. Quality & Suitability of Portfolio

Quality of submitted photos: composition, lighting, clarity, and professionalism. Preference for high-resolution, commercially usable images. Portfolio reflects ability to capture people, places, events, and local culture. Visual storytelling ability.

3. Pricing & Value Competitive pricing, clarity of pricing structure, and overall value for services rendered (including editing, travel, licensing). Transparent and reasonable costs.

4. Availability & Timeliness

Availability to complete the project within the requested timeline. Willingness and flexibility to accommodate County needs (e.g., weather changes, event coverage).

5. References & Reputation

Quality and relevance of professional references. Positive feedback from past clients with similar needs. 10

6. Responsiveness & Proposal Quality

Completeness, professionalism, and clarity of the proposal.

Adherence to RFP instructions and ability to follow through. 10

7. Hub Participation Proposal submitted by a Historically Underutilized Business

(HUB). 5

The County encourages proposals from Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB firms) including minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and disadvantaged businesses, though not required to submit proposal. Granville County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

Terms and Conditions

1. Ownership: The County will retain full ownership and unlimited usage rights to all final images (commercial, editorial, and promotional use)

2. Right to Modify or Reject: The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, cancel the RFP, and modify the process or timeline at its sole discretion.

3. No Guarantee of Contract: Submission of a proposal does not commit the County to awarding a contract or reimbursing costs incurred during the proposal process.

4. Right to hire more than company: The County reserves the right to contract with more than one photography vendor. Selection as photographer does not grant exclusive right to all photography services including different types of media, such as drone footage, or videography,

5. Hold Harmless: By submitting a proposal, each respondent agrees to hold Granville County and its staff harmless from any and all claims or liabilities arising from the RFP process.

6. Public Records: All submissions are public records and may be subject to public disclosure unless exempted by law.

7. Validity Period: All proposals must remain valid for 90 days from the submission deadline.

8. Liability/Injury: Must carry Commercial General Liability and Professional Liability Insurance.

9. Damage to equipment: The selected vendor is solely responsible for the care, maintenance, and protection of their own equipment. The County is not liable for any loss, theft, or damage to the vendor’s equipment while on-site or during the performance of contracted services.

10. Photo release form will be handled by the county, etc.: If photos include identifiable individuals (e.g., employees, students, or residents), the County will be responsible for securing the appropriate photo release forms or permissions prior to scheduled shoots. The vendor may be asked to coordinate with the County staff to ensure proper documentation is in place before capturing images.

11. Agreement Termination and Notice Requirements: The County may terminate the agreement, for any reason or cause, by providing thirty (30) days’ notice to the vendor. Upon termination, the County shall only be responsible for payment for services rendered and deliverables completed up to the effective date of termination.

Submission Instructions

All proposals must be submitted by August 15, 2025, via Dropbox.

Timeline:

RFP release date: July 22, 2025

Submission date: August 15, 2025, by 5 pm.

Short list date/possible interviews: August 18-22, 2024

Selection date: August 26, 2025

Project kickoff: September 2025

For any questions email:

Stephanie Velazquez Granville County Economic Development Coordinator stephanie.velazquez@granvillecounty.org https://www.dropbox.com/request/3Mccv6GXvBYBMU0Y8Yx7