Marketing_and_Advertising_Services_for_the_Dane_County_Regional_Airport.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2026-RFP-059-PR

MARKETING AND ADVERTISING SERVICES FOR THE DANE

COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT

County of Dane

City-County Building, Room 425, 53703

Madison, WI 53703

RELEASE DATE: August 14, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: September 9, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: September 25, 2026, 2:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane

County of Dane

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Marketing and Advertising Services for the Dane County Regional Airport

I. Introduction II. RFP Guidelines and Overview

III. Contract Term IV. Project Overview & Scope of Work V. RFP Response Requirements & Evaluation Criteria

VI. Pricing Proposal VII. Vendor Questionnaire

VIII. Standard Terms and Conditions

Request For Proposal #2026-RFP-059-PR Title: Marketing and Advertising Services for the Dane County Regional Airport

1. Introduction

1.1. Summary

The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with information to enable them to prepare and submit a proposal according to the specifications set forth within this document.

The County intends to use the results of this process to award a contract or issue a purchase order for the product(s) and/or service(s) stated: Marketing and advertising services for the Dane County Regional

Airport.

The Dane County Purchasing Division is the sole point of contact for questions and issues that may arise during the RFP process.

1.2. Contact Information

Megan Rogan

Purchasing Officer

Email: rogan.megan@countyofdane.com

Phone: (608) 283-1487

Department:

Airport

1.3. Timeline

Release Project Date August 14, 2026

Question Submission Deadline September 9, 2026, 2:00pm

Question Response Deadline September 14, 2026, 2:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline September 25, 2026, 2:00pm mailto:rogan.megan@countyofdane.com tel:(608)283-1487

2. RFP Guidelines and Overview

2.1. GENERAL SOLICITATION PROCESS

1. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

1. The County will provide reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you need accommodations at a vendor conference or site visit, contact the Purchasing Officer listed or call WI Relay 711 for TDD Services.

2. VENDOR REGISTRATION

1. Interested vendors are required to register at the County's eProcurement Portal. Registration is free and will ensure that you receive notifications of solicitations that match your profile and category codes as well as providing the County with up-to-date company contact information.

2. Once registered, please double check to make sure your vendor information including commodity codes is up-to-date by signing into your account at the County's eProcurement

Portal.

3. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

1. Specific and estimated dates and times of actions related to this solicitation are listed in the timeline in the Introduction Section. The actions with specific dates must be completed as indicated unless otherwise changed by the County. In the event that the County finds it necessary to change any of the specific dates and times in the calendar of events listed below, it will do so by issuing an addendum to this RFP and posting such addendum on the Dane

County eProcurement Portal.

4. CLARIFICATION OF THE SPECIFICATIONS / QUESTIONS

1. All inquiries concerning this solicitation must be submitted via the County's eProcurement

Portal.

2. Questions must be submitted before 2:00 pm on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

1. Requests submitted after that time frame will not be considered.

3. Proposers are expected to raise any questions, exceptions, or additions they have concerning the solicitation at this point in the process. If a proposer discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this solicitation, the proposer should immediately notify the contact person of such error and request modification or clarification to the solicitation document.

4. Proposers are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of Dane County, except as described herein. No County employee or representative other than those individuals https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane listed as County contacts on this solicitation is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this solicitation.

5. ADDENDA & REVISIONS

1. In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this bid, addenda and/or supplements will be posted via the

County's eProcurement Portal. Bidders are responsible to regularly monitor the web site for any such postings. It is recommended to check the eProcurement Portal for addenda prior to submitting a proposal. Bidders must acknowledge the receipt/review of any addenda via the eProcurement Portal.

2. The Purchasing Division has the sole authority for modifications to specifications and/or the solicitation document.

6. INSPECTION OF PREMISES/VENDOR SITE VISIT - when applicable

1. When applicable, bidder’s may inspect site(s) prior to submitting bids to determine all requirements associated with the project by contacting Megan Rogan. Failure to do so will in no way relieve the successful bidder from the necessity of providing, without additional cost to the

County, all necessary services that may be required to carry out the intent of the resulting contract.

2.2. BID / PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Dane County strongly encourages all vendors to submit proposals well in advance of the solicitation deadline. By doing so, if there are any technical difficulties, there is time to attempt to resolve the situation before the deadline. Late bids will not be accepted.

If there are technical difficulties while trying to submit, first, contact OpenGov Support by clicking into the small blue circle on the bottom, right side of your screen while logged into the OpenGov system.

1. SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Dane County reserves the right to accept any part of this bid deemed to be in the best interest of the County. The County also retains the right to accept or reject any or all bids.

2. Proposals must be submitted via the County's eProcurement Portal before 2:00 pm on Friday, September 25, 2026. Late, faxed, mailed, hand-delivered, or incomplete proposals will be rejected unless otherwise specified. Dane County is not liable for any cost incurred by proposers in replying to this solicitation.

3. To Submit a Proposal:

1. Register at the County's eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane

2. Click on the green "+Subscribe" button on the left side of the screen and proceed to create an account or sign in if an account already exists.

3. Once registered, click on the "draft" button to draft your proposal.

4. Provide company information

5. Complete the entire Vendor Questionnaire

6. Where indicated, upload the required documents.

7. The file upload status can be seen for each document uploaded.

8. Confirm all files have been uploaded

9. Review your work and click on "submit" proposal

10. Acknowledge any addenda

2. MULTIPLE PROPOSALS & ACCEPTANCE

1. Multiple proposals from a vendor will be permissible; however, the proposer must create separate accounts with separate log-in sequences, emails, and passwords on the

County’s eProcurement Portal. Each such proposal must be submitted separately and labeled as

Proposal #1, Proposal #2, etc.

2. Please message procurementsupport@opengov.com with any questions regarding set up.

3. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ON SUBMITTING COST PROPOSALS

1. The Cost Proposal section of this solicitation will either be incorporated into the system as a

Pricing Table or as a separate Cost Proposal Attachment that must be downloaded, completed, saved, and uploaded to the Vendor Questionnaire section.

2. Price(s) quoted shall include all labor, materials, equipment, shipping and other costs and conditions outlined within the bid. Pricing shall remain fixed.

4. RIGHT TO REJECT PROPOSALS & NEGOTIATE CONTRACT TERMS

1. The County reserves the right to accept any part of a submission deemed to be in the best interest of the County and to reject any and all proposals and to negotiate the terms of the contract, including the award amount, with the selected proposer prior to entering into a contract. If contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully with the highest scoring proposer, the County may negotiate a contract with the next highest scoring proposer.

2.3. VENDOR QUESTIONNAIRE DEFINITIONS

1. LOCAL VENDOR PURCHASING PREFERENCE - applicable to RFBs - DOES NOT APPLY TO PUBLIC WORKS

BIDS

mailto:procurementsupport@opengov.com

1. Under Dane County Ordinance 25.08(11)(c-e), a Locally Based and Owned Vendor, Locally

Operated Vendor, or Non-Locally Operated Vendor may be invited to match the low bid if the low bid is offered by a vendor that is not identified as a Locally Based and Owned Vendor, Locally Operated Vendor, or Non-Locally Operated Vendor according to Dane County Ordinance requirements. Local Vendor Preferences do not apply to bids for sand, gravel, salt, asphalt and concrete.

Locally Based and Owned Vendors:

1. When bids are reviewed, the County will determine if a Locally Based and Owned Vendor responding to the bid is the low bidder. If a Locally Based and Owned Vendor is the low bidder, they will be awarded the bid.

2. If a Locally Based and Owned Vendor is not the low bidder but is within 15% of the low bid, the

County will contact the Locally Based and Owned Vendor and provide that vendor the option of matching the low bid price.

3. If no Locally Based and Owned Vendors are among the responding bidders, or the Locally Based and Owned Vendor declines to match the low bid, then the County will determine if a Locally

Operated Vendor has responded to the bid.

Locally Operated Vendors:

4. If a Locally Operated Vendor is within 10% of the low bid, the County will contact the Locally

Operated Vendor and provide that vendor the option of matching the low bid price.

5. If no Locally Operated Vendors are among the responding bidders, or the Locally Operated

Vendor declines to match the low bid, then the County will determine if a Non-Locally Operated

Vendor has responded to the bid.

Non-Locally Operated Vendors:

6. If a Non-Locally Operated Vendor is within 5% of the low bid, the County will contact the Non-

Locally Operated Vendor and provide that vendor the option of matching the low bid price.

7. If no Non-Locally Operated Vendors are among the responding bidders, or the Non-Locally

Operated Vendor declines to match the low bid, then the County will award the bid to the low bidder without regard to the location of the vendor.

2. LOCAL VENDOR PURCHASING PREFERENCE - applicable to RFPs - DOES NOT APPLY TO PUBLIC WORKS

BIDS

1. Under County ordinances, a Local Vendor is defined as a supplier or provider of equipment, materials, supplies or services that has an established place of business within the County of

Dane. An established place of business means a physical office, plant or other facility. A post office box address does not qualify a vendor as a Local Vendor.

1. County ordinance provides that a local vendor (within Dane County) automatically receive five points toward the evaluation score.

2. County ordinance provides that vendors located within the counties adjacent to Dane County

(Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, Sauk) automatically receive two points toward the evaluation score.

3. LOCAL CONTENT VENDOR PREFERENCE - generally only applicable to RFBs - DOES NOT APPLY TO

PUBLIC WORKS BIDS

1. Under Dane County Ordinance 25.08(4)(f-j), bidders offering goods made in Dane County, its surrounding counties, or the State of Wisconsin receive a price preference on sealed bid solicitations. Bids are first evaluated to determine if any bidders are offering products that qualify as Dane County-Made Goods, Regionally-Made Goods, or Wisconsin-Made Goods. Local

Vendor Preferences do not apply to bids for sand, gravel, salt, asphalt and concrete.

2. A bidder offering Dane County-Made Goods will be considered the successful bidder if their price is up to 15% higher than the low bid for goods that are not Dane County-Made Goods. If no vendors meet this criteria, then the County will determine if any bidder is offering Regionally-

Made Goods. If so, then such a bidder will be considered successful if their price is up to 12.5% higher than the low bid for goods that are not Regionally-Made Goods. If no vendors meet this criteria, then the County will determine if any bidder is offering Wisconsin-Made Goods. If so, that bidder will be considered successful if their price is up to 10% higher than the low bid for goods that are not Wisconsin-Made Goods. If no vendors are offering Dane County-Made, Regionally-Made, or Wisconsin-Made Goods, then the County will evaluate the low bid without regard to the content of the goods.

4. FAIR LABOR PRACTICES CERTIFICATION

1. Dane County Ord. 25.09 (1) is as follows:

1. (28) BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY. (a) Any bid, application or proposal for any contract with the county, including public works contracts regulated under chapter 40, shall include a certification indicating whether the bidder has been found by the National Labor Relations

Board (NLRB) or the Wisconsin Employment Relations Committee (WERC) to have violated any statute or regulation regarding labor standards or relations within the last seven years.

The purchasing manager shall investigate any such finding and make a recommendation to the committee, which shall determine whether the conduct resulting in the finding affects the bidder’s responsibility to perform the contract.

2. If a company indicates that they have been found by the NLRB or WERC to have such a violation in the Vendor Questionnaire section, a copy of any relevant information regarding such violation with is required to be uploaded with the bid submission.

3. Additional information about the NLRB and WERC can be found using the following links:

www.nlrb.gov and http://werc.wi.gov.

5. COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

1. Participating in cooperative purchasing gives vendors the opportunity for additional sales without additional bidding. Municipalities and state agencies use cooperative purchasing to expedite purchases. A “municipality” is defined as any county, city, village, town, school district, https://www.nlrb.gov/ http://werc.wi.gov/ board of school directors, sewer district, drainage district, vocational, technical and adult education district, or any other public body having authority to award public contracts (s.

16.70(8), Wis. Stats.). Federally recognized Indian tribes and bands in this state may participate in cooperative purchasing with the state or any municipality under ss. 66.0301(1) and (20, Wis.

Stats.

2. In the Vendor Questionnaire section, you will have the opportunity to participate in allowing municipalities and state agencies to piggyback this bid. Participation is not mandatory. A vendor’s decision on participating in this service has no effect on awarding the bid.

3. Dane County is not a party to these purchases or any dispute arising from these purchases and is not liable for delivery or payment of any of these purchases.

6. DESIGNATION OF CONFIDENTIAL & PROPRIETY INFORMATION - generally only applicable to RFPs

1. RFP responses are public records under Wisconsin Law. Dane County may be required to release your RFP response if someone makes a public records request. There are few exceptions to disclosure under Wisconsin’s Open Records Law.

2. All proposed restrictions on the use of data contained within a proposal and all confidential information must be clearly stated on the Vendor Information Attachment under the

“Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information” section.

3. Proprietary information submitted in a proposal, or in response to the RFP, will be handled in accordance with the applicable Wisconsin State Statute(s) to determine whether such information must be disclosed. Dane County shall not provide advance notice prior to release of any requested record.

4. Submitted pricing will always become public information when proposals are opened and therefore cannot be designated as confidential. Designating the RFP response or proposal in its entirety as confidential is never warranted and will result in its release.

5. One exception under the Wisconsin Open Records Law is if information constitutes a “trade secret.” Trade secret is defined in Sect. 134.90 (1)(c)) of the WisconsinStatutes, as follows:

"Trade secret" means information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method technique or process to which all of the following apply:

1. The information derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use.

2. The information is the subject of efforts to maintain its secrecy that are reasonable under the circumstances.

County cannot guarantee that such information will be treated as a trade secret or confidential.

6. To the extent permitted by law, it is the intention of Dane County to withhold the contents of the proposal from public view until such times as competitive or bargaining reasons no longer require non-disclosure, in the opinion of Dane County. At that time, all proposals will be available for review in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Records Law.

7. In the event the Designation of Confidentiality of this information is challenged, undersigned agrees to provide legal counsel or other necessary assistance to defend the Designation of

Confidentiality and to hold Dane County harmless for any costs or damages arising out of Dane

County withholding the materials. .

8. Failure to designate confidential and proprietary information within the Designation of

Confidential and Proprietary Information section of the Vendor Information Attachment may mean that all information provided as part of the proposal response will be open to examination or copying. The County considers other markings of confidential in the proposal document to be insufficient. The undersigned agrees to hold the County harmless for any damages arising out of the release of any material unless they are specifically identified within the Designation of

Confidential and Proprietary Information section of the Vendor Information Attachment.

2.4. EVALUATION

1. PRELIMINARY EVALUATION

1. The proposals will first be reviewed to determine if all applicable requirements are met. Failure to meet mandatory requirements may result in the proposal being rejected. In the event that all vendors do not meet one or more of the mandatory requirements, the County reserves the right to continue the evaluation of the proposals and to select the proposal which most closely meets the requirements specified in the solicitation.

2. PROPOSAL SCORING - applicable to RFPs

1. Accepted proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation team and scored against the stated criteria in the evaluation section of the RFP posting. This scoring will determine the ranking of vendors based upon their written proposals. If the team determines that it is in the best interest of the County to require a Phase 2 Evaluation which may include oral presentations, the highest-ranking vendors will be invited to make such presentations. Those vendors that participate in the interview process will then be scored, and the final ranking will be made based upon those scores.RFP Cost Proposal's will be scored using a standard quantitative calculation where the most cost criteria points will be awarded to the proposal with the lowest cost.

3. ORAL PRESENTATIONS/INTERVIEW - applicable to RFPs

1. Top ranked selected proposers may be required to make oral interview presentations and/or site visits to supplement their proposals, if requested by the County. The County will make every reasonable attempt to schedule each presentation at a time and location that is agreeable to the proposer. Failure of a proposer to conduct a presentation to the County on the date scheduled may result in rejection of the vendor’s proposal.

2.5. AWARD

1. RFB AWARD

1. The County will award the bid to the most responsive and responsible bidder whose bid is most advantageous to the County. In determining the most advantageous bid, the County may consider criteria such as, but not limited to, cost, bidder’s past performance and/or service reputation, and service capability, quality of the bidder’s staff or services, customer satisfaction, references, the extent to which the bidder’s staff or services meet the County’s needs, bidder’s past relationship with the County, total long term cost to the County, fleet continuity and any other relevant criteria listed in this solicitation.

2. A resulting award and any part thereof shall not be subcontracted or assigned to another

Contractor without prior written permission of the County. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any Subcontractor’s performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

2. RFP AWARD

1. An RFP award will typically be granted in one of two ways.

1. The award may be granted to the highest scoring responsive and responsible proposer.

2. Alternatively, the highest scoring proposer or proposers may be requested to submit final and best offers. If final and best offers are requested, they will be evaluated against the stated criteria, scored and ranked. The award will then be granted to the highest scoring proposer.

2. A resulting award and any part thereof shall not be subcontracted or assigned to another

Contractor without prior written permission of the County. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any Subcontractor’s performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

3. PAYMENT TERMS AND INVOICING

1. Unless otherwise agreed upon in writing, Dane County will pay properly submitted vendor invoices within thirty (30) days of receipt of goods or services. Payment will not be made until goods or services are delivered, installed (if required), and accepted as specified. Invoices presented for payment shall be submitted to via email to the Department Invoice Email

Address shown on the Bill To section of the PO issued. The Dane County purchase order number must be noted on the submitted invoice.

2. Other incidental or standard industry charges not identified herein, are not allowed under this contract. Miscellaneous service charges used to help the Contractor pay various fluctuating current and future costs are not allowed. These charges include, but are not limited to, costs directly or indirectly related to the environment, energy issues, fuel charges, service and delivery of goods and services.

4. NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO AWARD

1. Upon finalizing the award, a notification email may be sent via the OpenGov system showing the awarded vendor(s).

2. As a courtesy, the County may send a Notice of Intent letter to responding vendors at the time of the award. - applicable to RFPs

3. Written notice of award to a vendor in the form of a purchase order or other document, mailed or emailed to the address shown on the bid will be considered sufficient notice of acceptance of bid.

5. CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE

1. The successful vendor is required to submit to Dane County a Certificate of Insurance prior to performing any work under this contract. The certificate is required prior to issuance of purchase order. See the Insurance Responsibility section within the Standard Terms &

Conditions.

2. Please contact your insurance representative to issue an Additional Insured Endorsement naming County of Dane, a municipal corporation, its boards, commissions, agencies, officers, employees and representatives listed as an ADDITIONAL INSURED on the General Liability policy.

3. Indicate mailing address as:

o County of Dane

Risk Management

City County Building Room 425

210 Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.

Madison, WI 53703

4. Please inform your insurance representative that you have agreed to provide us with 30 Days written notice in the event of cancellation for any reason before the expiration date of your policy or policies.

5. Vendor may email Certificates of Insurance to risk.management@danecounty.gov.

6. Call 608-266-4965 with any questions.

6. PERMITS & LICENSES

mailto:risk.management@danecounty.gov

1. The Contractor selected under this bid shall be required to obtain the necessary permits and licenses prior to performing any work under this contract. The Contractor will be required to demonstrate valid possession of appropriate required licenses and will keep them in effect for the term of this contract.

2. Contractor must be financially responsible for obtaining all required permits and licenses to comply with pertinent regulations, municipal, county, State of Wisconsin and Federal laws, and shall assume liability for all applicable taxes.

7. SATISFACTORY WORK

1. Any work found to be in any way defective or unsatisfactory shall be corrected by the

Contractor at its own expense at the order of the County. The County also reserves the right to contract out services not satisfactorily completed and to purchase substitute services elsewhere. The County reserves the right to charge the vendor with any or all costs incurred or retain/deduct the amount of such costs incurred from any monies due or which may become due under this contract.

8. GOVERNMENT STANDARDS

1. All materials, equipment, and supplies provided to the County must fully comply with all safety requirements as set forth by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and all applicable OSHA

Standards. Bidders shall comply with all local, state and federal regulations, directives and laws.

9. DANE COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES

1. On October 18, 2012, the Dane County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 103, 2012-2013 establishing the following sustainability principles for the county:

o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to fossil fuel dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals;

o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to dependence upon persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances;

o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to encroachment upon nature and harm to life-sustaining ecosystems (e.g., land, water, wildlife, forest, soil, ecosystems); and o Reduce and eventually eliminate Dane County government’s contribution to conditions that undermine people’s ability to meet their basic human needs.

2.6. CONTRACTING

1. CONTRACT/PROJECT ADMINISTRATION

1. The County department(s) utilizing the service will be responsible for drafting, coordinating, monitoring and administering the resulting service contract/purchase order. The department shall be responsible for notifying the awarded vendor about contract renewals or extensions.

Any modifications or additions to the contract(s)/purchase order(s) shall be communicated by the department to the Purchasing Division.

2. CONTRACT ASSIGNMENT - SUBCONTRACTORS

1. A resulting contract and any part thereof shall not be subcontracted or assigned to another

Contractor without prior written permission of the County. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any subcontractor's performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

3. CONTRACT ADDITIONS

1. The County reserves the right to add new items and locations at a price conforming to other like items on the contract. The procedure for such additions shall be as follows:

1. The County Purchasing Officer will contact the vendor requesting pricing for the item(s) to be added.

2. The vendor, within three working days, should respond in writing and include the bid number, contract period and the price for each item or service to be provided.

3. Upon receipt, the County shall issue a Change Order adding the service or product(s) to the

Contract or Purchase Order.

2. The County reserves the right to accept or reject prices and obtain bids on the open market for these add ons.

3. When applicable, Contractor may be required to sign a Dane County Contract.

4. CONTRACT TERMINATION

1. If for any reason the successful contractor fails to fulfill the requirements of the contract for providing the specified services, the County shall have the right to cancel the contract at any time and negotiate for the services with another contractor.

3. Contract Term

The contract shall be effective on the date indicated on the Dane County Purchase Order or the Dane

County Contract execution date. The initial term length and renewal terms available are estimates only and are subject to change.

If applicable, any optional or renewal terms are not automatic extensions. Renewal terms must be agreed upon mutually by Dane County and Contractor.

Anticipated Terms (Calendar Dates)

Term 1: January 1, 2027 - December 31, 2027

Term 2: January 1, 2028 - December 31, 2028

Term 3: January 1, 2029 - December 31, 2029

4. Project Overview & Scope of Work

The following definitions and links are used throughout the RFP.

County: Dane County

County Agency: Department/Division utilizing the service or product.

Dane County Purchasing website: https://www.danepurchasing.com/

Proposer/Vendor/Firm/Contractor: a company submitting a proposal in response to this RFP.

4.1. Project Overview

The purpose of the RFP is to award a two-year contract, with an optional third year at the County's discretion. The contract will provide on-call marketing and advertising services for the Dane County

Regional Airport. The selected vendor will serve as the Airport's Agency of Record and as its primary marketing and advertising partner. Requested services include advertising, marketing, creative development and graphic design, social media management, media buying and market research. All services should support a distinctive brand that resonates with visitors, the community, and stakeholders.

The selected professional firm must be capable of implementing a results-oriented plan with clearly defined, objectively measured outcomes. Proposers may engage multiple partner companies to cover all required service areas; however, the primary vendor will remain responsible for overall coordination and delivery of all contracted services.

4.2. Background Information

Dane County Regional Airport (DCRA) is in a period of fast-paced growth and recently broke its all time passenger records in 2025, serving 2.5 million passengers across six commercial airlines and 19 nonstop destinations. Continued population and economic expansion in Dane County is expected to drive further increases in air service and passenger demand. The next three years will present opportunities to promote new air service, highlight ongoing airport improvements, and showcase a thriving airport through creative visual and video storytelling. During this period, DCRA will also begin its first Airport

Master Plan update since 1993, implement a residential sound mitigation program, and pursue international status - a designation that, if granted, will require a name change for the airport.

4.3. Marketing & Advertising

The selected contractor must have demonstrated experience developing marketing strategies, creative concepts, and visual elements for electronic, social, and print media. Target audiences for DCRA include current business and leisure travelers, as well as local travelers commuting to nearby airports. The contractor shall develop and submit strategies and creative concepts for approval, leveraging existing brand strategies, while also developing new strategies based on evolving needs and direction from the

Airport’s marketing team.

4.4. Creative Element Design Production

The contractor must be able to provide on-call graphic design services and transform approved creative concepts into print and electronic media, allowing sufficient time for DCRA review and approval. The contractor must submit written production estimates to the DCRA marketing team for review prior to https://www.danepurchasing.com/ initiating any production work. Services may also include studio production, scripting, editing, graphics, animation, treatments, casting, background music, and narration. The contractor is responsible for providing all necessary talent. The Airport’s marketing team will approve all formats, talent, scripts, and production locations in advance.

4.5. Media Planning & Buying

The contractor must be able to develop and submit a comprehensive media plan for approval. The plan should be designed to reach target audiences through advertising and media placements across print, outdoor, television, radio, web, social media, advertorials, and event marketing. Submittals must include details on methodology, reach, exposure, and frequency goals. The contractor should also be able to secure value-added exposure where feasible.

4.6. Market Research and Evaluation

The contractor must be able to manage the collection and evaluation of attitudinal research for target audiences. Research tools may include focus groups, interviews, and web-based surveys.

4.7. Social Media Support

Under the guidance of the Airport’s marketing and communications team, the contractor must be able to develop social media strategies and produce content that effectively engages customers across multiple social media platforms. The contractor should have experience with video storytelling as well as planning, executing, and evaluating effective engagement on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Routine measurement and reporting of effectiveness is essential.

4.8. Video and Audio Production

The contractor must be able to develop audio and visual marketing materials that support customer engagement strategies. The contractor must be capable of planning, organizing, and contributing to all required production activities as needed.

4.9. Additional Requirements

a. All creative assets, website code, video, photography, social content, and campaign data produced under this contract must be explicitly assigned to Dane County upon final payment. The County shall retain the right to use all creative assets and work products in future projects.

b. All vendors must describe or disclose any use of generative AI tools in content creation, research, or production workflows.

c. Vendors must provide monthly performance dashboards or reports (including website traffic, social engagement, and paid media KPIs) and quarterly strategic reviews. Strong proposals will include sample reports, analytics, and dashboards from previous work, along with a description of the analytics methodologies used.

d. Strong proposals will also include examples of past creative campaigns.

5. RFP Response Requirements & Evaluation Criteria

1. RFP Response - Proposers shall upload and submit their proposal response document(s) to Section 1 of the Vendor Questionnaire.

• The RFP Response shall be organized to comply with the section numbers and names as shown below. Each section heading shall be clearly marked.

o If applicable, the Local Vendor Preference section is answered within the Vendor

Questionnaire and doesn't need to be included in the RFP Response document.

• Cover Letter / Cover Page o Provide a Cover Letter or Cover page and at minimum should include:

▪ Contact Person for the RFP process

▪ RFP Title

▪ RFP #

▪ Name of Proposer

• Table of Contents may be included but is not required.

• Graphics may be included but are not required.

2. Cost Proposal Response

• Complete the Pricing Table if there is one located within the RFP Posting.

• If there is no Pricing Table within the RFP Posting:

o Download and complete the Pricing Section document from the Attachment Section of the

RFP Posting.

o Upload the completed Pricing Section document to Section 1 of the Vendor Questionnaire.

3. Document Formatting - The RFP Response and Cost Proposal (if applicable) documents must be saved in PDF format unless otherwise specified within the RFP document and the file name shall include the

RFP# and name of business submitting proposal.

• Example of how to name the files:

o RFP Response Document: "2023-RFP-025 – Vendor Name" o Cost Proposal Document (if no pricing table): "2023-RFP-025 – Vendor Name - Cost

Proposal"

4. Evaluation Criteria - each section includes the Point Value assigned to it for evaluation purposes.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Organizational Capabilities

A. Provide a list of all staff who would be assigned to this account if selected, including their roles and areas of specialization.

B. Describe the past experience of your proposed team that is relevant to leading

DCRA’s marketing and advertising strategy, including similar projects, industry expertise, and notable outcomes.

C. Describe your firm's organizational structure and capacity to support DCRA's marketing and advertising needs. Include information on available resources, internal workflows, and how your firm ensures timely delivery of on-call and deadline-driven projects.

Points Based 25 (23.8% of Total)

2. Marketing and Advertising

A. Provide examples of past marketing campaigns, including objectives, target audiences, key tactics, and measurable outcomes.

B. Describe the marketing strategies you would use to ensure DCRA remains top-of-mind for travelers when selecting an airport for their upcoming flights. Include approaches for differentiating DCRA, building brand awareness, and influencing traveler decision-making.

C. Describe how your team will collaborate with the Airport’s marketing staff, including workflows, communication expectations, turnaround times for on-call requests, and how you will ensure alignment with Airport priorities and branding guidelines.

Points Based 20 (19% of Total)

3. Creative Design and Production/Video &

Audio Production

A. Provide examples of past video and audio campaigns, including objectives, creative approach, production methods, and measurable results.

B. Provide examples of graphic design work that demonstrate your team’s ability to produce high-quality visual materials for print and digital media.

Points Based 20 (19% of Total)

4. Media Planning and Buying

A. Detail past media campaigns your firm has led, including objectives, target audiences, media channels used, budget ranges, and measurable outcomes.

B. Describe the strategy your firm would use to develop and execute a media campaign promoting a new direct flight destination for

DCRA. Include proposed media channels, targeting methods and how you would measure campaign effectiveness.

Points Based 10 (9.5% of Total)

5. Market Research and Evaluation

A. Describe the tools and reporting systems your team uses to evaluate media and social media campaigns. Include analytics platforms, reporting dashboards, performance metrics, and how you translate insights into actionable recommendations.

B. Describe your market research experience as it relates to building a media buying plan, including how you gather audience insights, analyze competitors, and research results.

Points Based 5 (4.8% of Total)

6. Social Media Support

A. Provide information on the social media platforms your team has experience using for client campaigns. Include examples of the types of content produced and the outcomes achieved.

B. Describe your team’s approach to leveraging multiple social media platforms to build awareness of a specific topic. Include strategies for platform-specific content, audience targeting, engagement techniques, and measurement of effectiveness.

Points Based 5 (4.8% of Total)

7. Cost Points Based 15 (14.3% of Total)

8. Local Vendor Preference Points Based 5 (4.8% of Total)

6. Pricing Proposal

HOURLY RATES - TERM 1

Line Item Description Quantity Unit of

Measure Unit Cost Total

1 Account Supervisor 1 Hour

2 Project Manager 1 Hour

3 Creative Director 1 Hour

4 Art Director 1 Hour

5 Digital Design or Video Editor 1 Hour

6 Media Buying/Planning 1 Hour

7 Social Media 1 Hour

8 Copy Writer or Ad Production or

Graphic Design 1 Hour

9 Administrative Support 1 Hour

TOTAL

FUTURE PRICING

If applicable, please provide the % increase in hourly rate for years 2 and 3.

Line Item Description Unit of Measure Percentage

10 Term 2: January 1, 2028 - December 31, 2028 - Provide percent increase in hourly rate for year 2.

Percentage

11 Term 3: January 1, 2029 - December 31, 2029 - Provide percent increase in hourly rate for year 3 Percentage

7. Vendor Questionnaire

7.1. RFP DOCUMENT UPLOADS

7.1.1. Single Proposal Submission*

Only 1 proposal is allowed to be submitted per Vendor Account. This means if you are submitting multiple proposals, you must follow the instructions set forth within the Section 2.2 RFP Guidelines and

Overview - Multiple Proposals & Acceptance.

It is understood that if multiple proposals are uploaded using 1 vendor account, the entire submission will be subject to disqualification.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.1.2. RFP Response Document - Upload your Proposal*

Please DO NOT include Cost information in this section.

*Response required

7.1.3. RFP Response - Supplemental Document Upload

Upload any additional or required information documents that supplements this solicitation.

7.1.4. RFP Cost Proposal - Supplemental Document Upload

If applicable, upload any documents providing further clarification of the submitted pricing from the

Pricing Table. This is not required.

7.1.5. W9 Upload*

Upload your company's W9 form.

NOTE: The W9 is required to be signed within the past 12 months

*Response required

7.2. VENDOR INFORMATION

7.2.1. Local Vendor Preference *

Select a Local Vendor Preference:

Vendors located within Dane County automatically receive five points toward the evaluation score.

Vendors located within the counties adjacent to Dane County (Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, Sauk) automatically receive two points toward the evaluation score.

Vendors located outside of Dane County and the 7 counties adjacent to Dane County would choose "No

Preference".

NOTE: A post office box address does not qualify as an established place of business.

☐ No Preference

☐ Yes - Dane County

☐ Yes - Columbia County

☐ Yes - Dodge County

☐ Yes - Green County

☐ Yes - Jefferson County

☐ Yes - Iowa County

☐ Yes - Rock County

☐ Yes - Sauk County

*Response required

7.2.2. Fair Labor Practice Certification *

Has your company been found by the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") or the Wisconsin

Employment Relations Commission ("WERC") to have violated any statute or regulation regarding labor standards or relations in the seven years prior to the date this bid submission is signed?

If yes is answered, a copy of any relevant information regarding such violation is required to be uploaded with your bid submission.

Additional information about the NLRB and WERC can be found using the following links:

www.nlrb.gov and http://werc.wi.gov.

☐ No, our company has NOT been found by the NLRB or the WERC to have violated any statute or regulation regarding labor standards or relations in the seven years prior to the date this bid submission is signed.

☐ Yes, our company HAS been found by the NLRB or the WERC to have violated any statute or regulation regarding labor standards or relations in the seven years prior to the date this bid submission is signed.

*Response required

7.2.3. Cooperative Purchasing*

Reference Guidelines - Section F.

Does your company agree to furnish the commodities or services of this bid to municipalities and state agencies?

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

7.2.4. Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information* Please specify what information you wish to designate as confidential and proprietary. Please identify section/ pages/ topic /documents, etc.

NOTE: Pricing sections cannot be designated as confidential and proprietary.

If nothing will be designated, simply type "None" in the section below.

*Response required http://www.nlrb.gov/ http://werc.wi.gov/

7.3. RFP ADDENDA

7.3.1. I understand that if any addendum is issued I will have to acknowledge the posted addendum. * ☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.3.2. If an addendum is posted after I have submitted my proposal response and the resulting addendum requires action to be taken either in the Specification Section or Pricing Section, I understand that:*

1. I will have to unsubmit my proposal response.

2. I will have to acknowledge the posted addendum.

3. I will have to take action in responding to the changes on either the Specification Section or Pricing

Section.

4. I will then have to resubmit my proposal response.

Further instructions on addendum(a) postings can be found here.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.4. SIGNATURE DECLARATION

7.4.1. RFP Solicitation Response Declaration*

In submitting and confirming this solicitation response, we certify that we have not, either directly or indirectly, entered into any agreement or participated in any collusion or otherwise taken any action in restraint of free competition; that no attempt has been made to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a solicitation response; that this solicitation response has been independently arrived at without collusion with any other vendor competitor or potential competitor; that this solicitation response has not been knowingly disclosed prior to the opening of bids to any other vendor or competitor; that the above statement is accurate under penalty of perjury.

Further, by submitting this solicitation response, firm agrees with all the terms, conditions, and specifications required by the County in this solicitation and declares that the corresponding solicitation response and pricing are in conformity therewith.

I have read and understood the entire document.

I declare under penalty of false swearing under the law of Wisconsin that the foregoing is true and correct.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.4.2. Signed on: *

https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/articles/4413350-managing-addenda

Write in month, day, year and city/state in which the submission occurred.Example: June 27, 2025 in Madison, WI

*Response required

7.4.3. Electronically signed by:*

Provide First Name, Last Name and Title

*Response required

8. Standard Terms and Conditions

8.1. APPLICABILITY

The terms and conditions set forth in this document apply to Requests for Proposals (RFP), Bids and all other transactions whereby the County of Dane acquires goods or services, or both.

8.2. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

These Standard Terms and Conditions shall apply to any contract, including any purchase order, awarded as a result of this request. Special requirements of a resulting contract may also apply. Said written contract with referenced parts and attachments shall constitute the entire agreement, and no other terms and conditions in any document, acceptance, or acknowledgment shall be effective or binding unless expressly agreed to in writing by the County. Unless otherwise stated in the agreement, these standard terms conditions supersede any other terms and/or conditions applicable to this agreement.

8.3. DEFINITIONS

As used herein, “vendor” includes a provider of goods or services, or both, who is responding to an RFP or a bid, and “bid” includes a response to either an RFP or a bid.

8.4. SPECIFICATIONS

The specifications herein are the minimum acceptable. When specific manufacturer and model numbers are used, they are to establish a design, type of construction, quality, functional capability or performance level, or any combination thereof, desired. When alternates are proposed, they must be identified by manufacturer, stock number, and such other information necessary to establish equivalency. Dane County shall be the sole judge of equivalency. Vendors are cautioned to avoid proposing alternates to the specifications that may result in rejection of their bid.

8.5. DEVIATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS

Deviations and exceptions from terms, conditions, or specifications shall be described fully in writing, signed, and attached to the bid. In the absence of such statement, the bid shall be accepted as in strict compliance with all terms, conditions, and specifications and vendor shall be held liable for injury resulting from any deviation.

8.6. QUALITY

Unless otherwise indicated in the request, all material shall be first quality. No pre-owned, obsolete, discontinued or defective materials may be used.

8.7. QUANTITIES

The quantities shown herein are based on estimated needs. The County reserves the right to increase or decrease quantities to meet actual needs.

8.8. DELIVERY

Deliveries shall be FOB destination freight prepaid and included unless otherwise specified. County will reject shipments sent C.O.D. or freight collect.

8.9. PRICING

Unit prices shown on the bid shall be the price per unit of sale as stated on the request or contract. For any given item, the quantity multiplied by the unit price shall establish the extended price, the unit price shall govern in the bid evaluation and contract administration.

1. Prices established in continuing agreements and term contracts may be lowered due to market conditions, but prices shall not be subject to increase for the term specified in the award. Vendor shall submit proposed increases to the Purchasing Division thirty (30) calendar days before the proposed effective date of the price increase. Proposed increases shall be limited to fully documented cost increases to the vendor that are demonstrated to be industry wide.