REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

26-062

PROFESSIONAL ADVERTISING, MARKETING & PUBLIC

RELATIONS SERVICES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

September 28, 2026

OWNER:

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

SANTA ROSA COUNTY, FLORIDA

BOBBY BURKETT – DISTRICT I

KERRY SMITH – DISTRICT II

RHETT ROWELL – DISTRICT III

RAY EDDINGTON – DISTRICT IV

COLTEN WRIGHT – DISTRICT V

26-062

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

PROFESSIONAL ADVERTISING, MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS

SERVICES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Solicitation advertised utilizing Santa Rosa County Procurement & Purchasing Ordinance 2023-06 adopted June 19, 2023

I. NOTICE

II. STANDARD RFP INSTRUCTIONS, SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS, AND GENERAL

REQUIREMENTS

III. SCOPE OF WORK

IV. Evaluation Process Instructions

V. EVALUATION CRITERIA

VI. STANDARD INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

VII. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & BUDGET ALLOCATION REQUIREMENTS

Attachments:

A - 26-062 Draft Service Agreement

3 | P a g e

1. NOTICE

1.1. Summary

MEMORANDUM

TO: Company Addressed DATE: Monday, September 28, 2026

FROM: Santa Rosa County Procurement Office

SUBJECT: 26-062 Professional Advertising, Marketing & Public

Relations Services for Economic Development

Notice is hereby given that the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners is requesting proposals from qualified companies for Professional Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Services for Professional Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Services for Economic Development of Santa Rosa County.

Specifications may be secured through the Santa Rosa County Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/santarosafl Questions concerning this request should be submitted through the procurement portal by 12:00 pm on Friday, October 2, 2026.

Please submit all proposals through the procurement portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/santarosafl by 10:00 am on Monday, October 12, 2026, at which time will be publicly opened via Teams.

Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners encourages all segments of the business community to participate in its procurement opportunities, including small businesses, minority/women owned businesses, and disadvantaged business enterprises. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, or age in the administration of contracts.

The Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to waive irregularities in bids, to reject any or all bids for sound documented reasons, and to award the bid that it determines to be in the best interest of Santa Rosa

County.

By order of the Board of County Commissioners of Santa Rosa County, Florida.

2. STANDARD RFP INSTRUCTIONS, SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS, AND GENERAL

REQUIREMENTS

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

4 | P a g e

2.1. PRE-PROPOSAL ACTIVITY

Except as provided in this section, respondents are prohibited from contacting or lobbying the County, County

Administrator, Commissioners, and County staff, or any other person authorized on behalf of the County related or involved with the solicitation. All inquiries on the scope of work, specifications, additional requirements, attachments, terms and general conditions or instructions, or any issue must be submitted through the Procurement

Portal.

All questions or inquiries must be received by 12:00 pm on Friday, October 2, 2026. Any addenda or other modification to the bid documents will be issued through the Procurement Portal, five (5) days prior to the date and time of bid closing.

Such addenda or modification shall be part of the bid documents and shall be binding upon each respondent. Each respondent is required to acknowledge receipt of all addenda when submitting their bid. No respondent may rely upon any verbal modification or interpretation.

2.2. PREPARATION OF RFP

The respondent shall submit proposals in accordance with the public notice.

Any proposal which contains any omissions, erasures, alterations, additions, irregularities of any kind, or items not called for which shall in any manner fail to conform to the conditions of public notice may be rejected.

A proposal submitted by a partnership shall be executed in the partnership name and signed by a partner (whose title must appear under the signature). The official address of the partnership shall be shown below the signature.

A proposal submitted by a limited liability company shall be executed in the name of the firm by a member and accompanied by evidence of authority to sign. The state of formation of the firm and the official address of the firm must be shown below the signature.

A proposal submitted by an individual shall show the respondent’s name and official address.

A proposal submitted by a joint venture shall be executed by each joint venture in the manner indicated on the bid form. The official address of the joint venture must be shown below the signature.

If the respondent is an out-of-state corporation, the bid shall contain evidence of respondent’s authority and qualification to do business as an out-of-state corporation in the State of Florida. A state contractor license # for the

State of Florida shall also be included on the bid form. Respondent shall be licensed in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 489, Florida Statutes.

The proposal shall be based upon the completion of the Work according to the drawings and specifications, together with all addenda thereto.

2.3. SUBMITTAL OF PROPOSAL

Proposals shall be submitted no later than 10:00 am Central Standard Time (CST) on Monday, October 12, 2026. It is the respondent’s responsibility to assure that its proposal is submitted by the proper time and date through the

Procurement Portal.

All electronic documents submitted in response to this solicitation shall be provided in searchable PDF format. The

County reserves the right to deem proposals that do not comply with this requirement as non-responsive or to require resubmission in the proper format within a specified timeframe. This requirement applies to all attachments, forms, and supporting documentation uploaded to the County’s Procurement Portal or otherwise submitted electronically.

5 | P a g e

2.4. INTEGRITY OF PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS

Respondents shall use the original documents provided by the Santa Rosa County Procurement Office and enter information only in the spaces where a response is requested. Respondents may use an attachment to the documents if sufficient space is not available. Any modifications or alterations to the original documents by the respondent, whether intentional or otherwise, will constitute grounds for rejection of a bid. Any such modification or alteration that a respondent wishes to propose must be clearly stated in the respondent’s response in the form of an addendum to the original bid documents.

2.5. WITHDRAWAL OF SUBMITTALS

Any Respondent may withdraw its Submittal, through the Procurement Portal, at any time prior to the scheduled time for opening Submittals.

2.6. INTERPRETATION

No oral interpretation will be made to any Respondent as to the meaning of the drawings or specifications. Every interpretation made to a Respondent will be in the form of an Addendum to the specifications. Addenda will be furnished to each Respondent, through the Procurement Portal, but it shall be the Respondent’s responsibility to make inquiry as to Addenda issued. All such addenda shall become part of the contract and all Responders shall be bound by such Addenda whether received by the Responders.

2.7. PROPOSALS TO REMAIN SUBJECT TO ACCEPTANCE

All responses will remain subject to acceptance or rejection by Santa Rosa County for sixty (60) calendar days after the day of the response opening. The County may, in its sole discretion, release any response and return the response security prior to the end of this period.

2.8. CONDITIONAL & INCOMPLETE PROPOSALS

Santa Rosa County specifically reserves the right to reject any conditional response.

2.9. ADDITION/DELETION OF ITEM

The County reserves the right to add or delete any item from this response or resulting contract when deemed to be in the County’s best interest.

2.10. SPECIFICATION EXCEPTIONS

Specifications are based on the most current literature available. Respondent shall clearly list any change in the manufacturer’s specifications which conflict with the proposal specifications. Respondent must also explain any deviation from the proposal specification in writing, as a foot note on the applicable bid page and enclose a copy of the manufacturer’s specifications data detailing the changed item(s) with their bid. Failure of the respondent to comply with these provisions will result in respondents being held responsible for all costs required to bring the equipment in compliance with bid specifications.

2.11. FAMILIARITY WITH LAWS

All applicable Federal and State laws, County and municipal ordinances, orders, rules, and regulations of all authorities having jurisdiction over the project shall apply to the bid throughout, and they will be deemed to be included in the contract the same as though they were written in full therein.

2.12. EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS AND SITE

Before submitting their proposal, the Respondent shall familiarize themselves with the nature and extent of the work and any local conditions that may in any manner affect the work to be done and the equipment, materials, and labor required. Respondent shall also examine all drawings, specifications, addenda, and other Contract Documents to be

6 | P a g e thoroughly informed regarding any and all conditions and requirements that may in any manner affect the work to be performed under the contract.

2.13. RIGHT TO REJECT PROPOSAL

The Owner reserves the right to waive informalities in bids to reject any or all proposals with or without cause and accept the proposal that in its judgment is in the best interest of the County.

2.14. DISQUALIFICATION OF RESPONDENTS

Any of the following reasons may be considered as sufficient for the disqualification of a respondent and the rejection of its proposal:

• Submission of more than one proposal for the same work from an individual, firm or corporation under the same or different name. Evidence that the respondent has a financial interest in the firm of another respondent for the same work.

• Evidence of collusion among respondents. Participants in such collusion will receive no recognition as respondents for any future work of the County until such participant has been reinstated as a qualified respondent.

• Uncompleted work which in the judgment of the County might hinder or prevent the prompt completion of additional work if awarded.

• Failure to pay or satisfactorily settle all bills due for labor and material on former contracts in force at the time of advertisement of proposals. Default under previous contract.

• Listing of the respondent by any Local, State or Federal Government on its barred/suspended vendor list.

2.15. DISCRIMINATION

An entity or affiliate who has been placed on the discriminatory vendor list may not submit a response on a contract to provide goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a response on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit responses on leases of real property to a public entity, may not award or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity.

2.16. REVIEW OF PROCUREMENT DOCUMENTS

Per Florida Statute 119.071 (1) 2, sealed bids, proposals, or replies received by the County pursuant to a competitive solicitation are exempt from public disclosure until such time as the County provides notice of an intended decision or until 30 days after opening the responses, proposals, or final replies, whichever is earlier.

2.17. COMPLIANCE WITH FLORIDA STATUTE 119.0701

The Respondent shall comply with all the provisions of section 119.0701, Florida Statutes relating to the public records which requires, among other things, that the Respondent: (a) Keep and maintain public records; (b) Provide the public with access to public records on the same terms and conditions that the public agency would provide the records; (c) ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law; and (d) Meet all requirements for retaining public records and transfer, at no cost, to the public agency all public records in possession of the respondent upon termination of the contract.

7 | P a g e

IF THE CONTRACTOR HAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF CHAPTER 119,

FLORIDA STATUTES, TO THE CONTRACTOR’S DUTY TO PROVIDE PUBLIC RECORDS RELATING

TO THIS CONTRACT, CONTACT THE CUSTODIAN OF PUBLIC RECORDS AT (850) 983-1857,

susant@santarosa.fl.gov; 6495 CAROLINE STREET, SUITE M, MILTON, FLORIDA 32570.

2.18. SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE

The County may, at any time, without cause, order Respondent in writing to suspend, delay or interrupt the work in whole or in part for such period as the County may determine, or to terminate all or a portion of the Contract for the

County’s convenience. Upon such termination, the Contract Price earned to the date of termination shall be paid to

Respondent, but Respondent waives any claim for damages, including loss of profits arising out of or related to the early termination. Those Contract provisions which by their nature survive final acceptance shall remain in full force and effect. If the County orders a suspension, the Contract price and Contract time may be adjusted for increases in the cost and time caused by suspension, delay, or interruption. No adjustment shall be made to the extent that performance is, was or would have been so suspended, delayed or interrupted by reason for which Respondent is responsible; or that an equitable adjustment is made or denied under another provision of this Contract.

2.19. FAILURE OF PERFORMANCE/DELIVERY

In case of default by the Vendor, the County after due notice (oral or written) may procure the necessary supplies or services from other sources and hold the Vendor responsible for difference in cost incurred. Continuous instances of default shall result in cancellation of the award and removal of the Vendor from the response list for duration of one

(1) year, at the option of the County.

2.20. AUDIT

If requested, respondent shall permit the County or an authorized, independent audit agency to inspect all data and records of respondent relating to its performance and its subcontracts under this bid from the date of the award through three (3) years after the expiration of contract.

2.21. PUBLIC ENTITY CRIME INFORMATION

Pursuant to Florida Statute 287.133, a respondent may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity; and may not transact business with any public entity more than the threshold amount provided in s. 287.017 for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months following the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

Note: For respondent’s convenience, this certification form is enclosed and is made a part of the bid package.

2.22. INVESTIGATION OF RESPONDENT

The County may make such investigations, as it deems necessary to determine the stability of the respondent to perform the work and that there is no conflict of interest as it relates to the project. The respondent shall furnish to the Owner any additional information and financial data for this purpose as the County may request.

2.23. FORM OF AGREEMENT

The Contract form shall be provided by the Procurement Office. The successful contractor shall, within 10 days after receipt of the Notice of Award and the contract forms or documents, sign and deliver to the County Procurement

Office all required contract documents. The awarded contractor shall also deliver the policies of insurance or insurance certificate as required. All insurance documents shall be approved by Santa Rosa County Procurement

Office before the successful contractor may proceed with the work.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

mailto:WANDAP@SANTAROSA.FL.GOV

8 | P a g e

3.1. Professional Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Services

INTRODUCTION & MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS

I. Introduction & Project Purpose

Santa Rosa County invites competitive proposals from qualified, forward-thinking advertising agencies, marketing consultancies, and public relations firms to provide comprehensive economic development marketing, collateral development, and promotional services for the Santa Rosa County Economic Development Office (EDO).

The primary objective is to elevate Santa Rosa County’s competitive profile as Northwest Florida’s premier destination for high-value business investment, corporate expansion, and high-wage job creation. The selected firm will establish modern brand messaging, deliver an actionable communications toolkit, produce high-impact promotional collateral, design media and conference campaigns, and recommend a strategic mix of creative outreach within the established budgetary parameters.

A central focus is proactively positioning Santa Rosa County’s signature target industry clusters—specifically

Aviation, Aerospace & Defense, Advanced Manufacturing, and Transportation, Logistics & Warehousing—and driving corporate and site-selector interest toward county-owned and private industrial assets, including Whiting

Aviation Park, the I-10 Industrial Park / Coastal Commerce Center, and other Santa Rosa industrial parks.

II. Scope of Services Overview & Minimum Specifications

The selected agency will collaborate closely with the Santa Rosa County Economic Development staff across the following mandatory service areas:

· Annual & Long-Range Action Plans: Create cohesive annual and long-range marketing action plans designed to systematically reach targeted business, site selection, and executive markets.

· Strategic Marketing & PR Mix Recommendations: Recommend the optimal mix of advertising, public relations, trade promotions, and collateral required to provide creative advertising concepts, consistent brand positioning, and B2B attraction strategies.

· Collateral Design & Production: Design and produce high-resolution print, broadcast/video, and digital marketing collateral materials for prospect presentations, trade shows, and industrial asset recruitment.

· Comprehensive Media Planning: Develop traditional and digital/online media plans targeted at key industry sectors, site selectors, and corporate real estate executives.

· Website Content & Interactivity Enhancements: Recommend and oversee EDO website content development to complement active marketing initiatives, improve user journey navigation, and enhance interactivity and functionality.

· Analytics, Tracking & Performance Reporting: Continuously monitor and report website traffic statistics and provide concrete performance metrics and return-on-investment (ROI) reporting for each marketing campaign.

· Transparent Project Estimates & Budgets: Present detailed cost estimates, scopes of work, and itemized budgets for all proposed individual projects and activations prior to execution.

Operational Boundaries & Clarifications:

· Social Media Management: Day-to-day social media channels will be handled directly in-house by County staff.

This internal responsibility does not include social media assets, paid ad creative, or targeted campaigns related to specific initiatives and event pushes developed under this contract.

9 | P a g e

· Scope Flexibility: Adjustments may be made to project task priorities and deliverable formats due to budget and time constraints, in mutual coordination with County EDO staff.

· Budget & Term Parameters: The anticipated contract amount is up to but not to exceed $125,000.00. The initial contract term is three (3) years, with the option for two (2) additional one-year renewals executed at the discretion of Santa Rosa County. Responding firms must provide a complete breakdown of their recommendation for how these funds will be allocated.

DETAILED SCOPE OF WORK & TASKS

Task 1: Strategic Planning, Communications Toolkit & Messaging Architecture

· Annual & Long-Range Action Plans: Develop an overarching marketing action plan outlining prioritized audience segments, channel strategies, tactical media flights, and quantifiable conversion benchmarks calibrated to the $125,000.00 budget ceiling.

· Core Value Proposition & Narrative: Establish standard messaging frameworks, elevator pitches (30-second, 2-minute, and executive scripts), highlighting key competitive advantages: low tax burden, right-to-work climate, military talent base, and multimodal logistics infrastructure.

· Site Selector "Battle Cards": Quick-reference comparative advantage sheets covering taxes, labor availability, highway/rail/port connectivity, utility capacity, and local/state incentive programs.

· Communications & PR Toolkit: Standardized fact sheets, executive briefing templates, customizable presentation decks (modular slide templates for target industries), press release formats for project announcements, and media response guidelines.

· Local & Regional Media Outreach Plan: An earned media and PR outreach blueprint engaging Northwest

Florida, state, and national trade media outlets.

Task 2: Targeted Asset Collateral & Industrial Park Positioning

Design content-rich promotional materials available in both high-resolution print and modern digital formats:

· Whiting Aviation Park: Collateral and digital profiles highlighting the 269-acre park, civilian aviation/defense manufacturing synergy, unique direct through-the-fence taxiway access to NAS Whiting Field via the joint-use agreement, FAA/DoD compatibility, and available industrial acreage for MRO, avionics, aerospace composite assembly, and defense contractors.

· I-10 Industrial Park / Coastal Commerce Center: Site-specific brochures, digital tear sheets, and shovel-ready profiles spotlighting strategic interstate logistics, high-capacity utility infrastructure, Class I rail connectivity, ready-pad distribution/manufacturing sites, expedited permitting, and speed-to-market site readiness.

· County Industrial Parks: Marketing profiles for existing and expanding parks (e.g., Santa Rosa Industrial

Park, Santa Rosa Industrial Park East), focusing on shovel-ready acreage, rail connectivity, heavy industrial utilities, and target tenancy.

· Digital & Interactive Site Selection Assets: Interactive property maps, printable PDF one-pagers, downloadable site profiles, dynamic tablet-ready prospect pitch decks, and digital flipbooks optimized for web distribution.

Task 3: Target Industry Campaign Collateral

10 | P a g e

· Aviation, Aerospace & Defense Cluster: Materials showcasing Northwest Florida's defense corridor, regional military aviation footprint (proximity to NAS Whiting Field, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and Pensacola NAS), specialized veteran talent pipeline exiting armed forces with security clearances and FAA certifications, defense supply chain density, and specialized flight infrastructure (targeting MRO, unmanned systems, avionics, and defense manufacturing).

· Advanced Manufacturing Cluster: Creative assets highlighting precision machining, plastics/composites, clean-tech, food & beverage processing, robotics/automation, low operating costs, competitive tax structure, rapid local permitting, and established workforce training pipelines (Pensacola State College, Locklin Technical College, University of West Florida).

· Transportation, Logistics & Warehousing Cluster: Collateral marketing Santa Rosa County’s strategic location along the Interstate 10 corridor for east-west freight reach across Florida, the Southeast, and Gulf

Coast markets. Emphasize multimodal freight connectivity (Florida Gulf & Atlantic / CSX rail networks, regional deepwater ports including Port of Pensacola, Port of Mobile, Port of Panama City, and regional commercial/cargo airports), pad-ready logistics acreage, cold storage viability, and speed-to-market land availability for 3PL providers, e-commerce supply chains, and fulfillment hubs.

Task 4: Conference, Trade Event & Digital Presentation Assets

Prepare Santa Rosa County for high-visibility engagement at regional, national, and international industry conferences.

· Exhibit Booth Assets: High-resolution digital display animations, motion graphics, and dynamic video loops formatted for trade show presentations and digital booth screens.

· Event Collateral Packs: Targeted leave-behinds, pocket asset guides, executive one-pagers, and digital business cards/QR code landing pages configured for real-time lead capture during recruitment meetings.

· Pre-Conference Prospecting Assets: Targeted email and digital touchpoints designed for pre-event outreach to schedule one-on-one meetings with site selectors, corporate supply chain directors, and industrial real estate executives.

Task 5: Digital Enhancements & Analytics

· Website Content Enhancements: Audit, recommend, and draft upgraded, conversion-focused web copy and interactive site selection features to complement marketing initiatives and improve the prospect user journey.

· Campaign Analytics & Reporting: Continuously monitor and report website traffic statistics, digital engagement metrics, prospect inquiries, referral pathways, and return-on-investment (ROI) reporting for each marketing campaign.

DELIVERABLES & PERFORMANCE CADENCE

11 | P a g e

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & BUDGET ALLOCATION REQUIREMENTS

Responding firms must submit a dedicated Budget Allocation Sheet demonstrating how proposed professional fees and task allocations align with the contract ceiling of $125,000.00. Submissions must delineate:

• Category Allocation Breakdown: A clear structural breakdown illustrating how the firm recommends distributing the $125,000.00 budget across core work streams: Strategy & Planning, Toolkit &

Communications Design, Sector Collateral Production, Event/Trade Show Assets, and Campaign Ad

Placement/Media.

• Deliverable Cost Table: Fixed-fee pricing tied to project deliverables and milestones (Milestones D-1 through D-5).

• Professional Agency Retainer / Hourly Fee Schedule: Standard hourly rates by labor category (e.g., Account

Supervisor, Creative Director, Brand Strategist, Copywriter, Graphic Designer, Digital Media Specialist) for optional scope extensions or add-on assignments requested by the County.

12 | P a g e

• Pass-Through / Direct Production Costs: Explicit identification of whether direct production expenses

(commercial printing, booth hardware fabrication, third-party digital advertising placement, distribution platforms, or specialized software licensing) are included within the $125,000.00 ceiling or treated as pass-through items.

Santa Rosa County reserves the right to negotiate final task allocations and milestone budgets prior to contract award and prior to executing subsequent renewal options.

Anticipated Contract Ceiling: Up to but not to exceed $125,000.00

Contract Term: Initial term of three (3) years, with two (2) optional one-year renewals based on vendor performance and mutual agreement.

4. Evaluation Process Instructions

4.1. EVALUATION PROCESS

Santa Rosa County reserves the right to waive any informalities or reject any and all Responses, in whole or part, to utilize any applicable state contracts in lieu of or in addition to this Response and to accept the Response that in its judgment will best serve the interest of the County. The County reserves the right to award the bid to the respondent submitting a responsive bid with a resulting negotiated agreement which is most advantageous and in the best interest of the County, and to reject any and all bids or to waive any irregularity or technicality in bids received. Santa Rosa County shall be the sole judge of the bid and the resulting negotiated agreement that is in its best interest and its decision shall be final.

4.2. STAFF EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Santa Rosa County Staff will review all valid submissions and provide a recommendation to the Procurement Office, the County Administrator, and the Board of County Commissioners.

Santa Rosa County reserves its right to reject any or all Responses, including without limitation nonconforming, nonresponsive, unbalanced, or conditional Bids. The County further reserves the right to reject the Response of any

Responder whom it finds after reasonable inquiry and evaluation to not be responsible. In evaluating Responses, the County may consider the qualifications of Responders and may consider the qualifications and experience of

Subcontractors, Suppliers, and other individuals or entities proposed for those portions of the Work for which the identity of Subcontractors, Suppliers, and other individuals or entities must be submitted with the Response.

Directions: Score each firm in each category. In the event of a tie, an alternate evaluator will be asked to evaluate the firms based on the submitted proposals. The alternate score will be the tiebreaker.

5. EVALUATION CRITERIA

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

13 | P a g e

1. Firm Qualifications & Experience

• Demonstrated experience with economic development, place branding, or business-attraction marketing (not generic consumer advertising).

• Experience with government and public-sector entities—understanding public records, procurement cycles, and approval workflows.

• Team composition, capacity, and relevant professional credentials of staff assigned directly to the account.

• Comparable market experience with similar-sized counties, regions, or competing economic development organizations.

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

2. Understanding of Scope & Approach /

Methodology

• Demonstrated understanding of Santa Rosa

County EDO goals (site selection marketing, workforce/talent attraction, target industry messaging, and specific industrial park positioning).

• Strategic approach to engaging core target audiences (site selectors, C-suite decision-makers, defense supply chain directors, logistics operators).

• Digital strategy, content development, earned media/PR capabilities, and campaign analytics/reporting methodology.

• Creativity, depth, and relevance of submitted portfolio samples evaluated against economic development objectives.

Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

3. Local & Regional Knowledge

• Locate within the Pensacola MSA

• Demonstrated familiarity with the Northwest

Florida/Gulf Coast regional economy and the

Pensacola MSA.

• In-depth understanding of regional infrastructure assets (Interstate 10 corridor, regional freight rail lines, deepwater ports, commercial/cargo airports) and military installations/defense dynamics (NAS Whiting

Field joint-use opportunities, regional flight training corridor).

• Established relationships with regional media outlets.

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

14 | P a g e

4. Cost / Fee Proposal & Budget Allocation

• Reasonableness, clarity, and transparency of the proposed rate structure/fee schedule within the not-to-exceed ceiling of

$125,000.00.

• Alignment and value of the proposed budget breakdown across strategic planning, collateral design, digital production, and media placement.

• Tangible value delivered relative to professional agency hourly billing versus pass-through production costs.

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

5. Past Performance & References

• Documented reference checks from comparable clients (economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, municipalities, industrial development authorities, or port/airport entities).

• Verifiable, measurable outcomes from past client campaigns (leads generated, prospect inquiries, site visits, earned media placements, and engagement conversion metrics).

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

6. STANDARD INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Vendor/Contractor agrees to carry and keep in force for the entire term of the contract with Santa Rosa County, and any extensions thereof, the following minimum levels of insurance coverage for any claims that may result from or relate to the services or products provided by Vendor/Contractor.

Workers’ Compensation: The contractor shall provide a workers' compensation insurance policy that meets the statutory requirements of the Florida Workers' Compensation Law. The policy shall also include employer's liability coverage with a minimum limit of $100,000 per accident, $500,000 per policy for occupational disease, and $100,000 per employee for occupational disease. The contractor shall furnish a certificate of insurance as evidence of such coverage before commencing work under this contract.

Commercial General Liability: The business shall maintain a commercial general liability insurance policy with minimum limits of $1,000,000 for each occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate, covering bodily injury and property damage. The policy shall include the following coverages:

a. Premises/operations liability

b. Products/completed operations liability

c. Contractual liability

d. Liability for independent contractors

Business Auto Liability: The Contractor shall maintain a minimum amount of $500,000 for each occurrence of bodily injury and property damage liability. This amount may be provided by a Combined Single Limit policy or a Split limit policy with at least $500,000 per person, $500,000 per accident and $500,000 for property damage.

15 | P a g e

This policy shall cover the following types of vehicles:

a. Vehicles owned by the Contractor or its employees

b. Vehicles rented or leased by the Contractor for the performance of the contract

c. Vehicles operated by the Contractor or its employees but not owned, rented, or leased by them

Additionally, the Contractor shall obtain a Special endorsement to extend the coverage to any contractual liability arising from the contract.

Before signing any contract or agreement, the contractor must provide certificates of insurance that meet the following criteria:

a. Santa Rosa County must be included as an additional insured on all coverages related to the contractor's work.

b. Santa Rosa County must receive a written notice at least 30 days before any cancellation or change of any insurance policy.

c. The contractor is responsible for ensuring that all subcontractors comply with the same insurance requirements.

d. These are the minimum requirements that may be modified depending on the nature and risk of the work.

If there are any exceptional circumstances, the county administrator or his designee has the authority to adjust these requirements.

6.1. Additional Insurance Required

The following outlines additional insurance coverage requirements, along with their minimum limits, for the given project. This coverage is in addition to the standard requirement.

General Requirements:

a. Carrier rating shall be A.M. best rating of B++V or better.

b. Notice of Cancellation, Non-Renewal, or material change in coverage shall be provided to Santa

Rosa County at least 30 days prior to action.

c. Santa Rosa County shall be named as additional insured on all policies except Workers'

Compensation.

6.2. Professional Liability

Professional Liability $1,000,000 Per Occurrence

7. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & BUDGET ALLOCATION REQUIREMENTS

7.1. Letter of Interest*

Please submit your Letter of Interest. Limit to 2 pages.

*Response required

16 | P a g e

7.2. Firm Qualifications & Experience*

• Demonstrated experience with economic development, place branding, or business-attraction marketing (not generic consumer advertising).

• Experience with government and public-sector entities—understanding public records, procurement cycles, and approval workflows.

• Team composition, capacity, and relevant professional credentials of staff assigned directly to the account.

• Comparable market experience with similar-sized counties, regions, or competing economic development organizations.

*Response required

7.3. Understanding of Scope & Approach / Methodology*

• Demonstrated understanding of Santa Rosa County EDO goals (site selection marketing, workforce/talent attraction, target industry messaging, and specific industrial park positioning).

• Strategic approach to engaging core target audiences (site selectors, C-suite decision-makers, defense supply chain directors, logistics operators).

• Digital strategy, content development, earned media/PR capabilities, and campaign analytics/reporting methodology.

• Creativity, depth, and relevance of submitted portfolio samples evaluated against economic development objectives.

*Response required

7.4. Local & Regional Knowledge*

• Locate within the Pensacola MSA

• Demonstrated familiarity with the Northwest Florida/Gulf Coast regional economy and the Pensacola MSA.

• In-depth understanding of regional infrastructure assets (Interstate 10 corridor, regional freight rail lines, deepwater ports, commercial/cargo airports) and military installations/defense dynamics (NAS Whiting Field joint-use opportunities, regional flight training corridor).

• Established relationships with regional media outlets.

*Response required

7.5. Cost / Fee Proposal & Budget Allocation*

• Reasonableness, clarity, and transparency of the proposed rate structure/fee schedule within the not-to-exceed ceiling of $125,000.00.

• Alignment and value of the proposed budget breakdown across strategic planning, collateral design, digital production, and media placement.

• Tangible value delivered relative to professional agency hourly billing versus pass-through production costs.

*Response required

7.6. Past Performance & References*

• Documented reference checks from comparable clients (economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, municipalities, industrial development authorities, or port/airport entities).

17 | P a g e

• Verifiable, measurable outcomes from past client campaigns (leads generated, prospect inquiries, site visits, earned media placements, and engagement conversion metrics).

*Response required

7.7. Non-Collusion*

Respondent confirms that it has entered into no agreement to commit a fraudulent, deceitful, unlawful, or wrongful act, or any act which may result in an unfair advantage over other respondents. See Florida Statute

838.22.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.8. Please provide proof of registration with State of Florida Division of Corporations* *Response required

7.9. Please provide copy of current insurance declaration page. * *Response required

7.10. Sworn Statement Public Entity Crimes*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Sworn_Statement_Public_Enti...

*Response required

7.11. Scrutinized Contractors Certificate*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Scrutinized_contractors_cer...

*Response required

7.12. Conflict of Interest Form*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Conflict_of_Interest.pdf

*Response required

7.13. Please confirm that you have read and understand the information contained herein. * ☐ Please confirm

*Response required https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/63268/bdc84a00-8127-48a2-ba1c-78febaa634c3_Sworn_Statement_Public_Entity_Crimes.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4BEAXSZJE%2F20260928%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260928T130002Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEG0aCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIQDRTr6SOJztPoDMd6O1RWrtinamTt75IcIlT%2FqLTwh5qQIgMNf6s%2FmDSaQQfEIkXl9R2SFfzbkvUL8ougIiEHNtlvsqjAUINRACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDJBs8ZElfMesh0521irpBM9A71s1pdtv%2F%2BZO4BgydlIu51bifS3UxZHYwb%2BUvRdDfyjTaiXcrjITgXY6Q%2F148OTQTIa4gJAgBO%2FMVP2CXs6%2FafqFaFON%2BrB4LraM3Sx90DL%2FJwORu4g%2BLFj8xjP7Hw9s3anAPGrLicIR5z39BLUUxqMcnO%2Baq%2FARb6Nc8ItcL3dRIKiEnBsotXpUpCZTQkLUZCwJDO%2BQaSZ469ZZFViEsdn%2FZ9rYnThW%2BlfchiO0Av3biaegEX5ByhwwtwNxIffvFeDAvyc1u8m998dY8r9Ws7DLOcmYjS6bzQ%2FGKEZ0fije3sbmnQRp1whrf96PycrNaEQcQl56iy0ihajmYWTWaxZdvXAQi7XycfdlIVLPJoDQuSRXgbeird5C4xzmmoW7KeyT2jKsFhQ7ArmpB7rCgVogmPfwJUpkmBxAzjoxn0bgqYmM9a4w2c0RB37cN5PxyB6VyaM%2Fm7Z7UjYbPuo%2F7MvHvzzLx4pa3R5PnGQUtoZSYb7USGv21d1WSNxyi6BC73GBVjAhtFF1h0n0uyFR6jP%2BqvvJZOMOKj3lAKazMitZhs4c6ca0m9DqKbuQQ%2FTzQv2bewdIpsz2wn5Eer5uz6OVQm8FJ3poe0%2Fy1NP24H4IfdtLvweiFWniFiwB74nwRoQMy8qaCxexFkNKoMP%2F1KVylLHv7jxw%2BfMyTR%2FALSyVol41YA6Z1zo8wKXHoIr2s59Noq7gMCOhTEQs5MQKgrhlQDMoNOeg%2BSV1p6Lwbo0ToFeqWpcyTLGN2KA8uQTTlXAi43cywnvQMSoHf9rZklOdS2FmWxPSDNmu1iCQ%2BtYB0PhzQRTeMJnB6dUGOpkByIJv%2BeGM2adEdczQ1%2FLp0%2Fwj7018ebduPHZo9Ma2yzBfj8Im%2BU21wXcs2GnePWzKJzxTbLTQeiNE9zI50dfjavDo%2B78eKyeviqvNQoPsB6j5HNLLgUWcqIOgQ6JCCjr9ISxJs%2B6YG1%2Fdik3LhRX%2FxBX6sHvDKQZ6Nu%2Fj9b5QLxyvKFUpCHNitfiozbLeTAb1pVFVc1N62AVl&X-Amz-Signature=a217ad487299f591b7d018f7bf2b90e2450ed278dcc8665d98c959d81bd866ca&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Sworn_Statement_Public_Entity_Crimes.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/73879/366ed020-fbe5-405b-8f00-4bbc78e244fd_Scrutinized_contractors_certificate.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4BEAXSZJE%2F20260928%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260928T130002Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEG0aCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIQDRTr6SOJztPoDMd6O1RWrtinamTt75IcIlT%2FqLTwh5qQIgMNf6s%2FmDSaQQfEIkXl9R2SFfzbkvUL8ougIiEHNtlvsqjAUINRACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDJBs8ZElfMesh0521irpBM9A71s1pdtv%2F%2BZO4BgydlIu51bifS3UxZHYwb%2BUvRdDfyjTaiXcrjITgXY6Q%2F148OTQTIa4gJAgBO%2FMVP2CXs6%2FafqFaFON%2BrB4LraM3Sx90DL%2FJwORu4g%2BLFj8xjP7Hw9s3anAPGrLicIR5z39BLUUxqMcnO%2Baq%2FARb6Nc8ItcL3dRIKiEnBsotXpUpCZTQkLUZCwJDO%2BQaSZ469ZZFViEsdn%2FZ9rYnThW%2BlfchiO0Av3biaegEX5ByhwwtwNxIffvFeDAvyc1u8m998dY8r9Ws7DLOcmYjS6bzQ%2FGKEZ0fije3sbmnQRp1whrf96PycrNaEQcQl56iy0ihajmYWTWaxZdvXAQi7XycfdlIVLPJoDQuSRXgbeird5C4xzmmoW7KeyT2jKsFhQ7ArmpB7rCgVogmPfwJUpkmBxAzjoxn0bgqYmM9a4w2c0RB37cN5PxyB6VyaM%2Fm7Z7UjYbPuo%2F7MvHvzzLx4pa3R5PnGQUtoZSYb7USGv21d1WSNxyi6BC73GBVjAhtFF1h0n0uyFR6jP%2BqvvJZOMOKj3lAKazMitZhs4c6ca0m9DqKbuQQ%2FTzQv2bewdIpsz2wn5Eer5uz6OVQm8FJ3poe0%2Fy1NP24H4IfdtLvweiFWniFiwB74nwRoQMy8qaCxexFkNKoMP%2F1KVylLHv7jxw%2BfMyTR%2FALSyVol41YA6Z1zo8wKXHoIr2s59Noq7gMCOhTEQs5MQKgrhlQDMoNOeg%2BSV1p6Lwbo0ToFeqWpcyTLGN2KA8uQTTlXAi43cywnvQMSoHf9rZklOdS2FmWxPSDNmu1iCQ%2BtYB0PhzQRTeMJnB6dUGOpkByIJv%2BeGM2adEdczQ1%2FLp0%2Fwj7018ebduPHZo9Ma2yzBfj8Im%2BU21wXcs2GnePWzKJzxTbLTQeiNE9zI50dfjavDo%2B78eKyeviqvNQoPsB6j5HNLLgUWcqIOgQ6JCCjr9ISxJs%2B6YG1%2Fdik3LhRX%2FxBX6sHvDKQZ6Nu%2Fj9b5QLxyvKFUpCHNitfiozbLeTAb1pVFVc1N62AVl&X-Amz-Signature=13ccec4d9806e53ab9aca75847ce7e9e705d02cb6b6643966ba464e41311102a&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Scrutinized_contractors_certificate.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/63268/3d024bad-852a-417f-aa6b-248dca843266_Conflict_of_Interest.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4BEAXSZJE%2F20260928%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260928T130002Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEG0aCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIQDRTr6SOJztPoDMd6O1RWrtinamTt75IcIlT%2FqLTwh5qQIgMNf6s%2FmDSaQQfEIkXl9R2SFfzbkvUL8ougIiEHNtlvsqjAUINRACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDJBs8ZElfMesh0521irpBM9A71s1pdtv%2F%2BZO4BgydlIu51bifS3UxZHYwb%2BUvRdDfyjTaiXcrjITgXY6Q%2F148OTQTIa4gJAgBO%2FMVP2CXs6%2FafqFaFON%2BrB4LraM3Sx90DL%2FJwORu4g%2BLFj8xjP7Hw9s3anAPGrLicIR5z39BLUUxqMcnO%2Baq%2FARb6Nc8ItcL3dRIKiEnBsotXpUpCZTQkLUZCwJDO%2BQaSZ469ZZFViEsdn%2FZ9rYnThW%2BlfchiO0Av3biaegEX5ByhwwtwNxIffvFeDAvyc1u8m998dY8r9Ws7DLOcmYjS6bzQ%2FGKEZ0fije3sbmnQRp1whrf96PycrNaEQcQl56iy0ihajmYWTWaxZdvXAQi7XycfdlIVLPJoDQuSRXgbeird5C4xzmmoW7KeyT2jKsFhQ7ArmpB7rCgVogmPfwJUpkmBxAzjoxn0bgqYmM9a4w2c0RB37cN5PxyB6VyaM%2Fm7Z7UjYbPuo%2F7MvHvzzLx4pa3R5PnGQUtoZSYb7USGv21d1WSNxyi6BC73GBVjAhtFF1h0n0uyFR6jP%2BqvvJZOMOKj3lAKazMitZhs4c6ca0m9DqKbuQQ%2FTzQv2bewdIpsz2wn5Eer5uz6OVQm8FJ3poe0%2Fy1NP24H4IfdtLvweiFWniFiwB74nwRoQMy8qaCxexFkNKoMP%2F1KVylLHv7jxw%2BfMyTR%2FALSyVol41YA6Z1zo8wKXHoIr2s59Noq7gMCOhTEQs5MQKgrhlQDMoNOeg%2BSV1p6Lwbo0ToFeqWpcyTLGN2KA8uQTTlXAi43cywnvQMSoHf9rZklOdS2FmWxPSDNmu1iCQ%2BtYB0PhzQRTeMJnB6dUGOpkByIJv%2BeGM2adEdczQ1%2FLp0%2Fwj7018ebduPHZo9Ma2yzBfj8Im%2BU21wXcs2GnePWzKJzxTbLTQeiNE9zI50dfjavDo%2B78eKyeviqvNQoPsB6j5HNLLgUWcqIOgQ6JCCjr9ISxJs%2B6YG1%2Fdik3LhRX%2FxBX6sHvDKQZ6Nu%2Fj9b5QLxyvKFUpCHNitfiozbLeTAb1pVFVc1N62AVl&X-Amz-Signature=ab1c4e9220677b437464a7e7f82b7f6331a461b04d72b65fce1a650817ab353f&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Conflict_of_Interest.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject