RFP 03.18.25. UPDATED for B-46592 .docx

Illinois Department of Public Health Request for Proposal IDPH Media Adveritising RFP

25-482DPH-HLTHP-B-46592

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

A.1.1. The Illinois Department of Public Health ("IDPH," "Agency") is seeking a vendor to assist in the planning and execution of public relations and marketing programs. The offeror will advise the IDPH and facilitate the purchase of media, including sharing graphics with existing platforms, purchasing new graphics/platforms, and organizing the public release of all publications created through or for the IDPH Communications Office. These programs have the potential to significantly impact the department's initiatives, educating residents and visitors about the importance of good health and encouraging them to take the necessary steps to maintain and improve health outcomes individually and collectively for themselves, their families, and their communities. The programs will encompass local and regional healthcare concerns and campaigns. The offeror will include marketing to niche population segments such as multicultural groups, including but not limited to African Americans, LatinX/Hispanics, LGBTQIA+, communities that are traditionally hard to reach with public health communications, local health care departments, professional associations, community-based organizations (CBOs), and other key stakeholder groups. The offeror will create and produce the content, advising on the best platforms to reach target audiences and facilitate placement of creative content with media outlets including, but not limited to, print, electronic, Out of Home, digital, and social platforms.

A.1.2. The IDPH Communications Office is charged with transparency and consistent communication focused on current events and evolving service delivery programs to Illinois citizens. IDPH desires to provide the residents of Illinois with engaging and memorable content that has widespread focused coverage and promotes program awareness. The outcome of this project will be the creation, production, and delivery of IDPH outreach, messaging, and advertisement for IDPH programs through a partner vendor that encompasses multicultural and multiple advertisement avenues and social media markets across the state.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

IDPH’s most recent campaigns, “On the Fence” and “Tis the Sneezin’,” have issued a call to action, encouraging people to get vaccinations against three well-known and aggressive viruses: COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The messaging, reflective of a decrease in case rates and vaccination uptake across the state, has transitioned from thoughtful and somber (“On the Fence”) to light-hearted and humorous (“Tis the Sneezin’ “) over the last three years while still conveying the importance of vaccines. The campaigns have been very successful, as evidenced by the data and analytics compiled by IDPH. The campaigns have shown the impact of marketing and public relations on influencing the public by educating, raising awareness, and compelling people to take action. Now, the agency is looking to transition from a singular-cause contractual partnership to a broader association that will support and advance the overall mission of IDPH: advocation for and partnering with the people of Illinois to promote health equity, prevent and protect against disease and injury, and prepare for health emergencies.

IDPH is looking to expand the utilization of advertising and public relations principles to enhance advocacy to improve public health. IDPH desires that the expanded use of these principles grasps the core tenants of messaging and positioning while potentially creating innovative, compelling, iconic, and persuasive campaigns poised to best represent our role as partners and advocates with all Illinoisans.

IDPH will continue working with the 97 local health departments, industry leaders, state, regional, and national officials, as well as our community-based partners (CBOs) and grantees to serve the health care needs of the state of Illinois through research-based, data-driven efforts as well as through our various grant programs. The current IDPH respiratory disease advertising vendor contract ended on June 30, 2024. The goal is to select a vendor that can immediately and seamlessly transition to aid IDPH with the management and execution of ongoing programs and begin planning future efforts.

The resulting contract with the awarded Offeror will have an initial term of 60 months beginning on the date of final contract execution. In no event will the total term of the contract, including the initial term, any renewal terms, and any extensions, exceed ten (10) years. 30 ILCS 500/20-60. Subject to this maximum total term limitation, The State has the option to renew for the following term: iin either one year renewal or any combination up to a 5 years.

Please read the entire solicitation package and submit an Offer in accordance with the instructions. All forms and signature areas contained in the solicitation package must be completed in full and submitted along with the technical response and price proposal, which combined, will constitute the Offer. Do not submit the instruction pages with the Offer.

A.3. SCHEDULE

Procurement Schedule

DISCLAIMER: ALL DATES ARE ESTIMATED AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

A.4. TERM

A.4.1. TERM OF THIS CONTRACT: The contract resulting from this procurement will have an initial term commencing upon the last date of signature of the Parties through sixty (60) months. In no event will the total term of the contract, including the initial term, any renewal terms, and any extensions, exceed ten (10) years. The vendor before the vendor shall not commence billable work in furtherance of the contract before the final execution of the contract except when permitted under 30 ILCS 500/20-80.

A.4.2. RENEWAL: Subject to the maximum total term identified above, the State has the option to renew for the following term(s): a total of five (5) years in one of the following manners:

· One renewal covering the entire renewal allowance,

· Individual one-year renewals up to and including the entire renewal allowance or

· Any combination of complete or partial-year renewals, including the entire renewal allowance.

A.4.2.1. The pricing for the renewal term(s) or the formula for determining price is in the Pricing section of this solicitation.

A.4.2.2. Any renewal of the resulting contract is subject to the same terms and conditions that apply to the initial term of the contract unless otherwise provided. The State may renew the contract for any or all of the option periods specified, may exercise any of the renewal options early, and may exercise more than one option at a time based on continuing need and favorable market conditions when in the best interest of the State. The contract may neither renew automatically nor renew solely at the vendor’s option.

Section B. CURRENT CONDITIONS

B.1. OVERVIEW & BACKGROUND

IDPH has maintained a contract with an agency/vendor during the past three years to create public awareness campaigns focusing on COVID-19. The focus was expanded in 2023 to include other respiratory viruses and related health issues. In evaluating the success of those campaigns, it was determined that a broader, more expansive contractual agreement would be beneficial in advancing other campaigns and initiatives being undertaken by the department - to advocate for and partner with the people of Illinois to re-envision health policy and promote health equity, prevent and protect against disease and injury, and prepare for health emergencies. This broader agreement would encompass full-service public relations, marketing and advertising across owned, earned, paid, digital and social media platforms with creative content creation, development, production, and placement.

B.2. VOLUMES & QUANTITIES

Past campaigns were limited to initiatives within one office or programmatic area. This broader agreement will focus on initiatives within up to eight programmatic areas and over-arching IDPH areas of focus, such as employee recruitment and retention, health disparities, and other community health issues that impact the entire state.

B.3. AREAS OF CONCERN/CHALLENGES

The department recognizes opportunities to engage more fully in data gathering and translating those insights into outreach to diverse audiences, and will look to the Offeror to assess and respond strategically to these opportunities. Additionally, Offeror will continuously address and dismantle misinformation and disinformation through messaging and content creation, which will be a key priority and concern. Finally, Offeror will combat the mistrust of government agencies and their messages within historically overlooked or marginalized communities. This is an ongoing area of concern that will also need to be addressed continuously.

B.4. STRENGTHS

The department's heightened visibility during the pandemic has been leveraged to create inroads into communities and partnerships with CBOs that still need to be part of the broader public health conversation. Additionally, stronger relationships with the 97 local health departments across the state have also served to advance IDPH messaging.

Section C. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Only Electronic Submissions through BidBuy of Offers will be Accepted

C.1. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT

The Offeror shall submit the listed documents in BidBuy under the Attachments tab in the appropriate “Required Attachments” spaces.

· Vendor Disclosure or IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure

· Offer to State (Including Subcontractor Disclosure and Where Services are to be performed, found in BidBuy Attachments.)

· Technical Response

· Commitment to Diversity

· BEP Utilization Plan Blank documents may be found on the Chief Procurement Officer for General Service’s website at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html and on the BidBuy posting under “File Attachments:” Business Enterprise Program/Veterans Small Business Program Utilization Plan may be downloaded from the Commission on Equity and Inclusion’s website athttps://cei.illinois.gov/purchasing-entity-resources/compliance.html.

Failure to submit Vendor Disclosure or IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, as applicable, and the Utilization Plan(s), as appropriate, with the Offer submitted in BidBuy shall render the Offer non-responsive.

Offerors are required to submit their response to the State’s solicitation through BidBuy. Any information sent to the State outside of BidBuy, for example, by US Mail, FedEx, UPS, e-mail, or hand delivery, will neither be accepted nor considered. Offeror submissions will only be considered if received through BidBuy and on or before the time and date indicated as the “Bid Opening Date” on the BidBuy posting. Any required attachments must be submitted via BidBuy.

Price entries on the Items tab will be locked automatically upon submission of the quote. Entering cost, pricing or discount information in the Alternate Description may result in disqualification. If the agency requires pricing to be submitted in an attachment, Offeror shall upload pricing under the “Required Documents” section on the Attachments tab and check the box “Does the attachment contain any pricing, cost or discount information?”. Failure to check this box allows your pricing to be viewed when bids are opened and will result in disqualification of your offer. NOTE: Do not check “Does the attachment contain any pricing, cost or discount information” if the attachment does NOT include pricing, cost, or discount information.

Documents shall be submitted in an electronic format that is accessible and readable using Microsoft Office suite software or Adobe Reader. Corrupted files shall not be considered. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check that files are accessible and legible after uploading.

The Offeror is solely responsible for ensuring timely submission of their electronic solicitation response. Failure to allow adequate time prior to the Bid Opening Date to complete and submit a response to a solicitation, particularly in the event technical support assistance from the State is required, places the Offeror and their offer or response at risk of not being accepted.

The State encourages the Offeror to ensure that their BidBuy account is up-to-date. It is recommended that you access your BidBuy account prior to the solicitation due date and time to make sure that your company’s information is up-to-date and your password is current. Files may be uploaded at any time prior to submission.

File size may impact the uploading and downloading speed and may lead to browser time-outs, resulting in failed upload/download attempts. Please consider this dependency when attaching very large documents.

OFFEROR INSTRUCTIONS TO SUBMIT IN BIDBUY

Create Quote:

Note: any pricing entered in the Unit Cost of the Items Tab will be locked until after Technical Evaluations take place. Do not enter cost, pricing, or any discount information in the Alternate Description field. Entering cost, pricing or discount information in the Alternate Description may result in disqualification.

Note: If taking any exceptions to Standard Terms and Conditions an offeror must submit a redline version of the Standard Terms and Conditions with their proposal.

: “Upload” (next to each required attachment) : “Choose File” Note: If a pricing document is required, mark the box next to the question, “Does this attachment contain any pricing, cost, or discount information?”

Failure to mark this box when attaching a pricing document will result in disqualification.

Check this box ONLY if a separate pricing document is required.

Do NOT check this box for any other required quote attachment such as the Technical Proposal, Vendor Disclosure / IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, or Utilization Plan(s), or Offer.

Offerors may also view the “Request for Proposal (RFP) Vendor Submission Instructions” video found at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/vendor-resources.html

C.2. DUE DATE AND TIME FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFERS

Each solicitation contains the offer due date and time, which appears as the “Bid Opening Date” on the BidBuy posting. Offeror shall submit Offers in BidBuy, and the State shall open Offers electronically in BidBuy on the “Bid Opening Date”. The Offer must remain firm for 180 days from opening.

C.3. CONFLICT BETWEEN INFORMATION IN ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS AND ON BIDBUY

If the State provides information in electronic documents (i.e., the RFP and other attachments) that is different or in conflict with the information the State provides on BidBuy, then the information in electronic documents is presumed to represent the State’s intent. If the Offeror provides information in electronic documents that is different or in conflict with the information the Offeror provides in BidBuy through their Seller Account, then the information in electronic documents shall represent the Offeror’s intended submission.

C.4. PUBLISHED PROCUREMENT INFORMATION

The State publishes procurement information, including solicitations, awards, and amendments, on the Chief Procurement Officer for General Services’ Illinois Procurement Bulletin, known as the Bulletin or BidBuy (https://www.bidbuy.illinois.gov/bso/). Procurement information may not be available in any other form or location. The offeror is responsible for monitoring BidBuy. The State will not be held responsible if Offeror fails to receive the optional e-mail notice of future amendments to the solicitation.

C.5. INFORMATION CONTACT

The individual listed in the “Info Contact:” field on the BidBuy posting shall be the single point of contact for this solicitation. Unless otherwise directed, Offeror should only communicate with the Information Contact. The State/Agency shall not be held responsible for information provided by or to any other person.

Suspected errors should be immediately reported to the Information Contact. Do not discuss, directly or indirectly, the solicitation or any Offer with any State officer or employee other than the Information Contact.

C.6. OFFEROR QUESTIONS AND AGENCY RESPONSE

All questions pertaining to this solicitation, other than questions raised at the Pre-Submission Conference, must be submitted in writing to the Information Contact no later than February 24th, 2025, at 2:00 PM CST. Questions received and Agency responses may be posted as a Bid Amendment to the original solicitation on BidBuy; only these posted answers to questions shall be binding on the State. The offeror is responsible for monitoring BidBuy and BidBuy email notifications.

C.7. PRE-SUBMISSION CONFERENCE

The Agency may conduct a non-mandatory Pre-Submission Conference, listed in the “Pre-Bid Conference:” field of the BidBuy posting. Please refer to BidBuy for this information.

C.8. BUSINESS ENTERPRISE FOR MINORITIES, WOMEN, AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT PARTICIPATION AND UTILIZATION PLAN

The BidBuy posting indicates whether this solicitation contains a goal to include businesses owned and controlled by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. If this solicitation contains a goal, then failure to complete and submit a Utilization Plan, including documentation demonstrating good faith efforts when requesting a waiver, shall render the Offer non-responsive. 30 ILCS 575/4(e). All questions regarding the subcontracting goal must be directed to the Information Contact indicated in BidBuy no later than September 9, 2024, at 3:00 PM CST. See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.

BEP Goal: 13% Go to https://cei.illinois.gov/purchasing-entity-resources/compliance.html for complete requirements for BEP certification. Go to State of Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion at https://supplierdiversitymanagementportal.illinois.gov/home.aspxto search for certified BEP vendors.

Go to https://cei.illinois.gov/veterans-business-program.html for complete requirements for Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) or Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certification. Go to State of Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion at https://ceibep.diversitysoftware.com/ to search for certified VOSB and SDVOSB vendors.

C.9. SECURITY

Bid/Performance Bond: $N/A. If a bond is required, Offeror must submit the Bid Bond with your offer or Performance Bond to the Information Contact within ten (10) days after contract execution. The bond must be from a surety licensed to do business in Illinois. An irrevocable letter of credit is an acceptable substitute. The form of security must be acceptable to the State.

C.10. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Standard Terms and Conditions will become a part of any resulting contract. To view the Standard Terms and Conditions, please go to https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html.

Section D.

EVALUATION PROCEDURES

D.1. EVALUATION PROCESS

D.1. EVALUATION PROCESS

The State assesses each Offer for Responsibility (E.10) and Responsiveness. The State considers the information provided and the quality of that information when assessing Offers. If the State finds a failure or deficiency, the State may reject the Offer or reflect the failure or deficiency in the assessment.

Each proposal has three scored parts – technical, commitment to diversity, and pricing. Each part of the proposal is evaluated and ranked independently of the other parts of the proposal. The results of the evaluation of all three parts shall be used in ranking the proposals.

The State may award to the most responsive and responsible offeror whose offer best meets the specified criteria.

D.2. RESPONSIVENESS

A responsive offeror submits an offer that conforms in all material respects to the Request for Proposal and includes all required forms.

D.2.1. The State will determine whether the Offeror complied with the offer submission instructions. Except for late submissions and other requirements that by law must be part of the submission, the State may require that an Offeror correct deficiency as a condition of further evaluation.

D.2.2. Subcontractor Disclosure: If the Offer includes any subcontractors, then the Offeror shall complete the Subcontractor Disclosure section of the Offer to the State of Illinois.

D.2.3. If completing IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, then responsiveness may include and may not be limited to:

· Active Illinois Procurement Gateway registration # with expiration date

· Certifications timely to this solicitation

· Disclosure of lobbyists for Offeror and parent entity(ies)

· Disclosure of pending and current contracts

D.2.4. If completing Vendor Disclosure, required parts may include and may not be limited to:

D.2.5. The State will determine whether the Offer meets the stated Technical requirements. Minor differences or deviations that have negligible impact on the price or suitability of the supply or service to meet the State’s needs may be accepted or corrected as allowed by the State. If no offeror meets a particular Technical requirement, the State may waive that requirement.

D.2.6. When the specification calls for “Brand Name or Equal,” the brand name product is acceptable. Other products will be considered with proof that the other product meets stated specifications and is equivalent to the brand product in terms of quality, performance, and desired characteristics.

D.3. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

Sections F.1, F.2, F.3, and F.4 describe the technical requirements. The State evaluates the Technical Requirements without considering price.

D.3.1. The Total Number of Points Available for Technical Requirements includes 1675.

D.3.2. Offeror shall complete and return Sections F.1., F.2., F.3.

D.3.3. Relative Weight in Point Format

D.4. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY ELEMENTS

Sections 20-15 and 35-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/) require offerors to be evaluated on their commitment to diversity. The points available for Commitment to Diversity are described in Section F.4. and are equivalent to 20% of the Technical Requirements points. The State evaluates Commitment to Diversity without consideration of price.

D.4.1. The total number of points for Commitment to Diversity 335 (20% D.3.1.)

D.4.2. Offeror shall complete and return Section F.4 Commitment to Diversity

Commitment to Diversity Categories

Category 1 – BEP Compliance - Whether or how well the Offeror meets this solicitation’s goal of contracting or subcontracting with businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. 5%

Category 2 – Subcontracting/Contracting with any WMD businesses (not limited to BEP vendors) - Whether the Offeror assisted businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. 10%

Category 3 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Spend – Offeror’s percentage of business, education, and/or community spend from the prior calendar year gross revenue that involves firms owned by women, minorities, and/or persons with disabilities. The assisted businesses are not required to be certified in the Illinois Business Enterprise Program. 20%

Category 4 – DEI Time - Offeror’s hours spent in the prior calendar year promoting DEI in the workplace, the community, education institutes, or supporting businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. The assisted business is not required to be certified in the Illinois Business Enterprise Program. The success or failure of each event does not impact the points achieved. The event may be voluntary or paid time. 20%

Category 5 – DEI Policies – The Entity has provided a written copy of, or link to, their current written workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion policy. Policies must be actionable plans, not overarching concepts around DEI. 10%

Category 6 – Diversity in Staffing - % of individuals on the governing board and/ or Senior executives out of all staff who identify as women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. 10% % of individuals in management /supervisor positions out of all staff who identify as women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. 13% % of total staff who identify as women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. 12%

D.5. MINIMUM REQUIRED POINTS

Requests for Proposals may specify that offerors must receive a minimum of points in their combined technical and Commitment to Diversity proposals to be considered for price evaluation and award.

The State determines how well offers meet the Technical and Commitment to Diversity requirements and ranks them from best to least qualified using a point ranking system (unless otherwise specified) to aid in evaluation. Offerors who receive fewer than the minimum required points will not be considered for price evaluation and award.

D.5.1. The total number of available points for Technical and Commitment to Diversity is 1335.

D.5.2. A minimum of 1001 (75% D.5.1) of the available (Technical and Commitment to Diversity) points is required to be eligible for demonstrations.

D.6. PRICE

The State opens Price proposals after evaluating all Technical and Commitment to Diversity proposals.

If the State does not consider the price fair and reasonable and negotiations fail to meet an acceptable price, the State reserves the right to cancel the award and take appropriate action to meet the state's needs. The State determines whether the price is fair and reasonable by considering the offer, including the offeror's qualifications, reputation, all price proposals submitted, other known prices, the project budget, and other relevant factors.

D.6.1. The total number of points for Price is 100.

D.6.2. The State will determine Price points using the following formula:

Maximum Price Points X (Lowest Price/Offeror’s Price) = Total Price Points

D.7. MAXIMUM AVAILABLE POINTS

The maximum number of points is 1000 (Technical) + IS NOW 335 (Commitment to Diversity) + 675 (Demo) + 100 (Price) = 2110 maximum available points.

Section E. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

E.1. GOVERNING LAW AND FORUM

Illinois law and rules govern this solicitation and any resulting contract. The Offeror must bring any action relating to this solicitation or any resulting contract to the appropriate court in Illinois. This document contains statutory references designated with “ILCS.” To view the full text, go to http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.asp. The Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500) and the Standard Procurement Rules (44 ILL. ADM. CODE PART 1) apply to this solicitation. To view them respectively, go to http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=532&ChapterID=7) and https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/044/044parts.html

E.2. PUBLIC RECORDS AND REQUESTS FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT

Offers become the property of the State. All offers will be open to the public under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 ILCS 140) and other applicable laws and rules, unless Offeror requests in its Offer that the State treat certain information as confidential. A request for confidential treatment will not supersede the State’s legal obligations under FOIA. The State will not honor requests to keep entire Offers confidential. Offerors must show the specific grounds in FOIA or other law or rule that support confidential treatment. Regardless, the State will disclose the successful Offeror’s name, the substance of the Offer, and the price.

If the Offeror requests confidential treatment, the Offeror must submit additional copy/copies (see Instructions for Submission of Offers in Section C.) of the Offer with proposed confidential information redacted. This redacted copy must tell the general nature of the material removed and shall retain as much of the Offer as possible. In a separate attachment, Offeror shall supply a listing of the provisions identified by section number for which it seeks confidential treatment and identify the statutory basis or bases under Illinois law, including a detailed justification for exempting the information from public disclosure.

Offeror will hold harmless and indemnify the State for all costs or damages associated with the State defending Offeror’s request for confidential treatment. Offeror agrees that the State may copy the Offer to facilitate evaluation, or to respond to requests for public records. Offeror warrants that such copying will not violate the rights of any third party.

E.3. MINORITY CONTRACTOR INITIATIVE

The State requires a fee of $15 to cover expenses related to the administration of the Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative. Any offeror awarded a contract of $1,000 or more under Section 20-10, 20-15, 20-25 or 20-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500) is required to pay a fee of $15. The Comptroller shall deduct the fee from the first check issued to the Vendor under the contract and deposit the fee in the Comptroller’s Administrative Fund. 15 ILCS 405/23.9.

E.4. FEDERAL FUNDS

The resulting contract may be partially or totally funded with Federal funds. Upon notice of intent to award, the percentage of supplies and/or services involved that are Federally funded and the dollar amount of such Federal funds will be disclosed.

E.5. EMPLOYMENT TAX CREDIT

Offerors who hire qualified veterans and certain ex-offenders may be eligible for tax credits. 30 ILCS 500/45-67 and 45-70. Please contact the Illinois Department of Revenue (217-524-4772) for information about tax credits [35 ILCS 5/216, 5/217].

E.6. RESERVATIONS

Offeror must read and understand the solicitation and tailor the Offer and all activities to ensure compliance. The State reserves the right to amend the solicitation, reject any or all offers, award by item/services, group of items/services, or grand total, and waive minor defects. The State may request a clarification, inspect Offeror’s premises, interview staff, request a presentation, or otherwise verify the contents of the Offer, including information about subcontractors and suppliers. The State may request Best & Final Offers when appropriate. The State will make all decisions on compliance, evaluation, and terms and conditions, and shall make decisions in the best interests of the State and in accordance with the Illinois Procurement Code, rules and other applicable State and Federal statutes and regulations. This competitive process may require that Offeror provide additional information and otherwise cooperate with the State. If an offeror does not comply with requests for information and cooperate, the State may reject the offer as non-responsive to the solicitation. Submitting an offer does not entitle Offeror to an award or a contract. Posting a vendor’s name in a Bulletin notice does not entitle the vendor to a contract. The State is not responsible for and will not pay any costs associated with the preparation and submission of any offer.

Awarded Offeror(s) shall not commence and will not be paid for any billable work undertaken prior to the date all parties execute the contract, unless approved in writing in advance by the State Purchasing Officer or the Chief Procurement Officer (or designee).

E.7. AWARD

The State is not obligated to award a contract pursuant to this solicitation. If the State issues an award, the award will be made to the responsive and responsible offeror whose offer best meets the specified criteria unless otherwise permitted by the Illinois Procurement Code and Illinois Administrative Code. However, if the State does not consider the price to be fair and reasonable and negotiations fail to meet an acceptable price, then the State reserves the right to cancel the award and take appropriate action to meet the needs of the State. The State will determine whether the price is fair and reasonable by considering the offer, including the offeror's qualifications, the offeror's reputation, all prices submitted, other known prices, the project budget and other relevant factors. The State will post a notice to the Bulletin identifying the apparent most responsive and responsible offeror.

E.8. INVOICING ADDRESS

The awarded Vendor shall invoice at the completion of the contract unless invoicing is tied in the contract to milestones, deliverables, or other invoicing requirements agreed to in the contract. The Bulletin posting contains the “Bill-to Address:” where invoices should be sent.

Vendor shall not bill for any taxes unless accompanied by proof that the State is subject to the tax. If necessary, Vendor may request the applicable Agency’s Illinois tax exemption number and Federal tax exemption information.

E.9. PROTEST REVIEW OFFICE

Offeror may submit a written protest to the Protest Review Office following the requirements of the Standard Procurement Rules. 44 ILL. ADM. CODE 1.5550. For protests related to specifications, the Protest Review Office must physically receive the protest no later than fourteen (14) days after the solicitation or related addendum was posted to the Bulletin. For protests related to rejection of individual proposals or awards, the protest must be received by close of business no later than fourteen (14) days after the protesting party knows or should have known of the facts giving rise to the protest. The Protest Review Office’s information is as follows:

Chief Procurement Office Attn: Protest Review Office Email: cpogs.pro@illinois.gov

E.10. RESPONSIBILITY

A responsible Offeror is one who has the capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements and who has the integrity and reliability that will assure good faith performance. The State determines whether the Offeror is a “responsible” offeror; an offeror with whom the State can or should do business. For example, the State may consider the following:

E.10.1. A “prohibited bidder” includes any person assisting an employee of the State of Illinois by reviewing, drafting, directing, or preparing any invitation for bids, a request for proposal, or request of information, or providing similar assistance unless such assistance was part of a publicly issued opportunity to review drafts of all or part of these documents. For purposes of this section, an employee of the State of Illinois means one who, by the nature of his or her duties, has the authority to participate personally and substantially in the decision to award a State contract. No person or business shall submit specifications to a State agency unless requested to do so by an employee of the State. No person or business that contracts with a State agency to write specifications for a particular procurement need shall submit a bid or proposal or receive a contract for that procurement need.

Nothing herein is intended to prohibit a vendor from bidding or offering to supply developing technology, supplies or services after providing the State with a demonstration of the developing technology, supplies, or services; provided the subject of the demonstration to the State represents industry trends and innovation and is not specifically designed to meet the State's needs. Nothing herein is intended to prohibit a person or business from submitting a bid or offer or entering into a contract if the person or business: (i) initiates a communication with an employee to provide general information about products, services, or industry best practices and, if applicable, that communication is documented in accordance with Section 50-39 of the Illinois Procurement Code or (ii) responds to a communication initiated by an employee of the State for the purposes of providing information to evaluate new products, trends, services, or technologies.

E.10.2. Other factors that the State may use to evaluate to determine responsibility include, but are not limited to: political contributions, certifications, conflict of interest, financial disclosures, taxpayer identification number, past performance in business or industry, references (including those found outside the Offer), compliance with applicable laws, financial responsibility, insurability, effective equal opportunity compliance, payment of prevailing wages if required by law, capacity to produce or sources of supply, and the ability to provide required maintenance service or other matters relating to the offeror’s ability to deliver in the quality and quantity within the time and price as specified in this solicitation.

E.10.3. Awarded offerors must always have sufficient financial resources, in the opinion of the State, to ensure the performance of the contract and must provide proof upon request. The State may require a performance bond if, in the State's opinion, it ensures the performance of the contract. The State may terminate the contract, consistent with the termination for cause provision of the contract, if the vendor lacks the financial resources to perform under the contract.

E.10.4. The State may require that an offeror correct any deficiencies as a condition of further evaluation.

E.10.5. BidBuy Terminology and Guidance: BidBuy is an online e-procurement system. There may be some difference between the procurement terminology used in this solicitation and the terms used in BidBuy. Please learn more about BidBuy by accessing the online resources found here:

https://www2.illinois.gov/cpo/PathwayToProcurement/Pages/Guides-and-Manuals.aspx

Section F. PROPOSAL FORMS Offeror must complete and return:

· The following three (3) tables of Technical Requirements: Mandatory Requirements without Evidence (Section F.1), Mandatory Requirements with Evidence (Section F.2), and Proposed Technical Solution (Section F.3)

· Commitment to Diversity (Section F.4)

· Offer to the State of Illinois Please read and follow each instruction carefully.

F.1. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT EVIDENCE

Please read each item carefully and check “Agree,” indicating acceptance for each requirement in F.1. An Offeror that does not check “Agree” will be disqualified, and the rest of the proposal will not be scored. These Mandatory Requirements shall be included in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT EVIDENCE

F.1.1. The offeror will develop strategic plans to meet the needs of the Agency, which will ensure their ability to plan (based on the Agency’s needs), prepare, purchase/procure advertisement space/time for multiple sized coverages including, but not limited to Geographic Regions F.1.2. The offeror will develop strategic plans to meet the agency's needs, which will ensure their ability to plan (based on the Agency’s needs), prepare, and purchase/procure advertisement space/time for multiple-sized coverage, including, but not limited to, Race/ethnicity-based advertising markets such as Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, Asian, White/Caucasian, and any combination or other subsets of race/ethnicity.

F.1.3. The offeror will develop strategic plans to meet the needs of the Agency, which will ensure their ability to plan (based on the Agency’s needs), prepare, purchase/procure advertisement space/time for multiple-sized coverage including, but not limited to Community-based needs such as Emergency response efforts or resources, Current events/local focus, Gender-based, Age-based, LGBTQ, and any combination or other subsets of Illinois diverse population.

F.1.4. The offeror will develop strategic plans to meet the needs of the Agency, which will ensure their ability to plan (based on the Agency’s needs), prepare, purchase/procure advertisement space/time for multiple sized coverages including, but not limited to Billing Reports to demonstrate cost-effectiveness, Cost analysis of advertisement Quantifiable metrics to support the success in outreach for advertising or focused populations or events.

F.1.5. The Offeror must have significant consumer experience where advertising supports building a brand while simultaneously driving a high volume of transactions . A general understanding of the public sector is necessary . Examples of where the Vendor has helped differentiate a brand in a highly competitive market of perceived "sameness" are of particular interest. Examples of the Vendor's experience creating effective marketing partnerships to maximize the client's budget are of interest but not required. Subcontractors are allowed, and where relevant, theOfferor shall provide examples of managing relationships with subcontractors on behalf of a client.

F.1.6. Full-service media planning and buying capabilities are required, either in-house or seamlessly integrated with an outside firm with which the Vendor has/or will have an established relationship.

F.1.7. The Vendor must have in-house digital services or an existing partnership to provide seamless digital services. At a minimum, the Vendor must be able to establish strategic alliances to deliver digital services. Services must include website design and maintenance, creating and maintaining databases, creating and executing online marketing campaigns, creating eNewsletters, and search functionality, optimization, and integration. Provide examples of the successful use of search engine optimization to achieve results for a client. The Vendor must be responsible for hosting, managing, and maintaining the image library for the IDPH, Office of Communications. This includes ensuring the image library is up-to-date, organized, and accessible. Demonstrating the capability to host, manage, and maintain the image library, videos, and the TOM database is essential.

F.1.8. The Vendor must have account planning experience. It is essential to know consumer interests and marketing trends, which include annual trends. to the offeror must oversee research projects on behalf of IDPH, Office of Communications, and translate large amounts of consumer research and data into effective marketing strategies and campaigns that deliver positive, measurable results.

F.1.9. The Vendor must have the ability to establish strategic partnerships to provide design services.

|_| Agree

|_| Agree

F.2. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITH EVIDENCE

Please check “Met” to each of the mandatory requirements for the proposed solution. An Offeror that does not provide substantiating evidence for each requirement will be disqualified and the rest of the proposal will not be scored.

These Mandatory Requirements shall be included in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

Please provide substantiating evidence in your Proposed Technical Solution. Use the column on the right to indicate the section and page number where your evidence/response to each item may be found. The State will evaluate Offeror’s evidence/response to verify the mandatory requirement is met.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITH EVIDENCE

Proposal Section and Page Number

F.3. PROPOSED TECHNICAL SOLUTION – DESIRABLE ELEMENTS

Please explain how your organization meets or will meet each of the desirable elements. Use the column on the right to indicate your proposal's section and page number where your response to each item may be found.

F.4. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

Commitment to Diversity Vendor Guidance, including Vendor Submission Forms are located on the Chief Procurement Officer for General Service’s website at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/commitment-to-diversity/c2d-guidance.html and on the BidBuy posting under “File Attachments:”

F.5.