Request for Proposal Oregon Retirement Savings Marketing Services

Contracting Entity: Oregon State Treasury Request Number: 170-4437-25

Open Date: 11/19/2025 Close Date: 1/30/2026

Single Point of Contact:

Michael Sztenderowicz Procurement Officer Oregon State Treasury 867 Hawthorne Ave SE Salem, OR 97301 purchasing@ost.state.or.us 503-378-6785

Oregon State Treasury 2 170-4437-25 DOJ Approved 1/22/19

Table of Contents

General Information Office of the State Treasurer and the Oregon State Treasury

The Office of the State Treasurer and the Oregon State Treasury strive to save taxpayers money and earn strong and sustainable risk-adjusted returns on investments. The Treasurer seeks to provide the highest value by improving the financial health of the state and Oregonians by being efficient, transparent, and accountable.

The Treasury is the state’s financial-services hub and manages an array of responsibilities including the investment of public funds and trust funds, issuing state bonds, proving financial and banking services to state agencies, and protecting public funds. The Treasurer also administers the Oregon Treasury Savings Network and the Oregon Retirement Savings Plan, the Oregon Unclaimed Property Program and the Oregon Estate Administration Program and provides staffing services to the Oregon Investment Council.

Statutory Authority Treasury is coordinating this solicitation on behalf of the Oregon Retirement Savings Board, which may purchase and contract for goods and services under ORS 178.205(2)(e).

Single Point of Contact If you have any questions related to this Request, you may only contact:

Michael Sztenderowicz Procurement Officer 867 Hawthorne Ave SE Salem, OR 97301 purchasing@ost.state.or.us 503-378-6785

If you send questions to any other Treasury employee, your proposal may be rejected.

Public Notice The Request and attachments are published in the State of Oregon’s electronic procurement system OregonBuys at https://oregonbuys.gov/. Documents will not be mailed to prospective Proposers.

Treasury may modify this Request by publishing a written Addenda to OregonBuys. You are solely responsible for checking OregonBuys to determine whether any Addenda have been issued. All published Addenda are hereby incorporated into this Request by reference.

Business Inclusion and Diversity Treasury encourages the participation of small businesses, certified by the Oregon Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID). This includes certified small businesses in the following categories: disadvantaged business enterprise, minority-owned business, woman-owned business, a business that a service-disabled veteran owns or an emerging small business. Treasury also encourages joint ventures or subcontracting with certified small business enterprises. For more information, visit:

https://oregon4biz.diversitysoftware.com/FrontEnd/VendorSearchPublic.asp?XID=6787&TN=oregon4biz

Procurement Information Introduction Treasury is using the Competitive Sealed Proposal method under OAR 170-002-0145, ORS 279B.060. Treasury is asking qualified vendors to submit proposals for an assessment and digital marketing plan for OregonSaves (Phase 1 Deliverables) and for the subsequent anticipated digital marketing services provided on the basis of the Phase 1 Deliverables (Phase 2 Deliverables). All firms submitting proposals in response to this RFP (“Proposal(s)”) are referred to as Proposers in this document; after negotiations, the awarded Proposer will be designated as Contractor.

Treasury anticipates the award of one contract to a single proposer from this RFP.

The initial term of the Contract is anticipated to be five (5) years with an option for unlimited renewals.

Program Overview The Oregon Retirement Savings Program (Program) was established by the Oregon Retirement Savings Board under the Oregon Revised Statutes 178.200 to 178.245 (the Act) to allow eligible individuals to contribute via payroll deductions to an OregonSaves Account established under the Program. This was the first auto-IRA program of its kind in the United States. The Program is administered through the Oregon State Treasury by the Oregon Treasury Savings Network team (Network). The Network is responsible for overseeing all vendors who support the Program, including Program Administrators, Investment Advisors, and Marketing firms.

The Act requires certain employers to facilitate the Program by providing their employees with the opportunity to save through payroll deductions unless the employer offers a Qualified Retirement Plan as specified in the Act. Employees are automatically enrolled in the Program unless they opt out of the Program within 30 days after notice of their enrollment has been provided to them. Once enrolled into the Program, an employee can opt out at any time by contacting the Program. Subject to the automatic enrollment features described in the Program Description, employee participation in the Program is completely voluntary.

Additionally, OregonSaves is open to any individual who is eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA. The Program offers participants an easy way to save through automatic payroll deductions. The OregonSaves Accounts in the Program are structured as Roth IRAs, providing the ability for tax deferred growth with the additional potential for tax-free withdrawals of contributions and qualified distributions of earnings. However, savers have the option of establishing their OregonSaves Account as a Traditional IRA, or if their OregonSaves Account has been established as a Roth IRA, directing the Program to establish a Traditional IRA for all subsequent contributions to their OregonSaves Account and completing by the applicable deadline a form to recharacterize contributions to the Roth IRA as contributions to the Traditional IRA. Unlike a Roth IRA, contributions to a Traditional IRA may be tax-deductible, but withdrawals of deductible contributions and investment earnings are taxed.

Project Overview and Purpose The Network is seeking to obtain a technical assessment and digital marketing plan that takes into account the retirement industry landscape and auto-IRA programs comparable to OregonSaves, with a focus on digital marketing opportunities. Since its inception, numerous other states have launched their own auto-IRA plans across the country. Since OregonSaves has become more established, the Network would like to ensure their continued understanding of the marketplace and how it can reach more savers.

Scope of Work The initial Contracted Phase 1 Deliverables will provide an assessment and digital marketing plan (the “Plan”) for the Network. The Contract may be amended to add or delete services, time, and consideration for additional phases of work including but not limited to the resulting implementation of the Plan including digital marketing services. Additional phases of work are contingent upon the Network’s needs and successful negotiation of work and consideration under a written amendment.

PHASE 1 – ASSESSMENT & PLANNING

The Phase 1 Deliverables consist of the assessment and planning phase, which encompasses research and discovery aimed at fully understanding the entire retirement industry in which the Network operates, with a focus on the technical and digital marketing landscape. This assessment should include, but not be limited to:

1. a technical assessment of how the retirement industry, and specifically the Network, can take advantage of all digital marketing opportunities,

2. how it should structure targeted campaigns to deliver specific messages directly to audience segments, and

3. how results will be tracked to demonstrate the effectiveness of the campaign.

The technical assessment should result in a Digital Marketing Plan that provides a:

1. detailed set of recommendations for a comprehensive digital marketing campaign;

2. recommendations on what software should be employed and any other technical integrations needed to achieve positive results.

All Phase 1 activities must be completed no later than September 30, 2026.

ANTICIPATED PHASE 2 – DIGITAL MARKETING

Phase 2 would implement the Network-approved Plan resulting from Phase 1 Deliverables and Contractor would provide digital marketing services to the Network as needed or required. This may take place in calendar year 2026, depending on the outcomes of Phase 1.

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DOJ Approved: 1/22/2019

Schedule The table below provides the specific date and time of, or deadline for, an event (Pacific time zones provided). If the date field is blank, then that event is not planned for this request.

Other Tentative Dates. The table below provides the approximate or tentative date of an event. If the date field is blank, then that event is not planned for this request.

Protests All protests must be made in writing in accordance with OAR 170-002-0300.

Protests must:

· Be delivered by email to the Single Point of Contact.

· Include a reference to 170-4437-25.

· Include your name and contact information.

· Be submitted by your authorized representative.

· State the reason for the protest, including:

· The grounds that demonstrate how the Procurement Process is contrary to law; and

· Evidence or documentation that supports the grounds of your protest.

· State your proposed changes to the Request provisions or other relief sought.

Request Protest: Must be received by 12:00 PM Pacific Time, not less than ten calendar days prior to the Request Close Date.

Award Protest: Must be received by 12:00 pm Pacific Time, not more than ten calendar days after the Notice of Intent to Award is issued.

Treasury Response to Protest: Treasury will respond to all protests within a reasonable time and will issue a written decision to the Proposer who submitted the protest. Treasury will not consider any protest that is submitted after the deadline or does not include the required information.

Qualification Requirements To qualify for further consideration, your Proposal must demonstrate how you meet all the requirements included in this section and its subsections.

Minimum Qualification Proposer should have at a minimum the following:

· At least 5 years of experience providing digital marketing

Proposer must agree to cooperate with the Treasury security vetting and review process. This requirement may be met by either providing Treasury with a copy of a SOC2 attestation for an SSAE SOC 2 audit conducted within the last 24 months or by fully completing and returning the Treasury Security Questionnaire Sections 1 and 2 (Attachment J). Proposer must also agree to respond to any follow-up questions Treasury may have as part of the security review process. Attachment K must be signed if a SOC2 audit report is available.

Licensing and Certification Requirements

Pay Equity Certification. If your Proposal exceeds $500,000, and you employ 50 or more full-time employees, you must have a Pay Equity Compliance Certificate issued by Oregon Department of Administrative Services prior to executing a contract with the {---Contracting Entity---}.

Instructions on how to obtain the certificate can be found at the following web address: www.oregon.gov/das/Procurement/Documents/SB491PayEquity.pdf.

Nondiscrimination in Employment. As a condition of receiving the award of a Contract under this Request, you must certify that you have a policy and practice of preventing sexual harassment, sexual assault, and discrimination against employees who are members of a protected class. The policy and practice must include giving employees a written notice of a policy that both prohibits, and prescribes disciplinary measures for, conduct that constitutes sexual harassment, sexual assault, or unlawful discrimination. Your requirement is met by completing and signing the Proposer Information and Certification Sheet (Attachment C).

Proposal Requirements Format, Quantity, and Delivery The following table applies to Proposals, Modifications, Withdrawals, and Protests. Email Delivery ONLY: You must provide the scanned or electronically generated original, signed Proposal. Proposals must be received by the Closing date and time.

Number of Pages (excluding Cover Page and Exhibits) The following items do not count toward the page limit:

· Disclosure Exemption Affidavit (Attachment B)

· Information and Certification Sheet (Attachment C)

· Reference Survey (Attachment D)

· Price Proposal (Attachment E)

· COBID Certification / Outreach Plan (Attachment F)

· Responsibility Inquiry (Attachment G)

· Checklist (Attachment H)

· OST Security Questionnaire (Attachment J)

· SOC2 Confirmation (Attachment K)

· Work samples [30 pages maximum]

Table Text: 10 point Footnoted Text: 9 point

If the submission requires more than one email, then you must include the Request Number and identify it as first, second etc. in the chain of e-mails in the subject line on each email sent. Example: 170-INV1000-2019; Email #1

General Requirements Proposals must address each of the requirements included in this Request. You must describe the Goods to be provided or the Services to be performed or both as required in the Scope of Work. A Proposal that merely offers to provide the Goods or Services as stated in this Request may be considered non-Responsive and may not be evaluated further.

The terms of your Proposal, including pricing, are valid and binding for 120 days from the Closing Date.

Proposals containing unsolicited marketing or advertising material may not be scored favorably if specific information is difficult to locate.

Vendors (i.e., Proposer) shall use recyclable products to the maximum extent economically feasible in the performance of the contract work set forth in this document.

Information and Certification Sheet Your Proposal must include the Information and Certification Sheet (Attachment C) providing that you have complied with the tax laws of this state or a political subdivision of this state, including but not limited to ORS 305.620 and ORS chapters 316, 317 and 318. Your Proposal may be found non-Responsive if you fail to demonstrate compliance with Oregon Tax Laws or do not sign the Proposer Information and Certification Sheet.

Public Records and Exemptions Proposals are public records and are subject to public inspection after Treasury issues the Notice of the Intent to Award. Treasury will keep a list of all Proposers and will release the list when required. Treasury will not disclose Proposals until it has issued the Notice of Intent to Award. If you believe any information contained in your Proposal is exempt from disclosure under the Oregon Public Records law (ORS 192.311 through 192.478), you must submit a redacted version of your Proposal. You may only redact information that is exempt, and any redactions should not be overly broad. You must clearly identify the redacted version on the Cover Page. The naming convention used for the document should include the word “redacted” if your Proposal is submitted electronically.

You must also complete and submit the Disclosure Exemption Affidavit (Attachment B). If you fail to complete the affidavit, the Treasury will assume you do not believe information contained in the Proposal is exempt from disclosure. Application of the Oregon Public Records Law will determine whether any information is actually exempt from disclosure.

Your Proposal submitted under this Request becomes the Property of Treasury when received by the Single Point of Contact. By submitting a Proposal in response to this Request, you grant the State a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license for the rights to copy, distribute, display, prepare derivative works of and transmit the Proposal solely for the purpose of evaluating the Proposal, negotiating a Contract, if awarded to Proposer, or as otherwise needed to administer the Request process, and to fulfill obligations under Oregon Public Records Law. Proposals, including supporting materials, will not be returned to Proposer unless the Proposal is submitted late.

Strength of Organization & Experience (200 points) Please provide details on the following:

· Number of years in this particular business.

· Describe the number and type of clients actively served.

Describe Proposer’s experience, proposed project team, and qualifications of the staff person(s) who will be assigned to this work, including the role of each staff member and their expertise.

Proposals will be evaluated against the questions set out below:

a. Has Proposer demonstrated successful experience on government savings programs or similar projects?

b. How well does the experience of Proposer match current service needs?

c. Has Proposer demonstrated experience working with other government entities, non-profit organizations, or similar?

d. Has Proposer identified any subcontractors it may intend to use for any of the work for the resulting Contract, if any, and described the associated work thereof.

Understanding of Requested Services/Project (200 Points) Describe Proposer’s firm and capabilities for accomplishing the work. Proposals will be evaluated against the questions set out below:

1. Has Proposer demonstrated a thorough understanding of the purpose and scope of the project?

1. Has Proposer demonstrated an understanding of the deliverables the Board expects it to provide?

1. Has Proposer demonstrated an understanding of the Board’s time schedule and can meet it?

Has Proposer identified how it intends to establish and maintain functional, productive working relationships with the Board, Treasury, and the Board’s contracted vendors?

Key Persons and Resumes (150 Points) Your Proposal must identify any key persons you will assign to this project. You must include a current resume (not more than 2 pages) for each person that demonstrates qualifications and experience for the work they will perform.

Project Implementation Plan (200 Points) Proposers shall submit a Project Implementation Plan that describes the proposed approach for Phase 1 Deliverables.

Proposals will be evaluated on their understanding and methodology of:

a. How the work for each component will be accomplished.

b. General tasks to be accomplished.

c. Deliverables desired by the Board.

d. Timelines desired by the Board (Expected lead times).

e. Standard costs of services requested.

Sample Marketing Plan (150 Points) Proposers shall submit a sample Marketing Plan that describes the proposed approach for Phase 1 (Assessment & Planning) Deliverables.

The sample plan should include, but is not limited to, the following components:

· Strategic Framework

· Research & Data Collection Methods

· Goal Setting

· Timeline & Work Plan

Price Proposal (200 Points) You must complete the Price Proposal (Attachment E) and submit in a separate electronic file/document with the naming convention including the term “Attachment E”.

Phase 1 pricing. Provide an all-inclusive firm fixed price for Phase 1 Deliverables.

Phase 2 pricing. Provide a cost Proposal that explains how Proposer proposes billing for work under Phase 2 Deliverables.

Some options may include:

a. Hourly rates for certain persons or classifications of work

b. Retainer fee

c. Media placement commission percentage

d. Other options are encouraged

Cost Proposals will be evaluated for reasonableness and competitiveness in how well it allows for the Board to meet its needs within its budget.

Sample Contract Exceptions You must submit exceptions to terms and conditions of the Sample Contract (Exhibit A) with your Proposal. You may use standard revisions marking to document your exceptions. Treasury will consider the scope of requested revisions in its evaluation of your Proposal. The terms and conditions of the Sample Contract may be negotiated only as set forth in Section 7.D of this Request.

Solicitation Process Pre-Proposal Conference A Pre-Proposal Conference will not be held for this Request.

Questions/Requests for Clarification Your questions or requests for clarification related to this Request must be emailed to the Single Point of Contact. You must:

· Reference the Request number

· Include your name and contact information, and

· Identify the specific area of the Request in question (page, section, and subsection number).

You must submit your questions or requests for clarification by December 19th, 2025, 12:00 PM Pacific Time.

Modification or Withdrawal You may modify your proposal. The modification must include the Request Number and be submitted to the Single Point of Contact prior to the closing date and time.

You may also withdraw your proposal by emailing written notice to the Single Point of Contact. The notice must include the Request Number and be submitted to the Single Point of Contact prior to the closing date and time.

Treasury will not consider a modification or withdrawal received after the closing date and time.

Cancellation and Rejection of Proposal Treasury may cancel this Request at any time if it is in the best interest of the Oregon State Treasury.

Treasury may reject one or more Proposals for any of the following reasons:

· Proposer fails to substantially comply with the requirements of this Request.

· A Proposal is non-Responsive.

· Proposer has liquidated and delinquent debt owed to the State or any department or agency of the State.

· Proposer fails to meet the responsibility requirements of ORS 279B.110.

· Proposer makes any contact regarding this Request with State representatives such as State employees or officials other than the Single Point of Contact, or inappropriate contact with the Single Point of Contact.

· Proposer attempts to influence a member of the Evaluation Panel.

· When rejection is in the best interest of the Office of the State Treasurer.

Responsiveness Determination Any Proposal received prior to the Closing Date may be reviewed to determine if it is Responsive to all Request requirements, including compliance with Section 3 of this Request. If a Proposal is unclear, the Single Point of Contact may request clarification from the Proposer. Seeking clarification will not be used to correct a non-Responsive Proposal. Treasury may waive mistakes under OAR 170-002-0170.

Responsibility Determination Treasury will determine if the preliminarily selected Proposer is Responsible prior to the Notice of Intent to Award being issued. The Single Point of Contact will email a Responsibility Inquiry Form. The selected Proposer must complete, sign, and return the form within 5 business days.

Evaluation General Requirements Each Responsive Proposal meeting minimum requirements will be independently evaluated by members of an Evaluation Panel. Evaluation Panel members may change, and Treasury may have additional or fewer evaluators for optional rounds of competition. Evaluators will assign a score for each evaluation criterion listed below in this section up to the maximum points available in the Point and Score Calculation section.

The Single Point of Contact may request further clarification to assist the Evaluation Panel in gaining additional understanding of a Proposal. A response to a clarification request must be to clarify or explain portions of the already submitted Proposal and may not contain new information not included in the original Proposal.

Evaluation Criteria

Point and Score Calculation

Price Proposal Evaluation The sealed Price Proposals will be opened and scored as follows:

Phase 1 Pricing Proposal – Firm Fixed Price (100 points)

· The lowest Price Proposal will receive 100 points.

· The second lowest Price Proposal will receive 75 points.

· The third lowest Price Proposal will receive 50 points.

· The remaining Price Proposals will not receive any points.

Phase 2 Pricing Proposal (100 points)

· Evaluated by Evaluation Committee for reasonableness and competitiveness in how well it allows for the Board to meet its needs within its budget.

Proposal Ranking The Single Point of Contact will average the scores for each Proposal in a given round of competition (calculated by totaling the points awarded by each Evaluation Panel member and dividing by the number of members).

Treasury will rank all Proposers at the conclusion of the evaluation and scoring and may, in Treasury’s sole discretion, determine an apparent successful Proposer with no additional rounds of competition. If additional rounds are conducted, Treasury will rank advancing Proposers at the conclusion of each subsequent round and may determine an apparent successful Proposer at any time during the solicitation process.

The Single Point of Contact will combine the average score for each Proposal with Price Proposal score. The Single Point of Contact will describe the rank order for each Proposer, with the highest score receiving the highest rank, and successive rank order determined by the next highest score.

Next Step Determination At the conclusion of a round of competition, Treasury may choose to conduct an additional round(s) of competition if in its best interest. Additional rounds of competition may consist of, but will not be limited to:

· Interviews

· Presentations/Demonstrations/Additional Submittal Items

· Discussions and submittal of revised Proposals

· Serial or simultaneous negotiations

Treasury may advance up to the top three (3) scoring Proposals to a subsequent round. Treasury will select the location of any interview, demonstration, or other event, or may conduct the event via teleconference or videoconference.

Subsequent Round Scoring If Treasury conducts two or more rounds of competition, the Single Point of Contact will determine the cumulative score for each Proposal advancing through all rounds of competition by adding the scores from each completed round. The Proposal with the highest cumulative score will receive the highest final ranking.

Award and Negotiation Award Consideration Treasury will award a contract to the highest-ranking Proposer that met all the requirements in this Request and is Responsible. Treasury may award less than the full Scope of Work included in this Request.

Notice of Intent to Award Treasury will send a Notice of Intent to Award to all Proposers. The Notice of Intent to Award will include the name of the selected Proposer. A Proposer to this Request may submit a protest under section 2 of this Request.

Treasury may immediately begin negotiations with a Proposer if only one Proposal was submitted. Treasury is not required to evaluate the single Proposal and may waive the protest period.

Additional Information Requirements The Proposer awarded a contract under this Request is required to submit the following additional information:

· Proof of insurance for the lines of coverage provided in Exhibit B of Attachment A.

· Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

· A completed W-9 form with backup withholder status.

· Proof of business registration and authority to transact business in the State of Oregon.

· A completed Responsibility Inquiry Form (Attachment G).

· Pay Equity Certification, if required. (See Section 3.B.)

· Nondiscrimination in Employment Certification (Attachment C).

· Certification by the Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID) Certification. (See Section 1.E.)

· Certified Disadvantaged Business Outreach Plan (Attachment F), if requested.

Contract Negotiation After selection of a successful Proposal, Treasury may enter into Contract negotiations with the successful Proposer. By submitting a Proposal, Proposer agrees to comply with the requirements of this Request, including the terms and conditions of the Sample Contract (Attachment A), with the exception of those terms listed below for negotiation.

Unless Treasury agrees to modify any of the terms and conditions pursuant to any exception(s) included in the original Proposal, Treasury intends to enter into a Contract with the successful Proposer that is substantially in the form of the Sample Contract (Attachment A) included in this Request.

It may be possible to negotiate some provisions of the final Contract; however, Treasury is not required to make any changes and many provisions cannot be changed. Proposer is cautioned that the State of Oregon believes modifications to the standard provisions constitute increased risk and increased cost to the State. Therefore, Treasury will consider the scope of requested exceptions in the evaluation of Proposal.

Any subsequent negotiated changes are subject to approval of the Oregon Department of Justice.

Treasury is willing to negotiate all items, except those listed below:

· Choice of law

· Choice of venue

· Constitutional requirements

· Requirements of all applicable federal laws, State laws, regulations, and internal policies

In the event that the parties have not reached mutually agreeable terms within 30 calendar days, Treasury may terminate negotiations and commence negotiations with the next highest-ranking Proposer.

If the Contract has potential subcontracting opportunities, Treasury may require the successful Proposer to submit a completed Certified Disadvantaged Business Outreach Plan (Attachment F) prior to execution.

Governing Laws and Regulations This Request is governed by the laws of the State of Oregon. The venue for any administrative or judicial action relating to this Request, evaluation and award is the Circuit Court of Marion County for the State of Oregon; provided, however, if a proceeding must be brought in a federal forum, then it must be brought and conducted solely and exclusively within the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. In no event shall this section be construed as a waiver by the State of Oregon of any form of defense or immunity, whether sovereign immunity, governmental immunity, immunity based on the eleventh amendment to the Constitution of the United States or otherwise, to or from any Claim or consent to the jurisdiction of any court.

Cost of Submitting Proposal Proposer must pay all the costs in submitting its Proposal, including, but not limited to, the costs to prepare and submit the Proposal, costs of samples and other supporting materials, costs to participate in demonstrations, or costs associated with protests.

Statewide E-waste/Recovery If the products included in a Proposal are electronic equipment, Proposer must include information in its Proposal that demonstrates compliance with the Statewide E-Waste/Recovery Procedure #107-011-050_PR. Visit the Department of Administrative Services website www.oregon.gov/das and use the search bar feature to locate the procedure.

Printing, Binding, and Stationary Except as provided in ORS 282.210(2), all printing, binding and stationery work, including the manufacture of motor vehicle registration plates and plates required to be affixed to motor carriers, for the State or any county, city, town, port district, school district, or other political subdivision, must be performed within the State.

Definitions Unless the context of a specific term requires otherwise, capitalized terms used in this Request and the attachments to this Request have the meaning as prescribed below:

Proposal A person’s offer made in response to the Request.

You or Your The person who is considering submitting a Proposal under the Request.

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