RFP_1726_Addendum_No_1_07.14.26_GR_Rvs68165284.2.pdf
PDF 166 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- RFP 17-26
- Issued by
- Volusia County, Florida
About this file
This is Addendum No. 1 to RFP 17-26 issued by New Smyrna Beach Utilities, dated July 17, 2026, clarifying key requirements and parameters for public relations services in support of the Western Utilities Complex (WUC). The RFP seeks qualified PR firms to provide proactive communications, public education, and community engagement services across a phased, four-phase engagement structure with work organized by Component A (public parcel) and Component B (private developer portion). Component A is designated as the most critical priority for NSBU. The selected firm will be retained for the full four-phase engagement with phases activated over time based on pricing and performance; Phase 1 kickoff is anticipated in 2026, with the specific timeline to be determined by the Commission. The firm is expected to support both Components A and B in Year 1 during anticipated rezone efforts, though Component B may remain dormant until a master developer is engaged. Proposals are limited to 50 pages excluding required forms and must be submitted in PDF format via VendorLink; electronic signatures are acceptable. Submission deadline is July 27, 2026. The selected consultant must attend certain public meetings in person, maintain familiarity with the WUC property, and have key personnel located in Central Florida and readily available, though there is no geographic preference requirement.
Pricing should be structured to provide maximum value while meeting all PR deliverables and may include hourly rates, monthly retainers, project-based fees, or combinations thereof; proposers should include a rate card for other potential NSBU projects and may separately delineate paid media costs if considered. The budget for the engagement is to be determined, with no annual spend estimates or guaranteed minimum spend established at this time. There is no incumbent contractor, as no existing PR services contract currently exists. All four phases are currently funded with work to be directed by the Commission; however, workload and performance expectations will be contingency-based rather than guaranteed. The contractor must maintain Professional Liability and Errors & Omissions insurance at a $1,000,000 limit. Component A and Component B require separate content, channels, and records but do not necessitate fully separate staff teams. Bilingual Spanish-language outreach materials are not anticipated to be required. The contract performance period remains at the Commission's discretion, and no extension to the proposal deadline was granted despite requests for additional time.
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| File | Type | Posted |
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| FINAL_RFP_1726_PR_Firm_7022667782486.7.pdf |
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Text version
NEW SMYRNA BEACH UTILITIES
200 CANAL STREET
P.O. BOX 100
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL 32170-010
PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE WUC
RFP 17-26
ADDENDUM NO 1
Page 1 RFP 17-26 Addendum No 1
DATE: 07-17-26
RE: RFP 17-26 ADDENDUM NO. 01
To prospective vendors:
New Smyrna Beach Utilities is issuing the following addendum. As such it becomes an integral part of the proposal and must be acknowledged by the return of this signed form, with your proposal form, acknowledging receipt of the addendum.
1) Is there a current PR contract or similar communications and PR services contract, and, if so, which firm is currently contracted to provide them?
There is no existing contract for these services.
2) What is the annual spend for PR services?
3) Is there an incumbent, and how long has the incumbent firm provided PR services to the
NSBU?
4) What is the budget for this contract?
The budget is to be determined.
5) Since NSBU will “award and authorize work by Component and Phase”, is the initial contract award for Phase 1 only, with later phases requiring separate authorization/negotiation, or is the firm being retained for the full four-phase engagement with phases activated over time?
Dependent on the pricing and performance during each phase, the firm will be retained for the full four-phase engagement. The PR work is expected to be performed by phase, but two phases may proceed concurrently.
6) What is the anticipated timeline for Phase 1 kickoff following contract execution?
This is to be determined. The Commission with input from staff will determine Phase 1 kickoff timing. It is expected that Phase 1 will kickoff in 2026.
P.O. BOX 100
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL 32170-010
PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE WUC
Page 2 RFP 17-26 Addendum No 1
7) Roughly how much of the 600-acre WUC’s Component A vs. Component B work is expected to require PR support in Year 1?
PR firm would be expected to support both components A & B in year 1 as the anticipated rezone efforts will be taking place at that time.
8) Given the strict separation requirement between Component A and Component B, does NSBU expect one firm to serve both, or could/should proposers offer to handle only Component A (the public parcel)?
Component A is the most critical for NSBU. Since Component B is private portion focused, the prospective developer may have their own PR resources. One firm may handle both Components.
9) Is there an estimated annual budget or budget range for this engagement that proposers should design their proposal around?
The budget is to be determined.
10) Should pricing be submitted as hourly rates, flat monthly retainer, project-based fees by deliverable, or some combination?
Pricing should be based on which option provides the most value for NSBU while meeting all PR deliverables.
11) For the “other NSBU projects” pricing requirement, should this be a rate card only, or does NSBU want sample not-to-exceed estimates?
Rate card only will suffice.
12) Is there a preference or requirement for the firm (or key personnel) to be local to Volusia County or the New Smyrna Beach area?
No preference. As long as key personnel are located in Central Florida and readily available, either location works.
13) How many public meetings/events per year should proposers assume when estimating staffing needs, including after-hours coverage?
This will depend on Commission requested meeting attendance. We anticipate several public meetings where in-person attendance will be required. NSBU Commission meetings are generally held during the day. City Commission meetings are generally held in the evening.
14) Who specifically is the NSBU Project Manager and Communications Lead the firm will report to-is this an existing staff role?
P.O. BOX 100
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL 32170-010
PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE WUC
Page 3 RFP 17-26 Addendum No 1
The NSBU Project Manager is an Engineering Department manager. In addition, the PR firm may also work with NSBU’s in-house public information officer.
15) Is there a page limit for the proposal narrative?
Proposals should be limited to 50 pages excluding forms.
16) What file format(s) does VendorLink accept, and is there a maximum file size?
For vendors that are submitting proposals, the system will accept almost any type of files except for those that can be executed, like .exe., .bat, .js etc. The max file size is 1GB per file.
17) Should the required forms (W-9, Non-Collusion Affidavit, etc.) be uploaded as a single combined PDF or as separate attachments?
Single combined PDF.
18) Is a physical/we signature required on forms like the Non-Collusion Affidavit, or are electronic signatures acceptable given the fully electronic submission process?
Electronic Signatures are acceptable.
19) Will all responsive proposers be granted an interview/oral presentation, or only a shortlisted subset-and roughly when would interviews occur relative to the July 27 opening?
This will be dependent on staff and Commission input.
20) Is there an anticipated contract start date or target date for board/commission approval of the award?
This will be dependent on staff and Commission input.
21) Does NSBU have existing brand guidelines, style guidelines, or a visual identity system the firm should review before proposing or will that be developed collaboratively in Phase 1?
NSBU currently has in-house logo guidelines which will need to be adhered to in PR work.
22) Are there existing communications materials, community sentiment data, or prior WUC-related outreach the firm should be aware of before responding?
No. There are no existing communication materials related to WUC development.
P.O. BOX 100
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL 32170-010
PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE WUC
Page 4 RFP 17-26 Addendum No 1
23) Since work is authorized incrementally by Component/Phase, is there any minimum guaranteed spend or a realistic near-term workload (e.g. which Phase/Component is funded and active now)?
No. The workload will be determined and directed by the Commission.
24) What is the expected contract performance period?
The contract performance period will be at the discretion of the Commission.
25) What is the current expected duration/schedule for each phase and component of the
WUC ?
This will be dependent on the primary developer(s) selected and the timeline determined by the Commission.
26) Which phases are currently funded versus aspirational? The RFP describes all four phases, but only Phase 1 appears imminent.
All phases are currently funded. The work will be determined by the Commission.
27) Is there a specific pricing format that should be used for comparative purposes to assure all proposals are fairly evaluated?
No. As the RFP indicates, this is at the discretion of the respective RFP responders.
28) Please confirm that pricing for “other NSBU projects which may or may not be related to the WUC” is limited to a rate sheet.
A rate sheet seems appropriate for other NSBU projects. Pricing should be based on which option provides the most value for NSBU while meeting all PR deliverables.
29) In the absence of an NSBU approved Communications Strategy, should paid media be excluded from the pricing?
Paid media may be considered. Paid media should be delineated separately within the responder’s response.
30) What is the typical SLA NSBU requires for task deliverable review?
Dependent on Commission input.
31) Is there a page limit of preferred format for the proposal?
PDF 50 Page limit. See RFP for details.
P.O. BOX 100
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL 32170-010
PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE WUC
Page 5 RFP 17-26 Addendum No 1
32) The Component A/B “strict separation”-does NSBU expect fully separate teams/staff, or just separate content, channels, and records?
Separate content, channels and records.
33) Will Component B (private developer track) be active during the initial term, or is it dormant until a master developer is engaged?
Component B will more than likely be dormant until a Component B master developer is engaged.
34) Is Professional Liability/E&O required, and at what limit?
Professional Liability $1,000,000
35) Is there a page limit for this proposal? If so, what is the number of pages allowed?
50 Page Limit
36) Will bilingual (Spanish-language) outreach materials be required?
Bilingual (Spanish-language) outreach materials are not anticipated to be required as part of this engagement.
37) Please clarify whether NSBU anticipates the selected consultant to be required to work on-site for part or all of the engagement, and whether NSBU can provide guidance regarding the expected level of effort and consultant availability during the contract term.
NSBU anticipates that the selected consultant will need to attend certain meetings in person and will need to become familiar with the WUC property to effectively perform the required services. NSBU is unable to provide at this time a definitive estimate of the expected level of consultant availability. The specific requirements will be determined based on project needs as the engagement progresses.
38) Given the volume and significance of the clarification questions submitted, would the Commission consider extending the submittal deadline by two weeks to allow respondents sufficient time to incorporate the resulting information into their proposals?
At this time, NSBU does not intend to extend the proposal submittal deadline. NSBU prefers to proceed with the current schedule and evaluate the proposals received in response to the RFP. Any further action regarding the procurement schedule will be considered only if deemed necessary after reviewing the submissions.
P.O. BOX 100
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL 32170-010
PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE WUC
Page 6 RFP 17-26 Addendum No 1
A Copy of This Signed Form Must Accompany Your Proposal
Acknowledgment of Receipt of Addenda No. 1
Company_______________________________________
Title___________________________________________
Signature_______________________________________
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