RFP 25-02_Questions and Answers.pdf
PDF 105 KB Posted
- Attached to
- South Korean Marketing and Trade Representative
- Solicitation number
- RFP-14813
- Issued by
- Polk County, Florida
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document issued by the Florida Department of Citrus regarding RFP 25-02 for a South Korean Marketing and Trade Representative. The RFP seeks a single vendor to manage trade representation and promotional programs for Florida Grapefruit, Grapefruit Juice, and Florida Orange Juice in South Korea. The selected vendor may also be awarded the concurrent Japanese Marketing and Trade Representative contract. Proposals must be based on a preliminary strategic approach for Year 1 only, utilizing budgets of approximately $600,000 USD for Florida Grapefruit and Grapefruit Juice combined, and $700,000 USD for Florida Orange Juice. The contract term runs for two years initially from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with potential optional three-year renewal. Proposals were due February 20, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST, with an Intent to Award posted March 23, 2026, and official award date of July 1, 2026. The evaluation criteria include marketing and PR experience (15 points), trade relationship experience (15 points), strategic approach quality (15 points), agriculture and food/beverage experience (10 points), South Korea coverage capability (10 points), program measurement and reporting (10 points), USDA-FAS funding program experience (10 points), cost and value (10 points), and financial control assessment (5 points).
The total available budget for this contract represents approximately $1.3 million across grapefruit and orange juice promotional activities. The travel budget is primarily allocated for in-country activities within South Korea but may include limited international travel between the United States and South Korea if approved by the Florida Department of Citrus. The selected vendor must not perform marketing services for competing citrus products from other origins or competing citrus varieties such as lemons, limes, tangerines, and mandarins. Vendors may utilize qualified third-party subcontractors and local partnerships subject to departmental approval. The responding agency is expected to provide recommendations for program measurement, reporting Key Performance Indicators, and performance benchmarks. Proposals may be submitted in PDF or Word format with supporting materials including visuals and images at the respondent's discretion. Export data and detailed market analysis will be provided to the awarded agency post-selection. Vendors will be compensated upon invoice submission with supporting documentation, and a one percent transaction fee will be assessed through the MyFloridaMarketPlace system.
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Florida Department of Citrus RFP 25-02 – South Korean Marketing and Trade Representative
Questions and Answers
1. Q: If we submit a proposal for the Japanese Marketing and Trade Representative opportunity, may we also submit a proposal for the South Korean Marketing and Trade Representative RFP? And is there an opportunity to be the Marketing and Trade Representative for both countries?
A: Yes, you may also submit a proposal for the Japanese Marketing and Trade Representative RFP. It is possible that a single agency could be awarded the contract for both RFPs.
2. Q: The contract term is for a two-year period. In addition to a proposal based on “approximately $600,000 USD for Florida Grapefruit and Grapefruit Juice, and $700,000 USD for Florida Orange Juice”, do you also require that we include Year 2 recommendations as well? If so, should we base this on the same budget amounts for Year 2?
A: No, proposals should reflect programs for year 1.
3. Q: Please confirm whether SEO and SEM efforts are currently active for the Japan market.
A: Programs are determined on a yearly basis. SEO and SEM are tactics that could fall into the contract scope.
4. Q: Are you able to share the total volume of sales of Florida Grapefruit, Grapefruit Juice and Orange Juice in South Korea over the last 5 years? In addition, which channels or segments are currently driving the majority of sales for each of the categories (grapefruit, grapefruit juice and orange juice)?
A: Export data will be provided to the awarded agency. Programs should be built to support all Florida Grapefruit, Florida Grapefruit Juice and Florida Orange Juice.
5. Q: With Respect to the travel budget, is this in reference to domestic travel within South Korea only, or does it include international travel between the US and South Korea as well?
A: The travel budget is primarily in reference to travel within South Korea to execute programs but could include some international travel to the US if approved by the
FDOC.
6. Q: Section 4.4 – Conflict of Interest – The RFP states: “The selected Vendor agrees it will not perform advertising, public relations, or marketing services for any person, company, association, unit of government or other entity that is engaged in the production or marketing of competing products.” We interpret “competing products” to refer to other citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, tangerines, and mandarins. Could you please confirm whether this interpretation aligns with the Florida Department of Citrus’ definition?
A: FDOC agrees with this interpretation of “competing products” in addition this also includes other origins of citrus and citrus juice products.
7. Q: Supplementary Materials – To strengthen our proposal, we would like to include additional supporting materials (e.g., visuals, images, infographics).
Please confirm whether such supplementary documents may be submitted in addition to the required Attachments A-F.
A: The decision to submit additional supporting materials is at the discretion of the RFP respondent.
8. Q: Is it acceptable to prepare some of the responses to the required attachments in Word document format instead of PDF? In particular, the current PDF format, especially for Attachment F: Agency Questionnaire, is not ideal for embedding images alongside our written responses for certain questions. Is it acceptable to convert the PDF files into Word documents, complete the responses accordingly, and then submit them to you?
A: Yes, PDF and Word format are both acceptable. Images are permitted in the attachments, to be included at the discretion of the RFP respondent.
9. Q: Scope Emphasis – While the RFP outlines responsibilities related to trade, consumer, and media activities, could the Department please clarify whether there is a greater strategic emphasis on trade representation and B2B engagement, consumer-facing promotional campaigns, or a balanced combination of both within the South Korean market?
A: A balance of trade representation and B2B engagement as well as consumer-facing promotional campaigns would be expected, but FDOC expects the awarded agency to provide the best recommendation for future program focus.
10. Q: In-Country Staffing & Representation – In reference to Section 2.3 (Staffing), could the Department confirm whether in-country presence is expected to be fulfilled exclusively through direct staff, or if qualified local partnerships and subcontracted on-the-ground representation are considered acceptable, subject to Department approval?
A: As outlined in the RFP, the use of third-party vendors is permitted.
11. Q: Performance Measurement & Reporting – Beyond the reporting requirements outlined in Section 2.2, are there specific KPIs or performance benchmarks the Department typically prioritizes when evaluating the effectiveness of international marketing and trade representation programs?
A: FDOC expects that the responding agency will provide recommendations for program measurement and reporting.
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