RFP 250000001055 - State Answers to Bidder Questions.xlsx

XLSX spreadsheet 28 KB Posted Feb 7, 2025

Attached to: Creative Media Advertising & Clearinghouse Services - MDHHS
Solicitation number: RFP-171-250000001055-3
Issued by: Michigan

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Written by GovTribe AI · Feb 10, 2025

This is a Q&A document containing 73 questions and answers related to RFP 250000001055 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for Creative Media Advertising & Clearinghouse Services. The RFP seeks a contractor to provide comprehensive media services including campaign management, market research, creative production, media buying, call center operations, and clearinghouse services. The implementation and transition period is scheduled for July 2, 2025, through September 30, 2025, with full services beginning October 1, 2025. Proposals are due February 18, 2024, at 11:50 a.m. Eastern, with oral presentations expected to be conducted in person or virtually for selected bidders.

The estimated annual budget for this contract is $30 million, which must cover all services including campaign management, communications, market research, project management, creative production, and overhead costs. The contract includes requirements for five toll-free phone lines, 24-hour business turnaround for order fulfillment, and monthly postage allowance of $2,000. There is an incumbent provider, though their participation in this RFP process is unknown. The State will make a single award and requires the selected contractor to provide both creative media advertising and clearinghouse services - partial bids for individual components are not allowed. The contractor will be responsible for hosting the clearinghouse website and ensuring ADA accessibility compliance.

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File	Type	Posted
RFP 250000001055 - Amendment 1.docx	DOCX document	Feb 7, 2025
RFP 250000001055.docx	DOCX document	Feb 7, 2025

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Sheet1

Q #	Document and Section	Page #	Bidder Question	State Answers
1	Hybrid Contract Terms	22	The contract terms states "July 2, 2025 through September 30, 2025 is the implementation and transition period and no payment will be made to the Contractor during this time." Can you specify what tasks, deliverables, or expectations the State has for the Contractor during this period?	Refer to the Hybrid Contract Terms, Section 29. Transition Responsibilities.
2	1. Requirements 1.1B	51	RFP States: Bidder must provide a sample media plan for a campaign that focuses on influencing or changing audience behavior, including a fully developed creative concept, as a separately labeled attachment, indicating attachment name below: Can you confirm that this example can be an example from our past experience and not a new assignment? If from past experience, will points be deducted if we use an example outlined in previous experience section?	Yes, the bidder may use an example from past experience. The State cannot provide guidance on how points will be deducted during the evaluation process. Bidders are encouraged to use their best judgement in selecting sample media plans.
3	1. Requirements 1.1D	52	The RFP states: Bidder must provide a market research plan for MDHHS projects and describe how they will comply with the above requirement: Can you either provide your plan from last year for reference as to how you bridge all 35 campaigns, or provide us with key learning areas you would like for us to address? This plan will impact our pricing and therefore understanding its scope is important.	Market research is conducted based on individual campaign needs and goals.
4	1. Requirements 1.2A	53	The RFP states: Bidder must provide a sample Media Plan that describes how this requirement will be met: This is the second medial plan sample that is requested in the document. Can you clarify if this should be an additional and different plan to the one requested in Requirements 1.1B? If so, are there any specific parameters that you would like us to address such as type of objective, type of client, etc.?	Yes, this request is for a template that would provide an overview of all planned media campaigns, separate from the individual sample media plan.
5	1. Requirements 1.13 Products and Services	71-72	The RFP states: Bidder must describe how they will meet the requirements set forth above and note any exceptions for successful implementation and ongoing support of the Software: We understand use of SUITE is desired, but that different toolsets can be used as long as they adhere to SUITE’s framework and methodologies. Does the State use all of the methodologies outlined in the link provided? If not, can you described in more detail how specifically you use SUITE? Finally, is there a State-accepted alternative to SUITE which the State is comfortable accommodating?	Section 1.13 has been removed. This is reflected in Amendment 1.
6	1. Requirements 1.13 Products and Services	71-72	The RFP states: Bidder must describe how they will meet the requirements set forth above and note any exceptions for successful implementation and ongoing support of the Software: If the Contractor is required to use SUITE, will there be a training period for our staff members? If so, how long should we allocate this training for in our project plan?
See answer to question 5.
7	1. Requirements 1.13 Products and Services	71-72	The RFP states: Bidder must describe how they will meet the requirements set forth above and note any exceptions for successful implementation and ongoing support of the Software: If the Contractor is required to use SUITE, what particular functionalities will be most frequently used or required?

See answer to question 5.
8	1. Requirements 4.1B	77	The RFP states: Bidder must submit a sample project plan as indicated in Section 5.1.B: We are unable to find the section 5.1B. Can you either identify the page number or provide more detail on what the sample project plan should be based off of?	This is corrected on the document labeled "RFP 250000001055 - Amendment 1". The correct section references should be 4.1.B.
9	Schedule B Pricing 6B 1-6	87	The RFP states: Contractor Fee % – Commission Based Pricing, Instructions:

The Estimated Annual Budget is: $30,000,000

B. When proposing the Contractor Fee %, the Contractor Fee must be great enough to cover all costs that might be associated with: Campaign and Account Management Services, Communications and Marketing, Market Research (of any kind) including Secondary or Primary, Project Management, Planning, and Implementation, Creative, Production and additional services (Public Relations), All other overhead Costs: We interpret this question to mean that we should consider all agency expenses (time of staff and overhead) for this assignment. Can you clarify how out-of-pocket expenses should be accounted for such as research (e.g., panel or incentives and not our management or analysis) or production (e.g., original video, talent etc)? When proposing the Contractor Fee %, the Contractor Fee must be great enough to cover all costs that might be associated with:

1. Campaign and Account Management Services

2. Communications and Marketing

3. Market Research (of any kind) including Secondary or Primary

4. Project Management, Planning, and Implementation

5. Creative, Production and additional services (Public Relations)

6. All other overhead Costs

The State will use the following equation to calculate the Budget remaining for Advertising Services:

Campaign Budget – Contractor Fee% = Amount for Advertising Services

10 Schedule F Campaign 1 Family Planning 119 The RFP States: Message/Objective: To raise awareness of the contraceptive services available at Family Planning clinics, and to help them find clinics in their area.

Additional Info/Website: Family Planning (Michigan.gov)

What, if any, restrictions are there around placing pixels for media attribution and optimization against the above stated goal, particularly as it relates to helping to find clinics in their area?	The State does not allow the placement of pixels. Tags may be allowed, however they are not supported by DTMB
	11	Schedule A – 1.4A	53	Can you confirm that you only need up to 5 toll-free phone lines? Does this change depending on the changing needs of MDHHS?	Yes. The current need is 5 toll-free lines.
	12	Schedule A – 1.4A	53	Does the call center personnel have any required training certifications, for example, HIPPA certification?	No, certifications aren't required given that personnel will either be fulfilling orders or connecting callers to resources.
	13	Schedule A – 3.5	65	This seems odd to be in the contractor information section. Is this just further clarification of what you’re looking for in a clearinghouse vendor?	Section 3.5 details the requirements of the customer service representatives for the call center.
	14	Schedule A – 1.4E	54-55	How does the current contract holder handle the financial implications if the monthly postage costs exceed the monthly allowance? Does DHHS cover the costs?	The clearinghouse would communicate those additional costs to MDHHS, and MDHHS would cover the costs through a separate quote.
	15	Schedule A – 1.1B	47	The question asks for a sample media plan including a fully developed creative concept. Can you clarify if we are submitting an existing sample developed for a previous client or if you are asking us to develop an example media plan and a fresh creative concept based on one of the MDHHS projects listed in the RFP?	See answer to question 2.
	16	Schedule A – 1.2A	49	The question asks for a sample media plan. Can you clarify if we are submitting an existing sample developed for a previous client or if you are asking us to develop an example media plan based on one of the MDHHS projects listed in the RFP?	See answer to question 4.
	17	Schedule A – 1.3D	52	The question asks for one sample of each type of media format. Can you clarify if we are submitting an already developed tactic or are you asking us to develop an example for each type of media format listed based on one of the MDHHS projects listed in the RFP?	The bidder may provide samples from previous work.
	18	Schedule A – 1.3E	52	The question asks for one sample of each type of media format. Can you clarify if this is something we have already developed for a previous client or if you are asking us to develop an example for each type of media format listed based on one of the MDHHS projects listed in the RFP?	The bidder may provide samples from previous work.
	19	Schedule B – 7.2	84	Has the increase in postage costs been considered in this budget allotment?	Price indicated reflects actual postage and shipping charges not to exceed $2,000 per month.
	20			Can bidders submit proposals exclusively for the creative media advertising portion of the RFP, or must proposals also include the clearinghouse services (e.g., call center activities)?	The State is seeking a Contractor that will provide both creative media advertising and clearinghouse services.
	21			Are there any specific MDHHS campaigns or public health priorities that should be the primary focus of the creative advertising efforts?	Each campaign and topic area is a priority. Refer to Schedule F for a breakdown of existing campaigns for an overview of topics.
	22			During the transition period (July 2 - Sept 30,2025), what level of engagement is expected from the selected vendor before full services begin on October 1, 2025?	See answer to question 1.
	23	Technical Evaluation Criteria	24	Are bidders required to complete the highlighted areas in the Hybrid Contract Terms for Step 1 of the proposal process?	Yes.
	24	Technical Evaluation Criteria	49	On average, how many surveys and focus groups are typically conducted each year to support market research efforts? We understand the number may vary based on specific goals and campaigns, but we’d appreciate a general sense of volume for scoping purposes.	The number varies based on campaigns, goals, budget and need.
	25	Technical Evaluation Criteria	49	Will MDHHS support access to the target populations for research purposes? Will the vendor be responsible for recruiting participants (e.g., for surveys, focus groups, or intercepts), or will the State assist in facilitating access to these groups or provide existing contact lists or networks?	The vendor is typically responsible for recruiting participants for things like surveys, focus groups, etc. However, the vendor can work with MDHHS program areas to potentially tap into their networks for recruitment as well.
	26	Technical Evaluation Criteria	49	Will any existing market research or data previously collected by the current contractor or the State of Michigan be available for review upon contract award?	Yes.
	27	Technical Evaluation Criteria	60	Is the Contractor expected to staff the call center or will the Contractor be responsible for managing call center staff employed by MDHHS?	The contractor is expected to staff the call center.
	28	Technical Evaluation Criteria	60	Will MDHHS provide training for call center representatives to ensure message and information accuracy?	MDHHS can provide existing scripts.
	29	Schedule F	113	Are you able to share how much of the annual spend went to paid media/advertising costs?	The breakdown of annual spend, including allocations for paid media and advertising costs, is not publicly available. However, bidders are encouraged to propose cost-effective strategies based on industry standards and best practices.
	30	Technical Evaluation Criteria	60	Can you confirm that the call center call volume will not exceed 1k calls/month?	Yes.
	31	Technical Evaluation Criteria	60	What is the expected turnaround time for order fulfillment on marketing material orders?	24 business hours.
	32	Technical Evaluation Criteria	52	Are bidders required to submit a sample research plan specifically for MDHHS or can we submit a sample plan for a similar client or scope as a part of the proposal submittal?	Bidders may submit a sample plan for a similar client in which the primary focus is a "call to action" encouraging consumer behavior change.
	33	Schedule A	76	Sections 4.1.A and 4.1.B Media Plan details the requirements of the media plans, but the green boxes underneath each section refer to “project plans.” Does DHHS have specific requirements for the project plans? (see RFP p. 76). Schedule G says to reference section Schedule A, Section 5.1 Project Plan for requirements, but that section refers only to pricing.	In this case, project plans are considered media plans. This language has been updated in Amendment 1.
	34	Schedule G	128	4. Media and Message Plan and Value Add, can you confirm we are not to conduct the research now but rather just provide our research plan/methodology and then review currently existing research to inform our proposed media and message plan?	If selected for an oral presentation, the bidder must provide a plan to conduct necessary research needed to create an informed media plan.
	35	Schedule G	128	5. Creative and Messaging Concepts/Innovation/Cutting-edge Strategy, are we to produce creative assets for this presentation?	Yes.
	36	Technical Evaluation Criteria	1	Is it possible more than one award will be given for this project?	No.
	37	Schedule F	113	Is MDHHS expecting a media buy to be part of the campaign plan for each program listed in Schedule F?	Yes.
	38	Technical Evaluation Criteria		Is there an incumbent agency? If so, will they be participating in this process?	There is an incumbent agency. The State is unable to confirm whether they will participate in this process.
	39	Technical Evaluation Criteria	49	In the past, has one research plan served the entirety of the campaigns included? Or have there been unique research efforts for each campaign?	Typically, there have been unique research efforts for each campaign.
	40	Technical Evaluation Criteria	1	What KPIs or measures have been used in the past to determine campaign success?	Metrics based on media tactics used in each campaign.
	41	Technical Evaluation Criteria	49	What research methodologies have they found to be most insightful when planning for past campaigns?	Research methodologies vary based on subject areas and target audiences.
	42	Proposal Instructions	6	Can the State clarify if there is a specific format required for the Confidential Treatment Form, or should bidders create their own based on the provided guidelines?	The bidder must follow the format in the Confidential Treatment Form.
	43	Proposal Instructions	6	Will the State accept hyperlinks to external references for creative concepts, or must all supporting materials be submitted as attachments within the bid response?	Yes, the State will accept links for creative concepts only.
	44	RFP Timeline	6	Will the State consider an extension to the proposal submission deadline if bidders request additional clarifications after receiving answers to initial questions?	No, the deadline for bidder questions was 1/31 at 12 p.m., Eastern. The deadline to submit proposals is 2/18 at 11:50 a.m., Eastern.
	45	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Can the State specify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will be used to evaluate the success of the Creative Media Advertising & Clearinghouse Services?	For the clearinghouse, we track the number of publications ordered.
	46	Schedule B – Pricing	TBD	Is there a maximum budget or pricing range that bidders should consider while preparing their pricing proposals?	The estimated annual budget is $30,000,000.
	47	Evaluation Process	8	Will the State provide a scoring rubric or specific weightage criteria for each evaluation factor beyond what is mentioned in the RFP?	The State will evaluate proposals based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the Proposal Instructions.
	48	Vendor Questions Worksheet	TBD	Can the State provide more details on how prior experience with changing audience behavior will be assessed in the evaluation process?	See answer to question 47.
	49	Schedule C – Insurance Requirements	TBD	Are there any minimum coverage limits or specific insurance requirements that must be met by the bidder?	See Schedule C.
	50	Schedule G – Oral Presentations	TBD	Can the State confirm whether oral presentations will be held in person or if a virtual option is available?	Oral presentations are preferred to be held in person, however, can be held virtually if the bidder chooses.
	51	Contract Terms	TBD	Will the State allow bidders to negotiate contract terms after the award, or must all exceptions be submitted with the proposal?	Exceptions must be submitted with the bidder's proposal.
	52	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Can the State provide details on the expected technical architecture for integrating with existing MDHHS systems?	Details of the technical integration with exisiting systems to be discussed upon award of the contract.
	53	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Are there any specific data formats or APIs that must be used for data exchange with State systems?	See above answer.
	54	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Will the awarded contractor be required to provide hosting services, or will the State host all digital assets on its own infrastructure?	The Contractor will be responsible for hosting the clearinghouse website. Hosting digital assets are the responsibility of the Contractor.
	55	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Can the State clarify if there are any cybersecurity compliance frameworks (e.g., NIST, SOC 2, FedRAMP) that bidders must adhere to?	Refer to sections 1.6 through 1.13 of Schedule A and Schedule E.
	56	Schedule E – Data Security Requirements	TBD	What level of encryption is required for storing and transmitting sensitive State data?	The State requires that the encryption would follow the DTMB requirements for encryption as described in DTMB Policy 1340.00.170.03.
	57	Schedule E – Data Security Requirements	TBD	Will the contractor be required to conduct third-party security audits or penetration testing before deployment?	No.
	58	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Is there an existing content management system (CMS) that the contractor must use, or will the contractor be responsible for recommending and implementing a CMS?	No, there is no existing CMS that is required.
	59	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Can the State confirm if there are preferred software tools or platforms for media analytics and campaign performance tracking?	No preferred software tools or platforms.
	60	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Does the State require integration with social media platforms for campaign automation and tracking, and if so, which platforms?	MDHHS will provide access to social media platforms as necessary. Platforms include Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads and YouTube.
	61	Schedule D – Service Level Agreement	TBD	What are the expected uptime and availability requirements for digital services, and are there penalties for non-compliance?	Refer to Schedule E, section 5.3.
	62	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Will the State provide access to historical campaign data for benchmarking purposes?	Yes, when the contract is awarded.
	63	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Are there any mobile app development requirements for this contract, or is the focus solely on web and digital media?	No.
	64	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	What level of scalability is required for campaign-related digital infrastructure (e.g., handling high-traffic scenarios)?	The State recommends a platform that can handle high traffic and is reliable. The Clearinghouse website must be able to handle many visitors at once as this is open to anyone in the public to gain access to materials. Advertising platforms must be able to support campaign-related ads and clicks.
	65	Schedule A – Statement of Work	TBD	Will the contractor be responsible for ADA compliance and accessibility testing for all digital media deliverables?	Yes, the contractor would be responsible for ensuring ADA accessibility.
	66	Schedule E – Data Security Requirements	TBD	Will the contractor need to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for access to campaign management tools?	No.
	67	Section 1.1 (General Requirements)	46	Can a bidder respond to only specific portions of the RFP (e.g., media buying, creative services, or call center operations), or is it required to propose a solution for all components outlined?	See answer to question 20.
	68	Sections 1.1 (General Requirements), Section 1.2 (Media Management and Development), Section 1.3 (Creative and Production Services) and Section 1.4 (Clearinghouse Services)	46-56	Are there any existing vendor contracts for specific services (e.g., call center, mailing operations, or digital media) that bidders will need to integrate with?	Contractor will be required to work with MAB/MCTA. Contractor must disclose other subcontractors they plan to use.
	69	Section 1.1 (General Requirements) Subsection A. Annual Media Plan Overview and Section 1.2 (Media Management and Development), Subsection A – Media	47-48	What are the primary audience segments MDHHS aims to reach, and do you have existing research available to support targeting?	Refer to Schedule F.
	70	Section 1.5 (Transition) Subsection A – Implementation	56	Have there been any challenges regarding the expected business outcomes of services that the State would like to see improved?	This information is not necessary to submit a proposal.
	71	Schedule B - Pricing – Section 6 - Contractor Fee % – Commission Based Pricing, Instructions - pages 91-92	91-92	Does the $30 million budget cover all services outlined in the RFP, including Call Center, IVR, Mailing Operations, Online Services, Media Buying, and Public Relations? If additional budget exists for these components, can the State provide an estimate or allocation breakdown?	The budget includes all services covered in this RFP.
	72	General		The PR and Event Planning Services are on an as needed basis. Can you provide background as to how often MDHHS requested these services in the past?	This is determined based on campaign needs, goals and budget.
	73	General		Refresh of existing ads and/or developing new ad themes, campaigns and campaign assets may be required. Will that be developed collaboratively or does MDHHS already have an idea of what theyd like to refresh or create new?	This would vary by program area and not something we can fully answer until those programs submit request forms for campaigns. There will likely be a combination of existing asset use and the need for the development of new assets. When discussing new campaigns, it will be made clear to the agency if new or existing creative should be used.

File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated Feb 10, 2025.