RFP 26-006-SH Community Newsletter PrintMail Service.pdf

Request for Proposal

No. 26-006-SH

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER PRINT/MAIL SERVICE

RFP Release Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Proposal Due Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 @ 2:00 PM EDT

Prepared By:

Sandra Harrold-Foster, Buyer Purchasing & Auxiliary Service Department 2900 Featherstone Rd., Auburn Hills, MI 48326-2845 Phone: (248) 341-2083 Fax: (248) 341-2085 Email: smharrol@oaklandcc.edu mailto:smharrol@oaklandcc.edu

2900 Featherstone Rd.

Purchasing & Auxiliary Services Department Auburn Hills, MI 48326-2845 RFP No. 26-xxx-SH – Community Newsletter Print/Mail Service Phone: 248-341-2082 RFP Due Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 @ 2:00 PM EDT Fax: 248 341-2085

1.0 Proposal Invitation

Oakland Community College (“College” and/or “OCC”) seeks proposals from qualified Suppliers of printing and mailing services. The major goal of the project is to print and mail two separate direct mail newsletters to Oakland County residents, one issue in December 2025 and the other issue in June of 2026. The selected supplier(s) will be able to provide all service/specifications outlined in the RFP, and will be located within a 50-mile radius of Oakland Community College.

The proposal must be comprehensive by including all services, products and costs necessary to meet the business / technical requirements of the College as outlined in this RFP. In addition, the proposal must specify a detailed approach/methodology, supplier and College staffing (if any) requirements, and any other expectations to complete the proposed work. The College would like the December project completed no later than the week of December 8, 2025, and the June 2026 project completed no later than the first week of June 2026.

The College intends to enter into a contract effective October, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The college has the right to extend the contract for one additional 12-month period.

The College prefers to maintain one (1) contact throughout the proposal process. Please appoint one (1) representative of your company with the responsibility for communicating with the College on all matters relative to this request for proposal. During this proposal process, all communications must be channeled through the Purchasing Services Department to ensure proper documentation and dissemination of information. Do not contact the departments directly.

Award of a contract will be based on the best overall proposal. Criteria for award of a contract include, but are not limited to, the proposal that includes the specifications contained herein, previous customer references, portfolio samples, and the recommendations put forth by the Supplier. The College reserves the right to request follow-up information such as questions, demos and site visits prior to awarding the contract.

Supplier will be evaluated on the following criteria:

CRITERIA WEIGHT

Proposed Solution 45 Points

Supplier’s Timeline 15 Points

Company Information/References 10 Points

Cost Proposal 30 Points

Total 100 Points

The College reserves the right to waive any irregularities; accept the whole, part of, or reject any or all proposals; and to select the Supplier which, in the sole opinion of the College, best meets the College's needs. The College also reserves the right to negotiate with potential Supplier(s) so that its best interests are served.

As a public institution, the College is subject to the terms and conditions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Supplier shall assume that FOIA SHALL APPLY TO ALL RESPONSES AND CORRESPONDENCE SENT TO THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT. Proposals and pricing may be subject to review after issuance of a final purchase order by the College. Any responses, materials, correspondence, or documents provided to the College are subject to the State of Michigan Freedom of Information Act and may be released to third parties in compliance with that Act.

The College cannot be responsible for any expenses incurred in the preparation of any proposal or presentation, nor does OCC assume any contractual obligations by issuing this request for proposal.

2.0 Planned RFP Schedule

RFP Issued – Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Voluntary Pre-bid Q&A Meeting – Thursday, September 18, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

Topic: RFP Voluntary Pre-Bid Meeting Time: Sep 18, 2025 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join from PC, Mac, iOS or Android: https://oaklandcc.zoom.us/j/81485550618 Or join by phone:

+1 301 715 8592 or +1 305 224 1968 (US Toll) Meeting ID: 814 8555 0618 International numbers available: https://oaklandcc.zoom.us/u/kxIkO3OnV

Submission of Written Questions from Suppliers – Friday, September 19, 2025 by 2:00 PM EDT

Written Questions Responded by the College – Tuesday, September 23, 2025 by 4:00 PM EDT

RFP Due Date – Tuesday, September 30, 2025 by 2:00 PM EDT

Awarding of Contract – Early October, 2025

3.0 Background of the College and Project

Oakland Community College was established in 1964 and has five campuses. The College’s current student enrollment is approximately 16,000 students for the fall semester, and is one of the largest institutions of its type in Michigan. OCC offers degrees and certificates in approximately 100 career fields and university transfer degrees in business, science and liberal arts.

Oakland Community College is located in Oakland County, Michigan and has five campuses:

Auburn Hills Campus, 2900 Featherstone Rd., Auburn Hills, MI 48326-2845 https://oaklandcc.zoom.us/j/81485550618

Highland Lakes Campus, 7350 Cooley Lake Rd., Waterford, MI 48327-4187 Orchard Ridge Campus, 27055 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48334-4579 Royal Oak Campus 739 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI 48067-38988 Southfield Campus, 22322 Rutland Dr., Southfield, MI 48075-4793

The college’s Marketing and Communications team tells stories of real people and how education is changing their lives. Through their storytelling and advertising campaigns, they show prospective and current students; job seekers and employees; and business leaders and others why OCC is the college of choice, the employer of choice, and the partner of choice

4.0 Project Scope

The college is requesting suppliers that are experienced in developing, printing and mailing of newsletters. The newsletter will be mailed to Oakland County residents twice a year, projected to be mid-year (June) and year-end (December). The college would like both newsletters to have the same format with the exception of the year-end issue will include a return envelope in the design. The college issued its first newsletter in June 2025 with the specifications in Attachment A. The college seeks recommendations on a new format to be used going forward that will account for an annual return envelope in the December issue. Supplier shall recommend best-practice for format, printing, and mailing to reflect high quality while being cost conscious.

The preferred supplier will be located within a 50-mile radius of Oakland Community College to allow the marketing team to inspection and review testing of all newsletters, if requested by the college. In the event any newsletters are found defective in material, workmanship or otherwise fail to meet the requirements of the College, the College shall have the right to reject such newsletters and request immediate replacement.

The Supplier will be in default if they are unable to fulfill the obligations of proposal, including but not limited to failure to deliver as specified or the unauthorized substitution of specifications quoted and agreed to on the purchase order. In the event of default, the College may cancel the contract or purchase order and procure the newsletter or services from other sources.

5.0 Project Specifications / Requirements

• Supplier shall refer to Attachment A – Community Newsletter Specifications. The specifications listed show the format the College is interested in a newsletter being. The supplier shall provide detailed specifications on the recommendations or changes they have that deviate from the specifications. Estimated quantity is 324k; however, OCC has the right to adjust this number based on mailing list results.

• Supplier will be responsible for providing/obtaining the mailing list and working with the Marketing team to narrow down the list where applicable.

• Pricing should be based up 324k, but Supplier shall indicate how pricing will differ for increments of 1000 copies more or less than 324k. Supplier shall be able to provide electronic proof prior to production. Preferred Supplier will be able to provide a hard copy proof for first initial run in December.

• Supplier shall deliver all overruns to the College and include the cost in the proposal.

• Supplier to provide (or secure) and is responsible for the most efficient and cost-effective method for mailing as agreed to by the College.

• Supplier shall recommend a mailing method taking advantage of all possible US Postal

Discounts, including using OCC’s postage indicia. Postage is paid against OCC’s non-profit permit.

• Delivery to Post Office(s) with 7 business days from receipt of final proof.

• The quality of work is a direct reflection of the College. Issues of the newsletter are to be free of smearing, color bleed, poor trimming, tearing or other defects that should be addressed in the Supplier’s quality control process.

• Supplier shall provide a timeline of when the newsletter needs to be received for printing in December 2025. The desired date of delivery to the Post Office is the week of Dec. 1.

• Supplier shall provide the name of any 3rd party being used in the process.

• If requested, the Supplier shall provide samples of similar work they have printed within 2 business days of request from the Purchasing Department.

Suppliers must comply with all state and federal laws and regulations applicable to any goods and services provided to the College.

6.0 Pricing

Supplier shall complete Attachment B - Pricing Spreadsheet. For the listed product, provide the required information in the designated columns. Provide the required information for supplier suggested solution(s) in the Alternative designated columns. Please list all anticipated fees.

Prices must include all shipping, handling, and delivery charges. Pricing should be FOB Oakland Community College.

7.0 RFP Submittal Requirements

The following requirements must be met when responding to this RFP:

A. A comprehensive solution to achieve the project specifications listed above.

B. Supplier Company Information

1. Background - Brief history and background of your company as well as the length of time you have supplied services requested in this RFP. Describe the product(s) and service(s) being offered for this solution.

C. Project Timeline - Please provide a detailed timeline of key dates for when the newsletter needs to be received for printing to achieve a home delivery beginning the week of December 8th, 2025.

D. References - The Supplier must provide 2-4 current customer references. References should reflect organizations that have similar requirements, scope of work and contract value.

E. A statement acknowledging the supplier’s understanding of the scope of this RFP.

(Signature Page)

F. The supplier must provide a comprehensive price proposal that outlines costs of products or services, rates by individual, travel expenses and any other costs incurred, as well as all assumptions. Refer to section 6.0 Pricing. Oakland Community College holds a tax-exempt status and shall not be charged any Federal or State taxes where allowed. Tax-exempt documentation shall be presented when required.

8.0 Submission Directions

A. Submission – OCC will receive online proposals on or before Tuesday, September 30, 2025 @ 2:00 PM EDT. Late proposals will NOT be accepted. Proposals shall follow the format outlined in this document.

Online Response ONLY: It is the supplier's/respondent’s responsibility that the responses are entered/uploaded into the Bidnet/MITN system ‐ www.bidnetdirect.com//oaklandcommunitycollege prior to the due date and time specified. Supplier shall submit Attachment B - Pricing Spreadsheet as a separate excel file when uploading files.

Allow sufficient time to go through the uploading process. For assistance on how to upload, contact MITN directly at (800) 835-4603. The Bidnet/MITN system will not allow for late submittals and a submittal must be completed before the due date and time.

This responsibility rests entirely with the Respondent, regardless of delays resulting from the uploading process.

B. Questions

Discrepancies in, omissions from, or any uncertainties regarding the specifications, along with any questions shall be submitted online at www.bidnetdirect.com//oaklandcommunitycollege.

The deadline to submit questions Friday, September 19, 2025 by 2:00 PM EDT. All questions received by the deadline date will be responded to by Tuesday, September 23, 2025 by 4:00 PM EDT. Questions received after the deadline may not be responded

to. Suppliers are not always notified when answers are posted. Please review Bidnet’s Communications tab after the response date and time.

9.0 Exceptions to the College’s Terms and Conditions

While it is OCC’s preference that the supplier sign the standard College’s standard contract template (Attachment C – OCC Sample Agreement) “as is” and in fact the College may consider extensive changes to the agreement as a reason to exclude a supplier from further consideration; supplier may take select exception to terms and conditions. The supplier must clearly set forth each exception in its proposal, referencing the affected RFP or Agreement section, paragraph and page. The supplier must set forth the reason(s) for the exception and https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.bidnetdirect.com_oaklandcommunitycollege&d=DwMFog&c=una-pXNGImYYzRFBqkF0Hz9PeRCFg3resbd87RWzT8U&r=iHJG0Hm9KBs1XA5pupNaO8plq7yqAH0SLMPnw3z-M0A&m=ZrZqGO6VZgvBijo10x3LU18OSmZoVbqa2KSOp90mR9FoEYHDb3MFcGW2pX4IggOr&s=JRWlu8XpHY67mBixinzLCFaF5QUqqI3iq5rCcYNYjm0&e= http://www.bidnetdirect.com/oaklandcommunitycollege indicate what (if any) alternative is being offered by the supplier. OCC will determine (at its sole discretion) the acceptability of any proposed exception(s).

This RFP and any subsequently offered contracts will be governed by the laws of the State of Michigan. Any and all applicable valid executive orders, Federal, State or local laws, ordinances or rules or regulations shall apply to any contract if and when offered and are deemed incorporated herein.

10.0 Proposal Submission Format

The following table is a summary of the required proposal submission format for this RFP.

Please structure your proposal submission per the content and sequence below. Where noted under “Template for Submission”, utilize the attachments provided with this RFP for inputting your responses.

Proposal Section

Section Title Template for Submission

Intro Title Page

Open-Ended Responses

(see proposal sections for overview of content required)

1.0 Solution and Ability to meet Project Scope

and General Specifications

2.0 Supplier Timeline

3.0 Supplier Company Information/References

4.0 Exception to College terms and conditions

5.0 Signature Page

6.0 Cost Proposal

Attachment B - Pricing Spreadsheet (Submit as a separate file)

SIGNATURE PAGE

This page must be signed and submitted with the proposal to ensure a valid response. PROPOSALS

SUBMITTED WITHOUT THIS SIGNATURE PAGE CAN BE RENDERED INVALID.

By virtue of submittal of a proposal, Supplier acknowledges:

• That all of the requirements of this RFP have been read and understood.

• That Supplier is presently not debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, nor voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any State or Federal department or agency.

• Any responses, materials, correspondence, or documents provided to OCC are subject to the State of Michigan Freedom of Information Act and may be released to third parties in compliance with the Act.

• Is NOT an Iran linked business as defined in MCL 129.312

• By signing below the Supplier warrants that the information submitted is complete and factual.

• The individual signing below has authority to enter into this on behalf of Supplier.

• Proposal shall remain valid for a minimum of one-hundred twenty (120) days.

Company Name

Signature

Date

Printed Name

Title Address

City, State, Zip

Email Phone

EIN D & B No.