CITY OF ROCKY MOUNT

Communications, Marketing and Public Relations

Request for Proposal #: 320-220726FD

Graphic and Creative Design Services

Date of Issue: 07/29/2026

Proposal Opening Date: 08/06/2026

At 2:00 PM ET

Contract Term: August 1, 2026-December 31, 2027

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Fantashia Dickens

Purchasing Associate III

Email: Fantashia.Dickens@rockymountnc.gov

Phone: 252-972-1352

Request for Proposal # 320-220726FD

For purchasing division processing, please provide your company’s Federal Employer Identification

Number or alternate identification number (e.g. Social Security Number). Pursuant to North Carolina

General Statute 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection.

This page is to be filled out and returned with your proposal.

Failure to do so may subject your PROPOSAL to rejection.

ID Number:

Federal ID Number or Social Security Number

Vendor Name

“All Vendors are hereby notified that they must have the proper license as required under the North Carolina laws. All prospective contractors shall be responsible for complying with state law and local ordinances.”

Bid Number: 320-220726FD Vendor: __________________________________________

Page 3 | 16

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposals (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are PROPOSAL, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein. By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor certifies that this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54), that none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and that it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1. False certification is a Class I felony. Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or the City. As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system. G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any City Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public Contract; or awarding or administering public Contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public Contract of any gift from anyone with a Contract with the City, or from any person seeking to do business with the City. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for your entire organization and its employees or agents, that you are not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal shall render proposal invalid and it WILL BE REJECTED. Late proposals cannot be accepted.

COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #12):

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR: FAX NUMBER:

VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:

Offer valid for at least 60 days from date of proposal opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days.

ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL

If any or all parts of this proposal are accepted by the City of Rocky Mount, an authorized representative of the City of Rocky Mount Purchasing Office shall affix his/her signature hereto and this document and all provisions of this Request for Proposal along with the Vendor proposal response and the written results of any negotiations shall then constitute the written agreement between the parties. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the successful Vendor(s).

CITY OF ROCKY MOUNT

COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Fantashia Dickens

Purchasing Associate III

Request for Proposal #320-220726FD

Proposals will be due: 08/06/2026

Contract Type: Service

P a g e 4 | 16

Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

2.2 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.3 RFP SCHEDULE

2.4 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

2.5 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

2.6 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

2.7 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

3.2 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.3 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

3.4 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

4.1 CONTRACT TERM

4.2 PRICING

4.3 INVOICES

4.4 MINORITY BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

4.5 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

4.6 REFERENCES

4.7 PERSONNEL

4.8 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

5.0 SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

5.3 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

5.4 TECHNICAL APPROACH

5.5 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

5.6 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

P a g e 5 | 16

6.1 PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

6.2 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

6.3 CONTRACT CHANGES

ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO PVENDORS

ATTACHMENT C: ACCEPTANCE OF GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONSError! Bookmark not defined.

ATTACHMENT D: SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED

BUSINESSES

P a g e 6 | 16

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals for the design of professional print-ready (marks and bleeds) and digital items, including but not limited to magazines, brochures, fliers, billboards, social media ads, web banners, large and small print ads, etc. RFP budget is $5,500.00 per month.

Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

The RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award.

All attachments and addenda released for this RFP in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by reference.

Please send a portfolio with samples of previous work or links to work samples to the Purchasing Division with your submission.

2.2 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions, the Cities terms and conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP.

If Vendors have questions, issues, or exceptions regarding any term, condition, or other component within this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in Section 2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS. If the City determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. The City may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation and amendment of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period.

Other than through this process, the City rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s proposal. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor’s proposal shall constitute a firm offer.

By execution and delivery of this RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded.

Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject

Vendor’s proposal as nonresponsive.

Contact with anyone working for or with the City regarding this RFP other than the City Contract Specialist named on the face page of this RFP in the manner specified by this RFP shall constitute grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer, at the City’s election.

2.3 RFP SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The City will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date and Time

Issue RFP City Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Submit Written Questions Vendor Friday, July 31,2026 at 2 P.M.

Provide Response to Questions City Monday, August 3, 2026

Submit Proposals Vendor Thursday, August 6, 2026 at 2 P.M.

Contract Effective Date City TBD

P a g e 7 | 16

2.4 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the above due date.

Written questions shall be e-mailed to fantashia.dickens@rockymountnc.gov by the date and time specified above.

Vendors will enter “RFP #320-220726FD – Questions” as the subject for the email. Question submittals will include a reference to the applicable RFP section and be submitted in a format shown below:

Reference Vendor Question

RFP Section, Page Number Vendor question …?

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the City’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the City will be posted in the form of an addendum on the City of Rocky Mount Purchasing web-page https://www.rockymountnc.gov/Bids.aspx and/or the North Carolina Electronic Consultant Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov/solicitations/, and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction, or advice provided orally or informally by any City personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFP.

2.5 EMAILING OR MAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions: Quotes, subject to the conditions made a part hereof and the receipt requirements described below, shall be received at the address indicated in the table below, for furnishing and delivering those items as described herein.

MAILING ADDRESS FOR DELIVERY OF QUOTE

VIA U.S. POSTAL SERVICE

OFFICE ADDRESS FOR DELIVERY BY ANY OTHER

MEANS, SPECIAL DELIVERY, OVERNIGHT DELIVERY,

OR BY ANY OTHER CARRIER

PROPOSAL NUMBER: 320-220726FD

Attn: Fantashia Dickens, Purchasing Associate III

Address: PO BOX 1180

Rocky Mount, NC 27802

PROPOSAL NUMBER: 320-220726FD

Attn: Fantashia Dickens, Purchasing Associate III

Address: 331 S. Franklin Street

Rocky Mount, NC 27804

Vendors shall deliver either one (1) signed electronic emailed copy to fantashia.dickens@rockymountnc.gov or one

(1) signed original executed quote to the address identified in the table in this Section. Address the package and insert the quote number as shown in the table above.

Quote number shall be marked on the outside of the sealed envelope with the Vendor’s name and date and time of opening.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is the responsibility of the Vendor to have the signed quote physically in this Office by the specified time and date quotes are due, regardless of the method of delivery. This is an absolute requirement. The time of delivery will be marked on each quote when received, and any quote received after the submission deadline will not be accepted or evaluated.

All risk of late arrival due to unanticipated delay—whether delivered by hand, U.S. Postal Service, courier, or other delivery service or method—is entirely on the Vendor. Note that the U.S. Postal Service generally does not deliver mail to the street address above, but to the City’s Mail Service Center. Vendors are cautioned that quotes sent via U.S. Mail, mailto:fantashia.dickens@rockymountnc.gov https://www.rockymountnc.gov/Bids.aspx https://evp.nc.gov/solicitations/ mailto:fantashia.dickens@rockymountnc.gov

P a g e 8 | 16 including Express Mail, may not be delivered to the purchasing office on the due date in time to meet the quote deadline.

All Vendors are urged to take the possibility of delay into account when submitting a quote.

If the quote is hand-delivered, please note that the Frederick E. Turnage Municipal Building requires all visitors to sign in with the guard stationed on the first floor. Visitors will only have access through the building, accompanied by a city employee.

2.6 AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT

All submittals or other offers must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the Consultant contractually. The City reserves the right to request documentation showing evidence of signatory authority (e.g., corporate resolution, operating agreement, power of attorney, or other verification). Failure to provide such documentation upon request may result in disqualification of the offer or rejection of the executed contract.

2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and those attachments should be arranged in the following order:

a) Cover Letter

b) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the

Proposal Number.

c) Completed and signed version of EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP and signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP (if required to be returned).

d) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

e) ATTACHMENT B: SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION

f) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT C: IDENTIFICATION OF MINORITY BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

AND GOOD FAITH

g) Technical Approach (section 5.4)

h) Portfolio

2.7 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

a) BUYER: The employee of the City or Other Eligible Entity that places an order with the Vendor.

b) CONTRACT LEAD: Representative of the City of Rocky Mount Purchasing Office who corresponds with potential

Vendors in order to identify and contract with that Vendor providing the greatest benefit to the City and who will administer this contract for the City.

c) QUALIFIED PROPOSAL: A responsive proposal submitted by a responsible Vendor.

d) RFP: Request for Proposal

e) SERVICES or SERVICE DELIVERABLES: The tasks and duties undertaken by the Vendor to fulfill the requirements and specifications of this solicitation.

f) VENDOR: Supplier, Vendor, proposer, company, firm, corporation, partnership, individual or other entity submitting a response to a Request for Proposal.

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

Contracts will be awarded in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out in this solicitation. Prospective Vendors shall not be discriminated against on the basis of any prohibited grounds as defined by Federal and State law.

Evaluation Criteria. If an award is made, it is expected that the City’s award shall be to the candidate that agrees to meet the needs of the City. Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated on a 100-point basis as outlined below. After

P a g e 9 | 16 evaluating all submissions, the City may ask some or all of the firms that submitted a response to participate in interviews and solution demonstrations. Upon completion of the evaluation process, the City may assign a detailed scope of work to the selected candidate and negotiate fees for services.

a) Portfolio Samples – Shall include samples of the following work: Flier, magazine, brochure, large print item

(billboard, etc.), social media and web graphic.

b) Availability – Shall include the ability of the vendor to provide materials with fast turn-around times, the ability to meet deadlines and contact(s) must be available via phone and email for questions and revisions.

References are required.

c) Price Proposal - Shall be evaluated on the basis of the “Total Estimated Monthly Price”.

d) Local Preference – An additional 5 points shall be provided to local vendors.

Criteria Points

Portfolio Samples 50

Availability 35

Price Proposal 10

Local Preference 5

3.2 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

The City shall review all Vendor responses to this RFP to confirm that they meet the specifications and requirements of the RFP.

a) Proposals are requested for the items as specified, or item(s) equivalent in design, function and performance. The

City reserves the right to reject any proposal on the basis of fit, form and function as well as cost.

b) The City shall review the responses to this RFP to confirm that they meet the specifications and requirements. The

City reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality.

c) For all responses that pass the initial review process, the City will review and assess the Vendors’ pricing. The City may request additional formal responses or submissions from any or all Vendors for the purpose of clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the quote. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the City is not required to request clarification, and often does not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor. Prices proposed cannot be altered or modified as part of a clarification.

d) Proposals will be evaluated, based on the award criteria identified in Section 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD.

Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the City.

Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for proposal, not a request or an offer to contract, and the City reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the City.

3.3 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

During the evaluation period—from the date proposals are opened through the date the contract is awarded—each

Vendor submitting a proposal (including its representatives, sub-contractors and/or suppliers) is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using department, issuing department, other government department office, or body (including the purchaser named above, department secretary, department head, members of the general assembly and/or governor’s office), or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s proposal or qualifications, the contents of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform the contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to

P a g e 10 | 16 have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals and/or the award of the contract. A Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from contract award, unless it is determined in the City’s discretion that the communication was harmless, that it was made without intent to influence and that the best interest of the City would not be served by the disqualification. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its sub-contractor and supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement to the date of contract award). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing department for this RFP or general inquiries directed to the purchaser regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the contract award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

3.4 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This Request for Proposal serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the Department; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. As such, all terms in the Request for Proposal shall be enforceable as contract terms in accordance with the General Contract Terms and Conditions. The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and

“requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, the Department will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the Department’s needs as described in the Request for Proposal. Except as specifically stated in the Request for Proposal, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the Department exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements and terms and conditions stated in this

RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the City to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged and cautioned to submit these items in the form of a question during the question-and-answer period in accordance with Section 2.5.

4.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have an initial term of twelve (12) months, effective on August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2027.

At the end of the Contract’s current term, the City shall have the option, if both parties are in agreement, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to a total of two (2) additional one-year terms. The City will give the Vendor written notice of its intent whether to exercise each option no later than 30 days before the end of the Contract’s then-current term. In addition, the City reserves the right to extend a contract term for a period of up to 180 days in 90-day-or-less increments.

4.2 PRICING

Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to Buyer for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges handling, administrative and other similar fees. Vendor shall not invoice for any amounts not specifically allowed for in this RFP. Complete ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM and include in Proposal.

4.3 INVOICES

a) The Vendor must submit one monthly invoice within fifteen (15) calendar days following the end of each month in which work was performed.

b) Invoices must be submitted to the following address: City of Rocky Mount Attn: Accounts Payable

PO BOX 1180

Rocky Mount, NC 27802

c) Payment amounts will be made on a NET 30 day pay period upon submission of an invoice and appropriate trip tickets to support such invoice.

P a g e 11 | 16

4.4 MINORITY BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

The Vendor has the responsibility to make a good faith effort to solicit minority proposals and to attain the aspirational ten percent (10%) goal. We encourage all Vendors even MWBE/HUBs to obtain the aspirational goal where sub-contracting and supplier opportunities exist. Use the table below to note the MWBE businesses that will be used as suppliers or subcontractors for this contract.

MWBE FIRM OWNERSHIP STATUS ADDRESS WORK TYPE

If the goal of ten percent (10%) participation by HUB Certified or minority businesses is not achieved, the Vendor shall provide the following documentation to the City of his/her good faith efforts:

Examples of documentation that may be required to demonstrate the Vendor's good faith efforts to meet the goals set forth in these provisions include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

a) Copies of solicitations for quotes to at least three (3) minority business firms from the source list provided by the State for each subcontract to be let under this contract (if 3 or more firms are shown on the source list). Each solicitation shall contain a specific description of the work to be subcontracted, location where PROPOSAL documents can be reviewed, representative of the Prime Vendor to contact, and location, date and time when quotes must be received.

b) Copies of quotes or responses received from each MWBE responding to the solicitation.

c) A telephone log of follow-up calls to each firm sent a solicitation.

d) For subcontracts where a minority business is not considered the lowest responsible subcontractor, copies of quotes received from all firms submitting quotes for that particular subcontract.

e) Documentation of any contacts or correspondence to minority business, community, or contractor organizations in an attempt to meet the goal.

f) Copy of pre-PROPOSAL roster

g) Letter documenting efforts to provide assistance in obtaining required bonding or insurance for minority business.

h) Letter detailing reasons for rejection of minority business.

i) Letter documenting proposed assistance offered to minority business in need of equipment, loan capital, lines of credit, or joint pay agreements to secure loans, supplies, or letters of credit, including waiving credit that is ordinarily required.

Failure to provide the documentation as listed in these provisions may result in a non-responsive PROPOSAL.

4.5 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

In its Proposal, Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public and/or private sector clients with similar or greater size and complexity to the City of Rocky Mount. Vendor shall provide information as to the qualifications and experience of all executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including resumes citing experience with similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person.

P a g e 12 | 16

4.6 REFERENCES

Vendors shall provide at least three (3) references for which your company has provided Services of similar size and scope to that proposed herein. The City may contact these users to determine the Services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained may be considered in the evaluation of the proposal.

COMPANY NAME CONTACT NAME COMPANY EMAIL TELEPHONE NUMBER

Optional: City of Rocky

Mount

4.7 PERSONNEL

Vendor shall not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of this Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. The City will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The City may, in its sole discretion, terminate the services of any person providing services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the City may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract services provided by such personnel.

4.8 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

a) Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide Services under this Contract in a professional manner.

“Professional manner” means that the personnel performing the Services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the City under this Contract. Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that may be approved by the City. Names of any third-party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor’s obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s).

b) If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this Contract are required for

Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the service and deliverables under this Contract or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such service, they will be deemed to be implied by and included within the scope of the contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies, and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and Deliverables.

c) Vendor warrants that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue perform its obligations under the contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering this

Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction.

P a g e 13 | 16

5.0 SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

The awarded firm shall provide the following:

1. Conceptualize, design, and deliver graphic design materials, including but not limited to brochures, fact sheets, invitations, billboards, magazines, email templates, infographics, advertisements, flyers, PowerPoint presentations, newsletters, social media graphics, website graphics, and other graphic and visual communication projects as requested by the City. The selected firm should also be able to create templates and collateral for use in Adobe Creative Cloud applications (InDesign, Photoshop, etc.) as well as Microsoft Word.

2. Provide up to 65 hours of graphic design services per month. Should service needs exceed 65 hours for two consecutive months, the scope of services and pricing may be renegotiated. Monthly workloads may vary depending on City initiatives, events, and communication needs. Unused hours may carry over to the following month.

3. Be available to complete projects with limited notice, as some assignments may require expedited turnaround times to support time-sensitive City communications.

4. Ensure all designs, materials, and concepts are suitable for production by a third-party printing vendor.

5. Upon acceptance of each design or concept, all intellectual property rights shall become the property of the

City.

6. Include the cost of any necessary stock photography within the proposed pricing. All designs should adhere to the City's Branding Style Guide.

7.

8. Provide graphic design and creative services only. Printing services will be procured separately. Billing should be submitted on a monthly basis.

9. The proposed agreement shall be for an initial one-year term with the option to renew for two (2) additional one-year terms upon mutual agreement. Any increase in pricing for a renewal term shall not exceed 15% of the pricing established for the immediately preceding term.

5.3 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Vendor shall describe the organizational and operational structure it proposes to utilize for the work described in this

RFP and identify the responsibilities to be assigned to each person Vendor proposes to staff the work.

5.4 TECHNICAL APPROACH

Vendor’s proposal shall include, in narrative, outline, and/or graph form the Vendor's approach to accomplishing the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work section of this RFP. A description of each task and deliverable and the schedule for accomplishing each shall be included. In the narrative include the number of employees to be used in meeting the requirements of this contract, a statement of hourly rates for each class of employee to be used in the performance of each type of work of the contract. Such rates are to be used in computing additions to or deductions from the monthly payment to the contractor for changes to the specified duties and services, or for extra work required by the owner.

5.5 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

Failure to meet the standards set forth in these specifications will be noted and discussed with the vendors designated project manager. Failure to remedy issues shall be grounds for the cancellation of this contract. Ongoing failure to consistently meet specifications noted in this RFP shall also be grounds for the cancellation of this contract.

In the event acceptance criteria for any work or deliverables is not described in contract documents or work orders hereunder, the City shall have the obligation to notify Vendor, in writing ten (10) calendar days following completion of such work or deliverable described in the Contract that it is not acceptable. The notice shall specify in reasonable detail the reason(s) it is unacceptable. Acceptance by the City shall not be unreasonably withheld; but may be conditioned or delayed as required for reasonable review, evaluation, installation, or testing, as applicable of the work or deliverable.

Final acceptance is expressly conditioned upon completion of all applicable assessment procedures. Should the work or deliverables fail to meet any requirements, acceptance criteria or otherwise fail to conform to the contract, the City may exercise any and all rights hereunder, including, for deliverables, such rights provided by the Uniform Commercial

Code as adopted in North Carolina.

P a g e 14 | 16

5.6 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE

If this Contract is not renewed at the end of this term, or is canceled prior to its expiration, for any reason, Vendor shall provide, at the option of the City, up to 3 months after such end date all such reasonable transition assistance requested by the City, to allow for the expired or canceled portion of the Services to continue without interruption or adverse effect, and to facilitate the orderly transfer of such Services to the City or its designees. If the City exercises this option, the

Parties agree that such transition assistance shall be deemed to be governed by the terms and conditions of this Contract

(notwithstanding this expiration or cancellation), except for those Contract terms or conditions that do not reasonably apply to such transition assistance. The City shall pay Vendor for any resources utilized in performing such transition assistance at the most current rates provided by the Contract for performance of the Services or other resources utilized.

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Vendor shall designate and make available to the City a project manager. The project manager shall be the City’s point of contact for contract related issues and issues concerning performance, progress review, scheduling and service.

6.2 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

The parties agree that it is in their mutual interest to resolve disputes informally. A claim by the Vendor shall be submitted in writing to the City’s Contract Lead for resolution. A claim by the City shall be submitted in writing to the Vendor’s

Project Manager for resolution. The Parties shall negotiate in good faith and use all reasonable efforts to resolve such dispute(s). During the time the Parties are attempting to resolve any dispute, each shall proceed diligently to perform their respective duties and responsibilities under this Contract. If a dispute cannot be resolved between the Parties within thirty (30) days after delivery of notice, either Party may elect to exercise any other remedies available under this

Contract, or at law. This term shall not constitute an agreement by either party to mediate or arbitrate any dispute.

6.3 CONTRACT CHANGES

Contract changes, if any, over the life of the contract shall be implemented by contract amendments agreed to in writing by the City and Vendor.

Page 15 | 16

ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

The undersigned, as Vendor, proposes and agrees if this proposal is accepted to contract with the City of Rocky Mount for the furnishing of all materials, equipment, and labor necessary to complete the construction of the work described in these documents in full and complete in accordance with plans, specifications, and contract documents, and to the full and entire satisfaction of the City of Rocky Mount for the base sum of:

Base Monthly Price Proposal $_______________________________________________

P a g e 16 | 16

ATTACHMENT B: ACCEPTANCE OF GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

Review Terms and Conditions: General at https://www.rockymountnc.gov/316/Vendor-Registration Terms and conditions on the vendor webpage that do not apply to this Proposal: Federal UG Terms, FEMA Contract Provisions, Sample Contract Terms.

☐Check here to indicate that you have read and agree to the City of Rocky Mount General Terms & Conditions.

ATTACHMENT C: SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION HISTORICALLY

UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES

Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) consist of minority, women, and disabled business firms that are at least fifty-one percent owned and operated by an individual (s) of the categories. Also included in this category are disabled business enterprises and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely disabled.

Pursuant to G.S. 143B-1361(a), 143-48 and 143-128.4, the City invites and encourages participation in this procurement process by businesses owned by minorities, women, disabled, disabled business enterprises, and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely disabled. This includes utilizing subcontractors to perform the required functions in this RFP. Any questions concerning NC HUB certification, contact the North Carolina Office of Historically Underutilized Businesses at (919) 807-2330. The Vendor shall respond to questions #1 and #2 below.

a. Is Vendor a Historically Underutilized Business? ☐Yes ☐ No

b. Is Vendor Certified with North Carolina as a Historically Underutilized Business? ☐Yes ☐No

If so, state HUB classification: ________________________________________________________________

NEW VENDOR REGISTRATION

New vendors must complete a vendor registration form using the link below. If you are a current vendor that needs to update, contact information you may also complete the online vendor registration form. Once registration is complete email a copy of your W9 an E-Verify Affidavit to the contact person listed on the coversheet.

https://www.rockymountnc.gov/316/Vendor-Registration http://ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/hub http://ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/hub