RFP_C4341-111135_Digital_Media_Services_11-8-24.pdf

Page 1 RFP C4341-111135 Digital Media Services

Request for Proposal

RFP C4341-111135

Digital Media Services

November 01, 2024

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview

1.2 Purpose

1.3 Key Action Dates

1.4 Contact

1.5 Contract Term

1.6 Contract Amount

1.7 RFP Questions

1.8 Submission of Proposals

1.9 Format of Proposals

1.10 CCC’s Rights

1.11 Rejection of Proposals

1.12 Errors in Proposals

1.13 Protest

1.14 Disposition of Proposals

1.15 Contract Execution and Performance

1.16 News Releases and Social Media

1.17 Executive Order N-6-22 Russia Sanctions

1.18 Gen AI Disclosure

2. PROJECT TEAM

2.1 Project Team Minimum Qualifications

2.2 Project Team Desirable Qualifications

2.3 Subcontractors

2.4 Reassignment of Personnel

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 Background

3.2 Scope of Work

3.3 Contract Completion Criteria

3.4 Deliverable Acceptance Criteria

3.5 Payment and Invoicing

4. REQUIRED PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CONTENT

4.1 Proprietary Information and Confidential Status of Responses

4.2 Stage 1 - Administrative Requirements and Minimum Qualifications

4.3 Stage 2 - Technical Requirements and Agency Presentation

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4.4 Stage 3 - Agency Presentation

5. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FOR CONTRACT AWARD

5.1 Scoring Stage 1: Administrative Requirements and Minimum Qualifications 28

5.2 Scoring Stage 2: Technical Requirements

5.3 Agency Presentation

6. PREFERENCE AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

6.1 How the Preferences and Incentives Work

6.2 Small Business Preference

6.3 Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Incentive

6.4 Programs for Non-Small Businesses with Subcontractors

6.5 Target Area Contract Preference Act

7. ATTACHMENTS

8. MODEL CONTRACT WITH EXHIBITS

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview

Potential Proposers are invited to review and respond to this Request for Proposal (RFP).

By submitting a proposal, the Proposer organization agrees to the terms and conditions stated in this RFP.

Potential Proposers should carefully read this document and all attachments in their entirety, as they may contain binding provisions that affect the rights and obligations of Proposer organizations. Proposers must comply with the instructions contained in this document. Proposals for this RFP must be submitted to the California Conservation Corps (CCC) contact designated in Section 1.4 below.

1.2 Purpose

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals from qualified, high-caliber digital media agencies to serve as CCC’s paid and organic digital media contractor of record. The selected contractor will collaborate with CCC and its Communications, Outreach, Recruitment, and Enrollment (CORE) branch to create digital media marketing strategies and campaigns, based on the attached Scope of Work in Exhibit A, that build on the strengths and strategies of CCC’s current digital media while introducing new, creative ideas to promote CCC’s program offerings to maximize enrollment and retention; provide multi-segment, integrated communications services through holistic, statewide digital media marketing campaigns with the goal of promoting a positive brand image with the public and targeted audiences; and generate third-party validation through effective digital media relations.

1.3 Key Action Dates

Proposers are advised of the key dates and times shown in the table below and are required to adhere to them. All times noted in this document are Pacific Time (PT).

KEY ACTION DATES

Request for Proposal Release Date: November 1, 2024 RFP Questions Due Date and Time: November 11, 2024, by 2:00 PM PDT Responses to Questions Posted By: November 15, 2024 Submissions Due Date and Time November 22, 2024, by 2:00 p.m. PDT Agency Presentations Anticipated of Week of December 2, 2024 Notice of Intent to Award: Anticipated of Week of December 17, 2024 Anticipated Contract Term: January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027

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1.4 Contact

The CCC contact for this solicitation is Kiran Varghese Kiran.Varghese@ccc.ca.gov

Please reference the RFP number in all communications.

1.5 Contract Term

The anticipated term of the contract shall be for three (3) years, from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2027. The CCC will have the sole option to extend the contract term for one year at the contracted rates. The resulting contract will be of no force or effect until signed by both parties. Performance shall not commence until a valid contract has been executed between the successful Proposer and CCC. CCC will not pay for any services performed prior to the execution of a valid contract.

1.6 Contract Amount

Proposal submissions shall not exceed $1,401,000.00 in total proposed costs. Proposals that exceed this amount will not be considered for selection. It is expected that the approved funding for the contract will not exceed $467,000.00 per fiscal year or $233,500.00 for half a fiscal year for the term of the contract including in an option year.

A fiscal year is from July 1st to June 30th.

CCC maintains a goal to employ digital media services that maximize value and cost-effectiveness to meet its goals and objectives. On an annual basis CCC leadership will determine and approve the budget allocated for these services that will enable CCC’s CORE branch to meet its digital media goals and objectives for the year. While the budget shall not exceed $467,000.00 per fiscal year or $233,500.00 for half a fiscal year, total spending on these services shall be limited by the winning Proposer’s cost proposal. If full funding does not become available, CCC may terminate or amend the contract to reflect reduced funding and reduced deliverables.

1.7 RFP Questions

For questions regarding this RFP, contact CCC via email at bid.questions@ccc.ca.gov bidquestions@ccc.ca.gov with “RFP C4341-111135” in the subject line. Prospective Proposers must submit any questions regarding this RFP by the due date and time specified in the Key Action Dates table in Section 1.3. Only questions sent to the email address provided will be considered, phone calls will not be accepted. Prospective Proposers must provide enough specific information to enable CCC to identify and respond to their questions.

Responses to questions received during the RFP Questions time period will be posted on Cal e-Procure. Proposers who fail to report a known or suspected problem with this RFP or who fail to seek clarification or correction of this RFP do so at their own risk.

mailto:Kiran.Varghese@ccc.ca.gov mailto:bidquestions@ccc.ca.gov

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1.8 Submission of Proposals

1. Proposers’ Cost: Costs for developing proposals and attending Proposers’ Conferences are entirely and solely the responsibility of the Proposer and are not chargeable to CCC.

2. Completion of Proposals: Proposers are required to be both responsive (fully compliant) and responsible (capable and qualified to perform work) relative to the solicitation requirements. Proposals must be complete in all respects and contain all required items as described in the requirements established within this RFP, its attachments, and any written responses to questions or amendments posted by CCC on Cal e-Procure.

3. False or Misleading Statements: Proposals which contain false or misleading statements, or which provide references that do not support an attribute or condition claimed by the Proposer may be rejected. If, in the sole opinion of CCC, such information was intended to mislead CCC in its evaluation of the proposal or was included as a result of gross negligence attributable to the Proposer, and the attribute, condition, or capability is a requirement of this RFP, it shall be grounds for rejection of the proposal.

4. Errors: If a Proposer discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this RFP, the Proposer shall immediately notify CCC of such error by emailing the contact in Section 1.7 and shall request a modification or clarification of the RFP.

Modifications or clarifications will be given by written notice through an addendum and posted on Cal e-Procure without divulging the source of the request for modification or clarification. CCC shall not be responsible for a Proposer’s failure to correct errors, nor for any Proposer’s failure to regularly and timely check the website for changes.

5. Importance of Meeting Deadlines: Proposers are responsible and assume all risks for the delivery and receipt by CCC of all proposal submissions prior to the submission deadline. The stated deadlines for submitting a proposal and all required materials for receipt by CCC will be strictly enforced. Submissions that are incomplete or received after the stated deadline shall not be accepted.

6. Assessment of Proposals: All proposals will be assessed based on the evaluation criteria as set forth in this RFP and at CCC’s sole discretion. The selection and contract award, if made, will be made to a single Proposer unless otherwise specified in this RFP.

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1.9 Format of Proposals

Proposers must submit a proposal package that contains all required attachments, documents, and narrative responses. Proposals must be submitted electronically via email to Kiran.Varghese@ccc.ca.gov with “RFP C4341-111135: Digital Media Services” in the subject line by November 22nd, 2024, at 2:00PM PDT. Proposals must be provided in a searchable text format (e.g., Microsoft® Word®, searchable Adobe® PDF) and free of any password or encryption protection. Hard copy proposals will not be accepted and will be deemed non-responsive.

1. Electronic Signatures

Proposers may sign required attachments and documents electronically or with ink, so long as the attachments and documents are submitted in a searchable text format (e.g., Microsoft® Word®, searchable Adobe® PDF). Signatures must be provided by an authorized signatory who is authorized to contractually bind the Proposer organization.

2. Narrative Format

a. Narrative portions of proposals should be prepared to provide a straightforward, concise delineation of the Proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis should be on conformance with the RFP instructions, responsiveness to the RFP requirements, and completeness and clarity of content.

Expensive bindings, colored displays, promotional materials, etc., are not necessary nor desired.

b. Proposers must follow the format requirements listed below for all narrative portions of the proposal submission. Failure to do so may result in an entire proposal or affected section not being read or evaluated, at CCC’s sole discretion.

1) Use a Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri font of at least 12-point size throughout unless a form is required by CCC that contains a smaller font.

2) Use one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides.

3) Sequentially number the pages in each section and clearly identify each section in the order requested. When a page limit is noted, pages exceeding the limit will not be reviewed or scored. It is not necessary to paginate the required forms.

4) Place the Proposer organization’s name in a header or footer on every page. If the Proposer's name is not already entered elsewhere on a completed certification or form, add it to a header, footer, or signature block.

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1.10 CCC’s Rights

1. Verification of Proposer Information

By submitting a proposal, the Proposer authorizes CCC to do the following:

i. Verify any and all claims made by the Proposer, including, but not limited to, verification of prior experience and possession of all other required qualifications; and,

ii. Check any and all references identified by the Proposer, or any other resource known or identified by CCC, to confirm the Proposer’s business integrity and history of providing effective, efficient, competent, and timely goods and/or services.

2. CCC may, in its sole discretion, modify the RFP prior to the proposal submission deadline by the issuance of an addendum on the website listed at https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/index.aspx

3. CCC reserves the right to reject any proposal that does not satisfy the requirements set forth in this RFP. Before submitting a response to this RFP, prospective Proposers should review and correct all errors and confirm compliance with all RFP requirements.

1.11 Rejection of Proposals

Deviations may cause a proposal to be deemed non-responsive and to not be considered for award. CCC may reject any or all proposals and/or may waive any immaterial deviation or defect in a proposal. CCC's waiver of any immaterial deviation or defect shall in no way modify the RFP documents or requirements and shall not excuse the Proposer from full compliance with the RFP specifications if awarded the contract.

Issuance of this RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by CCC to award a contract.

CCC reserves the right to do the following:

i. Reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP, or portions of proposals;

ii. Amend or cancel this RFP at any time, after which CCC may reissue the RFP at a later date.

1. Non-Responsive Proposals

A proposal may be deemed non-responsive and subsequently rejected if any of the following occur:

i. The proposal is received after the exact time and date set forth in Section 1.3 https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/index.aspx

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Key Action Dates for receipt of each submission;

ii. The Proposer fails to meet one or more of the minimum qualifications specified in Section 2, Project Team;

iii. The Proposer fails to submit or fails to complete and sign any required attachments as instructed in this RFP;

iv. The proposal contains false, inaccurate, or misleading statements or references;

v. The Proposer is unwilling or unable to fully comply with CCC’s proposed contract provisions; or

vi. The Proposer supplies conditional cost information, incomplete cost information, or cost information containing unsigned/uninitiated alterations or irregularities.

2. Business in Good Standing

Proposer acknowledges that when agreements are to be performed in the State of California by corporations or vendors, CCC will verify, prior to awarding any State contract, the following information to ensure all obligations due to the State are fulfilled:

a. Corporation in Good Standing

As required by California law, Proposer organizations must be in good standing and qualified to do business in California at the time of submitting a proposal and, if selected by CCC, during the entire term of the contract. If the Proposer organization is incorporated, the Proposer’s status with the California Secretary of State (SOS) must be Active; a status of Cancelled or Suspended will cause the Proposer to be deemed non-responsive. This requirement does not apply to sole proprietors and general partnerships. Unless otherwise specified, the Proposer shall not submit copies of its organization’s bylaws or Articles of Incorporation.

“Doing business” is defined in California Revenue and Taxation Code section 23101 as actively engaging in any transaction for the purpose of financial or pecuniary gain or profit. Although there are some statutory exceptions to taxation, rarely will a corporate contractor performing within the State not be subject to the franchise tax.

Both domestic and foreign (those incorporated outside of California) corporations must be in good standing to be qualified to do business in California.

b. State Tax Delinquency

CCC will verify with the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) that the Proposer is not on a prohibited list due to tax delinquencies. The proposal will be considered non-responsive if the Proposer is on any of these lists.

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The list established by FTB can be found at:

https://www.ftb.ca.gov/about-ftb/newsroom/top-500-past-due-balances/corporate-income-tax-list.html.

The list established by CDTFA can be found at:

https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/top500.htm.

1.12 Errors in Proposals

An error in a proposal may cause the rejection of that proposal; however, CCC may, in its sole discretion, retain the proposal and make certain corrections.

1. CCC may, in its sole discretion, correct obvious clerical errors.

2. A Proposer may modify a proposal after submission by withdrawing its original proposal and resubmitting a new one if it is received prior to the proposal submission deadline. Modifications offered by a Proposer in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered.

3. A Proposer may withdraw its proposal by submitting a written withdrawal request to CCC, signed by the Proposer or an authorized agent. Proposals may not be withdrawn after the proposal submission deadline without cause.

4. No oral understanding or contract shall be binding on either party.

1.13 Protest

A Notice of Intent to Award will be posted to Cal e-Procure five (5) working days before the award of the contract. If a proposer, prior to award of the contract, files a protest, the contract may not be awarded until the protest is withdrawn or the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services has rendered a decision. The initial protest must be filed with the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services at the location listed below.

Requirements for Protest Within five (5) days after filing the notice of protest, the protesting proposer will file with the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services and the CCC, a full and complete detailed written statement specifying the grounds for the protest at the locations stated below.

Protests should include the RFP number, the CCC as the listed agency, and the agency contact listed in Section 1.4 of this RFP. Protests may be emailed, mailed, or delivered to the addresses shown below.

https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ftb.ca.gov%2Fabout-ftb%2Fnewsroom%2Ftop-500-past-due-balances%2Fcorporate-income-tax-list.html&data=02%7C01%7CKarissa.Kanenaga%40covered.ca.gov%7C9ba1ee4bdbfb4d212a9808d6fbf38d78%7C466d2f7db1424b9c8cddeba5537a0f27%7C0%7C0%7C636973420802292691&sdata=ChGa6PUscbb9EMoluuHA1Mpba6jZOhDsOceDG5jTk1A%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ftb.ca.gov%2Fabout-ftb%2Fnewsroom%2Ftop-500-past-due-balances%2Fcorporate-income-tax-list.html&data=02%7C01%7CKarissa.Kanenaga%40covered.ca.gov%7C9ba1ee4bdbfb4d212a9808d6fbf38d78%7C466d2f7db1424b9c8cddeba5537a0f27%7C0%7C0%7C636973420802292691&sdata=ChGa6PUscbb9EMoluuHA1Mpba6jZOhDsOceDG5jTk1A%3D&reserved=0 https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/top500.htm

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Department of General Services Office of Legal Services

Attention: Bid Protest Coordinator 707 Third Street, 7th Floor, Suite 7-330

West Sacramento, CA 95605 Email: OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov

California Conservation Corps

Attention: Kiran Varghese 1719 24th Street Sacramento CA 95816

Email: Kiran.Varghese@ccc.ca.gov

1.14 Disposition of Proposals

Upon proposal opening, all documents submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the State of California.

1.15 Contract Execution and Performance

Performance shall begin no later than the date set forth in this RFP by CCC and after the contract is fully executed. Notwithstanding any other provision, should the Contractor fail to commence work on the agreed date and time, CCC reserves the right to terminate the contract upon five (5) business days written notice to the Contractor. All performance under the contract shall be completed before the termination date of the contract.

1.16 News Releases and Social Media

By submitting a proposal, Proposers and the selected Contractor agree that they will not issue news releases nor make statements to the news media or through social media channels pertaining to this RFP, their proposals, the contract, or work resulting therefrom, without first obtaining prior approval from CCC.

1.17 Executive Order N-6-22 Russia Sanctions

Please be advised of Executive Order N-6-22 Russia Sanctions. On March 4, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order (EO) N-6-22 regarding Economic Sanctions against Russia and Russian entities and individuals. “Economic Sanctions” refers to sanctions imposed by the U.S. government in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, as well as any sanctions imposed under state law. By submitting a bid, Bidder represents that it is not a target of Economic Sanctions. Should the State determine Bidder is a target of Economic Sanctions or is conducting prohibited transactions with sanctioned individuals or entities, that shall be grounds for rejection of the Bidder’s bid any time prior to contract execution, or, if determined after contract execution, shall be grounds for termination by the State.

mailto:OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov

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1.18 Gen AI Disclosure

The State of California seeks to realize the potential benefits of GenAI, through the development and deployment of GenAI tools, while balancing the risks of these new technologies.

Bidder / Offeror / Contractor must notify the State in writing if their solution or service includes, or makes available, any GenAI, including GenAI from third parties or subcontractors.

The State has developed a GenAI Reporting and Factsheet (STD 1000) to be completed by the Bidder / Offeror / Contractor .

Failure to submit the GenAI Reporting and Factsheet (STD 1000) will result in disqualification of the Bidder / Offeror / Contractor.

Failure to report GenAI to the State may void any resulting contract. The State reserves its right to seek any and all relief it may be entitled to as a result of such non-disclosure.

Upon receipt of a Bidder / Offeror / Contractor GenAI Reporting and Factsheet (STD 1000), the state reserves the right to incorporate GenAI Special Provisions into the final contract or reject bids/offers that present an unacceptable level of risk to the state.

2. PROJECT TEAM

CCC seeks a team with experience and knowledge of the process outlined in this RFP and the Model Contract Exhibit A – Scope of Work. Proposers must demonstrate that the project team members who will be assigned to the project possess the experience, education, knowledge, and skills required to perform the work described in this RFP.

2.1 Project Team Minimum Qualifications

The required minimum qualifications for Proposers include the following:

1. A full-service digital media production and marketing firm with a presence in

California; For purposes of this solicitation, a “full-service digital media production and marketing firm” is one that offers the following services at a minimum: account management; digital media marketing and strategic planning; organic digital media strategy development and evaluation; planning and execution of digital media activities; paid digital media research, negotiation, and procurement; paid digital media strategy development; digital and print media graphic design, development, production for electronic and print distribution.

The above requirements may be met by such as and not limited to evidence of awards of public or private contracts. With regards to employees, online evidence of where they are based using LinkedIn accounts or website language can be provided.

These preliminary eligibility requirements must be certified by the Proposer in Stage 1 as further described in Section 4 (Proposal Submission and Stages).

http://chrome-extension/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std1000.pdf http://chrome-extension/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std1000.pdf

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Any costs incurred by those participating at any stage of the RFP process are the sole responsibility of the Proposer and will not be reimbursed by CCC.

2.2 Project Team Desirable Qualifications

CCC seeks Proposers with dynamic, full-service, and leading-edge capabilities in all of the following areas:

• Strategic Planning

• Account Management

• Data aggregation

• Analytics

• Paid digital with emphasis on Meta, TikTok, Google Display, YouTube, LinkedIn

• Organic social media

• Graphic design development and production

• Animation

The following qualifications are strongly desired by CCC:

• Ability to create local, regional, statewide, and national paid and organic digital media strategies, based on the attached Scope of Work, which builds upon the strengths and strategies of CCC social and owned media projects.

• Ability to provide creative and innovative strategies to advance CCC’s paid, organic, and owned media work to promote brand awareness, enrollment and retention.

• Ability to help generate sharing of CCC content across influential and stakeholder organic social media with emphasis on targeted- segments including women, Hispanic, African American, AAPI, and LGBTQ+ audiences ages 18 through 25 years old regardless of education level.

• Knowledge of the corps movement, workforce development, and natural resource conservation with the ability to advise CCC on message development to policy-oriented audiences.

• Ability to leverage stakeholders and external partners to advance CCC’s social media awareness among young adults, engage stakeholders to participate in CCC paid digital media campaigns

• Ability to integrate paid, organic and owned media tactics with other CCC-funded projects, including marketing, outreach, and paid conventional media campaigns.

• Excellent project management skills; extensive experience working with California’s diverse markets and populations; and ability to effectively utilize social media networks and paid digital media to advance CCC priorities.

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• Capability to plan, execute, and support a wide range of paid digital buying and organic social media boosting to advance recruitment, enrollment, and brand awareness in virtual, in person, and online environments.

• Capability to provide: training, at least annually, relative to the digital media landscape and emerging trends; social media posting, conversation management, and best practices training, and other training topics as requested by CCC and mutually agreed to by CCC and Contractor.

• Capability and willingness to transfer knowledge to CCC and its staff to support continuous enrollment growth and to build on CCC’s ability to perform a wide range of digital media procurement activities in-house.

2.3 Subcontractors

Given California’s rich diversity, CCC places great emphasis on multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-lingual digital marketing strategies that maximize reach to targeted populations, including women, Hispanic, African American, AAPI communities, foster youth and the LGBTQ+ market. Successful Proposers will have the capability to create, support, and execute paid digital, organic social media, and owned media strategies reaching these populations, and all elements outlined in the Scope of Work. If the Proposer does not have full-service capabilities to effectively achieve all components of the Scope of Work, they are required to identify potential Subcontractors to do so.

If a proposed Subcontractor is denied, or if the selected Contractor does not demonstrate the capability to address a specific target population to the satisfaction of CCC, the Proposer may be required to procure a Subcontractor or consultant through a separate competitive process.

2.4 Reassignment of Personnel

1. The Contractor shall not reassign nor substitute personnel assigned to the contract during the contract term without prior written approval of CCC.

2. CCC reserves the right to require a Contractor employee to be removed from performing any work on the contract and on written notice to the Contactor, the Contractor shall assign an acceptable substitute employee.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 Background

The California Conservation Corps (CCC) is the oldest and largest conservation corps in the nation. Created in 1976 by Governor Jerry Brown, it was soon made a permanent state department under the umbrella of the California Natural Resources Agency.

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The CCC’s mission is to protect and enhance California’s natural resources and communities while empowering and developing young adults through hard work and education.

The work of the CCC falls primarily under three areas:

Targeted Conservation Programs – from protecting California’s environment to making public buildings more energy efficient, the programs include: Backcountry Trails Program | Energy Corps | Forestry Health | International Work Exchange Programs | Veterans Corps Fishery Program | Watershed Stewards Program

Emergency Response – legislatively mandated to respond to natural and man-made disasters, the CCC assists in a variety of emergencies: earthquakes | fires | floods | hazardous materials/oil spills | other emergency response

Natural Resource Conservation Work – since its inception, the CCC has completed nearly 75 million hours of natural resource work throughout the state, including: invasive species removal | public service conservation work | riparian and watershed restoration | state responsibility area fire fuel reduction | statewide trails program | tree mortality

The CCC is dedicated to transforming the lives of California’s young adults, ages 18 to 25, and military veterans through age 29, through hard work, education and training;

enabling them to earn meaningful skills and hands-on experience for launching a career and becoming assets to our communities. During their year of paid service to the State of California, Corpsmembers receive “basic” training called COMET (Corpsmember Orientation, Motivation Education and Training) which includes first aid, proper use of hand tools, water safety, roadside safety, and emergency response training, as well as effective communication techniques, sexual harassment and violence prevention, life skills, team-building, educational assessments, and more.

Corpsmembers also benefit from the CCC’s specialized training and certification programs ranging from firefighting techniques to chain saw operation to food preparation to trail building.

Young adults come from across California and represent the state’s rich ethnic diversity.

To date, more than 120,000 Corpsmembers have participated in the CCC, taking with them the skills, education, and experience to become productive citizens of California.

The work of the CCC includes but is not limited to:

• Fire Response & Camp Support – Initial attack and mop-up, base camp organization, sanitation and supply distribution

• Fire Prevention – brush removal, thinning, prescribed burns, fire line construction

• Emergency Response – hazardous materials/oil spills, weather disasters, earthquakes, snow removal, and more

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• Public Service Conservation Work: landscaping public spaces/public works – park development, maintenance and restoration, including shade structure construction and ADA access to recreational facilities; median construction

• Trail Building & Maintenance – hiking, equestrian, interpretive, ADA access

• Energy Efficiency Surveys & Retrofitting – energy audits, light fixture replacement

• Forest & Timber Management – tree, brush and native vegetation planting, removal of non-native species, seed cone collection and propagation

• Tree Mortality/Tree Felling – removal of dead and dying trees, chipping and mulching

• Riparian Habitat Enhancement & Watershed Stewardship and Restoration

The CCC provides exceptionally strong value to California’s governmental agencies, public utilities, and non-profit organizations as well as counties and cities statewide by providing supervised, trained and equipped teams of Corpsmembers to work on a wide range of environmentally focused projects that might not otherwise be financially feasible.

Corpsmembers also volunteer a tremendous amount of time in their local communities.

Volunteerism is part of our business model that encourages Corpsmembers to complete 48 hours of volunteer work to successfully finish their first year in the CCC.

Bringing equitable access to CCC’s program and resources that leads to measurable positive outcomes for women, non-diplomaed adult youth seeking to complete their high school diploma, foster youth, LGTBQ+, and underserved communities across California is CCC’s immediate and long-term focus.

CCC CORE seeks to grow partnerships to expand CCC’s impact as a provider and connector for our targeted segments – women, non-diplomaed adult youth, foster youth, historical achievement gap groups (African American, Hispanic, Southeast Asian, lower income White), LGBTQ+ – to enroll in the program by:

• Adapting and innovating program access methods and structures to reduce barriers and increase participation for all targeted segments

• Building reports for collecting and reporting data demonstrating outreach, recruitment, and enrollment outcomes

• Highlighting and emphasizing targeted segments in video and imagery

• Allowing recruits to see themselves in the CCC as wildland firefighters, forestry technicians, conservationists and other environmentally focused roles where they historically have been underrepresented.

• Raising general awareness that the CCC is a place where young adults can succeed in earning their high school diploma and exploring environmental careers with emphasis on wildland firefighting, forestry, energy sustainability, and habitat

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Over the past seven years, the CCC has expanded its outreach and advertising through a combination of strategies to where we now average monthly more than 450 individuals who have completed the enrollment process and are ready and waiting to be assigned to a CCC center. This up from a monthly average of 90 in 2017.

This has been achieved to a large extent through our digital media strategy that includes but is not limited to:

1. Partnerships – CCC identified, recruited and developed partnerships with institutions and community-based organizations from throughout the state that are mission-aligned with the CCC. These entities will help advance the CCC’s message and mission among their constituents, including young adults, especially women, influencers and potential partners.

2. Stakeholder and influence outreach – the CCC supports and grows partnerships with stakeholders who are trusted community influencers to help reinforce our messaging and generate greater awareness of the CCC among the high priority market segments.

3. Awareness and recruitment events - participate in existing community-based events where young adults and/or their influencers are present, especially in key target markets.

4. Paid and organic digital media- CCC researches, identifies, and then purchases advertising through traditional media outlets – television, (including selected streaming outlets), radio, community newspapers, and out-of-home – to generate awareness for the CCC and support recruitment, especially in key markets.

With projected revenues falling less than expected for State of California operations, the CCC has been directed – as have all State agencies – to look for opportunities to maintain or even increase outcomes while at the same time reducing expenditures.

The CCC sees this proposed contract as an opportunity to use its limited funds to focus on recruitment and enrollment of our identified targeted segments and increase awareness of the CCC. For additional information on CCC, please refer to our website at www.ccc.ca.gov

3.2 Scope of Work

See Model Contract Exhibit A – Scope of Work for a detailed description of the services and work to be performed by the successful Proposer.

3.3 Contract Completion Criteria

http://www.ccc.ca.gov/

Page 18 RFP C4341-111135 Digital Media Services

The contract resulting from this RFP will be considered complete when CCC has approved and accepted all assigned contract deliverables.

3.4 Deliverable Acceptance Criteria

All proposed work must be submitted to CCC for review and approval. Payment for all tasks performed under the contract will be based on completed and approved deliverables. CCC will determine whether any tasks are successfully completed and acceptable.

Throughout the contract term, CCC will validate the services performed and approve any invoices submitted by the Contractor. Project Assumptions and Constraints

1. The Contractor’s work hours shall be consistent with CCC’s key staff on-site, whose normal business hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, except for State holidays, and Contractor shall be available on an as-needed basis outside of normal business hours, including evenings and weekends.

2. Travel will not be reimbursed.

3. CCC and the Contractor shall be mutually obligated to keep open and regular channels of communication to ensure the successful performance of the contract.

Both parties shall be responsible for communicating potential problems or issues to CCC’s Representative and the Contractor’s project team manager, respectively, within forty-eight (48) hours of becoming aware of the problem or issue.

3.5 Payment and Invoicing

If the CCC experiences a budget insufficient to provide the funds for this program, CCC shall have the option to either cancel this contract with no liability occurring to CCC or offer a contract amendment to the Contractor to reflect the reduced amount.

The Contractor may invoice CCC only after the successful completion and acceptance of the contract deliverables. The Contractor may not invoice CCC for any costs exceeding the maximum amount identified to complete a deliverable.

4. REQUIRED PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CONTENT

Proposal submissions must include content for the following categories, which are described in detail in the sections below.

• Administrative Requirements o Required attachments o Required documents

• Technical Requirements

Page 19 RFP C4341-111135 Digital Media Services o Understanding and Approach o Corporate Qualifications Summary o Project Team Qualifications Resumes o Past Projects Completed o Project Assumptions o Cost Proposal

4.1 Proprietary Information and Confidential Status of Responses

A proposal marked “Confidential” or “Proprietary” may be rejected, and marking it as such does not keep the document(s) from being released as part of the public record following issuance of the notice of intent to award for formal solicitations.

4.2 Stage 1 - Administrative Requirements and Minimum Qualifications

To be deemed responsive, Proposers must comply with the Administrative Requirements in this section.

4.2.1 Required Attachments

Proposals must include the following required attachments as set forth below. Any attachment that requires a signature must be signed by a representative authorized to contractually bind the Proposer organization. Photocopies of wet signatures and electronic signatures are acceptable and shall be submitted as a PDF.

i. The Proposal Cover Page form (Attachment 1) completed and signed;

ii. The RFP Proposal Checklist (Attachment 2)

iii. The Payee Data Record (STD. 204) form (Attachment 3) completed and signed;

iv. The Contractor Certification Clause (Attachment 4) completed and signed;

v. The Bidder Declaration (GSPD-05-105) form (Attachment 5) completed and signed;

vi. The California Civil Rights Laws Attachment (Attachment 6) completed and signed;

vii. The Iran Contract Act Certification (Attachment 7) completed and signed;

viii. The GenAI Disclosure & Factsheet STD1000 (Attachment 8) completed and signed;

ix. Statement of Economic Interests Certification (Attachment 9) completed and signed;

x. Proof of Insurance (Attachment 10) completed;

xi. Proof of Active status with the California Secretary of State (Attachment 11) completed;

xii. Cost Worksheet (Attachment 12) completed;

xiii. Narrative Responses (Attachment 13) completed;

xiv. The Proposed Account Staffing Chart (Attachment 14) completed;

xv. The Client References form (Attachment 15) completed;

xvi. Darfur Contracting Act Certification (Attachment 16) if applicable, completed;

xvii. The DVBE Declarations (STD. 843) form (Attachment 17), if applicable, completed;

xviii. The TACPA Request (STD. 830) form (Attachment 18), if applicable completed;

xix. The TACPA Bidder’s Summary (DGS-PD 526) form (Attachment 19), if applicable, completed.

Page 20 RFP C4341-111135 Digital Media Services

Attachment 9 is a Proposer certification form whereby the Proposer acknowledges and agrees that, upon contract execution, the Proposer’s representative and applicable staff, if identified as code filers, agree to provide a completed Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700). For more information, see the CCC Conflict of Interest Code at https://ccc.ca.gov/who-we-are/position-and-policy/ and the Fair Political Practices Commission website at .http://www.fppc.ca.gov/Form700.html.

If the Proposer wishes to claim the Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) incentive and/or the TACPA preference (see Section 6, Preference and Incentive Programs), the following optional attachments must also be included, as applicable:

i. The Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Declarations (STD. 843) form

(Attachment 17) completed and signed;

ii. The Target Area Contract Preference Act Preference Request for Goods and

Services Solicitations (STD. 830) form (Attachment 18) completed and signed.

iii. The Bidder’s Summary of Contract Activities and Labor Hours (DGS-PD 526) form (Attachment 19) completed and signed.

4.2.2 Required Documents

Proposals must include the following required insurance documents (Attachment 10):

i. A Certificate of Liability Insurance equal to or greater than $1,000,000;

ii. Proof of Workers’ Compensation Liability Insurance; and,

iii. Proof of Automobile Liability Insurance, including non-owned auto liability, of

$1,000,000 per occurrence for persons used by the Contractor for services provided pursuant to this contract.

If the Proposer organization is incorporated, proof of Active status with the California SOS must be provided in one of the following forms (Attachment 11):

i. A copy of the Proposer’s current Certificate of Status issued by the SOS; or

ii. A copy of the Proposer’s Entity Detail page from the SOS’s Business Search website (https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/).

4.2.3 Cost Worksheet (Attachment 12)

Proposers must submit a Cost Worksheet as instructed below:

1. Fill out the provided Cost Worksheet in relation to the Scope of Work. Please refer to the Cost Worksheet for further details.

4.3 Stage 2 - Technical Requirements and Agency Presentation

To be deemed responsive and responsible, Proposers must comply with the Technical https://ccc.ca.gov/who-we-are/position-and-policy/ https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/

Page 21 RFP C4341-111135 Digital Media Services

Requirements in this section.

4.3.1 Understanding and Approach

Proposers must provide a narrative description of their understanding of the project's goals, emphasizing their understanding of the objectives and the major activities that must be performed to complete the work. Proposers should discuss their strategy for providing the services outlined in the SOW within the time period allocated and provide a table showing hours per week by person for the entire contract term. Proposers should also include their expectations of all entities outside their own project team, if any, and provide any assumptions used to develop the response.

(No more than four (4) pages.)

4.3.2 Corporate Qualifications Summary

CCC seeks a Proposer with significant capacity to respond to CCC’s needs for the duration of the contract, to support a high degree of qualified staff continuity, and to maintain a consistently high level of individual team member performance.

Proposers must narratively describe their overall capability and available resources and provide specific examples, as these factors relate to the general requirements set forth in Model Contract Exhibit A – Scope of Work, including the following:

i. Strengths – Describe your agency’s strengths during the past three years, including accomplishments, unique services, account leadership, and experience working on accounts of similar size or scope.

ii. Agency experience. Describe your agency’s full-service capabilities and experience. Full-service capabilities description should include but not be limited to account management; paid and organic digital media research and strategic planning; planning and execution of media activities; paid and organic digital media negotiation and procurement; OTT, CTV and Streaming strategy development, analysis, and execution; crisis management and communications.

Also describe your agency’s experience in creating annual digital media plans and campaigns, including the steps your agency takes to create the plans, the client’s involvement, how results are measured, and how this experience may be relevant to CCC.

iii. Multicultural and ethnic experience. Describe your agency’s experience and expertise, at successfully reaching multicultural, gender, and ethnically diverse media outlets and communities. Please include research, planning, execution, and evaluation processes as they relate to client needs and objectives. If your agency does not have such experience in-house, or if in-language experience is limited, Page 22 RFP C4341-111135 Digital Media Services describe how your agency would ensure that expertise to address targeted ethnic markets to meet contract requirements. Emphasis should be placed on young adult Spanish- and Asian-language (including, but not limited to, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese), African American, LGBTQ+, U.S. military, foster youth, non-diplomaed youth, and female audiences – with particular emphasis on 18-25-year-olds. Provide examples of successfully engaging with these specific communities.

iv. Describe your agency’s experience performing the services outlined in the Scope of Work, including the total number of years the Proposer has been providing these services.

(No more than five (5) pages.)

4.3.3 Project Team Qualifications

CCC seeks a team of highly qualified, senior staff to work day-to-day with CCC to provide high-level support services as required by the Model Contract. Technical and skill-based staff may also be necessary to fulfill the Scope of Work. Please carefully review Exhibit A for any requirements related to the project team and staffing.

Proposers must narratively describe the qualifications of each member of the proposed project team and identify the role each member is expected to have, including the experience, education, knowledge, and skills each possesses as they relate to the proposed role. In addition, Proposers must identify senior staff and non-senior staff who will be the points of day-to-day contact for CCC and indicate the percentage of time that staff will be dedicated to the work detailed in Model Contract Exhibit A – Scope of Work.

4.3.3.1 Resumes

Proposers must provide a resume of the relevant experience held by each proposed project team member. For each experience cited on a resume, the information must include the following:

i. The total duration (i.e., the start month and year, the end month and year, and the total number of years and months); and,

ii. A description of specific experience (i.e., a complete description of the relevant experience, including identification of the client, name of the project, roles and responsibilities of the individual, and types of services provided by the individual).

When preparing resumes for submission, Proposers should only include the individual work experiences that are most relevant to this RFP. Work experiences that are not

Page 23 RFP C4341-111135 Digital Media Services relevant to this RFP will not be considered by CCC in determining whether the Proposer is responsible.

4.3.4 Past Projects Completed

Proposers must narratively describe up to five (5) projects they have completed in the past two (2) years by the Proposer’s California-based office that relate to the tasks listed in Model Contract Exhibit A – Scope of Work.

4.3.5 Proposed Projects Based on Budget Allocation

Given CCC’s overarching goal of a high-value, cost-effective paid and organic digital media program, Proposers must provide a narrative description of a sample consumer-focused digital media strategy and tactics to effectively reach a statewide audience based on a $467,000.00 per fiscal year or $233,500.00 for half a fiscal year budget.

Successful bidders will dedicate a minimum of $300,000.00 of the per fiscal year or $150,000.00 for half a fiscal year budget to media buying. This amount should not include company overhead, commissions or service fees; only for advertising products such as, but not limited to, broadcast time and print space.

Proposers shall reference the Scope of Work when formulating the sample strategies and tactics but are not required to include all elements of the Scope of Work. The sample strategies and tactics must include comprehensive paid and organic digital media strategies and tactics targeting general market media including but not limited to television, radio, print, OTT, CTV, streaming and targeted segment ethnic media.

Procurement of paid digital on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube and Google Display is not part of the SOW and should not be included in responses.

Proposers may offer a past project as sample strategies and tactics if the Proposer believes that the past project adequately represents consumer-focused strategies and tactics to reach a statewide audience. Any past projects used to demonstrate the required sample paid and organic digital media strategies and tactics must meet the budget parameters set forth in this section.

(No more than four (4) pages)

4.3.6 Project Assumptions

Proposers must document any assumptions they are making about the SOW, the responsibilities of the Contractor and CCC, and any other issues relevant to proposal submission in response to this…