RFP KADA 2027000012- Q&A.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 62 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- RFP KADA 2027000012 2
- Issued by
- Denver County, Denver City, Colorado
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) and the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) for RFP KADA 2027000012, which concerns advancing skills-first practices through awareness and adoption campaigns. The scope includes developing marketing and communications strategies, creating digital and non-traditional media campaigns, building resource repositories and contact databases, and managing paid media placements to promote skills-first hiring practices among Colorado employers. The campaign is anticipated to launch in April 2027 and will run until funds are exhausted, with the contract not limited to a single fiscal year. The RFP welcomes proposals from any company licensed by the state of Colorado, including international and Canadian agencies, and permits the use of subcontractors with full disclosure at proposal submission. Proposals must include resumes, client references, work samples, cost proposals, and other materials within a 25-page limit for Attachment C and should be submitted electronically through BidNet's "Place Bid" function, with email submission to PCS accepted as a fallback if BidNet is unavailable near the deadline. The evaluation committee will assess proposals based equally on company qualifications, price, and technical approach, with oral presentations anticipated but not yet confirmed for all responsive respondents or a shortlist only.
The media buy budget is capped at $200,000, with the planning, asset inventory, and remainder of the work budgeted separately and not disclosed in advance. Paid media will be treated as a pass-through cost with proof of performance, and actual advertising spend must be included within the quoted contract amount rather than funded separately. Annual rate adjustments are permitted for the four option years, and itemized pricing should be presented for the initial term plus each option year using deliverable-based pricing tied to actual completed work. All creative assets must be available in English and Spanish at minimum, with additional languages and outreach to traditionally underserved communities encouraged. The selected vendor is responsible for creating and maintaining resource repositories and contact databases, managing all media activities except media and public relations, and meeting Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards for all deliverables. The CWDC and CDLE have previously engaged vendors for various components of skills-first work, but no incumbent has been identified for this specific project. Insurance requirements, including Protected Information (cyber) coverage, may be adjusted post-award based on project scope, and Colorado Secretary of State registration is required before contract execution.
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| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment D-Sample Contract (1) (1).pdf | ||
| RFP KADA 2027000012 (2).pdf |
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Sheet1
| Questions | Answers |
| Confirm whether a Singapore-based team may participate and deliver the core work remotely? | Any company licensed by the state of Colorado can apply for this opportunity. |
| Is there a particular audience or adoption goal the Council sees as the hardest part of this campaign? | Many employers understand the why of skills-first but struggle with the how of implementation. The CWDC provides resources to help employers adopt skills-first practices including support to clearly articulate skills and competency needs, communicate those needs through skills-based job descriptions and attract, retain and advance workers through skills-first hiring and advancement practices. |
| Could you confirm whether the State permits a prime respondent to use named subcontractors or teaming partners for portions of the required experience and delivery? | Subcontractors are allowed. However, the prime recipient will be responsible for coordinating work and ensuring its execution is in compliance with the contract. As it is stated in the RFP, "CDLE will consider the selected Respondent(s) to be the sole point of contact with regard to contractual matters including the performance of services and the payment of any and all charges. Subcontractor specifics must be disclosed at time of proposal response." |
| Are international agencies welcome to participate in the RFP? | Any company licensed by the state of Colorado can apply for this opportunity. |
| Is there a maximum budget threshold? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| Do you encourage collaboration with multiple vendors? | Subcontractors are allowed. However, the prime recipient will be responsible for coordinating work and ensuring its execution is in compliance with the contract. As it is stated in the RFP, "CDLE will consider the selected Respondent(s) to be the sole point of contact with regard to contractual matters including the performance of services and the payment of any and all charges. Subcontractor specifics must be disclosed at time of proposal response." |
| For the references, will those need to come from the prime bidder or can they come from a subcontractor? | Those should come from the prime bidder but if you have subcontractors that are completing a large percentage of the work, references are welcome from those subcontractors |
| What metrics do you currently use to measure adoption of skills-first practices? And are these metrics available to the pool of potential vendors in advance of submitting a response to the RFP? | We currently measure adoption of skills-first practices through website traffic, resource downloads, and by what we hear from workforce/industry stakeholders. In consultation with the chosen vendor, we are open to communications metrics, though we are not looking for the vendor to define how we measure programmatic progress. |
| Is there an incumbent firm, or is this a new program? | CWDC and CDLE have engaged vendors for various components of skills-first work in the past. The team remains open to all vendors who can successfully deliver on the execution of this contract. |
| Is your ideal vendor one in engaged in marketing and communications or vendors that are serving the skills-based hiring ecosystem? | The ideal vendor is the vendor best suited to execute the contract to advance skills-first practices in Colorado. |
| Will you be sharing today's slides presentation and transcript? | Yes. The slides will be added to BidNet. |
| Did you utilize a vendor/company to develop the work done to inform this project? | Skills-first practices encompass a large number of practices. The CWDC has worked with different vendors on multiple previous projects that involve skills-first practices, but no other vendors have worked on this specific project. |
| Are you able to share who will be serving on the RFP response review committee? | That information will be available after the vendor selection process is complete. To access it, you must submit a request in accordance with Colorado's Open Records Act (CORA). |
| While you aren't able to discuss the budget parameters around this new project, have you done paid media around this work previously? If so do you have metrics for success? | |
| The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. | |
| To reframe the question about the review process - will representatives from CWDC be reviewing RFP responses? | CWDC staff members of the CWDC, along with Workforce Colorado partners and other council stakeholders, have been invited to participate on the evaluation committee. |
| Does the State expect the agency to include the actual advertising/media spend inside its quoted contract amount, or is media funded separately? | Yes, please include the actual advertising/media spend inside its quoted contract amount. Media is not funded separately. The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| What historical data or information will be shared to inform the overall campaign strategy or should the agency include elements of research as part of their work? | Information about skills-first practices is available on the CWDC's website. |
| Media buying budgets can be wildly ample. There's no benchmark or idea of a budget you can share? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| Can CDLE/CWDC share the anticipated budget or contract maximum for the initial contract year, and the approximate split between agency services and paid media? If not, is there a not-to-exceed figure for option years? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. We are not able to share the budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work at this time. |
| Will paid media be treated as a pass-through cost? May media be invoiced in advance of placement (or upon insertion-order execution) rather than under the 45-day terms in the sample contract, Section 5.B? | Paid media will be treated as a pass-through cost. Advertising services and related goods, if needed. |
| Attachment C, Section III asks for itemized pricing by the five Statement of Work areas. Should the cost proposal be presented as a fixed price per area, hourly rates with estimated hours, or either at the respondent's discretion? | |
| Deliverable-based pricing is the most preferred. Fixed costs need to be tied to actual completed work. | |
| Please confirm that proposals are submitted only through BidNet's electronic "Place Bid" function. Is email submission to PCS accepted as a fallback if BidNet is unavailable near the deadline? Is there a per-file size limit? | Yes, proposals are submitted only through BicNet's "Place Bid" function. No file size limit and yes, PCS will accept an emailed version if BidNet is unavailable near the deadline. |
| Does the 25-page limit for Attachment C include key-staff resumes, client references, and cost tables, or only the narrative Sections I–III? | |
| 25 pages applies to all of Attachment C, if you go over thats ok but try to stay within the 25 page rule | |
| Attachment K lists Attachment J (Vendor Accessibility Guidelines and Checklist) as required. Because the deliverables are marketing assets rather than a software product, should Attachment J be completed as it applies to digital creative (web landing pages, video captions, social assets)? | |
| Yes, all work performed by the Contractor needs to meet the standard accessibility requirements | |
| Is there an incumbent or prior vendor for CWDC skills-first outreach, and is that prior work (for example, the Skills-First Action Planner launch materials) available for review? | |
| CWDC and CDLE have engaged vendors for various components of skills-first work in the past. Some of the resources that were developed as a result of this work is available on CWDC's website. The team remains open to all vendors who can successfully deliver on the execution of this contract. | |
| Will CWDC provide the resource lists referenced in Vendor Responsibility #1 at kickoff, and roughly how many resources are on those lists today? | Information about skills-first practices is available on the CWDC's website. Additional resources, including answers to written questions, are available on Bidnet. |
| How many CWDC steering committees will review the strategy, and what is the expected review cadence? Should the proposal budget hours for in-person presentations in Denver? | |
| This work is a priority for both the Sectors Steering Committee and the Communications and Engagement Steering Committee. Presentations are anticipated to happen via virtual meetings. Hopwever, at this time, we have not determined how many council members will review, as well as the cadence for their review. Vendors will not be required to submit their proposals in person. | |
| Are there target metrics or a prior baseline for this campaign (impressions, Action Planner sessions, sign-ups, employer commitments)? | We currently measure adoption of skills-first practices through website traffic, resource downloads, and by what we hear from workforce/industry stakeholders. In consultation with the chosen vendor, we are open to communications metrics, though we are not looking for the vendor to define how we measure programmatic progress. |
| Is the paid campaign expected to run from April 2027 through the end of State Fiscal Year 2027 (June 30, 2027), or through the end of the initial contract term? | |
| Right now, the paid campaign is expected to run until funds are exhausted, and the contract is not limited to a single fiscal year. | |
| Are broadcast television and radio excluded from the media mix, or simply de-prioritized in favor of digital and non-traditional channels? | Broadcast television and radio are not excluded from the media mix, but digital and non-traditional channels should be prioritized. |
| Beyond Spanish, are there additional languages or specific rural or tribal markets CWDC expects the campaign to reach? | |
| CWDC works consistently to reach broader audiences, especially including traditionally underserved communities. | |
| Vendor Responsibility #2 references "other paid media initiatives managed and placed by CDLE." Can CDLE share a high-level flighting calendar so the proposed plan can align with it? | That is not a resource that we are able to share at this time. |
| Is building a contact list/CRM and a resource repository within scope for this contract, or is the vendor only expected to evaluate and recommend? | Building a contact list/CRM and a resource repository is not a required deliverable at this time. |
| Are the insurance limits in sample contract Section 10 (Crime $1M; Protected Information $1M/$2M; Professional Liability $1M) firm, or may a small business propose alternative limits through Attachment E? | Yes, the firm may propose alternate limits for review for our Risk department to review. |
| Is Colorado Secretary of State registration required before Notice of Award or before contract execution? | |
| Registration with the Colorado Secretary of State is required before contract execution. | |
| Will oral presentations be offered to all responsive respondents or to a shortlist only, and will they be virtual? | |
| That has not yet been determined. | |
| What is the anticipated budget for the initial contract year, and what portion is expected to cover agency services, paid media, creative production, translation, and other direct expenses? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| Is there a minimum or anticipated paid media budget for the outreach campaign scheduled to begin in April 2027? | Theres is no minimum or anticipated paid media budget for the outreach campaign. The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. We are not able to share the budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work at this time. |
| Must proposed rates remain unchanged throughout all four option years, or may respondents propose annual rate adjustments for each option year? | Annual rate adjustments are common. |
| Please clarify which media activities will be managed and placed by CDLE and which will be handled by the selected vendor. | For the purpose of this RFP, the vendor should create a proposal as if their organization is hanfling all media activiies with the exception of media and public relations. |
| What types and estimated quantities of creative assets should respondents assume for pricing, including graphic design, video, audio, copywriting, and Spanish translation? | Any assests created in English should also be available in Spanish. CWDC works confsistently to reach broader audiences, especially including traditionally underserved communities. |
| Should resumes, references, work samples, the action plan, and the cost proposal all be included within Attachment C’s 25-page limit? | Yes. |
| What campaign end date or in-market duration should respondents use when preparing the outreach plan and cost proposal? | Right now, the paid campaign is expected to run until funds are exhausted. |
| What analytics platforms, performance data, conversion-tracking tools, and existing benchmarks will CDLE make available to the selected vendor? | We currently measure adoption of skills-first practices through website traffic, resource downloads, and by what we hear from workforce/industry stakeholders. In consultation with the chosen vendor, we are open to communications metrics, though we are not looking for the vendor to define how we measure programmatic progress. |
| Does CDLE expect the campaign to measure awareness only, or should it also track actions such as Action Planner usage, Workforce Colorado referrals, resource downloads, contact-list growth, and adoption of skills-first practices? | The campaign should measure awareness, as well as usage of resources that support the adoption of skills-first practices. |
| Is the selected vendor expected to create and maintain a resource repository or contact database, or only evaluate and recommend whether these resources should be developed? | The selected vendor is expected to create the resource repository/contact database, as well as recommend the resources that should be developed. |
| What is the budget or not to exceed amount for this contract, for the initial one year term and for each of the four option years? If the State will not disclose a figure, can it share the funding source and the range appropriated for this initiative so that proposers can size the media plan appropriately? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| How does CWDC expect the total to divide between agency services (strategy, creative, management, reporting) and paid media placement? Is there a target or minimum share of the budget that should go to media? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| Will media placements be billed as a pass through at net cost with proof of performance, or should the itemized price include media as a fixed amount by task? May the cost proposal present media as an allowance subject to CWDC approval of the tactical flowchart? | Paid media will be treated as a pass-through cost with proof. Procurement rules do allow advance payments for "advertising services and related goods," if needed. |
| Should the itemized pricing in Attachment C, Section III be presented for the initial term only, or for the initial term plus each option year? Are annual rate escalations permitted in the option years, or must rates stay fixed for the full five year term? | Initial term plus each option year, annual rate escalations are acceptable. |
| Is there an incumbent contractor or a prior vendor that has performed marketing, outreach, media buying, or creative work for CWDC skills-first initiatives, the Skills-First Action Planner, or related campaigns? If so, please identify the vendor, the contract period, and the contract value. | CWDC and CDLE have engaged vendors for various components of skills-first work in the past. Some of the resources that were developed as a result of this work is available on CWDC's website. The team remains open to all vendors who can successfully deliver on the execution of this contract. |
| Has CWDC or CDLE issued a previous solicitation for this scope or a similar awareness campaign? If so, was it awarded, and is the award or the prior proposal available for review? | CWDC and CDLE have engaged vendors for various components of skills-first work in the past. Some of the resources that were developed as a result of this work is available on CWDC's website. The team remains open to all vendors who can successfully deliver on the execution of this contract. |
| Are the existing inventories, key messages, brand guidelines, and resource lists referenced in Attachment B available to proposers before the due date, or only to the awarded vendor? | Information about skills-first practices is available on the CWDC's website. |
| Does the 25 page limit on Attachment C include the itemized cost proposal, resumes of key personnel, and the three client references, or are any of these excluded from the page count? | 25 pages applies to all of Attachment C, if you go over thats ok but try to stay within the 25 page rule |
| Section II.M states that a completed Contract Certification form (Attachment E) must be submitted with the proposal, but the Attachment K checklist does not list it. Please confirm that Attachment E is a required submittal. | All requested attachments are required. |
| Are subcontractors permitted, and should a subcontractor for video and creative production be identified in Attachment C along with its qualifications and references, or is a separate teaming statement required? Do subcontractor references count toward the three references? | Subcontractors are allowed. However, the prime recipient will be responsible for coordinating work and ensuring its execution is in compliance with the contract. As it is stated in the RFP, "CDLE will consider the selected Respondent(s) to be the sole point of contact with regard to contractual matters, including the performance of services and the payment of any and all charges. Subcontractor specifics must be disclosed at the time of proposal response." The subcontractor does not need to be identified but if it is advenantageous to do so then thats fine; the prime Contractor will be responsible for completing the work and liable for all requirements. |
| May a proposer submit references from prior work performed by its subcontractor, and will references for statewide public awareness campaigns in other states be considered similar in scope and size? | Yes and Yes |
| Does CWDC have a target number of creative assets, formats, or campaign flights in mind for the April 2027 launch, and are languages beyond English and Spanish anticipated? | At this time, we do not have a target number of creative assets, formats, or campaign flights in mind for the April 2027 launch. All assests must be in both English and Spanish, at a minimum. CWDC works confsistently to reach broader audiences, especially including traditionally underserved communities. |
| Will the campaign be expected to run through the full initial term, or is the April 2027 launch a defined flight with an end date? How does CWDC envision the option years being used (renewed flights, sustained media, or maintenance only)? | Right now, the paid campaign is expected to run until funds are exhausted, and the contract is not limited to a single fiscal year. Option years are at the descretion of CDLE if more work is needed. |
| Does CWDC expect the vendor to manage a resource repository or contact list as an ongoing deliverable, or only to evaluate the value of building one as described in Attachment B, Section 2? | The selected vendor is expected to create the resource repository/contact database, as well as recommend the resources that should be developed. |
| Will CWDC provide access to any existing paid media accounts, analytics platforms, or website traffic data for baseline measurement, and who will own the ad accounts created during the campaign? | No. |
| The sample contract includes a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement and a PII Certification. Given that this scope is a public awareness campaign, please confirm whether those exhibits will apply to the awarded contract. | This will not apply. |
| Please confirm the insurance requirements that will apply, including the Protected Information (cyber) coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate and the crime coverage of $1,000,000, and whether certificates are required at award rather than with the proposal. | Insurance coverages can be adjusted depending on project scope and will only be discussed after the Award has been made. Some insurance requirements can be removed if they aren't applicable. |
| Will the Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 requirements apply to campaign creative and landing pages produced by the vendor, and does CWDC expect a formal accessibility conformance report for those deliverables? | Yes. |
| Please confirm the anticipated evaluation weighting, if any, among Company Qualifications, Price, and Technical Approach, and whether oral presentations are expected for all responsive proposers or only a shortlist. | The committee will evaluate based on these three elements equally. |
| Should the vendor be expected to translate any of the deliverables into Spanish or other languages? Or will we have access to internal translation services through the State? | Yes. All creative assests must be in both English and Spanish, at a minimum. CWDC works confsistently to reach broader audiences, especially including traditionally underserved communities. |
| Could you let us know what the budget is for this work? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| Could you let us know if you have a local preference or are you open to a Canadian agency that has done similar work with clients across the United States, with some currently being the States of California, Hawaii, Michigan, Virginia, Colorado and Wyoming? | |
| Any company licensed by the state of Colorado can apply for this opportunity. | |
| What is the anticipated total budget or funding range for the initial contract term, and is paid media spend included within that amount or funded separately? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| For the three required client references for projects of similar scope and nature, may respondents include relevant prior projects performed by proposed key personnel through predecessor or previous organizations, or must all three references be clients of the responding legal entity? | Please submit the materials you think best supports your case that you are the vendor best suited to execute the contract to advance skills-first practices in Colorado. |
| For a foreign contractor whose employees would perform the work remotely from Mexico, how does the Workers’ Compensation requirement apply? | Any company licensed by the state of Colorado can apply for this opportunity. |
| Has CWDC established an anticipated range for the paid media investment associated with this campaign? Should media spend be included within the total proposed cost, or should bidders present media investment separately from agency fees and other professional services? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| Is the selected contractor expected to advance payments to media vendors and subsequently invoice CDLE/CWDC for reimbursement, or will funds for approved media purchases be provided or paid prior to media execution? | State procurment rules do not allow for any services, including media buys, to be invoiced in advance of placement. |
| Does CWDC have an estimated volume or mix of creative assets expected under the contract—for example, video, audio, digital/display, social media and other campaign materials—or should respondents establish and clearly state their own production-volume assumptions in the proposal? | We do not have a pre-determined media mix. We will rely on the vendor to propose the best mix to advance skills-first practices in Colorado. |
| Attachment C's Cost Proposal requires itemized pricing for "buy any media that is part of the outreach strategy." Can CDLE confirm whether the proposed cost is expected to include actual anticipated media buy pricing, or whether CWDC sets and approves the media budget separately once the strategy is approved, with the cost proposal reflecting only planning/management fees for that line item? | The budget for the media buy is up to $200,000. The budget for the planning, asset inventory, and the remainder of the work is separate and not shared at this time. |
| Does CDLE/CWDC have existing baseline data on current awareness or adoption of skills-first practices among Colorado employers, job seekers, and learners that could be shared to inform strategy development and measurement targets? | CWDC and CDLE have engaged vendors for various components of skills-first work in the past. Some of the resources that were developed as a result of this work is available on CWDC's website. The team remains open to all vendors who can successfully deliver on the execution of this contract. |
| Beyond the bi-weekly ROI reports (impressions, reach, video views) and the final campaign recap and evaluation, will the awarded vendor be held to specific adoption or behavior-change outcome metrics? | |
| The vendor will be responsible for all deliverables and metrics mutually agreed upon when the contract is signed. | |
| The RFP refers throughout to award to "Respondent(s)" — can CDLE confirm whether a single prime award or multiple concurrent awards are anticipated for this scope? | The chosen vendor can decide whether or not to hire subcontractors. Subcontractors are allowed. However, the prime recipient will be responsible for coordinating work and ensuring its execution is in compliance with the contract. As it is stated in the RFP, "CDLE will consider the selected Respondent(s) to be the sole point of contact with regard to contractual matters including the performance of services and the payment of any and all charges. Subcontractor specifics must be disclosed at |
| What file formats and specifications are required for the creative assets and design-file deliverable (e.g., editable/native source files versus final renders)? | Adobe Creative Suite files such as In Design, Photoshop and Illustrator. The files should be editable. |
| Are there specific media-buying licenses, certifications, or existing agency-of-record status required of the vendor or its subcontractors performing media placement? | No. |
| Link to Pre-Proposal Conference Transcript 9/09/2026 |
https://cwdc.colorado.gov/skills-first-practiceshttps://cwdc.colorado.gov/skills-first-practiceshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1nUqxljcmdx0VfU2IrmaEt9PI3ZAoh9i0lf4WxMh8tUY/edit?usp=sharing
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