MPA-479 Communications, Marketing and Advertising Services Page 1 of 17 06/10/2026

SOLICITATION RFPM26006737

SCOPE OF SERVICES

TITLE: MPA-479: COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING AND ADVERTISING SERVICES

Contract Terms: The initial contract period will begin approximately October 1, 2026, for three (3) years. Contracts may be renewed for up to two (2) additional 12-month periods thereafter at the discretion of the State based on vendor performance and the availability of funds.

Insurance Requirements: In accordance with this solicitation, or as outlined in Section 13.19 of the General Conditions of Purchase, found at https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/220-30-00-13 and General Conditions - Addendum A found at https://ridop.ri.gov/about-us/procurement-statutes-and-regulations, the following insurance coverage shall be required of the awarded vendor(s):

General Requirements:

☒ Commercial General Liability – Combined single limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence, $1,000,000 general aggregate and $1,000,000 products/completed operations aggregate.

☒ Workers’ Compensation – $100,000 each accident, $100,000 disease or policy limit and $100,000 each employee.

☒ Automobile Liability – $1,000,000 each occurrence combined single limit.

SECTION A. BACKGROUND

The objective of this solicitation is to competitively procure a list of qualified vendors for inclusion on the State of Rhode Island Master Price Agreement (“MPA”) 479 who have extensive experience in conducting communications research; conceptualizing, designing, implementing, and evaluating communication campaigns; providing strategic marketing consultation; providing technical services (including production of ADA-compliant communication materials and media); providing media buying services; and providing communication and media support on a project-specific basis. Bidders must demonstrate significant expertise in understanding social marketing principles and concepts as well as working with diverse populations.

Overview of Social Marketing

The communication services sought require bidders to propose processes for developing effective messages for target audiences. These processes transform research-based recommendations into message strategies that are relevant to the target audience. The fundamental aspect of this process is research gathered to understand the target audience’s reality, which leads to communications that are relevant, accurate, meaningful, timely, culturally sensitive, easy to access and understand, and compelling.

https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/220-30-00-13 https://ridop.ri.gov/about-us/procurement-statutes-and-regulations

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SECTION B: SCOPE OF WORK AND REQUIREMENT

Bidders may apply for inclusion on MPA-479 in one or more of the following categories of services:

1. Strategic marketing / outreach consultation.

2. Technical services, including production of materials.

3. Research-based services.

4. Media buying services.

The following sections describe the activities and parameters of individual projects that may be solicited in each category by using agencies under MPA-479 from qualified vendors.

Category 1: Strategic Marketing Consultation

Category 1 projects encompass an array of strategic marketing consultation services, including but not limited to the following:

• Strategic communication planning.

• Crisis communication.

• Media relations and/or public relations.

• Media training.

• Outreach

• Special events planning.

• Media monitoring.

• General communication and support on a project basis, as needed.

These services may be requested as individual/standalone services or as part of a comprehensive campaign. The services should result in a formal plan that the awarded vendor provides to the agency on a project-by-project basis. The services required will depend on the scope of work for each program or project. The services will be paid for on an hourly basis (unless negotiated otherwise by an agency and approved by the Division of Purchases, in which case a fixed project price may be negotiated), based on a specific scope of work defined by an agency. Prior to starting, the vendor will meet with the relevant agency manager and a representative from the communication unit to understand the program goals and define potential communication goals. For specific projects solicited under the MPA by using agencies, work will begin when an agency and awarded vendor have agreed upon the proposal (see Section VI: Requirements) and a Purchase Order for the specific engagement is issued by the Division of Purchases.

Category 2: Technical Services

A “technical service” refers to the production of communication materials and media, including:

• Media Production: May include copywriting, design and print production, photography, logos, video, and radio slots.

• Web-Based Applications: May include website design and maintenance and creation and maintenance of social networking accounts on various platforms.

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Category 3: Research-Based Services

These services may be requested as individual or standalone services or may be requested as part of a comprehensive campaign. The service should result in a formal plan that is provided to the agency on a project-by-project basis. The services required will depend on the scope of work for each program or project. The services will be paid for on a per-project basis (unless negotiated otherwise by an agency and approved by the Division, in which case a fixed project price will be negotiated), based on a specific scope of work to be defined by an agency. Prior to starting, the vendor will meet with the relevant agency manager and a representative from the communication unit to understand the program goals and define potential communication goals. Prior to beginning the delivery of the consultation, the vendor will be required to propose a timeline to complete the work and give the total cost based on the scope of the project. Nothing prevents the agency from contacting multiple vendors on the MPA in order to acquire the best value for the State. For specific projects solicited under the MPA by using agencies, work will begin when an agency and awarded vendor have agreed upon the proposal and a Purchase Order for the specific engagement is issued by the Division of Purchases.

• Focus Groups: A variety of services may be solicited for specific projects under MPA-479 related to the provision of focus groups, including recruitment; development of screening tools, moderator’s guides, and exit tools; facilitation; logistics; report writing; and results analysis.

• Surveys: Using agencies may collect information to measure the effectiveness of communication campaigns, strategies, or products. Potential survey techniques may include intercept and telephone surveys, email-based surveys, and newspaper polls. In addition, the vendor may be expected to conduct an “effectiveness measurement” to establish a baseline and benchmarks to gauge message effectiveness through a variety of metrics and tracking.

Category 4: Media Buying Services

Proposals for inclusion in this category should be from a vendor that can provide media planning, rate and opportunity negotiation, purchasing and placement transaction, verification, reconciliation, and outcome measurements in partnership with designated project liaisons

All buys proposed via a media plan and subsequently placed by an MPA vendor will put paramount importance on fulfilling the mission and goals for each campaign. The vendor must be impartial and objective in relationships with all media outlets, stating forthrightly any previous or current contractual relationships.

Personal relationships or business affiliations shall not take precedence over the State’s interests. The Media Buying Services contained in this scope of work include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Planning: Collaborate with State communication managers to develop and place media buys that effectively reach target markets. The optimum media channel recommendation will be informed by specific and measurable objectives as defined by the State entity and by known budget resources that must accomplish this outcome. All media purchases must be documented with prior approval of authorized State personnel.

• Negotiating: The selected vendor shall ethically negotiate competitive rates as they will be transparently reported, include any ‘added value’ that supports these goals, and confirmable favorable positioning, frequency, or airtimes.

• Mobile and Social Program Management: The MPA vendor overseeing social campaigns will possess the skill and capacity to adjust its approach based on analytics. This includes working with paid search

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• Audit-Ready Quality Control: From accurate post-reconciliation to confirmation of audiences, an

MPA vendor will be responsible for furnishing invoices with the media seller’s back-up attached and delineating specific computation of allowable commissions supporting the procurement and reporting.

This entails providing all media outlet invoices and affidavits to the respective State staff and any other documents to show actual media run, audience demographics reached, and any ‘make-good’ credits that were used or are available for future use.

• Attentive Client Service: The MPA vendor must have a reasonable plan to meet with State clients to fully understand their specific purpose, develop a profile of their target audience, and anticipate outreach needs. The MPA vendor must demonstrate diligence about future media opportunities, monitor any inventory limits attributed to election consumption, and share them for proactive consideration. Reports must be timely and easy to reference as a post-campaign appraisal tool.

Vendors are expected to have client education practice to share knowledge that makes the State government liaison more effective as a decision partner.

• Reporting as a Management Tool: The vendor will provide reports for individual projects solicited under MPA-479 that are structured to the individual needs of the State government agency with content that links the media objectives to definable outcomes to measure Return on Investment (ROI). The substance of these reports will be two-pronged:

a) Media Brief: This foundational planning tool documents the strategy, rationale, and defined, measurable objectives of the campaign, confirming the campaign’s evaluation metrics. This reporting step is required for any media buys of $1,500 or more, inclusive of commission. See Appendix B for sample content of a Media Brief.

b) Post-Campaign Report: Following the conclusion of the campaign in tandem with reconciliation and invoicing, the report should incorporate the following metrics if available:

i. Action Metrics (e.g., clicks or conversions)

ii. Engagement Metrics (e.g., social media likes, shares or comments)

iii. Cost + Audience Metrics (e.g., Gross Rating Point (GRP) or reach/frequency)

• Quarterly Performance Review: The State reserves the right to conduct quarterly performance reviews for individual projects solicited under MPA-479. With the participation of the State Liaison, this involves an evaluation of the campaign to more fully examine the intended outcomes and discuss recommendations for the future. This is also the forum to identify any business process issues with State government participation. The substance of this review will include:

a) Demographic Target Evaluation: Reached by geography, behavior, culture/language, age/gender.

b) Call-to-Action Response: Attendance, enrollment, sign-ups, traffic, inquiries, perception studies, safety reports, census or other data.

• Technically Equipped:

a) MPA vendors are expected to maintain subscriptions and association memberships to stay current on research and emerging best practices. The State leverages vendors’ expertise to advance a learning

MPA-479 Communications, Marketing and Advertising Services Page 5 of 17 06/10/2026 and ‘train the trainer’ partnership by which emerging practices and new industry developments are shared with State clients.

b) MPA vendors must subscribe to the latest technology and platforms to provide informed media buying counsel and independent third-party performance validation. There should be a subscription to at least one of the leading software tools per media channel for which the MPA vendor provides buying and advisory services (e.g., TAB, Nielsen, Netbase, MMI SQAD, HubSpot, Moz, Zignal, DoubleClick).

• Ethical and Professional: As an ambassador of the State, all MPA vendors and their employees must uphold a reputation for professionalism, verified through references and monitored during its tenure on this contract. Any deviation from that standard, adjudicated solely by the Division, shall be grounds for removal as an approved MPA vendor.

Additional Requirements for Categories 1, 2 & 3:

The provision of strategic marketing consultation and technical and research-based services requires a comprehensive approach that is broken into four phases for the purposes of this contract. Not all projects will require each phase; however, each project solicited by using agencies under MPA-479 must begin with Phase 1.

1. Needs Assessment Phase

The awarded vendor for projects solicited under MPA-479 will attend an initial meeting with using agency staff, at no charge, to discuss the purpose, scope, goals, and objectives of the agency’s work to help the vendor prepare a proposal for the scope of services and budget. Each agency will complete a project scope form to submit to the vendor prior to the start of work. Based on that and the initial meeting, the vendor will provide a written proposal with the number of hours necessary to complete the scope of work, a proposed timeline, and a cost. Work will begin when the agency and the vendor have agreed upon the proposal and a Purchase Order is issued.

If the project entails the development of educational or promotional materials or a campaign, the vendor will develop and submit a written plan for a needs assessment, formative research, process evaluation, and impact evaluation.

If formative research is conducted by the vendor relative to a specific engagement solicited under MPA-479, the vendor will prepare and present a written report (including research findings and recommendations) regarding how best to meet the agency’s objectives.

2. Concept Development and Testing Phase

At this point in a specific project engagement, if relevant, the vendor will begin to develop concepts for the communication product or campaign based on the findings of the needs assessment phase.

In the case of a campaign, the vendor will present a minimum of two campaign concepts or as directed in the specific project scope of work. Presentation of these concepts will include possible overarching themes or slogans, as well as an initial proposal of possible campaign elements based on the needs assessment and budgetary considerations. This presentation should include mock-ups, such as sketches of proposed print materials, representations of possible visuals along with an indication of how text will appear, and rough drafts of possible themes and scripts for audio/visual elements. The agency will determine which of the proposed concept(s) and elements will be further developed, and, if the scope of work indicates, whether the concepts will be pre-tested with intended audiences.

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For other products that are not part of a campaign (e.g., standalone program brochures, focus group guides, surveys, etc.) one concept or draft is sufficient. Work will continue when the agency and the vendor have agreed upon the concept to be further developed.

3. Design/Implementation Phase

Full development and implementation of all communication products will be completed during this phase. This may include:

• Writing and revising text (this could include brochures, scripts for television and radio spots, focus group guides, etc.).

• Designing and laying out print pieces (this includes reviewing commissioned illustrations and photography with the Agency) and revising as necessary.

• Developing and writing web content in accordance with the agency’s template (e.g., ri.gov)

• Copyediting.

• Preparing communication materials for pre-testing among the target audience and revising as necessary based on feedback.

• Obtaining bids and estimates for production of materials.

• Developing a plan for placement and distribution of materials over a 12-month period.

• Identifying optimum levels of reach and frequency (identifying how much of the target audience can be reached and how often given budgetary constraints)

• Identifying potential partnerships to enhance project impact; and

• Monitoring media.

The State reserves the right to request competitive quotes on a per-project basis from the vendors listed on the MPA and to purchase technical services directly from vendors. Copies of all invoices for technical services must be included in the vendor’s bills to the agency. The agency will make all final decisions about material layout, copy, and distribution channels.

The vendor is required in all proposal documents to disclose to the agency when and which Artificial Intelligence tools have been used to create concepts, text, images, etc.

Once the final products are approved and ready for production, the vendor will be responsible for assuring the quality of produced elements. The agency reserves the right to reject any products and will not pay for products that fail to meet quality standards. As part of this quality assurance, the vendor is responsible for:

• Reviewing all stages of proofing for print materials with the agency.

• Conducting press checks for print materials.

• Reviewing completed materials (print, audio, and visual) with the agency.

• Supervising radio and TV shoots and edits; and

• Trafficking all materials to appropriate media.

The vendor is responsible for entering into agreements and/or subcontracts with vendors to procure the above technical services on behalf of the using agency; subcontracting is subject to approval by the Division of Purchases pursuant to 220-RICR-30-00-13.25(A).

The vendor is also responsible for working with and reimbursing the services of designers, printers, and other contractors with whom the using agency has a continuing relationship to reproduce previously created materials.

https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/220-30-00-13

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All developed materials are the property of the agency. Subject to any specific requirements set forth in individual project scopes of work, print materials will be provided in electronic format (original program format in addition to a PDF version that fits agency guidelines and applicable provisions of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)) along with original artwork and photography. A digital master of all radio and television commercials master plus DVD and CD copies of each piece must also be provided or in a format as required by the individual project scope of work.

The vendor will maintain an inventory of all products produced by vendor for individual projects solicited under MPA-479 and submit it annually to the using agency.

4. Evaluation/Additional Research Phase

The agency may wish to collect information to measure the effectiveness of its work through surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, etc. Where requested, the vendor will be responsible for proposing a research strategy, timeline, and budget estimate. Work can begin when the agency and the vendor agree upon the proposal. Once research is completed, the vendor will provide a written report with a summary of the research and recommendations regarding how best to meet program goals.

For work in any of the above four phases, the vendor must notify the using agency before beginning work that will require funds above those indicated in the project estimate; any modifications to previously approved projects must undergo a change order process in accordance with applicable procurement rules and regulations before additional work may commence.

Additional Requirements

As needed and where applicable to individual projects solicited under MPA-479, the vendor is responsible for the following:

• Providing office space, office equipment, and office support including telephone, fax, and computer word-processing and graphic design programs.

• Supporting all travel necessary to conduct work defined in the scope of work.

• Supervising and reimbursing all subcontractors.

SECTION C: PROPOSAL

1. Technical Proposal Submission (Categories 1, 2 & 3)

A. Executive Summary (Pass/Fail)

The Executive Summary will highlight the contents of the Technical Proposal as well as provide an overview and broad understanding of the bidder’s technical approach and ability to meet the scope of work as set forth in this solicitation. The bidder should specifically identify in the Executive Summary the categories which the bidder seeks to be awarded under MPA-479 (Category 1, 2, and/or 3, or any combination therein). If a bidder applies to provide services under more than one category, it must respond to the questions in such a way to indicate its expertise, capacity, and knowledge in each category for which it seeks approval. This is critically important as the evaluators only provide one score for this section regardless of the number of categories for which a bidder is applying. As such, failure to underscore expertise, capacity, and knowledge for one or more categories will result in a points deduction for the entire section.

B. Experience, Capacity & Staffing (60 Points Overall)

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a. Expertise and Staffing Experience (20 Points)

The bidder should have dedicated staff capability to provide the scope of work, with the experience and track record to provide first-rate services to the State. Vendors applying to this MPA may apply to provide services within a single service, multiple services, or all three services. This section shall identify all staff and/or subcontractors proposed as members of the account management team, as well as the duties, responsibilities, and concentration of effort which apply to each category (resumes without personal information, curriculum vitae, or statements of prior experience and qualification). Experience of the staff will be evaluated accordingly.

This section shall also include:

I. A comprehensive list of similar services implemented, and similar clients served, including providing a brief description of the accounts and services rendered, and a description of the names of staff members who worked on the accounts/projects.

II. A list of contracts(s) that have been terminated, the entity name(s) that obtained the contract, and the reasons why the contract was terminated (if applicable). The State reserves the right to seek additional information regarding a company’s capabilities from any source it feels is competent to provide such information.

III. Demonstration of maintenance of an organization capable of performing the work described herein, in continuous operation for at least the past three (3) years or demonstrates five (5) years’ progressive experience within area.

b. Experience (15 Points)

Bidders should have experience to meet the scope of work within the Rhode Island or comparable media market. Please describe the bidder entity’s experience within the Rhode Island market and state applicable years of experience in the Rhode Island market.

c. References (5 Points)

Bidders must provide references for a minimum of three (3) clients; references for both public and private sector are preferred. Please provide details including but not limited to the size of the client’s annual billings, where the bulk of the billings are spent (i.e., State, region) and the length of the relationship between the vendor and the client.

Additionally, this section must include the name of a contact person, address, telephone number and email address, where the bidder has provided media buying services. These individuals may be contacted by the State as part of the evaluation process.

d. Demonstrated Examples of Success and Capacity to Partner with Clients (15 Points)

Bidders must demonstrate a history of providing successful services to clients and include examples for each category of service for which the bidder is applying. The description should highlight how the bidder partnered with past clients to achieve its goals and to communicate with clients to understand and meet their needs.

e. Technology (5 Points)

Bidders must demonstrate that it subscribes to the latest technology and platforms to provide services and has access to current market data and information.

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C. Work Plan/Approach (40 points)

This section shall thoroughly outline the process it would use for a hypothetical engagement with a State entity and explain in detail all aspects, requirements, and services required. To demonstrate the effectiveness of its work plan/approach, bidders may additionally provide an example from a prior client engagement.

The description of approach shall discuss and justify the approach proposed to be taken for each task or requirement, and the technical issues that may be confronted at each stage of the project. The work plan description shall include a detailed list of tasks, activities and/or milestones that will be employed to administer the services, the assignment of staff members and concentration of effort for attributed deliverables.

D. Rates

Cost proposals should not be included with technical proposals for purposes of this solicitation. Cost proposals will be requested by the agency when individual projects are solicited under MPA-479. However, bidders must provide a matrix (sample Appendix C) with titles, descriptions, and hourly rates, fully loaded, for each of the tasks described in the scope of work section above as it pertains to Category 1-3 activities. Please note that these are maximum rates for (FY27, FY28, FY29), and a using agency may negotiate a lower rate than stated in the Master Price Agreement or a flat fixed-fee arrangement on a project-by-project basis. Nothing herein prevents the agency from contacting multiple vendors listed on the MPA to quote the same scope of work and selecting a vendor that will provide the best value for the State.

While the State requires submission of these hourly rates for a vendor to qualify for inclusion on MPA-479, a cost proposal will not be evaluated, and no points will be added or subtracted from the overall evaluated score.

Proposals for Categories 1-3 shall be reviewed and scored based upon the following criteria:

NOTE: See the “Requirements” tab of this solicitation for additional information on the evaluation and selection process in the “OE Standard Specifications-Technical Proposal” section.

2. Technical Proposal Submission (Category 4)

A. Executive Summary (Pass/Fail)

The submission should specifically address each element below. Submitted proposals found to be technically or substantially non-responsive during the evaluation process will be rejected and not considered further. Please use hyperlinks as may be useful for speed of getting to a contact or other web address.

Criteria

Possible Points

Executive Summary Pass/Fail Experience, Capacity & Staffing 60 Points

Expertise & Staffing Experience 20 Points Experience 15 Points References 5 Points Demonstrated Examples of Success/Capacity to Partner 15 Points Technology 5 Points

Work Plan/Approach 40 Points Total Possible Score 100 Points

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B. Organization and Team Talent (35 Points)

a. Provide the following general information:

• Company Name and Main Office Mailing Address

• Blog URL, Twitter, Facebook Page

• Submitting Officer Name – Day Phone, Mobile Phone, Email

b. Introduce the team who will be providing the services required by the proposal. This section shall identify all staff and/or subcontractors proposed as members of the account management team, as well as the duties, responsibilities, and concentration of effort which apply to each category (resumes without personal information, curriculum vitae, or statements of prior experience and qualification). Experience of the staff will be evaluated accordingly. (15 Points)

c. Provide an organizational chart that shows how the account would be managed and the placement of the various staff members who would work on the State’s behalf. Please indicate the address where most of the work is to be performed and any additional offices at which relevant services are housed. Please describe the bidder’s experience within the Rhode Island market and detail of the bidder’s years of experience in the Rhode Island market. (15 Points)

d. Furnish at least five (5) professional references with insights about the bidder’s work performance that would be relevant to the services in both scope and dynamics that are described in this solicitation. (5 Points)

• At least two (2) references should verify work done with or for government. They should know your work quality, ability to understand the demographic targets of their enterprise, the intelligence demonstrated in your media strategy, and your command of the entire negotiation from purchase to reporting process.

• One (1) reference from a program with a key multicultural or multilanguage audience. This can overlap with a government reference.

• At least two (2) references should come from media sellers (different channels) who are in a position to cite the bidder’s base of knowledge, preparation, and negotiation style when advocating for a client’s best interests.

Each reference must include Name, Position, Employer (current), Direct Phone, Email, and a sentence explaining the context of how this person knows a key person proposed for your team, or your vendor.

e. Disclose any past or active client relationships to media outlets.

f. Indicate any past or pending litigation or disputes relating to the services described in this solicitation within the last three years, and any contracts your vendor has terminated as the result of litigation or dispute.

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g. Active industry memberships to include any offices or committees, awards and recognition, or other special business designations. Please distinguish those held by the bidder entity versus those held by individuals on the team for this MPA.

C. Experience/Capacity (40 Points – 4 Points Per Question)

a. Core Competencies: Please complete APPENDIX B and identify any sectors and media from the list for which the bidder has strong expertise and could be relied upon as an expert in a media buying or partnership negotiation context (Appendix C must be included in the vendor’s technical proposal). Filling in a row indicates your belief that the bidder holds a superior reputation and competitive advantage in this area. Do not overstate sector or channel core competencies, as this is intended as a guide for qualifying the bidder in the work it does best.

Core competencies are not scored, but any information provided can formulate the basis for further questioning to include in conversation with references.

b. Please provide responses to the questions below. Responses should be concise and ‘on message’ to the question. This section does not require the equivalent of ‘spec creative’ and other than professional references, there should be no need to expend time contacting media sellers for your responses.

I. Tell us why you want to work for Rhode Island. What does your entity bring to the table that is unique, new, and exciting?

II. What government or public affairs initiative that included paid media is a story the bidder is most proud of and why? Please provide an overview of the initiative III. The ascent of social media has upended media and advertising, raising the bar for audience engagement and verifying true audience connections over assumptions of exposures. For a government client marketer with limited social media familiarity, please recommend a plausible ‘launch’ experience, explaining the planning, managing/ optimization and measurement processes against definable objectives. Explain and distinguish the thought process, intended actions and potential outcomes from: 1) paid search, 2) paid social and 3) organic search. Incorporate representative infographics/ charts that depict the hypothetical outcomes of your example as would be shown in a post-campaign report.

IV. Tell us how your entity uses third-party social media monitoring and benchmarking tools.

What tools would you recommend your client to know more about as would help both strategy planning and measurement?

V. Tell us how ideally, from a direct experience, a geo-targeting media program can fail.

Please discuss how you would advise the State to use this form of marketing and indicate its margin of error. How would you help to evaluate whether it was strategy, creative, or media buy that missed the mark?

VI. The growth trend of Rhode Island’s multicultural population requires more understanding on the negotiation and execution sides for advertising. Experts on both ends of this media strategy point to advantages that would come from native speakers of multiple Spanish language dialects. SQAD, a commonly used broadcast price benchmarking tool, is currently developing a Hispanic media pricing product. Bidders are asked to provide an assessment on their expertise in formulating, executing and measuring Hispanic/

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VII. Explain your entity’s philosophy on value-add. What does it mean? What does your vendor typically look to accomplish in exploring and securing extra audience exposure?

How do you compute its benefit using SRDS, Nielsen, SQAD or social media measurements? What should value add and your approach to it represent about your vendor’s benefit to the State? And what value-add opportunities do you consider extraneous and why?

VIII. State agencies, municipal communities, and institutions of higher learning often communicate to overlapping and intersecting target constituencies. They also ‘own’ media assets that could be maximized and cross-purposed through bartering. Explain a hypothetical scenario through which you would recommend a cross-agency collaboration to include shared media assets. How would you demonstrate or ‘value’ such a partnership assuming that your vendor’s time for developing the media sharing was paid for as non-commissionable services?

IX. Please describe your vendor’s dispute resolution process as would be used for the following issues: billing, client service, and responsiveness/access. How would you set expectations at the outset?

X. Does your vendor actively use media exchanges or programmatic media buying? Does this favorably or adversely affect the paid media strategy? Do you feel these benefit your vendor’s efficiency and effectiveness and if so, how is this reflected in the client experience?

D. Knowledge, Innovation, and Readiness (25 points)

Bidders should provide details of their services based on a hypothetical project for the State. Please describe any potential challenges or obstacles. Indicate the media budget for any specific program that is referenced. The responses will be assessed for their feasibility, responsiveness to the scope of work, effectiveness, and thoroughness. Additionally, describe what your agency considers successful/unsuccessful post-buy ROI analysis and provide an example of how you benchmark and report this to a client. Please include an exhibit of a report style (client’s name redacted) that shows a program across at least three distinct media channels. This document should stand as the type of report that would inform a Cabinet-level official as to the effectiveness of your work as well as the ability to make the budget work hard through expert negotiation.

E. Rates

Cost proposals should not be included with technical proposals for purposes of this solicitation; cost proposals will be requested by the agency when individual projects (mini-bids) are solicited under MPA-479. However, bidders must provide a matrix with titles, descriptions, and hourly rates (fully loaded) for each of the tasks described in the scope of work section activities. Please note that these are maximum rates, and an agency may negotiate a lower rate than stated in the Master Price Agreement or a flat fixed-fee arrangement on a project-by-project basis. Nothing herein prevents the agency from contacting multiple vendors listed on the MPA to quote the same scope of work and selecting a vendor that will provide the best value for the State of Rhode Island.

While the State requires submission of these hourly rates for a vendor to qualify for inclusion on MPA-479, a cost proposal will not be evaluated, and no points will be added or subtracted from the overall evaluated score.

Services that fall outside of a media commission:

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1. Social + Paid Search: strategy, planning, hands-on optimization and performance reporting, content calendars, listening /monitoring, trend and progress analysis

2. Production + Technical Fixes: identify and remedy necessary technical fixes on flawed creative products such as: converting Federal to State agency identifiers, cutting a broadcast spot that was not trafficked correctly, adjusting artwork for a print billboard.

3. Benchmarking and Research: focus groups, social perception analysis and other surveys to test or benchmark audience awareness or perception of a State initiative.

4. Inter-Agency Resource Partnerships: Developing a plan that includes media/venue bartering via inter-agency partnerships/events or promotions.

Bidders should designate the titles/rates involved in the services and calculate a blended hourly rate that the State will be billed for services. The calculation method for the blended rate is at the discretion of the bidder.

The bidder shall understand and agree that the blended rates are the maximum rates for the contract period and agencies may negotiate lower rates on an ongoing basis from MPA vendors or may purchase Media Buying Services outside of the MPA in accordance with the terms of any delegated authority issued by the Department of Administration.

Technical proposals must receive a minimum of 80 (80%) out of a maximum of 100 points to advance to the qualified vendor list. Technical proposals scoring less than 80 points shall not receive further consideration.

Proposals for Category 4 shall be reviewed and scored based upon the following criteria:

NOTE: See the “Requirements” tab of this solicitation for additional information on the evaluation and selection process in the “OE Standard Specifications-Technical Proposal” section.

Criteria

Possible Points

Executive Summary Pass/Fail Organization and Team Talent 35 Points

Introduction to Vendor Team 15 Points Organizational Chart 15 Points References 5 Points

Experience/Capacity 40 Points Knowledge, Innovation and Readiness 25 Points Total Possible Score 100 Points

MPA-479 Communications, Marketing and Advertising Services Page 14 of 17 06/10/2026

APPENDIX A ‐ Sample Content for Media Brief

Sample Content for Media Brief

State Project Direct/Client:

Campaign/Program:

Initiated:

Campaign Flight:

Budget:

Target CPC/Cost Per Customer Conversion:

Media Strategy / Measurable Objectives:

Intended Target Demographic (ex. age, geography, income, etc.):

Call To Action:

Results Forecast (Intended Behaviors: attend, visit, click, purchase, etc.):

Creative Assets + Tools: (ex. web video (length), TV ad (length), TV PSA (length), social (channels):

Media Channel + Audience Strategy (Indicate by media channel tying back to objectives and audiences):

Ex. Include:

Traditional Media ‐ Media Impressions (as reported by seller/publisher)

- Clicks (for companions websites/landing pages) Organic Content (text, images, video, polls)

- KPIs

- Shares, Comments, Likes, Clicks

Organic Paid (promoted posts)

- KPIs

- Shares, Comments, Likes, Clicks

Paid Online Ads (static, image, video, carousel)

- KPIs

- Click-Through Rate Cost Per Click

- Conversion (website clicks, app downloads, purchases, bookings, Facebook clicks) Audience

Relevance

- Reach

- Impressions

OET: MPA-479 Communications & Marketing Services Page 15 of 17 Revised 06/08/2026

APPENDIX B: Core Competencies

SPECIALITY YEARS OF

EXPERIENCE

COMMENTS

Agriculture

America’s Cup

Behavioral Health

Cause Advocacy

Community Events

Convention Marketing

Care for Older Adults

Child Care / Early Childhood Education

Construction

Crisis Response

Cultural Arts

Cultural Festivals

Direct Marketing

Economic Development

Environmental

Family and Child Welfare

Focus Groups

Healthcare

Higher Education

Highway Safety

Housing/Urban Redevelopment

Industrial, Commercial

Innovation Industries

Labor + Employment

Law Enforcement

Lottery, Casino, Gambling

OET: MPA-479 Communications & Marketing Services Page 16 of 17 Revised 06/08/2026

Maritime

Mobile Communications

Multilingual/Multicultural/ Hispanic

Municipal Beautification

NASCAR

Natural Resources/ Conservation

Out-of-Home

Paid Search

Paid Social Media

Policy + Legislative

Print Media

Professional Services

Promotions

Public Health + Social Services

Public Transit

Public/Private Partnerships

Recruitment + Retention

Social Content + Optimization

Sports Marketing

Substance Use

Tobacco Prevention

Trade Shows

Transportation

Other (indicate):

OET: MPA-479 Communications & Marketing Services Page 17 of 17 Revised 06/08/2026

APPENDIX C ‐ Sample Vendor Rate Card Agency:

AGENCY FUNCTION

FY27

Hourly Rate

FY28

Hourly Rate

FY29

Hourly Rate Account Director $ $ $ Account Executive $ $ $ Account Executive Assistant $ $ $ Account Planner $ $ $ Account Service Partner $ $ $ Account Services $ $ $ Account Supervisor $ $ $ AD Serving $ $ $ Art Buyer $ $ $ Art Director $ $ $ Art Director $ $ $ Associate Creative Director $ $ $ Audio Production $ $ $ Broadcast Assistant $ $ $ Broadcast Supervisor $ $ $ Client Communications $ $ $ Concepts $ $ $ Copy Assistant $ $ $ Copywriter $ $ $ Creative Director $ $ $ CRM Director $ $ $ Database $ $ $ Digital Transmission $ $ $ Estimating $ $ $ Events Communication $ $ $ File Prep $ $ $ Government Relations $ $ $ Media Buyer $ $ $ Media Relations $ $ $ Meeting Time $ $ $ Reporting $ $ $ Strategic Planning $ $ $ Other (Specify/Add Lines as Needed) $ $ $