S525 Advertising and Marketing Services - Final - 04.03.26~2.pdf

STATE OF ARKANSAS

DEPARTMENT OF SHARED ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT

501 Woodlane St., Ste. 220

Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1023

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

SOLICITATION DOCUMENT

SOLICITATION INFORMATION

Solicitation Number: S000000525 Solicitation Issued: April 6, 2026

Description: Advertising and Marketing Services

Department: Department of Public Safety – Arkansas State Police

PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND SUBMISSION OF RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

Proposal Due Date: April 27, 2026 Time: 3:00 PM, Central Time

Proposal submissions for this Request for Proposal must be submitted through ARBuy, the State’s eProcurement system, by the Proposal Due Date and Time. Proposals received after the Proposal Due Date and Time will be rejected as untimely. ARBuy can be accessed at arbuy.arkansas.gov.

LIVE PROPOSAL OPENING INFORMATION

Teams Meeting Link: Click here to JOIN MEETING

Meeting ID: 225 352 199 339 23

Passcode: pb95GK3z

Call in (audio only):

Phone Conference ID:

501.244.3310 or find a local number 845 888 714#

SAS OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT CONTACT INFORMATION

SAS OSP Procurement Specialist:

Kimberly Haywood Procurement Specialist’s Direct Phone Number:

501-683-2222

Email Address: Kimberly.Haywood@arkansas.gov SAS OSP’s Main Number: 501-324-9316

SAS OSP Website: sas.arkansas.gov/procurement/ https://arbuy.arkansas.gov/ https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/22535219933923?p=lwNTJ4rSNcEfu6F4bz https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/6b6513dc-a034-48d2-8d06-7e711c4ecc0b?id=719036839 https://sas.arkansas.gov/procurement/

Rev 09/2025

SECTION 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by the SAS Office of State Procurement (SAS OSP) on behalf of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety – Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office (“ASP- HSO” or “Department”) to obtain a contract for Comprehensive Advertising and Marketing Services to develop, conduct, and manage a Statewide Highway Safety Media Plan.

Contract(s) will be awarded to the Prospective Contractor determined to have submitted the proposal that is the most advantageous to the State. Direct all questions, comments, or concerns regarding this solicitation to the SAS OSP, not the Department.

1.2 TYPE OF CONTRACT

A. As a result of this RFP, SAS OSP intends to award a contract to a single Contractor.

B. The anticipated starting date for any resulting contract is June 22, 2026, except that the actual contract start date may be adjusted unilaterally by the State for up to three (3) calendar months. By submitting a signed proposal in response to the RFP, the Prospective Contractor represents and warrants that it will honor its proposal as being held open as irrevocable for this period.

C. The initial term of a resulting contract will be for four (4) years. Upon mutual agreement by the Contractor and Department, the contract may be renewed by SAS OSP for up to three (3 additional one-year terms or portions thereof, not to exceed a total aggregate contract term of seven (7) consecutive years.

1.3 DEFINITION OF TERMS

A. Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms defined in Arkansas Procurement Law have the same meaning herein.

B. “Prospective Contractor” means a responsible offeror who submits a proposal in response to this Solicitation.

C. The terms “Request for Proposal,” “RFP,” and “Solicitation” are used synonymously in this document.

D. “Requirement” means a term, condition, provision, deliverable, Specification, or a combination thereof, that is obligated under the Solicitation, resulting contract, or both.

E. “Responsive Proposal” means a proposal submitted in response to this Solicitation that conforms in all material respects to this RFP.

F. “Shall” and “must” mean the imperative and are used to identify Requirements.

G. “Specification” means any technical or purchase description or other description of the physical or functional characteristics, or of the nature, of a commodity or service. “Specification” may include a description of any Requirement for inspecting, testing, or preparing a commodity or service for delivery.

H. “State” means the State of Arkansas. When the term “State” is used herein to reference any obligation of the State under a contract that results from this Solicitation, that obligation is limited to the Department using such a contract.

1.4 SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

For informational purposes, SAS OSP is providing a Solicitation Schedule; however, dates listed and noted with an asterisk (*) are anticipated dates only and are subject to change at the discretion of the State. All times are listed in Central Time.

TABLE A: TENTATIVE SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

ACTIVITY DATE

Deadline for Prospective Contractor Questions April 12, 2026

Answers to Questions Posted to ARBuy* April 17, 2026

Proposal Due Date April 27, 2026

Initial Proposal Evaluation* April 29. 2026

Interviews* May 5 – 6, 2026

Final Proposal Evaluation* May 6, 2026

Discussions Kick Off Meeting* May 11, 2026

Finalize Discussions* May 18, 2026

Post Anticipation to Award* May 22, 2026

Award Contract* June 22, 2026

1.5 CLARIFICATION OF SOLICITATION

A. Submit questions requesting clarification of information contained in this Solicitation via the

Solicitation posting in ARBuy by the date and time listed in Table A.

1. For each question submitted, Prospective Contractor should reference the specific Solicitation item number to which the question refers, as applicable.

2. Prospective Contractors’ written questions will be consolidated and responded to by the State as deemed appropriate. The State’s consolidated written response is anticipated to be posted to the Solicitation posting in ARBuy by the close of business on the date provided in Table A. If Prospective Contractor questions are unclear or non-substantive in nature, the State may request clarification of a question(s) or decline to answer.

B. The Prospective Contractor should notify the SAS OSP Procurement Specialist of any Requirements that precludes the Prospective Contractor from submitting a Responsive Proposal.

C. Prospective Contractors may contact the SAS OSP Procurement Specialist with non-substantive questions at any time prior to the proposal opening.

D. An oral statement by SAS OSP will not be part of any contract resulting from this Solicitation and may not reasonably be relied on by any Prospective Contractor as an aid to interpretation unless it is reduced to writing and expressly adopted by SAS OSP.

E. Only an addendum written and authorized by the State will modify the Solicitation.

1.6 RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

A. All proposal responses must be submitted through ARBuy, the State’s eProcurement system. The system can be accessed at arbuy.arkansas.gov.

1. Prospective Contractors must be registered in ARBuy to submit proposals responses.

B. Technical Proposal Packet

1. Prospective Contractors shall utilize the Technical Proposal Packet to submit their responses.

2. The following items are proposal Submission Requirements and must be submitted as part of a Prospective Contractor’s proposal response.

a. Signed Proposal Signature Page; signature may be ink or digital.

b. Technical Proposal response to the Information for Evaluation section included in the Technical Proposal Packet, which must be in the English language.

https://arbuy.arkansas.gov/

c. Completed Official Solicitation Price Sheet attached to the Solicitation in ARBuy.

i. Pricing must be proposed in U.S. dollars and cents.

ii. Quantities stated are estimates only and are not guaranteed. Prospective Contractor must submit unit price on the estimated quantity and unit of measure specified.

• The State may order more or less than the estimated quantity on term contracts, and the Contractor shall sell to the Department quantities ordered at no more than the submitted price.

iii. If pricing documents do not allow for accurate pricing, Prospective Contractor should notify the OSP Procurement Specialist during the Clarification of Solicitation period (see RFP Section 1.7).

iv. Prices must be firm offers and adjustments may be negotiated at the time of contract renewal.

• A request for a price increase must include supporting documentation demonstrating that the increase in contract price is based on an increased cost to the Contractor and that the proposed pricing is still competitive in the marketplace. The State has the right to approve or deny any request for a price adjustment.

v. Discount from list pricing is not acceptable unless requested elsewhere in the Solicitation.

vi. State or local sales taxes should not be included in the price. Trade discounts should be deducted from the unit price and the net price should be shown in the pricing response.

d. Recommended Options Form

i. The Recommended Options form included in the Technical Proposal Packet allows Prospective Contractors to identify any recommended options or optional service ideas that may benefit the State that were not included in the Requirements and the proposed solution.

e. Copy of Prospective Contractor’s Equal Opportunity Policy

i. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 19-60-104, OSP requires a Prospective Contractor bidding on a state contract to submit a copy of the Prospective Contractor’s Equal Opportunity (EO) Policy.

ii. Prospective Contractors not required by law to have an EO Policy must submit a written statement to that effect.

f. Proposed Subcontractors Form (see SRV-1, section 14)

3. The following items, which must be submitted prior to a contract award to the Prospective Contractor, may also be included with the Prospective Contractor’s proposal:

a. EO 98-04: Contract and Grant Disclosure Form (see SRV-1, section 11)

b. Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), if applicable

c. 2026 NHTSA Certification and Assurances Agreement

4. Prospective Contractors should not include any other documents or ancillary information, such as a cover letter or promotional/marketing information.

C. Redacted copy of the Technical Proposal Packet

1. One (1) redacted (marked Redacted) copy of the Prospective Contractor’s proposal response (see Proprietary Information), if applicable.

https://sas.arkansas.gov/procurement/forms-and-reporting/#:~:text=Services%20Contract%20(SRV%2D1)%20Fillable%20Form https://sas.arkansas.gov/procurement/forms-and-reporting/#:~:text=Services%20Contract%20(SRV%2D1)%20Fillable%20Form https://www.section508.gov/sell/vpat/

D. Prospective Contractors should not alter language in Solicitation document(s) or Official Solicitation Price Sheet provided by the State.

E. Prospective Contractor’s proposals cannot be altered or amended after the proposal opening except as permitted by law or rule.

F. Prospective Contractors may submit multiple proposals.

SECTION 2 – REQUIREMENTS

2.1 BACKGROUND AND CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

The mission of ASP is to protect human life and property in the State by providing the highest quality of law enforcement services to the public, which includes promoting highway safety policies and practices that assure safety for Arkansas' motorists. Highway safety is administered through the Arkansas Highway Safety Office and is critical to ASP's mission. ASP-HSO's Highway Safety Program is funded by State and Federal highway safety funds and other resources to save lives and reduce injuries on all of the State's roadways

ASP-HSO primarily uses National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) national campaign slogans such as "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" and "Click It or Ticket" as part of its efforts to decrease impaired driving and promote safety belt usage, and to meet NHSTA's High Visibility Enforcement mobilization grant criteria.

These national campaigns use multiple media opportunities to inform, persuade, and motivate the public (specifically Arkansans at high risk for traffic death and injury) to change attitudes and behaviors towards highway safety. Additional campaigns may include social norming initiatives to boost year-round awareness of the core campaign messages and may focus on motorcycle safety, distracted driving, speeding, teen driving safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and child passenger safety awareness.

The anticipated annual budget is $2,900,000, with $2,200,000 expected to be used for paid media;

however, a resulting contract does not guarantee this budget amount or advertising and marketing volume.

A. Arkansas Highway Safety Office

Every three years, the ASP-HSO prepares a data-driven Highway Safety Plan (Triennial HSP) based on traffic crash statistics that identifies the State's traffic related safety problems, establishes highway safety goals and objectives, and recommends programs and projects for funding during the year that are most effective in reducing traffic fatalities, injuries, and crashes.

The ASP-HSO also prepares an Annual Grant Application (AGA), coordinated with the Triennial HSP that the State submits each fiscal year as its application for highway safety grants. The AGA describes the strategies and projects the State plans to implement and the resources from all sources it plans to use to achieve its highway safety performance targets. The 2024 - 2026 Triennial HSP and the 2026 AGA, which include various highway safety partners and program goals, have been provided for reference as Attachment A: AR 2024 - 2026 Triennial Highway Safety Plan and Attachment B: AR 2026 Annual Grant Application.

The ASP-HSO provides leadership and innovation in partnership with traffic safety advocates, professionals, and organizations to develop and implement the Highway Safety Plan. The ASP-

HSO also prepares an Annual Report that outlines progress made toward reaching established highway safety goals.

B. Arkansas Highway Safety Program

The Highway Safety Act of 1966 was enacted to provide grant funds to States for the purpose of reducing highway fatalities, injuries, and crashes. The Act provides grant funds to States, Indian Nations, and territories each year according to a statutory formula based on population and road mileage. The grant funds support State planning to identify and quantify highway safety problems, provide start-up or "seed" money for new innovative programs, and give new direction to existing safety programs. The Act also provides that each Governor appoint a representative to administer the State Highway Safety Program.

The Highway Safety Program includes planning, strategies, performance measures, general oversight and management of highway safety strategies and projects to address highway safety problems in the State.

C. High Visibility Enforcement Mobilizations

The primary focus of High Visibility Enforcement activities has been a key ingredient to the success in reducing traffic related injuries and fatalities in Arkansas and across the nation. High Visibility Enforcement is defined as periodic high intensity and sustained enforcement efforts supported by a coordinated media publicity plan. It is critical to let the population know, through appropriate and aggressive communication strategies, that law enforcement agencies are actively enforcing specific traffic safety laws, such as safety belt laws, child restraint laws, and Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving Under the Influence (DUI) laws, and that officers are seen by the driving public undertaking these enforcement activities.

"Click It or Ticket" and "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" are examples of national High Visibility Enforcement mobilizations developed by the NHTSA that were coordinated by the ASP-HSO in Arkansas. Research in traffic safety has shown that integrated marketing communication campaigns that combine strong mass media advertising, strong enforcement, significant publicity about that enforcement, and strong community involvement are the most effective. This includes a diverse mix of paid media, sponsorships, public relations, collateral and promotional materials, and grassroots outreach to inform the public about the mobilization.

To track outcomes of the public awareness campaigns, the University of Arkansas conducts annual Statewide awareness and seat belt observational surveys. Excerpts are available in ASP- HSO's annual reports, and the 2025 Highway Safety Annual Report has been provided for reference as Attachment C: AR FY25 Highway Safety Annual Report.

Arkansas' mobilization schedule is available at https://dps.arkansas.gov/law-enforcement/arkansas-state-police/services-programs/highway-safety-office/. More information about traffic safety programs can be obtained by visiting www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov and www.nhtsa.gov.

2.2 OBJECTIVE AND GOALS

A. The ASP-HSO enlists evidence-based strategies to address the main causes of highway injuries and deaths. These strategies include:

1. Utilizing high visibility enforcement of traffic safety laws publicized through paid and earned media support.

2. Using traffic related data to identify and target high risk populations and areas.

3. Creating and developing partnerships to magnify its efforts.

B. Research has determined that certain populations are at highest risk for traffic death and injury.

ASP-HSO campaigns target those populations which include but are not limited to:

1. Male drivers between the ages of 18 and 34.

2. Teenage drivers.

3. Individuals driving without a safety belt.

4. Individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

5. Minority populations.

C. ASP-HSO's successful outcomes include:

1. Passing legislation to make Arkansas' seat belt law a primary law.

2. Passing a Graduated Driver's License Law to protect teenage drivers.

3. Passing a comprehensive distracted driving law.

4. Reduced drunk driving rates.

https://dps.arkansas.gov/law-enforcement/arkansas-state-police/services-programs/highway-safety-office/ https://dps.arkansas.gov/law-enforcement/arkansas-state-police/services-programs/highway-safety-office/ http://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/ http://www.nhtsa.gov./

5. A steady increase in Arkansas' seat belt use rate.

2.3 PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

A. The Prospective Contractor shall be authorized to do business in the State of Arkansas prior to award.

1. The Contractor shall maintain authorization to do business in the State of Arkansas throughout the aggregate term of a resulting contract.

B. The Prospective Contractor shall be an advertising, marketing, and public relations firm located in the United States.

C. The Prospective Contractor shall have a minimum of five (5) years of experience in traffic safety advertising.

D. The Prospective Contractor shall have a minimum of five (5) years of experience with public information-oriented, education-oriented, and awareness-oriented advertising and marketing campaigns and social-norming methods.

E. The Prospective Contractor shall have experience in multi-channel marketing, advertising, strategic planning, creative concepting, copywriting, media planning and buying, social and digital media, website hosting, and public relations with similar large-scale project development and implementation.

F. The Prospective Contractor shall have experience with traffic safety best practices in public relations campaign management.

G. The Prospective Contractor should have experience in Arkansas' media markets.

H. The Prospective Contractor shall not have potential, pending, or ongoing litigation (criminal or civil), nor any bankruptcy petitions pertaining to the Prospective Contractor's company that impact and/or have the potential to impact the Prospective Contractor's ability to effectively and impartially honor the terms of any contract resulting from this RFP.

1. Throughout the term(s) of any resultant contract, the Contractor shall notify ASP-HSO immediately upon knowledge of any such litigation or bankruptcy petition.

2. During the duration of any resultant contract, the State reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine if any actual and/or potential conflict(s) of interest, litigation, and/or bankruptcy petition disclosed by the Contractor will directly conflict, impact, and/or prevent the Contractor from effectively and impartially honoring the terms of the contract resulting from this RFP.

2.4 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A. Prior to award, the Prospective Contractor and all proposed subcontractors shall sign and submit the 2026 NHTSA Certifications and Assurances Agreement via email to the ASP-HSO Staff. (See Attachment D-2026 NHTSA Certifications and Assurances Agreement.)

1. The Contractor and all subcontractors shall sign and submit the most current NHTSA Certification and Assurances Agreement to the ASP-HSO Program Administrator or the Program Administrator's designee each year upon ASP-HSO request.

2. The Contractor and all subcontractors shall comply with all requirements of the most current NHTSA Certificates and Assurances Agreement during the duration of the contract.

B. The required services outlined in this RFP must be performed from within the United States.

1. If pricing for these services is not already submitted on the Official Solicitation Price Sheet, the Contractor shall negotiate pricing with ASP-HSO if and when the services are added.

C. The Contractor shall negotiate rates and use for rights-managed asset as requested by ASP-

HSO.

D. The Contractor shall design and translate content for international, trade, and internal audiences as requested by ASP-HSO.

E. The Contractor shall design campaign content using static and dynamic data feeds and formats.

F. The Contractor shall meet the needs of ASP-HSO in a timely, efficient, coordinated, and integrated manner.

G. The Contractor shall work within the specified time constraints of ASP-HSO while maintaining desired performance levels.

H. The Contractor shall adhere to and support the strategies set forth in ASP-HSO's stated mission.

I. The Contractor shall research new insights into behavior modification advertising, identify effective ways to reach the target audience, and make recommendations to ASP-HSO for the most economical use of the funds.

J. The Contractor shall provide all multi-channel marketing, advertising, and strategic planning for all of ASP-HSO's traffic safety and public awareness and education campaigns, mobilizations, sports marketing, events, and programs as requested by ASP-HSO.

K. The Contractor shall conduct creative testing of any new advertising materials with focus groups as specified by the ASP-HSO staff and/or advisory board.

2.5 HIGHWAY SAFETY MARKETING PLAN REQUIREMENTS

A. The Contractor shall develop and implement a, research-based, strategic, and comprehensive

Statewide Highway Safety Marketing Plan annually.

1. The Highway Safety Marketing Plan shall be utilized by ASP-HSO staff to monitor the impact of specific campaigns.

B. The Highway Safety Marketing Plan must include coordinating media, highway safety communications, and public education activities to influence the public to behave safely on our roadways.

C. The Contractor shall submit Highway Safety Marketing Plan components and campaign strategies to ASP-HSO for approval by the date specified by ASP-HSO.

1. The format and manner in which the Highway Safety Marketing Plan must be submitted will be negotiated after contract award with ASP-HSO having final approval on all submission requirements.

D. The Contractor shall determine and recommend the best strategies in the Highway Safety Marketing Plan for reaching the target audience and achieving the greatest overall impact for saving lives and preventing injuries on Arkansas roadways

E. The Contractor shall specify measurable objectives and performance indicators within the Highway Safety Marketing Plan.

2.6 MEDIA PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS

A. The Contractor shall develop, conduct, and manage Statewide earned and paid media public awareness campaigns as specified by ASP-HSO.

B. The Contractor shall create campaigns using multiple media opportunities as requested by ASP-HSO, including but not limited to:

1. Brochure design and production.

2. Color magazine ad production and placement.

3. Newspaper ad production and placement.

4. Radio & television ad production and placement.

5. Annual report design and production.

6. Poster design and production.

7. Feature article.

8. News release.

9. Social media.

10. Website hosting and redesign.

C. The Contractor shall collaborate with ASP-HSO contractors, traffic safety advocates, professionals, organizations, and other partners to:

1. Maximize campaign impact.

2. Sustain campaign message.

3. Promote High Visibility Enforcement mobilizations and traffic safety events.

4. Meet creative idea and project deliverable deadlines.

5. Identify and implement new efficiencies and campaign message integration.

6. Encourage the sharing of best practices and lessons learned.

D. Specified campaigns must comply with the NHTSA's High Visibility Enforcement mobilization grant criteria including using the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" and "Click It or Ticket" campaign slogans. - Campaigns

E. Specified campaigns must focus on:

1. Decreasing impaired driving.

2. Increasing safety belt use.

3. Reducing speeding.

F. Specified campaigns must target Arkansans at high risk such as male drivers aged eighteen (18) to thirty-four (34) and teenage drivers.

G. Specified campaigns must be designed to change attitudes and behaviors regarding highway safety.

H. The Contractor shall develop additional campaigns such as campaigns that focus on motorcycle safety, aggressive driving, distracted driving, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and teen driving safety awareness as requested by ASP-HSO.

I. Campaigns must include paid media purchases, earned media, partnership opportunities, production, pre-testing, placement, and evaluation of the placed media as requested by ASP-

HSO.

J. Campaigns must include other social norming initiatives to boost the year-round awareness of the core campaign messages.

K. Campaigns must generate a high public awareness, particularly among the target audience, of the increased and concentrated law enforcement presence and participation during High Visibility Enforcement mobilizations.

L. The Contractor shall submit proposed allocations for media, highway safety communications, public education activities, and any other public awareness initiatives specified by ASP-HSO with allocation amounts categorized by media type and market within timeframes and in a format and manner approved by ASP-HSO.

M. The Contractor shall coordinate, create, test, produce, place, and manage all media, highway safety communications, public education activities, and any other public awareness initiatives specified by ASP-HSO that include a diverse mix of paid and earned media, social and digital media, sponsorships, printed promotional materials, and grassroots outreach.

N. The Contractor shall review and incorporate existing media campaigns where appropriate and as requested by ASP-HSO.

O. The Contractor shall provide measurable evaluation methods to ASP-HSO for campaign outcomes.

2.7 ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

A. The Contractor shall have an office with a minimum of one (1) dedicated Account Manager that is located within a 25 mile radius from the Capitol, within thirty (30) calendar days of contract start date and throughout any resultant contract term.

1. The Account Manager shall be fluent in English.

B. Upon request by ASP-HSO, the Contractor shall replace any staff member assigned to the State's account.

1. The Contractor shall provide ASP-HSO with a replacement having equal or greater qualifications and expertise than the staff member being replaced, with ASP-HSO having final approval of any replacement.

2. The Contractor shall provide the replacement in such a way that does not disrupt the daily operations of the ASP-HSO account.

C. The dedicated Account Manager shall be the point of contact for the State in all matters related to the services under any resulting contract.

1. The Account Manager is anticipated to have daily phone and/or email communications with ASP-HSO staff, particularly during mobilizations and other projects.

D. If requested by ASP-HSO, the Account Manager shall attend an initial Kick-off Meeting in person at the ASP-HSO office in Little Rock with ASP-HSO staff or its designees-to make introductions and discuss contract activities and deadlines.

1. The date of the kick-off meeting will be specified by ASP-HSO.

2. Other members of the Contractor's team shall attend the Kick-off Meeting in person or via conference call as specified by ASP-HSO.

E. The Account Manager shall provide a written summary including deadlines of all contract activities to ASP-HSO via email in an ASP-HSO-approved document within fourteen (14) calendar days after the initial Kick-off Meeting.

F. The Account Manager shall supervise day-to-day dedicated account management that includes account staff coordination, budget management, project timelines, status reports, quality control, and client communications.

1. The Account Manager shall respond to ASP-HSO requests within twenty-four (24) hours of the request and in the manner the request was made.

G. The Account Manager, and additional staff as specified by ASP-HSO, shall meet with ASP-HSO regularly as specified by ASP-HSO to ensure a well-coordinated workflow and shall participate in strategic planning and follow-up meetings of the ASP-HSO.

1. These meetings will be coordinated by the ASP-HSO and may include meeting with ASP- HSO program staff, contractors and outside partner organizations.

2. Meetings will include but not be limited to visiting location sites, monitoring sports buys, attending national webinars for mobilizations, and NHTSA assessment interviews.

3. These meetings are anticipated to be once per month and are typically held during normal business hours, which are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Central Time.

H. The Account Manager shall attend periodic NHTSA or State-sponsored conferences as requested by ASP-HSO.

1. Costs incurred for conference travel will be reimbursed according to State and Federal regulations upon prior approval of ASP-HSO and upon submission of required ASP travel authorization documents.

2. Conferences are expected to be held two (2) times per year.

2.8 MEDIA PLANNING AND BUYING

A. The Contractor shall provide a dedicated Media Buyer assigned to the ASP-HSO account.

B. The Contractor shall place advertising campaign ads through a combination of both paid placement ads and public service announcements of equal value, maximizing the exposure to target audiences and the value of media purchased under the allocated budget.

C. The Contractor shall maximize the exposure to target audiences and the value of media purchased under the allocated budget (added value).

D. The Contractor shall provide optimal media coverage to ensure the budget is maximized.

E. The Contractor shall place all media according to a schedule approved by ASP-HSO using media approved by ASP-HSO.

F. The Contractor shall develop, coordinate, and execute all earned media activities including public service announcements, feature stories, special news releases, special events, sporting events, news conferences, media interviews, talking points, and media kits.

1. Some materials are available from the NHTSA for customization or for creating new materials using the themes provided.

G. The Contractor shall negotiate for a minimum of a one-for-one bonus whenever possible.

H. The Contractor shall review affidavits of performance for media buys to ensure accuracy and shall negotiate "make goods" resulting from scheduling errors.

2.9 CREATIVE SERVICES

A. The Contractor shall provide all creative concepting and copywriting for all of ASP-HSO's traffic safety and public awareness and education campaigns, mobilizations, sports marketing, events, and programs as requested by ASP-HSO.

B. The Contractor shall research, produce and/or procure, and manage assets and content for traffic safety development and marketing purposes, including but not limited to artwork, illustration, photography, video, music, maps, voiceover, copy, literature, and brand identity pieces.

C. The Contractor shall research, produce and/or procure photography services, and manage the execution of photo and video shoots necessary to carry out programs and campaigns as required including but not limited to managing talent rights and fees for existing and newly created advertisements.

D. The Contractor shall select pre-produced media and develop new media as requested by ASP-

HSO.

E. The Contractor shall create, test, produce, place, and evaluate television, radio, and online ads to promote traffic safety programs.

F. The Contractor shall create, produce, publish, and distribute printed promotional materials as requested by ASP-HSO, including but not limited to brochures, magazines, newspaper ads, annual reports, and posters.

G. Artwork for all printed and digital materials must be created using current industry-standard desktop, design, and publication applications approved by ASP-HSO.

H. The Contractor shall translate design and produce content translated into Spanish as requested and approved by ASP-HSO.

2.10 DIGITAL SERVICES

A. General Digital

1. The Contractor shall strategize, create, produce, procure, and prepare digital advertising content for distribution on online media channels, including paid, owned, earned, and social media platforms.

B. Social Media

1. The Contractor shall provide all social and digital media, web design, and digital imaging services for all of ASP-HSO's traffic safety and public awareness and education campaigns, mobilizations, sports marketing, events, and programs as requested by ASP-HSO.

2. The Contractor shall provide insightful leadership and best practices related to digital and social media communications and targeted marketing as requested by ASP-HSO.

3. The Contractor shall make updates and add crucial information to social media sites as specified by ASP-HSO.

4. The Contractor shall provide compelling, creative execution across all current and future social media channels.

5. The Contractor shall execute, measure, track, and evaluate all social analytics.

C. Website

1. ASP-HSO, in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Transportation and the Arkansas Department of Health, hosted a Toward Zero Deaths Program website as part of its overall plan to bring deaths on Arkansas roads to zero. The website (http://tzdarkansas.org) provided information about the ASP-HSO Safety Plan, programs, news, events, and links to various resources. The website is currently being re-designed and re-branded to expand to a more comprehensive, one-stop source of highway safety information and announcements for the ASP-HSO. The new name and web address is http://saveARlives.com. The website development, including redesign, rebranding, hosting and maintenance, will continue during the term of the contract.

2. The Contractor shall host and administer ASP-HSO's website (currently named saveARlives.org).

a. The Contractor will be provided full access to the current website and shall host and update the current website as directed by ASP-HSO.

3. The Contractor shall expand and re-design ASP-HSO's website as directed by ASP-HSO.

4. The Contractor shall develop digital marketing plans to reach the target audiences.

5. The Contractor shall provide, execute, measure, track, and evaluate all website analytics.

6. The Contractor shall develop a brand positioning that complements the overall mission of

ASP-HSO.

7. The Contractor shall provide insightful leadership and best practices related to digital communications and targeted marketing.

8. The Contractor shall employ best practices in website optimization and user experience for the public.

http://tzdarkansas.org/ http://savearlives.com./

9. Details not stated in this RFP on administering and hosting ASP-HSO's website(s) will be negotiated after contract award.

D. Website Design and Strategy

1. The Contractor shall lead, actualize, and execute website re-design, coding, development, content apps, and integration of marketing campaigns and digital projects.

2. The Contractor shall create a user interface design.

3. The Contractor shall provide software engineering, programming, and development consistent with current technologies.

4. The Contractor shall identify and counsel as to how the State can maximize emerging technology and trends in web marketing, design, and development.

5. The Contractor shall identify and counsel as to how ASP-HSO can maximize emerging technology and trends in mobile platforms (such as tablets, smartphone, wearables) in terms of native and web apps to support and enhance ASP-HSO's marketing efforts.

6. The Contractor shall identify and counsel the State on current marketing and public relations efforts on digital and mobile platforms.

7. The Contractor shall advise on how to present and use ASP-HSO's URL on mobile devices (i.e., responsive design, content parity, etc.).

8. The Contractor shall develop content for ASP-HSO's URL that is compatible with mobile devices (i.e., responsive design, content parity, etc.).

9. The Contractor shall implement and provide any new and emerging web content delivery systems and technologies along with creative strategies and objectives as requested by

ASP-HSO.

a. Provision of these services, and any implementation costs, will be negotiated with final approval by ASP-HSO.

E. Website Administration

1. The Contractor shall make any changes to the websites design and function as requested by ASP-HSO.

2. The Contractor shall notify ASP-HSO via email or telephone of any downtime for any and all functional components of the website within one (1) hour of discovery of an occurrence.

3. The Contractor shall make all reasonable efforts to minimize downtime and reduce service interruptions.

4. The Contractor shall resolve downtime and service interruptions within reasonable time frames approved by ASP-HSO.

5. The Contractor shall update the website with new technologies as they become available and as they are requested by ASP-HSO, within a timeframe negotiated and approved by

ASP-HSO.

6. Within a timeframe acceptable to ASP-HSO, the Contractor shall make all content and function updates and changes to the website that are requested by ASP-HSO.

7. Within a timeframe acceptable to ASP-HSO, the Contractor shall complete all standard maintenance to the website, as well as any maintenance requests and requirements as stipulated by ASP-HSO.

2.11 PUBLIC RELATIONS

A. The Contractor shall provide all public relations services for all of ASP-HSO's traffic safety and public awareness and education campaigns, mobilizations, sports marketing, events, and programs as requested by ASP-HSO.

B. The Contractor shall identify and develop new partnerships and foster existing partnerships to bring awareness and education to the public regarding traffic safety.

C. The Contractor shall strategize, develop, execute, and support public relations campaigns and program activities, using both traditional and emerging social media approaches, including public service announcements, feature stories, email blasts, special news releases, special events, sporting events, news conferences, media interviews, talking points, and media kits.

2.12 REPORTING

A. The Contractor shall submit a Monthly Status Report to ASP-HSO in a format and within the timeframes approved by ASP-HSO.

1. The Reports must include, but are not be limited to, the following information:

a. Status update for all current projects, production jobs, and promotional events.

b. Website and social media analytics.

c. Timelines for all mobilizations or campaigns.

d. Monthly and year to date expenditures.

e. Current project balance.

B. The Contractor shall submit a detailed Annual Financial Report to ASP-HSO in a format and within the timeframes approved by ASP-HSO.

1. The Report must include the following information:

a. A summary of hourly rates as well as mark-up rates for third party costs on a yearly basis.

b. Available funding amount in the ASP-HSO budget.

c. Amount of funding currently committed

C. The Contractor shall submit a detailed Annual Programmatic Report to ASP-HSO in a format and within the timeframes approved by ASP-HSO.

1. The Report must include, at minimum, the following information for each campaign, mobilization, promotional event, website or social media initiative, public relations project:

a. A written recap and assessment.

b. Website and social media analytics.

c. Total expenditures.

d. Performance against performance indicators.

e. The overall impact.

D. The Contractor shall submit detailed Media Flowcharts in a format and within the timeframes approved by ASP-HSO to determine and improve the return on investment and effectiveness of all media buys.

1. The Flowcharts must include but not be limited to the following information:

a. Media type.

b. Market tiers.

c. Gross Rating point (GRP) levels.

d. Creative rotation.

e. Costs for each campaign, summarized by campaign, month, quarter, and year.

f. Audience reach.

E. The Contractor shall submit a Post Campaign Report following each High Visibility Enforcement mobilization in a format and within the timeframes approved by ASP-HSO.

2.13 PROPERTY RIGHTS

A. Upon expiration or termination of this contract, the Contractor shall transfer property rights of all data and deliverables (intellectual and tangible) to the ASP-HSO and shall not hold ownership or an intellectual property claim to any data or deliverable associated with the ASP-HSO account including but not limited to the following:

1. Patents.

2. Trademarks.

3. Logos.

4. Television, radio, and outdoor advertising and marketing products.

5. Printed advertising and marketing products.

6. Media schedules.

7. Digital products including websites and social media.

8. Third party data, analytics, and/or records.

B. Upon expiration or termination of this contract, the Contractor shall transfer all data, deliverables, and products the Contractor has created, developed, produced, or managed while performing the services outlined in this contract to the ASP-HSO and shall not charge a fee to the ASP- HSO for this service.

C. The Contractor shall maintain all data and deliverables associated with the ASP-HSO account and shall transfer all data and deliverables associated with the ASP-HSO account to ASP-HSO within sixty (60) calendar days of the expiration or termination date of this contract and all data, deliverables, and products shall become the exclusive property of the ASP-HSO.

D. The Contractor shall not utilize any portion of the projects created, developed, produced, or managed including all deliverables and creative concepts without the prior, written consent of the Director of the Arkansas State Police.

2.14 TRANSITION SERVICES

A. If the successful Contractor is one other than the current service provider, upon execution of a resultant contract with the ASP-HSO, the Contractor shall initiate and coordinate the transition of services from the current provider.

B. Should any subsequent contract for advertising and marketing services be awarded to a provider other than the awardee of this RFP, then the current Contractor shall, to the greatest extent possible and reasonable, cooperate with the ASP-HSO in initiating a smooth and orderly transition to the next Contractor.

2.15 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

A. State law requires that qualifying contracts for services include Performance Standards for measuring the overall quality of services that a Contractor shall provide.

B. The State may be open to negotiations of Performance Standards prior to contract award, prior to the commencement of services, or at times throughout the contract duration.

C. Performance Standards shall not be amended unless they are agreed to in writing and signed by the parties.

D. Failure to meet the minimum Performance Standards as specified will result in the assessment of damages.

E. In the event a Performance Standard is not met, the Contractor will have the opportunity to defend or respond to the insufficiency. The State has the right to waive damages if it determines there were extenuating factors beyond the control of the Contractor that hindered the performance of services. In these instances, the State has final determination of the performance acceptability.

F. Should any compensation be owed to the Department due to the assessment of damages, Contractor shall follow the direction of the Department regarding the required compensation process.

TABLE C: PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Standard Damages

Dedicated Project

Management

Provides a minimum of one

(1) dedicated staff member assigned by the Contractor to manage the ASP-HSO account as defined in this

RFP.

$50 per day for each day the assigned dedicated staff member does not respond to ASP-HSO within the timeframes specified in RFP Section

2.6.

Creative Development Creative is developed within the timelines and budgets approved by ASP-

HSO.

$50 per occurrence when creative development exceeds budgets or per day late for established timelines not previously approved by ASP-HSO.

Creative Production Creative is produced within the timelines and budgets approved by ASP-HSO.

$50 per occurrence when creative production exceeds budgets or per day late for established timelines not previously approved by ASP-HSO.

Media Buys Media buys are conducted within the timelines established by ASP-HSO.

$50 per occurrence for each missed media buy.

SECTION 3 – SELECTION

3.1 SELECTION PROCESS

A. SAS OSP will review each Technical Proposal Packet to verify Submission Requirements have been met. Technical Proposal Packets that do not meet Submission Requirements will be rejected and will not be evaluated.

1. The State may conduct cost checks based on the cost submitted by each Prospective Contractor on the completed pricing response.

a. Prospective Contractors submitting Responsive Proposals with a proposed cost that falls twenty-five percent (25%) or more from the average submitted cost may be asked to justify their submitted cost.

b. Should SAS OSP request clarification and/or additional information regarding cost, Prospective Contractors shall provide clarification and/or additional information as specified by the request.

B. A Department-appointed Evaluation Committee will evaluate and score Responsive Proposals.

Evaluation will be based on Prospective Contractor’s response to the Information for Evaluation section included in the Technical Proposal Packet and the pricing submitted by the Prospective Contractor.

1. Cost information will be provided to the members of the Evaluation Committee (Evaluators) to allow them to determine which proposal(s) is the most advantageous to the State.

2. Evaluators will individually review and evaluate proposals and complete an Individual Score Worksheet for each proposal. Individual scoring for each Evaluation Criteria will be based on the scoring description in Table B: Scoring Table.

TABLE B: SCORING TABLE

SCORE DESCRIPTION

The response provides metrics clearly establishing that the Prospective Contractor is reliable and capable of fully performing the required services.

The response provides metrics suggesting that the Prospective Contractor’s level of performance may be acceptable, but it does not clearly establish that the Prospective Contractor is reliable and capable of fully performing the required services.

The response provides metrics clearly establishing that the Prospective Contractor is unreliable and incapable of fully performing the required services.

3. After initial individual evaluations are complete, the Evaluators will meet to discuss their individual scores. At the initial consensus meeting, each Evaluator will be afforded an opportunity to discuss his or her score for each evaluation criteria.

4. After Evaluators have had an opportunity to discuss their individual scores with the committee, the Evaluators will be given the opportunity to change their initial individual scores, if they feel that is appropriate.

5. The final individual scores of the Evaluators will be recorded on the Consensus Scoresheets and averaged to determine the group or consensus score and rank for each proposal.

6. Other agencies, consultants, and experts may also examine documents at the discretion of the Department.

C. Prospective Contractors submitting Responsive Proposals will be contacted by SAS OSP to schedule an interview.

1. Prospective Contractors shall attend the interview as scheduled by SAS OSP.

2. Evaluators will complete an Individual Score Worksheet for each interview. Evaluation will be based on Prospective Contractor’s responses to questions presented during the interview Individual scoring for each interview will be based on the Scoring Descriptions in 3.1.B.1.

3. During a final consensus meeting, after all interviews are complete, Evaluators will have the opportunity to discuss the interviews and change their individual interview scores on the Consensus Scoresheet, if they feel that is appropriate.

a. The final individual scores of the Evaluators will be recorded on the Consensus Scoresheets and averaged to determine the group or consensus score and rank for each proposal.

4. Should the State receive only one (1) Responsive Proposal, the State may forgo the interview portion of the evaluation if the proposal has received the Maximum Weighted Score Possible for the Experience, Solution, and Risk subsections.

a. In this scenario, the proposal would automatically receive the maximum weighted score possible for the interview subsection.

D. Should the State request clarification and/or additional information Prospective Contractors’ responses, Prospective Contractors shall provide clarification and/or additional information as specified by the State.

E. SAS OSP will submit responses and pricing received from the interviewed Perspective Contractors, along with the Evaluation Committee’s recommendation to the Department for review and approval to move into Discussions.

3.2 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL SCORE

A. The Information for Evaluation section has been divided into subsections.

1. Each subsection has been assigned a maximum point value of ten (10) points. The total point value for each subsection is reflected in the table below as the Maximum Raw Points Possible.

2. The Department has assigned Weighted Percentages to…