TU-2528_-_Stratgic_Marketing_Plan____Pre-Proposal_Presentation.pdf

Pre-Proposal Conference Request for Proposals for Strategic Marketing Plan Solicitation No. TU-2528 April 23, 2025, at 10:00 AM

Agenda

1. Welcome and Attendance

2. Opening Remarks

3. Overview of the RFP

4. Questions

5. Closing Remarks

Reminders:

✓ Questions Due Date and Time: Aprils 29, 2025 at 4:00 PM

✓ Proposal Due Date & Time: May 7, 2025 at

3:00 PM

Department of Very Fancy Pants

Welcome and Attendance Strategic Marketing Pre-Proposal Conference

▪ Welcome ……………………..Nneka Gray

▪ Attendance ………….. Recorded by Nneka Gray

• Attendance Sheet

Department of Very Fancy Pants

Opening Remarks Pre-Proposal Conference

Request for Proposals

Strategic Marketing Plan

Solicitation No. TU-2528

Big Picture of Fierce Tiger April 23, 2025, at 10:00 AM

Solicitation Link: TU-25-28 RFP Strategic Marketing Plan | Financial Proposal | Questions and ResponsesRFP Sections:

1. Key Information

2. Information to Offerors

3. General Information for Offerors

4. Evaluation Procedure

5. Information Required in All Proposals

6. Scope of Services

TU-2528| RFP for Strategic Marketing Plan Towson.edu/procurement

Overview of the RFP https://emma.maryland.gov/page.aspx/en/bpm/process_manage_extranet/80342

Key Information

• Procurement Officer

• Nneka Gray

• Email: nnekagray@towson.edu

• Proposals are to be submitted on eMaryland Marketplace Advantage.

• No Bid/Proposal feedback Form.

• Questions Due Date and Time is April 29, 2025, at 4:00 PM.

• Proposal Due Date and Time is May 7, 2025, at 3:00 PM.

• This is an SBR designated Procurement.

TU-2528 | RFP for Strategic Marketing Plan | towson.edu/procurement

Towson University (TU or university), through the Division of Marketing and Communications, is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure a marketing consultant, marketing consulting team or marketing consulting firm (marketing partner) who shall help discover, facilitate, draft and present a new 3–5-year institutional strategic marketing action plan.

The marketing partner must be collaborative, knowledgeable, and highly engaged to guide and inform TU through the stages of the strategic marketing planning process.

▪ TU is not seeking a creative marketing agency or partner to do any kind of creative marking execution. The university has a current agency of record and work with that partner is ongoing.

▪ TU intends to make up to one award.

▪ Anticipation duration of services is 1 year.

Department of Boring Words

Information for Offerors

General Information for

Offerors

• Addenda to the RFP: The University reserves the right to amend this solicitation at any time prior to the proposal due date. If it becomes necessary to amend any part of this solicitation, the Procurement Officer will furnish addenda to all prospective offerors known to the University to have received a copy of the RFP.

• Cancellation of Solicitation/Rejection of all Proposals: The University reserves the right to cancel this RFP, to accept or reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, received in response to this RFP, and to waive or permit cure of minor irregularities as its best interests may require.

• Discussions: The University reserves the right to conduct discussions with all qualified or potentially qualified offerors, in any matter necessary to serve its best interests. The University also reserves the right to award a contract based upon written proposals received, without discussions or negotiations.

▪ Public Information Act Notice: Offeror shall give specific attention to identification of those portions of its proposal considered confidential, or containing proprietary information or trade secrets. Upon request, offeror shall provide justification why such material should not be disclosed by the University under the Public Information Act, Title 4, Subtitle 3 of the General Provisions Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.

▪ Order of Precedence: The contract to be entered into as a result of the RFP ("Contract") will consist of the following Contract Documents, listed in their order of precedence:

• The contract executed by the parties and/or Purchase Order issued by the University;

• The solicitation, including Exhibit M (Required Contract Provisions) and all other exhibits; and

• Offeror's proposal.

No modifications to this order of precedence will be accepted.

▪ Required Contract Provisions: All proposals submitted, and the contracts executed by the successful offeror(s), are subject to Exhibit M.

By submitting a proposal, offeror is deemed to have accepted the terms of this RFP, including exhibits; a proposal that takes exception to the terms of the RFP may be rejected. Exceptions, if any, must be clearly identified in the Transmittal Letter enclosed with the technical proposal. Mutually agreeable modifications of the solicitation provisions, if allowed by law, will be documented by express identification in the final contract as superseding the pertinent provisions of the solicitation.

▪ Press Releases: The successful offeror shall issue no press release to any publication, including newspapers, with regard to work being conducted under this contract.

General Information for Offerors (cont’d)

General Information for

Offerors (cont’d)

• Reciprocal Preference: While Maryland law does not authorize state agencies to favor resident offerors, some other states grant preferences to their residents over Maryland businesses. Therefore, a resident business preference may be given to a Maryland firm if: A responsible offeror whose headquarters, principal base of operations, or principal site that will provide the services required by this RFP is located in another state submits the most advantageous offer; the other state gives a preference to its residents through law, policy, or practice; and the preference does not conflict with a Federal law or grant affecting the contract. The preference given shall be identical to the preference that the other state gives to its residents.

▪ Technical Proposal Evaluation

▪ Evaluation Criteria

◆ Technical and Financial merit shall have equal importance.

◆ Technical Proposals will be evaluated in the descending order of importance:

1. extent to which the offeror’s proposal meets the RFP objectives,

2. proposed timeline and project plan,

3. Offeror past performance and experience in higher education settings,

4. offeror capacity, management, and personnel, and

5. overall quality of proposal relative to adherence to instructions and requested format.

▪ Financial Proposal Evaluation

▪ Final Ranking

▪ Debriefing: Unsuccessful offerors may request a debriefing. If the offeror chooses to do so, the request must be submitted in writing to the Procurement Officer within ten days after the offeror knew, or should have known its proposal was unsuccessful. Debriefings shall be limited to discussion of the specific offeror's proposal only and shall not include a discussion of a competing offeror's proposal. Debriefings shall be conducted at the earliest feasible time.

Evaluation Procedures

Information Required in all

Proposals

• Organization of Proposal Submission

• Two Part (Double Envelope) Submission:

• Technical Proposal consisting of a searchable Adobe PDF format, and a second searchable Adobe copy of the Technical Proposal with confidential and proprietary information redacted.

• Financial Proposal consisting of a financial proposal entered into the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet provided, a searchable Adobe PDF format, and a second searchable Adobe copy of the financial proposal with confidential and propriety information redacted.

• Transmittal Letter: Each technical proposal shall be covered by a transmittal letter, prepared on the offeror’s business stationery, signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the firm to all statements, proposed services, and prices offered. Do not include price information in the transmittal letter.

• Technical Proposal

Scope of Services - Overview

• Background & Purpose

• Notable TU facts and accolades. Information about TU and its role as Maryland’s university of opportunities is available at www.towson.edu.

• Marking Initiatives. In 2019, TU launched a comprehensive institutional rebrand. This foundational project was the first of its kind for the university, and it was driven by a presidential priority to help TU tell its contemporary story of excellence after decades of extraordinary growth and regional impact. A comprehensive look at TU’s updated brand identity can be accessed at towson.edu/brand.

• Project Goals. As a result of this project, TU shall have a marketing plan strategy the University can use for the next 3-5 years.

TU-2528 | RFP for Strategic Marketing Plan | towson.edu/procurement https://www.towson.edu/ https://www.towson.edu/brand

• Contractor Responsibilities and Tasks

• General Requirements

• Discovery – Look at TU’s Strategic Plan and President’s Priorities.

(https://www.towson.edu/about/mission/strategicplan.html) and President’s Priorities - (https://www.towson.edu/about/administration/president/priorities.html. The Marketing Plan should support the plan and priorities.

• Engage regularly over the course of the 1 year from start to finish.

• Expect at least 4 meetings within the year. Open to additional virtual meetings outside the 4.

• Consultation

• Lead and facilitate – not just write. Be a partner and guide – make strategic recommendations.

• Consultant – lead/direct/map out/ stay on schedule/ drive decision making/draft and socialize the plan.

• Plan Development

• Plan – Build along the way. TU internal team can support. Suggest how TU’s core team can engage and what that partnership looks like.

• Executing plan: Actionable Items/ Socialization – Presenting to the Campus. Final Plan to leadership and stakeholders.

TU-2528 | RFP for Strategic Marketing Plan | towson.edu/procurement

Scope of Services - Overview (cont’d) https://www.towson.edu/about/mission/strategicplan.html https://www.towson.edu/about/administration/president/priorities.html

Scope of Services – Overview

(cont’d)

• Deliverables

▪ Timeline for work – include recommend tasks, include discovery, include involvement – presentation and socialization of the plan.

◆ Timeline – Looking for an Actionable Plan.

◆ Strategically develop/build/present the plan.

▪ Experience and Personnel

◆ Experience with med/large business.

◆ Provide Method or process – proven experience developing a plan.

◆ Provide all examples of plans developed.

◆ Experience with Institutions of Higher Education is being evaluated but is not a minimum qualification.

towson.edu/procurement .

▪ State your name.

▪ State your organization.

▪ Ask your question.

QUESTIONS DEADLINE!!!!!

April 29, 2025 @ 4:00 PM.

Questions?

▪ Is it expected to work with the external term and the current creative agency?

◆ Will work with small team within TU. There will at some point be interaction with the current creative agency.

▪ Is experience with higher education a requirement?

◆ It is not a minimum qualification; however, it will be evaluated.

▪ Should the plan address strategic priorities?

◆ Yes.

TU-2528 | RFP for Strategic Marketing Plan |

Questions

Closing Remarks!

Reminders:

✓ Questions Due Date and Time: Aprils 29, 2025 @ 4:00

PM

✓ Proposal Due Date & Time:

May 7, 2025 @ 3:00 PM

✓ Vendor Feedback