AAAA - RFP for Disability Funding Committee

The Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration, on behalf of the Disability Funding Committee (DFC), issued RFP AAAA 2018-0166 seeking a single contractor to provide comprehensive online auction and marketing services for the DFC's inventory of approximately 16,000 custom and vanity license plate registration numbers. The selected contractor must develop valuation methodologies for the registration number inventory, create a detailed marketing plan for DFC approval, establish and manage an online auction platform, and recommend pricing strategies including reserve prices and bidding parameters to maximize revenue generation. Key deliverables include submission of a Start-Up Plan within five business days of contract execution, development of dynamic valuation methodologies that account for market fluctuations, and deployment of beta and live production auction sites according to contractor-proposed timelines. The contractor will serve dual roles as both auctioneer and marketing company, managing real-time inventory visibility, conducting market analysis to identify valuable plates, and ensuring maximum public exposure of registration numbers. Mandatory qualifications require proven experience conducting online auctions within the past three years and working with public or quasi-public entities. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: technical experience and ability (40%), marketing experience and ability (30%), ongoing commission percentage (15%), upfront price (15%), and other organizational factors including disability community involvement and auction site functionality. The vendor inquiry deadline was January 15, 2018, with estimated responses by January 18, 2018, and the proposal submission deadline of January 31, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. Colorado Time (amended to February 1, 2018), with estimated vendor selection and award notification on March 1, 2018. The anticipated start-up period runs from March 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, followed by an initial operational period of one year, with total contract duration not anticipated to exceed five years from the operational start date.

The RFP documents do not identify specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses; however, organizational evaluation factors include demonstrated involvement with the disability community. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The compensation structure consists of an upfront startup fee proposed by offerors to cover initial marketing, auction system development, and other startup costs, paid through department-approved milestones, combined with an ongoing percentage commission on all registration numbers sold; offerors must propose their total upfront fee, milestone payment percentages, and the commission percentage on subsequent sales, with price playing a significant role in vendor selection favoring lower upfront pricing and reduced commission rates. Contractors may utilize pre-existing platforms that sell other goods or services, provided they integrate the DFC's registration number inventory management requirements. The DFC and State retain all ownership rights to bidder registration data and maintain approval authority over all recommended auction parameters, with winning bidders entitled to registration rights for specified periods rather than perpetual ownership. Secondary transfers of registration numbers are subject to a 25 percent royalty with enforcement conducted according to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-30-2209. While specific budget or award value ranges are not stated in the solicitation documents, contract amounts are limited to obligated funds with maximum amounts specified per State Fiscal Year on the signature page, with the state obligated to pay invoices within 45 days of service delivery.