Advancing skills-first practices-awareness and adoption

The State of Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), on behalf of the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC), is requesting proposals for a marketing agency to develop and execute an awareness and adoption campaign advancing skills-first hiring practices, with proposals due September 25, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. through Bidnet and a question deadline of September 17, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Minority and women-owned businesses, small businesses, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses are encouraged to participate; no set-aside or preference is stated.

The scope encompasses inventorying existing skills-first resources, developing outreach strategy and marketing collateral targeting employers, job seekers, and learners (with particular focus on underserved populations), executing paid media across traditional and nontraditional platforms, and tracking campaign metrics and impact. All creative assets must be available in English and Spanish at minimum, with additional languages encouraged. The vendor is responsible for creating and maintaining resource repositories and contact databases. All deliverables must meet Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards. The campaign launches in April 2027 and continues until funds are exhausted, not limited to a single fiscal year.

The paid media budget is capped at $200,000; planning, asset inventory, and remaining work are budgeted separately and not disclosed in advance. Vendors must submit detailed itemized cost proposals broken down by service category, with pricing presented for the initial year plus each of four optional renewal years using deliverable-based pricing tied to actual completed work. Annual rate adjustments are permitted for option years. Actual advertising spend must be included within the quoted contract amount.

The initial contract term is one year with up to four optional renewal years. The evaluation committee will assess proposals equally on company qualifications and references, price, and technical approach. Oral presentations may occur in October if necessary. Notice of Award is expected in November 2026, with contract signing in November or December 2026. A pre-proposal conference was held September 9, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. via Google Meet. Proposals must be submitted as text-searchable PDFs with specific naming and tab conventions, along with W-9, conflict-of-interest disclosure, contract certification acknowledging the sample Colorado standard contract, and M/WBE self-certification.