Advertising and Marketing Services

The State of Arkansas, through the Department of Shared Administrative Services Office of State Procurement on behalf of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety—Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office, is procuring comprehensive advertising and marketing services to develop and manage an integrated statewide highway safety media plan. The contractor must develop, conduct, and manage marketing campaigns addressing highway safety priorities including impaired driving prevention, safety belt usage promotion, speeding reduction, and awareness campaigns for motorcycle safety, distracted driving, pedestrian safety, and teen driver education. Key deliverables include creative development, media buys, digital services, website hosting, social media management, public relations, and comprehensive reporting, with the contractor assuming responsibility for all project aspects. The solicitation requires submission of proposals through ARBuy by April 27, 2026, at 3:00 PM Central Time, with a live proposal opening conducted via Microsoft Teams. Selected contractors will participate in interviews scheduled for May 5-6, 2026, with an anticipated award announcement on May 22, 2026, and a contract start date of June 22, 2026. The initial contract term is four years, renewable for up to three additional one-year terms not to exceed seven consecutive years. Prospective contractors must be authorized to conduct business in Arkansas and located in the United States with a minimum of five years of experience in traffic safety advertising and public information campaigns, demonstrating expertise in multi-channel marketing, strategic planning, creative concepting, media planning and buying, social media, website hosting, and public relations. Within 30 days of contract start, the contractor must establish a dedicated account management office within a 25-mile radius of the Arkansas Capitol and maintain this presence throughout the contract term. All advertising and marketing services must be performed within the United States, and upon contract expiration or termination, the contractor must transfer all intellectual property rights, data, and deliverables to the Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office at no additional charge.

No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are indicated in the solicitation documents, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified. The solicitation requires that prospective contractors certify compliance with state requirements prohibiting boycotts of Israel and energy/fossil fuel/firearms industries, knowingly employing illegal immigrants, and employing scrutinized companies as subcontractors, while also submitting an executed Equal Opportunity Policy. The contractor must also comply with the 2026 NHTSA Certification and Assurances Agreement, the EO 98-04 Contract and Grant Disclosure Form, and applicable federal civil rights statutes. The anticipated annual budget is $2,900,000, with $2,200,000 expected for paid media, although the actual contract does not guarantee this amount. Pricing is structured through the Official Solicitation Price Sheet with two components: hourly rates for service delivery across nine categories (account management, art design and development, copywriting, copy planning, earned media planning, social media planning, research planning, strategic planning, and public relations/event support) and commission-based fees for media placement and production. The estimated four-year contract value is $9,000,000, with estimated annual costs of $1,850,000 for media placement services and $400,000 for production commissions, though all pricing is subject to firm quotes and negotiation only at contract renewal.