Advertising - placement services

The State of Minnesota Department of Administration is requesting proposals for advertising placement services for job postings, solicitations, events, and notifications within local diverse community press, with proposals due September 21, 2026 at 3:00 PM Central Time under RFP SWIFT Event No. G0210-2000018466, Version 2 (extended by Addendum No. 1).

The scope requires the contractor to receive advertisement requests from State agencies and Minnesota Cooperative Purchasing Venture members, identify and coordinate with appropriate media outlets, prepare and proof copy, obtain customer approval, and deliver proof of publication. The contractor must acknowledge new requests within one business day and propose placement timelines within two business days. Services include media research, advertisement design, and creative services billed at approved hourly rates. Pricing uses cost-plus structure: the State contract price equals actual supplier cost multiplied by the responder's offered cost-plus percentage. Required placements target seven specified publications serving Minnesota's minority and diverse communities (Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Insight News, Hmong Times, La Prensa Minnesota, Asian American Press, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and University of Minnesota Law School) using fixed-rate pricing for three full calendar weeks in color, black and white, and online formats. Responders must demonstrate a minimum of three years' experience in advertisement placement within diverse community press, comply with IT Accessibility Standards, and provide a one-year warranty on all services.

The estimated annual contract value is $20,000 to $25,000, neither a minimum nor maximum obligation. The contract term runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2028 with an option to extend up to 36 additional months in State-determined increments. All quoted rates must remain firm for the initial two-year term; price increases require contract amendment.

The contractor must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance ($2,000,000 per occurrence and annual aggregate), Workers' Compensation Insurance, and Professional Liability Insurance ($2,000,000 per claim). If contract value exceeds $500,000 including extensions, the contractor must track and report quarterly diverse spend. All work must be performed within the United States; E-Verify certification is required for contracts valued over $50,000. Organizations executing contracts exceeding $100,000 must hold or apply for a Minnesota Workforce Certificate; those exceeding $500,000 must hold or apply for an Equal Pay Certificate.

Evaluation occurs in three phases: Phase 1 assesses responsiveness and pass/fail requirements; Phase 2 scores acceptance of State terms and conditions (100 points), Additional Information (400 points), and cost detail (500 points, totaling 1,000 points); Phase 3 selects finalists based on best value determination. The State reserves the right to award to a single responder or multiple responders, reject all responses, or cancel the solicitation. Questions are due September 7, 2026 at 3:00 PM Central Time to Rhiannon Fissehaye, Buyer 3, at Rhiannon.Fissehaye@state.mn.us. Responses must be submitted electronically through the SWIFT Supplier Portal; non-electronic and email submissions will not be accepted. Required attachments include Responder Declarations, Exceptions to State's Terms and Conditions, Workforce and Equal Pay Declaration Page, Additional Information, and Exhibit D Price Schedule. Addendum No. 1 removed Attachment F: Digital Accessibility Component from proposal requirements and evaluation.