Communication and Marketing Svcs - District 5 (Louisville)

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), District 5 in Louisville is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for comprehensive communication and marketing services to support major transportation improvement projects in the Louisville area. The procurement seeks a qualified firm to provide strategic communication planning, branding and creative development, video production, web content management, social media services, detour mapping, stakeholder engagement, special events coordination, and monitoring/reporting services. The solicitation encompasses four line items: Project Management Services (100 estimated hours), Senior Marketing Services (1,500 estimated hours), Spokesperson Services (1,500 estimated hours), and Junior Marketing and Other Communication Support Services (3,600 estimated hours), totaling approximately 7,700 hours across all service categories for the initial contract period. The initial contract term runs from January 20, 2026, through June 30, 2026, with the Commonwealth reserving the right to renew for up to two additional two-year periods subject to approval by the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee. Written questions are due by 4:00 PM on December 5, 2025, with anticipated Commonwealth responses by December 15, 2025, and proposals are due by 2:00 PM on December 23, 2025. Evaluation will be based on a maximum of 1,200 points, comprising 800 points for the technical proposal (175 points for project manager and team experience, 175 points for spokesperson experience, 300 points for technical approach, and 150 points for capacity), 200 points for the cost proposal, and up to 200 additional points for oral demonstrations if required. Contractors must submit cost proposals using the provided Cost Proposal Form with hourly rates for each service category, and mileage reimbursement will be at rates determined by the Finance Cabinet with actual media buy costs reimbursed. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service System in three parts: Technical Proposal, Cost Proposal, and Proprietary Information.

The solicitation documentation does not identify any specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular types of organizations such as disadvantaged enterprises, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, or small businesses. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents, nor are any existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements specified. Vendors must be registered with the Commonwealth's eProcurement System (Vendor Self Service) prior to submission and must maintain Professional Liability Insurance with a minimum of $1,000,000 per claim and Kentucky workers' compensation insurance, with certificates of insurance provided within ten days of notice of intent to award. No budget range or specific award value is disclosed in the RFP documents; rather, compensation will be determined by the hourly rates proposed by the selected contractor multiplied by the actual hours expended, plus reimbursable expenses. The RFP does not indicate a formal bidders conference and no specific set-asides for small, minority-owned, women-owned, or other disadvantaged enterprises are noted in the available documentation.