Communication, Public Relations, Public Education and Outreach Services

The Oregon Department of Administrative Services, State Procurement Services (DAS SPS) is conducting a competitive solicitation on behalf of the Oregon Commission for the Blind (OCB) for comprehensive communication, public relations, public education, and outreach services. The procurement seeks a contractor to design and implement a strategy that includes public education, awareness raising, outreach, public relations, social media, and storytelling about the agency's mission and impact on Oregon's communities and economy. Required services encompass brand and strategy development, communication and outreach plan creation, public relations, writing, design, photography, web services, video and audio production, research, and training. The Request for Proposals (RFP) indicates an initial two-year contract term with potential renewals up to a cumulative ten years. Proposals are due on November 6, 2024, by 5:00 PM Pacific Time, with a competitive range evaluation process that will narrow submissions to the top-scoring proposers. The evaluation appears to be based on a points system, with the top two proposers in Round 1 scoring 74.67 and 73.67 points respectively, suggesting a comprehensive technical and qualitative review of submitted proposals.

The State of Oregon encourages participation from certified disadvantaged businesses, specifically targeting minority-owned, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and emerging small businesses. The procurement allows for multiple contract awards and reserves the right to conduct separate solicitations or project-specific contracts using any legally permitted method. The maximum initial contract value is set at $250,000, with potential for increases through mutually agreed contract amendments. Two vendors, Turell Group and Quinn Thomas, have already been identified as top performers in the initial evaluation round. The contract is non-exclusive, meaning the OCB is not obligated to guarantee a specific volume of work or services. The procurement process includes provisions for potential protests, with a deadline of December 26, 2024, at 9:00 AM for any formal challenges to the competitive range determination. Interested vendors should carefully review the Master Services Agreement and RFP documents to understand the full scope of requirements and evaluation criteria.