Creative Services for Storm Water Services

The City of Charlotte, North Carolina, through its Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services (CMSWS) division, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP #FY27-RFP-02) to procure creative services to support education and outreach campaigns. The procuring agencies are Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte. The comprehensive scope of services includes creative strategy and planning, branding, video production and editing, graphic design (print and digital), digital media, imagery services (photography and illustrations), and radio production, with specific focus on surface water quality education, flood safety education, volunteer opportunities, and storm drainage infrastructure education. Proposals must include a three-year Creative Direction and Strategic Plan, with vendors responsible for monthly and annual performance reporting. Key qualifications required include demonstrated experience providing creative services for cause-related messaging campaigns supporting government or non-profit organizations of similar size or scope, with references from three clients required to substantiate experience. The evaluation criteria encompass qualifications and experience, cost effectiveness and value, and acceptance of contract terms. The non-mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for February 6, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams; questions must be submitted by February 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.; and proposals are due by February 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. through the Bonfire Procurement Portal, with all submissions required to be electronically finalized by the deadline. Contract award by City Council is anticipated in April 2026, with services commencing July 1, 2026.

This procurement includes mandatory participation requirements under the Charlotte Business INClusion (CBI) Program, which requires all responding firms to submit an MWSBE (Minority/Woman-owned Small Business Enterprise) Utilization Form demonstrating their commitment to including City-certified Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), Minority-owned Businesses (MBEs), and Woman-owned Businesses (WBEs) as subcontractors. Proposers must identify their own MWSBE status if applicable, list all intended MWSBE subcontractors with descriptions of work and designation types, report total utilization percentages, and document outreach efforts undertaken to maximize MWSBE participation; failure to submit a completed MWSBE form will result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive. All creative content, raw materials, and intellectual property rights generated under the contract become the exclusive property of CMSWS for unlimited use. The contract term is 12 months initially with a three-year fixed pricing period, and the City retains the option to renew for up to two additional one-year terms at its discretion, with price adjustments requiring City approval and documented justification. The anticipated combined budget is approximately $138,000 annually, totaling $690,000 over the full five-year potential term. Vendors must obtain City vendor registration to execute contracts and receive payment, maintain commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, comply with E-Verify and all applicable federal, state, and local laws, and conduct annual background checks on all assigned personnel.