CTA25026 RFP

The California Tahoe Conservancy is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP-CTA25026) to procure comprehensive marketing services for the Lake Tahoe special interest license plate. The contractor must develop and implement a multi-year marketing campaign aimed at increasing annual Tahoe plate sales by 20 percent, with deliverables including a strategic marketing plan that identifies target audiences, assesses purchase obstacles, recommends campaign strategies, and proposes marketing concepts with cost estimates. Implementation activities encompass campaign development, ad design and placement, website management for tahoeplates.com, public relations activities, progress reporting with performance metrics, and a final report with recommendations for future marketing efforts. The successful contractor must demonstrate proven experience developing and implementing successful marketing campaigns with demonstrated ability to organize complex projects and effectively communicate with clients and both public and private partners. Evaluation criteria include staff qualifications (0-30 points), proposal quality and work plan thoroughness (0-40 points), and cost (0-30 points), with additional preference points available for certified small businesses and DVBE participation. Key deadlines include a question submission deadline of February 24, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., responses to questions posted by March 3, 2026, proposal submission deadline of March 10, 2026, and anticipated award notification five business days after the Notice of Intent to Award, with contract performance commencing no later than August 1, 2026.

The procurement requires a minimum of 3 percent Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation with incentive points available for exceeding this threshold, and preference points are available for certified small businesses. No incumbent vendors or existing contractors are referenced in this procurement. The contract term runs for two years from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2028, with the Conservancy holding an option to renew for an additional year through July 31, 2029. The total budget for the initial two-year contract cannot exceed $155,000, with a maximum of $77,500 allocated for each of the first and second years, contingent on State Budget Act approval; if the renewal option is exercised, the extension year budget cannot exceed $77,500, for a total possible contract value of $232,500. All proposals must be submitted via email to procurement@tahoe.ca.gov with the subject line "CTA25026 [Name of Proposer]" and must include all required attachments as specified in the provided checklist.