KDFWR - Digital Magazine Subscription & Payment Site (REBID)

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for digital magazine subscription and payment processing services for Kentucky Afield Magazine, a quarterly publication with over 25,000 current subscribers that has been published since 1945. The procurement seeks vendors capable of developing and managing a comprehensive digital subscription platform that includes hosting a digital magazine with customizable branding, video embedding capabilities into flipbooks, and online subscription/purchase functionality compatible with smartphones, tablets, and desktops. Vendors may bid for hosting services, payment processing services, or both components. The RFP was released on November 22, 2024, with proposals due electronically by December 12, 2024, at 12:00 PM EDT through the Kentucky eProcurement System; written vendor questions must be submitted by December 2, 2024, with KDFWR responses issued by December 4, 2024. The evaluation process allocates 500 points for technical criteria (100 points for background, expertise, and experience; 200 points for digital magazine hosting capabilities; and 200 points for payment processing abilities) and 1,000 points for cost proposals, with up to 100 additional points possible for oral presentations or demonstrations if required, for a maximum total of 1,600 points. Proposals scoring below 50 percent of maximum technical points (250 points) will not be evaluated further. The initial contract term shall be one year from the effective date of award, with four optional two-year renewal periods available upon mutual agreement, and pricing shall remain firm for the first twelve months, after which vendors may request increases based on documented industry-wide changes with thirty days' notice.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is tax-exempt, and vendors must not include federal excise tax, Kentucky sales tax, or use tax in their proposed costs. Entities seeking to be awarded this contract must submit signed transmittal letters, compliance certifications, tax registration documentation, and required affidavits as specified in Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 45A, including annual affidavits attesting non-violation of campaign finance laws and, if claiming resident or qualified bidder status, documentation supporting such claims under 200 KAR 5:410(3) requirements. The RFP documents do not identify an incumbent vendor or existing technology requiring integration, nor do they specify set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions on organization type eligibility. The contract will be structured as a firm fixed-price arrangement, and the KDFWR reserves the right to negotiate with the top-ranked vendor and proceed to subsequent vendors in rank order if negotiations fail; the KDFWR makes no obligation to purchase any minimum volume of services under the resulting contract. No specific budget or award value range is provided in the RFP solicitation materials.