Marketing and Communication Services 2026-2027

The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is requesting proposals for end-to-end marketing and communications services supporting the Hawaii Retirement Savings Program's statewide rollout, with proposals due September 4, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time and written questions due August 11, 2026. This is an RFP under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 103D with no set-aside or preference program restrictions.

The scope encompasses branding and creative development, multilingual translation into Ilocano, Tagalog, Chuukese, Marshallese, Samoan, and Hawaiian, media planning and placement across traditional and digital channels, community outreach and engagement, and performance tracking with monthly reports and quarterly strategic assessments. All deliverables must be culturally competent, ADA-compliant, and include statewide media buys with neighbor-island travel included. All work product becomes State property upon creation.

The contract is firm-fixed-price covering the initial one-year term commencing November 1, 2026, with potential extensions of up to 180 calendar days each subject to mutual agreement. The RFP does not disclose an estimated contract value or budget ceiling; offerors propose itemized pricing using the provided Cost Proposal Table. Contractor must remit Hawaii General Excise Tax at 4.5 percent (Oahu) or 4 percent (other islands) unless tax-exempt status is claimed. Pricing must include all labor, materials, supplies, applicable taxes, and fees.

Award will be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal ranks highest under weighted criteria: Creativity and Strategy (30 percent), Experience and Qualifications (25 percent), Budget and Cost Efficiency (20 percent), Timeline and Implementation Plan (15 percent), and References and Past Performance (10 percent). Notice of Award is estimated for September 11, 2026. At award, the contractor must demonstrate Hawaii tax and employment law compliance through Hawaii Compliance Express.

Proposals must be submitted as single PDF files through the Hawaii electronic Procurement System (HIePRO) in Adobe Acrobat–compatible format. Standard state contract terms apply, including independent-contractor status, three-year records retention, tax clearance requirements before final payment, and termination rights for default and convenience.