Marketing Services for Public Transit

Sarasota County is requesting proposals for marketing services for Breeze public transit, including market research, refinement of marketing objectives and audiences, and development and implementation of a comprehensive five-year marketing plan (2027–2031), with proposals due August 19, 2026. The contract is funded through Federal Transportation Administration and Florida Department of Transportation grants; local and American business preferences do not apply due to grant-funding requirements.

The scope requires annual market research, a five-year marketing plan, and an annual marketing calendar, with deliverables due by December 31, 2026 in the first contract year. The consultant will execute additional marketing tasks as assigned. Sarasota County's transit system operates 14 year-round fixed routes, Mobility On Demand services across four zones, paratransit, and the Siesta Key Trolley, rebranded as Breeze in 2022. Key target audiences are seniors (40% of ridership over age 55), low-income working families, college students, and tourists. The consultant must track performance through annual awareness and perception questionnaires and real-time campaign metrics including website visits, social media engagement, and ridership data.

The anticipated initial contract term is three years, with flexibility to contract for longer or shorter duration. Proposers must provide hourly rates and itemized direct expenses (subcontractor services, advertising, print and mail, rental, consumables) using standardized fee worksheets. Insurance requirements are Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence), Business Automobile Liability ($1 million combined single limit), and Professional Liability ($1 million per claim/occurrence).

Proposals are submitted through OpenGov Procurement at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/scgov. The evaluation committee scores on a five-point scale based on qualifications, experience, approach, and compensation. Short-listed proposers may be required to present in Sarasota or virtually; presentations are mandatory from at least the three highest-scoring proposers if project costs exceed $350,000, top-proposal scores are within five points, or the Procurement Official determines presentations necessary. All proposals must comply with FTA and Florida grant terms, including DBE participation, civil rights, record retention for three years post-termination, and E-Verify employment verification.