MPA 479 OE Marketing Communications, Media Planning and Buying

The State of Rhode Island Division of Purchases is seeking to establish a Master Price Agreement (MPA) for Marketing Communications, Media Planning, and Buying services (MPA 479 Open Enrollment) through a solicitation that opened on October 14, 2020, and closed on December 28, 2020. The procurement aims to create a qualified list of public relations and advertising vendors capable of providing comprehensive marketing communication services, including communications research, media campaign design and implementation, technical services, strategic marketing consultation, communication planning, and media buying. Vendors must submit technical proposals that will be evaluated based on qualifications, experience, and the relative merits of their submission. The solicitation allows for ongoing proposal submissions, with vendors being added to a qualified vendor list as they are approved. The contract term is three years, with two potential one-year extension options, and will operate through a mini-bid process where agencies will request quotes from qualified vendors for specific projects. The vendor Q&A period ran from October 14 to December 23, 2020, with proposals to be submitted electronically through the Ocean State Procures system.

The solicitation includes specific requirements for minority, women, and veteran-owned business participation, mandating a minimum of 10% of the total dollar value be awarded to certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprises (WBE), and Veteran Business Enterprises (VBE). Vendors must maintain liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and workers compensation coverage, and will be subject to a 1% contract administrative fee on all purchase orders. The MPA has broad applicability, allowing utilization by state agencies, quasi-governmental organizations, Rhode Island municipalities, and the legislative and judicial branches of Rhode Island government. While no specific incumbent vendors or exact contract values are listed, the solicitation indicates that there is no guarantee of minimum purchasing activity, and vendors will be selected on a project-by-project basis through competitive mini-bids. The state reserves the right to select the most qualified vendors, remove vendors from the list at its discretion, and cancel the solicitation if needed. Pricing will be determined through individual project scopes, with agencies required to obtain quotes from at least three vendors, including one MBE/WBE/VBE when possible.