OC Bus Marketing Program

The Orange County Transportation Authority is requesting proposals for marketing services under the OC Bus Marketing Program, with proposals due January 7, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. and a questions deadline of December 16, 2025. Interviews are scheduled for January 29, 2026, if the Authority chooses to conduct them. No set-aside, preference program, or DBE goal applies to this RFP.

The scope encompasses integrated marketing strategy development, creative campaign execution across digital and traditional media channels, ethnic marketing and translation services in Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, and Farsi, market research and customer surveys, print production with rapid-turnaround capabilities (rush printing within 72 hours, standard printing within 5–10 business days), direct mail distribution of 30,000 to 120,000 pieces, bus exterior advertising graphics, and performance measurement. The consultant must maintain a dedicated Project Manager as the primary point of contact, replaceable only with written OCTA approval. Staffing must include creative director, account planning and research specialist, traffic manager, graphic designers, art directors, e-marketing specialists, social media specialists, media planners, market researchers, translation specialists, photographers, and support staff. Target demographics are 61% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 61% with household income below $30,000, and over 50% aged 25–59 years. Recent context includes post-pandemic ridership recovery to approximately 98% of 2019 levels and October 2025 launch of the Wave smart card fare payment system.

The contract is a time-and-expense structure with fully burdened hourly rates for key personnel and other direct costs. The budget is $175,000 for the initial 16-month term (March 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027) and $250,000 for one optional two-year renewal period (July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2029). Proposals must remain firm for 120 days. The evaluation committee will score proposals on Qualifications of the Firm (20%), Staffing and Project Organization (25%), Work Plan (30%), and Cost (25%). The consultant must maintain Commercial General Liability insurance at $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate, Automobile Liability at $1,000,000 combined single limit, Workers' Compensation as required by California law, and Employers' Liability at $1,000,000 per accident, with OCTA named as additional insured. No prevailing wage, liquidated damages, or conflict-of-interest filing requirements apply. Proposals must not exceed 50 pages excluding appendices and resumes. Award notification will occur within three business days of contract award, with unsuccessful bidders eligible to request debriefing within three business days of notification.