Public Outreach and Marketing Services - Don't Pack a Pest Media Campaign

The Texas Department of Agriculture is requesting proposals for public outreach and marketing services to promote the "Don't Pack a Pest" Program, a USDA-funded international traveler education initiative, with proposals due July 23, 2026 at 3:00 PM CT and a pre-proposal vendor conference on June 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM CT. Respondents must certify compliance with Executive Order 14151 and Texas Governor's Executive Order GA-55 regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, and must submit a mandatory VetHUB Subcontracting Plan regardless of planned subcontracting structure.

The campaign targets international travelers at Texas border locations, international ports of entry, cruise ship terminals, and international airports using billboards, digital advertising, radio, social media, and other cost-effective tactics. Key deliverables include a marketing plan with project timelines due within 30 days of execution, a media campaign flowchart with placement schedules and metrics due within 90 days, creative development including campaign messaging due within 45 days, monthly performance analytics, and a close-out report with debrief presentation due within 60 days of campaign completion.

The contract runs through August 31, 2027, with up to three one-year renewal options exercisable at TDA's sole discretion. Proposals are evaluated under Best Value Standard: past performance and qualifications (30%), proposed service plan (40%), and cost reasonableness (30%). Cost proposals must include hourly rates covering all labor, materials, tools, supplies, equipment, and travel. Respondents must hold a current Texas Identification Number, maintain a vendor performance tracking system score of "C" or greater, provide three references from similar engagements within two years, supply key staffing resumes, and demonstrate financial stability.

Respondents must carry workers' compensation ($1 million employer's liability), commercial general liability ($1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate), comprehensive auto liability ($1 million combined single limit), umbrella liability ($1 million), professional liability ($1 million), and cyber/privacy liability ($1 million). Contractors must comply with NIST SP 800-53, TX-RAMP certification, quarterly vulnerability scanning, TLS 1.2 encryption, and SOC 2 Type 2 certification by September 1 annually. All proposals require completion of Exhibits A through O, including debarment and suspension certification, lobbying certification, key contracting persons disclosure, financial and organizational capacity attestation, and confidentiality or proprietary information designation. Questions are due July 2, 2026. Addendum 1 revised Exhibit A; all original terms remain in effect.