Recycling Program Sponsorship Management - Professional Services

The City of Cincinnati, through its Office of Environment & Sustainability, is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit Statements of Qualifications and project approaches from professional service firms with expertise in turn-key sponsorship program management. The City seeks to establish a comprehensive sponsorship program for its recycling infrastructure, which currently includes approximately 100,000 green recycling carts, 300 blue recycling corner cans deployed throughout the city, and approximately 20 public recycling drop-off sites. With approximately 80,000 aged carts slated for replacement with new inventory in 2027, the City is seeking qualified firms to help shape and implement both asset-based and system-based sponsorship opportunities. Respondents must submit their RFI responses electronically through the City's Bonfire portal no later than May 15, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET. Questions regarding this RFI must be submitted by April 24, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET and directed to Jennifer Sherman at jennifer.sherman@cincinnati-oh.gov. The City anticipates issuing a formal procurement solicitation on or around July 20, 2026, contingent upon RFI responses. Required qualifications and evaluation criteria include demonstrated experience with sponsorship models, revenue structures, community engagement strategies, operations and maintenance best practices, content and brand alignment strategies, and innovative program ideas; the City is particularly interested in exploring direct financial contributions, in-kind contributions, blended models, sponsorship tiering, exclusive and shared sponsorship structures, and local business participation pathways.

This RFI is explicitly not constituting a procurement solicitation or request for pricing, and respondents will not be reimbursed for preparation costs. Any subsequent formal procurement will be subject to the City's economic inclusion programs under Cincinnati Municipal Code Chapters 323 and 324, which establish set-aside designations and requirements for disadvantaged enterprises, as well as equal employment opportunity provisions under Chapter 325. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the RFI documentation. The City reserves the right to reject sponsorships from entities whose activities could influence elections, permitting, contracting, or regulatory programs, thereby restricting participation from certain categories of organizations. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the RFI; however, the substantial scale of the City's recycling infrastructure—encompassing 100,000 carts and citywide distribution—suggests significant potential sponsorship value and program scope. No bidders' conference or site visits are specified in the RFI documentation.