Request for Proposals, KY Safe Teen Driving Challenge

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Office of Highway Safety is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for sponsorship opportunities supporting the Kentucky Safe Teen Driving Challenge 2.0, an app-based competition designed to incentivize safe driving behaviors among Kentucky teens aged 15 to 19. The procurement seeks financial contributions from qualified organizations and individuals to fund student and high school prizes for safe driving performance. Participants must complete at least 100 miles across a minimum of 30 driving trips, with schools requiring at least 10 eligible students to participate; schools compete against one another while individual students earn points based on safety metrics including speeding, phone distraction, hard braking, sharp turning, and rapid acceleration. Sponsorship contributions are available at four fixed levels: $500, $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000, with funds directed entirely toward student and school prizes to be awarded in December 2025. All proposals are evaluated on a pass/fail basis against mandatory requirements including organization name and contact information, organization type, sponsorship level, and a statement of interest describing the organization's interest in highway safety or teen driver safety. Written questions are due by 4:00 PM EST on September 2, 2025, with the Commonwealth responding by September 8, 2025, and proposals must be submitted electronically by 2:00 PM EST on September 19, 2025, through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service System. The inaugural spring 2025 challenge engaged over 1,200 teen drivers with approximately 800 active participants; nearly 500 achieved safe driving scores of 80% or higher.

There are no set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond to this RFP; however, respondents must be registered with the Kentucky Vendor Self Service System and comply with all applicable Commonwealth procurement rules, including certifications regarding debarment, suspension, conflict of interest, campaign finance, and compliance with Kentucky tax and employment laws. Sponsors receive branding benefits as deliverables, including logo display on the contest landing page, recognition on Highway Safety social media accounts, and recognition in press releases. The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any proposal lacking required information or whose branding, image, or mission conflicts with agency goals. All submitted proposals must remain valid for a minimum of six months after the due date. An authorized representative must submit a notarized Annual Affidavit for Bidders, Offerors and Contractors attesting under penalty of perjury that the organization has not knowingly violated Kentucky campaign finance laws. Award values are limited to the four fixed sponsorship contribution levels of $500, $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000 per sponsor, with multiple sponsors anticipated to collectively fund the December 2025 prize distribution.