Request for Proposals: Marketing and Public Relations Services

Huerfano County, Colorado, is soliciting proposals for a comprehensive marketing and public relations services contract through a Request for Proposals (RFP 25-01) issued on January 17, 2025, with proposals due by February 10, 2025, at 4:00 PM MT. The county seeks a qualified firm to provide destination marketing for Spanish Peaks Country through the County Tourism Board, advertise county services such as the Spanish Peaks Airfield, and support public information and emergency communications. Proposing firms must have at least 5 years of professional experience, with preference given to those with local government and destination marketing expertise. The evaluation process will assess proposals based on qualifications (30 points), rural context experience (25 points), approach to client service (25 points), and quality of previous projects (20 points). The anticipated procurement timeline includes committee review of proposals on February 12, potential interviews on February 24, notification of the selected proposer by February 26, contract execution by March 4, and a project start date of March 14, 2025.

The procurement does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The current agency of record is AdPro, which is not expected to reapply for the contract. The marketing contract will primarily focus on tourism-related work (85-90%), targeting Front Range markets and occasional out-of-state regions including Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma, with a focus on families with children and retirees. The budget for this opportunity ranges from $60,000 to $90,000 annually for Tourism Board advertising and agency services, supplemented by a $45,000 Colorado Tourism Office Marketing Grant and approximately $10,000 per year for ongoing county work such as website maintenance and public relations. Existing marketing platforms include Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, with an emphasis on increasing user-generated content. The county is open to multi-year agreements with an early-out clause and expects the selected firm to leverage existing media relationships while developing new partnerships.