RFP for Marketing & Public Relations Services

Valley Transit, a fixed-route bus and paratransit service in the Fox Cities region of Wisconsin, is seeking competitive proposals for comprehensive marketing and public relations services through RFP VT20-002. The procurement aims to develop and support marketing initiatives designed to increase bus ridership and improve public perception of transit services. Required services include annual marketing plan development, brand communication strategy implementation, crisis communication planning, creative production, copywriting, media placement, and social media management across multiple platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn). The successful firm must demonstrate expertise in brand building, digital marketing, crisis communications, and market research, with the ability to respond to crises within 30 minutes and provide on-site support. Key evaluation criteria will prioritize team capabilities, qualifications, previous marketing strategy implementation, methodology, and approach. The RFP timeline includes written questions due by March 13, 2020, proposal submissions due by 10:00 AM on April 1, 2020, potential interviews scheduled for April 6-10, 2020, anticipated contract award on April 29, 2020, and a contract start date of May 1, 2020.

The contract will have no specific Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) contract goal, though DBE-certified firms are encouraged to submit proposals and indicate their certification. The resulting contract will be for three years with options to extend for two additional one-year periods, featuring automatic renewal unless either party provides 90 days' written notice. Valley Transit has established an annual contractual services budget of approximately $50,000, with an additional $12,000 allocated for advertising expenses, though additional services may be requested based on campaign needs. Contractors must comply with Federal Transit Administration, State of Wisconsin, and local public source regulations, including specific insurance requirements: $1,000,000 professional liability insurance per claim, $1,000,000 general liability per occurrence, and $1,000,000 business automobile coverage. The contract will be funded through Federal Transit Administration, State of Wisconsin, and local public sources, with Valley Transit reserving the right to reject any proposals and terminate the contract with 30 days' written notice.