RFP Secondary #CV24-122 - California Service Corps Marketing Campaign

The Governor's Office of Service and Community Engagement (GO-Serve) is seeking a qualified contractor to develop and execute a comprehensive advertising and marketing campaign for California Service Corps recruitment and member enrollment. The RFP (#CV24-122) requires the selected vendor to create a statewide marketing strategy targeting diverse audiences in English and Spanish, with a focus on generating broad programmatic awareness for four service programs: College Corps, California Climate Action Corps, Youth Service Corps, and AmeriCorps California. Key deliverables include developing campaign strategy, creating creative assets, executing an advertising campaign primarily through digital channels, managing celebrity/creator partnerships, and providing social media engagement strategy. The contractor must demonstrate at least five years of experience in account services, government agency branding campaigns, culturally competent messaging, and media effectiveness measurement, plus three years of experience managing campaigns with budgets over $2 million. The evaluation will use a secondary high-score method, with 100 possible technical points and 50 possible cost points, requiring a minimum technical score of 50 to advance. Key dates include a non-mandatory webinar on January 8, 2025, written questions deadline of January 15, 2025, and a proposal submission deadline of February 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM PST.

The procurement includes mandatory participation requirements for Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE) and Small Businesses, specifically requiring a minimum of 3% DVBE participation and 25% Small Business participation. These requirements can exclude paid media, celebrity/influencer payments, and creative production costs. The contract prohibits subcontracting more than 49% of the total work, ensuring significant prime contractor involvement. The current incumbent vendor is Mozaic Media and Communications, which handles the College Corps brand campaign through May 2025. The total contract value is $3,500,000, covering the period from March 24, 2025, to June 1, 2026, with advertising set to launch by November 3, 2025, and campaign activities concluding by May 1, 2026. Payment terms are Net 45, and the state does not provide pre-payment for expenses. Additional evaluation incentives include potential extra points for DVBE participation (1-5%) and Small Business preferences (5%), making this an attractive opportunity for qualified diverse businesses capable of executing a comprehensive statewide marketing campaign.