Sponsorship - Kentucky Teacher of the Year Program (KTOY)

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Education, operating under the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, has issued a Request for Proposal for sponsorship support of the Kentucky Teacher of the Year/Kentucky Teacher Achievement Awards (KTOY) Program. This procurement seeks one or more sponsors to provide financial contributions, prizes, supplies, advertising support, and related resources to sustain the yearlong KTOY program, which encompasses nomination and selection processes, ambassadorship activities, workshops, speaking engagements, networking events, and an annual awards ceremony. Proposals must address sponsor background and mission compatibility with the Kentucky Department of Education, and must include detailed sponsorship and cost proposals. Evaluation will be conducted on a 1,000-point scale, allocating 200 points to responsiveness to the solicitation, 200 points to sponsor background and mission alignment, and 600 points to the sponsorship and cost proposal. All proposals must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service System by 4:00 p.m. EST on September 22, 2025, with an anticipated award date of January 1, 2026, for a one-year performance period. The RFP was officially issued on August 21, 2025, with no site visits or bidders' conferences scheduled. Proposals must be submitted in three distinct parts—Technical Proposal, Sponsorship/Cost Proposal, and Proprietary Information—each as a single document in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PDF format not exceeding 65,000 KB.

The RFP offers multiple sponsorship levels with corresponding financial commitments and benefits: Presenting Sponsor ($75,000 and above), Gold Sponsor ($50,000 to $75,000), Silver Sponsor ($25,000 to $50,000), and Bronze Sponsor ($10,000 to $25,000). Benefits vary by sponsorship tier and may include logo placement on marketing materials, event merchandise, and the KDE website; invitations to attend the awards ceremony and related events; and inclusion in KDE press releases and media coverage. The Kentucky Department of Education reserves the right to utilize the full amount of any monetary sponsorship for other program expenses as deemed necessary. The RFP does not specify set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, incumbent vendors, or existing infrastructure integration requirements. Eligible sponsors should demonstrate alignment with educational excellence and teacher recognition initiatives while meeting the specific financial and support commitments associated with their chosen sponsorship level.