Sponsorship Solicitation Services

The City of Farmington Hills is seeking a qualified third-party firm to provide Sponsorship Solicitation Services for its Special Services Department, with the primary objective of identifying and securing sponsorships, partnerships, and advertising opportunities across various municipal facilities and programs. The Request for Proposal (RFP) requires bidders to have a minimum of five years of experience in municipal sponsorship solicitation and to submit a comprehensive sales plan detailing strategic objectives, sales strategies, yearly forecasts, and sales activity reporting. Proposals are due on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. EDT, with an optional pre-proposal meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. EDT via Teams. The contract will have an initial two-year term with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods through mutual consent. The selected firm will be responsible for securing sponsorships for facilities including the Farmington Hills Ice Arena, The Hawk community center, various parks, and special events, with a focus on generating revenue through partnerships and advertising.

While no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on respondents were explicitly mentioned in the documentation, the RFP indicates that compensation will be commission-based, with bidders required to propose either a straight percentage commission on sales and in-kind donations or a tiered commission structure based on sales volumes. The 2024 Year in Review document provides context about the potential sponsorship landscape, highlighting the department's extensive programming, which includes 6,507 summer campers, 51,151 golf course rounds, 9,825 youth theatre performance tickets, and 19,644 concert tickets sold. The department operates with 47 full-time and over 500 part-time employees, suggesting a robust infrastructure for potential sponsorship opportunities. While specific budget ranges were not disclosed, the comprehensive program offerings and community engagement suggest significant potential for sponsorship revenue. The successful firm will need to demonstrate a robust approach to identifying and securing sponsorships across diverse recreational, cultural, and community service activities.