Voter Information Multimedia Production & Distribution

The Washington State Office of the Secretary of State, Information Security & Response Division is soliciting proposals through RFP 26-03 for Voter Information Multimedia Production & Distribution services across multiple Washington counties and jurisdictions including Franklin, Grant, Grays Harbor, Chelan, and Yakima Counties. The procurement seeks qualified vendors to develop and execute a comprehensive multi-platform broadcast strategy for the 2026 General Election, encompassing professional-grade television and radio public service announcements with production, post-production, and strategic placement services. Deliverables include broadcast-ready videos in English and Spanish, audio spots for radio placement, comprehensive media plans targeting rural and historically marginalized communities (specifically 18-39 year-old voters), affidavits and proof of performance, and post-campaign reporting with performance metrics. Contractors must be Washington state-based with at least five years of experience in production and editing, extensive strategic media planning and buying experience, and preferably government advertising and elections-related messaging experience. The evaluation process allocates 115 points to technical proposal (45.1%), 60 points to management proposal (23.5%), 50 points to cost proposal (19.6%), and 30 points to samples of work (11.8%), with potential additional points for evaluation preferences. A preproposal conference is scheduled for April 24, 2026, with proposals due electronically by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on June 1, 2026, and evaluation and award anticipated between June 2-18, 2026, with contract execution between June 22-30, 2026.

The contract period runs from July 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027, with recording sessions in July through early August 2026, production and review in August 2026, and media placement from late September through Election Day on November 3, 2026. Evaluation preferences of 5% are available to contractors certifying they do not require mandatory arbitration clauses, and 10% preferences apply to Washington Small Businesses or Registered Washington Veteran-Owned Businesses. While no set-asides or mandatory participation requirements exist for disadvantaged enterprises, the RFP encourages diverse business inclusion through a voluntary Diverse Business Inclusion Plan form requiring bidders to propose participation percentages across Minority-Owned Businesses, Woman-Owned Businesses, Veteran-Owned Businesses, and Washington Small Businesses categories. The not-to-exceed contract value is $160,000, with all applicable taxes and fees related to advertising services under Washington state law the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor must maintain commercial general liability insurance of $2,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 general aggregate, plus professional liability insurance of $2,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 aggregate, and upon contract completion, all deliverables, work product, copyrights, and intellectual property transfer to the State of Washington.