REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: Metro Bus Digital Advertising 2018 Date: NOVEMBER 5, 2018 Project Name: Metro Bus Digital Advertising Program Proposal Submission: Proposals will be received until NOVEMBER 9, 2018 Project Manager: Berta Hartig, Marketing & Communications Manager bhartig@stcloudmtc.com Ph: 320.529.4480 I. OBJECTIVE OF RFP Metro Bus is seeking a qualified contractor to place online advertising through a combination of media, such as Facebook, online advertising networks, Google, etc. to promote Metro Bus and Northstar Link public transit services. II. SCOPE OF WORK A. Contractor will be responsible for duties that include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Campaign Development in partnership with Metro Bus Marketing & Communications Department. 2. Account management, including monthly performance reports as well as an overall campaign performance report and recommendations to improve ad performance. 3. Graphic design services, as well as providing Metro Bus with artwork in formats that can be used for print and other complimentary promotions. Metro Bus to own copyright for creative work. 4. Other work as necessary to comply with the requirements contained in the agreement B. Contact Length: 1. The initial term of the contract shall be NOVEMBER 16, 2018 SEPTEMBER 30, 2019. 2. The budget proposed in ATTACHMENT: DIGITAL ADVERTISING BUDGETS AND GOALS may vary and will be agreed upon with the signing of a contract. III. REQUIRED PROPOSAL CONTENTS AND FORMAT A. All proposers are expected to examine the specifications and all instructions in this RFP. Failure to do so is at the proposer s risk. 1. Each proposer must furnish the information required. Proposers must sign and submit all proposal forms, certifications, and affidavits. The person signing the proposal must initial erasures or other changes of entries made by the proposer. Proposals signed by an agent are to be accompanied by evidence of the agent s authority. 2. Metro Bus reserves the right to waive any minor proposal informalities or irregularities that do not affect the substance of the proposal or prejudice other proposers. 3. Metro Bus reserves the right to accept any proposal or any part or parts thereof or to reject any and all proposals submitted. 4. Conditional proposals, or those that have taken exception to the specifications, will be considered nonresponsive and will be rejected. Any unapproved deviations, exceptions, substitutions, alternates or conditional qualifications contained in a proposal submission may be cause for its rejection. 5. Proposal packets should be single-sided and no more than 10 pages in length cover pages do not count under this limit. METRO BUS DIGITAL ADVERTISING RFP 11/5/18 PAGE 1/5
B. The Proposal shall include: 1. Company Profile a. Briefly introduce the firm. Include a discussion of the firm s advertising capabilities and resources, including items such as support staff size, local and national expertise. b. Provide the name of a contact person with e-mail address, telephone number. Metro Bus will only correspond with the contact person designated. c. The proposal must be signed by an individual authorized to commit the firm s personnel and financial resources to the project and to execute legal documents on behalf of the firm. 2. Experience and References a. Provide a list of three (3) current and/or former clients as references. Include the name, telephone number and email address of a contact person for each current and former client listed. b. Indicate the dates and length of time the firm has served each client, the size of the operation, the ways in which the firm met the goals each client. Examples of advertising artwork designs used should be submitted. 3. Project Approach: Proposers should provide a concise description of recommendations to meet project goals, as defined in ATTACHMENT: DIGITAL ADVERTISING BUDGETS AND GOALS. C. Qualifications for Award: 1. Contract award shall be made only to a proposer found to be both responsive and responsible. Responsive proposals are those complying in all material aspects of this RFP, both as to the method and timeliness of the submission and as to the substance of the proposal. Proposals that do not comply with all the terms of this RFP will be deemed non-responsive and rejected. 2. Responsible proposers are those prospective contractors who, at a minimum, show that the firm: a. Has a satisfactory record of past performance in similar projects. b. Has the necessary organization, facilities, personnel, capability and expertise to perform the tasks expected for this project. c. Is not on the U.S. Comptroller General s list of ineligible contractors. d. Is otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations. 3. Metro Bus shall determine whether or not the evidence submitted is satisfactory. Metro Bus will make awards only when such evidence is deemed satisfactory, and reserves the right to reject proposals where evidence submitted is determined to be fraudulent, or evaluation and investigation indicates inability of the proposer to perform. IV. PROPOSER EVALUATION, SELECTION AND AWARD PROCESS Metro Bus is searching for the best possible candidate for this project and will base its selection on an agency s experience, strategic and creative skills, abilities, reputation and ability to maximize budget. METRO BUS DIGITAL ADVERTISING RFP 11/5/18 PAGE 2/5
A. Initial Evaluation: Following the RFP closing date, all proposals will be reviewed to determine whether the proposals are responsive to the RFP. 1. Proposals determined to be nonresponsive to the RFP will be disqualified. 2. Proposers will be notified in writing (email) within seven (7) days following the RFP closing date if their proposal is deemed responsive. B. Basis for Award: Metro Bus is searching for the best possible candidate for this project and will base its selection on an agency s experience, strategic and creative skills, abilities, reputation and ability to maximize budget. See ATTACHMENT: BASIS FOR AWARD - DIGITAL ADVERTISING PROGRAM 2018. C. Final Selection: 1. Final selection of a proposer or proposers will be made by committee based on the responses to the Request for Proposal, supplementary information provided in response to Selection Committee requests, presentations before the committee, and best and final offers upon completion of negotiations. 2. The decision of the Selection Committee will be final. V. PROPOPOSED SOLICITATION AND AWARD SCHEDULE A. Metro Bus proposes the following solicitation and award schedule EVENT DATE RFP Advertised 11/5/18 Deadline for RFP Requests for Clarification 11/7/18 Responses to Requests for Clarifications Due 11/8/18 Proposals Due 11/9/18 Selection Interviews (if necessary) 11/12/18 Selection and Award 11/14/18 B. Clarifications or Revisions to the Specifications and Requirements Respondents may raise any concerns they may have regarding any ambiguity, errors, conflict, discrepancy, or any other perceived deficiency within this RFP as part of the proposed deadline for receipt of written inquiries. Any request for revisions to the original RFP acknowledged by Metro Bus will be communicated in writing as an Addendum to the original RFP to all interested parties and a copy of each Addendum will be placed on Metro Bus s website where the RFP has been advertised. C. Addendums 1. Any Metro Bus changes or revisions, or any Proposer requests for clarification/revision to the RFP requirements must be communicated by written correspondence. Any written addendum s issued pertaining to the RFP will be collectively transmitted electronically to all known Proposer s, and a copy of each Addendum will be placed on Metro Bus s website where the RFP has been advertised. All changes/revisions or accepted Proposer requests for clarification/revision will be incorporated into the terms and conditions of any resulting Agreement. The final response date to all Addendum items will be: November 8, 2018, 5:00 p.m. CST. 2. Metro Bus will not be bound to any verbal or oral modifications to, or deviations from, the requirements set forth in this RFP. D. Late Proposals 1. Any proposal received by Metro Bus after the specified date and time will not be considered and the Proposer will be informed of their omission. METRO BUS DIGITAL ADVERTISING RFP 11/5/18 PAGE 3/5
2. A proposal may be withdrawn if made by written request of their authorized representative but only if the withdrawal is made prior to the exact time set for receipt of proposals. VI. LEGAL AND SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS A. Compliance with Laws, Statutes and Ordinances. As a condition of a contract being awarded, Respondents must comply with the following and with each provision of the contract: 1. Conflict of Interest Clause: a. No member of the governing bodies of Metro Bus or other unit of government and no other officer, employee, or agent of Metro Bus or other government unit who exercises any functions or responsibilities in connection with the carrying out of this project shall have any personal interest, direct or indirect, in the contract. b. No employee, officer, agent, immediate family member, or Board member of the grantee shall participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by FTA funds if a conflict of interest, real or apparent, would be involved. Such a conflict would arise when any of the following has a financial or other interest in the firm selected for award: The employee, officer, agent, or Board member, Any member of his/her immediate family, His or her partner, or An organization that employs, or is about to employ, any of the above. 2. The grantee's officers, employees, agents, or Board members will neither solicit nor accept gifts, gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors, potential contractors, or parties to sub-agreements. To the extent permitted by state or local law or regulations, such standards of conduct will provide for penalties, sanctions, or other disciplinary action for violation of such standards by the grantee s officers, employees, or agents, or by contractors or their agents. 3. The Respondent covenants that he/she presently has no interest, and shall not acquire any interest, direct, or indirect, in the project to which the contract pertains which would conflict in any manner or degree with the performance of his/her work hereunder. The Respondent further covenants that in the performance of the contract no person having any such interest shall be employed. 4. Sign and return ATTACHMENT: NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT B. Selected Respondents shall establish procedures and policies to promote a Drug-free Workplace. 1. The selected Respondent shall notify employees of its policy for maintaining a drug-free workplace, and the penalties that may be imposed for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace. 2. The selected Respondent shall notify Partner Agencies if any of its employees are convicted of a criminal offense in the workplace no later than ten days after such conviction. C. Compliance with Federal, State of Minnesota and various city and county regulations, ordinances, policies, procedures, rules, executive orders and requirements. VII. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS The Contractor will submit to Metro Bus, prior to any services performed, certificates of the Contractors insurance coverage indicating the presence of coverages and limits no less than the following: A. Workers Compensation: 1. Coverage A. Statutory Benefits. 2. Coverage B. Employer s Liability. a. Bodily Injury by accident $1,000,000 each accident b. Bodily Injury by disease $1,000,000 policy limit METRO BUS DIGITAL ADVERTISING RFP 11/5/18 PAGE 4/5
c. Bodily Injury by disease $1,000,000 each employee Coverage must include a Waiver of Subrogation endorsement. B. Commercial Auto Coverage: 1. Auto Liability limits of not less than $1,000,000 each accident, combined Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability insurance. Certificate to reflect coverage for Any Auto or All Owned, Scheduled, Hired and Non-Owned. 2. Coverage must include a Waiver of Subrogation endorsement. VIII. AGREEMENT OF TERMS A. Agreement of Terms: By submitting a proposal, the Proposer agrees to all the terms and conditions of this RFP. Proposers must not alter any portion of the RFP document, with the exception of adding the information requested. The Proposer will not change the wording of its proposal after closing and no words or comments will be added to the proposal unless requested by Metro Bus for purposes of clarification. B. Modification of Terms: Metro Bus reserves the right to modify the terms of this RFP at any time at its sole discretion prior to opening. C. Acceptance of Proposals: This Request for Proposal should not be construed as an agreement to provide goods or services. Metro Bus is not bound to accept the lowest price proposal, or any of those submitted. Proposals will be assessed in light of the evaluation criteria. Metro Bus will be under no obligation to receive further information, whether written or oral, from any Proposer after the final submission date. IX. FTA THIRD PARTY CLAUSES SEE ATTACHMENT: FTA THIRD PARTY CLAUSES - 2018 X. REQUIRED FTA CERTIFICATIONS The FTA Certifications, which are included and made a part of this Request for Proposal must be signed by an authorized representative and returned with your proposal. Failure to include these completed attachments will constitute the Vendor s proposal as Non-Responsive and their proposal will be rejected. SIGN AND RETURN ATTACHMENTS: INTEGRITY CERTIFICATION OF PRIMARY PARTICIPANT REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS AND FTA APPENDIX A, 49 CFR PART 20 - - CERTIFICATION REGARDING LOBBYING METRO BUS DIGITAL ADVERTISING RFP 11/5/18 PAGE 5/5