Graphic and Creative Design Services 2023

Communications, Marketing and Public Relations Request for Proposal #: 320-241022AG Graphic and Creative Design Services 2023 Date of Issue: 11/8/2022 Proposal Opening Date: 11/21/2022 At 04:00 PM ET Contract Term: January 1, 2023-December 31, 2023 Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to: Alicia Gaines Purchasing Associate I Email: Alicia.Gaines@rockymountnc.gov Phone: 252-972-1227 Request for Quote # 320-241022AG ______________________________________________________ For purchasing division processing, please provide your company’s Federal Employer Identification Number or alternate identification number (e.g. Social Security Number). Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection. This page is to be

filled out and returned with your bid. Failure to do so may subject your bid to rejection. ID Number: ______________________________________________________ Federal ID Number or Social Security Number ______________________________________________________ Vendor Name EXECUTION In compliance with this Request for Proposals (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein. By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor certifies that this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54), that none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and that it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1. False certification is a Class I felony. Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or the City. As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system. G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any City Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public Contract; or awarding or administering public Contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public Contract of any gift from anyone with a Contract with the City, or from any person seeking to do business with the City. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for your entire organization and its employees or agents, that you are not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization. Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal shall render proposal invalid and it WILL BE REJECTED. Late proposals cannot be accepted. COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR: STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP: CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO: PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #12): PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR: FAX NUMBER: VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL: Offer valid for at least 60 days from date of proposal opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days. ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL If any or all parts of this proposal are accepted by the City of Rocky Mount, an authorized representative of the City of Rocky Mount Purchasing Office shall affix his/her signature hereto and this document and all provisions of this Request for Proposal along with the Vendor proposal response and the written results of any negotiations shall then constitute the written agreement between the parties. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the successful Vendor(s). FOR CITY USE ONLY: Offer accept, and Contract awarded this __________ day of ________, 20___ as indicated on the attached certification, by ________________________________________________Purchasing Manager. PRE-AUDIT: This instrument has been preaudited in the manner required by the Budget and Fiscal Control Act. _________________________________________________ Finance Director Date Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to: Alicia Gaines Purchasing Associate I Request for Proposal # 320-241022AG Proposals will be due: 11/21/2022 4:00 PM Contract Type: Service CITY OF ROCKY MOUNT COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 3 | 15 Contents 1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND ............................................................................................. 5 2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION ....................................................................................................... 5 2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT ............................................................................. 5 2.2 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS ............................... 5 2.3 RFP SCHEDULE ..................................................................................................................... 5 2.4 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS ....................................................................................................... 6 2.5 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL ....................................................................................................... 6 2.6 PROPOSAL CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ 6 2.7 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................ 6 3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS ....................................... 7 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD ............................................................................................................. 7 3.2 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS ................................................................................... 7 3.3 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION......... 8 3.4 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES .................................................................... 8 4.0 REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................................................... 8 4.1 CONTRACT TERM .................................................................................................................. 8 4.2 PRICING .................................................................................................................................. 9 4.3 INVOICES ................................................................................................................................ 9 4.4 MWBE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS ............................................................................................. 9 4.5 MINORITY BUSINESS PARTICIPATION ................................................................................ 9 4.6 VENDOR EXPERIENCE ........................................................................................................ 10 4.7 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 10 4.8 PERSONNEL ......................................................................................................................... 11 4.9 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS ........................................................................................ 11 5.0 SCOPE OF WORK ................................................................................................................. 11 5.1 GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................... 11 5.2 PROJECT ORGANIZATION .................................................................................................. 12 5.3 TECHNICAL APPROACH ..................................................................................................... 12 5.4 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK .................................................................................................... 12 6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION............................................................................................. 13 Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 4 | 15 6.1 PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE ............................................................ 13 6.2 DISPUTE RESOLUTION ....................................................................................................... 13 6.3 CONTRACT CHANGES ........................................................................................................ 13 ATTACHMENT A: PRICING ............................................................................................................. 14 ATTACHMENT B: ACCEPTANCE OF GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS ..................................... 15 ATTACHMENT C: SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION ...................................................... 15 Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 5 | 15 1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals for the design of professional print-ready (marks and bleeds) and digital items, including but not limited to magazines, brochures, fliers, billboards, social media ads, web banners, large and small print ads, etc. RFP budget is $5,500.00 per month. Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto. 2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT The RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award. All attachments and addenda released for this RFP in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by reference. 2.2 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions, the Cities terms and conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP. If Vendors have questions, issues, or exceptions regarding any term, condition, or other component within this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in Section 2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS. If the City determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. The City may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation and amendment of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period. Other than through this process, the City rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s proposal. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor’s proposal shall constitute a firm offer. By execution and delivery of this RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded. Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s proposal as nonresponsive. Contact with anyone working for or with the City regarding this RFP other than the City Contract Specialist named on the face page of this RFP in the manner specified by this RFP shall constitute grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer, at the City’s election. 2.3 RFP SCHEDULE The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The City will make every effort to adhere to this schedule. Event Responsibility Date and Time Issue RFP City Tuesday 11/8/2022 Submit Written Questions Vendor Friday 11/11/2022 Provide Response to Questions City Wednesday 11/16/2022 Submit Proposals Vendor Monday 11/21/2022 4:00 pm Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 6 | 15 2.4 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the above due date. Written questions shall be emailed to Alicia.Gaines@rockymountnc.gov by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP # 320-241022AG: Questions” as the subject for the email. Question submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFP section and be submitted in a format shown below: Reference Vendor Question RFP Section, Page Number Vendor question ...? Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the City’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the City will be posted in the form of an addendum the City of Rocky Mount Purchasing web-page https://rockymountnc.gov/services-finance-bids/ and/or to the Interactive Purchasing System (IPS), http://www.ips.state.nc.us, and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any City personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFP. 2.5 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Vendor shall bear the risk for late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay—whether submitted electronically, delivered by hand, U.S. Postal Service, courier or other delivery service. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its proposal has been submitted to this Office by the specified time and date of opening. Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine or telephone in response to this RFP shall NOT be accepted. a) Vendors shall deliver one (1) signed electronic emailed copy to alicia.gaines@rockymountnc.gov response with a link to the online portfolio with samples of previous work. 2.6 PROPOSAL CONTENTS Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and those attachments should be arranged in the following order: a) Cover Letter b) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Proposal Number. c) Completed and signed version of EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP and signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP (if required to be returned). d) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING e) ATTACHMENT B: ACCEPTANCE OF GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS f) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT C: SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION 2.7 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS a) BUYER: The employee of the City or Other Eligible Entity that places an order with the Vendor. b) CONTRACT LEAD: Representative of the City of Rocky Mount Purchasing Office who corresponds with potential mailto:Alicia.Gaines@rockymountnc.gov https://rockymountnc.gov/services-finance-bids/ http://www.ips.state.nc.us/ mailto:alicia.gaines@rockymountnc.gov Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 7 | 15 Vendors in order to identify and contract with that Vendor providing the greatest benefit to the City and who will administer this contract for the City. c) QUALIFIED PROPOSAL: A responsive proposal submitted by a responsible Vendor. d) RFP: Request for Proposal e) SERVICES or SERVICE DELIVERABLES: The tasks and duties undertaken by the Vendor to fulfill the requirements and specifications of this solicitation. f) VENDOR: Supplier, bidder, proposer, company, firm, corporation, partnership, individual or other entity submitting a response to a Request for Proposal. 3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD Contracts will be awarded in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out in this solicitation. Prospective Vendors shall not be discriminated against on the basis of any prohibited grounds as defined by Federal and State law. Evaluation Criteria. If an award is made, it is expected that the City’s award shall be to the candidate that agrees to meet the needs of the City. Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated on a 100-point basis as outlined below. After evaluating all submissions, the City may ask some or all of the firms that submitted a response to participate in interviews and solution demonstrations. Upon completion of the evaluation process, the City may assign a detailed scope of work to the selected candidate and negotiate fees for services. a) Portfolio Samples – Shall include samples of the following work: Flyer, magazine, brochure, large print item (billboard, etc.), social media and web graphic. b) Availability – Shall include the ability of the vendor to provide materials with fast turn-around times, the ability to meet deadlines and contact(s) must be available via phone and email for questions and revisions. References are required. c) Price Proposal - Shall be evaluated on the basis of the “Total Estimated Monthly Price”. d) Local Preference – An additional 5 points shall be provided to local vendors. Criteria Points Portfolio Samples 50 Availability 35 Price Proposal 10 Local Preference 5 3.2 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS The City shall review all Vendor responses to this RFP to confirm that they meet the specifications and requirements of the RFP. a) Proposals are requested for the items as specified, or item(s) equivalent in design, function and performance. The City reserves the right to reject any proposal on the basis of fit, form and function as well as cost. b) The City shall review the responses to this RFP to confirm that they meet the specifications and requirements. The City reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality. c) For all responses that pass the initial review process, the City will review and assess the Vendors’ pricing. The City may request additional formal responses or submissions from any or all Vendors for the purpose of clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the quote. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the City is not required to request clarification, and often does not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor. Prices proposed cannot be altered or modified as part of a clarification. d) Proposals will be evaluated, based on the award criteria identified in Section 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD. Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 8 | 15 Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the City. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for proposal, not a request or an offer to contract, and the City reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the City 3.3 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION During the evaluation period—from the date proposals are opened through the date the contract is awarded—each Vendor submitting a proposal (including its representatives, sub-contractors and/or suppliers) is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using department , issuing department , other government department office, or body (including the purchaser named above, department secretary, department head, members of the general assembly and/or governor’s office), or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s proposal or qualifications, the contents of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform the contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals and/or the award of the contract. A Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from contract award, unless it is determined in the City’s discretion that the communication was harmless, that it was made without intent to influence and that the best interest of the City would not be served by the disqualification. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its sub-contractor and supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement to the date of contract award). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing department for this RFP or general inquiries directed to the purchaser regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the contract award (after submission) are excepted from this provision. 3.4 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES This Request for Proposal serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the Department; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. As such, all terms in the Request for Proposal shall be enforceable as contract terms in accordance with the General Contract Terms and Conditions. The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and “requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, the Department will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the Department’s needs as described in the Request for Proposal. Except as specifically stated in the Request for Proposal, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the Department exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety. 4.0 REQUIREMENTS This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements and terms and conditions stated in this RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the City to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged and cautioned to submit these items in the form of a question during the question-and-answer period in accordance with Section 2.4. 4.1 CONTRACT TERM The Contract shall have an initial term of one (1) year, beginning on the date of contract award (the “Effective Date”). The Vendor shall begin work under the Contract within 30 business days of the Effective Date. Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 9 | 15 4.2 PRICING Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to Buyer for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges handling, administrative and other similar fees. Vendor shall not invoice for any amounts not specifically allowed for in this RFP. Complete ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM and include in Proposal. 4.3 INVOICES a) The Vendor must submit one monthly invoice within fifteen (15) calendar days following the end of each month in which work was performed. b) Invoices must be submitted to the following address: City of Rocky Mount Attn: Accounts Payable PO BOX 1180 Rocky Mount, NC 27802 c) Payment amounts will be made on a NET 30 day pay period upon submission of an invoice and appropriate pick tickets to support such invoice. 4.4 MWBE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS Bidders must earn at least 50 points from the good faith efforts listed for their bid to be considered responsive. The awarded bidder will be asked to show proof of good faith efforts. ❑ 1 – (10 pts) Contacted minority businesses that reasonably could have been expected to submit a quote and that were known to the contractor, or available on State or local government-maintained lists, at least 10 days before the bid date and notified them of the nature and scope of the work to be performed. ❑ 2 --(10 pts) Made the bid and subcontract documents available for review by prospective minority businesses or providing these documents to them at least 10 days before the bids are due. ❑ 3 – (15 pts) Broken down or combined elements of work into economically feasible units to facilitate minority participation. ❑ 4 – (10 pts) Worked with minority trade, community, or contractor organizations identified by the Office of Historically Underutilized Businesses and included in the bid documents that provide assistance in recruitment of minority businesses. ❑ 5 – (10 pts) Attended prebid meetings scheduled by the public owner. ❑ 6 – (15 pts) Negotiated in good faith with interested minority businesses and did not reject them as unqualified without sound reasons based on their capabilities. Any rejection of a minority business based on lack of qualification should have the reasons documented in writing. ❑ 7 – (25 pts) Provided assistance to an otherwise qualified minority business in need of equipment, loan capital, lines of credit, or joint pay agreements to secure loans, supplies, or letters of credit, including waiving credit that is ordinarily required. Assisted minority businesses in obtaining the same unit pricing with the bidder's suppliers in order to help minority businesses in establishing credit. ❑ 8 – (20 pts) Negotiated joint venture and partnership arrangements with minority businesses in order to increase opportunities for minority business participation on a public construction or repair project when possible. ❑ 9 - (20 pts) Provided quick pay agreements and policies to enable minority contractors and suppliers to meet cash-flow demands. 4.5 MINORITY BUSINESS PARTICIPATION The Bidder has the responsibility to make a good faith effort to solicit minority proposals and to attain the aspirational ten percent (10%) goal. We encourage all Bidders even MWBE/HUBs to obtain the aspirational goal where sub- contracting and supplier opportunities exist. Use the table below to note the MWBE businesses that will be used as suppliers or subcontractors for this contract. MWBE FIRM OWNERSHIP STATUS ADDRESS WORK TYPE Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 10 | 15 If the goal of 10% participation by HUB Certified or minority businesses is not achieved, the Bidder shall provide the following documentation to the City of his/her good faith efforts: Examples of documentation that may be required to demonstrate the Bidder's good faith efforts to meet the goals set forth in these provisions include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: a) Copies of solicitations for quotes to at least three (3) minority business firms from the source list provided by the State for each subcontract to be let under this contract (if 3 or more firms are shown on the source list). Each solicitation shall contain a specific description of the work to be subcontracted, location where bid documents can be reviewed, representative of the Prime Bidder to contact, and location, date and time when quotes must be received. b) Copies of quotes or responses received from each MWBE responding to the solicitation. c) A telephone log of follow-up calls to each firm sent a solicitation. d) For subcontracts where a minority business is not considered the lowest responsible sub-bidder, copies of quotes received from all firms submitting quotes for that particular subcontract. e) Documentation of any contacts or correspondence to minority business, community, or contractor organizations in an attempt to meet the goal. f) Copy of pre-bid roster g) Letter documenting efforts to provide assistance in obtaining required bonding or insurance for minority business. h) Letter detailing reasons for rejection of minority business. i) Letter documenting proposed assistance offered to minority business in need of equipment, loan capital, lines of credit, or joint pay agreements to secure loans, supplies, or letter of credit, including waiving credit that is ordinarily required. Failure to provide the documentation as listed in these provisions may result in a non-responsive bid. 4.6 VENDOR EXPERIENCE In its Proposal, Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public and/or private sector clients with similar or greater size and complexity to the City of Rocky Mount. Vendor shall provide information as to the qualifications and experience of all executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including resumes citing experience with similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person. Must have both a North Carolina Registered Landscape Contractors license and a NC Commercial Pesticide Applicators license. 4.7 REFERENCES Vendors shall provide at least three (3) references for which your company has provided Services of similar size and scope to that proposed herein. The City may contact these users to determine the Services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained may be considered in the evaluation of the proposal. Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 11 | 15 COMPANY NAME CONTACT NAME COMPANY EMAIL TELEPHONE NUMBER Optional: City of Rocky Mount 4.8 PERSONNEL Vendor shall not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of this Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. The City will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The City may, in its sole discretion, terminate the services of any person providing services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the City may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract services provided by such personnel. 4.9 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS a) Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide Services under this Contract in a professional manner. “Professional manner” means that the personnel performing the Services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the City under this Contract. Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that may be approved by the City. Names of any third-party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor’s obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s). b) If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this Contract are required for Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the service and deliverables under this Contract or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such service, they will be deemed to be implied by and included within the scope of the contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies, and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and Deliverables. c) Vendor warrants that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue perform its obligations under the contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction. 5.0 SCOPE OF WORK 5.1 GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS The awarded firm shall provide the following: 1. Conceptualize, design, and deliver graphic-design material that may include brochures, fact sheets, invitations, billboards, magazines, email templates, infographics, advertisements, flyers, PowerPoint slides, email Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 12 | 15 newsletter templates, social media and website graphics and various other graphic and visual projects, as needed by the city. Must also be able to create templates and conceptual collateral for use in Adobe Creative products (InDesign, Photoshop, etc) as well as MS Word. 2. The graphic designer shall have the capacity to provide up to 65 hours of services per month. If needed services exceeds 65 hours for two consecutive months, contract may be renegotiated. When placing a bid, vendors should know that the estimated budget is based on a flat monthly rate as opposed to an hourly rate, as the monthly projects will vary in size and number based upon events, promotions, etc, needed to support the demands of the city. 3. At times the scope of work will need to be performed with limited notification. Further, certain projects will need to be completed with minimal lead time and will have a narrow window for flexibility in delivering the final product. 4. All design, materials, and concepts provided in the performance of the Services shall be suitable for printing by a separate contractor. 5. Upon acceptance of each design or concept, the City will retain all intellectual property rights. 6. The estimated cost of any stock photography used to complete a project should be included in the vendor's quote. All graphics must adhere to the city's Branding Style Guide (attached). 7. Vendor will meet quarterly with a member of the city's Communications, Marketing and Public Relations staff to review any open projects and evaluate work completed to date. 8. In addition to our regular items, such as ads, social media, etc., we are looking to complete two Talk of the Town magazines, which range from 16-24 pages, depending on the amount of material submitted. Additional items such as ads for magazine will be created by the vendor. 9. This is for graphic and creative design services only. Printing of items will be handled by a separate 3rd party vendor. Billing will be on a monthly basis. 5.2 PROJECT ORGANIZATION Vendor shall describe the organizational and operational structure it proposes to utilize for the work described in this RFP and identify the responsibilities to be assigned to each person Vendor proposes to staff the work. 5.3 TECHNICAL APPROACH Vendor’s proposal shall include, in narrative, outline, and/or graph form the Vendor's approach to accomplishing the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work section of this RFP. A description of each task and deliverable and the schedule for accomplishing each shall be included. In the narrative include the number of employees to be used in meeting the requirements of this contract, a statement of hourly rates for each class of employee to be used in the performance of each type of work of the contract. Such rates are to be used in computing additions to or deductions from the monthly payment to the contractor for changes to the specified duties and services, or for extra work required by the owner. 5.4 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK In the event acceptance criteria for any work or deliverables is not described in contract documents or work orders hereunder, the City shall have the obligation to notify Vendor, in writing ten (10) calendar days following completion of such work or deliverable described in the Contract that it is not acceptable. The notice shall specify in reasonable detail the reason(s) it is unacceptable. Acceptance by the City shall not be unreasonably withheld; but may be conditioned or delayed as required for reasonable review, evaluation, installation, or testing, as applicable of the work or deliverable. Final acceptance is expressly conditioned upon completion of all applicable assessment procedures. Should the work or deliverables fail to meet any requirements, acceptance criteria or otherwise fail to conform to the contract, the City may exercise any and all rights hereunder, including, for deliverables, such rights provided by the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in North Carolina. Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 13 | 15 6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION 6.1 PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE The Vendor shall designate and make available to the City a project manager. The project manager shall be the City’s point of contact for contract related issues and issues concerning performance, progress review, scheduling and service. 6.2 DISPUTE RESOLUTION The parties agree that it is in their mutual interest to resolve disputes informally. A claim by the Vendor shall be submitted in writing to the City’s Contract Lead for resolution. A claim by the City shall be submitted in writing to the Vendor’s Project Manager for resolution. The Parties shall negotiate in good faith and use all reasonable efforts to resolve such dispute(s). During the time the Parties are attempting to resolve any dispute, each shall proceed diligently to perform their respective duties and responsibilities under this Contract. If a dispute cannot be resolved between the Parties within thirty (30) days after delivery of notice, either Party may elect to exercise any other remedies available under this Contract, or at law. This term shall not constitute an agreement by either party to mediate or arbitrate any dispute. 6.3 CONTRACT CHANGES Contract changes, if any, over the life of the contract shall be implemented by contract amendments agreed to in writing by the City and Vendor. Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 14 | 15 ATTACHMENT A: PRICING The bidder, proposes and agrees if this proposal is accepted to contract with the City of Rocky Mount for the furnishing of all materials, equipment, and labor necessary to complete the work described in these documents in full and complete in accordance with the scope of work, and to the full and entire satisfaction of the City of Rocky Mount for the sum of: Base Monthly Price Proposal Dollars $ Proposal Number: 320-241022AG Vendor: __________________________________________ P a g e 15 | 15 ATTACHMENT B: ACCEPTANCE OF GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS Review Terms and Conditions: General at https://rockymountnc.gov/services-finance-vendor-registration/ Terms and conditions on the vendor webpage that do not apply to this bid: Federal UG Terms, FEMA Contract Provisions, Sample Contract Terms.  Check here to indicate that you have read and agree to the City of Rocky Mount General Terms & Conditions. ATTACHMENT C: SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) consist of minority, women and disabled business firms that are at least fifty-one percent owned and operated by an individual(s) of the categories. Also included in this category are disabled business enterprises and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely disabled. Pursuant to G.S. 143B-1361(a), 143-48 and 143-128.4, the City invites and encourages participation in this procurement process by businesses owned by minorities, women, disabled, disabled business enterprises and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely disabled. This includes utilizing subcontractors to perform the required functions in this IFB. Any questions concerning NC HUB certification, contact the North Carolina Office of Historically Underutilized Businesses at (919) 807-2330. The Vendor shall respond to question #1 and #2 below. a) Is Vendor a Historically Underutilized Business? Yes No b) Is Vendor Certified with North Carolina as a Historically Underutilized Business? Yes No If so, state HUB classification: ________________________________________________________________ NEW VENDOR REGISTRATION New vendors must complete a vendor registration form using the link below. If you are a current vendor that needs to update, contact information you may also complete the online vendor registration form. Once registration is complete email a copy of your W9 an E-Verify Affidavit to the contact person listed on the coversheet. https://rockymountnc.gov/services-finance-vendor-registration/ HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF ROCKY MOUNT Becoming a Vendor https://youtu.be/MGOjZxl4iQc Competing in the Bid Process https://youtu.be/yy8dYzPOCUs Purchase Order, Payment and Performance https://youtu.be/wA5zVTizZQM https://rockymountnc.gov/services-finance-vendor-registration/ http://ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/hub http://ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/hub https://rockymountnc.gov/services-finance-vendor-registration/ https://youtu.be/MGOjZxl4iQc https://youtu.be/yy8dYzPOCUs https://youtu.be/wA5zVTizZQM