CU Denver Media Services

08 February 2022 CU Denver Media Services CU Denver is seeking integrated media strategy, planning, and buying services to support our strategic university initiatives and critical communications campaigns. 08 February 2022 Open 1/7/2022 4:00 PM MST Type Request for Proposal Close 2/11/2022 12:00 PM MST Number PSC-S-1583 Currency US Dollar Sealed Until 2/11/2022 12:00 PM MST 08 February 2022 Contacts Jennifer Casanova Jenny.Casanova@cu.edu 08 February 2022 Commodity Codes Commodity Code Description 01 Advertising, Marketing & Print Services 08 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 2022 mailto:Jenny.Casanova@cu.edu All responses must be submitted via CU solicitation portal at

target="_blank">www.cu.edu/psc/solicitations by date and time noted above. All questions or proposals must be submitted using the solicitation portal. Questions or proposals that are emailed to the Purchasing Agent will not be accepted. TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I. Project Overview, Objectives and Goals SECTION II. Scope of Work and Deliverables SECTION III. SLE’s/Requirements/Proposal Submission Format SECTION IV. Evaluation and Award BUYER ATTACHMENTS Full Bid Document, University of Colorado Sample Contract, Legal Team Review, Insurance Requirements QUESTIONS Additional Information Agency Must Include with Bid Proposal Agencies intending to submit a response to this Request for Proposal "RFP or Solicitation, hereinafter" must read this document in its entirety when planning to submit a response. SECTION I. OVERVIEW, OBJECTIVES AND GOALS BACKGROUND Founded in 1973, CU Denver is Colorado’s only public urban research university—located in downtown Denver—and one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. We strive to offer a life-changing educational experience to a highly diverse and talented student body, champion social justice, contribute to critical discourse, solve the most pressing real-world challenges of our times, and develop innovative resources and partnerships to support these ambitions. CU Denver serves 15,000 students who are pursuing undergraduate, graduate, doctoral degrees, and certificates among eight schools and colleges in person, online, and through hybrid delivery. Of our 10,000 undergraduate students, half are transfer students. We take immense pride in having one of the most diverse campuses in the state of Colorado—our student body is 22 percent Hispanic/Latinx, 11 percent Asian American, and 7 percent African American. In October 2021, we officially received HSI designation and our AANAPISI designation is imminent. We have a vision of a higher education institution that breaks with tradition and is focused on providing access to the talented many. We believe we must be more than a diverse campus and must focus on providing the resources and infrastructure needed to create an environment where learners thrive and belong. By doing this, and more, we will become the nation’s first equity serving institution. In July 2020, our chancellor, Michelle Marks, took office amid the pandemic and took swift actions on racial and social justice and a 100 days of listening tour. From January to June 2021, Chancellor Marks engaged the campus and our partners in an impressive strategic planning process to define CU Denver’s vision for 2030. Delivering on the promise of our vision encompasses three enablers, of which one is the CU Denver brand. In October, the campus kicked off its strategic plan implementation and a brand refresh process. OVERVIEW Prior to the pandemic, higher education in the United States was undergoing a transformation with rising college costs, questions of value, and increasingly greater competition for students. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded this further, giving students and their families even more cause to think critically about the value of a college degree and making it essential for colleges and universities to do more to clearly articulate the value they provide to all the communities they serve. In face of this transformation and CU Denver’s own—an innovative, fast-paced new chancellor, equity and social justice initiatives, an ambitious strategic plan, and a revigorated brand—we seek to maintain and increase enrollments by attracting and serving students that have been traditionally underserved by higher education. In addition to becoming the institution of choice for students across a broad spectrum of identities, we are focused on expanding the role of the public urban research university and becoming an indispensable partner to businesses and civic, economic development, and community organizations. CU Denver is seeking integrated media strategy, planning, and buying services to support our strategic university initiatives and critical communications campaigns. Media services may range from holistic, annual campaigns, day-to-day support of undergraduate Description https://bids.sciquest.com/apps/Router/PublicEvent?CustomerOrg=Colorado https://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/degrees-programs https://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/schools-colleges https://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/schools-colleges https://ucdenver.edu/2030/goals-for-2030/equity https://www1.ucdenver.edu/about/leadership/chancellor https://www1.ucdenver.edu/about/leadership/chancellor/equity-and-racial-justice https://www1.ucdenver.edu/about/leadership/chancellor/100-days-of-listening https://www.ucdenver.edu/2030 https://www.ucdenver.edu/2030/how-we-will-get-there https://ucdenver.edu/brand/refresh enrollment and other marketing campaigns, to spot efforts to deliver on specific marketing communications objectives, and the eventual introduction of a refreshed university brand. Media services may also be needed for transfer and degree-completer student recruitment as well as graduate and online programs. We are seeking the right agency that is equally adept at media strategy, planning, execution, optimization, performance, and reporting across digital and traditional media. The selected Media Services Agency will work closely with the CU Denver University Communications team. The University Communications team serves the following units with creative and marketing services:  Chancellor Michelle Marks and her leadership team.  Undergraduate Admissions and central and school/college-based admissions, recruiting, and retention staff.  Our eight schools and colleges and their respective leadership, administration, staff, and faculty (CU Denver uses a federated model for communications and marketing). The team’s primary goals over the next 3-5 years include:  Launch CU Denver’s refreshed brand.  Increase awareness, image, and reputation of CU Denver among target audiences, including awareness of our vision for a higher education model which increases access for all—a key tenant of our 2030 strategic plan.  Support recruitment and retention in achieving enrollment objectives and donor success, increased research visibility, and development of our strategic partnerships and innovation district.  Track progress against our brand health scorecard, which will be provided to the selected agency, and identified KPIs.  Respond to the needs and areas of focus for Chancellor Marks, her leadership team, and the many opportunities that CU Denver will be tackling.  Develop a cohesive media strategy that reaches multicultural audiences, including and not limited to, Hispanic/Latinx, African American, Asian American, Native American, and other non-general market audiences. GOALS 1. Through effective media services (including appropriate digital and traditional media) execute campaign(s) to achieve identified campaign objectives and deliver results. 2. Build awareness of CU Denver’s vision and distinct attributes among internal and external audiences in local, state, and select national markets. 3. Enhance the university’s reputation and rankings among thought leaders and peer university leadership. 4. Support the reintroduction of CU Denver’s refreshed brand. 5. All projects and campaigns are to be delivered on schedule and on budget. SECTION II. STATEMENT OF WORK FOR FULL BID DOCUMENTS REFER TO THE "BUYER ATTACHMENTS" SECTION. SECTION III. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION FOR FULL BID DOCUMENTS REFER TO THE "BUYER ATTACHMENTS" SECTION. SECTION IV. EVALUATION AND AWARD FOR FULL BID DOCUMENTS REFER TO THE "BUYER ATTACHMENTS" SECTION. A. PROPOSAL EVALUATION All proposals submitted in response to this solicitation will be reviewed for responsiveness by the Purchasing Agent prior to referral for final evaluation. All proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria described below. In preparing responses, agencies https://www1.ucdenver.edu/about/leadership https://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/schools-colleges should describe in sufficient detail how they propose to develop and implement the solution specified. Specific factors will be applied to proposal information to assist CU Denver in selecting the most qualified candidate for this contract. Evaluation criteria that will be used are as follows, listed in no particular order:  Strength of agency’s media strategy approach, philosophies, and/or frameworks, planning, buying, placement, and media performance evaluation. Including agency’s approach to negotiating the best possible media rates, maximizing all bonuses and value-adds, and delivering innovative thinking where agency can have a distinct impact on a client’s success.  Strength of agency’s case studies that showcase media expertise and process for optimizing paid media, quality of calendars/plans, and tracking reports tailored to meet specific initiative/program needs and performance goals and outcomes of each case study.  Demonstrated experience in providing media services for multi-cultural audiences, including Hispanic/Latinx, African American, Asian American, Native American and/or other non-general market audiences.  Demonstrated understanding of CU Denver, its 2030 Strategic Plan, and the importance of our brand in helping to meet our goals.  Pricing (follow Financial Proposal Components) Oral Presentations: Agencies may be requested to make oral presentation(s) of their proposal to the CU Denver team. The purpose of such presentation(s) will be to clarify the agency’s proposal to ensure a thorough understanding of the project and scope of work stated in this solicitation. This will be scheduled only if deemed necessary, and at no cost to CU Denver. CU Denver may, however, award the contract or determine finalists without benefit of an oral presentation(s). Presentation(s) will be scheduled by the Purchasing Agent from the university’s Procurement Services Center. If oral presentation(s) are deemed necessary, this Presentation Phase will be evaluated independently from written proposals and have separate scoring criterions from the written proposals. Written Proposal and Presentation scores may be of the same cumulative value or differ from the written criterions. The university reserves the right to determine the scoring criterions and modify at any point during the RFP process. The Presentation Phase scores will be added to the written proposal scores for a final total score for the short-listed agencies, to determine the agency(s) with the highest evaluative score(s) and who are found to be the most advantageous to the university. Please note CU Denver is requesting dates for virtual presentation(s) be held between March 7 - March 10, 2022 and may be subject to change. If an agency is not able to appear for its presentation(s), it will not be further considered for the award. If your agency is invited to give a presentation(s) to the evaluation team, the dates may not be flexible. The university may elect to have a 2nd round of presentations for finalists between March 21-24, 2022. Best and Final Offer: The university, at its discretion, may utilize a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) stage. If this phase is utilized, the Purchasing Agent shall submit to the agency(s) most likely to receive the award, requests for specific clarification and allow agencies to enhance their pricing while further defining the deliverable dates based on the scope. The Purchasing Agent shall coordinate the agency’s responses for review by the evaluation team. The Purchasing Agent shall be the SOLE point of contact throughout the process for all agencies. If your agency is invited to participate in this stage, the dates may not be flexible. If the university requests Best and Final Offers by short‐listed agencies, evaluation team members may revise their initial scores based upon additional information and clarification received in this phase. In lieu of revising scoring, the university reserves the right to evaluate BAFOs by use of a narrative. Award: Any resulting contract from this solicitation will be awarded to the agency whose overall offer is deemed to be the most advantageous to the university as determined by the evaluation team. The PSC purchasing office, after review and approval of the evaluation team's written recommendation, will notify all agencies via a posting on the university’s sourcing website of the results of the solicitation evaluation. The posting will be an announcement of award. B. DETERMINATION OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFEROR The University of Colorado Procurement Rules state a Purchasing Agent shall make purchases from, and award contracts to, responsible agencies only. The university reserves the right to make its responsibility determination at any time in this solicitation process and may not make a responsibility determination for every agency. Factors to be considered in determining whether the standard of responsibility has been met include whether an agency has: 1. availability of the appropriate financial, material, equipment, facility, and personnel resources and expertise, or the ability to obtain the necessary to indicate the capability to meet all contractual requirements 2. satisfactory record of performance. 3. a satisfactory record of integrity. 4. the legal authority to contract with the university; and 5. supplied all necessary information in connection with the inquiry concerning responsibility. The agency shall provide information requested by the university in the Questions section concerning the agency’s responsibility. The university reserves the right to request further information as it deems it necessary to determine the agency’s responsibility. If the agency fails to supply the requested information, the university shall base the determination of responsibility upon any available information or may find the agency non‐responsible if such failure is unreasonable. C. TIMELINE The following timeline is the universities best estimate however it is subject to change. ACTION DATE RFP Posted January 7, 2022 Deadline for Written Questions January 21, 2022 Deadline for Written Questions Responses January 25, 2022 RFP Submissions Due February 8, 2022 Oral Presentations #1 March 7 - March 10, 2022 Oral Presentation #2 (if required) March 21 -24, 2022 Contract Period April 4 - May 6, 2022 Estimated Project Kick-Off May 16, 2022 Required to View Event Prerequisites Required to Enter Bid 08 February 2022 1. Please review and accept. 2. Please review and accept. 3. Please review and accept 4. Please review and accept 5. Please review and accept 6. Please review and accept 08 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 2022 Buyer Attachments 1. Media Services CU Denver FINAL_PSC-S-1583.pdf 2. Bidders Legal Team Review and Certification Document V1.pdf 3. University of Colorado Sample RFP Agreement (January 2021) 08 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 2022 https://s3.amazonaws.com/solutions-selectsite-documents/Sourcingevent/1051829-1185765026Media%20Services%20CU%20Denver%20FINAL_PSC-S-1583.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ5HNJE5DFBZ5ONSA&Expires=1707429244&Signature=kQHY2js5SJe%2BaW3%2ByDteLDws3To%3D https://s3.amazonaws.com/solutions-selectsite-documents/Sourcingevent/1051829-1093675925Bidders%2BLegal%2BTeam%2BReview%2Band%2BCertification%2BDocument%2BV1.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ5HNJE5DFBZ5ONSA&Expires=1707429244&Signature=PT6BkzctkuSNStY4sePgXvlJ6Mg%3D https://s3.amazonaws.com/solutions-selectsite-documents/Sourcingevent/1051829-1158341332K%20-%20Solicitations%20-%20University%20of%20Colorado%20Sample%20RFP%20Agreement%20%28January%202021%29%20%28For%20Bids%29.docx?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ5HNJE5DFBZ5ONSA&Expires=1707429244&Signature=bJfygoHyebj3T0shBrYoI5zhTmU%3D Questions Required Questions Group 1: Instructions: 1.1 General Supplier Information - Provide principal contact information for this solicitation, including address, telephone number, fax number, e-mail, and website (if applicable). 1.2 Confirm you have read the bid and the associated bid description in its entirety, and understand the requirements of the bid 1.3 "Items" - note that the items section within the bid will not include any specific lump sum "items" given the nuances of the financial proposal. As such your bid response will show $0 in the system once submitted. Your financial proposal upload however will be the contracted rates. Please confirm you understand your final submission in the system will show $0 but your financial proposal upload will be the rates that will ultimately be contracted. 1.4 Mandatory Requirements: By answering yes, you certify that your company meets all ofthe mandatory requirements detailed in the prerequisites. 1.5 Insurance - Please review the insurance requirements as listed under the "Prerequisites" and confirm you meet the insurance requirements. Provide a copy of your insurance declaration. 1.6 Bidder's Legal Team Certificate - Upload the bidder's legal team certification document signed and completed herein. The Certification can be found under Buyer Attachments. Include in the attachment any variances you have to the solicitation or the sample contract. 1.7 Financial Information. If you are a public company , provide the following information: Form 10K (or Form 10K-SB Small Business); Form 10Q (Form 10Q-SB Small Business); an Annual Report for last fiscal year. If you are a private entity, provide the following information: • Audited or reviewed financial statements for each of the three (3) most recent fiscal years; • If audited or reviewed financial statements are not available, provide, at a minimum, a balance sheet, statement of operations, and statement of cash flows for each of the three (3) most recent fiscal years. • Annual reports or other documents that provide information about the company’s operations; and • Bank references. 1.8 USE OF SUBCONTRACTORS/PARTNERS. There may be areas for use of subcontractors or partners in this project. The University encourages use of small businesses wherever viable. If you are utilizing this approach, provide a list of the subcontractors/partners, their area(s) of expertise, and include all other applicable information herein requested for each subcontractor/partner. Please keep in mind that the University will contract solely with your company, therefore subcontractors/partners remain your sole responsibility. Group 2: Techincal and Financial Proposal Instructions: 2.1 TECHNICAL RESPONSE DOCUMENT - Bidders to upload their response to Section II. By submitting your response, you have read, acknowledged and understood the requirements. **DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR FINANCIAL PROPOSAL IN THIS SECTION** 2.2 FINANCIAL PROPOSAL - Bidder shall submit a detailed cost proposal to include all aspects of providing the statement of work associated with this Request for Proposal. Upload your FINANCIAL PROPOSAL HERE. NOTE: All costs must be identified in your response as the University will not pay for any hidden costs. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL MUST BE SEPARATE FROM TECHNICAL PROPOSAL AS INDICATED IN THE RFP. 08 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 2022 Product Line Items Product Line Items There are no Items added to this event. 08 February 202208 February 202208 February 202208 February 2022 Service Line Items Service Line Items 1. # Item Name, Commodity Code, Description Allow Alternates Qty. UOM Requested Service Delivery S1 Phase 2 SOW 1 08 February 202208 February 202208 February 2022