Advertising Services

Ver:2/1/2021 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA Department of Administration – Office of Fiscal Management Request for Proposal #: 13-DOA12109619 Advertising Services Date of Issue: July 8, 2021 Proposal Opening Date: July 26, 2021 At 2:00PM ET Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to: Meredith Swartz Purchasing Officer Email: Meredith.swartz@doa.nc.gov Phone: 984-236-0083 Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 2 of 21 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA Request for Proposal # 13-DOA12109619 ______________________________________________________ For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of proposals in the Interactive Purchasing System (IPS), please provide your company’s Federal Employer Identif ication Number or alternate identif ication number (e.g. Social Security Number). Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identif ication 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 proposal. Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection. ___________________________________________________ Vendor Name ______________________________ Vendor # Note: For your proposal to be considered, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered vendor in good standing. You must enter the vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal). If you do not have a vendor number, register at https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation. https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 3 of 21 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 understands that False certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:  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  it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1. 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 agency. 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 State 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 State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor’s entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor are not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization. By executing this bid, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS. These documents can be accessed from the ATTACHMENTS page within this document. Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal may render proposal invalid and it MAY 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: VALIDITY PERIOD Offer valid for at least 90 days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days. After this date, any withdrawal of offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP. ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL The contract is a separate document that represents the Vendor’s and the State’s entire agreement (herein “Contract”). If your proposal is accepted and results, through negotiation or otherwise, in a contract award you will be expected to accept the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS as part of the Contract. Dependent upon the product or service being offered, other terms and conditions may apply. FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________. (Authorized Representative of Department of Administration) Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to: Meredith.swartz@doa.nc.gov Request for Proposal #: 13-DOA12109619 Proposals will be publicly opened: July 26, 2021 @ 2:00PM ET Using Agency: Department of Military and Veteran Affairs Commodity No. and Description: 8311 – Telecommunications Media Services STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA Department of Administration Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 4 of 21 Contents 1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND .......................................................................................... 6 1.1 OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 PURPOSE............................................................................................................................ 7 1.3 CONTRACT TERM .............................................................................................................. 8 2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION.................................................................................................... 8 2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT .......................................................................... 8 2.2 E-PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION ..................................................................................... 8 2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS .............................. 8 2.4 RFP SCHEDULE.................................................................................................................. 9 2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS .................................................................................................... 9 2.6 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL .................................................................................................... 9 2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS ..................................................................................................... 9 2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS ............................................................................................... 10 2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................ 10 3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS ................................... 10 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD........................................................................................................ 10 3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION ...... 11 3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS .............................................................................. 11 3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA ................................................................................................... 12 3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES ........................................................... 12 3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES................................................................ 12 4.0 REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................ 13 4.1 PRICING ............................................................................................................................ 13 4.2 INVOICES .......................................................................................................................... 13 4.3 FINANCIAL STABILITY ..................................................................................................... 13 4.4 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................................... 13 4.5 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 14 4.6 BACKGROUND CHECKS.................................................................................................. 14 4.7 PERSONNEL ..................................................................................................................... 14 4.8 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS ..................................................................................... 15 4.9 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATIONS ............................................. 15 5.0 SCOPE OF WORK .............................................................................................................. 15 Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 5 of 21 5.1 GENERAL.......................................................................................................................... 15 5.2 TASKS/DELIVERABLES ................................................................................................... 15 6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION.......................................................................................... 18 6.1 PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE .......................................................... 18 6.2 POST AWARD MANAGEMENT REVIEW MEETINGS ....................................................... 18 6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT......................................................................................... 18 6.4 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ................................................................................................. 18 6.5 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE .............................................................................................. 19 6.6 DISPUTE RESOLUTION .................................................................................................... 19 6.7 CONTRACT CHANGES ..................................................................................................... 19 7.0 ATTACHMENTS ................................................................................................................. 20 ATTACHMENT A: PRICING .......................................................................................................... 20 ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ....................................................................... 21 ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL CONTRACT TERMS & CONDITIONS ............ 21 ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR ....................................... 21 ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION................................................. 21 ATTACHMENT F: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM .................................................................... 21 ATTACHMENT G: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPLIER INFORMATION ........................................ 21 Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 6 of 21 1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND The Department of Administration (DOA), on behalf of the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs (DMVA) is seeking to contract with a qualif ied Vendor to provide advertising services for the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission (NCMAC). The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Specific Contract, where no minimum or maximum quantities of services are guaranteed. Orders will be placed at the time of need at the awarded Vendor’s proposed rates. 1.1 OVERVIEW The North Carolina Military Affairs Commission (hereinafter the "NCMAC") is established by the North Carolina General Assembly (GA) to exercise powers, duties and functions in making North Carolina the most military friendly state in the United States. Defense is the second largest economic sector in North Carolina and therefore improves the quality of life of all communities, industries and individuals across the entire State. NCMAC provides advice, counsel, and recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, the Secretary of the Military and Veterans Affairs, and other State agencies on initiatives, programs, and legislation that will continue and increase the role that North Carolina's military installations, the National Guard, and Reserves play in America's defense strategy and the economic health and vitality of the State. Ongoing, robust communications between such senior NC government entities, local elected leadership and community leaders is key to support Defense installations, industry, Service members and families, and the Veteran community. NCMAC is authorized to: A. Coordinate and provide recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, and State agencies to protect North Carolina's military installations from encroachment or other initiatives that could result in degradation or restrictions to military operations, training ranges, or low-level routes. B. Cooperate with military installations to facilitate the military mission, training, and continued presence of major military installations in the State and notify the commanding military officer of a military installation and the governing body in af fected counties and municipalities of any economic development or other projects that may impact military installations. C. Identify and support ways to provide a sound infrastructure, adequate housing and education, and transition support into North Carolina's workforce for military members and their families, military retirees, and veterans. D. Lead the State's initiative to prepare for the next round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), as defined by the Governor and the General Assembly, with input from local military communities. E. Identify and support economic development organizations and initiatives that focus on leveraging the military and other business opportunities to help create jobs and expand defense and homeland security related economic development activity in North Carolina. F. Assist military installations located within the State by coordinating with commanders, host and surrounding communities, and State and federal agencies on affairs that af fect military installations and may require State coordination and assistance. G. Support the long-term goal of a viable and prosperous military presence in the State, which shall include development of comprehensive economic impact studies of military activities in North Carolina, updated every two years with recommendations for initiatives to support this goal. H. Support the Army's Compatible Use Buffer Program, the Working Lands Group, plus any and all Service-related initiatives. I. Adopt processes to ensure that all planning, coordination, and actions are conducted with timely consideration having been given to relevant military readiness or training concerns and with appropriate communications with all potentially affected military entities and their host and surrounding communities. J. Share information and coordinate ef forts with the North Carolina Congressional delegation and other federal agencies, as appropriate. Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 7 of 21 NCMAC has four enduring goals to support its vision and purpose. These overarching goals provide guidance in implementing its mission. (1) Support and enhance North Carolina’s existing military installations and missions. (2) Increase the economic impact of the military and defense industry across North Carolina. (3) Improve the quality of life for Uninformed Service Members and their families. (4) Provide legislative and state agency coordination for military related issues. 1.2 PURPOSE A. NCMAC has established a Strategic Communications Working Group (SCWG) to secure industry-level strategic advertising and public relations services that support and promote North Carolina military, veterans, families, and protect military installations. The SCWG seeks both ongoing and “on-call” strategic advertising agency support to develop, deliver, and assess themes, images, videos and messages that promote North Carolina as the most military f riendly state in the United States. B. The advertisements and infomercials must highlight North Carolina’s Military Installations, defense industry, military workforce, available Land/Sea/Air training areas, robust Quality of Life resources, recreation, education and job opportunities for North Carolina’s active duty, Retirees, Veterans, National Guard members, Reservists, and active-duty military Families. This public relations and advertising campaign will prepare static and video ads which could be disseminated via website and social media platforms; radio and tv broadcasts; email blasts to State government departments and agencies; county and municipal local governments; chamber of commerce; veterans’ organizations, and industry/professional organizations. C. As the second largest industry in North Carolina, the Defense Industry benefits all 100 counties in NC and impacts residents of every demographic and every walk of life. Defense industry has a secondary and tertiary effect on local businesses as diverse as hospitality, real estate, and health care. Veterans and Service families are a highly skilled workforce whose long-term retention will benefit the economic development across the entire State. As a result, the potential Key Publics of this ad campaign are NOT just those individuals and organizations currently connected with military installations and host communities, nor just senior NC leadership at the General Assembly and Department level. Most importantly, this campaign seeks to raise the visibility of Defense industry across all 100 Counties by engaging local governments, local community and business leaders, small business owners. It should be inclusive and be of interest to every demographic. D. NCMAC is seeking to identify partners to provide a wide range of ongoing and on-call, professional strategic advertising services to design, write and produce advertising products, to include ads for websites and social media, radio and tv broadcasts, and email campaigns to specific audiences. It will be the responsibility of the vendor(s) to advise the MAC on appropriate Key Publics, the most effective and efficient means to engage them; design and produce graphics, ads, copy, broadcasts) as appropriate, and to evaluate the effectiveness of each ad campaign. The vendor will provide NCMAC the capability to plan, conduct and evaluate strategic advertising projects that will raise the visibility of Defense as the second largest industry in the State. E. Public relations partners must be able to convert approved themes and messages into actionable strategic advertising products to inform select audiences. The range of services will include ongoing programs using a website, social media sites and existing connections to senior and local governments, and those that support specific events, such as ads related to hiring fairs, economic impact studies, military and veteran observances, etc. F. The intent of this request for proposal is to contract reliable strategic advertising and public relations services on an ongoing, “project-by-project” basis. The nature of this project-to-project request may require multiple vendors with specialties in select areas: NCMAC will exercise over-arching approval and coordination of these vendors, projects and campaigns. Given the specialized nature of the advertising/public-relations industry, the NCMAC will rely heavily on vendor advice and counsel on identifying NC Key Publics and the most cost-effective, high-visibility methodologies to engage desired audiences across the State. Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 8 of 21 1.3 CONTRACT TERM The Contract shall have an initial term of one year, beginning on the date of contract award (the “Effective Date”). At the end of the Contract’s current term, the State shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to a total of two additional one-year terms. The State will give the Vendor written notice of its intent to exercise each option no later than thirty days before the end of the Contract’s then-current term. In addition to any optional terms, and with the Vendor’s concurrence, the State reserves the right to extend a contract term af ter the last active term. 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 E-PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION ATTENTION: This is NOT an E-Procurement solicitation. Paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT subsections (d) and (e) of the North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions, do not apply to this solicitation. General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/. 2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions, the State’s 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 State 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 State 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 State 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. By executing and submitting its proposal in response to this RFP, Vendor understands and agrees that the State may exercise its discretion not to consider any and all proposed modifications Vendor(s) may request and may accept Vendor’s proposal under the terms and conditions of this RFP. http://eprocurement.nc.gov/ Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 9 of 21 2.4 RFP SCHEDULE The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule. Event Responsibility Date and Time Issue RFP State July 8, 2021 Submit Written Questions Vendor July 14, 2021 Provide Response to Questions State July 19, 2021 @ 2:00PM Submit Proposals Vendor July 26, 2021 @ 2:00PM Contract Award State September 15, 2021 2.5 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 bid.inquiry@doa.nc.gov by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP #13-DOA12109619: Questions” as the subject for the email. Questions 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 State’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the State will be posted in the form of an addendum 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 State 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. 2.6 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 received as described in this RFP by the specified time and date of opening. The time and date of receipt will be marked on each proposal when received. Any proposal received after the proposal deadline will be rejected. If applicable to this RFP and using NC BIDS, all proposal responses shall be submitted electronically via the North Carolina Business Invitation Delivery System (NC BIDS). For additional information, the NC BIDS for Vendors page includes online training videos and a link to NC BIDS FAQs for Vendors. Failure to submit a proposal in strict accordance with these instructions shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a vendor’s proposal(s). Vendors are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to upload proposals. Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this RFP. It is important that all Vendors proposing on this RFP periodically check the State’s IPS website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date. All Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this RFP and all Addenda thereto. 2.7 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: http://www.ips.state.nc.us/ https://ncadmin.nc.gov/nc-bids-vendors https://ncadmin.nc.gov/nc-bids-faqs-vendors Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 10 of 21 a) Cover Letter, must include a statement that confirms that the proposer has read the RFP in its entirety, including all links, and all Addenda released in conjunction with the RFP. 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 d) Vendor’s Proposal – response to section 4.4 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS, 4.5 REFERENCES e) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING f ) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR g) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION h) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT F: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM i) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT G: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION 2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS Vendor may submit alternate proposals for various methods or levels of service(s) or that propose different options. Alternate proposals must specifically identify the RFP requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate proposal. Any alternate proposal, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the legend: “Alternate Proposal #___ [for ‘name of Vendor”]. Each proposal must be for a specific set of Services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various service offerings, each must be offered with a separate price and be contained in a separate proposal document. Each proposal must be complete and independent of other proposals offered. 2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS The State’s standard definitions can be found in the INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS link. Below is the list of definitions, acronyms, and abbreviations specific to this procurement: a) DMVA: North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs – authorized by the NCMAC as the contract administration office for this potential contract. b) DOA: North Carolina Department of Administration – administrative office for procurement duties c) DIT: Department of Information Technology d) MAC: North Carolina Military Affairs Commission e) SCWG: Strategic Communications Working Group 3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts. The goods or services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all award decisions shall be in the State’s best interest. The Contracting Agency will conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial evaluation of proposals received in response to this solicitation. A Proposal Evaluation Committee will be appointed to review all submitted proposals. All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the RFP requirements and achieving the highest and best final evaluation, based on the criteria described below and in section 3.4 of this RFP. BEST VALUE: The evaluation method for this procurment will be "Best Value". The intent of a "Best Value" procurement is to enable Vendors to offer and the Agency to select the most appropriate solution to meet the business objectives def ined in the solicitation and to keep all parties focused on the desired outcome of a procurement. A ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement using evaluation criteria listed in Section 3.4 to allow the State to award this RFP to the Vendor(s) providing the Best Value and recognizing that Best Value may result Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 11 of 21 in award other than the lowest price or highest technically qualified offer. By using this method, the overall ranking may be adjusted up or down when considered with or traded-off against other non-price factors. The Evaluation Committee will create a narrative and by consensus, explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal and why the recommended awardee(s) provides the best value to the State. While the intent of this RFP is to award a Contract(s) to single Vendor, the State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this RFP in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so. The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received. 3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION While this RFP is under evaluation, the proposer, including any subcontractors and suppliers are prohibited from engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See the Paragraph 29, CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, of the INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS. 3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS BID OPENING: DUE TO THE CURRENT HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19, BID OPENINGS WILL NOT BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. The NCDOA will be conducting live bid openings over conference call. Below is the call-in information for this procurement’s bid opening scheduled for July 26, 2021 at 2:00PM ET Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer or mobile app Click here to join the meeting Join with a video conferencing device ncgov@m.webex.com Video Conference ID: 118 971 769 8 Alternate VTC dialing instructions Or call in (audio only) +1 984-204-1487,,339372579# United States, Raleigh Phone Conference ID: 339 372 579# Only responsive submissions will be evaluated. The State will conduct a One-Step evaluation of Proposals: Proposals will be received according to the method stated in section 2.7. All proposals must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified on the cover sheet of this RFP. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualif ied right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. At that date and time, the proposal from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and the name of the Vendor and total cost offered will be announced. Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation for completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a Vendor’s pricing position. If negotiation is anticipated under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, pricing may not be public until award. https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZGJkOWU2MzktZDFhYS00ZGY1LTkyZTMtMjAxNmY3ZjdmM2Yz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%227a7681dc-b9d0-449a-85c3-ecc26cd7ed19%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22eba0bdb7-0b77-4d3e-8f1e-17f560c8298a%22%7d https://www.webex.com/msteams?confid=1189717698&tenantkey=ncgov&domain=m.webex.com tel:+19842041487,,339372579#%20 Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 12 of 21 At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor. Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State will make Award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to IPS under the RFP number for this solicitation. 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 State. The State reserves the right to negotiate with one or more vendors, or to reject all original offers and negotiate with one or more sources of supply that may be capable of satisfying the requirement and submit a best and final offer (BAFO), based on discussions and negotiations with the State, if the initial responses to the RFP have been evaluated and determined to be unsatisfactory. 3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA All qualified proposals will be evaluated and award made based on considering the following criteria using the Vendor’s response to section 4.4 and Attachment A: Pricing of the RFP, to result in an award most advantageous to the State: TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA: 1. Vendor Experience: The evaluation of the Vendor’s past experience with projects of the same size and scope including any experience and knowledge of advertising and public relations to the public at large. 2. Vendor Staffing Qualifications: The evaluation of the Vendor’s proposed staff qualifications and experience to complete the tasks outlined in the scope of work. 3. Technical Approach: The evaluation of the Vendor’s approach to the completing the scope of services. 4. Project Costs: The evaluation of the Vendor’s cost for each service. 3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State: a) Total cost to the State b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions d) Protection of the State’s information and intellectual property e) Availability of pertinent skills f ) Ability to understand the State’s business requirements and internal operational culture g) Particular risk factors such as the security of the State’s information technology h) Relations with citizens and employees i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues 3.6 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 f rom this procurement. 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, Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 13 of 21 no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor f rom 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 State 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 2.6. 4.1 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. Complete ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM and include in Proposal. 4.2 INVOICES a) Invoices must be submitted to the Contract Administrator in hard copy or digitally on the Vendor's official letterhead stationery and must be identified by a unique invoice number. All invoice backup reports and spreadsheets must be provided in electronic format. b) Invoices must bear the correct contract number and purchase order number to ensure prompt payment. The Vendor's failure to include the correct purchase order number may cause delay in payment. c) Invoices must include an accurate description of the work for which the invoice is being submitted, the invoice date, the period of time covered, the amount of fees due to the Vendor, the number of hours, and the original signature of the Vendor's project manager. 4.3 FINANCIAL STABILITY As a condition of contract award, the Vendor must certify that it has the f inancial 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 into this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction. Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing the ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The State is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from Contracting with a Vendor that is f inancially unstable. From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certif ication. The Contract Manager may require annual recertification of the vendor’s financially stability. 4.4 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Vendor shall respond in its proposal to each of the sections below. Sections shall be tabbed and titled as listed. Vendors are requested to keep responses straightforward and to the point and should not include generic marketing materials. Responses will be reviewed as part of the evaluation process. 4.4.1 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 State of North Carolina. Experience shall include the following: A. Vendor’s experience in projects of the same size and scope of these RFP requirements in any or all of the different media areas within the scope of this RFP: digital media design work both website and social media, print, radio, and television, and any other media outlets and platform offered by the Vendor. Vendor shall provide examples of these past projects with its proposal. Vendor shall include in the description of each of these projects the demographic reach, size population, number of platforms and outlets, and length/duration/overall ad times, etc. Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 14 of 21 B. Vendors experience with for Federal, State, Local government projects. Preferred Vendor’s experience of military and defense related media projects. C. Vendor shall provide results of past projects. Vendor shall provide any award recognition indicating industry excellence it has received for past performance. 4.4.2 Staff Qualifications Vendor shall provide information as to the qualif ications and experience of all executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including resumes citing experience with similar projects. 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. 4.4.3 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 in section 5.2 that the Vendor is bidding on and the schedule for accomplishing each shall be included. Vendor’s technical approach shall include at a minimum the following areas: A. Vendor’s overall method of providing services. B. Vendor’s timeline for completion of each service. C. Vendor’s ability to research and make recommendations based on project goals. D. Vendor’s method to outreach and demographic inclusion including any language diversity. E. Vendors method to assess the effectiveness of each advertising project or media campaign. This includes both pre and post assessments of each project. 4.5 REFERENCES Vendors shall provide at least three (3) references, using ATTACHMENT F: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM, for which your company has provided Services of similar size and scope to that proposed herein. The State 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. 4.6 BACKGROUND CHECKS Any personnel or agent of the Vendor performing Services under any contract arising from this RFP may be required to undergo a background check at the expense of the Vendor, if so requested by the State. 4.7 PERSONNEL Vendor warrants that qualif ied 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 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 State. 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). Should the Vendor’s proposal result in an award, the Vendor shall be required to agree that it will not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of the Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 15 of 21 further agree that it will notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. The State will agree to approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The State may, in its sole discretion, terminate the services of any person providing services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the State may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract services provided by such personnel. 4.8 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS If the proposal results in an award, the Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the State under the Contract. If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this solicitation are required for Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the service and deliverables under a resulting 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 of its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecom- munications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and Deliverables. 4.9 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATIONS The Purchasing Agency has conducted a risk assessment and determined that certain default coverage provisions in the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, paragraph entitled Insurance, should be increased from the minimums stated. Default Insurance Coverage from the General Terms and Conditions applicable to this Solicitation: ☐ Small Purchases ☒ Contract value in excess of the Small Purchase threshold, but up to $1,000,000.00 ☐ Contract value in excess of $1,000,000.00 5.0 SCOPE OF WORK 5.1 GENERAL Each advertising/public relations vendor must provide end-to-end support in initial research, identifying Key Publics, designing multi-platform products for approval, delivering services and evaluating the ef fectiveness of the services provided. Each service should be proficient in using the research, action plan development, communication and evaluate (RACE) industry model or a similar process. It is essential that capabilities include research, planning, delivery and assessment capabilities as part of the service. Each service should be prepared to operate alone or in conjunction within a larger strategic communications campaign. 5.2 TASKS/DELIVERABLES 5.2.1 Ads for Website Dissemination While the NCMAC website will be designed and maintained by a State agency using the approved drupal platform, the vendor will design and produce ads and informercials that can be displayed on that website. At this time, NCMAC believes that 3-5 website ads per month will be sufficient. The vendor, however, must be prepared to increase capacity to design and produce more ads per month based on NCMAC guidance. 5.2.2 Social Media & Digital Management As with the website, a State agency will maintain NCMAC social media platforms. The vendor, however, will design and produce products that will be disseminated via those SM platforms, including surveys and evaluation tools that Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 16 of 21 assess the reach of the ad campaigns. These ads and surveys will be used to engage and inform broad and select audiences and must be robust enough to plan, recommend, deliver and assess projects. Social media will be used for selected individual projects as well as be integrated into larger campaigns. The vendor should be able to design and produce ads to appear on platforms as diverse as; Twitter; Linkedin; YouTube; Pinterest; Instagram; Snapchat and others. At this time, NCMAC anticipates needing 10-15 advertisements per month, although that number may decrease or increase based on vendor counsel, NCMAC guidance and short-fused, real-world events that require increased visibility. A. General Guidance for Social Media and Digital Management: (1) Production: Vendor shall design and produce SM advertisements to be used for in-toto four-week campaigns, although those weeks may not be sequential. All ads shall require NCMAC approval prior to posting. (2) Website and Social Media Distribution: Vendor shall advise NCMAC with Best Practices and provide recommendations on per-ad dissemination timing and frequency. Completed and approved public information advertisements shall be provided to the State-approved agency for website inclusion and social-media dissemination within 48 hours of NCMAC approval, along with a template and timeline for website and social distribution. (3) Other Digital Media Production and Distribution: in coordination with NCMAC, vendor will prepare digital materials such as email blasts for NCMAC community partners, elected-government organizations, and industry professional organizations. Vendor shall research and prepare a list of such organizations based on their research and determination of Key Publics throughout the State. Vendor shall be responsible for distribution of such digital materials. (4) Reporting: Vendor shall provide monthly reports to NCMAC containing the number of ads produced, their distribution, factual assessments of citizens reached by the products during the time period, and recommendations to increase ad visibility and outreach during the follow-on reporting period. 5.2.3 Media Design and produce advertising campaigns for print, radio, television and Google services to promote NCMAC priorities across all demographics and regions in NC. These “on-call” services should provide a range of earned and paid media opportunities to advance public information to support North Carolina installations; military, veterans and family members and promote the defense industry sector. It is essential that these services include a comprehensive capability to research, develop, author, edit, recommend, deliver and assess the results of the project. Media products will be used to support a range of activities from single events to enduring public information campaigns to promote North Carolina installations, military, veterans, family members and the defense sector. Key Publics should include those residents, businesses, and local governments who are not typically knowingly engaged with the defense sector, yet who benefit daily by the Guard, Retirees and veterans who reside or work in their communities. NCMAC anticipates 10-15 a month at this time, but vendors should be prepared to increase design and production activities based on NCMAC guidance. FYI, broadcast options may include re-transmission to municipal and county principles to be used on local government-maintained tv and social media platforms, with the goal of reaching citizens at the local level and in smaller communities. Vendor will be responsible for identifying both commercial and local government broadcast options, determining best pricing and timing if applicable, and arranging transmission. A. General Specifications for Broadcast Media: (1) Production: The Vendor will produce the radio and video announcements assisted by scripts and messaging goals as provided and approved by NCMAC. (2) Distribution: Vendors shall be responsible for placing broadcast advertisements via paid and unpaid broadcast schedules at State-wide radio and tv stations. Vendors may utilize paid and unpaid advertisement placement venues to provide maximum visibility for public information campaigns. Whenever possible, vendors are encouraged to publicize public information advertisements over various radio stations and televised broadcasts to residents throughout the state of NC using the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, INC (Association) Non- Commercial/Sustaining Announcement/Public Education Partnership (NCSA/PEP) Program. The NCSA/PEP Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 17 of 21 program uses unsold airtime for the broadcast of information announcements, by government or non-profit agencies, that are distributed by the Association in order to provide a multiplier effect. For every $1 of funding, the Association can guarantee an additional $xx of donated airtime so that NCSA/PEP partners can stretch a marketing budget. (3) Multipliers: For NCSA/PEP campaigns, vendor shall ensure the guarantee of at least a 3:1 broadcasting return for all campaigns at least three months long, for subsequent renewals (4) Association Review of Announcements: If utilizing the NCSA/PEP Program, the Association's obligation to distribute announcements to the stations is contingent upon prior review and acceptance for inclusion in the NCSA program. (5) Association Distribution and Broadcasting: the Association will use its usual and customary efforts to distribute the NCMAC PEP Program announcements for broadcast announcements by radio and tv stations. All stations will have the NCSA/PEP spots but are not required to play them. Upon the advice of the vendor, NCMAC may authorize additional paid broadcasts to ensure widest distribution to NC residents. (6) Streaming: NCMAC NCSA/PEP Public Information Announcements will be available to stream on the internet by the Association Program announcements and by the stations. However, there is no guarantee of streaming nor reporting for the NCSA/PEP streaming services. Upon the advice of the vendor, NCMAC may authorize additional paid streaming to ensure widest distribution to NC residents. (7) Reporting: Vendor shall provide monthly reports to NCMAC to include feedback on radio and tv playtime. The last report shall be due one calendar year from the initiation of the contract. B. General Specifications for Print Media: (1) Production: The Vendor will produce the print advertisements assisted by text, graphics, photos, and messaging goals as provided and approved by NCMAC. (2) Distribution: Print advertising should run across as many regions in North Carolina as possible in newspaper and magazine-type venues in order to increase public awareness across the entire State. Therefore, vendor’s offer shall provide information to represent how its proposed print advertisement campaign should satisfy the State- wide, inclusive outreach goals. Specific details shall include: • Represented Counties for advertisement • Representative numbers of readers to be reached • Represented number of publications • Lead time to start advertisement from approval of proof (business days) (3) Reporting: Vendor shall provide monthly reports to NCMAC to include the Counties and readers reached, and the numbers of publication venues which were utilized. 5.2.4 Special Event Product Development These advertisements will be designed to provide “on-call” project-by-project support for specific temporary projects. Product development includes systematically developing thematic images, video, messages, and user content for tailored audiences that support NCMAC priorities. Product development will include advice and counsel on the most ef fective methods to reach desired audiences and engage multiple demographics. NCMAC anticipates needing 3-5 products per quarter as we initiate this strategic advertising campaign, but that may increase or decrease based on cost, effectiveness and national defense initiatives. All guidance regarding specific media platforms, as detailed earlier in the document, shall apply. Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 18 of 21 5.2.5 Stake holder Research and Engagement (1) Research-focused public relations assessments will identify stakeholders (Key Publics) and associated activities/events to create consistent advertising campaigns. This assessment service must also include polling and surveys that provide insights on the state and changing status of key publics. This research service can be employed in multiple ways including: as stand alone assessments, in direct support of a specific strategic advertising campaign, and as part of a larger NC-wide assessment campaign that provides research and evaluation support to identify public relations issues or information gaps in specific regions or industries with secondary or tertiary relationships with the defense sector. (2) Stakeholder-Engagement will include designing and producing email copy/photo/bcst that can be sent to such professional organizations as the NC Association of County Commissioners, League of Municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, etc. Vendor advice on Best Practices for such public relations and advertising outreach will be required. NCMAC anticipates needing 2-3 products per month that will be disseminated to multiple existing professional associations. 5.2.6 Management Strategic communications management services including research, action plan development, communications, and evaluation (RACE) to identify the most appropriate products, delivery, and results evaluation. This service will be in support of campaigns that employ multiple strategic communications resources in support of NCMAC objectives and may include oversight of multiple projects and vendors. 6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION All Contract Administration requirements are conditioned on an award resulting from this solicitation. This document is not a contract; it is, instead, a request for proposals. This information is provided for the Vendor’s planning purposes. 6.1 PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE The Vendor shall be required to designate and make available to the State a project manager. The project manager shall be the State’s point of contact for contract related issues and issues concerning performance, progress review, scheduling and service. 6.2 POST AWARD MANAGEMENT REVIEW MEETINGS The Vendor, at the request of the State, shall be required to meet at a minimum quarterly with the State for Project Review meetings. The purpose of these meetings will be to review project progress reports, discuss Vendor and State performance, address outstanding issues, review problem resolution, provide direction, evaluate continuous improvement and cost saving ideas, and discuss any other pertinent topics. 6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT The State encourages the Vendor to identify opportunities to reduce the total cost the State. A continuous improvement ef fort consisting of various ideas to enhance business ef ficiencies will be discussed at the periodic Business Review Meetings. 6.4 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK Performance of the work and delivery of goods shall be conducted and completed in accordance with recognized and customarily accepted industry practices and shall be considered complete when the services or goods are approved as acceptable by the Contract Administrator. The State and the Vendor will negotiate and agree on an acceptable notif ication process and resubmission period, which will be memorialized in the Contract. Acceptance of work products shall be based on the following criteria: In the event acceptance criteria for any work or deliverables is not described in contract documents or work orders hereunder, the State shall have the obligation to notify Vendor, in writing ten (10) calendar days following completion of Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 19 of 21 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 State 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 State may exercise any and all rights hereunder, including, for deliverables, such rights provided by the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in North Carolina. 6.5 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE If a Contract results from this solicitation, and the contract is not renewed at the end of the last active term, or is canceled prior to its expiration, for any reason, Vendor shall be required to agree to provide transition assistance to the State, at the option of the State, up to three months to allow for the expired or canceled portion of the Services to continue without interruption or adverse effect, and to facilitate the orderly transfer of such Services to the State or its designees. If the State exercises this option, the Parties agree that such transition assistance shall be deemed to be governed by the terms and conditions of the Contract (notwithstanding this expiration or cancellation), except for those Contract terms or conditions that do not reasonably apply to such transition assistance. The State shall agree to pay Vendor for any resources utilized in performing such transition assistance at the most current rates provided by the Contract for performance of the Services or other resources utilized. 6.6 DISPUTE RESOLUTION During the performance of the contract, the parties must agree that it is in their mutual interest to resolve disputes informally. Any claims by the Vendor shall be submitted in writing to the State’s Contract Manager for resolution. Any claims by the State shall be submitted in writing to the Vendor’s Project Manager for resolution. The Parties shall agree to negotiate in good faith and use all reasonable ef forts 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. The parties will agree on a reasonable amount of time to resolve a dispute. If a dispute cannot be resolved between the Parties within the agreed upon period, either Party may elect to exercise any other remedies available under the Contract, or at law. This term, when agreed in the Contract, shall not constitute an agreement by either party to mediate or arbitrate any dispute. Below is the link to the NCDOA Vendor Complaint Policy and Procedures. www.ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/fiscal-management 6.7 CONTRACT CHANGES Contract changes, if any, over the life of the contract shall be implemented by contract amendments agreed to in writing by the State and Vendor. THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK http://www.ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/fiscal-management Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 20 of 21 7.0 ATTACHMENTS ATTACHMENT A: PRICING Vendor is to provide a completed project cost for each of the services listed below to be used in evaluation of and any services ordered under this contract. Pricing shall include total cost to Buyer for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges handling, administrative, management and other similar fees. 1. Ads for Website Dissemination: A. Text and Graphic Website Ad $____________________ B. Informercial/Animated Ad $____________________ 2. Social Media & Digital Management A. Text and Graphic Ads $____________________ B. Informercial/Animated Ad $____________________ C. Assessment Reporting $____________________ 3. Media A. Television Broadcast Media Project $____________________ Discount for purchase of multiple projects ________________ B. Radio Broadcast Media Project $____________________ Discount for purchase of multiple projects ________________ C. Streaming Media Project $____________________ Discount for purchase of multiple projects ________________ D. Print Media Project $____________________ Discount for purchase of multiple projects ________________ 4. Product Development: $____________________/per hour rate 5. Stakeholder Research and Engagement A. Public Relations Assessments $____________________ B. Stakeholder-Engagement products $____________________ Proposal Number: 13-DOA12109619 Vendor: __________________________________________ Ver:2/1/2021 Page 21 of 21 ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS The Instructions to Vendors, which are incorporated herein by this reference, may be found here: https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_North-Carolina-Instructions-to-Vendors_09.2020.pdf ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL CONTRACT TERMS & CONDITIONS The North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, which are incorporated herein by this reference, may be found here: https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_North-Carolina-General-Terms-and-Conditions_12.2020.pdf ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR The Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor associated with this RFP is a separate document that is captioned ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR and can be found at the following link: https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_Location-of-Vendors-Located-Outside-the-United-States_01.2020.pdf ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION The Certif ication of Financial Condition associated with this RFP is a separate document that is captioned ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION and can be found at the following link: https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/CERTIFICATION-OF-FINANCIAL-CONDITION.pdf ATTACHMENT F: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM The Customer Reference Form associated with this RFP is a separate document that is captioned ATTACHMENT F: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM and can be found at the following link: https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_Customer-Reference-Template_092020.pdf ATTACHMENT G: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPLIER INFORMATION The Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) Supplier Information associated with this RFP is a separate document that is captioned ATTACHMENT G: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPLIER INFORMATION and can be found at the following link: https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_HUB-Supplemental-Vendor-Information_9.2020.pdf https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_North-Carolina-Instructions-to-Vendors_09.2020.pdf https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_North-Carolina-General-Terms-and-Conditions_12.2020.pdf https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_Location-of-Vendors-Located-Outside-the-United-States_01.2020.pdf https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/CERTIFICATION-OF-FINANCIAL-CONDITION.pdf https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_Customer-Reference-Template_092020.pdf https://files.nc.gov/ncdoa/pandc/OnlineForms/Form_HUB-Supplemental-Vendor-Information_9.2020.pdf