SNEAD STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR MARKETING SERVICES
BRAND RESEARCH AND NEW BRAND CAMPAIGN FOR AVIATION CENTER
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Snead State Community College (the "College" or "SSCC"), Boaz, Alabama, issues this
Request for Proposal ("RFP") for the operation and management of marketing services relating to
brand research and a new brand campaign for the Aviation Center. The required services described
herein would be expected to commence no earlier than and by May 1, 2017, and unless sooner
terminated pursuant to the terms of this Request for Proposal and related documents, shall continue
in force for a proposed period of three years. The bidding Contractor (the "Bidder" or "Contractor"
hereunder), if selected by the College to conduct these marketing services, shall perform in
accordance with the terms and conditions as stated herein and in accordance with the highest
standards and commercial practices for operation of a marketing professional on a college campus.
A written agreement shall be prepared by the College and submitted to the successful
bidder/contractor for execution by an authorized representative of the successful Bidder/Contractor.
Using Agency.
The services solicited herein shall be performed for Snead State
Community College, an agency of the State of Alabama.
Issuing Office. The office issuing this RFP is the Office of the Vice President of Finance and
Administration at Snead State Community College. Inquiry regarding the RFP process should be
directed to the Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. Proposals
under this RFP should be mailed to the Office of Vice President for Finance and Administration and
CFO:
Mr. Joe Whitmore
Vice President for Finance and Administration and CFO
Room 221 Administration Building
102 Elder Street
P. O. Box 734
Boaz, AL 35957
[email protected]
256-840-4102
Specific questions regarding the content and expectation of this Request for Proposal should be
submitted to:
Ms. Shelley Smith
Director of Marketing/Public Relations/Alumni
Alumni House
Snead State Community College
1
Boaz, Alabama 35957
[email protected]
256-840-4128
Tour of Facilities and Pre-bid Conference. It is recommended that all potential bidders
schedule a date for a tour and pre-bid conference to discuss the specifics and vision for this new
program. Preference will be given to those bidders who complete this process. An addendum to this
RFP will show available dates and times for these visits.
Closing Date. Sealed written proposals, (original and two copies), subject to all terms and
conditions made a part hereof, will be received at the address specified in the paragraph entitled
Issuing Office until 5:00 p.m. local time on April 6, 2017. All proposals must be in writing and must
be executed by an authorized officer of the bidder. All proposals must be guaranteed for a minimum
of sixty (60) days after the proposal opening date.
Award. The College reserves the right to reject any and all bids. In the absence of such
rejection, an award will be made by the College to the bidder whose proposal most closely conforms
to the RFP and will be the most advantageous to the College, considering both financial and servicerelated proposal components. It is anticipated that if accepted, an award will be made on or about
April 14, 2017, and the successful bidder ("Contractor") will be expected to assume the operation as
soon as negotiated, and no later than May 1, 2017, unless agreed upon otherwise.
The successful bidder must submit a detailed implementation plan, with target and event
dates, for a smooth implementation of Marketing services no later than May 1, 2017.
The College reserves the authority, privilege, and right to accept or reject any and all
proposals, to waive any informality in proposals, and unless otherwise specified by the offer, to
accept any item in any proposal. After bid opening, the College may invite one or more bidders back
to campus to make any visual proposal or to further explain the contents of the received proposal.
The College will not consider any item not specifically contained in the original proposal at that
time.
Cost for Proposal Preparation and Campus Visits. The College will not be responsible for
and will not reimburse bidder's costs incurred in the preparation and submission of any proposal
hereunder nor will the College be responsible for or reimburse any bidder for expenses related to
visiting the SSCC campus.
Bidder's Representatives for Business Purposes. The name, mailing address, and telephone
number of the bidder's authorized agent with authority to bind the bidder with respect to questions
concerning the bidder's proposal must be clearly stated in the proposal. The proposal and/or the letter
which transmits the proposal to SSCC must be signed by an authorized officer of the bidder.
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Telegraphic Proposals. Telegraphic or electronic proposals will not be considered. However,
written proposals may be modified by such means, provided such notice of modification is received
prior to the hour and date specified in the paragraph entitled Closing Date and a signed, written
modification is received at SSCC within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of telegraphic or
electronic materials modifying a proposal.
Acknowledgment of Amendments to RFP. Receipt by a bidder of an amendment to this RFP
(issued by the College) must be acknowledged in writing within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt.
The acknowledgment should be addressed as indicated in the paragraph entitled Issuing Office.
Further Information. Bidders are advised and cautioned that the College is not obligated to
ask for or accept, after the closing date for receipt of proposals, data that is essential for a complete
and thorough evaluation of the proposal. The College may award a contract based on initial
proposals received without any discussion of such proposals. Accordingly, each proposal should be
submitted on the most favorable and complete price, service, and technical terms possible. The
College reserves the right to ask for additional information to help in the evaluation of the bids. Any
request for explanation from a prospective bidder regarding the meaning or interpretation of the
RFP, attachments, specifications, etc., must be submitted in writing and must be received in
sufficient time to allow the College to reply to all prospective bidders before the submission of their
offers. Any information given to a prospective bidder concerning the RFP will be furnished in
writing to all prospective bidders as an amendment if such information is deemed necessary in
responding to this RFP as determined by SSCC. Oral explanation or instructions given by the
College before the award of the Contract will not be binding on the College.
References. In the proposal, each bidder is requested to include a list colleges and
universities where the bidder may have performed its services, as well as, any other reference that
the bidder deems, relative. The list should contain the name and telephone number of the contract
administrator/liaison officer for each marketing operation, as well as the name and telephone number
of the Chief Business Officer of each entity listed.
Proprietary Information. After the award of the Contract, all proposals will be open for
public inspection. Financial data, trade secrets, and similar proprietary information will, to the extent
permitted by law, remain confidential provided such material is clearly so marked by the bidder
when the bid is submitted; however, net cost information shall not be considered confidential.
Hold Harmless. The Contractor shall save and hold the College harmless from actions or
claims against the College which may arise in connection with the use or operation of the College
facilities specified herein or failure to perform of any service under this contract or for any/all
injuries or death or property damage resulting or arising from the operation by the Contractor of any
vehicles or arising or resulting on or adjacent to the College premises. Each party grants to the other
a waiver of subrogation of the rights of their respective insurance carriers. The Contractor shall
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indemnify and hold harmless the College, its officers and employees from all claims, suits, actions,
damages, and costs of every nature and description arising out of or resulting from the Contract, or
the extension of services under the Contract.
Licenses. The Contractor shall obtain and maintain at its expense, and in its name, all
necessary licenses and permits from any governmental agency or as otherwise required to perform
the services described herein.
Contract Administration. The contract administrator and liaison person for all matters
concerning this contract is the Director of Marketing/Public Relations/Alumni of Snead State
Community College.
Scope of Service.
A. Purpose of This Request for Bid
Snead State Community College is requesting marketing firms to develop a brand identity and a
marketing campaign for a new aviation program within an existing aviation center. The intent of this
request is to select a firm to assist in the marketing and advertising goals of the newly established
program. The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to establish a contract on a competitive
basis with qualified vendors and/or developers who shall directly supply marketing services to
Snead State Community College.
B. Summary Scope of Work
The selected vendor shall accept purchase orders from and deliver to Snead State Community
College marketing and branding services for the aviation center and its specific programs.
Qualifications. A contract will only be awarded to a qualified firm with proven capability to
provide the full range of services specified. The College may require evidence of qualification,
including:
1. Evidence of appropriate licensing to perform the work specified.
2. Experience record showing expertise and success in similar work.
3. Proof of substantial experience managing college contracts.
Selection. Selection shall be made of one firm deemed to be fully qualified and best suited
among those submitted Proposals on the basis of the evaluation factors identified herein. The
College may cancel the RFP, reject Proposals or any portions thereof at any time prior to an award,
and is not required to furnish a statement of the reason why a particular Proposal was not deemed to
be the most advantageous. Should the College determine (at its sole discretion) that only one firm is
fully qualified, or that one firm is clearly more suitable than the others under consideration, a
contract may be awarded to that firm.
Negotiations. Final negotiations may be conducted with the selected firm in order to insure
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the best overall program design and to achieve the best business arrangement for the parties.
Americans with Disabilities Act. If special accommodations are needed in order to attend
meetings or to accomplish building site visits, please contact the College at least one (1) week prior
to the event to ensure such accommodations.
Certifications. Included with this RFP are certain certifications mandated by Alabama Law.
These certifications are to be completed and returned with the RFP. The awarded vendor will be
further required to provide additional certifications relative to compliance with certain ethics-related
laws and immigration laws.
Contract Term. The successful firm will be awarded a contract with a term up to three years.
Code of Alabama, 1975, Section 41-16-27 (e) 1 provides that for public two-year colleges, contracts
which either generate funds or will reduce annual cost by awarding the contract for a longer term
than a period of three years may be let for periods not greater than ten years. After an initial threeyear contract period, a determination will be made of cost reduction and related savings attributable
to the services of the marketing firm. Should such savings or cost reduction be realized, the College
at its sole discretion may extend the initial agreement up to the amount of time permitted by this
statute.
Appropriation. If funds for the services provided under the contract are not appropriated in a
given College fiscal year, the College may terminate the contract upon 60 days’ notice.
Illegal Workers. The College shall consider the intentional employment of unauthorized
aliens by the selected firm in violation of U.S. immigration laws cause for unilateral cancellation of
any contract resulting from this RFP. The selected firm in addition to federal immigration
compliance must further be in compliance with applicable Alabama statutes regarding employment
of illegal immigrants and provide the College the required certification documents and evidence of
enrollment in the E-Verify program.
Pricing and Payment. Vendors should submit with their proposals a phased timeline of
completing various stages of the marketing and branding efforts. The payment responsibilities of the
parties will be clearly spelled out in the contact and in the proposal.
Assignment. Assignment of contract may only be made to an affiliate or wholly-owned
subsidiary of the selected firm and must be expressly approved by the College in advance.
Force Majeur. The contract may contain a provision limiting obligation and liability due to
catastrophe or other force majeur.
Termination. Any contract resulting from this RFP may be cancelled upon 90 days’ notice
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without cause or upon 30 days’ notice for cause, except that the contract may be cancelled upon 10
days’ notice if the cause is non-payment.
Jurisdiction. This agreement will be construed and governed by the laws of the State of
Alabama.
Proposal Submission. Three (3) Proposal documents are to be submitted in (a) sealed
envelope(s) or box(es). One must be an original. Please indicate with the response the name of the
firm, contact person and contact information. The College reserves the right to request additional
copies or information without cost or to duplicate information submitted as required for the purpose
of evaluating Proposals.
E-mail and faxed proposals will not be accepted. Late proposals will be returned unopened.
Proposal Format. Proposals should provide a straightforward, concise description of the
capabilities of the firm and must satisfy at least the basic requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should
be on completeness and clarity of content. The response may be placed in any order, but should be
formatted in the following major sections:
A. Required Documents - This section should include any specific documents required by
the RFP, such as completed forms supplied by the College, examples of work, etc.
B. Company - This section should include information about the firm and its qualifications
and should include references.
C. Financial - This section should include pricing and related information sufficient to
explain the fees and costs associated with providing the services. Bid prices are not to include tax.
The College is a State of Alabama Institution. If your company gives a discount, this must be
included in the proposal.
D. Operations - This section should include operational information concerning the method
of service delivery, including programs and management.
E. Implementation - Information concerning the general plan for implementation should be
provided in this section.
F. Supplemental - This section should include any additional information the firm wishes to
provide which it believes will help the College make a determination about its capability and
suitability as a business partner.
Specific Requirements. Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as necessary so that the
College may properly evaluate the capabilities of the firm to provide the required services. Each
firm is required to submit completely the following items.
A. A complete response to the RFP.
B. Evidence of experience in providing services similar to those described herein.
C. A minimum of three (3) references for whom the firm has provided similar services of
the same or similar scope as outlined herein.
D. Please include any other pertinent information that demonstrates the firm’s corporate
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capability to successfully perform the services.
E. Please indicate and identify those capabilities and resources produced within the firm’s
organization as opposed to those to be acquired through the use of third party employees or
subcontractors. If sub-contractors are to be employed in the performance of the specified services,
provide a written narrative describing the rationale used for utilizing these resources for the purposes
of this contract.
Snead State Community College Current Brand. The current primary logo for Snead State
Community College (below) has been used by the College for many years, and it is recognized by all
surrounding communities and key stakeholders. The name of the college has been Snead State
Community since 1992.
Logo
The Old English font is used only on the logo or when using the capital “S” to represent Snead State
Community College. When referring to the college, Snead State Community College, Snead State or
SSCC are used primarily.
The focus of Snead State’s messaging is college completion. The College has adopted a new tagline
to support the College Completion Initiative, “Behind Every Snead Graduate is a Proud Snead
Family.”
Snead State uses the following colors as the basis of its brand, though variations of these colors are
often used with publications and promotional materials:
Blue – C 100 M 56 Y 0 K 18 (PMS 005a9c)
Gold – C 0 M 27 Y 100 K 6 (PMS eeb310)
The Alabama Aviation Center in Albertville has been associated with Enterprise State Community
College, but the Aviation Center will now be associated with Snead State Community College,
resulting in the addition of a new aviation program. Snead State wishes to establish a brand for the
new aviation program that incorporates the brand of the College as a whole while establishing a
unique identity for the aviation program that may be easily recognized by potential students,
businesses and industries and other principal stakeholders.
Aviation Program Marketing Endeavors.
Branding: Establishing a unique identity for the aviation program will include the
development of a program logo that aligns with the brand of Snead State Community College.
Specific colors and fonts will be chosen as part of this unique identity and will be utilized in all
aspects of establishing the brand, including advertising and promotional materials, signage and
website.
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Advertising: A complete advertising campaign will be developed using all forms of media
(print, radio, TV, outdoor, digital, social media, web, etc.). The campaign will consistently use the
established components of the aviation program’s brand. The campaign will be launched through the
College’s service area and other areas that may attract students to this particular type of program.
Proposals should include media buys in the list of services to be provided. The successful
Bidder/Contractor will coordinate with the Office of Marketing/Public Relations on all images,
graphics, video and verbiage used in the campaign.
CLAIMS LIABILITY/INDEMNIFICATION
A.
The Contractor agrees to save the College harmless from any and all claims,
demands, actions, debts, liabilities, judgments, costs and attorney's fees arising out of, claimed on
account of, or in any manner predicated upon loss of or damage to property or injuries to or the
death of any and all persons whatsoever, in any manner, caused or contributed to by the Contractor,
his agents, servants, or employees, while in, or about the College premises on which the work under
this contract is to be done, or while going to or departing from same, and to save the College
harmless from and on account of damages of any kind which the College may suffer as the result of
the acts of any of the Contractor's agents, servants or employees in or about the performance of any
contract between the contractor and the College.
B.
The Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless the College for any liability
incurred by the College as a result of the non-payment, for any reason, of any debt or obligation for
which the contractor has agreed to bear responsibility for payment, including the College's attorney's
fees, costs of litigation and the amount of any judgment or extra judicial settlement entered into by
the College, including interest.
Taxes: Contractor will be responsible for collection and payment of all required taxes (local,
state, federal).
Labor Standards and Regulations: Contractor employment policies shall meet the
requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act and all other regulations required by Federal or State
Law.
Company employees will strictly adhere to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of
Trustees of the Alabama Community College System. Failure to comply with such rules, regulations
or policies shall be grounds for immediate termination of the Contract or other remedy available to
the College under law or equity.
PROPOSED CONTRACT PROVISIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
A written contract agreement shall be prepared by the College and submitted to the
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successful Bidder/Contractor after award.
The contract term is proposed for a period of up to three years.
Instances of poor performance by the Company shall be documented by the College and
submitted to the Company for immediate review and corrective action. A review meeting will be
called between the Company and the College when documented instances of poor performance
occur. A plan for corrective action agreeable to both parties will be drafted and implemented.
Continued poor performance shall be deemed a breach of the specifications of this RFP and shall be
cause for immediate termination of the contract awarded in response to this RFP. The College
retains the right to assess whether and when performance is subsequently acceptable.
The marketing management contract (the "Contract") awarded in response to this RFP may
be terminated by either party by giving the other not less than 90 days written notice of the intention
to terminate as of the date specified. If the Contract is terminated for any reason, the Company must
continue marketing operations until a new contractor is in place or until the College is able to
commence operations, provided this period shall not exceed six (3) months from the effective date of
termination. The Contract is not assignable.
All pertinent paragraph provisions and requirements of this RFP will be incorporated into the
Contract, which shall be provided by the College, and shall be executed by authorized
representatives of the Contractor and SSCC. The RFP response will serve as the official document
should any conflict arise as to the interpretation of the contract or any items not included in the
contract.
Contractor is expected to pay all bills and invoices in a timely manner.
ADDENDUM REGARDING SITE VISITS TO THE AVIATION CENTER
It is recommended that all potential bidders schedule a date for a tour and pre-bid conference
to discuss the specifics and vision for this new program. Preference will be given to those bidders
who complete this process.
Dates and times for site visits will be scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis. The dates
available for site visits are as follows:





Wednesday, March 8
Thursday, March 16
Friday, March 17
Monday, March 20
Tuesday, March 21
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Thursday, March 30
Friday, March 31
Monday, April 3
Site visits should be scheduled through the Office of Marketing/Public Relations by
contacting:
Ms. Shelley Smith
Director of Marketing/Public Relations/Alumni
[email protected]
256-840-4128
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