The County of Cheshire is requesting a detailed proposal from qualified contractors or professional consultants for a destination marketing campaign for New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region and corresponding website, www.MonadnockNH.com. The County of Cheshire will hire and compensate the firm and provide fiscal and contractual oversight and the Greater Monadnock Collaborative will provide project management and contractor oversight.

Submissions and Timeline

1. RFP release date: Friday, May 19, 2023.
2. To receive RFP addendums, questions and answers, and any available additional documents to assist in preparing the proposals, please submit intent to apply notice by email containing name and email address to the grants manager sbansley@co.cheshire.nh.us. Intent to apply notice is not required to apply.
3. Questions must be submitted in writing via email to the grants manager at sbansley@co.cheshire.nh.us no later than 9am on Friday, June 2, 2023. Responses will be made available to all bidders within 2 business days.
4. Project proposals are due by 9am on Friday, June 16, 2023. Proposals must be sent via PDF attachment to an email sent to sbansley@co.cheshire.nh.us.
5. The County and the Collaborative may choose to conduct interviews of bidders, and if this option is exercised, interviews will be schedule between June 28, 2023 and July 12, 2023.
6. The estimated date for selection of contract awardee is July 14, 2023.
7. The estimated start date for contract is August 1, 2023.

Scope of Work and Technical Requirements

1. The awarded contractor shall:
   1. Develop several digital advertising campaigns for multiple seasons and relative activities and events.
      1. The target audience of the campaigns shall be potential visitors that live in New England and New York and are between the ages of 24 and 45.
      2. The goal of the campaigns shall be to drive visitors from our preferred target audience to the website www.MonadnockNH.com and to increase awareness of the Monadnock Region.
      3. Campaigns shall incorporate the newly developed regional brand and logos.
      4. The general message of the campaigns shall be to introduce the Monadnock Region to travelers looking for a perfect getaway offering seasonal outdoor recreation, surprising and robust cultural experiences, and a great dining and craft brewery scene.
      5. Advertising channels must include Google Search, email blast campaigns to subscribers of online publications, online display advertising, social media campaigns, OTT advertising, print media.
2. Provide detailed proposals inclusive of the above scope of work and identify the quantity and quality of the campaigns based on a fixed budget of $148,000.
3. Project proposals should include the ability to complete the project by the deadline of March 31, 2024.
4. Project proposals should include statements confirming the following:
   1. The contractor will supply all equipment, materials, supplies, labor, and any other items or services necessary to complete the scope of work.
   2. The contractor will complete and submit in a timely manner all documentation required by the County of Cheshire and/or the Greater Monadnock Collaborative (for grant funding purposes).
   3. The contractor has or will obtain at its own cost general liability coverage with a limit of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate; professional liability coverage with limits of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate; and worker’s compensation coverage meeting State of NH required limits and providing employer’s liability coverage. The successful bidder must submit at the time a contract is executed a current certificate of insurance from a company licensed to issue such insurance in the State of New Hampshire.
   4. The contractor is not debarred, suspended, or otherwise prohibited from receiving federal funds.

Proposal Requirements

1. Approach: Describe how your firm will approach this project and accomplish the scope of work in terms of preparation, research, work organization or delegation, procedures and process, communication with the County and the Collaborative, and assurances that the work will result in a high quality product or service and meet the specifications listed under Scope of Work and Technical Requirements.
   1. Contractors/consultants with expertise in some, but not all of the Scope of Work and Technical Requirements categories may still apply with a proposed reduced fixed firm budget amount. The County and the Collaborative may consider working with multiple firms.
2. Schedule/timeline: Indicate how long the project will take to complete and confirm that you are able to meet the project deadline. Provide a schedule with anticipated milestones from the execution of a contract through final completion of the project.
3. Organizational description: Provide a description of your business’s history, staffing (education and relevant work experience), and lines of work (projects or service programs) related to the scope of work in this RFP. Indicate whether the organization is a qualified disadvantaged business (DBE), women-owned, or minority-owned. Lack of relevant experience on the part of the bidder may be grounds for disqualification.
4. Greater Monadnock Collaborative responsibilities: Indicate what your expectations are for the Collaborative in order for your firm to ensure a successful project.
5. Price Proposal: Shall be $148,000 fixed firm inclusive of the entire Scope of Work and Technical Requirements as described above; or contractor may propose a lower fixed-firm all-inclusive price needed to complete specified sections of the Scope of Work. Contractor shall clearly indicate the Scope of Work items included in their proposed price.
6. References: Provide a description and references for three (3) comparable projects your firm has undertaken over the past three (3) years. Reference information shall include names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, dates, and brief description of the work performed.
7. Example work/portfolio: Provide one or more examples of work similar to the scope of work in this RFP. Example work may be provided in the form of an attachment to the proposal or as a web link to the source.
8. Disclose subcontractors: Confirm that the firm understands that if selected they will be required to obtain pre-approval from the County for any subcontractors they intend to use on this project and that subcontracts must contain particular terms and conditions applicable to all tiers of contracts funded under a federal grant.
9. Provide UEI and EIN numbers registered to the applicant business.
10. Submit 1 electronic file of the proposal in a single PDF file; all fonts shall be Times New Roman or Ariel, 12-point font, and in sentenced case.

Eligibility Requirements and Selection Criteria

Before making its award or issuing a contract, the County and the Greater Monadnock Collaborative shall consider the project proposal, work, and/or services or products delivered that best serves the needs and financial interests of the County and the Greater Monadnock Collaborative. The County and the Greater Monadnock Collaborative reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to award any proposal, to waive as informality any irregularities on proposals received, and to omit any item or items as it may deem to be in the best interest of the County and the Greater Monadnock Collaborative. The decision of the county shall be final and not subject to review or appeal. Contractors whose offer meets the minimum requirements specified below will be evaluated.

Criteria

1. Firm has at least three years of experience relevant to the scope of work.
2. Proposal addresses and/or acknowledges all aspects of the scope of work and technical requirements.
3. Firm and employees to work on the project have excellent character, reputation, and judgment.
4. Approach to the project is logical, reasonable, appropriate, and thorough.

Eligibility

1. Firm is registered with Sam.gov, has a verifiable UEI number and an unexpired registration date.
2. Firm and any key employees to work on the project are not debarred, suspended, or otherwise restricted from receiving federal funds.
3. Firm is registered as a licensed business.
4. Firm is able to meet deadline or delivery date.
5. Proposal contains all content required.

Privacy, Confidentiality, and Publicity

Information provided through the application process is the responsibility of each applicant. Applicants agree not to hold Cheshire County or the Greater Monadnock Collaborative, their affiliates, members, partners, and staff liable for any losses, damages, costs, or expenses of any kind relating to the use or the adequacy, accuracy, or completeness of any information appearing in an application.

Depending on the individual circumstances of this RFP and applications, any or all parts of this process and corresponding submissions may be considered public information. Any confidential information, including trade secrets, shall be redacted, removed, or clearly identified by the applicant prior to submission.

If awarded, be advised that the business/applicant’s application information, name, statements, and other information provided during the award process may be used for promotional purposes in all forms and media and the business/applicant may be contacted by Cheshire County, NH for such purposes. Until notified, applicants must agree not to share any status as a finalist publicly, including but not limited to all social media platforms, news media, or local publications.

Conflict of Interest

Any employee, officer, or agent of Cheshire County or Greater Monadnock Collaborative participating in the selection, award, or administration of this RFP and/or the grant that funds this RFP must disclose to the County in writing if they have a real or apparent conflict of interest regarding their entity or any applying entities. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of their immediate family, their partner(s), or organization(s) which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from an entity considered for this contract. The officers, employees, and agents of Cheshire County may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from award or contract recipients. Cheshire County and Greater Monadnock Collaborative employees, officers, or agents with a conflict of interest must disclose the conflict in writing to the county grants manager at sbansley@co.cheshire.nh.us, and must recuse themselves of any vote pertaining to the contract, and dismiss themselves from any conversation(s) relating to a contract or its terms or conditions.