VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY YOUTH REQUEST FOR BEST VALUE PROPOSALS (RFP) #852M20253 Title: Social Marketing Initiatives, Messaging, Web/Digital/Design and Media

Web link: file:///C:/Users/cbettencourt/Downloads/2025_Social_Marketing_RFP%20(1).pdf

DUE DATE:  Online proposals are due and must be uploaded by 11:59 pm, Eastern Standard Time, April

4, 2024, to be considered. 

Issuing Agency: Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY)

 Period of Contract: From July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, with four additional options to

renew, in whole or in part, at the sole discretion of the Board of Trustees of the VFHY.

 Anticipated amount of awards: Not to exceed $4,500,000 (initial period of contract).

 This is an online proposal process. No hard copy proposals will be accepted.

 All inquiries for information should be directed to Daniel Saggese, Director of Marketing at

(804) 225-3624 or dsaggese@vfhy.org.

 Note: This Public Body does not discriminate against faith-based organizations in accordance

with the Code of Virginia, Section 2.2-4343.1 or against an Offeror because of race, religion,

color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to

discrimination in employment.

 Late proposals will not be accepted. Proposals will be accepted until 11:59 p.m., April 4,

2024.

 All data, materials, and documentation originating and prepared for the VFHY pursuant to the

RFP shall belong exclusively to the VFHY and such data, materials and documents shall be

subject to public inspection and disclosure in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of

Information Act. Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an Offeror shall not be

subject to public disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act; however, the

Offeror must invoke the protection of Section 2.2-4342 (F) of the Code of Virginia, in writing,

either before or at the time the data is submitted. The written notice must specifically identify

the data or materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. The

proprietary or trade secret material submitted must be identified by some distinct method such

as highlighting or underlining and must indicate only the specific words, figures or paragraphs

that constitute trade secrets or proprietary information. A bidder, offeror, or contractor shall not

designate as trade secrets or proprietary information (a) an entire bid, proposal, or

prequalification application; (b) any portion of a bid, proposal, or prequalification application

that does not contain trade secrets or proprietary information; or (c) line item prices or total bid,

proposal, or prequalification application prices. The classification of the entire proposal

document, line item prices and/or total proposal prices as proprietary or trade secrets is not

acceptable and will result in rejection and return of the proposal.

AWARD INFORMATION

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Request for Best Value Proposals (RFP) is to solicit online proposals to

establish a contract or contracts through competitive negotiations for the purchase of the

continued implementation of youth nicotine/substance use prevention and obesity prevention

campaigns and initiatives by the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (also referred to herein

as the Purchasing Agency). This could include, but not be limited to: developing, producing,

designing and delivering prevention messaging, and the use of all appropriate

mediums/channels to communicate those messages. This solicitation is using Best Value

procurement procedures.

VFHY uses best practices from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC),

numerous social norms change models, and marketing segmentation strategies to inform our

advertising and marketing approach. These tools have demonstrated the importance of

identifying at-risk and underserved populations, and that the frequency of a behavior decreases

when that behavior becomes less acceptable and less desirable. The successful candidate(s)

will be expected to use best practices while continuing to build upon the strengths and

strategies of VFHY’s long-running prevention media and messaging campaigns.

II. BACKGROUND

The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth was established by the Virginia General Assembly

to lead statewide efforts to reduce and prevent youth tobacco use/vaping, substance use, and

childhood obesity. In 1999, the Virginia General Assembly created the Virginia Foundation for

Healthy Youth (VFHY) to distribute monies from the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Fund for

the purpose of restricting the use of tobacco products by minors through such means as

educational and awareness programs on the health effects of tobacco use on minors, and

enforcement of laws restricting the distribution of tobacco products to minors. Because of the

Foundation’s great success at reducing youth tobacco use and helping youth in Virginia learn to

make positive, healthy lifestyle choices, the Virginia General Assembly voted unanimously in

2009 to rename the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation (VTSF) as the Virginia

Foundation for Healthy Youth, adding childhood obesity prevention and reduction to our

mission. Upon continued success, substance use prevention was added to VFHY’s mission in

2015.

III. STATEMENT OF NEEDS

The VFHY is seeking agency or agencies for continued implementation of the VFHY’s current

social marketing campaigns/initiatives. A total of up to $4,500,000 is available.

IV. EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA

Specific Requirements:

A. Proposals should include responses to the following questions and statements:

1. Strategy and Vision of VFHY Social Marketing Campaigns

a. What do you envision as the major components of your plan for the

campaigns/initiatives of the VFHY? Plan should contain one tobacco/vaping/substance

use prevention initiative, and one initiative focused on promoting nutrition and/or

phyiscal activity.

b. Please include the segments of Virginia population your plan will reach, and all the

mediums/channels utilized.

c. Explain how behavior change will be a component of the campaign objectives

2. Focused Experience

a. Provide your experience in creating and producing youth-focused social marketing

campaigns, messages, materials, etc. Provide relevant examples and descriptions

including: Rational, Collaboration, Methods, Audience Segments, Strategies, and

Outcomes.

b. Discuss examples of your experience implementing a marketing campaign that helped

to influence policy/systems/environment change.

c. What is your experience working with a government entity? List examples.

d. Provide examples of your experience in collaborating with outside

agencies/organizations, other than subcontractors, to finish a project for a client.

3. Capacity of Agency

a. Include the agency history, annual billings, number of clients, and number of staff.

b. Describe your experience conducting a statewide campaign using a variety of mediums.

c. What is your capacity for purchasing specific forms of media, and your ability to

leverage buying power?

d. Do you consider using outside vendors for a typical project? Describe your process for

identifing and managing subcontracts, and how your agency typically holds a

subcontractor accountable for a project.

4. Client Management/Agency Structure

a. What is your business model to manage client accounts?

b. Are there any accounts on which the Offeror works that may be in conflict with the

VFHY’s mission?

c. What are the qualifications of the staff that will be involved in managing the account?

(Please include resumes and/or position descriptions in the appendix)

d. How does the media buying team participate in the strategic development process?

e. Describe your agency’s methods related to estimating, invoicing, and reconciliation of

accounts.

f. What are the qualifications of current staff that will be assigned to these accounting

duties? (Please include resumes and/or position descriptions in the appendix)

g. List your attorney of record and provide a description of their expertise as it relates to

this proposal.

h. Is the agency SWaM Initial Certified (Small, Woman and Minority-owned Businesses)

by the Department of Minority Business Enterprises (DMBE)?

5. Other Branding Efforts

a. In your opinion, what are the most effective current brands marketed to youth today?

Why?

b. Which tobacco/vaping/substance use prevention brand(s) and/or obesity prevention

brand(s) do you most admire?

6. Budget

a. Provide a line item budget. This should align with your proposed plan from 1a and 1b.

b. Provide a brief narrative justification for line items, as well as methods used to calculate

each line item.

B. A minimum of three (3) samples of previous work. Samples most relevant to the VFHY’s

mission are preferred.

C. A minimum of three (3) letters of reference. One shall be from a past client for whom you have

done creative/production/media work.