Jaunt On-Call Communications Strategy & Creative Services
Deadline: January 14, 2025, at 1:00 pm ET
Contact & Address:
Jaunt, Inc.
Attn: Mike Mills, Director of Procurement
104 Keystone Place
Charlottesville, VA 22902
All proposals must be received via eVA
Brief Description: Jaunt, Inc. (“Jaunt”) seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide On-Call Communications Strategy & Creative Services (the “Services”) for Jaunt on an as-needed basis. The Services would include creating, refining, executing and evaluating marketing strategies aligned with the brand and strategic goals of Jaunt, and concepting and executing excellent quality, in-brand creative products.
This RFP states the instructions for submitting proposals and the procedure and criteria by which an Offeror may be selected. Jaunt has the option to select multiple Offerors for an award and establish those Offerors as “Contract Vendors” who are pre-qualified to provide Services to Jaunt on an as-needed basis. Please note that becoming a Selected Offeror/Contract Vendor does not guarantee that Jaunt will request any Services during the agreement period.
Introduction: Jaunt provides regional paratransit and fixed route transit in central Virginia including Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville as well as with Louisa, Nelson, Fluvanna, Greene, and Buckingham counties. Organized in 1975, Jaunt is recognized statewide and nationally for the high quality of its efficient service and driver training. Our buses make about 300,000 trips each year throughout a 2,600-square-mile service area, carrying riders to work, medical appointments, stores, leisure activities, and other destinations. Jaunt uses local, state, and federal funding to supplement fares and agency payments. With about 100 vehicles, Jaunt maintains an exemplary record of safety; reliability; and courteous, cost-effective service.
Scope of Services
Jaunt seeks proposals from qualified firms for Communication Strategy and Creative Services (“Services”) on an as-needed basis for the categories as defined below. The purpose of this RFP is to provide Jaunt with the services of one or more professional advertising/marketing firms to provide short notice and “as-needed” services relating to develop and execute marketing, advertising, promotional, market research, and similar programs.
The Services contract is intended to provide timely and professional services for a wide-variety of tasks associated with the marketing, advertising, promotion, and market research programs of Jaunt. Jaunt consists of fixed route and paratransit services but could include coordination with other entities including, but not limited to, transportation network companies. These potential tasks include:
- Development of a communications strategy and marketing plan
- Graphic design, publication, and printing services including routine services such as serviced related graphics and signage (including wayfinding); branding, presentation templates, newsletter, as well as web/social media site design
- Ad hoc or temporary marketing and communication services including public relations, managing press relationships, and assistance with crisis communications. This may include designating a staff person to serve as Jaunt’s communications specialist/manager or assist an existing staff member serving in a similar capacity.
- Development and/or execution of promotional events and programs such as, but not limited to, staging special events.
- Development and/or execution of a wide range of advertising including, but not limited to, print, direct mail, social media, radio, television, etc.
- Copywriting and media buy services.
- Market research including, but not limited to, on-board customer surveys, focus groups, public surveys, etc.
- Coordination of language translation services for selected Jaunt materials
- Project management for any of the above tasks.
Jaunt encourages teaming among vendors so that it has “one-stop shopping” for the above services. While Jaunt has the option of awarding multiple contracts, we desire to have each team be able to deliver complete services. Jaunt also encourages proposers to add, as options, services not indicated above.
Offerors may submit proposals for one or more of the categories of services listed above. Offerors will be selected as pre-qualified “Contract Suppliers” according to expertise in the disciplines for which they submit proposals. Proposals shall be clearly organized. Jaunt may pre-qualify Offerors in whole or in part and will select Offerors in the manner that best meets the needs of Jaunt based on the evaluation criteria set forth in this RFP.
Work will be awarded to Offerors individually during the term of any resulting agreement. Projects may be award based on Jaunt’s knowledge of the expertise of the Offeror in a given area, competitively bid among all pre-qualified Offerors, or by other means determined to provide the best overall value to Jaunt. Note that no work is authorized without a Jaunt issued task order, and no minimum or maximum amount of work is guaranteed to any selected Offeror under any resulting agreement. The scope of each project will be determined at the time of the request. The selected Offeror(s) will work with Jaunt to provide the requested services.
