Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Advertising and Marketing Campaign Services
Purpose
This is a Request for Quotes (RFQ) issued by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), Office of Contracts and Acquisitions (OCA) on behalf of the Office of Family Assistance (OFA). This RFQ is a second phase solicitation under the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) competitive selection two-phase contract, MAC122, Marketing of ODJFS Programs, which was administered on behalf of ODJFS. This solicitation invites responses only from contractors under the MAC122 contract. ODJFS may award the quote to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder amongst the six MAC122 contractors. Therefore, quotes received from vendors not awarded on the MAC122 contract will not be accepted. All MAC122 contractor quotes will be evaluated to determine the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, and the most advantageous response for ODJFS. A quote will be disqualified if the response fails to meet the required specifications of this RFQ, or is otherwise deemed unacceptable, incomplete or is found to be invalid. Quoted pricing must be at or lower than current MAC122 contract pricing. Quotes must be proposed in accordance with the contractor’s current MAC122 contract with the State of Ohio to govern the quote being provided. In addition, all responses must be submitted as a company letterhead quote for the “Social Media & Digital Media Advertising”.
Project Background
The purpose of this RFQ is to obtain a qualified public relations or marketing firm to assist ODJFS with the development of a series of social/digital media campaigns to cover services available through: Adult Protective Services, OhioMeansJobs, and awareness around SNAP fraud.
This social media advertising campaign will focus on reaching Ohioans through paid advertising on, but not limited to, Facebook, Google, YouTube, X, and all streaming services/channels. ODJFS is open to alternative suggestions such as movie theaters and billboard advertising. The selected vendor will manage all advertising buys and placement. Tactics may include, but are not limited to search ads, pre-roll, and digital ads.
The media campaign will focus on the promotion of four areas:
1. Adult Protective Services
• Adult Protective Services (APS) help vulnerable adults aged 60 and older who are in danger of harm or unable to protect themselves and may have no one to assist them. The objective of this project is to enhance the existing outreach campaign.
2. OhioMeansJobs
• OhioMeansJobs.com is an innovative way for Ohioans to find a job, learn career skills, meet the requirements of your government benefits, and more. There are 88 OhioMeansJobs Centers throughout Ohio. At these centers, job seekers can get help finding a job. They can also get access to the internet, computers, printers, technology training, and more. Ohio employers get help recruiting employees and providing job training. The objective of this project is to promote the county OhioMeansJobs Centers and OhioMeansJobs.com.
3. SNAP Fraud Awareness and Prevention
• The Food Assistance Program − known nationally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) − helps eligible Ohioans stretch their food budgets and buy healthy food. Food
assistance benefits are distributed electronically through the Ohio Direction Card, which is
similar to a debit card. Recently, these cards have been a target of fraud nationwide. The objective of this project is to raise fraud awareness to SNAP recipients and encourage them to protect their accounts with proactive solutions.
4. Ohio Benefits
• Ohio Benefits (benefits.ohio.gov) is a convenient website that allows Ohioans to apply for and manage public assistance programs (cash, food, medical, and childcare assistance). The objective of this project is to promote the website to Ohioans in need.
This campaign will require the vendor to develop creative assets based on input and existing campaign materials from ODJFS. The vendor will also be responsible to developing a strategy around media/ad placements, as well as executing that strategy.
All creative must be delivered by June 30, 2024, and invoicing for media buys must be submitted by
June 30 for the first quarter of state fiscal year 2025. The agency expects the campaign to run through the first quarter of FY25.
Quote Submission
RFQ respondents must submit quotes via the Ohio|Buys website no later than 4:00 pm EST on the date indicated on the sourcing event. Quotes received after this date and time will not be reviewed. ODJFS shall reject any quotes or unauthorized quote amendments submitted after the Quote Due Date.
Contractors must carefully review the requirements of this RFQ and the contents of its quote. Once the Quote Due Date has passed, quotes cannot be altered, except as allowed by this RFQ. All quotes and other submitted material shall become the property of the ODJFS and shall not be returned. All quotes must be good for 90 days and late responses will not be evaluated for the RFQ award.
Should respondents experience technical difficulties accessing the Ohio|Buys website, they may contact the ODJFS Office of Contracts and Acquisitions (OCA) at OCA_PURCHASING_REQUEST@jfs.ohio.gov.
Submission Format
Each submission must include sufficient data to allow the State to verify the total cost for the Project and all of the Contractor’s claims of meeting the RFQ’s requirements. Each submission must respond to every request for information in this attachment whether the request requires a simple “yes” or “no” or requires a detailed explanation. Simply repeating the RFQ’s requirement and agreeing to comply will be an unacceptable response and may cause the quote to be rejected.
These instructions describe the required format for a responsive Quote. The Contractor may include any additional information it believes is relevant. An identifiable cover page must precede each section of the response, and each response must follow the format outlined below. All pages, except pre-printed technical inserts, must be sequentially numbered within each section. Any material deviation from the format outlined below may result in a rejection of the non-conforming submission.
Each submission must contain the following information, in order, with sections as listed below:
1. Cover Letter
2. Staffing Plan
3. Statement agreeing to scope of services, to include the contractor’s approach and methodology.
4. Project Plan and Schedule
5. Quote on Company letterhead with the proposed Cost Summary in the required format
Internet Question and Answer (Q & A) Period; RFQ Clarification Opportunity Prospective respondents or other parties may ask clarifying questions regarding this RFQ via the internet during the Q & A Period as outlined on the Sourcing Event page dedicated to the RFQ in Ohio|Buys. To ask a question, respondents must use the following internet process:
Respondents must use the Inquiry tab on the RFQ in Ohio Buys to submit all inquiries or to seek clarification. Respondents submitting inquiries will receive an immediate acknowledgement by e-mail that their inquiry has been received. Respondents who submitted the inquiry will not receive an e-mail response to the question, they will need to view the response on the Ohio Buys RFQ site where it will be posted for viewing by all respondents. Respondents may view all inquiries through the Inquiry tab located within the RFQ.
ODJFS will try to respond to all properly posted inquiries within 48 hours, excluding weekends and state holidays. ODJFS will not respond to any inquiries received after the date and time indicated on the RFQ. Respondents who attempt to seek information or clarifications verbally will be directed to post their questions in writing in accordance with the terms of this RFQ and state purchasing policy. ODJFS strongly encourages respondents to ask questions early in the Q & A period so that answers can be posted with sufficient time for any possible follow-up questions.
Questions regarding this RFQ must reference the relevant section of this document, the heading for the provision under question, and the page number where the provision can be found. The name of a representative of the Offeror (or other party), the Offeror’s name, phone number, and e-mail address must be provided to submit an inquiry. ODJFS may, at its option, disregard any question(s) which do not appropriately reference an RFQ provision and location within the RFQ, or which do not include identification of the originator of the question. ODJFS is under no obligation to acknowledge questions submitted through the Q & A process if those questions are not in accordance with these instructions.
Questions received/submitted after the time indicated on the date the Q & A period closes will not be answered.
Proposals in response to this RFQ are to take into account any information communicated by ODJFS in the Q & A process for the RFQ. It is the responsibility of all respondents to check this site on a regular basis for responses to all questions, as well as for any amendments, alerts, or other pertinent information regarding this RFQ. ODJFS is not responsible for the accuracy of any information regarding this RFQ that was obtained or gathered through a source other than from the Q & A process described in this RFQ.
Budget
The estimated budget for the Office of Family Assistance Social Media & Digital Media Advertising campaign is not to exceed: $75,000 (Overall Budgeted amount).
