Piedmont Technical College Issues Marketing RFP

Piedmont Technical College seeks to procure the services of one or more qualified firms with demonstrated experience in marketing research and enrollment management in the two-year, community college sector in order to gain a deeper understanding of market opportunities to facilitate enrollment growth and sustainability.

Background:

Founded in 1966 and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, PTC is a comprehensive two-year college offering hands-on career training and university transfer coursework.

The college serves a seven-county area: Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, and Saluda— the largest geographic region of any technical college in South Carolina. Although the college’s original and largest campus is located in Greenwood, PTC has a campus location in each of the six additional counties it serves. PTC offers a wide variety of credentials, including more than 27 associate degrees, 6 diplomas, 30+ certificate programs, and more than 350 continuing education course offerings to the public each year through various modalities, including a substantial online education presence.

The college offers four unique regional programs, some of which pull students from throughout the Southeast and beyond: Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, Diversified Agriculture, Gunsmithing, and Cardiovascular Technology. PTC is only one of three colleges offering a two-year Veterinary Technology degree in South Carolina, and one of only several Occupational Therapy Assistant programs.

The college holds a strong market position, particularly in Greenwood County. PTC enrolls between 20 and 25 percent of the graduating high school senior class each fall, and has built an extensive list of strategic partnerships with public schools, senior institutions, and other stakeholders in the region.

Scope of Work:

The selected contractor(s) will provide market research and recommendations including:

1. ANALYSIS OF ENROLLMENT TRENDS

Analysis of institutional enrollment trends, including opportunities to improve inquiry, applicant, admit and new student enrollment numbers.

2. INITATIVE IDENTIFICATION

Identification of initiatives correlated with growth in similar institutions, and analysis of applicability to Piedmont Technical College, including but not limited to scheduling options, program positioning, and program packaging.

3. PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION

Identification of academic programs with additional unmet need, including the college’s current program mix and potential new program offerings.

4. POTENTIAL MARKETS IDENTIFICATION

Identification of high potential market segments (new and existing) based on the market size and competitive positioning of Piedmont Technical College.

5. POTENTIAL SEGMENTS IDENTIFICATION

Description of high potential segments in terms of interest in existing or new programs, reasons for considering Piedmont Technical College, key barriers to enrolling at the college, and the relative position of Piedmont Technical College to its competitors.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations regarding the highest potential courses of action as demonstrated by the research questions detailed above.

7. FURNISH A RESEARCH PLAN

The contractor must include a sound research plan, to be presented to the college’s designee for final input and approval upon award of the contract.

8. MEETINGS

Teleconferencing is available and intermittently acceptable, but research results and recommendations must be made in person following the completion of the study.

9. SERVICE EXPANSION/FEES

Any expansion of services resulting in an increase in the maximum fee must have the prior written approval of the college. Full justification with an estimate of revised cost must be provided. The maximum budget will not be exceeded unless there is mutual agreement that the factors justifying the increase are realistic and were not foreseeable at the time of contract negotiations.

10. DELIVERIES

After award, all deliveries shall be made and all services provided to the following address, unless otherwise specified:

Piedmont Technical College

620 N. Emerald Rd.

P.O. Box 1467

Greenwood, SC 29648

Due Date:

September 17th

Address:

PIEDMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Brian K. McKenna, Procurement Officer

PO Box 1467

Greenwood, SC 29648

Zeno Group and Makovsky PR are worth considering for this assignment.