SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA WATER EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY – REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR ADVERTISING SERVICES FOR SF BAY FERRY VESSELS
RFP Issued: November 7, 2024
Proposals Due: December 20, 2024 at 5 PM PST
All proposals, including all forms, must be submitted through the online Bonfire website at: https://WETA.bonfirehub.com.
PART A: INSTRUCTIONS
- BACKGROUND
WETA, a local agency with multi-county jurisdiction, was established by the California Legislature to expand regional ferry service and coordinate waterborne emergency response activities on San Francisco Bay. WETA’s vision is to develop, operate and manage an expanded and enhanced region-wide ferry system that provides a reliable, state-of-the-art and attractive transportation option for the Bay Area, and to play a critical role in coordinating and providing water transportation to serve emergency response and economic recovery needs.
WETA is seeking advertising services from qualified individuals or firms (Proposers). In 2022, SF Bay Ferry established an Advertising Program (Program) in order to sell advertising onboard its vessels. The Program is guided by an Advertising Policy approved by the WETA Board of Directors (Board). The agency currently administers the Program using in-house staff. The agency now wishes to contract with a qualified firm or individual that specializes in advertising services to build revenue potential, improve the passenger experience, and reduce staff’s time commitment to the Program.
For detailed information regarding the required Services, please refer to Part B, Scope of Services. The individual or firm selected pursuant to this RFP (Selected Proposer) will be expected to provide any and all Services in compliance with applicable local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations.
4. REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION OF RFP; ADDENDA
All requests for clarification regarding the meaning or interpretation of any part of this RFP should be in writing and submitted https://WETA.bonfirehub.com. All requests must be submitted by the date and time set forth in Part A, Section 2, Solicitation Timeline.
Should WETA determine that a clarification of the RFP is in order, WETA will issue a written addendum clarifying the matter, which will be posted on the Bonfire website https://WETA.bonfirehub.com. Each Proposer has an on-going responsibility to check the Bonfire website for addenda. WETA has no obligation to provide any other notice of addenda being issued. WETA’s failure to respond to a request for clarification or modification will be deemed to be a rejection of such request. Any WETA determination on any Proposer request will be final. Addenda issued for this RFP, if any, must be expressly acknowledged in Proposer’s cover letter.
5. EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS
Proposers and Proposers’ representatives may not communicate orally with an officer, director, employee, or agent of WETA, outside the procedures set forth in this RFP, until after a final agreement between the Selected Proposer and WETA has been executed. Proposers and their representatives are not prohibited, however, from making oral statements or presentations in public to one or more representatives of WETA during a public meeting. Any written communication regarding the RFP between a Proposer (or the Proposer’s representative) and WETA’s Executive Director, Board Member, officer, employee or consultant, regardless of who initiates the communication, other than as part of the procurement process set forth in this RFP, before WETA issues a Notice to Proceed, will be available for disclosure to the general public.
14. PROPOSAL CONTENT AND FORMAT
Each proposal submitted in response to this RFP must respond fully to the requirements of this RFP and include the following elements in the sequence listed below. It is expected that proposals submitted to WETA be of professional caliber in context and appearance. All descriptions and materials should be clear, concise, and provide sufficient information to minimize questions and assumptions. Proposals should be limited to 25 pages, excluding cover letter, table of contents, resumes, required forms, DBE certifications, and the cost proposal. WETA, at its option, may require a Proposer to provide additional information and/or clarify submitted information.
- Cover Letter
The cover letter must be on company letterhead, be signed by an individual who is legally authorized to bind the firm to the proposal (including the cost proposal) and must include all of the following information:
• Proposer’s name, including all firms involved in a joint venture and any subcontractors. • If the Proposer is a joint venture: (1) provide an executed copy of the Joint Venture contract with the proposal; and (2) outline the specific areas of responsibility (including administrative, technical, and financial) for each member of the Joint Venture.
• Proposer’s business address, telephone numbers, and e-mail address.
• Introduce the firm and summarize its qualifications.
• Name(s) of authorized principals with authority to negotiate and contractually bind the firm.
• A statement that binds the Proposer to its proposal and Fee Proposal Form for 120 calendar days.
• Include an express acknowledgement of the receipt of a complete set of RFP documents and all Addenda issued for this RFP, if any.
• If Proposer submits a confidentiality index, the statement required in Part A, Section 6.A of this RFP. Alternatively, if the Proposer does not submit a confidentiality index in accordance with Part A, Section 6.A, a statement confirming that the Proposal does not contain any confidential information and many be released, in its entirety, by WETA in response to a request made pursuant to the California Public Records Act.
• Indicate whether there are any required disclosures pursuant to the Levine Act. See Part A, Section 7. Include any such disclosure in a separate document as per Part A, Section 7.
• Indicate whether there are any conflicts of interest that would limit the Proposer’s ability to provide the requested services. See Part A, Section 8.
• Requests for exceptions to the Sample Agreement must be stated in the cover letter, or in an attachment thereto. All requests for exceptions to the Sample Agreement must be in writing, separately identified, and delineated for each section of the Sample Agreement. See Part A, Section 10 and Part C of this RFP.
B. Project Understanding and Approach
In this section, provide all of the following information:
• Proposer’s proposed approach to providing the Services, including identification of all subconsultants or subcontractors the Proposer intends to use for this Project. • A discussion on potential impacts to cost, scope and schedule based on lessons learned performing work similar to the Services, including Proposer’s recommendations to lower and/or control costs, if applicable.
• Identification of additional tasks, if any, not identified in the Scope of Services in Part B of this RFP that may be required to successfully meet the stated objectives of this RFP. • Proposer’s approach to working with WETA staff.
• A discussion of opportunities for additional advertising inventory on SF Bay Ferry vessels identified by the Proposer, particularly potential high-value advertising opportunities.
` • A staffing plan that clearly identifies the proposed team composition.
• Address how unanticipated staffing shortfalls will be handled.
• Explain how Key Personnel and subcontractors will be managed. If the work is to be shared among firms and offices at different locations, indicate where each office is located and what work is to be performed in each office.
C. Proposer’s Qualifications and Experience
In this section, the Proposer must provide information about its company so that WETA can evaluate Proposer’s stability and ability to support the commitments in their proposal.
• Description of Proposer’s qualifications to perform the Services, specifically including: knowledge and understanding of applicable regulations, codes and local conditions relating to the Services; accounting systems in place to adequately manage the contract; quality assurance system; experience with national and local advertising sales; experience with selling advertising space on transit agency assets; knowledge and understanding of location-based marketing technology.
• Identify and describe the Proposer’s advertising services experience, in particular any experience working with public agencies and administering advertising policies. List experience of Proposer on not less than three (3) similar clients (do not include WETA projects) over the last five (5) years. The projects should demonstrate the Proposer’s capability and expertise with similar services. Provide contact information for at least three of the listed similar projects.
D. Proposer’s Business and Financial Qualifications
In this section, Proposers must provide pertinent information to allow WETA to reasonably formulate a determination about the financial stability and strength of the Proposer such as financial references, financial statements, or other relevant documentation. Describe any administrative proceedings, claims lawsuits, settlements, or other exposures pending against the Proposer.
E. Qualifications of Key Personnel
“Key Personnel” are those individuals who are essential to the successful completion and execution of the Services. Key Personnel must be available for the duration of the engagement and may not be substituted by the Selected Proposer without WETA’s prior written approval. Substitution of Key Personnel without WETA’s prior written approval will constitute a breach of the Agreement awarded pursuant to this RFP. WETA reserves the right to direct the removal of any individual, including Key Personnel. In this section, Proposers must provide the following for all Key Personnel:
• Name and title
• A description of their qualifications and experience relevant to performing the Services
• Number of years of experience performing work similar to or related to the Services
F. References
Proposers must provide at least three references of client for whom, within the past five years, the Proposer has provided the same or similar services as those called for in this RFP. For each reference include:
• Entity name
• Contact name, email address and phone number
• A brief description of the project and the roles of the respective team members in successfully completing the project.
G. All Required Forms
Proposers must submit all the required forms listed in Part D of the RFP. Failure to execute and submit all the required forms and provide all the requested information may result in the Proposal being rejected as nonresponsive.
PART B: SCOPE OF SERVICES
- Scope of Services
- Advertising Services
The Selected Proposer shall be responsible for:
• Maximizing revenue for WETA through its Advertising Program by proactively selling inventory to interested advertisers.
• Ensuring all ads comply with the agency’s Advertising Policy (See Attachment A) throughout the term of the Agreement. The Selected Proposer will follow the following procedure for reviewing and approving/rejecting proposed ads based on the Advertising Policy and the terms of the Agreement:
i. WETA reserves the right to approve all ads. WETA reserves the right to reject any ad based on its sole determination that the ad does not comply with the Advertising Policy or the Agreement.
ii. Before displaying any ad which could reasonably be construed as being in violation of the Advertising Policy, the Selected Proposer shall first submit the material to WETA for review pursuant to the Advertising Policy.
iii. Upon WETA’s request, the Selected Proposer will provide WETA with reasonable supporting documentation or clarification of the content of any ad prior to approval of the ad.
• Developing and executing strategies to maximize Advertising Program revenue in partnership with WETA, which may include scheduled meetings on a cadence set by WETA.
• Reporting Gross Revenues to designated WETA staff on a monthly basis.
• Projecting and communicating anticipated future year revenues for the Advertising Program for budgeting purposes.
B. Passenger Communication Facilitation
The Selected Proposer shall be responsible for:
• Including an allowance for passenger communication messaging including safety announcements as a part of its plan for the Advertising Program, given that existing advertising tools are a key passenger communication platform for WETA.
• Providing WETA with technical specifications and asset management tools to provide the agency’s passenger communications assets, or developing those assets on behalf and at the guidance of WETA.
• Developing and executing strategies to maximize opportunity for effective passenger communication using Advertising Program assets when available.
C. Technical Support and Equipment Maintenance
The Selected Proposer shall be responsible for:
• Assessing existing technical assets prior to launch and proposing upgrades to be procured at the Selected Proposer’s expense to maximize potential revenue for the Advertising Program, subject to WETA’s approval.
• Installing new equipment in collaboration with WETA’s contract operator and staff at the Selected Proposer’s expense, meeting all legal and insurance requirements.
• Maintaining equipment to keep assets in good working order and avoiding disruptions in the Advertising Program.
• Making the equipment available to help meet U.S. Coast Guard safety requirements to the extent possible, should new equipment replace existing assets used for these purposes.
• Developing repair and replacement plans in collaboration with WETA’s Information Technology Analyst and the contract operator to avoid passenger disruption or vessel unavailability.
D. Additional Requirements
The following additional requirements apply:
• The Selected Proposer must advise WETA that unsold advertising space is available at least five (5) working days before the space is to be vacant. WETA reserves the right to use any unsold advertising space for any advertising, promotion, or purpose it deems to be in the interest of WETA. Production of all advertising materials for WETA’s purposes is WETA’s responsibility. The location and time period for such advertisements shall be mutually agreed upon by WETA and the Selected Proposer.
• Upon WETA’s request, the Selected Proposer must promptly remove from any advertising space, at the Selected Proposer’s sole cost and expense, ads that do not comply with this Agreement or that are damaged or defaced. In the event that such ads are not removed within two (2) working days of receipt of WETA’s request, WETA or its authorized representative may remove said material, and the Selected Proposer shall pay any costs incurred by such action.
2. Technical Specifications
A. System Scope
San Francisco Bay Ferry currently operates six regular routes and three special event routes out of 12 terminals using its own vessels. In addition, at the time of this publishing, SF Bay Ferry operates two pilot routes using non-WETA vessels. The scope of the agency’s Advertising Program is limited to the 17 vessels serving regular and special event. Advertising space will not be available on non-WETA vessels participating in SF Bay Ferry pilot services nor at temporary or pilot-only terminals.
All vessels are equipped with 5G cellular data service. Data service is available in most but not all areas of the Bay traversed by SF Bay Ferry vessels. In order to preserve vessel internet bandwidth and to ensure playback is uninterrupted in case of loss of internet connectivity, advertising content should not be streamed in real time to the boat. Instead, content should be downloaded cached/stored locally on the equipment on the boat for playback throughout the day. Large downloads should be scheduled to occur during non-operational hours.
B. Existing Digital Displays
All 17 WETA-owned vessels as well as vessels currently in construction are equipped with multiple digital screens. These screens are used for the Advertising Program as well as passenger communication needs.
Currently, these digital displays are connected via HDBaseT (HDMI over Ethernet) to a central media player in or near the pilothouse of each vessel. These servers are connected via the 5G cellular network to the Scala Content Manager server located at the WETA North Bay Operations and Maintenance Facility in Vallejo, Calif. Content is managed via the Scala Content Management system by WETA staff and consultants.
Each vessel has between three and six digital displays located in high visibility areas in all passenger cabin areas. The displays are all LG or Samsung commercial televisions. Most are 43 inches; some are as small as 32 inches and some are as large as 50 inches.
Digital displays and servers are procured and installed during vessel construction, prior to commissioning. Assets are maintained and replaced as needed by contractors during the vessel’s useful life.
Audio will not be permitted as a part of advertisements.
WETA shall not be responsible for loss in revenue due to equipment failures that prevent display of ads on one or more screens. Repairs may not be able to be made in a timely manner for a variety of reasons including operational limitations, higher-priority maintenance, or delays in receiving replacement equipment.
C. Potential Additional Advertising Spaces
Additional physical advertising opportunities may be made available on WETA-owned vessels. The primary physical advertising spaces in addition to the digital displays including the front of the concession bar on the main deck of each vessel and wall space adjacent to interior stairwells. Some vessels may have limited unadorned bulkhead space available for physical advertising. Inventory may include other spaces at WETA’s discretion.
WETA will not allow advertising on windows in order to protect passengers’ views of the Bay and cityscapes.
The Selected Proposer will be responsible for the cost of materials and labor for all physical advertisements. Installation will need to occur during scheduled downtime for the vessels on dates and at times specified by WETA.
Decisions to add potential high-value advertising spaces to the allowable advertising inventory will be subject to WETA approval at all times.
