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STATE OF COLORADO REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL COVER SHEET & SIGNATURE PAGE Date: January 12, 2010 RFP Reference: CTO – INTL - Germany RFP Submission Deadline: March 25, 2010 3:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) Caution: Daily mail may not be received prior to 3 pm. Vendors are responsible to ensure timely receipt. Number of Copies: One Original plus 5 Hard Copies and an electronic version (CD ROM) of all files in MS Word, Excel, or PDF as required. All Bids Shall be Quoted F.O.B. Destination unless Otherwise Specified Colorado Tourism Office – In-Market Representative-Germany, Austria & Switzerland Per the attached specifications, terms and conditions F.E.I.N.: Payment Terms: (Minimum of Net 30) Delivery Date: Authorized Signature: Typed/Printed Name: Title: Company Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone Number: Fax Number: Contact for Clarifications: Title: Phone Number: Fax Number: E-mail Address: IMPORTANT: The following information must be on the outside of the Bid Return Envelope: Statue RFP- CTO In-Market Representation - Germany – March 25, 2010, 3:00 pm (Mountain Time) Please be advised that telegraphic or electronic bids (Fax, Western Union, Telex, e-mail, etc.) cannot be accepted in the Purchasing Office as a sealed proposal. Offerors are urged to read the solicitation document thoroughly before submitting a proposal. Offerors are required to submit Federal Employer Identification Number (F.E.I.N.) prior to payment from the State of Colorado. RETURN THIS PAGE - i - TABLE OF CONTENTS Transmital Letter………...….……………………………………….………... ii Section 1 – Administrative Requirements ............................................... 1 Section 2 - Schedule of Activities & Inquiries ......................................... 7 Section 3 - Background Information ........................................................ 8 Section 4 - Statement of Work ................................................................ 10 Section 5 - Response Format & Proposal Instructions ........................ 13 Section 6 - Evaluation and Award Selection Process .......................... 16 TRANSMITAL LETTER To: Interested Germany In-Market Representatives From: Colorado Tourism Office Re: Request for Proposal for Marketing, Advertising, Promotional and Public Relations Services in the German, Austrian & Swiss Markets Attached is a exempt request for proposal (RFP) from Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) who is seeking a vendor to coordinate, oversee and help manage the state’s international marketing programs in Germany, Austria & Switzerland beginning July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011 with three, one-year extensions possible. This request for proposal is being sent to all interested and capable parties. To compete and win this contract, a firm must demonstrate that they have the experience and capability to handle a program of the size, scope and complexity of the Colorado Tourism Office’s program, and that they have an office in Germany. The selection process will consist of two steps. 1. A written response concerning the firm’s capabilities and strategies related to the international travel trade, media and consumer markets. 2. If chosen as a finalist, an oral interview will be conducted. A committee made up of CTO Board, Tourism Industry Partners and Colorado Tourism Office staff will select the winning firm. The winner will be announced no later than June 15, 2010. -ii- Section 1 – Administrative Requirements 1.1 Official Means of Communication Per CRS – 24 – 4.9.7 – 107 The Colorado Tourism Office is exempt from procurement code. During the solicitation process for this exempt RFP, all official communication with Offerors will be via notices on http://www.colorado.com/IndustryPartners/DocumentedQuotesandJobs.aspx Notices may include any modifications to administrative or performance requirements, answers to inquiries received, clarifications to requirements, and the announcement of the apparent winning offeror. It is incumbent upon Offerors to carefully and regularly monitor this web site for any such notices. 1.2 Structure of this Request for Proposal The State of Colorado Solicitation Instructions and Terms and Conditions linked through the BIDS Solicitation Page govern except as modified or supplemented in these instructions. 1.3 Exempt RFP Cancellation The State reserves the right to cancel this entire exempt Request for Proposal or individual phases at any time, without penalty. 1.4 Scope of the Exempt RFP/Basis for Award The purpose of this exempt Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals to establish a contract with one or more organizations experienced in providing high quality international marketing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. An evaluation will be conducted, and award will be made to the Offeror whose proposal is determined to be most advantageous to the State considering the evaluation factors set forth in Section 6 below. 1.5 Number of Awards The State may award one contract as a result of this exempt RFP. 1.6 Term of the Contract This exempt RFP will result in one multiple year contracts for periods not to exceed four years. The initial contract will be effective upon approval by the Colorado Tourism Board of Directors and the Director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade for one year. The contract may be renewed for three additional one-year periods, at the sole discretion of the Colorado Tourism Office, contingent upon contractual requirements being satisfied and funds being appropriated, budgeted, and otherwise made available. All companies submitting a proposal from this exempt RFP have to be registered with the State of Colorado’s Secretary of State Office http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/main.htm and receive a certificate of Good Standing. There will be one primary contractor to fulfill the duties of the contract. The prime contractor can subcontract any aspect of the work, but the prime contractor will be the contact point for all aspects of the contract. Page 1 of 17 1.7 Issuing Office This exempt Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued for the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) by the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO). The agency below is the sole point of contact concerning this exempt RFP. Offerors should not contact any other state office or individual regarding this exempt RFP or this project. 1.8 Inquiries Offerors may make email, written or fax inquiries concerning this exempt RFP to obtain clarification of requirements. No inquiries will be accepted after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities. The Colorado Tourism Office prefers that all inquiries be sent by electronic mail with the exempt RFP reference in the subject line to: Diana.Carey@state.co.us Colorado Tourism Office 1625 Broadway, Suite 2700 Denver, Colorado 80202 Phone: 303-892-3885 RFP Reference: RFP- CTO – INTL - Germany Address written inquiries to: Diana Carey, International Marketing Manager Response to offeror's inquiries (if required) will be published on http://www.colorado.com/IndustryPartners/DocumentedQuotesandJobs.aspx in a timely manner. Offerors should not rely on any other statements, either written or oral, that alter any specification or other term or condition of the exempt RFP during the open solicitation period. Offerors should not contact any other state office or individual regarding this exempt RFP or this project. Offerors are responsible for monitoring this website for publication of modifications to this solicitation. 1.9 News Releases News releases pertaining to this exempt RFP shall NOT be made prior to execution of the contract without prior written approval by the State. 1.10 Proposal Submission/Copies Detailed instructions on proposal preparation and submission are in Sections 5 and 6. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the Colorado Tourism Office receives the proposal on or before the proposal opening date and time, regardless of the delivery method used. Caution: Daily mail may not be received prior to 3 pm. Vendors are responsible to ensure timely receipt. Telegraphic or electronic proposals (fax, e-mail, etc.) will not be accepted. The State of Colorado Request for Proposal Cover Sheet MUST be signed in ink, preferably in blue, by the Offeror or an officer of the Offeror legally authorized to bind the Offeror to the proposal. Proposals that are determined to be at a variance with this requirement may not be accepted. Page 2 of 17 1.11 Proprietary/Confidential Information Any restrictions of the use or inspection of material contained within the proposal shall be clearly stated in the proposal itself. Written requests for confidentiality shall be submitted by the Offeror with the proposal. The Offeror must state specifically what elements of the proposal are to be considered confidential/proprietary and must state the statutory basis for the request under the Public (open) Records Act. (Section 24-72-201 et seq., C.R.S.). Confidential/Proprietary information must be readily identified, marked and separated/packaged from the rest of the proposal. Co-mingling of confidential/proprietary and other information is not acceptable. Neither a proposal, in its entirety, nor proposal price information will be considered confidential and proprietary. Any information that will be included in any resulting contract cannot be considered confidential. The Colorado Tourism Office will make a written determination as to the apparent validity of any written request for confidentiality. In the event the Colorado Tourism Office does not concur with the offeror’s request for confidentiality, the written determination will be sent to the offeror. Ref. Section 24-72-201 et. seq., C.R.S., as amended, Public (open) Records Act. Offeror(s) acknowledge that they may come into contact with confidential information contained in the records or files of the State in connection with any resulting contract or in connection with the performance of its obligations under any resulting contract. The awarded Offeror(s) shall keep such records and information confidential and shall comply with [specific statutory citations (if any) and,] all laws and regulations concerning the confidentiality of such records to the same extent as such laws and regulations apply to the State. The awarded Offeror(s) shall notify its employees that they are subject to the confidentiality requirements as set forth above, and shall provide each employee with a written explanation of the confidentiality requirement before the employee is permitted access to confidential data. Awarded Offeror(s) shall provide and maintain a secure environment that ensures confidentiality. The confidentiality of all information will be respected and no confidential information shall be distributed or sold to any third party nor used by awarded Offeror(s) or it’s assignees and/or subcontractors in any way except as authorized by this contract. Confidential information shall not be retained in any files or otherwise by awarded Offeror(s). Disclosure of such information may be cause for legal action against the awarded Offeror(s). Defense of any such action shall be the sole responsibility of the awarded Offeror(s). Unless directed otherwise, awarded Offeror(s) is required to keep all State information in a secure, confidential manner. 1.12 Exempt RFP Response Material Ownership The State of Colorado has the right to retain the original proposal and other exempt RFP response materials for its files. As such, the State of Colorado may retain or dispose of all copies as is lawfully deemed appropriate. Proposal materials may be reviewed by any person after the "Notice of Intent to Make an Award" letter(s) has/have been issued, subject to the terms of Section 24-72-201 et seq., C.R.S., as amended, Public (open) Records. The State of Colorado has the right to use any or all information/material presented in reply to the exempt RFP, subject to limitations outlined in the clause, Proprietary/Confidential Information. Offeror expressly agrees that the State may use the materials for all lawful State purposes, including the right to reproduce copies of the material submitted for purposes of evaluation, and to make the information available to the public in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Act. Page 3 of 17 1.13 Acceptance of Proposal Content The contents of the proposal and the terms of this exempt request for proposals will become contractual obligations of the successful offeror. 1.14 Proposal Prices and Payment Schedule Payments will be based on deliverables as outlined in the resulting contract. It is anticipated that payments may be made on a monthly basis after receipt and approval of awarded vendor’s invoice. Receipts for travel will be required, if allowed. No payment shall be made until after the contract has been negotiated and properly executed (signed by State Controller or designee). 1.15 Selection of Successful Proposal and Notice of Intent to Award The State reserves the right to make an award on receipt of initial proposals, so Offerors are encouraged to submit their most favorable proposal at the time established for receipt of proposals. Offerors not meeting the requirements identified in the exempt RFP shall be ineligible for further consideration. The State may conduct discussions with Offerors in the competitive range for the purpose of promoting understanding of the State’s requirements and the offeror’s proposal, to clarify requirements, make adjustments in services to be performed, and in prices. Changes to proposals, if permitted, will be requested in writing from offerors. Upon review and approval of the evaluation committee’s recommendation for award, the Colorado Tourism Office will issue “Notice of Intent to Make an Award” letter(s) to all offerors. In addition, an intent to award will be posted on http://www.colorado.com/IndustryPartners/DocumentedQuotesandJobs.aspx Section 6 provides additional information related to the evaluation and award of this solicitation. 1.16 Parent Company If an Offeror is owned or controlled by a parent company, the name, main office address and parent company’s tax identification number shall be provided in the proposal. 1.17 Certification of Independent Price Determination 1.17.1 By submission of this proposal each Offeror certifies, and in the case of a joint proposal each party, thereto, certifies as to its own organization, that in connection with this procurement: a) The prices in this proposal have been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other Offeror or with any competitor. b) Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this proposal have not been knowingly disclosed by the Offeror and will not knowingly be disclosed by the Offeror prior to opening, directly or indirectly to any other Offeror or to any competitor. c) No attempt has been made or will be made by the Offeror to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition. Page 4 of 17 1.17.2 Each person signing the exempt Request for Proposal Cover Sheet of this proposal certifies that: a) He/She is the person in the offeror’s organization responsible within that organization for the decision as to the prices being offered herein and that he has not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to (1)(a) through (1)(c) above. b) He/She is not the person in the offeror’s organization responsible within that organization for the decision as to the prices being offered herein but that he has been authorized in writing to act as agent for the persons responsible for such decision in certifying that such persons have not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to (1)(a) through (1)(c) above, and as their agent does hereby so certify; and he has not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to (1)(a) through (1)(c) above. 1.17.3 A proposal will not be considered for award where (1)(a),(1)(c),or (2) above has been deleted or modified where (1)(b) above has been deleted or modified, the proposal will not be considered for award unless the Offeror furnishes with the proposal a signed statement which sets forth in detail the circumstances of the disclosure and the head of the agency, or his designee, determines that such disclosure was not made for the purpose of restricting competition. 1.18 Standard Contract Except as modified herein, the standard State Contract Terms and Conditions and the Sample Contract (Attachment #2) included in this exempt RFP shall govern this procurement and are hereby incorporated by reference. Please note this Sample Contract lists the State’s required legal provisions but does not include the specific scope of work and requirements for this exempt RFP. The Offeror is expected to review the attached Sample Contract and note exceptions. Offerors agreeing to abide by the requirements of the exempt RFP are also agreeing to abide by the terms of the Sample Contract. Unless the Offeror notes exceptions in its proposal, the conditions of the Sample Contract will govern. 1.19 Legislative Changes The State of Colorado reserves the right to amend the contract in response to legislative changes that affect this project. 1.20 Order of Precedence In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between terms of this request for proposal and the offer, such conflict or inconsistency shall be resolved first, by giving effect to the terms and conditions of the contract, second to the request for proposal, and third, to the proposal. 1.21 Venue The parties agree that venue for any action related to performance of this contract shall be in the City and County of Denver, Colorado. Page 5 of 17 1.22 Audit The successful Offeror may be required to have a process audit conducted of the program. If the successful Offeror has not had such an audit prior to awarding of this contract, one may be required to begin within six months of the award of this contract. A complete copy of the audit must be provided to the project manager as identified in the final contract within five working days of its completion. The State will negotiate directly with the Offeror regarding any exceptions or findings from the audit. Page 6 of 17 Section 2 – Schedule of Activities & Inquiries 2.1 Schedule Of Activities Deadline (Mountain Times) 1. Exempt RFP Notice Published On http://www.colorado.com/IndustryPartners/DocumentedQuotesandJobs.aspx January 12, 2010 2. Prospective Offerors Written Inquiry Deadline To: Diana.Carey@State.co.us (No Questions Accepted After This Date/Time) January 22, 2010 3:00 PM 3. Proposal Submission Deadline ( 1 Original plus 5 Hard Copies & One Electronic Copy on CD/Disk Required) March 25, 2010 3:00PM 4. Oral Presentations Week of April 26 – 30, 2010 5. CTO Announcement of selected agency June 15, 2010 6. Contract Award (initial year - estimated) July 1, 2010 THRU June 30, 2011 7. The Resulting Contract May Be Renewed For 3 Additional Years, At The Sole Discretion Of The State. Page 7 of 17 Section 3 – Background Information 3.1 Background The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is a legislatively created office within the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). Responsibilities for policy and budgetary development of the CTO are within the purview of the Colorado Tourism Office Board of Directors (CTOB), made up of members from the tourism industry and the state legislature. The executive director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the director of the Colorado Tourism Office within OEDIT are responsible for oversight and management of the CTO’s activities. The director of the Colorado Tourism Office and CTO staff manage the tourism program, including all contractors. 3.2 Overview The primary goal of the CTO is to generate increased tourist visitation and provide a return on the investment of marketing dollars to the industry and to the State in terms of tax revenues. Other goals include: - Inspiring leisure travelers/consumers to consider a Colorado vacation - Providing quality information to convert interest into travel to Colorado In summary, the goals and objectives can be accomplished by: - Developing a strategy that will brand Colorado as a premier travel destination for all seasons. - Preparing and distributing press releases on a timely basis - Developing effective public relations, promotions and partnerships to leverage the International programs, missions and FAMs. - Providing quality information to travelers to help plan their trip via tour operators, international travel guides or the www.Colorado.com website. - Promoting the entire state of Colorado, including all tourism industry sectors. - Tracking and reporting all promotional activities. A. FUNDING INFORMATION The CTO board, as well as the state Legislature, is looking for an immediate economic impact from the funding that is appropriated for tourism promotion. The agency that is awarded the contract must be able to conduct an effective program to increase visits to Colorado and grow Colorado’s market share of the tourism industry. Contractors report to CTO staff on their activities in accordance with the Colorado Tourism Office Board policies. Written reports from vendors are prepared monthly and distributed to board members and committee members for their review and comments. B. GENERAL RESEARCH INFORMATION The agency is responsible for developing a tracking mechanism in order to measure the Colorado inventory and determine equivalency values for marketing programs and PR accomplishments. Page 8 of 17 C. GENERAL MARKETING INFORMATION Several German-speaking countries have been identified as strong markets for Colorado tourism (Germany, Switzerland & Austria). Agencies should determine if the CTO is focusing on the right activities with in each targeted market. Agencies should illustrate that they have the ability to adapt to changing market conditions and incorporate new ideas and co-ops into the marketing plan should the marketplace necessitate such a change. The contractor will be required to promote a brand image that is consistent with all promotional materials produced for the CTO. Colorado.com and international promotions must have an appearance that is consistent with the Colorado brand. Therefore, the contractor will work with the appropriate vendors regarding the appropriate international Colorado.com web pages. Agencies can review past CTO International programs such as FAMs, Trade Shows, Co-op campaigns and PR events on Colorado.com at: http://www.colorado.com/IndustryPartners/InternationalPromotionsProgram.aspx Page 9 of 17 Section 4 – Statement of Work 4.1 SCOPE OF SERVICES Project Description: To market Colorado travel destinations to travel trade, media, and consumer markets in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the Colorado Tourism Office is seeking a vendor to provide the services outlined below. The vendor retained to provide these services must have a working knowledge of Colorado, Colorado tourism organizations and products. Activities performed by the vendor will be overseen and approved by the Colorado Tourism Office. 4.2 TIME OF PERFORMANCE and PROJECT DURATION The project initiates on July 1, 2010 and will be completed on June 30, 2011. Awards issued as a result of this exempt RFP are for one year, with a corresponding one-year budget period. The applicant organization may continue to receive annual funding in 3 future calendar years, subject to continued program authorization, availability of funds and satisfactory performance and full accreditation. Term of Contract: One-year contract beginning 07/1/2010 and ending 6/30/2011, with three (3) optional one 1-year renewals. 4.3 STATEMENT OF WORK I – Public Relations Contractor will act as the designated Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) in-market representative with the German, Austrian and Swiss travel media. A. Develop initial public relations plan and detailed timeline for implementation. B. Prepare and distribute press releases. C. Respond to media inquires and distribute promotional materials. D. Provide telephone, fax, and e-mail assistance as designated in-market representative. E. Produce articles and news stories through the German media on Colorado. F. Organize Media FAM trips. G. Coordinate media events H. Promote Colorado and Colorado.com in PR activities. I. Provide a clipping service and report. II - Travel Trade Promotion Contractor will act as the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) in-market representative and liaison with German, Austrian and Swiss travel agents and tour operators. A. Provide telephone, fax, and e-mail assistance as designated in-market Colorado Tourism Office. B. Provide annual Colorado product inventory for the Germany, Austrian and Swiss markets. C. Fulfill requests for information. D. Track and report travel agent and tour operator promotion activities. E. Attend Conference, trade shows and meeting in the Travel/Trade industry. F. Organize travel/Trade FAM trips. G. Coordinate travel trade cooperative promotional (trade & consumer direct) programs. H. Conduct travel trade sales calls and educational office visits. I. Develop a tracking system with the direction and consent of the State. Page 10 of 17 III - Consumer Promotion Contractor will act as the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) in-market representative with German, Austrian and Swiss consumers. A. Provide telephone, fax, and e-mail assistance as designated in-market Colorado Tourism Office representative for consumers. B. Fulfillment of all consumer requests at no cost to the consumer. C. Encourage consumers to visit www.Colorado.com German language pages for additional information. D. Assist the CTO in updating the German web pages on Colorado.com. IV – Reporting A. Implementation Plan B. Revenue Calculation Report C. Product Inventory Report D. Monthly Report E. Mid-year Status Report F. Final Year-End Report V - Conflict of Interest Statement: If the German In-Market Representative is contracted with or is working for other tourism-related entities in Colorado, work performed for these entities must be managed separately from that performed under this scope of services. Any such contracts and/or agreements with such entities must be fully disclosed in the proposal submission. All trade shows, sales mission and other related events must be represented exclusively by an in-market representative for only the State of Colorado. Additionally, information gathered or materials produced that relates to the Colorado tourism industry, including leads developed during the term of the agreement, will become the sole property of the State of Colorado. 4.4 COST COMPONENT/FUNDING MODEL Offerors shall provide a completed budget for work proposed in response to the Statement of Work, Section 4. The completed budget template must include all appropriate worksheets. Interested parties are asked to outline a plan and a detailed budget of up to $200,000.00 to fulfill the activities within the scope of services and to provide an overview of the individuals and/or entities that will be carrying out the work. Please provide a description of expected goals with regard to consumer, travel trade and media contacts, as well as article placement. Agency must be located in Germany. Page 11 of 17 4.5 WORK PLAN RESPONSE & ORGANZATION STRUCTURE Offerors shall provide a work plan in response to CTO deliverables with a brief description of how the host will achieve the stated output (deliverables). See Article 4.3. The answers to the following list of questions in the written proposal: 1. Ownership and Management a. Provide the name, address and telephone number of the main office of the legal entity with whom the contract would be written. b. Provide the name, address and phone number of the office, if different from the above, that the CTO will be doing business with. c. Provide the names, address and phone numbers of the principal officers and owners of 10 percent or more of the equity interest. d. Names, address and phone number of the principals of the office the CTO will be dealing with if it is different from the above. If any employee of the firm was an employee of the State of Colorado, submit their name and title when employed by the State and their separation date. e. What type of business entity is the company (corporation, partnership, LLC, etc.) f. If the company or any party named above contracted with the State of Colorado during the past 24 months, indicate the name, the contract number, and/or any other information available to identify the contract. g. Where would the CTO rank in size among your clients in the office that would be working on the CTO’s account. 4.6 RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATOR The performance of the services required hereunder shall be under the direct supervision of an employee or agent of the Colorado Tourism Office, who is hereby designated as the admini- strator-in-charge of this Project. Page 12 of 17 Section 5 – Response Format & Proposal Instructions 5.1 Submission and General Instructions Proposals must be received on or before the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the Colorado Tourism Office receives the proposal on or before the proposal opening date and time, regardless of the delivery method used. Late proposals will not be accepted. Vendors are cautioned that daily mail may not be received prior to 3:00 p.m.; therefore, if proposal is not hand delivered, Offeror should ensure proposal is received by mail or delivery service the prior day. Submit one (1) original and five (5) copies of the proposal, as well as an electronic copy in Microsoft Word on CD ROM. The proposal package shall be delivered or sent by mail to: Diana Carey - Colorado Tourism Office 1625 Broadway, Suite 2700 Denver, Colorado 80202 Phone: 303-892-3885 RFP Reference: RFP- CTO – INTL - Germany The proposal must be signed in ink, preferable in blue ink, by an officer of the Offeror who is legally authorized to bind the Offeror to the proposal. Proposals that are determined to be at a variance with this requirement may not be accepted. A proposal signature page has been provided. Proposals must be submitted and sealed in a package with an appropriate label affixed. The label must show the following information: Offeror’s Name RFP Reference: RFP- CTO – INTL - Germany March 25, 2010, 3:00 PM (Mountain Time) Offerors must segregate the portion of the proposal responding to the pricing and funding proposal so the technical proposal can be evaluated without consideration of the price or funding model. The State desires and encourages that proposals be submitted on recycled paper, printed on both sides. While the appearance of proposals and professional presentation is important, the use of non- recyclable or non-recycled glossy paper is discouraged. 5.2 Page Limit Unnecessarily elaborate proposals are not desired. Font size for basic narrative descriptions must be no smaller than 12 characters per inch. Indexes, tables of contents, lists of figures/tables, and glossary of terms will not be counted toward the overall page count. Allowance will be made for tabular or graphical presentations and screen prints, whether incorporated in the text of the technical description or attached as separate exhibits. Textual explanations of screen prints or graphic materials, standard commercial brochures or descriptions, or other standard product documentation that are attached in appendices or exhibits will not be counted against page limitation. However, evaluators cannot be expected to comprehend all material in exhibits whose content and relevance to the proposal description are not clearly integrated into the technical discussion. Proposals shall include the following information and should not exceed 40 pages, excluding attachments and samples. Page 13 of 17 5.3 Response Format 5.3.1 Executive Summary Condense and highlight the contents of the proposal. The Executive Summary should provide the reader with an overall understanding of the proposal and the offeror’s approach in 500 words or less. The Executive Summary should address the Management and Experience Component, as well as the Technical Component outlined in the Statement of Work as bulleted in Section 4.3. 5.3.2 All proposals shall include the following: MANDATORY CHECKLIST A. Written Response on exempt RFP (Section 4.3 and 5.1) B. Work Plan Response & Organization Structure (4.5) C. Executive Summary (5.3.1) D. Experience and Capability Fact Sheet (Section 5.3.3, Attachment #1) 5.3.3 COMPANY EXPERIENCE AND DEMONSTRATED CAPABILITY FACT SHEET The purpose of section 5.3.3 is to provide the State the ability to assess the offeror’s experience and capabilities providing similar or relevant services in management of a contracting award in order to make a determination of responsibility. Offerors shall provide this information using Attachment #1, Company Experience and Demonstrated Capability Fact Sheet. Bidders shall submit one fact sheet for each primary governing agreement or contract described. Submit up to three (3) maximum fact sheets only. For example, all work performed under a State of Colorado contract is considered to be governed by one primary agreement and shall be submitted on one fact sheet. Offerors shall provide references for recent work completed under primary agreements or contracts that are similar in size, scope, complexity, and type as that described in this solicitation. ‘Recent work’ means work performed within the past two (2) years, up to a maximum of three (3) primary agreements or contracts. Page 14 of 17 If the offeror has completed work governed by more than three (3) primary agreements or contracts during this time period, submit the three (3) most similar engagements. Case histories descriptions that are detailed and comprehensive enough to permit the State to assess the similarity of those engagements to the work anticipated under awards resulting from this procurement. The State may require additional information of the apparent successful offeror(s) to determine their ability to perform. This information may include, but is not limited to previous experience of company, years in business, financial condition, and site visits. The State’s determination of the similarity of the work described to the work specified in this solicitation shall be final. Failure to provide verifiable references may cause the proposal to be rejected. Page 15 of 17 Section 6 – Evaluation and Award Selection Process This section supplements paragraph 1.4, “Scope of Exempt RFP/Basis for Award” in the Colorado Solicitation Instructions/Terms and Conditions. 6.1 Evaluation Factors The evaluation factors are: x Proposed Plan x Budget x Work Plan Response & Organization Structure x Experience and Case Histories 6.2 Award Methodology The selection process will be divided into two phases. The first focuses on potential contractors’ capabilities to develop and execute effective programs in Media Relations, Public Relations, Travel Trade and Consumer Promotions. Interested firms will submit, in written form, answers and exhibits that substantiate their capabilities to develop and execute these programs effectively. The potential contractor must submit six proposals outlining a promotional program for the CTO along with a detailed budget. An Evaluation Committee will evaluate the merits of proposals received in accordance with the evaluation factors stated in this exempt RFP and identify the proposal that is most advantageous to the state. While numeric evaluations may be used in some aspects of the process to identify strengths and weaknesses of proposals, the final decision will be a business decision and will not be based on a numerical score. A Decision Memorandum will document the basis for the award decision. Failure of the Offeror to provide any information requested in this exempt RFP may result in disqualification of the proposal. This responsibility belongs to the Offeror. Offerors should not assume that they will have an opportunity for oral presentations or revisions of proposals, so they should submit their most favorable proposals as their initial proposal. The oral presentation will include a discussion for the purpose of clarification and to ensure full understanding of and responsiveness to solicitation requirements. If proposal revisions are permitted after oral presentations and discussions, a date will be established in writing by the State for submission of best and final offers. Offerors will not be provided an opportunity for comprehensive proposal revisions. The apparently successful Offeror may be required to submit for the most current reported period and a reasonable number of previous years (in order of preference) an audited financial statement, a financial statement reviewed by a certified public accountant, a third-party prepared financial statement if an audited or reviewed statement is not available, or another financial statement prepared in the routine course of the Offeror's business, in order to assist the State in making its determination of Offeror responsibility in accordance with CRS 24-103-401. Page 16 of 17 EVALUATION PROCESS A. Phase One – Written Proposals: Bidders should prepare a written response to the exempt RFP as outlined. The exempt RFP Selection Panel will evaluate written proposals and select up to three bidders based on the evaluation of the written proposals for an oral interview. Evaluation Criteria for Written Proposals: The following factors are written in order of priority and will form the basis for evaluating written proposals: - Proposed plan for product development and growth including tour operator inventory, travel trade promotions, educational visits, consumer promotions, sales mission and media events - Proposed budget. - Organization structure, experience in market, knowledge of Colorado product and financial status. - Case histories and references. B. Phase Two – Oral Presentation: The exempt RFP Selection panel will conduct the oral interviews. Interviews will be via phone conference, lasting approximately 30 minutes; bidders should present their proposal and be prepared to answer questions from the panel. Each selected vendor should be prepared to make an oral presentation to demonstrate or describe: - Previous experience related to the exempt RFP. - Recommendations for a plan to expand international inventory within market and increase visitors to Colorado. - The working history of organization/subcontractors; how it developed and is structured. - Public relations plan to secure and expand media coverage in market. - The budget as included in the written response to the exempt RFP. Evaluation Criteria for Oral Interview: The following factors are written in order of priority and will form the basis for evaluating oral presentations: - Proposed plan for in-market growth within all aspects of marketing listed in the exempt RFP criteria. - Proposed budget. - Organization’s structure. - Demonstrated previous experience and successes. C. Method of Selection: The oral presentation will be evaluated and scored. The vendor attaining the highest combined score of the written and oral interview will be recommended to the Colorado Tourism Office Board for approval, subject to the final approval of the Office of Economic Development. Agency recommendation and notification will occur by June 15, 2010. Page 17 of 17
