Request for Proposal ( RFP ) Provide 30,000 promotional items for six monthly retail promotions: Valentine's Day, Earth Day, St Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Fourth of July Required for use by GREATER SOUTHWEST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION & Special Service Area #3 Issued by: GREATER SOUTHWEST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ONE (1) ORIGINAL HARD COPY OR (1) DIGITAL COPY OF THE RESPONSE TO BE SUBMITTED In an effort to remain Green We strongly encourage digital copies All of the responses must be addressed and returned to: Nick Kollias, Commercial Director Greater Southwest Development Corporation 2601 West 63 rd Street Chicago, Illinois, 60629 OR n.kollias@greatersouthwest.org Responses must be received no later than 4:00pm Central Time on December 19 th, 2014 1 P a g e
GENERAL INVITATION Greater Southwest Development Corporation (GSDC) invites the submission of responses for RFP to provide 30,000 promotional items for six monthly retail promotions: Valentine's Day, Earth Day, St Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Fourth of July. If your firm has demonstrated experience in the project description specified in the Scope of Services, and you are interested in making your services available to GSDC and Special Service Area #3, feel free to respond to this Request for Proposal. SCOPE OF SERVICES RFP to provide 30,000 promotional items for six monthly retail promotions: Valentine's Day, Earth Day, St Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Fourth of July. Greater Southwest Development Corporation (GSDC) is currently accepting applications from promotional and marketing companies for projects that promote small businesses located within Special Service Area #3. The program is funded through a local tax collected from property owners within a pre-determined geographical area. GSDC and a Board of Commissioners manage the money and use the funds to pay for services that will be funneled directly back into the district through a variety of services and programs. GSDC is seeking vendors to outsource the design and printing of six monthly retail promotions during 2015. Special Service Area #03 Map 2 P a g e
Project Eligibility All vendors must be licensed and insured. All vendors must have a brick and mortar retail/office location for their business Project Narrative In today s economy, businesses need to retain and attract as many customers as possible in order to successfully compete and survive. GSDC and SSA #3 have created an opportunity through a monthly district-wide campaign that starts in February with Valentine s Day promotion and ends in July with a Fourth of July Day promotion. Every month, one hundred (100) preselected businesses, located within SSA#3, are participating in these retail promotions. The purpose of these six monthly promotions is to motivate the participating businesses customers to come back and shop locally as well as promote a spirit of shopping destination for the SSA#3 and community at large. Each of the 100 participating businesses will receive one cardboard easel (24w x 54h) inches with a vinyl full color cover (24w x 54h) inches attached. The cardboard easel will be placed by the participating businesses entrance or storefront window so customers can see the highlighted retail promotion (Happy Valentine s Day, Happy Mother s Day, etc.) and a phrase that states Ask Me How to Get a FREE Gift The purpose of the phrase is to trigger district visitors and customers attention/curiosity for asking what is the free gift. Free gifts will be the 30,000 promotional items that GSDC is currently seeking quotes for their purchase. GSDC is sponsoring the purchase of these items to jumpstart the promotion. The organization will provide 50 promotional items every month to each of the 100 participating businesses so the businesses can use them as free gifts. After the businesses run out of these promotional items then they have the flexibility to design the promotion in a way that works for them the most. Business owners will decide what the free gift is based on what each one of them thinks is more effective to improve their sales. Examples: Buy 2 items you get a free gift or spend $10 today you get a free gift. In addition, each one of the 100 participating businesses will receive two full color posters (12w x 18h inches) with the same message and content like the cardboard easels. The posters can also be placed on the businesses glass storefronts or anywhere inside the stores. Specifically: Greater Southwest Development Corporation (GSDC) is seeking a marketing company, to provide the following services: 1. Provide 30,000 promotional items for six monthly promotions with following detailed schedule. a. 5,000 disposable vases in February for Valentine s Day promotion b. 5,000 brewery glasses in March for St Patrick s Day promotion c. 5,000 recyclable tote bags in April for Earth Day promotion d. 5,000 manicure sets in May for Mother s Day promotion e. 5,000 screwdriver sets in June for Father s Day promotion f. 5,000 flags in July for Fourth of July s Day promotion 3 P a g e
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Project Payment Terms GSDC will pay the vendor directly and a final price as well as payment terms must be agreed before services begins. Project Timeline GSDC is looking to begin contracting the marketing company during the last quarter of 2014 or the first quarter of 2015. EVALUATION CRITERIA Greater Southwest Development Corporation will review the submittals in accordance with the following criteria: 1. Quality of the Proposal: A. Accurate and full understanding of the project scale, type, unique elements and general approach to achieve the project goals. B. Demonstrated success of proposed approach/methodology in past or current similar projects. C. Availability and strength of committed personnel and organized staffing plan to accomplish the goals and objectives of the project. D. Capacity to perform the Services within a reasonable time. 2. Physical location of the firm: A. All vendors must have a brick and mortar retail/office location for their business. In addition, all vendors must be licensed and insured. 3. Commitment to meet the MBE/WBE goals. 7 P a g e
SELECTION The proposals will be reviewed by representative(s) from GSDC and the 63 rd Street SSA Commissioners. GSDC may choose to conduct interviews, oral presentations and/or seek clarification from selected proposers. The final selection will be based on the proposal which is most advantageous to GSDC and SSA #03 on a project by project basis. Selection of marketing vendors does not guarantee an annual contract but only approval on the GSDC vendor list for the 2015 SSA#03 marketing services. GSDC reserves the right to terminate its business relationship with the selected vendor at any time if the marketing vendor s performance deliverables fall under the proposed standards set in the vendor s proposal. Upon satisfactory completion of the project, Greater Southwest Development Corporation and/or the 63 rd Street Board members might be extending the winning proposal into a 2016 project opportunity for the selected company. 8 P a g e