Urbantech NYC Marketing and Expansion Project: 6092 Contract: 60920003 Questions & Answers September 27 th, 2017 General Questions: 1. Is there a preference to work with a local NYC or Tri-State area provider? Is there any scoring associated with agency geography? No, location is not a factor in our selection criteria. 2. Is the RFP open to agencies not in NY? Yes. 3. What is your decision making process for the RFP? Our selection criteria is as follows: The quality of the proposal (30%) The quality of the Respondent team (30%) Economic and community impact (30%) The proposed fee and cost schedules (10%) Additional detail can be found in Section V (Selection Process) of the RFP document. 4. Are you open to rebrand and modification? There is an existing set of brand guidelines for the Urbantech NYC program. NYCEDC will consider a rebrand as part of a proposal; however, the Respondent should keep in mind that the proposed fee and cost schedule is a factor in the selection criteria. 5. Are you currently working with any agency partners? We currently have a contractual relationship with Grand Central Tech and New Lab. 6. Have you taken the long-term sustainability of this program into consideration for selection? Will there be preference given to firms who do this? We are expecting a proposal that fulfills the scope of services outlined in the RFP over an 18 month period. 7. Is the response considered M/WBE if there is a sub that is an M/WBE? Do M/WBE agencies receive any consideration within your evaluation criteria? 1
This RFP does not have a specific M/WBE participation goal. While we certainly encourage M/WBE businesses to apply, the M/WBE status of the business is not a factor in the selection criteria. 8. For the NYC M/WBE certification, does this need to be complete for RFP submission or does this only need to be secured upon contract award? While there is no M/WBE participation goal for this RFP, firms pending certification will be counted as M/WBE. Respondents should note that this is not a factor in the selection criteria for the RFP. 9. For the pre-proposal information session, is any preference given to firms who attend in person? Attendance at the pre-proposal information session was not mandatory, and there is no preference given to firms who attended. 10. If we have existing relationships with some of the partners, are you open to us leveraging those relationships? Can we collaborate with them in this process? Partnering with other organizations that currently participate in the existing Urbantech NYC program is not a factor in the selection criteria for this RFP. 11. Are there any points against you if you re in a partnership with other Work Streams? There is no preference. Partnering with other organizations is not a factor in the selection criteria for this RFP. 12. Is your goal also to market NYC as a center for Urbantech? Yes. The goals of the website include growing awareness of NYC as a center for urbantech and promoting the Urbantech NYC program. 13. Is there any direction relative to where we d like the budget to be? The proposed fee and cost schedule should be commensurate with the services proposed. The requirements for the website are outlined in Section III of the RFP document. Respondents should note that the fee and cost schedule is a factor in the selection criteria. 14. Is there a separate budget for creative? No. Respondents should include all proposed services as part of their proposed fee and cost schedule. 15. I see in Appendix 3 (Sample Fee and Cost Schedule) that the maximum budget amount is $150,000. If we are applying for just one out of the three Work Streams, is this still the maximum funding available, or is it a lesser amount? Is that figure a model example or the actual budget limit? 2
This is a model figure only. This is not indicative of the funding available for any particular Work Stream. Respondents should submit a cost and fee schedule commensurate with the proposed services, keeping in mind that the proposed fee and cost schedule is a factor in the selection criteria. 16. Will preference be given to firms who can provide all services for each Work Stream, or is it expected that there will be partnerships and multiple vendors? There is no preference given to firms who propose to provide all services versus those who choose to form partnerships with other organizations. 17. When do you expect to make the final decision after proposals are submitted? The decision date will depend on the number of submissions received. We expect to finalize the decision approximately four weeks after submissions are due, but this is subject to change. 18. For the metrics and reporting task under each Work Stream, is this only related to the Work Stream it is under? Yes. NYCEDC will work with the Respondent for each Work Stream to develop appropriate metrics and reporting procedures for that specific Work Stream. 19. Are there any success metrics that have been discussed or passed down from the NYCEDC board? What in their minds would make for a successful 18-month partnership with an agency? Success metrics are not currently in final form. The NYCEDC team will work with the Respondent to define success metrics and KPIs for each individual Work Stream. 20. Are you currently working with any existing providers for any part of the Urbantech project? Our current contractual partners for the Urbantech NYC program are New Lab in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Grand Central Tech in Midtown. 21. As Urban Future Lab was one of the original partners. Why are they not mentioned in the presentation? We no longer have a contractual relationship with Urban Future Lab. 22. What is the preferred launch date for this project and how does it differ by Work Stream? We expect to kick off work on the Urbantech NYC website as soon as the contracting phase is complete. The launch date for the Partner Network Work Stream will vary depending on the respondents NYCEDC chooses to engage. 23. How many responses do you expect to receive as part of this process? NYCEDC does not have an estimate for how many responses we expect to receive. 3
24. How many subscribers/members are currently in your database? By how much do you want to grow your audience? There is no registration or login feature for the current website. A goal of the Urbantech NYC website is to engage entrepreneurs, startups, and corporations in the urban tech space to provide a platform for communication and collaboration. 25. How many of your subscribers have been accepted into incubators/accelerators? Do you track that? There are currently 54 tenant companies at both Urbantech Hubs at New Lab and Grand Central Tech. NYCEDC does not track the number of urbantech companies that have been subsequently accepted into other incubators or accelerators. 26. Mentorship: how many subscribers have been paired with experienced entrepreneurs to guide them in their journey to growth? There is currently no formally established mentor program as part of Urbantech NYC. 27. How many agencies received your RFP? How many have confirmed interest? NYCEDC is not tracking the number of agencies who have received the RFP. 28. Who does NYCEDC consider as its greatest competition? NYCEDC is the economic development arm of New York City. NYCEDC does not have any direct competitors as such. As a not-for-profit entity, our organization seeks to strengthen the economy of New York City by promoting and growing quality jobs for all New Yorkers and in cultivating dynamic, resilient communities across the five boroughs. 29. What other governmental organizations does NYCEDC look up to or aspire to be like in terms of these Work Stream-related requirements? Locally or nationally? Part of NYCEDC s strategy is to drive sustainable, resilient growth by making it easier for businesses to start, grow, and thrive in New York City. There are some city leaders both domestically and internationally who have been very successful in driving the growth of their smart cities / cleantech sectors. Respondents can certainly use those examples for inspiration in their proposals. 30. What have been NYCEDC s greatest challenges? We are seeking to address the challenges we face with respect to marketing and stakeholder engagement for the Urbantech NYC program through issuing this RFP. 31. Can you please clarify the following language in the RFP s Funding and Budget section: proposed additional funding, and any funding already secured through other appropriate third-party sources is this specific to nonprofits that may be responding to the RFP or to businesses that may already be doing work in this area for the City, or is it speaking to some other situation? 4
This language indicates that NYCEDC is open to considering responses that include matching funding (e.g., from corporate or other sponsors) or other means of funding the Respondent s proposed services. 32. Would Urbantech NYC be open to a capital raise effort with investors? Respondents may propose additional funding sources or sponsorship opportunities. 33. Does NYCEDC have a preference for an integrated team including overall management of service providers, or multiple service providers that would be managed by the NYCEDC team? No preference. 34. What collaborations or involvement does Urbantech have with New York City and New York State NGOs? NYCEDC operates the Urbantech program on behalf of the City of New York. RFP Submission 35. Can the proposal be submitted via email or must it be submitted through hard copy? Please submit five (5) hard copies of the proposal in paper form at the address noted in the RFP document. 36. Is there a format requirement (Word, PDF, PowerPoint, etc.) for the RFP response? No. 37. Do we need to print out our proposals like books or do you also receive normal printing? Normal printing is fine. 38. What is the maximum dimension of the physical copy that you will accept? There is no maximum limit, but standard size (8.5 x 11 ) is preferred. 39. Do you have a limit on the number of pages for every proposal? No. 40. How should everything (budget, proposal, etc.) be laid out? Is the fee and cost schedule supposed to be submitted separately from the RFP? Five copies of each document must be submitted in its respective envelope. In Envelope #1, please include five copies of the proposal. In Envelope #2, please include five copies of the Fee and Cost Schedule. In Envelope #3, please include five copies of the Doing Business Data Form. 41. Is there a preference to work with one provider across all Work Streams? 5
No. NYCEDC will evaluate each proposal for each Work Stream independently. However, NYCEDC reserves the right to award one or more Work Stream(s) to the same Service Provider. 42. Can we submit our response for the Work Stream(s) that we feel would be most appropriate or do submitters need to do so for all? It is not required to submit a response to all three Work Streams. Respondents should submit a response to the Work Stream(s) of their choosing. NYCEDC will evaluate each proposal for each Work Stream independently. Respondents who choose to submit a response to all Work Streams will not be given a preference. 43. After submission, will there be a final selection round? Will there be a chance to present our proposal in person? NYCEDC reserves the right to interview respondents after proposal submission at our sole discretion. 44. How do you prefer we handle incorporating partner agency information into our RFP response? Is it sufficient that the lead agency complete all of the forms, or does the partner agency need to complete them as well? It is sufficient if the prime (or lead) agency submits information. 45. If responding to the RFP as a joint venture, do we submit the contact data for both companies along with both Tax ID numbers at the time of the RFP submission, or do we wait until the lead company is awarded the project and submit all corporate contact data for the two joint venture companies at that time? If you are submitted as a joint venture, you should be legally registered as one entity and have a single tax ID number prior to submitting a proposal. If the prime (or lead) contractor is submitting a proposal with subcontractors, only the prime contractor will need to submit Tax ID numbers at the time of submission. 46. Regarding the selection criteria, can you give examples of how you would measure economic and community impact? Is this the number of companies funded, jobs created, etc., or is this up to us to suggest? While there is no specific metric we are using to evaluate economic and community impact in this proposal, NYCEDC s mission is to create shared prosperity across New York City s five boroughs by strengthening neighborhoods and growing good jobs. Work Stream 1 Website: 47. Will urbantechnyc.com continue or will it be replaced by the website? It will be completely replaced by the new website, but the new site will use the same domain. 48. Have you worked with website partners outside of New York in the past? 6
There is no preference as to where the vendor is located. 49. Would you work with the vendor to figure out who to interview for discovery? Yes, NYCEDC will work with the consultant to determine which stakeholders to interview for the discovery phase. 50. Is UrbantechNYC.com running on a NetworkSolutions.com Virtual Private Server? No. 51. What is the current server stack (hardware)? What is the current server software environment (Apache, nginx, php, MySQL, etc.)? 52. The current website (which is just a landing page) was built on SquareSpace which is an online subscription-based platform. However, this is not an option for the future website. NYCEDC prefers Drupal as a CMS, but other choices will be considered. NYCEDC prefers Linode as the hosting provider, but other choices will be considered. NYCEDC can facilitate staging and production environments on Linode under our current subscription. 53. Do you have a website provider or agency currently managing your site, and if so, who is the firm? Do you expect them to participate in the RFP process? There is no provider currently managing the Urbantech NYC website. 54. What is the maximum budget for Work Stream 1: Website Redesign? NYCEDC has not indicated a maximum budget for any of the Work Streams. Respondents should submit a cost and fee schedule that is commensurate with the proposed services. 55. What are the current pain points with the existing website and what are the biggest areas that the existing website does not serve? What are the biggest gaps? The current site is a landing page. We would like expanded content and interactive features to inform the urban tech community. NYCEDC will work with the Respondent to determine specifically which features will serve the needs of the community. 56. Do you have a Content Management Solution (CMS) for the existing website and if so, what is the platform? Is there a preference to stay with the existing CMS? How many admins do you expect for the CMS? Can you share any additional requirements on what type and features of the CMS? The current website (which is just a landing page) was built on SquareSpace which is an online subscription-based platform. However, this is not an option for the future website. NYCEDC prefers Drupal as a CMS, but other choices will be considered. NYCEDC prefers Linode as the hosting provider, but other choices will be considered. NYCEDC can facilitate staging and production environments on Linode under our current subscription. 7
57. Can we add creative assets to the proposal? For the website, there is talk of video/photography content. Can you speak to the volume of content that we will be creating? A goal for the website is to visually enhance it with video and photography content. Cost estimates for this should be included in the Respondent s proposed cost and fee schedule. 58. Is there an existing brand guideline we would use for this project? Yes. 59. Can you discuss the login feature and registration process on the website? We would like partners and participants in the Urbantech NYC programs to have a login and access to events, with a more in-depth look into the community. The login and registration features will allow audience members to enter a participant section of the website, which will enable access to Urbantech NYC programs and events not open to the general public. 60. Are the partners on the Urbantech NYC map on the current website served or underserved? The entities listed on the current Urbantech NYC website are either currently contracted with NYCEDC, formerly contracted with NYCEDC, or provide services that may be of use to the NYC urban tech community. Our goal for the new Urbantech NYC website is to include a broader range of stakeholders that may be useful resources to the NYC urban tech community. 61. Are there any other cities that are comparable? What do we like or deem as successful that we d like to mimic? We would like for the Urbantech NYC program website to demonstrate the strength of New York City s urban tech community. There are not specific cities that we use as a comparison point for the Urbantech NYC program. 62. Do you have any places where you have data about who is currently involved, who is using a program like this? NYCEDC does not track data about other programs similar to Urbantech NYC. 63. Can you provide an estimate for the amount of content needed for the website? How many pages do you expect? NYCEDC has not indicated a set number of pages needed for the Urbantech NYC website. NYCEDC will work with the Respondent to determine the number of pages required to adequately satisfy the goals and objectives of the Urbantech NYC website. 64. How open is NYCEDC to revisiting the timetable for building the website if we deem the proposed deadline too aggressive? 8
The Phase 1 launch of the Urbantech NYC website will be nine months after the contract is executed. NYCEDC will work with the Respondent to determine the scope of features included in this initial launch. 65. Please describe expectations for the 9-month website build period. Work Stream 1 outlines 3 months for Phase 1 Build, and 1 month for Phase 2 Build (4 months total). Would additional development be required in the remaining 5 months of the build phase? The exact deliverable completion timeline is an estimate and will be finalized in the contracting period. We anticipate Phases 1 and 2 of the build to take a total of nine months. There will be no additional development required outside of what is outlined in the scope for Website Phases 1 and 2 in the RFP document. 66. Does the 9-month website maintenance portion of the contract entail developing new functionality, or maintenance and monitoring of existing functionality? The maintenance portion will involve monitoring existing functionality. Work Stream 2 Media and Marketing Services: 67. Who are your creative, media, social media, and PR agencies domestically in the United States and internationally? Urbantech NYC is not contracted with any creative, media, social media, or PR agencies. The brand guidelines were created by an external agency that we no longer have a contractual relationship with. 68. In Work Stream 2, would you be looking for earned media and exposure (news stories) in addition to owned content? NYCEDC will work with the Respondent to determine whether to include earned media and exposure in the Urbantech NYC social media strategy. 69. Can you talk about number of attendees, what kind of metrics or guidelines for Work Stream 2? There is an existing set of brand guidelines for Urbantech NYC. NYCEDC will work with the Respondent to determine the number of attendees and any additional metrics or guidelines for this Work Stream. 70. In Work Stream 2, you mention events. Does this overlap with the events in Work Stream 3? The Services in Work Stream 2 will involve promoting and managing social media content for the events and partnerships developed in Work Stream 3. Events promoted through services offered in Work Stream 2 will not necessarily overlap completely with events / programming of Work Stream 3, but there is a possibility for some overlap. NYCEDC will work with the Respondent(s) for Work Streams 2 and 3 to determine the best approach. 9
71. Ideally, what qualities are you seeking in a marketing and public relations partner? The Respondent should be skilled in social media, content, and promotion, and be able to successfully execute the tasks outlined in the RFP. 72. Has NYCEDC conducted any research to help formulate its target prospects or brand communications? No. 73. Has Urbantech NYC utilized previous marketing strategies, target audiences, advertising efforts? Urbantech NYC has not previously employed any specific marketing strategies or contracted with external marketing agencies. 74. Should we include paid media and social in the budget? Respondents should include all fees and costs associated with the proposed services in the proposed fee and cost schedule. 75. Is UrbantechNYC your Instagram page? There is no link on the website to Facebook, do you currently have a Facebook page? We do not have an Instagram or a Facebook page currently. 76. Under Task 1 for Marketing Services, the RFP states All newsletters, social media posts and other marketing content must be consistent with NYCEDC guidelines. Are you able to share what guidelines you are referring to? Urbantech NYC has existing brand guidelines. Beyond branding, NYCEDC will work with the Respondent to determine additional guidelines as necessary. 77. Does NYCEDC expect the chosen agency to provide start-to-finish event production, or to simply coordinate it by recommending and managing an event-planning partner, while the agency handles marketing and promotions for it? For Work Stream 2, the Respondent should coordinate the event and handle marketing and promotion. The Respondent for Work Stream 2 will not be tasked with executing the event itself. 78. Are the timetables for Work Streams 1 and 2 concurrent? Will the social content and events be worked on while the website is being built, or will they be started after the launch of the website to capitalize on it? Yes, the timetables for these Work Streams are concurrent. Social content and events will start as soon as the contracting phase ends. NYCEDC will work with the Respondent to determine which milestones / social media will be coordinated with the launch of the website. Work Stream 3 Partner Network: 10
79. Does Urbantech NYC currently have relationships with venture capitalists, incubators, or other private corporations not listed on the website? No. 80. For Work Stream 3, what is your time frame? The launch date for the work stream is targeted to be January 2018, but this is subject to change. NYCEDC will work with the Respondent(s) to determine the exact timing of the programming and events as part of this Work Stream. 81. Work Stream 3 seems open ended are you open to creative and different types of partnerships? Yes, the wording was left open-ended intentionally. There is no restriction in terms of the type of partnerships we will consider for the Partner Network. 82. For the 3 rd Work Stream, are you looking for partners in media and marketing, or partners to do programming? For the Partner Network Work Stream, we are looking for proposals for partnerships within the urbantech community. NYCEDC will work with the Respondent(s) to develop a marketing outreach plan, and the marketing and promotion of the partnerships for this Work Stream will be done in collaboration with the Respondent(s) for Work Stream 2. 83. Can the partnerships in Work Stream 3 be digital partnerships or digital community engagement? Yes; there is no restriction on the types of partnerships that will be considered. The selection criteria is detailed in Section V (Selection Process) of the proposal. 84. Can we seek other partners/sponsors for Work Stream 3? Yes. 85. Does Urbantech NYC have sister city partnerships with similar organizations around the world besides Paris? Are soliciting extensions part of the RFP? Urbantech NYC does not currently have any sister city partnerships with Paris or any other city. NYCEDC is open to reviewing proposals for international partnerships. 86. For competition events, will we source judges and experts? Or will they be tapped by EDC? NYCEDC will collaborate with the consultant(s) to determine outreach for any partnership opportunities as part of Work Stream 3. 87. Concerning the co-working space applications, do we collaborate with Urban Future Lab, Grand Central Tech, and New Lab to select applicants? Would we be involved with reviewing applications? Is the number of applicants measured, if so how? It 11
doesn t look like there are tracking links to determine who is applying from UrbanTechNYC.com. NYCEDC works with Hub operators to determine which applicants are selected to be a part of the Urbantech Hubs. The selected respondent would not play a role in selecting tenants for our contractual Urbantech Hubs. 88. Concerning events, would you consider sponsoring existing branded events? If so, is there a sponsorship/advertising budget? If so, how much? Yes. Respondents should include the estimated budget for sponsorships and advertising services in the proposed fee and cost schedule. 89. Is the agency selected for this Work Stream supposed to find leads and reach out to these service providers, or will NYCEDC be facilitating these introductions? For the Partner Network, NYCEDC is seeking proposals for specific partnership opportunities to expand the stakeholder network of the Urbantech NYC program. NYCEDC may facilitate introductions depending on the proposal set forth by the Respondent. 90. Is your goal to have the firm managing the Partner Network make the introductions for you and act in a PR capacity for events and marketing? For the Partner Network Work Stream, we are seeking proposals for specific partnerships that will increase the reach and stakeholder network within the urban tech community and Urbantech NYC. The Service Provider selected for Work Stream 2 will be tasked with social media, marketing, and promotion, and will act in collaboration with Service Provider(s) chosen for Work Stream 3. This Work Stream is focused on building out the stakeholder network through partnership opportunities. 91. Should the consultant selected for this Work Stream be incorporating workshops and roundtables and all of the outreach behind them into the cost of the RFP, or is this something NYCEDC will facilitate once the community has been set up? The Respondent should include all costs associated with partnerships, including roundtables, workshops, outreach, etc., in the proposed cost and fee schedule submitted with the proposal. 12