STATEMENT of WORK A. INTRODUCTION the Office Of

STATEMENT OF WORK

A. INTRODUCTION

The Office of Contracting and Procurement, on behalf of the Division of Postsecondary Education within the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), seeks the advertising services of a Contractor that has proven experience in education-related marketing to a diverse urban population. Utilizing both traditional and innovative advertising methods geared to audiences of various age ranges, the vendor must be able to create an advertising campaign from conception to execution that will provide information, increase awareness, and ultimately increase the number of applicants for the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program. The vendor must also have experience in utilizing media communication outlets; newspaper, radio, TV, social media, commercials, and any other advertising vehicle to drive the call to action.

The DCTAG application season is February 1- June 30, 2018

B. BACKGROUND

The DC Tuition Assistance Program (DCTAG) was created by Congress in 1999 through the District of Columbia College Access Act, PL 106-98, and amended by DC College Access Improvement Act of 2002 and the DC College Access Improvement Act of 2007. Its purpose was to expand higher education choices for college-bound residents of the District of Columbia. All public institutions, private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and private nonprofit colleges and universities within the Washington Metropolitan Area are eligible to participate in the DCTAG Program. The Federal appropriation funding for FY 2017 is $40 million.

DCTAG provides up to $10,000 toward the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at public four-year colleges and universities throughout the US, Guam and Puerto Rico. DCTAG also provides up to $2,500 per academic year toward tuition at private colleges and universities in the Washington Metropolitan Area (District of Columbia; the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax; and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George's), and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and two-year colleges nationwide.

Since its inception, DCTAG has awarded more than $383 million to over 25,410 students. Last year, approximately 5,500 students received awards. We have an opportunity to grow this significantly in 2018. Last year (school year 2017-18), 1,500 students did not complete the application process to become eligible for an award.

810 First Street, NE, 9th floor, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: 202.727.6436 • Fax: 202.727.2019 • www.osse.dc.gov

Our goal this school year (2018-19), is to meet the following targets: • # Students apply = 7,140 (2% increase over last year) • # Students completing their applications and deemed eligible = 6,069 (85% of target applicants) • # Students receiving an award enrolled in college = 5,462 (90% of target awardees – our historic baseline is currently 85%)

C. REQUIREMENTS

C.1. The Contractor shall provide and implement a strategic marketing and communications plan to meet outreach (See C.1.1) of the DCTAG Application Season February 1- June 30, 2018.

C.1.1 Goal: Our goal this school year (2017-18), is to meet the following targets:

# Students apply = 7,140 (2% increase over last year) # Students completing their applications and deemed eligible = 6,069 (85% of target applicants) # Students receiving an award enrolled in college = 5,462 (90% of target awardees – our historic baseline is currently 85%)

C.2. The Contractor shall provide the staff necessary to effectively execute the strategic marketing and communications plan for SY 2018-2019 DC TAG application season.

C.3. The Contractor shall provide a multi-media DCTAG strategic marketing and communications plan consisting of the following minimum requirements:

C.3.1 Radio advertising created for DC radio stations- WKYS, WPGC, WLZL and WMMJ. Thirty-six (36):30 second on air commercials; forty (40) :30 second streaming commercials on the internet; one (1) ½ page banner, on radio station’s website; six (6) e-mail blasts to radio listeners of WKYS, WPGC, WLZL and WMMJ (at beginning and mid application season) and one (1) on-air live interview.

C.3.2 Newspaper advertising using multiple newspapers (local and weekly- Washington Informer, EL Tiempo, Washington Post Express and Washington Post Thursday Local Living); twenty (20) ¼ page ads (size 5.65” x 6.1”) per newspaper – ten (10) black and white ads, ten (10) color ads; six (6) web ads per month for five (5) months; fifteen (15) e-mail blasts for five (5) months (February 2018 until the third week of June 2018).

C.3.3 Social media advertising on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat including Geo/interest tracking three (3) times per day for five (5) months totaling 470 posts on all platforms.

C.3.4 Cable television advertising on TV-16 District Knowledge Network (DKN); ten (10):30 PSAs (Public Service Announcements).

C.3.5 Table Top Displays total quantity of two hundred (200), one-hundred and fifty (150) in English and fifty (50) in Spanish for targeted table top placement.

D. DELIVERABLES

CLIN Deliverable Quantity Format and Method of Due Date Delivery 0001 A strategic 1 Present the plan to be 10 days after marketing and implemented in person to award of PO. communications designated DCTAG staff plan for 2018- via multi-media. 2019 DCTAG application season. 0002 Radio advertising 36 :30 second on air February 1, 2018 - created for DC commercials June 30, 2018 radio stations- WKYS, WPGC, 40 :30 second streaming WLZL and commercials on the WMMJ internet 1 ½ page banner on radio station’s website

6 E-mail blasts to listenership (at beginning and mid application season) 1 On-air live interview 0003 Newspaper 20 ¼ page ads (size 5.65” x February 1, 2018 - advertising using 6.1”) per newspaper – 10 June 30, 2018 multiple black and white ads, 10 newspapers (local color ads and weekly- Washington 30 Six (6) web ads per Informer, El month for five (5) Tiempo, months Washington Post 15 Express and E-mail blasts for five Washigton Post (5)months Thursday Local Living)

0004 Social Media 470 posts Facebook, Twitter, February 1, 2018 - advertising Instagram and Snapchat June 30, 2018 including Geo/interest tracking three (3) per day for five months on all platforms 0005 Cable Television 10 :30 second PSAs (Public February 1, 2018 - advertising Service Announcements) June 30, 2018

0006 Table Top 200 150 English 50 Spanish February 1, 2018 - Displays June 30, 2018