Crisis Communication

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing, on behalf of the Division of Risk Management, is seeking a single contract award for professional crisis communication services. The selected vendor will provide strategic public relations advisory, messaging, and media response services for the Division of Risk Management, its covered entities—including state agencies, higher education institutions, and approximately 60 charter schools—and the Litigation Division or Attorney General’s Office. Key requirements include the ability to commence services within 12 hours of a significant incident, the capacity to deploy a lead strategist on-site to headquarters during severe escalations, and extensive experience managing reputation and crisis communications for public entities with both Utah and national media. The contract spans five years, with a requirement for the vendor to guarantee pricing for the first year. Compensation is based on an estimated average of 20 billable hours per month at a vendor-proposed hourly rate, with travel reimbursed per the Division of Finance Travel policy. Award selection is based on a multi-stage evaluation where technical factors account for 750 points and cost accounts for 250 points, with the lowest bidder receiving full cost points. The successful contractor must maintain comprehensive insurance, including Commercial General Liability of at least 1 million dollars per occurrence and 3 million dollars aggregate, and must certify compliance with federal and state employment laws and Utah's anti-boycott statutes regarding the State of Israel.