OURWAATER PROGRAM -COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH SUPPORT SERVICES

Anne Arundel County, Maryland is soliciting professional communications and outreach support services under RFP26000229 for its OurWaater Program, a five-year task-order contract with the potential for five additional one-year extensions, and a total maximum value of $1,750,000 over the term. The contract requires firms to provide comprehensive public engagement, including website and social media management, public comment handling, educational video production, and translation services into Spanish, with all videos meeting ADA compliance standards. Work is primarily remote but includes occasional in-person activities in Annapolis, where the primary place of performance is located. Offerors must submit a technical proposal addressing experience, key personnel resumes, and required attachments such as an affidavit, vendor information form, and exceptions documentation, along with a separate price proposal containing fully loaded hourly rates for all labor categories without line-item breakdowns. The evaluation process is weighted, with experience carrying the highest weight at 36%, indicating a trade-off methodology rather than a lowest price technically acceptable approach. The contract includes stringent financial controls, funding through the Utility Fund, and payment via ACH transfer upon certification by the County’s Finance Officer. Contractors must maintain professional liability insurance totaling $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate, and are prohibited from applying any markup to other direct costs or subcontracted services, which must be pre-approved by the County’s Project Manager. No MBE or SLBE participation is mandatory, though minority business involvement is strongly encouraged. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the PORT system by August 13, 2026, with no page limits on the technical proposal, but with a clear expectation of conciseness and relevance. The County reserves the right to directly procure certain services, and liquidated damages may be applied for delays in task order completion.