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Strategic Media Relations Services Request for Proposal

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the-university-of-akron-1233543State & Local

Contract Overview

Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.

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The University of Akron is soliciting proposals for Strategic Media Relations Services to partner with university leadership and its communications team. The selected provider will be responsible for developing and executing a multi-tiered earned media strategy, establishing storytelling pillars to highlight academic research and innovation, and elevating executive positioning across regional, statewide, and national landscapes. A critical component of the scope includes providing 24/7 real-time support and counsel for urgent situations and crisis communications, as well as continuous media monitoring across digital, print, and broadcast channels. The contract carries a potential three-year term, and the university reserves the right to select one, multiple, or no proposals. Proposals must be submitted via Workday Strategic Sourcing by 2:00 PM EST on November 4, 2026. Mandatory submission requirements include a service provider profile, a detailed strategic approach, at least two relevant case studies with references, biographies of key personnel, and an itemized fee structure covering retainers, hourly rates, and project fees. Evaluation is based on a scoring scale of 0 to 5. Vendors must comply with WCAG 2.0 level A and AA accessibility standards and provide a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template if providing web-accessible systems. The solicitation incorporates several regulatory preferences and certifications. Bidders may be eligible for a 5 percent preference if they qualify as an Ohio or Border State bidder, subject to the Buy America Act and Ohio Revised Code sections 125.09 and 125.11. Additionally, bidders must certify their E.D.G.E business status and provide a vendor disclosure affirming no conflict of interest or improper payments were made to secure the agreement. All trade secret information must be specifically identified and marked according to Ohio Revised Code Section 1333.61(D) to be considered confidential.

General Info

University of Akron seeks proposals for strategic media relations and crisis communication services.

Agency

Ohio → The University of Akron

NAICS

541820 - Public Relations Agencies

Place of Performance

OH, USA

Set-Aside

NONE

Documents

3

Buy Ohio / Buy America Certification and Vendor Disclosure

PDF, High priority: read this first3 pages · certification-form
High

Strategic Media Relations Services

DOCX, High priority: read this first5 pages · sow
High

event-1233543-attachments.zip

ZIP

AI Contract Breakdown

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Timeline

PhaseSolicitation
Posted

Solicitation

Response Deadline

Submission deadline

Response Deadline

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Organization & Contact Information

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AgencyOhio → The University of Akron
ContactsNo contacts available
OfficeOH
Organization / AgencyOhio → The University of Akron
Office AddressOH
ContactsNo contact information available

Full Description

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THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON IS SEEKING PROPOSALS for Strategic Media Relations Services AS PER THE SPECIFICATIONS LISTED HEREIN 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION All proposals should be submitted on or before 2:00 P.M. Local time on 11/04/2026 via Workday Strategic Sourcing. All questions are to be submitted through Workday Strategic Sourcing, Bidders are not to contact the University department directly, in person, by telephone, or by email concerning this RFP. The University of Akron reserves the right to select one, several, or none of the proposals submitted as identified in Section 3.7 of our General Terms and Conditions. The University of Akron is committed to meeting level A and level AA criteria of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 or higher. Vendors providing web-accessible systems must share their Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) with the University. 1.1 ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON The University of Akron (UA) is one of the highest ranked public urban research universities in Ohio and the Midwest. Founded in 1870, UA is a Princeton Review Best Regional College and has the top polymer science and plastics engineering program in world, according to Edurank. The University meets the needs of its more than 15,000 students with over 200 in-demand associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs, and top-ranked online and adult education programs for nontraditional students. UA’s metropolitan campus in Ohio’s fifth-largest city is surrounded by thousands of businesses, including Fortune 500 companies, offering students access to internships, co-ops and career pathways. UA offers around 300 extracurricular opportunities and 17 NCAA Division I sports teams, as well as a nationally recognized student success and support program, an award-winning student recreation center and a Smithsonian-affiliate museum. To learn more about The University of Akron, visit www.uakron.edu. 2.0 SCOPE See attached PDF

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