Support of National Flood Insurance Program - Marketing & Advertising

THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE IS FOR MARKET RESEARCH ONLY TO DETERMINE IF SMALL BUSINESSES ARE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THE REQUIREMENT DESCRIBED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. The Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Mitigation Directorate, requires contracted marketing and advertising expertise in support of the National Flood Insurance Program. The NAICS code for these services is 541810 - Advertising Agencies. The Small Business Size Standard is $7 million average receipts per year over the last three years. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created by Congress 1968 and is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), specifically the Mitigation Directorate. Through partnerships with local communities and the insurance industry, the NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available in communities that adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage. As of June 30, 2008, 20,589 communities in the United States and its territories participate in the program, and there are more than 5.5 million policies with over $1.1 trillion of flood insurance coverage in force. Claims and operating expenses for this government program are paid using the flood insurance premiums collected and using the program's borrowing authority when needed. FEMA does not sell flood insurance directly. Since 1983 the Write Your Own (WYO) Program has become the primary vehicle for the delivery and service of flood insurance with participating insurance companies writing over 97% of NFIP policies in their own names. The Government bears the underwriting risk for these policies as well as for the remaining policies for which the Government is the named insurer, i.e., the "Direct" business. In both cases, sales require an agent of record with the agents' role defined by their relationship to their company or with the "Direct" NFIP Servicing Agent. Since October 2003 FEMA has conducted an integrated marketing and advertising campaign known as FloodSmart, and the incumbent contractor is JWT, based in Atlanta, Georgia. The term of that contract ends on March 31, 2009. FEMA requires an integrated marketing and advertising campaign that will achieve increases in the number of NFIP policies. The campaign, grounded in effective risk communication, will focus on increasing the net number of policyholders over the next 5 years. The specific program objectives are as follows: Increase the net number of NFIP policies by a minimum of 5% within an estimated 12 months from date of contract award and annually thereafter. Achieve flood insurance policy growth in geographic areas with low flood insurance policy penetration. Achieve flood insurance policy growth in special flood hazard areas with low flood insurance policy penetration . Based upon evaluation of responses received by the closing date of this announcement, the government reserves the right to set-aside any and all procurements that may result hereunder for small or minority-owned businesses; or to open the follow-on solicitation to full and open competition if no small businesses are deemed capable of performing the required services. Minimum capabilities must include documented evidence of experience and expertise in all of the following areas: (1) Managing a national integrated marketing, advertising and public relations campaign. (2) Demonstrated experience in implementing an overall campaign strategy: (a) Experience in effective project management for managing a national campaign; (b) Experience in strategic planning, program development, analytics to include modeling and segmentation; (c) Experience in the effective development of engagement communication platforms; (d) Experience in successfully developing and executing a creative strategy; (e) Experience in creative development and creative production (f) Experience in effective media strategy and placement; (g) Experience in measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of various components of the campaign; (h)Experience in successfully managing a $13-15 million national campaign; (i) Knowledge and experience in government regulations/processes (j) Experience in managing a national call center. (k) Consumer media and industry outreach (l) Experience in list and database management (m) Web site strategy, development and management (3) Demonstrated capacity to accomplish the effort in the required time and ability to direct, manage, and control the entire project within cost and schedule. (4) Past Performance on contracts with government agencies and private industry in terms of: (a) Cost control; (b) Quality of work; (c) Compliance with performance schedule. (d) Submittals must include references' names, affiliations, and phone numbers. (5) Demonstrated experience of key personnel demonstrating the capability to maintain adequate product quality control of contract of comparable size. (6) Demonstrated ability to deliver timely and effective guidance and technical assistance. (7) Demonstrated experience in providing state-of-the-art guidance and advice to transform existing methodologies and processes, and to keep pace with industry best practices. At a minimum, information furnished should include: (1) The number of professional marketing staff employees and other appropriate personnel; (2) Company experience related to the proposed project; (3) A description of general and special facilities; (4) A current financial statement, and (5) Other literature that demonstrates the minimum capabilities listed above. Capability Statements shall be submitted by small businesses with these capabilities who are interested in performing the proposed effort. Capability Statement is limited to 15 pages or less; please do not include marketing materials. Responses should be single spaced and single sided, using Times New Roman, 12-point font, and should not include attachments or appendices. Please list company points of contact including e-mail, regular mail address, and telephone number(s). Please identify whether your business is a small business, small disadvantaged business, (8a) concern, woman-owned business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business or HUB Zone small business. If you send your Capability Statement via e-mail, DO NOT use .zip or other compressed file formats. Preferred file formats include .doc, .txt, and .pdf. Electronic files can be no larger than 4mb. E-mail submissions should be submitted to monica.brown@dhs.gov . The subject line of your e-mail should read: "NFIP DSA Sources Sought Notice." If you are submitting information by mail, messenger or FedEx, UPS, etc, please submit three copies and one CD of your materials to the following address: Monica Brown Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency Acquisition Operations Branch Mitigation Section 500 C St., S.W., PP 5th floor Washington, D.C. 20472 Phone 202-646-3212 Capability Statements must be received no later than 3:00 PM Eastern Time on 11/13/2008. The point of contact for this action is Monica Brown who may be contacted at Monica.Brown@dhs.gov or (202)646-3212. The Small Business Administration may be used to verify business size. Note: This announcement is a Sources Sought Notice only and does not obligate FEMA in any way. This is NOT a request for proposal and FEMA will NOT pay for any information submitted or for and expenses associated with providing information. Any information submitted by respondents to this Sources Sought Notice is strictly voluntary. Any proprietary material submitted must be marked as such.