Request For Proposals
Issued October 1, 2024

Development of a Statewide Early Literacy Media Campaign 

Campaign Goal:
To raise awareness of the importance of early literacy skill development and increase participation in literacy-focused programs/activities

Target Public:
Parents/guardians of children ages 0-10, including families that are multilingual, that reside in the state of Michigan 

Submission Deadline:
October 25, 2024 by 4 p.m. via email at karen.heath@berrienresa.org.

Required Virtual Pre-Proposal Meeting  -  October 14, 2024, 10:00-10:30 a.m.
Meeting ID: meet.google.com/fkx-ibte-ihz
Phone Number: (‪US‬) ‪+1 785-422-8245‬,  PIN: ‪303 862 100#‬

For Questions, Contact:
Karen Heath, Director of Communications & PR
Berrien RESA
(269) 471-7725 ext. 3147

This Request for Proposals is part of a State of Michigan funded grant being administered by  Berrien RESA. Berrien RESA and its Board of Education do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, religion, height, weight, marital or family status, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other legally protected category in its programs and activities, including employment.

 

Background

In an effort to support the work of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), Berrien RESA - an education service agency located in southwest Michigan -  was recently awarded a grant under section 35i of the State School Aid Act. The funds were awarded to help parents/guardians of children (ages 0-10 improve) their awareness of literacy practices and increase their participation in literacy development activities so that their children are ready for school and are proficient readers by the end of elementary school.

Specifically, the grant aims to deliver the following objectives for parents/guardians of children ages 0-10:

1. By the end of 2025, increase the awareness of and participate in local Great Start Collaborative and Family Coalitions by 10 percent.

2. By the end of 2025, increase the awareness of the availability of before, during and after school literacy support programs by 10 percent.

3. By the end of 2025, increase the participation in community literacy opportunities for families who are multilingual by 10 percent. 

4. By the end of 2025, increase the understanding of the importance of reading, singing and talking with their children by 10 percent.

5. By the end of 2025, increase the time spent reading, singing and talking with their children by 10 percent.

A request for proposals is being offered to media agencies that can develop a statewide public awareness campaign that will achieve these five objectives. The campaign will need to reach parents/guardians that speak English, Arabic and Spanish. It must also recognize and celebrate the many cultures that are represented in Michigan, ensuring that the target public can see themselves reflected in the campaign. 

 

Project Overview

BUDGET:  

This project is funded through 35i grant funds authorized by the Michigan Department of Lifelong, Education, Advancement, and Potential. Grant funds allocated for the selected agency to deliver the media campaign is about $1.8 million. This budget includes all costs associated with a statewide media campaign including, but not limited to, campaign development, production costs, coordination fees, airtime, collateral materials, analytics, ad/social media placement and management to ensure optimal return on investment, etc.

STEERING COMMITTEE/CORE TEAM: 

The selected media agency will work directly with the project lead at Berrien RESA. All materials and campaign plans will also be reviewed by both a Steering Committee and CORE Team. 

• The Steering Committee includes family engagement coordinators representing the 10 MiFamily Engagement Center Regions through MiLEAP, MiLEAP staff, consultants from the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators, and Berrien RESA. 

•  The CORE Team includes select members of the Steering Committee and will also serve as the review team for all bid proposals.

TIMELINE:  

The media campaign will run for 6 weeks - during the spring of 2025.

• The grant will be awarded in early November.

• Research, development and production should occur between November 2024 and March 2025.

• The campaign will run for 6 weeks - from April to May 2025. 

• If the budget allows, it is desirable to run the campaign for a second 6 weeks the following year.

FORMAT: 

It is anticipated that, to reach the largest audience, the majority of the campaign will be offered through over-the-top digital and social media platforms with additional advertising options provided as the budget allows.

• All campaign and any associated materials will need to be developed in multiple languages and shared with appropriate groups (in Arabic, English and Spanish).  

CALL TO ACTION:  

In addition to raising awareness, a call to action should be incorporated to help measure objective outcomes. All materials should direct parents/guardians to the MiLEAP website. 

OWNERSHIP:  

At the end of the campaign, MiLEAP would assume ownership of the campaign and all collateral material for future use. The agency will transfer all materials to MiLEAP.

GRANT OBLIGATIONS/REPORTING:  

Berrien RESA and/or MiLEAP may need to call upon the agency for information to support grant reporting obligations.

STATEWIDE DATA:  

The selected media agency will have access to statewide data that has been collected by a research firm to establish a baseline for each of the five objectives. 

• This baseline data may be used by the agency to support messaging.  

• Berrien RESA will continue working with the research firm to measure statewide outcome data at the end of the campaign as well. 

  • The firm may need to call upon the media company for engagement rates and other analytic results to help inform their research. 

 

RFP Deliverables

Please describe how your agency would approach the following:

1. Describe how your agency approaches project work:

   • Outline your agency’s project management steps (from pitch to final approval)

   • Who will be responsible for project management (assigned client manager, team approach, representative per platform, etc.)

   • Research - What research services are provided when establishing key messages/framing/delivery/platforms/frequency with target audiences. Describe how you determine the most appropriate ad placement (e.g. gas station videos, Spotify commercials, Instagram Reels, Facebook ads)?

   • Planning - When designing collateral elements, writing copy, determining ad placement, etc., what steps will be taken to ensure options are within budget and make the greatest impact?

   • Implementation - How will the client be made aware of activities that have been completed? Will the agency be monitoring for engagement and making adjustments to improve performance?

   • Evaluation - How will the agency measure the success of the campaign? How often will results be measured? Are engagement reports provided as needed via a real-time dashboard or does the client have to request updates?

2. As this is a statewide project, has your agency developed awareness campaigns that are customizable based on the needs of different geographic locations (with each location having various needs)? If so, please explain.

3. Describe/share examples of awareness campaigns/projects that had either a regional or statewide audience.

4. Describe/share examples of other awareness campaigns/projects that target parents/guardians that are typically difficult to reach (due to lack of engagement, lack of access to information, lack of access to technology, etc.).

5. Describe the agency’s approach to bulk media purchasing. Are reports provided to demonstrate reach?

6. The agency will be expected to place and manage social media posts across Michigan. How would your agency manage this responsibility?

7. If electronic files (video, artwork, social media posts, etc.) needed to be updated in the future, would MiLEAP be able to contract with the agency per project to meet such needs?

8. Please share a list of client references.

9. Please provide a sample timeline for the project, should it be awarded to your agency.

 

RFP Timeline

• Required pre-proposal meeting (virtual) - October 14, 2024, 10-10:30 a.m.

• Proposals due October 25, 2024 by 4 p.m. via email at karen.heath@berrienresa.org.

• Proposals to be awarded in early November