Communication, P R, and Career Pathway Services

STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
ISSUED BY CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND CAREER PATHWAY
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
CONTRACT NUMBER CHR26019 PTHWY_DVMT
ALL VENDORS:
The enclosed packet contains a "REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL" for Strategic Communications, Public
Relations, and Career Pathway Development Services for the Christina School District (the "District"). This
RFP solicits a partner to provide professional communications services to the District, and to design and
deliver authentic career-pathway training in communications and media production for District students and
professional development for District staff. In order for your proposal to be considered, the Proposal Reply
Section and all required attachments shall be executed completely and correctly and returned by the Deadline
to respond stated below. Please review and follow the information and instructions contained in this RFP and
the General Provisions.
Should you need additional information, please contact the RFP Designated Contact identified in Section IV in
writing. Direct contact with other District personnel regarding this RFP is prohibited and may disqualify the
vendor.
The proposal consists of the following:
Contents:
I. INTRODUCTION
II. SCOPE OF WORK
III. FORMAT FOR PROPOSAL
IV. PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCEDURES
V. MANDATORY PREBID MEETING
VI. DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL PROVISIONS
VII. PROPOSAL REPLY SECTION
ATTACHMENTS
Appendix A - PRICING FORMS
Appendix B - SCOPE OF WORK
Appendix C - PROVIDE OUTLINE OF COMPONENT B
** Ctrl+Click on the headings above will take you directly to the section.
This request for proposals ("RFP") is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. 6981 and 6982.
The proposed schedule of events subject to the RFP is outlined below:
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STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Public Notice Date: September 1, 2026
Deadline for Questions Date: September 15, 2026 at 12 Noon (EST)
Response to Questions Posted by: Date: September 29, 2026
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals Date: October 13, 2026 at 2:00 PM (EST)
Estimated Notification of Award Date: December 1, 2026
In order for your proposal to be considered, the Proposal Reply Section shall be executed completely and correctly
and returned in a sealed envelope clearly displaying the contract number and vendor name by October 13,
2026 to Respond at 2:00 PM (Local Time) to be considered.
Proposals must be mailed to:
Christina School District
1899 S. College Avenue
Newark, DE 19702
Procurement Department
Please review and follow the information and instructions contained in the General Provisions and this Request for
Proposal (RFP). Should you need additional information, please email bids.proposals@christina.k12.de.us.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
I. INTRODUCTION
A. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Request for Proposals is to obtain sealed proposals from qualified firms to provide
two integrated lines of service to the Christina School District. Component A of the contract is for
comprehensive strategic communications, public relations, and related services. Component B is for
the design and delivery of authentic career-pathway training in communications and media production
- for District students who are interested in those careers, and for District staff seeking professional
development in communications skills.
It is the goal of this RFP to identify a single prime vendor capable of providing both components in an
integrated way, in which the District's actual communications work serves a dual purpose: to advance
the District's communications goals, and to provide authentic, career-grade learning opportunities for
Christina students and staff.
BACKGROUND
Christina School District is one of Delaware's largest public school districts, serving approximately
14,000 students across more than 30 schools and programs in the Newark, Christiana, and Bear areas,
as well as schools in the City of Wilmington. The District serves a highly diverse student population,
including a significant and growing number of multilingual families, and operates within a competitive
open-enrollment and school-choice environment.
The District operates a range of career-tech and pathway programs that this contract is designed to
support and extend the statewide career-tech framework. The District seeks a partner that can integrate
professional-grade communications and media-production training into these existing structures and,
where appropriate, help design new ones.
The District also seeks a partner that understands Delaware's public-sector environment, has working
relationships across the political and media landscape the District operates in, and is committed to the
dual mission of strengthening District communications while building local talent capacity.
This RFP is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C. 6981 and 6982.
1. COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL
It has been determined by the Christina School District, pursuant to Delaware Code Title 29, Chapter
6924 (a), that this solicitation be offered as a request for competitive sealed proposals because the
use of competitive sealed bidding is not practical and/or not in the best interest of the District. The
use of competitive sealed proposals is necessary to:
* Use a contract other than a fixed-price type; or
* Conduct oral or written discussions with vendors concerning technical and price aspects of their
proposals; or
* Allow vendors an opportunity to revise their proposals through best and final offers; or
* Compare the different price, quality, and contractual factors of the proposals submitted; or
* Award a contract in which price is not the determining factor.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
2. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
This contract will be issued to one prime vendor to provide the services described in the scope of
services, organized into two integrated components. Component A covers professional
communications and public-relations services for the District. Component B covers career-pathway
training and professional development for students and staff.
3. AGENCY USE CONTRACT
Pursuant to 29 Del. C. 6904(e) respectively, if no state contract exists for a certain good or service,
covered agencies may procure that certain good or service under another agency's contract so long
as the arrangement is agreeable to all parties. Agencies, other than covered agencies, may also
procure such goods or services under another agency's contract when the arrangement is agreeable
to all parties.
4. MULTIPLE SOURCE AWARD
The Agency reserves the right to award this contract to more than one vendor pursuant to 29 Del. C.
6926. The basis for such selection shall be:
Criteria Weight
Firm experience, qualifications, capacity (Component A and
20%
Component B)
Understanding of the District and proposed approach/methodology 20%
Career pathway and training capability, curriculum and instructional
20%
design
Account team and key personnel (both components) 10%
Cost (retainer for Components A and B, plus rate card) 15%
Public-sector / K-12 / Delaware experience 10%
References and past performances 5%
TOTAL 100%
5. POTENTIAL CONTRACT OVERLAP
Vendors shall be advised that the District, at its sole discretion, shall retain the right to solicit for goods
and/or services as required by its agencies and as it serves the best interest of the District. As needs
are identified, there may exist instances where contract deliverables, and/or goods or services to be
solicited and subsequently awarded, overlap previous awards. The District reserves the right to reject
any or all bids in whole or in part, to make partial awards, to award to multiple vendors during the
same period, to award by types, on a zone-by-zone basis or on an item-by-item or lump sum basis
item by item, or lump sum total, whichever may be most advantageous to the Christina School District.
6. SUPPLEMENTAL SOLICITATION
The District reserves the right to advertise a supplemental solicitation during the term of the
Agreement if deemed in the best interest of the District.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
7. CONTRACT PERIOD
Each Vendor's contract shall be valid for a three (3) year contract term period beginning December 1,
2026. Each contract may be renewed for two (2) one (1) year periods through negotiation between the
Vendor and Christina School District. Negotiation may be initiated no later than ninety (90) days prior to
the termination of the current agreement. Renewal and continuation are contingent upon the availability
of funds, satisfactory contractor performance, and approval by the Christina Board of Education. The
District reserves the right to increase or decrease the scope based on available funds and District
needs.
The District reserves the right to extend this contract on a month-to-month basis for a period of up to three
months after the term of the full contract has been completed.
B. KEY RFP DATES/MILESTONES
The following dates and milestones apply to this RFP and subsequent contract award. Vendors are advised
that these dates and milestones are not absolute and may change due to unplanned events during the bid
proposal and award process.
Activity Due Date
RFP Availability to Vendors/Public Notice: September 1, 2026
Written Questions Due No Later : September 15, 2026 by 12 noon (EST)
Written Answers Due/Posted to Website: September 29, 2026
Proposals Due: October 13, 2026 by 2:00 pm (EST)
Contract Award (estimated timeframe) Will occur within 90 days of bid opening
C. INQUIRIES & QUESTIONS
We welcome your interest in working with us, and we will be pleased to answer any questions you may have
in formulating your response to this Request for Proposal.
All questions with regard to the interpretation of this solicitation, drawings, or specifications, or any other
aspect of this RFP must be received in writing by September 15, 2026, by 12:00 noon, EST. All questions
will be answered in writing by September 29, 2026, and posted on https://bids.delaware.gov/ website. All
questions must make specific reference to the section(s) and page numbers from this RFP where applicable.
Oral explanations or instructions will not be binding.
D. RFP DESIGNATED CONTACT
All requests, questions, or other communications about this RFP shall be made in writing to the Christina
School District. Address all communications to the person listed below; communications made to other
Christina School District personnel or attempting to ask questions by phone or in person will not be
allowed or recognized as valid and may disqualify the vendor. Vendors should rely only on written
statements issued by the RFP designated contact.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Christina School District
Trenda Broadnax
Procurement Department
1899 S. College Avenue
Newark, DE 19702
bids.proposals@christina.k12.de.us
To ensure that written requests are received and answered in a timely manner, electronic mail (e-mail)
correspondence is acceptable, but other forms of delivery, such as postal and courier services, can also
be used.
E. CONTACT WITH STATE EMPLOYEE
Direct contact with Christina School District employees other than the Christina School District
Designated Contact regarding this RFP is expressly prohibited without prior consent. Vendors directly
contacting Christina School District employees risk elimination of their proposal from further
consideration. Exceptions exist only for organizations currently doing business in the District who require
contact in the normal course of doing that business.
II. SCOPE OF WORK
The District intends to award a contract to one prime vendor to provide the services described below,
organized into two integrated components. Component A covers professional communications and
public-relations services for the District. Component B covers career-pathway training and professional
development for students and staff. Within each component, services are organized into Base
Services, expected throughout the contract term, and Optional / As-Needed Services, which the
District may procure at its discretion. Proposers shall clearly identify pricing assumptions for each
category in their cost proposal (Appendix A). A full statement of work appears in Appendix B.
A. OVERVIEW
A. Component A - Communications Services
Component A represents the core ongoing communications services anticipated throughout the
contract term:
* Strategic communications counsel and planning - development and maintenance of an annual
communications plan, message architecture, and ongoing advisory support to District leadership.
* Media relations - proactive press outreach, news release drafting, media list management, pitching
positive District stories, coordinating interviews, and serving as a press-office resource.
* Crisis and emergency communications - a documented crisis-communications protocol, holding-
statement and template development, rapid-response support, and on-call availability during
emergencies, including defined response windows.
* Brand and reputation management - monitoring of media and social sentiment, brand-standards
support, and proactive reputation strategy aligned to enrollment goals.
* Multilingual and community engagement - translation and culturally responsive outreach (Spanish
first, then other prevalent home languages, including support for the District's Chinese Immersion
families), and engagement strategies for the District's Newark, Bear, Christiana, and Wilmington
communities.
* Digital and social media - strategy, content development, channel management support, and
community-management guidance across the District's platforms.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
* Internal and staff communications - support for employee and stakeholder communications that
reinforce consistent District messaging.
* Website content support - assistance with clear, accessible, and timely web content (coordinated
with District web staff).
* Measurement and reporting - a monthly dashboard reporting reach, engagement, media
tone/sentiment, and family communication metrics, with quarterly strategic reviews.
B. Component B - Career Pathway Development
Component B represents the workforce-development and training services anticipated throughout the
contract term. The vendor shall design and deliver authentic, career-grade learning opportunities that
integrate with the District's actual communications work and with existing CSD career-pathway
programs.
Student-Facing Pathway Programming
* Pathway curriculum design and delivery - design of a multi-year communications and media-
production pathway sequence for interested middle and high school students, with introductory,
intermediate, and advanced units. Curriculum shall align with Delaware Pathways and Career and
Technical Education (CTE) frameworks where applicable.
* Industry-led workshops - regular, hands-on workshops at District schools covering communications
strategy, writing for media, video production, photography, audio and podcast production, graphic
design, social media, and adjacent skills. The vendor's working professionals shall deliver these
workshops.
* Mentorship pairings - structured mentor pairings between vendor team members and interested
students, with defined cadence (e.g., monthly meetings, defined annual hours), goals, and reporting.
* Job shadowing and externships - supervised opportunities for students to observe and participate
in real client work at the vendor's offices, with appropriate supervision and consistent with all student-
safety and privacy requirements.
* Authentic project-based learning - designated portions of the District's real communications work
scoped as supervised student learning projects, allowing students to contribute meaningfully to District
materials under professional mentorship.
* Portfolio development - individual support for students to build career-ready portfolios drawn from
their pathway work.
* Integration with existing CSD programs - The vendor shall not duplicate or supplant existing
District work; the vendor shall enhance and extend it.
* Annual student showcase - organization of an end-of-year showcase event at which student
pathway participants present their work to families, the Board, and the broader community.
The Core Principle
Authentic over simulated. The District's actual communications work - a real press release, a real crisis
statement, a real campaign - is the curriculum. Students learn by doing real work, supervised by
professionals; staff learn by being coached on real assignments. The model only works if the work is real.
Optional / As-Needed Services
Optional Services may be procured by the District on a project or as-needed basis at the rates established
in Appendix A.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
* Public-information and referendum-readiness campaigns - factual, informational public-education
materials regarding District finances, operations, and any future referendum. All such work shall be strictly
informational and non-advocacy, and shall comply with applicable Delaware law governing the use of
public resources.
* Creative production - video, photography, and multimedia content. Where appropriate, optional
creative production should incorporate supervised student participation as a Component B learning
opportunity.
* Research - community surveys, polling, and focus groups.
* Special-event communications - communications support for District events, recognitions, and
milestones.
* Print and collateral design - design and production coordination of printed materials.
* Equipment access for student pathway use - vendor-facilitated access to professional equipment
(cameras, audio gear, editing software licenses) for student pathway participants, scoped and priced
separately.
* Expanded pathway capacity - if successful, expansion of the Component B pathway to additional
schools, additional cohorts, or summer programming.
*
Key Personnel and Account Team
The proposal shall identify the named account lead for Component A, the named pathway/curriculum
lead for Component B, and the core team who will service the District, including roles, relevant
experience, and anticipated level of effort. The vendor shall demonstrate that the Component B lead
has appropriate credentials and experience for working with students in a K-12 setting. Substitution of
key personnel after award shall require prior written approval by the District.
Compliance and Safeguards
The selected vendor shall comply with all applicable federal and state laws and District policies, including:
* The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and student-privacy protections;
* All applicable background-check, fingerprinting, and clearance requirements for adults working with
students in Delaware, including any clearance under 14 Del. C. 309 and 11 Del. C. 8571;
* The Delaware Freedom of Information Act (29 Del. C. 10001 et seq.);
* Accessibility standards for all digital content and instructional materials;
* Restrictions on the use of public funds for political advocacy;
* All District policies governing adult interactions with students, including supervision requirements during
job shadows and externships.
The vendor shall safeguard all non-public District and student information, and shall maintain documented
protocols for student interactions, communications, and project supervision.
QUALIFICATIONS
The following information shall be provided in each proposal in the order listed below. Failure to
respond to any request for information within this RFP may result in rejection of the proposal at the sole
discretion of the District.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
A. Minimum Requirements
1. Provide proof of a State of Delaware business license, or initiate the application process prior to
execution of an award. Provide any other license(s) or certification(s) necessary to perform the
services.
2. Respond to the Scope of Services and clearly identify capabilities for both Component A and
Component B as presented in the General Evaluation Requirements below.
3. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms identified within this RFP.
4. Provide proof of insurance in the amounts identified in Section V prior to the start of the contract period.
5. Provide evidence that any personnel assigned to Component B work directly with students will meet all
Delaware background-check and clearance requirements prior to direct student contact.
B. General Evaluation Requirements
Proposals shall address each of the following, which form the basis for evaluation:
1. Firm Experience and Qualifications - overview of the firm, years in business, size, and relevant
capabilities.
2. Account Team and Key Personnel - qualifications, roles, and availability of the proposed team,
including the Component A account lead and the Component B pathway lead.
3. Public-Sector and K-12 Experience - demonstrated experience serving school districts,
government, or comparable mission-driven organizations, including Delaware experience where
applicable.
4. Career Pathway and Training Capability - demonstrated experience designing and delivering
training, internships, mentorship programs, or CTE-aligned curriculum to students and/or adult
learners. Evidence of partnerships with school districts, community colleges, or workforce-development
entities is preferred.
5. Curriculum and Instructional Design - the proposed structure of the Component B student pathway
and staff professional-development sequence, including sample units, learning outcomes, and
alignment to Delaware Pathways and CTE frameworks where applicable.
6. Understanding and Approach - the firm's understanding of the District's situation and a proposed
methodology and work plan for both components, including integration with existing CSD programs.
7. Capacity and Responsiveness - ability to meet defined response times, including during
emergencies.
8. Sample Work - representative work products and case studies covering both communications
campaigns and training or pathway programming (e.g., curriculum samples, alumni outcomes, prior
internship cohorts).
9. Business References - at least three (3) references for comparable engagements, including at least
one reference for training or career-pathway work where possible (Attachment 6).
10.Cost Proposal - a complete cost proposal on Appendix A, including the annual
retainer for Component A, the annual scope and pricing for Component B, and an hourly rate card for
Optional / As-Needed Services.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Additional Requirements
1. Provide Delaware license(s) and/or certification(s) necessary to perform services as identified in the
scope of work.
Prior to the execution of an award document, the successful Vendor shall either furnish the Agency
with proof of State of Delaware Business Licensure or initiate the process of application where
required.
2. Vendor shall provide responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) scope of work and clearly identify
capabilities as presented in the General Evaluation Requirements below.
3. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms as identified within the RFP.
4. Proof of insurance and amount of insurance shall be furnished to the Agency prior to the start of the
contract period and shall be no less than as identified in the bid solicitation, Section VI, Item G,
subsection 7 (insurance).
5. Criminal background check for all employees
6. Documentation of PPD test (within five years) - possibly waived
7. Child Protection Registry clearance
8. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS
Vendors must provide pricing for the items listed in Appendix A.
III. FORMAT FOR PROPOSAL
A. INTRODUCTION
This section prescribes the mandatory format for the presentation of a proposal in response to this RFP.
Each Vendor must provide every component listed in the order shown in this RFP, using the format
prescribed for each component. A proposal may be rejected if it is incomplete or conditional.
B. PROPOSAL RESPONSE
The Request for Proposal may contain pre-printed forms for use by the vendor in submitting its proposal.
The forms required by this solicitation shall be considered mandatory, prevailing documents.
When preprinted forms are used, the forms shall contain basic information such as description of the item
and the estimated quantities and shall have blank spaces for use by the vendor for entering information such
as unit bid price, total bid price, as applicable.
The Vendor's proposal shall be written in ink or typewritten on the form provided, and any corrections or
erasures MUST be initialed by vendor's representative completing the bid submission.
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