Information Systems: Advertising Mailing Stuffers

CITY OF MANCHESTER
Information Systems Department
100 Merrimack St.
Manchester, NH 03101
REQUEST for PROPOSAL
Sealed bids will be received at the Information Systems Department until 2:00 PM on the 7th
day of April 2026 for the following items:
ADVERTISING MAILING STUFFERS
FY26 - 130 - 41
Date of Issue - March 09, 2026
Request for Proposals and specifications will be available at the Information Systems
Department, 100 Merrimack St. Manchester, NH or online at:
www.manchesternh.gov/bids
Questions regarding this request should be directed to: Richard Martinez, Director of
Information Services via e-mail at: RMartinez@manchesternh.gov or at 603 624-6577.
The Director of Information Services reserves the right to waive any irregularities, reject any or
all bids, and to accept the bid that appears to be in the best interest of the City. Failure to submit
all information called for may be sufficient for disqualification.
Richard Martinez
Director of Information Services
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GENERAL:
1. Proposals will be received by the City of Manchester, New Hampshire at the place and
until the time specified in the Request for Proposal. NO PROPOSALS WILL BE
ACCEPTED AFTER TIME AND DATE SPECIFIED.
2. The following meanings are attached to the defined works when used in this document:
a. The word "City" means City of Manchester, New Hampshire.
b. The word "Proposer" means the person, firm, or corporation submitting a
proposal on these specifications or any part thereof.
c. The word "Contractor" means the person, firm, or corporation with
whom the Contract is being made by carrying out the provisions of this
Sealed Proposal Request and the Contract.
d. The words "firm price" shall mean a guarantee against price increase
during the life of the Contract.
3. Strict compliance with the requirements of the Request for Proposal, terms and
conditions, and the instructions printed is necessary. All blank spaces must be filled in.
Any changes and/or corrections shall be marked in red and initialed by the person making
such corrections. Signatures of the responsible owner/representative of the firm must be
in ink. No reproduction/duplications/copies will be accepted.
4. Each Proposal must give the full business address of Proposer and be signed by him with
his usual signature. Proposals by partnerships must furnish the full names of all partners
and must be signed with the partnership name by one of the members of the partnership
or by an authorized representative, followed by the signature and title of the person
signing. Proposals by corporations must be signed with the legal name of the
corporation, followed by the state of incorporation and by the signature and title of
president, secretary, or other person authorized to bind it in the matter. The name of each
person signing shall also be typed or printed below the signature. A Proposal by a person
who affixes to his signature the word "president", "secretary", "agent", or other title
without disclosing his principal may be held to be the Proposal of the individual signing.
When requested by the City, satisfactory evidence of the authority of the officer signing
on behalf of the corporation shall be furnished. All Proposals must be signed by an
authorized, responsible officer or employee having the capacity to enter into contracts.
5. Proposals must be bound or contained in a single volume, (facsimile or electronic
submissions will not be accepted) addressed and marked on the outside as follows:
FY26-130-41, Advertising Mailing Stuffers
The entire solicitation document is to be returned when submitting a proposal, unless
otherwise directed by the solicitation document. Failure to return all pages may result in
a determination that the submittal is non-responsive.
PLEASE NOTE: THE CITY OF MANCHESTER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPOSALS NOT
PROPERLY MARKED.
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6. It will be the responsibility of the Proposer to ensure that their proposal is received by the
Information Systems Department as specified.
7. Each proposal is received with the understanding that the acceptance in writing by the
City of the proposer to furnish any or all of the products/services described therein or as
otherwise negotiated shall constitute a contract between the Proposer and the City.
8. A contract agreement that is customarily employed by the City will be used and will
incorporate the original solicitation with all terms, condition and specifications of the
sealed proposal. A copy of the contract agreement is attached hereto.
9. Proposals may be withdrawn upon written or electronic request received from Proposers
prior to the time affixed for opening. Negligence on the part of the Proposer in preparing
the Proposal confers no right for the withdrawal of the Proposal after it has been opened.
10. The solicitation document maintained by the Highway Purchasing Division, in the
proposal file folder, shall be considered the official copy. In the case of any
inconsistency between Proposal documents submitted to the City, but not clearly listed on
the exception page of the document or as an exception by the Proposer, the language of
the official copy shall prevail. Furthermore, any exception or changes to the
specifications made by the Proposer may be cause to disqualify your Proposal.
11. Award will be made according to procedures outlined in the Request for Proposal, using
the criteria published therein. Upon making an award, or giving notice of intent to award,
the City will place appropriate notice on the Purchasing Website:
www.manchesternh.gov/bids
12. No oral interpretations will be made to any Proposer as to the meaning of the
specifications or terms and conditions of this sealed Proposal Request. Every request for
such interpretation or request for a change in the specifications or terms and conditions
shall be made in writing to: Richard Martinez, Director of Information Services.
Email: RMartinez@manchesternh.gov
Subject: Advertising Mailing Stuffers
Fax: (603) 603 624-6320
All questions must be received no later than Friday, April 3rd by 12pm. Any questions
received after that time will not be answered.
The City of Manchester will post questions and answers on its website:
www.manchesternh.gov/bids
as an addendum no later than five (5) business days before Proposals are due. It is the
responsibility of the Proposer to check for any addendums that have been issued. Any
such addendums will then become part of the complete RFP.
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13. If issued, addenda to this solicitation will be posted in the Purchasing Department's
website: www.manchesternh.gov/bids. It is the Proposers responsibility to check the
website prior to the submittal deadline to ensure that the Proposer has a complete, up-to-
date package.
14. Proposals that are incomplete, not properly endorsed or signed, or otherwise contrary to
these instructions may be rejected as informal by the City. The Proposal must be filled
out completely and accurately.
15. Any changes and/or corrections shall be marked in red and initialed by the person making
such corrections. Signatures of the responsible owner of the firm must be in ink.
16. Unless otherwise negotiated, no additional charges shall be passed to the City, including
any applicable taxes, delivery or surcharges.
17. The apparent silence of these specifications and any supplemental specifications as to any
detail or the omission from the specifications of a detailed description concerning any
point shall be regarded as meaning that only the best commercial practices are to prevail
and correct type, size and design are to be used. All interpretations of these
specifications shall be made on the basis of this statement.
18. The Proposer must certify that no official or employee of the City or State of New
Hampshire has a pecuniary interest in the Proposal or in the Contract that the Proposer
offers to execute or in the expected profits to arise there from, and that this Proposal is
made in good faith without fraud or collusion or connection with any other person
submitting a Proposal.
19. The City reserves the right to waive any informality in Proposals, to reject any and all
Proposals wholly or in part, and to make awards in a manner deemed in the best interest
of the City. If a Proposer desires to Proposal on "all or nothing" basis, they shall so
indicate on the Proposal schedule. When "all of nothing" Proposal is submitted the
Proposer must Proposal on every item on Proposal schedule.
20. The Proposer, if awarded an order or contract, agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold
harmless the City from all damages to life and property arising out of the performance of
this Contract due to the Proposer's negligence, that of his employees, subcontractors, etc.,
or due to the negligence of the City, its employees, representatives, agents, etc.
21. The City of Manchester may withhold acceptance of or reject any merchandise which is
found, upon examination, not to meet the specification requirements. When rejected, it
shall be removed by the Contractor within ten (10) days after notification of rejection.
22. Assignment of Contract: A contract shall not be assignable by the Contractor in whole or
in part without the written consent of the City of Manchester designee.
23. The Revised Statutes Annotated of the State of New Hampshire, the Charter of the
City, and all City Ordinances insofar as they apply to the laws of competitive Proposals,
contracts and purchases are made a part hereto.
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24. All deliveries of commodities hereunder shall comply in every respect with all applicable
laws of the Federal Government and/or the State of New Hampshire.
25. The Proposer to whom a contract is awarded guarantees to the City that all warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose as provided for in New Hampshire
382A-2-314 and 2-314 shall remain in force and will not be disclaimed.
26. Payment Terms: The successful vendor will pay the City in single annual payments. The
annual payment must be made prior to the first mailing of the contract year.
27. The City may terminate the contract for breach by the Contractor of any of the provisions
of the contract by giving the Contractor ten (10) days notice by registered mail.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE REQUIREMENTS COULD RESULT IN THE
CANCELLATION OF AN ORDER OR CONTRACT
.
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CONTRACT
City of Manchester
Information Systems Department
100 Merrimack St.
Manchester, New Hampshire 03103
Agreement made____________________, 20_____, between the City of Manchester, a
municipal corporation of the State of New Hampshire, herein referred to as "City", and
____________________________of __________________________, City of
__________________________, County of _____________________________, State of
____________________________, herein referred to as "Contractor".
For the considerations set forth herein, the parties agree as follows:
1. ____________________________, being the lowest responsible Proposer, shall provide
to the City the following supplies, materials, equipment and services:
Such supplies, materials, equipment, and services shall be provided in accordance with
the proposal made by _______________________________________________ pursuant
to the Request to Proposal and Terms & Conditions contained in Sealed Proposal Request,
which is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part hereof as if set forth herein in full.
2. The City shall pay _____$0.00________, the price and amount set out in Contractor's
proposal on delivery to and acceptance by City of the supplies, materials, equipment, and
services herein described, and on filing by __________________________ and
approval by the City of a verified claim for the amount due.
3. The agreement shall be inoperative during such period of time as delivery or
acceptance may be rendered impossible by reason of fire, strike, act of God,
government regulation, or other cause beyond the control of either party.
4. This agreement shall be binding on the assigns and successors of the parties.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this agreement at 100 Merrimack St,
Manchester, New Hampshire on the day and year first above written.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: CITY OF MANCHESTER:
_______________________________
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SPECIFICATIONS
The City is soliciting bids for advertising inserts that will be included in the following mailings.
* Motor Vehicle Registration Renewal Notice
The details the mailing is specified below. The City wants to maximize its revenue potential and
will consider bids from direct advertisers, and from agencies that might resell the advertising
space. The duration of a bid must be for a minimum of three (3) years and can be renewed for up
to five (5) successive years by mutual agreement between both parties.
The City uses a mailing service that folds, inserts, stuffs and delivers the mail to the post office.
The successful proposer will be allowed to provide one (1) 8.5 x 11 sheet of advertising, printed
on 20# paper, to be inserted in each envelope. Sufficient qualities of inserts must be delivered to
the location designated by the Responsible Department 10 days before the scheduled mail date of
each run. Payment must be received by the City no later than when the advertising inserts are
delivered to the City. Inserts will not be included in a mailing if prepayment has not been made.
All advertising content must support a healthy image of the City of Manchester, be appropriate
for all age groups and be non-political. The City will provide standard disclaimer information
which must printed on all advertising pieces in a font size that is acceptable to the City.
Advertising samples must be submitted 30 days before the scheduled run date.
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Mailing Details
Mailing Type - Motor Vehicle Registration Renewal Notice
Target Audience includes all residents and businesses within the City who own or lease
cars, trucks, motorcycles or trailers.
Number of runs per year 12
Each of the 12 runs can have different ad copy so mailings that go out in
November could have a holiday focus while summer mailings could focus on
summer vacation.
Average number of mailed items per run 5,400
Total mailed items per year 65,000
Runs are done monthly
Payment for advertisement inserts must be made in full prior to the mailing. Mailings will not be
delayed for the advertising. The City may cancel the contract if inserts are not delivered on time
or if there is any problem with the payment. If the number of items mailed varies by more than
100 pieces from the estimated amount in this RFP then adjustments to the total price can be
made. The adjustments will be calculated by dividing the original proposed price by the volumes
defined in this RFP to determine a per item cost.
Questions regarding this request should be directed to Richard Martinez at
RMartinez@manchesternh.gov.
SUBMITTAL
Failure to submit any and all documents requested could be cause for proposal to be rejected.
1. Proposal Package:
In order to be considered for selection, Proposers must submit one (1) complete and
signed response to this Request for Proposal. No other distribution of the proposal
package shall be made by the Proposer.
2. Proposal Preparation:
Below is a list of the information required to be provided by the Proposer. Provide
the information in the same order in which it is requested. Your proposal must
contain sufficient information to assure the City of its accuracy, however, Proposers
are requested to keep their submissions to the shortest length possible consistent with
addressing each information request completely.
a. The legal name, mailing address, telephone number, e-mail address and fax
number of the Proposer and a statement as to whether or not it is a sole
proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation or any other legal entity. A proposal
by a corporation shall also give the state of incorporation, identify the principal
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place of business and any local offices including address and telephone numbers.
Each proposal shall be signed by a person legally authorized to bind the Proposer.
Proposals should also identify any partners, persons or firms who will participate
in or are parties to the proposal and any other parties who may act on behalf of the
Proposer or who have the authority to legally bind the respondent.
b. The name, title and contact information for one or more individuals authorized to
represent the firm consultant in its dealings with the City.
c. General description of the nature and structure of the firm including its products,
services, markets, locations, number of employees annual revenues and number of
years in business.
d. A description of all contracts for products or services with or related to the City of
Manchester within the past ten (10) years.
e. Annual advertising rights offer price along with any proposed contingencies or
conditions.
f. Price Data Sheet must be completed.
g. All proposals should include a sample advertisement insert that is representative
of what the proposer will provide for actual mailings.
3. Minimum Price Offer:
Currently there is no minimum offer price. Please provide details on how and when
payment to the City will be made.
4. Present or Pending Legal Claims, Actions or Suits:
a. Describe in detail any court proceedings to which the Proposer has been a party in
the past ten (10) years including any determination by an arbitration panel,
federal, state or local regulatory body or court of law that any respondent member
has been found in breach or default under any agreement or contract. Identify by
name, location, caption, docket number, or other form of identification the
proceedings in which such determinations were made.
b. Describe any and all indictments and criminal investigations, actions, completed
or pending, within the past ten (10) years, in any venue involving any member of
the respondent team. Identify by name, location, caption, docket number, or other
form of identification, of all such criminal proceedings. Identify any present or
anticipated facts known to the respondent that might reasonably be expected to
adversely affect its ability to perform the services identified in the RFP.
5. Financial Qualifications and Conditions:
The successful vendor must be able to prepay for the advertising in annual
installments.
6. Conflicts, Errors & Ambiguities:
If a Proposer discovers an ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission or other error in
this RFP, the Proposer should immediately notify Richard Martinez via e-mail at
RMartinez@manchesternh.gov . Notice of such error or omission should be
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submitted prior to the final due date and time for submission of proposals.
Modifications shall be made by addenda to this RFP.
7. Requirements, Rights and Prerogatives:
a. By submitting a proposal, the Proposer covenants that the Proposer will not make
any claims for or have any right to damages because of any misinterpretation or
misunderstanding of the specifications or because of lack of information.
b. The City shall not be obligated for any cost incurred by the Proposer in proposal
preparation or in activities related to the review of this RFP or any interview
costs.
c. Other than the contact person identified in this RFP, or his designee(s),
prospective Proposers shall not approach City officials or employees during the
period of this RFP process about any matters related to this RFP or any proposals
submitted pursuant thereto.
d. A Proposer indicates its acceptance of the provisions and conditions enumerated
in this RFP by submitting a proposal.
e. The City reserves the right to exercise the following prerogatives:
i. To accept or reject any or all proposals and amend, modify or withdraw
this RFP.
ii. To correct any arithmetic errors in the proposals.
iii. To change the final due date and time for proposals.
iv. To waive or modify any irregularities in proposals received after prior
notification to the respondent. This will in no way modify the RFP
documents or excuse the Proposer from full compliance with its
requirements.
v. To consider modifications to proposals at any time before the award is
made, if such action is in the best interest of the City.
vi. To interview firms prior to selection.
vii. To reject any proposal containing false or misleading statements or, that
provides references that do not support an attribute or condition claimed
by the Proposer.
viii. To accept a proposal for the engagement other than the highest offer price.
ix. To negotiate an acceptable payment structure with any Proposer.
x. The records and reports of the City are subject to New Hampshire State
Law regarding Public Right to Know Laws under CHAPTER 91-A
"ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS AND MEETINGS."
EVALUATION
The selection process will begin with the review and evaluation of each of the written proposals.
The purpose of this evaluation process is to: 1) examine the responses for compliance with this
RFP; and 2) identify the firms that have the highest probability of satisfactorily performing under
the advertising agreement, and 3) identify the firms that are the most compatible with the
purpose, mission or functions of the City of Manchester. The evaluation process will be
conducted in a comprehensive and impartial manner.
1. Criteria for Selection:
a. Offer Price.
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