Knozone Regional Air Quality Public Education and Air Pollution Mitigation Initiative

REQUEST FOR
QUALIFICATIONS
KNOZONE
REGIONAL AIR QUALITY PUBLIC
EDUCATION AND AIR POLLUTION
MITIGATION INITIATIVE
CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY ISSUED: JUNE 1, 2026

POTENTIAL PARTNER,
Thank you for your interest in the Knozone request for qualifications. This is an
opportunity to partner with the City to make Central Indiana a cleaner, healthier
region for Hoosiers via air quality education and air pollution reduction
strategies.
Our mission is to improve local air quality awareness and reduce sources of air
pollution through three (3) main categories of work:
1. Educating on Air Quality & Electrification for Public Health
2. Influencing the Market & Accelerating Behavior Change
3. Managing Partnerships & Building Coalitions
The following RFQ is intended to help the City understand the experience and
capacity of organizations/teams interested in a long-term creative partnership.
General areas of responsibility include:
Project management
Digital and print media content creation
Media buys and contract negotiations
Market research and analysis
Stakeholder engagement
Policy research and program design
Public event management
THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 2026

THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 2026

THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 2026
GENERAL INFORMATION
The City of Indianapolis first implemented an ozone awareness program
(dubbed Knozone) in 1996 as a means to reduce the city's instances of
exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient
Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone. In 1997, fine particulate matter
(PM2.5) was also added to the education and awareness campaign.
Knozone was designed to be a public education program to inform
residents in Marion and surrounding counties on measures to protect
public health and individual actions to reduce ground-level ozone and
PM2.5 pollution.
At the time of its inception, most local residents were not aware that
Central Indiana had problems with ground-level ozone or PM2.5 and had
limited knowledge about both pollutants.
When the regional air quality is forecasted to exceed national standards,
the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability issues a Knozone Action Day to
help protect Central Indiana's vulnerable populations and engage residents
in actions that will reduce air pollution. More than 624,000 people living in
Central Indiana are considered vulnerable to unhealthy air quality,
including children, the elderly, and anyone who is pregnant or diagnosed
with asthma, COPD, or a lung or heart condition. With a broadcast media
area of more than 1.8 million people, the pollution reduction potential is
significant.
Due to the success of the initiative, the most recent research suggests that
now 78% of regional Hoosiers are aware of Knozone and 65% take action to
reduce their emissions on Knozone Action Days.
Other Knozone projects have included pilot studies of free bikeshare access
for residents, public bike rack distribution and installation, support of air
quality education and bike instruction in schools, and an educational
exhibit at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis's STEM Lab.
In addition to public outreach on air quality, Knozone incorporates electric
vehicle (EV) education, outreach, and adoption through the Highly EVolved
campaign. The Highly EVolved campaign work involves developing
partnerships with the business community, organizations, and dealerships
to advance EV adoption in Central Indiana. Components of the campaign
have included an annual EV showcase for members of the public,
workplace charging workshops, fleet transition workshops, and testimonial
videos of local employers.
The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability also administers Thrive
Indianapolis, the city's first sustainability and resilience action plan. The
plan guides a path to citywide carbon neutrality by 2050 and encompasses
eight different elements of sustainability. Many action items in Thrive
coincide with the goals of Knozone and Highly EVolved.

AIR QUALITY IN CENTRAL INDIANA
OZONE & PM2.5
Ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are the two main air
pollutants in Central Indiana.
Ground-level ozone is caused by a chemical reaction in the atmosphere with
pollution from power plants and vehicles that reacts with sunlight and high
temperatures. More hotter days means a higher risk of ground-level ozone and
the health issues that come with it.
PM2.5 is made up of microscopic particles in the air-things like smoke, dust,
dirt, and soot. Sources include wildfires, diesel vehicles, and fireplaces.
The American Lung Association's annual State of the Air report regularly ranks
the Indianapolis metropolitan area among some of the worst metro areas in the
country for particle pollution. Marion County received failing grades in the 2026
report for ozone, 24-hour particle pollution, and annual particle pollution.
Mass public education via the Knozone initiative can help people take
precautions on Knozone Action Days that prioritize their family's health needs.
Additionally, successful Knozone policies and programs can reduce the amount
of air pollution being emitted and thus reduce the number of Knozone Action
Days we experience.
THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 2026

THRIVE INDIANAPOLIS
The Indianapolis Office of
Sustainability administers Thrive
Indianapolis, the first sustainability
and resilience action plan in Indy's
history. As a division of the
Department of Public Works, the
Office of Sustainability promotes
an environmentally sustainable
city through various programs and
partnerships that address the root
causes of climate change.
In conjunction with the
development of Thrive
Indianapolis, the City completed a
Social Vulnerability Index which
identifies areas in greatest need of
resilience investment. It
demonstrates how where a person
lives has a tremendous effect on
how a person lives.
Across Indianapolis and the Central Indiana region, different neighborhoods
experience different air quality due to a variety of factors including historic
under-investment. Some neighborhoods are exposed to disproportionate levels
of pollution and may be less likely to access helpful information or resources.
Successful Knozone education campaigns and programs will incorporate equity
in their design. Projects should reach people across demographics-age, ability,
gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language, sexuality, and
geographic location. Ideally, benefits of cleaner air should be accessible to those
living in areas of greatest need.
THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 2026

PROJECT LOCATION
City of Indianapolis
and the Central
Indiana region,
including Boone,
Hamilton, Madison,
Hancock, Shelby,
Johnson, Morgan, and
Hendricks counties.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Managing the Knozone initiative requires a
professional service consultant who can project
manage the various components of the program
and subcontract with experts in qualified fields
for completion of all required elements.
The selected vendor will be able to provide
qualifications associated with the following core
responsibilities:
Storytelling, Awareness, + Education
Data, Research, + Performance
Organizational + Corporate Engagement
Designing Public Programs to Influence
Behavior + Markets
A successful vendor may have an educational
and professional background in urban planning
or marketing and any associated licenses.
THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 2026

ANTICIPATED SCOPE OF WORK
The selected vendor should expect to include
subcontractors to satsify all of the required
elements. The selected vendor will provide an
annual plan to the City for approval and
coordinate any subcontractors to provide a
cohesive execution of the approved annual plan.
AIR QUALITY &
ELECTRIFICATION EDUCATION
FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
INFLUENCING THE MARKET &
ACCELERATING BEHAVIOR
CHANGE
MANAGING PARTNERSHIPS &
BUILDING COALITIONS
The selected vendor is expected to have staffing
continuity to minimize account management
turnover over the term of the contract. The
selected vendor is also expected to participate in
monthly meetings and work with the City's
program manager on strategic planning and
budgeting as well as general communication.
THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 2026

THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 2026
AIR QUALITY & ELECTRIFICATION
EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
Create mass public awareness via:
Digital content creation
Print media design + production
Radio, television, and outdoor
advertising purchases and contract
negotiations
Curriculum/exhibit/lesson plan
creation
Public meetings
Other innovative strategies to reach
vulnerable populations

THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 2026
INFLUENCING THE MARKET &
ACCELERATING BEHAVIOR CHANGE
Design programs + policies such as:
A public Electric Vehicle Showcase
Electric lawn equipment rebate
program
Public bike rack distribution
Free IndyGo service on Knozone
Action Days
Other innovative strategies