NWSA Rebrand Initiative

NWSA
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
NO. 032026-1024
NWSA REBRAND INITIATIVE
Issued by
Northwest Seaport Alliance
One Sitcum Plaza
P.O. Box 1837
Tacoma, WA 98401-1837
RFP INFORMATION
Contact: Shawn Seaks, Procurement Analyst
Email Addresses: procurement@portoftacoma.com
Phone: (253) 592-6734
Submittal Date 3/25/2026
Questions Due Date 4/8/2026
SUBMIT ALL QUESTIONS AND PROPOSALS VIA THE PROCUREMENT PORTAL.
(LINK LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PROCUREMENT WEB PAGE)

Northwest Seaport Alliance
Request for Proposals (RFP) 032026-1024
NWSA Rebrand Initiative
A. PURPOSE
The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) is soliciting proposals from qualified branding
and design agencies to lead a comprehensive rebranding initiative. The NWSA
anticipates awarding one personal services contract. This project will include renaming
the organization to include our geographic location, development of strong identity
parameters, and establishing a complete suite of visual identity assets to strengthen our
position in the international shipping marketplace.
This rebranding effort represents a strategic evolution of our organization as we seek to
enhance recognition, clarify our market position, and better communicate our value
proposition to international shipping partners, stakeholders, and the communities we
serve. The period of performance of the contract is one (1) year from the execution of the
contract, with option for renewal at the sole discretion of the NWSA, for a possible total
of two (2) years.
The successful respondent may be precluded from competing for, or participating in,
subsequent contracts that are the direct result of or primarily generated by, the work
performed under the contract resulting from this procurement.
Interlocal Cooperation Act-RCW 39.34 allows cooperative purchasing between public
agencies, and other political subdivisions. If a public agency files or has filed an
Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement with the NWSA, those agencies
are eligible to purchase from Contracts established by the NWSA. Such agencies may
ask NWSA Contractors to accept orders from the agency, citing the NWSA contract as
the basis for the order. The Contractor may accept or decline such orders. If the
Contractor accepts an order from another public agency using the NWSA contract as the
basis, the Contractor agrees to sell additional items at the contract prices, terms, and
conditions. The NWSA accepts no responsibility for the payment of the purchase price by
other governmental agencies.
B. BACKGROUND
The NWSA was formed in 2015 to strengthen the shared market position of the Ports of
Seattle and Tacoma on a national and global scale. On our website, we currently
describe ourselves as "a marine cargo operating partnership of the Port of Seattle and
Port of Tacoma. We are a leading container gateway in the United States. Under a port
development authority, the NWSA manages the container, breakbulk, auto and some
bulk terminals in Seattle and Tacoma." In reality, our port authority manages the full
supply chain, from the origin point of manufacturing to consumer delivery. Our team
gets involved with partnerships with multiple stakeholders from a local to global scale.
We have learned a lot over the last ten years. We have come to recognize that our
name nor our formal description fully explains what we do. For those reasons - along
with others - we are seeking consultant support in guiding us through a rebranding

process. We maintain close links and certain dependencies with our founding entities -
the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma - including our board oversight. The five elected
commissioners of the Port of Tacoma and the five elected commissioners of the Port of
Seattle together make up our Managing Members.
As one of the largest container gateways in North America, we play a key role in
international trade and the economic vitality of the Pacific Northwest region. We operate
in a highly competitive global shipping environment, serving trade routes connecting
North America with Asia and other international markets. NWSA activities support more
than 52,000 jobs and more than $14B in business output. To learn more about the
NWSA, visit www.nwseaportalliance.com.
This rebranding initiative is driven by several strategic imperatives:
1. To gain clarity of organizational identity.
2. To demonstrate how the marine cargo partnership is best positioned in the
global marketplace and with local communities.
3. To establish a recognizable brand in the global shipping market.
Initial key target timeline milestones of this work include:
* Substantial project completion by the end of 2026
* Finalize workplan and project schedule by the end of Q2 2026
The NWSA's Standard Terms and Conditions are included in Attachment B to this
RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Proposer represents that it has carefully read
and agrees to be bound by the NWSA's Standard Terms and Conditions. Identify
during the question submittal and response period, any sections you consider
onerous, clarify why you consider these sections onerous, propose alternative
language and describe why it is in the NWSA's best interests to adopt the
alternative language.
Proposals submitted with altered or conditioned Terms and Conditions without
prior written agreement from the NWSA will be considered non-responsive and not
considered for evaluation.
Proposers submit proposals understanding all contract terms and conditions are
mandatory. Response submittal is agreement to the Contract without exception.
The NWSA reserves the right to negotiate changes to submitted proposals and to
change the NWSA's otherwise mandatory Contract form during negotiations. If the
Proposer is awarded a contract and refuses to sign the attached Contract form, the
NWSA may reject the Proposer from this and future solicitations for the same work.
Under no circumstances shall Proposer submit its own boilerplate of terms and
conditions.
C. SCOPE OF SERVICES
The NWSA is seeking proposals from consultants with expertise in strategic planning for
the facilitation and delivery of a comprehensive rebranding program. The NWSA desires

meaningful internal and external participation in the execution of this program and seeks
firms with the capacity to support an ambitious and expedited schedule.
The NWSA's Communications Director and Senior Manager of Strategic Projects will
act as the project manager and primary points of contact responsible for project
coordination and soliciting internal review and feedback.
Proposal should include two potential options for Scope of Services:
a) Silver option: provides services and deliverables that could be accomplished
within a specific budget range (up to $250,000) and
b) Gold option: provides services and deliverables without that budget constraint
(but within a reasonable range for a government agency) and demonstrates the
proposing firm's creative approach.
Work shall include, but not limited to, the following components:
1. Discovery and Research Phase
* Identify and organize stakeholder interviews and workshops with
leadership, customers, employees, and community partners
* Organizational identity and brand audit of current organizational
positioning, external messaging, and visual identity
* Market research to identify opportunities and perceptions in key trade
markets, analysis of peer ports
2. Facilitation and Engagement
* Facilitation services for key stakeholder meetings
* Prioritization approach to internal and external engagements
* Customize materials and approach for different audiences
3. Strategic Identity and Naming
* Development of organizational identity framework and practices
* Naming exploration and selection
* Tagline development
4. Brand & Visual Identity Development
* Logo design, graphic elements, color palette and typography development
* Messaging framework and key messages
* Brand voice and tone guidelines
* Value propositions for different audience segments
5. Brand Guidelines and Standards
* Comprehensive brand standards manual
* Digital brand guidelines for web and social media

* Templates for common collateral items
6. Implementation Support
a. Launch strategy and rollout plan
b. Internal launch toolkit and employee communications
c. External announcement strategy
The successful firm/team will have the following qualifications:
* Demonstrated success in facilitating multi-stakeholder groups to gather complex
feedback and compile feedback for strategic use.
* Demonstrated branding and naming skills, preferably related to maritime,
infrastructure, or transportation industries.
* Demonstrated experience and capacity to develop, design, and produce logos,
messaging documents, and collateral documents for use by internal and external
stakeholders.
* Demonstrated experience establishing new brand launch planning and
execution.
* Experience with international brand development and multicultural considerations
* Previous experience working with port authorities is preferred.
D. DELIVERABLES:
Specific deliverables may be further defined, but generally the deliverables required to
accomplish the services are outlined below.
1. Discovery and Research Phase
a. Workplan that seeks to complete the project before the end of 2026.
b. Review of Charter & Bylaws within the context of this initiative.
c. Organizational identity and brand audit of current organizational
positioning, external messaging, and visual identity.
d. Market research to identify opportunities and perceptions in key trade
markets, analysis of peer ports.
2. Facilitation and Engagement
a. Content, presentations, and materials for internal/external engagement, as
requested.
b. Content for Managing Members Commission memos and presentations.
3. Strategic Identity and Naming

a. Development of organizational identity framework and best practices
b. New name selection context and tagline options
4. Brand & Visual Identity Development, Guidelines and Standards
a. Logo design, graphic elements, color palette, and typography
development. To include all digital brand assets, logo files in all formats
(vector, raster, print, digital) and source files for all assets. Full ownership
of all materials
b. Messaging framework and comprehensive communication toolkit
c. Brand standards manual to include print and digital versions.
d. Templates for common collateral items to include presentation template,
letterhead, business cards, and other items
5. Implementation Support
a. Establish launch strategy and rollout plan to include internal and external
communications and announcement strategy
E. PROPOSAL ELEMENTS & EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Proposals should present information in a straightforward and concise manner, while
ensuring complete and detailed descriptions of the proposing Vendor (to include the
prime, key team members and major sub-consultants) and the team's ability to meet the
requirements and provide the requested services of this RFP. Emphasis will be on
completeness of content. The written proposals should be prepared in the same
sequential order of proposal criteria as outlined below.
Proposals are limited to 10 numbered pages (8 12 by 11 inch) excluding the cover letter,
compensation information and all appendices. All pages shall be in portrait orientation
with 1-inch (1") margins. Font size shall be 10 point or larger. Proposals that do not follow
this format may be rejected. Submittals need to be limited to 9 MB in total size.
The cover letter shall include the RFP Number &Title in the subject line, the Name, Title,
Email Address, Phone Number and current Address of the submitting team's main contact
and include the following information (even if the answer is none):
* Describe any claim submitted by any client against the prime firm within the past
two (2) years related to the professional services provided by the firm or its key
personnel. For purposes of this request, claim means a sum of money in dispute
in excess of 10% of the firm's fee for the services provided.
* Any real or perceived conflicts of interest for team members, inclusive of the
prime, sub-consultants and key team members.
Proposals are to address, and will be evaluated upon, the following criteria:
INITIAL EVALUATION PHASE
1. Qualifications & Experience.......................................................................... 25 PTS

a) Identify the proposed team (to include working titles, degrees, certificates, and
licenses), demonstrate the team's experience in performing the requested
services, and describe how the team meets or exceeds the required
qualifications.
* Resumes of the key individuals may be included as an appendix and are not
included in the total page count. Resumes are to be limited to one (1) single-
sided, letter-size page. Resumes exceeding this limit will not be reviewed.
* Provide an organizational chart demonstrating the relationships and
hierarchy of the team described above and availability to support Port
projects. Identify individuals by name, position, discipline and firm. Identify
key back up personnel.
* Include a draft project timeline defining key project milestones, phases,
tasks, resources (both consultant and NWSA) and anticipated individual
task duration.
b) The NWSA will evaluate the experience, technical competence, and
qualifications of the Key Personnel identified in their project-specific roles and
responsibilities, and the overall organization of the project team. Emphasis will be
placed on experience and expertise in performing work of similar scope and
complexity.
c) Capacity to perform the work (including any specialized services) within the time
constraints identified, considering the firm's current and planned workload.
d) Include a list of three (3) recent contracts/projects in the last six (6) years,
including a point of contact, contact information (phone and email), and brief
description, for services relevant to the items listed in the Scope of Services as
performed by the key personnel. Only projects completed by key members of the
project team will be considered.
2. Project Approach Narrative .......................................................................... 30 PTS
Proposals should clearly outline the team's recommended approach and methodology
for:
a) Accomplishing the Scope of Services: Clearly describe the approaches and
methods that will be used to accomplish the tasks required in the Scope of
Services. Include a summary of innovative ideas and suggestions for enhancing
the scope of services.
* Project Management: Describe how the team will manage and coordinate the
necessary disciplines required to accomplish the services requested.
* Describe the team's experience responding to and overall management of
on-call/ task order services and describe the firm's approach for responding
to the Port's request(s) for services.

b) Explain your approach to navigating the NWSA's different internal audiences
and key Homeport staff.
c) Explain how you believe both internal and external engagement can help shape
and inform the rebranding effort.
3. Work Management Approach ........................................................... 25 PTS
a. Describe the consultant's proposed project management approach.
a. Include a draft project timeline defining key project milestones, phases,
tasks, resources (both consultant and NWSA) and anticipated
individual task duration.
b. Define the assumptions made regarding accomplishing the Scope of
Services.
c. Define the factors the consultant believes are risks to the successful
completion of this project and proposed mitigation strategies.
d. Provide a plan for communications and coordination between the consultant
team and the Port. Include a summary of innovative ideas and suggestions
for enhancing the scope of services with the schedule.
4. Compensation ..................................................................................... 20 PTS
a. Present detailed information on the firm's proposed fee structure for all
resources for the services proposed.
b. Provide two different options for services:
* "Silver" - outline a scope of work that could be accomplished
within a range of $100,000-$250,000
* "Gold" - outline a scope of work without budget constraints,
providing the ideal approach, while keeping in mind that NWSA
is a government agency
Compensation information MUST be provided separately from the proposal, in
an individual PDF document.
All rates quoted shall be:
a) Fixed, fully burdened, including, but not limited to, per diem, administrative
overhead, travel, lodging, and transportation (all direct/indirect expenses
included);
b) Quoted in US Dollars;
c) Full cost inclusive of sales tax and other government fees, taxes and charges;
and

d) Valid throughout the contract period unless otherwise amended and agreed to
by both parties in writing.
FINAL EVALUATION PHASE (if applicable)
1. Oral Presentations (if requested) ...................................................... 60 or 100 PTS
Oral Presentations will be conducted with the top-ranked Vendors. Failure to
participate in the process will result in the Vendor's disqualification from further
consideration. Oral Presentations will be conducted by online video meeting.
2. References (if requested) ........................................................................... Pass/Fail
Reference checks may be performed on the selected firm, if based directly on the
proposals received, or on shortlisted firms if Oral Presentations are being requested.
The NWSA may evaluate the reference checks to assess the proposed Vendor's
overall performance and success of previous, similar work. Reference checks may
also be utilized to validate information contained in the proposal.
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:
ATTACHMENT A - INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSING (ATTACHED TO RFP)
ATTACHMENT B - PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACT TEMPLATE (ATTACHED
TO RFP)
ATTACHMENT C - COST BREAKDOWN-OFFER TEMPLATE (SEPARATE
ATTACHMENT)
ATTACHMENT D - TERMS AND CONDITIONS (SEPARATE ATTACHMENT)

PROCUREMENT PROCESS
SOLICITATION TIMELINE:
This is the procurement schedule for this RFP. The dates shown below are estimated,
are provided for information only, and are subject to change at the sole discretion of the
[POT/NWSA].
Issuance of RFP 3/25/2026
*Last Day To Submit Questions 4/8/2026
*Proposal packets due 4/22/2026
*Review/Shortlist* 4/27/2026
*Oral Presentations (if required)* 4/30 - 5/7/2026
*Best and Final (if required) 5/8/2026
*Final Selection 5/11/2026
*Execute Contract 5/20/2026
*Dates are tentative and may be subject to change.
All status updates on the above solicitation timeline will be announced on the NWSA's
website for this solicitation.
VENDOR OBLIGATION
The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) Invitation to Bid, Request for Proposals and
Request for Qualifications can be accessed on the following website, under
https://www.nwseaportalliance.com/ (NWSA) under 'Resources -> Procurement.'
When viewing the details page for this procurement on the NWSA's Website firms have
the option of subscribing to the Holder's List.
By subscribing to the Holder's List, firms will automatically be notified when new
documents or changes relating to this procurement occur.
*Only those who have subscribed to the Holder's List will receive notifications
throughout the procurement process, up until a firm is selected.
COMMUNICATION / INQUIRES
All communications is to be sent through Shawn Seaks, the Procurement Analyst.