RFP – Digital Advertising Services

Request for Proposals For:
Digital Advertising Services
for
WOR-WIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE
32000 Campus Drive
Salisbury, MD 21804
All Proposal responses must be received prior to 2:00pm local time on April 17, 2026.
IMPORTANT: Your response may be considered Not Responsible or Non-Responsive if any portion of
this inquiry is not complete. No proposal will be accepted after the date and time stated above.
Allison Canada, CPPO, C.P.M.
Exec. Director of Business Support Services
NOTICE: Prospective Offerors who have received this document from a source other than the executive director of business support
services should immediately go to the Wor-Wic Community College procurement website to ensure that they have received the
complete documents and any addenda or other communications issued in relation to this RFP. A firm's failure to monitor the website
may result in non-receipt of important information prior to the closing date and may result in rejection of a proposal. A prospective
Offeror who fails to monitor the Wor-Wic Community College website assumes complete responsibility in the event that they do not
receive communications from the executive director of business support services prior to the closing date.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
RFP Schedule ..............................................................................................3
Section 1: General Information.............. .............................................................4
Section 2: Scope of Work ...............................................................................6
Section 3: Instructions to Proposing Firms ..........................................................9
Section 4: Submittal Format ............................................................................13
Section 5: Price Proposal .............................................................................15
Section 6: Required Submission Documents.........................................................17
Section 7: Terms and Conditions......................................................................28
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TENTATIVE TIME FRAME FOR PROCESS OF CONTRACTOR
SELECTION, CONTRACT AWARD AND INITIATION
The schedule for the proposal process is shown in the table below. Dates currently
established for selection of contractor, contract award and contract initiation dates are
included.
NOTE: OFFERING FIRMS ARE HEREBY ADVISED THAT THESE DATES ARE
SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS COLLEGE OFFICIALS DEEM APPROPRIATE AND
NECESSARY FOR PROPER FULFILLMENT OF THE INTENTIONS OF THE
PROPOSAL PROCESS.
March 19, 2026 Notice to Bidders published on eMaryland Marketplace Advantage
and the College's website.
March 26, 2026 Deadline to submit questions to acanada@worwic.edu
April 6, 2026 The College will issue an Addendum answering all questions.
April 17, 2026 Deadline to submit proposals, prior to 2:00pm.
April 28, 2026 Short-listed firms will be invited for oral presentations.
May 12-14, 2026 Oral presentations, dates and times to be determined.
May 22, 2026 Price proposals due, upon request.
June 12, 2026 Contract award.
July 1, 2026 Services begin.
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Section 1: General Information
A. Wor-Wic Community College is seeking a firm to provide digital advertising services for
student recruitment, retention, and community engagement.
B. This solicitation implies no obligation on the part of the College. The College reserves the
right to accept or reject any and all proposals in whole or in part, or to waive any
technicality it deems in the best interest of the College.
C. The sole point of contact for this solicitation is: Allison Canada, Exec. Director of Business
Support Services. Phone: 410-334-2918, email: acanada@worwic.edu Under no
circumstances are firms, including third party firms or their staffs, to contact other College
staff, faculty, or any related constituency for purposes associated with the RFP, including
but not limited to, obtaining or providing information unless specifically noted herein.
Firms failing to comply with this requirement will be disqualified.
D. Copies of this RFP and related addenda can be obtained from eMaryland Marketplace
Advantage (eMMA) and the college's website. In order to download the RFP and Addenda,
all interested firms must register as a vendor with eMMA at https://emma.maryland.gov .
Firms assume the responsibility of downloading these documents and all addenda from this
website prior to submission of their response. Wor-Wic Community College assumes no
liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions,
discrepancies, unauthorized modification of electronic data, errors in transmission, HTML
browser incompatibilities, and other aspects of electronic communications that are beyond
the College's control. Firms are encouraged to check eMMA and the college's website on a
regular basis for updates on this RFP. Addenda and additional information oftentimes get
posted within 48 hours prior to the submission date.
E. This Request for Proposals and any resulting contract shall be governed by 16-311
through 16-314 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Any
contract negotiated as a result of this RFP will be governed by the laws of the State of
Maryland. The successful firm shall at all times observe and comply with Federal, State
of Maryland and local laws, ordinances, orders, codes and regulations and the articles and
provisions of the Building Code(s) existing at the time of or enacted subsequent to the
execution of a contract which in any manner affects the firm's ability to perform
contractual requirements.
F. Confidential/Proprietary Information
a. Firms should give specific attention and identify those portions of their response
which they consider to be confidential, proprietary information or trade secrets.
Firms must clearly indicate each and every section that is confidential, proprietary
or a trade secret. It is not sufficient to preface your entire response with a
confidential/proprietary statement.
b. Wor-Wic Community College will not publicly disclose confidential/proprietary
information obtained as a result of this RFP. To the full extent that it is
protected by law and regulations, information identified by a respondent as
confidential or proprietary may be kept confidential.
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c. The contractor acknowledges that during the engagement they may have access to
and become acquainted with various trade secrets, inventions, innovations,
processes, information, records and specifications owned or licensed by the College
and/or used by the College in connection with the operation of its business
including, without limitation, the College's business and processes, methods,
student lists, customer lists, accounts and procedures. The contractor agrees that
they will not disclose any of the aforesaid, directly or indirectly, or use any of them
in any manner, either during the term of this agreement or at any time thereafter,
except as required in the course of this engagement with the College. All files,
records, documents, blueprints, specifications, information, letters, notes, media
lists, original artwork/creative, notebooks and similar items relating to the business
of the College, whether prepared by the contractor or otherwise coming into their
possession, shall remain the exclusive property of the College. The contractor shall
not retain any copies of the foregoing without the College's prior written
permission. Upon the expiration or earlier termination of the agreement, or
whenever requested by the College, the contractor shall immediately deliver to the
College all such files, records, documents, specifications, information, or other
items in their possession or under their control. The contractor further agrees that
they will not disclose their retention as an independent contractor or the terms of the
agreement to any person without the prior written consent of the College and shall at
all times preserve the confidential nature of his or her relationship to the College
and of the services hereunder.
d. All contractors that work in the proximity of Confidential and Sensitive
Information (CSI) must agree to abide by the College's Red Flags and Identify
Theft policies and procedures. In the event that the firm becomes aware of a red
flag or data incident, the firm is required to report the incident to their point of
contact at the College. All firms that process, store, or transport CSI provided
by the college are required to give the College sufficient documentation to assess
the provider's data security risk.
G. Non-Performance of Work: Work will be considered incomplete or unsatisfactory when
any one of the following conditions exists:
a. The work was not performed in strict accordance with the RFP and Scope of Work.
b. The work was not performed within the allotted time frame.
c. The work as required by the RFP and Scope of Work was not entirely completed.
The above is not exhaustive of all conditions that determine non-performance of work.
Determination of non-performance of work may be grounds for the firm's termination from
the contract.
H. In the event the performance of work or services from this Request Proposal are delayed by
causes beyond the control of and without the fault or negligence of the awarded firm, the
College shall have the option to:
a. Terminate the Contract, or
b. Extend the time of the performance. No financial compensation will be awarded for
the time extension.
c. Upon termination of the contract for default, the College may pay the Contractor for
satisfactory performance of the services and/or delivery of the goods, less the
amount of damages caused by the default, all as determined by the College in its
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sole discretion. If the damages exceed compensation, then the College may pursue
any and all remedies available under this section as well as any remedies at law or in
equity.
I. Any changes made to this Request for Proposal as a result of time delay shall be in writing.
In the event that the time for performance on this Contract is extended beyond the term
provided for, all the other terms and conditions shall remain in full force and effect.
J. The contract shall be in the form of a purchase order(s) and any and all related contract
documents, to include, but not limited to, the College's RFP, the firm's Proposal, any and
all subsequent correspondence; all required submittals, i.e., certificate of insurance, etc. as
well as any other documents which may be required and mutually agreed upon and
negotiated by the College and the successful firm. The Proposal, addenda and submittals
required as a part of the Proposal evaluation process, will become an integral part of the
final contract. Should there be any conflict between these specifications and the final
contract document, the specifications contained herein shall take precedence.
K. Payment Schedules
a. Payment will be made upon receipt and acceptance of completed work. Progress
payments and payment schedules will be negotiated with the successful firm.
b. Invoices are paid Net 30.
c. The College is exempt from Maryland State Sales and Use Taxes. This tax
exemption does not extend to the successful firm. Each contractor must determine
its own tax status.
L. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the firm shall be deemed to represent that it is
not in arrears in the payment of any obligation due and owing the State of Maryland or the
United States of America, including the payment of taxes and employee benefits and that it
shall not become so in arrears during the term of the contract if selected for contract award.
M. Notice to Proceed: After the contract has been executed and all required documents
received, the College will issue to the firm a "Notice to Proceed". The specified contract
time shall begin on the date of the "Notice to Proceed". The Notice to Proceed may be in
the form of a College purchase order. The successful firm is expected to immediately begin
the representation of Wor-Wic Community College for the services expressed in this RFP.
Pending approval of the contract by the College's Board of Trustees it is expected that the
Notice to Proceed will be issued on June 12, 2026.
Section 2: Scope of Work
Wor-Wic Community College is seeking qualified firms to provide strategic digital advertising
services to support student recruitment, enrollment growth, workforce development initiatives, and
community engagement. The selected vendor will plan, develop, implement, manage, and optimize
paid digital campaigns that align with the college's marketing goals.
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
The primary objectives of this engagement are to:
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* Increase awareness of Wor-Wic and its academic, workforce training, and continuing
education programs
* Support enrollment growth in credit and non-credit programs
* Promote priority enrollment periods, registration deadlines, and key college events
* Generate qualified prospective student inquiries and applications
* Re-engage stopped-out students and adult learners
* Strengthen the college's regional brand and visibility
* Promote high-demand and high-growth career pathways
TARGET AUDIENCES
Campaigns may target, but are not limited to:
* Recent high school graduates within Wor-Wic's service area (Wicomico, Worcester and
Somerset counties in Maryland)
* Adult learners and career changers
* Dual enrollment students and their parents/guardians
* Underemployed and unemployed residents seeking new skills
* Workforce credential and continuing education students
* Transfer-oriented students
* Military, veterans, and their families
* Local employers and community and industry partners
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Planning & Collaboration
The vendor shall:
* Assist with the development of a digital advertising strategy aligned with Wor-Wic's
enrollment cycle
* Recommend media mix, budget allocation, and campaign flighting
Campaign Development & Implementation
Plan, create, and manage campaigns that may include:
* Paid search engine marketing (Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising)
* Paid social media advertising (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and emerging
platforms as appropriate)
* Display and programmatic advertising
* YouTube and streaming/OTT advertising
* Geofencing and location-based targeting (e.g., area high schools, community events,
workforce centers)
* Retargeting campaigns for website visitors and inquiry lists
Audience Targeting
* Develop segmented strategies such as those for traditional and non-traditional student
populations, high schoolers and parents, etc.
* Implement behavioral and intent-based targeting strategies
Campaign Management & Optimization
* Monitor campaign performance on an ongoing basis
* Optimize campaigns to improve conversion rates and cost efficiency
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* Conduct A/B testing for creative, messaging, and audience segments
* Adjust strategies based on seasonal enrollment trends and program priorities
* Ensure effective budget pacing
Conversion Tracking & Technology Integration
* Implement and manage tracking pixels and conversion events
* Track key actions such as:
o Request for information
o Applications for admission
o Event registrations
o Priority program page visits
Reporting & Performance Analysis
The vendor shall provide reports that include:
* Campaign performance by platform
* Cost per inquiry/lead and cost per application (when available)
* Conversion rates
* Click-through rates
* Impressions and reach within the college's service region
* Audience insights and trend analysis
* Strategic recommendations for continuous improvement
Account Management & Communication
* Assign a dedicated account manager
* Provide timely responses to college inquiries
* Coordinate campaign planning with Wor-Wic marketing staff
DELIVERABLES
* Annual or campaign-based digital advertising strategies
* Campaign setup, execution, and ongoing management
* End-of-campaign and annual performance reports
* Strategic recommendations for future initiatives
VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS
The vendor should demonstrate:
* Expertise in geo-targeted campaigns within a defined service area
* Strong analytics and reporting
* Preference given to those with experience working with community colleges, higher
education institutions, or local community organizations within Wor-Wic's service area
(Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties in Maryland)
TERMS OF SERVICE
* Initial contract term: One (1) year, July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027.
* The college shall have the option to renew for (4) additional 1-year terms based on
performance, need, and funding availability.
ACCESSIBILITY
The vendor must:
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* Ensure all advertising and associated landing pages meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility
standards
COLLEGE RESPONSIBILITIES
Wor-Wic will:
* Identify priority programs and enrollment goals
* Review and approve strategies and creative in a timely manner
CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES FOR WOR-WIC FOR FY 2027
Estimated campaigns include:
* Fall 2026 enrollment (April-August 2026)
* Spring 2027 enrollment (November 2026-January 2027)
* Fall 2027 enrollment (June 2027)
* Continuing education and workforce development (September-October 2026) (January-
February 2027) (April-May 2027)
* Dual enrollment recruitment (February 2027)
* Promise Scholarship (February-March 2027)
* Open house and registration events (October 2026) (March 2027)
* Program-specific recruitment (Four campaigns to run two months each)
Section 3: Instructions to Proposing Firms
A. Should any proposer be in doubt as to the meaning of the scope of work, or should any
discrepancy or omission be found, they shall submit all questions and requests for
clarification in writing via email to acanada@worwic.edu on or before 2:00pm on March
26, 2026. No oral questions will be answered.
a. Failure by the offeror to acquaint itself with all the requirements of the requested
services shall not relieve the offeror from responsibility for estimating properly the
difficulty or cost of successfully performing the services.
b. An Addendum to the RFP will be issued with all questions and answers. The
College will not be responsible for any oral or telephone explanations of contract
documents.
c. It is the proposer's sole responsibility to ensure receipt of all Addenda. It is highly
recommended that the proposer check the College's website and eMaryland
Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) for all posted Addenda prior to submitting their
proposal. All Addenda shall become part of the contract documents.
B. Offerors must submit one (1) digital copy of the technical proposal. Proposals must include
all required information and forms. All proposal packages submitted in response to this
RFP must be signed. Technical Proposals will be received until 2:00pm on April 17,
2026. Technical Proposals received after this date and time will not be accepted.
Completed proposal documents must arrive electronically via Equity Hub's Bid Locker at
https://bidlocker.us/details/5801_Rfp_Digital_Advertising_Services Please note that
offerors must register on the Bid Locker site prior to submittal of documents, so please plan
the upload of the proposal package accordingly. It will time out promptly at 2:00pm on
April 17, 2026. Any proposals may be withdrawn prior to this date and time; however, all
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proposals are considered final after 2:00pm on April 17, 2026 at which time they will be
distributed to the college's evaluation committee. Final Proposals may not be altered,
withdrawn, or canceled, for a period of 120 days after this date and time.
Oral, mailed, faxed or emailed proposals are invalid and will not be given consideration.
Proposals will not be accepted electronically through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage.
Technical Proposals do not include pricing.
All costs incurred by responding firms associated with the preparation, submission,
presentation or proposals and attendance at meetings, including but not limited to, costs
related to transportation, meals, lodging, bonding and other related expenses, if applicable,
will be the sole responsibility of the respondent and will not under any circumstances be
reimbursed by the College.
C. Exceptions: It is the responsibility of the proposer to include a list and clarification of any
deviations from this document and the attached Wor-Wic Community College Terms and
Conditions. Exceptions must be notated on, or attached to, the Contractor Information
Form.
D. Errors in Proposals
a. Withdrawal of a Proposal after the deadline for receipt of Proposals will not be
permitted, except as follows: in those cases where, in the sole judgment of the
College, based upon clear and demonstrable evidence, the proposing firm has made
a bona fide error in the preparation of the Proposal and such error will result in
substantial loss to the firm, in this instance, an exception may be made by the
College.
b. Negligence on the part of the firm in preparing its proposal confers no right of
withdrawal, modification or cancellation of the Proposal after the deadline for
receipt of Proposals.
c. The College reserves the right to contact any and all firms to verify information
included in their Proposal and to clarify any questions regarding the information
submitted in the Proposal, in order to ascertain whether the Proposal received is
both responsive and responsible. The College also reserves the right to waive any
formalities, informalities and technicalities in evaluation of the Proposals as are
deemed appropriate, necessary and in the College's best interest.
E. Neither the College nor the Contractor shall assign, sublet or transfer its interest or
obligations under this RFP or the contract to any third party, without the written consent of
the other. Nothing herein shall be construed to create any personal or individual liability
upon any employee, officer or elected official of the College, nor shall this RFP or the
contract be construed to create any rights hereunder in any person or entity other than the
parties of the contract.
F. Nothing contained in this RFP and the contract shall be construed in any manner to create
any relationship between the Contractor and the College other than expressly specified
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