UCB - Strategic Communications - RFP 003915-Feb2026

Agency:	University of California
State:	California
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services 541613 - Marketing Consulting Services
Posted Date:	Feb 19, 2026
Due Date:	Mar 16, 2026
Original Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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UC Berkeley Strategic Communications RFP

Narrative and Brand Work for the Strategic Communications Department

RFP Timeline – Listed below are the key action dates/times for this RFx the amount of time listed

in the table are suggestions. The UC reserves the right to modify this timeline to best meet the

needs of the University.

RFP release date

Pre-bid conference with potential bidders (zoom) 1 hour (Department will introduce project

and answer general questions regarding project’s scope) (attendance highly recommended).

Please email Matthew Nelson, matthewnelson@berkeley.edu to receive the online meeting

invite to attend. 10AM -11AM PST

Bidder RFP questions due

UC answers to questions due

Bidder proposal due date

UC evaluation of proposals due

Bidder Interviews / Product Demo (We will invite maximum of five bidders to interview

with department)

February 20,2026

February 25, 2026

March 2, 2026

March 6, 2026

March 16, 2026

March 27, 2026

April 13-17, 2026

UC evaluation of Bidder interviews / Product Demo due

Apparent Awardee: Intent to award notice, best & final, acceptance & execute contract.

By April 24, 2026

By May 6, 2026

*All due dates are 11:59 PM PST for the corresponding date.

1. Introduction

Founded in 1868, University of California, Berkeley is the world's No. 1 public

university, with 63 Nobel laureates and 50 graduate programs ranked in the

nation's top 10. Berkeley researchers advance fundamental science while

addressing society's greatest challenges — from artificial intelligence to climate

change to human health. The university enrolls nearly 46,000 students, with 28%

of undergraduates receiving federal Pell Grants, reflecting its commitment to

access.

The Strategic Communications department (Strat Comms) seeks a brand and

marketing communications partner to help elevate our national and global position

in higher education by strengthening our brand positioning and helping to create

new and impactful brand assets.

2. Purpose

UC Berkeley Strat Comms is seeking proposals from agencies to help strengthen

and evolve the university’s institutional brand. Key to this work is updating our

brand positioning and strategic narrative to more effectively communicate the

breadth, depth and impact of Berkeley’s mission, research and public service. This

work will help ensure that our story is both firmly grounded in Berkeley’s

distinctive strengths, traditions and aspirations. The resulting brand foundation —

well-researched, community-informed and clearly articulated — will provide the

entire campus with a unified framework for telling Berkeleyʼs story, both in print

and visually, with greater clarity, cohesion and resonance across all audiences.

With Trademarks and Licensing as well as Brand Protection now reporting into

Strat Comms, our team plans to ensure both strong brand stewardship and

position our brand for increased revenue generation opportunities.

3. Minimum/mandatory requirements

A. Business experience: Bidder must have a minimum of five [5] years of

experience executing brand development, website development, and digital

marketing campaigns for organizations of similar size and complexity as UC

Berkeley.

B. Project capacity: Bidder must identify a dedicated project team of at least

three [3] staff members with the availability to meet the milestones and

deadlines specified in the project schedule.

C. Geographical location: Bidder must be a legal entity registered and

headquartered within the United States of America.

4. Evaluation criteria

Proposal details

Proposal submissions should include at minimum the following:

D. A description of the project as your company understands it, and how you

would be able to assist UC Berkeley in reaching our goals, which include:

a. Increased recognition as a/the top public university in the US

b. Illustrate the regional, national and global impact of our research

c. Showcase the breadth and deep of our academic excellence

d. Solidify UC Berkeley's reputation as an opportunity engine for

personal and social change

e. Bridging the Cal/UC Berkeley brand gap

f. Articulate why a UC Berkeley education will continue to hold

immense value in the age of AI

g. Increased recognition in specific areas TBD

E. Background information on your agency including your staffing model and

information on key players who would be assigned to this project

F. List of prior and/or relevant clients and referrals (see EXHIBIT 2)

G. A breakdown of your agency’s process for projects, including your project

management approach

a. Including a general explanation for how your agency will meet all of

the brand, licensing, ADA, IT, and security requirements of University

of California, Berkeley. Please refer to the UC Terms and Conditions

of Purchase and Appendix - Data Security documents uploaded to

the UC bid site.

H. An estimated cost breakdown for the outlined scope of work (see EXHIBIT

I. At least two case studies or examples from similar projects. You are

encouraged to include projects/examples from previous clients in the

education industry if you have them.

J. Ability to accept UC Terms and Conditions of Purchase and Appendix—Data

Security

Approximate project timeline

1. Request for proposal issue date: 2/20/26

2. Contract awarded (tentative): 5/6/2026

3. Phase 1 begins (tentative): 5/18/26

4. Phase 2 begins (tentative): TBD in coordination with selected agency

5. Phase 3 begins (tentative): TBD in coordination with selected agency

Grading rubric

Proposals that meet all Minimum / Mandatory Requirements will be evaluated and

scored using the criteria below. Scores will be used to identify the highest-ranking

bidders to advance to oral presentations (Tier 3) and potential award.

A. Proposal content and clarity

● Approach and narrative: Clarity and completeness of the supplier’s

understanding of the unique challenges facing a top-tier public university,

including the balance between elite reputation and public access.

● Proposal organization: Provides a well-organized, easy-to-read proposal

with complete information.

● Project timeline: Includes a realistic project timeline, milestones and

deliverables that accounts for the academic calendar, including faculty

availability and semester breaks.

● Risk assessment: Identifies potential project risks, such as stakeholder

misalignment or logistical delays, with specific and actionable mitigation

strategies.

B. Strategic qualifications, design expertise and solution fit

● Research methodology: Demonstrates a robust, data-backed methodology

for brand discovery that utilizes both quantitative methods for baseline

metrics and qualitative methods for nuanced sentiment and understanding.

● Brand architecture solution: Delivers a clear preliminary approach for

solving the brand architecture relationship between the academic primary

brand (UC Berkeley) and the athletic brand (Cal).

● Creative scalability: Demonstrates the ability to create a living brand

system that includes scalable assets and toolkits usable by non-designers.

This is not a simple logo update; the proposed brand system will need to be

flexible and effective across decentralized departments.

● Digital asset readiness: Provides a clear strategy for delivering a digital

utility suite that integrates with standard campus software, including Google

Workspace, Canva, and Microsoft Office

● Stakeholder consensus: Demonstrates specific techniques or workshops

designed to build consensus among highly decentralized stakeholder

groups, including faculty, staff, students and alumni.

● Accessibility standards: Ensures all visual and digital assets, including

color palettes and typography, meet WCAG 2.1 AA or newer standards.

● Compliance: Ability to comply with UC terms and conditions as well as UC

Berkeley confidentiality requirements.

C. Project management and execution plan

● Governance structure: Defines the project governance structure, roles and

communication plan, clearly identifying the strategy lead and day-to-day

project manager.

● Team qualifications: Provides a qualified project manager and team with

documented experience managing complex higher education, public sector

or similar clients.

● Schedule controls: Describes methodology and schedule controls,

specifically regarding how the agency manages feedback loops to prevent

scope creep.

● Implementation support:

○ i. Internal brand rollout strategy for campus communicators.

○ ii. Comprehensive training plan for internal teams on using new

guidelines and templates.

○ iii. Availability for post-launch consultation during the immediate

adoption phase.

● Quality assurance: Outlines the process for asset proofing, testing digital

templates across various platforms, and ensuring print feasibility.

● Change management: Describes the approach to fostering internal

adoption and ensuring long-term narrative resonance with institutional

stakeholders.

D. Financials

● Cost and value: Aligns the proposed financial structure with project value

and deliverables, providing a transparent fee structure with clear caps on

travel and research expenses. Estimated budget total $300-375k. This is a

competitive bidding process and the university expects bidders to provide

proposals that give the most advantageous balance of price, quality,

service, performance, and other elements as defined through this RFP.

This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

UCB - Strategic Communications - RFP 003915-Feb2026

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