Communications Print Vendor / Mail Vendor
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Request for Proposals
Communications Design Vendor
Background
The Food Export Association of the Midwest USA (Food Export - Midwest) and Food Export USA - Northeast (Food Export - Northeast) are not-for-profit export associations and whose primary function is to develop export markets for midwestern and northeastern (respectively) producers and processors of value-added food and agricultural products. Our members include state agricultural promotion agencies from twelve midwestern and ten northeastern states.
Both groups are participants in the Market Access Program (MAP), a federal program handled by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The MAP is intended to boost the export of value-added food and agricultural products from the U.S. through a partnership between FAS and approximately 75 other industry-based trade organizations. This includes primarily commodity-specific groups, as well as two other unaffiliated regional groups similar to Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast that handle the southern and western regions of the U.S.
The products covered for export promotion by Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast include a wide variety of processed and semi-processed products found throughout the retail, food service, and food processing sectors. These include products or derivations of meat, dairy, poultry, seafood, grains, fruits and vegetables, salty and savory snack foods, confections, beans, sauces and condiments, pet foods, beverages, canned foods, animal feeds, bakery products, pasta and many others. Marketing channels include mass market retail, specialty foods, convenience foods, private label, healthy/organic, food ingredients, frozen foods, and others.
Food Export - Midwest and Food Export- Northeast are independent organizations that have been engaged in a strategic alliance since April of 2000. Through this alliance, the strategy and tactics of the organizations have been aligned so that the activities and services of each group are very similar with differences based primarily on geographic focus. Food Export - Midwest focuses on midwestern exporters and a series of nine overseas target markets, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, South America, Mexico, and India. Food Export -Northeast targets northeastern exporters and seven overseas markets, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Central America, Canada, the Middle East and the Caribbean. By collaborating, the activities and services of each organization are open to participation by companies from the other region. The net effect is that exporters in the Midwest and Northeast have access to a larger range of export promotion opportunities, while the limited staffs at Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast can focus on specific market development opportunities.
The states that are members of Food Export- Midwest include: Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri. Food Export - Northeast encompasses: New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
More information about Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast is available on the Internet at: www.foodexport.org.
Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast are seeking one or more individuals/companies to assist with the printing and distribution/mailing of our Global Food Marketer bi-monthly newsletter.
In the Scope of Work section below are more details on the activities for which Food Export - Midwest and Food Export- Northeast are seeking assistance.
Requirements & Submitting a Proposal
The contractor must be able to cite previous experience. Previous experience with not-for-profit groups, international marketing, food and/or agricultural groups will be considered favorably. The proposal should also include the names of the individuals who will be conducting the work and the qualifications of the proposed individual / vendor. The proposal should also include references. The contractor must also be financially and legally capable of entering into and executing a contract for the above stated projects. In addition, please provide the following information:
1. Name of Entity (as it would appear on contract/invoices)
2. Complete Mailing Address
3. EIN/TIN/SS number (or if an overseas entity, the equivalent tax identification number in your country)
4. Type of Structure (choose one):
___Individual ___Corporation ___LLC ___Partnership ___Sole Proprietorship
Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast are not liable for any costs associated with any company's response to this RFP. Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast reserve the right to not award this contract if, in the opinion of the evaluators, no suitable proposal is received. The awarded contract may be renewed for up to three (3) years.
The quotation(s) should be submitted with rates for the project described below.
The selected contractor must agree to abide by Food Export -Midwest and Food Export - Northeast Terms and Conditions:
Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, national origin or ancestry, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation or military status. Persons with disabilities who require alternate means of communication of program information should contact us. Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast do not tolerate fraud in their programs or services, and expect all participants to comply with our code of ethics (www.foodexport.org/codeofethics).
If you suspect any instance of fraud, please contact our Ethics Reporting Line at: www.foodexport.ethicspoint.com or 1-855-727-6715 (domestic toll-free.)
We reserve the right to deny services to any firm or individual which, in the sole opinion of Food Export - Midwest or Food Export - Northeast does not comply with MAP; FAS; Food Export - Midwest or Food Export - Northeast regulations or policies, or otherwise reflect positively on them; their members states; FAS; or USDA, in pursuit of their mission of increasing food and agricultural exports, or for continued public support for their programs. For more information please see our Terms and Conditions located at www.foodexport.org/termsandconditions.
The selected contractor must agree to abide by the provisions contained in Section 202 of Executive Order 11246 (30 Federal Register 12319) with regard to employment and contracting practices. In addition, Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast acceptance of proposal is conditional upon contractor disclosing all existing relationship with another party that has the potential of impacting and/or influencing the contractor's ability to carry out the scope of work.
The contractor must agree to abide by Food Export - Midwest and Food Export - Northeast invoicing guidelines which include:
Invoice must contain a unique invoice number and be split among two separate invoices for Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast.
Individual invoices per project or activity
Invoices must be submitted no less-frequently than at the completion of each project phase
Final invoices must be submitted within 30 days of completion of the project.
The Scope of Work for a specific project as agreed to by the vendor, Food Export - Midwest and/or Food Export - Northeast must be included as a basis to track the actual work performed against the agreement.
The contents of this Request for Proposal and Scopes of Work are confidential and business proprietary. They may not be re-used for any purpose, in whole or part, including any text, or related concepts, strategies or tactics described, without written permission from Food Export - Midwest and/or Northeast.
The deadline for proposals is Monday, July 6, 2014, 12:00pm Central time. Faxed or E-Mailed proposals will be accepted. Please forward to:
Laura Buske, Communications Coordinator
Food Export Association of the Midwest USA
309 West Washington, Suite 600
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Tel (312) 334.9200
Fax (312) 334.9230
E-mail: Lbuske@foodexport.org
Questions should be directed to the following:
John Belmont, Communications Manager, Food Export Association of the Midwest USA, Food Export USA - Northeast at 312-334-9200 or jbelmont@foodexport.org
An expected date of selection is July 10, 2015; correspondence will be sent to all who submitted regarding the final decision.
Objective
The Global Food Marketer newsletter is the main newsletter of the organization and is distributed to companies throughout out the Midwest and Northeast region. The newsletter reports on relevant information and trends in the U.S. value added food products industry and exporting. It gives companies insight into the how and why of exporting and also provides information on our specific programs and activities. Through this promotional vehicle, which goes to current company participants and prospects, we hope to engage more companies in learning about exporting.
Scope of Work
Vendor will conduct the printing of 6 Global Food Marketer Newsletters each year. Print run is typically around 11,000 each issue. Each issue is typically an 11x17, 4 pager and also includes a single, 2-sided, 8.5x11 insert. Additionally there is typically an additional 8.5x11, 2-sided promotional flier included in the mailing as well. An example of the mailer can be seen here:
https://www.foodexport.org/files/GM/2015%20March%20April%20Global%20Food%20Marketer%20Newsletter.pdf
Address imprinting and mailing will also be handled by the vendor. Postage costs will be included with the print invoice to Food Export for each print job.
Final art files will be delivered to print vendor for each issue. Issues are: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December. The art files will be delivered for printing mid-month of the first month of issue. The mailing list will also be furnished with the art files.
