Request for Proposal: Branding Identity

Missouri Charter Public School Commission is seeking a branding firm to create, test, and launch a new brand identity that associates the organization closely with quality public charter schools, high accountability standards, and uncomplicated transparency, as the agency moves from start-up to growth and establishment. Please see Request for Proposal below for details. Email bids/questions to info@mcpsc.mo.gov. To be considered, the bid must be received by 5:00 p.m. August 19, 2022.

Questions from vendors on RFP:

1. Do you have a timeline in place? We would need this phase completed by the end of March 2023, but December 31 would be desirable.
2. Do you have a budget/budget range in place?  We do not . We are a state agency that generates its revenue through sponsorship of charter schools.  We know the dollars we earn are allocated on behalf of the children in public schools we serve.  We are hyper vigilant in our stewardship of these resources, so when possible we can return our unused resources back to our schools.  We are also committed to quality.  We deliver good work and we pay for good work. 

The Commission has a statutory constraint on its direct purchases of $100,000.

3. Do you want to know in the bid what it would cost for a phase 2 website redesign or do you want the redesign considered in this RFP? Phase 2 costs are not required as part of this bid. 

4. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank the need for this visual design update on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being extremely minor modifications and 10 being a complete visual overhaul.)? 10 

5. What would the review process look like for the branding and messaging? Are there stakeholders outside of the main project team that would need to approve these items? The review process will be led by and approval done by the executive director, with input from our communications consultant, board chair, and 2-3 other staff or consultants. 

6. Do you have a sense of how much of the existing site content will be kept vs. updated vs. Deleted? Most of the site content will remain as it is public information generated by our ongoing school oversight work and reporting requirements. As some content becomes outdated, it will be removed. 

7. In addition to reorganizing existing content, did you plan on writing any new website content? If so, do you have staff familiar with writing for the web or would you need additional assistance in that area?   The writing of new content is not part of the scope of this project. But, we will likely rewrite most of the framing content on the site (describing our work and informing stakeholders of the content most relevant to them - e.g., school leaders or founders and families and community members). 

8. Do you have a sense of the timeline for when the CMS will be confirmed? We plan to notify the chosen provider by the end of August. 

9. Will the IT team be involved in the project to ensure approved design deliverables are acceptable for building? Yes
You mentioned wanting to have the project conclude in December 2022, if possible. Does that include the brand, messaging, website organization, design, AND the build? Or just the project deliverables from the vendor without the website build?How much turnaround time does the IT team need for the build process? The building is not included in this project.

10. Does the Missouri Gov IT team have a specific level of accessibility conformance they would aim for the site to hit? If so, what tool or service are they using to assess the conformance of the website? The state does have accessibility standards, here. But, that will not be part of this project.

11.The RFP states that the agency will “Create guidelines for online branding”. Does “online branding” refer to the website design, social media accounts, or all online properties? Basically, these guidelines could vary in scope depending on the need so any further information would be helpful for us to provide an accurate budget and scope. Just website design.

12. It sounds like the Website Charter will include some design guidance for the visual direction of your new website. Are you looking for full page design mockups for key pages on the website? Would you like a website style guide included as well? We want to be sure we plan to provide the right amount of direction, that your development team will find beneficial. A couple design mockups would be helpful to show how the branding is incorporated in the website style guide. But, full page mockups for all pages is not necessary.

13. Do you have a sense of how many stakeholders or stakeholder groups will need to be included in interviews, focus groups, and surveys to determine the current brand perception by the target audiences? We trust you as respondents to know, given the Commission’s work as described on our website and in the RFP, the best number of stakeholders or groups to talk to to get a sense of brand perception.

14. Can you describe the "charter for website" component? What kind of deliverable are you looking for there?  We’re looking for design guidance for the new website. I.e., based on the branding strategy, standards, and guidelines, what principles should inform our website redesign? This could be in the form of a one page document or some design mockups showing how the branding could be incorporated in the website in ways that convey the Commission’s vision, mission, and values. (Think of it as a way to help us write the RFP for the website redesign!)

15. What do you know about the way parents feel about who charters their school?  Not a lot. That’s what we’re asking you to help us ascertain through research. 

Request for Proposal: Branding Identity