Questions and Responses for RFP PO-GF-2024-R-0016 (PDF

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December 5, 2023 TO ALL PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS The University of the District of Columbia, Office of Contracting and Procurement, kindly submits responses to questions in preparing your responses to Solicitation No. GF-2024R-0016 for Branding and Marketing Services. Thank you for your consideration and participation. Denise Joyner _______________________ Denise Joyner Contract Specialist 1 1. What are the primary barriers impacting UDC enrollment today (e.g., lack of awareness, cost of enrollment, perception of value/quality, etc.)? What are the primary concerns with the brand identity as it is today? The primary barriers impacting UDC’s enrollment include working without a CRM, navigating a manual enrollment process and having limited promotional materials to attract students. There are several primary concerns with UDC’s brand identity. The University is primarily a commuter school with nearly half of its enrollment in its Community College. The University struggles to increase awareness and combat poor perceptions among some District residents. It is seeking marketing support to drive home its identity as the District’s only public higher education institution that offers a high-quality, affordable education—a first-choice institution—while honoring its legacy as an HBCU. 2. In addition to refreshing the brand identity, are you looking for support with positioning UDC? If so, can you elaborate on the positioning challenges UDC has experienced? Yes, the University is seeking support with its positioning. The University is currently undergoing a new strategic plan. The strategic plan is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2024. The University’s vision is to serve as a leading national public urban University through: ▪ ▪ ▪ 3. Excellence in student achievement Strong alignment with local workforce needs Impactful service to the community Why now? Is this RFP being issued due to a procurement requirement or a need to improve existing marketing efforts? UDC is seeking to increase enrollment starting with fall 2024 and bolster overall marketing efforts. However, UDC’s marketing and communication efforts are limited due to staffing resource expertise. Two of its priorities are to establish and elevate its brand identity and support its Enrollment Management efforts. UDC doesn’t have the capacity to properly engage in and support this work. 4.