RFP Opportunity

Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority · US — Exmore, Virginia · Public broadband utility

PR, marketing, web and design retainer for a rural Virginia public broadband authority

Official title: RFP No. 2026-006 Public Relations and Marketing Services

The Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority wants one firm on a monthly retainer for PR, paid and print marketing, website upkeep and graphic design for its fiber rollout.

At a glance

Scope: The scope covers maintenance, security, backups and user experience (UX) improvements for esvba.com, including availability lookup and sign-up portals. It also includes paid digital and local print and direct-mail campaigns with monthly analytics, an annual strategic communications plan with press releases and crisis messaging during outages, and brand-compliant graphic production. The firm will also prepare policy briefs and presentation decks for local councils and county boards, and social media management is included in the retainer.
Key deliverables: Website maintenance, CMS patching, security and UX updates
Paid campaigns on Google Ads, Meta, Instagram and LinkedIn
Direct mail, door hangers, flyers, bill stuffers and local print ads
Annual strategic communications plan and press releases
Crisis communications during network restoration events
Collateral, rate cards, vehicle wraps, yard signs and event displays
Briefs, white papers and decks for local governments
Social media management and monthly reporting
Budget: Not stated
Contract: Monthly retainer bundles (20, 30 or 45 hours a month) plus hourly-rate work orders; 3-year initial term with two optional 1-year renewals
Key dates: RFP issued: Nov 2, 2026
Optional pre-proposal conference (Exmore, VA): Nov 12, 2026, 2:00 PM EST
Written questions due: Nov 19, 2026, 2:00 PM EST
Addenda and answers issued: Nov 24, 2026, 2:00 PM EST
Proposals due via eVA: Dec 8, 2026, 2:00 PM EST
Response deadline: December 8, 2026 (26 days)
Eligibility: Registration with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) and authority to do business in Virginia
Registration with Virginia eVA; submission through eVA only
Minimum three references from the last three years
Experience in telecom, utility or municipal broadband marketing is expected
Eastern Shore of Virginia familiarity is scored
Insurance: $1M/$2M general liability, $1M auto, $1M professional liability, workers' compensation
Not debarred by Virginia or the federal government
Services: PR & communications, Digital marketing, Paid media, Web & app, Brand & creative, Social media, SEO

Why this could be interesting

Multi-year retainer of up to five years with one public client
Broad full-service scope across PR, paid media, print, web and design
Fees count for only 10 of 100 points, so quality and relevant experience carry the score
Retainer is modest at 20 to 45 hours a month, with extra project work through work orders

Best suited for: Virginia-registered full-service small agencies with broadband, utility or public-sector clients and ties to the Eastern Shore or Hampton Roads media market.

About this RFP

The Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority (ESVBA), a regional public authority in Exmore, Virginia, is looking for a consultant to provide public relations, marketing, web development and graphic design. The work supports community awareness of its mission and its residential fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and commercial broadband expansion.

Ongoing work is billed through a monthly retainer bundle. Bidders price three tiers of 20, 30 and 45 hours a month, plus hourly rates for seven labor roles. Larger standalone projects go through written work orders with not-to-exceed caps. Ad spend, printing and postage are passed through with no unapproved markup. Payment terms are net 60.

The contract runs three years with two optional one-year renewals. Award is by competitive negotiation and is not based on lowest price. Scoring weights past experience at 40 of 100 points, including broadband or utility work and familiarity with the Eastern Shore, and fees at only 10 points. Proposals are limited to a 25-page narrative and must be uploaded to Virginia eVA.

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