What the buyer needs
AI summaryThe University of Texas at Dallas seeks a strategic partner to provide institutional brand assessment and positioning services. The contractor will evaluate existing marketing and messaging efforts, assess the visual identity, and develop an institutional brand position, messaging frameworks, and implementation strategies. Performance may occur onsite or offsite. Eligible respondents are onshore United States organizations with at least five years of experience and three client references. Bidders must submit questions by November 17, 2026, and deliver proposals via Bonfire by November 24, 2026, at 3:00 PM CDT. The university evaluates submissions using a best-value standard with required documents on a pass/fail basis, weighted criteria for branding experience, and a 15% weight for cost.
Scope of work
- Conduct stakeholder engagement and discovery activities including interviews and focus groups
- Develop a distinctive institutional brand position, brand strategy, and supporting brand platform
- Develop and present creative concepts enhancing or repositioning The Future Demands Different campaign
- Assess visual identity and recommend brand architecture, logo usage, typography, and color systems
- Develop recommendations and implementation strategies for brand adoption and stewardship across campus
- Evaluate existing marketing, communications, and branding initiatives
- Provide dedicated project management for coordination, communication, scheduling, and delivery
- Present key findings, recommendations, and final deliverables to university leadership
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Required documents | Pass/Fail |
| VetHub | Pass/Fail |
| Demonstrated experience with branding and positioning initiatives for higher education institutions, research universities, or similarly complex organizations | 25% |
| Quality, creativity, and effectiveness of comparable project experience | 20% |
| Understanding of UT Dallas's objectives and proposed approach | 20% |
| Methodology for stakeholder engagement, research, brand development, and implementation planning | 20% |
| Cost and overall value of the proposed services | 15% |
Minimum qualifications
- Minimum of five (5) years of experience providing branding, marketing, communications, market research, or related consulting services
- Successfully completed at least two (2) to three (3) comparable projects within the past five (5) years
- Demonstrated experience supporting large, complex, multi-stakeholder organizations
- Provide a minimum of three (3) client references for comparable engagements
- Demonstrated organizational capacity and personnel to perform services and meet the project schedule
Documents to include with your response
- Company Qualifications
- Relevant Experience
- Project Approach
- Project Team details
- References
- Project Schedule
- Cost Proposal (submitted separately)
How to submit
- Method
- Electronic via the Bonfire portal
- Instructions
- Main body must not exceed 30 pages (excluding cover page, table of contents, and appendices). Standard 8.5” x 11” page size, minimum 10.5-point Arial or Times New Roman font, at least 1-inch margins, single or 1.15 line spacing. Cost proposal must be submitted separately and not included within the technical proposal.