1 RFP OVERVIEW

1.1 Introduction

Cynuria, a woman-owned small business (WOSB) based in Rockville, MD, is a boutique human capital and professional development consulting firm that prides itself on building authentic connections with our clients. Since 2016, we have successfully translated wide-ranging requirements in these areas into meaningful solutions for our clients' needs. We have helped transform organizations by leveraging our proprietary methodologies and frameworks in the commercial, federal government, and nonprofit sectors. 

Cynuria positions workforces for success by meeting organizations and individuals where they are, embracing their strengths and challenges, and creating human-centered solutions that leverage those strengths and challenges to help people meet and exceed organizational objectives. Our efforts succeed because we individualize our approach to focus on each client's needs, motivations, and professional goals. 

We are dedicated to closely aligning our work with our mission — to unlock and accelerate organizational potential with transformative human capital and learning solutions. Enabling individuals to unlock and unleash their unique talents and desires drives every effort Cynuria undertakes. It also keeps us connected with our vision: we believe passionately in connecting with mission-driven organizations through curiosity and empathy to create the optimum workplace for today's rapidly changing workforce. 

Cynuria is a values-based organization, and from its onset, it has been important for our brand to represent who we are and what we stand for. The three rings in Cynuria's logo represent the three key pillars that support our work: Clients, Employees, and Communities. The name Cynuria is an amalgamation of meaningful elements of our founder's life. At its core, Cynuria is about people, enhancing their experiences whether we partner with them internally or externally. It's about never forgetting that we are interconnected with our communities and that when our communities do well, we do well. 

Cynuria has grown significantly since its inception in 2016. Now with 11 employees and a network of more than 40 functional experts in a variety of specialties, we serve a wide range of federal government, commercial, and nonprofit clients. Building on our current branding and strong foundations, we need to refresh and update our branding and messaging in accordance with our mission, vision, and core values. This will support our ability to communicate clearly in the marketplace and present a consistent image across business development materials, social media, presentations, project deliverables, and documents of all kinds.

1.2 Scope of Work

As we transition into the next phase of our maturing small business, we want to evolve our brand accordingly by clearly defining our differentiators, key messaging, and visual elements. This will let our team clearly and consistently communicate who we are, what we do, how we do it, and most importantly, why we do this work. There are thousands of Human Capital and Learning companies in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area alone. We need an effective visual brand and messaging that will help us stand out. A list of anticipated activities follows - feel free to propose others.

1.2.1 Brand Enhancement Recommendations

• How to differentiate our visual brand

• How to develop a compelling brand story and messaging framework that aligns with our mission, vision, and values

• Recommend sales pitch deck updates

• Recommend marketing collateral updates

• Recommend website updates

1.2.2 Implementation plan

• Provide a detailed timeline for the implementation of the work laid out above

1.2.3 Implement Solutions

• Develop a corporate brand identity guide (Due NLT May 10, 2024)

• Edit and enhance the structure, content, and visuals of a sales pitch deck (Due NLT May 24, 2024)

• Edit and enhance content and visuals for up to 10 pages of marketing collaterals (Due NLT July 12, 2024)

• Website updates (content and visuals) (Due NLT October 1, 2024)

2 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

2.1 Submission Requirements

Interested companies or individuals must submit a comprehensive proposal addressing the Scope of Work outlined above. Please submit questions before February 29, 2024; answers will be returned on a rolling basis.

Proposals should be no more than 15 pages long and include:

• High-level project plan to show timing and milestones

• A brief description of the approach to the tasks as outlined

• Relevant experience to include a minimum of three projects, each to include a current client point-of-contact email address and phone number

• A list of assumptions along with necessary inputs required from Cynuria 

• Resume (two-page maximum) for your project lead

• A detailed breakdown of cost

2.2 Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Experience and expertise in branding strategy development

• Knowledge of and experience of the specified industry and stakeholders

• Creativity and innovation in proposed solution

• Cost-effectiveness and value for investment

• Adherence to the requested delivery timeline

2.3 Selection Process

The selection will be a two-step process:

1. Initial review of written proposals, and

2. Live presentation for shortlisted candidates.

3 IMPORTANT DATES

• Questions Due: February 29, 2024 (responses returned on a rolling basis)
  Submit questions here

  View Q&A, updated March 7, 2024

• Proposal Submission Deadline: March 15, 2024
  Submit proposal here

• Shortlisting of Candidates: March 25, 2024

• Interviews/Presentations: April 1-3, 2024

• Contractor Selection Announcement: April 11, 2024

• Start Date: April 15, 2024

• Period of Performance: April - September, 2024

4 CONFIDENTIALITY

All information provided in the proposals will be treated as confidential and used solely for the purpose of evaluating and selecting a marketing and branding strategy partner.

5 ADDITIONAL NOTES

This RFP serves as a guide for potential offerors and outlines the expectations and criteria for the selection of a brand enhancement partner for Cynuria. We look forward to receiving your innovative proposals.