Project Information

Bid Title

RFP2004 - Commencement Production Company

Issuing Agency

East Tennessee State University

Location

Tennessee

Published Date

Nov 14, 2025

Closing Date

Jan 12, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

RFP2004 - Commencement Production Company

Attachment Preview

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Commencement Ceremony Production Company

RFP No.

Proposal Issue Date

Proposal Due Date

26004

November 17, 2025

January 12, 2026

Procurement and Contract Services

Burgin Dossett Hall, B16

1276 Gilbreath Dr.

Johnson City, TN 37614

RFP 26004

East Tennessee State University

November 17, 2025

CONTENTS

SECTION

1

INTRODUCTION

2

RFP SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

3

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

4

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS & CONTRACTING

INFORMATION

5

PROPOSAL EVALUATION & CONTRACT AWARD

RFP ATTACHMENTS:

6.1 Ownership Ethnicity Form

6.2 Pro Forma Contract

6.3 Proposal Transmittal/Statement of Certifications

& Assurances

6.4 RFP Requirements

6.5 Technical Proposal & Evaluation Guide

6.6 Cost Proposal & Scoring Guide

6.7 Score Summary Matrix

6.8 Listing of System Institutions, UT System of

Higher Education and State of Tennessee

6.9 Vendor Application Form General Instructions

6.10 Vendor Application

6.11 Proposer Checklist for Prevention of Common

RFP Mistakes that lead to Proposal Rejection

2

RFP 26004

East Tennessee State University

November 17, 2025

1

INTRODUCTION

East Tennessee State University is soliciting proposals from qualified Contractors to

provide audio, live streaming, video, lighting, staging and production services for

commencement ceremonies at East Tennessee State University. The summer and fall

commencement ceremony is held in December and the spring commencement

ceremony is held in May. Contractor must provide all equipment used in the production

services and provide personnel who are fully trained on the production equipment.

Each graduation has a morning and afternoon ceremony.

1.1

Background

East Tennessee State University is located in Johnson City, Tennessee. Comprised

of 11 colleges and schools, including 140 academic programs, ETSU offers degrees

in arts and sciences, business and technology, education and health sciences,

including numerous honors and enrichment opportunities for undergraduates and

graduates. The ETSU campus consists of a 350-acre main campus and a 31-acre

Medical College that is located on the Veterans Administration campus. ETSU also

has over 20 remote sites that include Distance Education Centers and Medical

Clinics.

Currently, ETSU’s enrollment surpasses 14,000 students, taught and served by more

than 2,600 faculty and staff.

For additional information, please visit the ETSU web site at www.etsu.edu and the

ETSU athletics site at www.etsubucs.com.

1.2

Statement of Procurement Purpose

East Tennessee State University (ETSU), hereinafter Institution, has issued this

Request for Proposal (RFP) to define the Institution's minimum service requirements;

solicit proposals; detail proposal requirements; and, outline the Institution’s process

for evaluating proposals and selecting a contractor to provide the requested goods

and/or goods and/or services.

Through this RFP, Institution seeks to procure necessary goods and/or services at

the most favorable, competitive prices and to give ALL qualified businesses, including

those that are small, minority, women, and service-disabled veteran owned, the

opportunity to do business with the Institution. Vendors must complete the

Ownership Ethnicity Form (See Attachment 6.1 for form and classification

definitions). In addition, all small, minority, women and service-disabled veteran

owned businesses are strongly encouraged to register with the Governor’s Office of

Diversity Business Enterprise (Go-DBE) to attain official certification. The Institution

shall work with the successful Proposer and the Go-DBE Office regarding

registration/certification.

The Institution intends to secure a contract for production services for the

University’s Commencement Ceremonies.

See Attachment 6.4 for additional information and requirements.

3

RFP 26004

East Tennessee State University

November 17, 2025

1.3

Scope of Service, Contract Period, and Required Terms and Conditions

The RFP Attachment 6.2, Pro Forma Contract details what the Institution requires:

 Scope of Goods and/or services and Deliverables in Section A;

 Contract Period in Section B;

 Payment Terms in Section C;

 Terms and Conditions in Section D; and,

 Special Terms and Conditions in Section E

The Pro Forma Contract substantially represents the contract document that the

successful Proposer selected by the Institution MUST agree to and sign. A Proposal

that limits or changes any of the terms or conditions contained in the Pro Forma

Contract may be considered non-responsive.

1.4

Coverage and Participation

It is acknowledged that East Tennessee State University is issuing this proposal, with

the option for other institutions within the System, the University of Tennessee

System of Higher Education and the State of Tennessee Departments to utilize the

resulting Contract. A listing of these institutions is provided in Attachment 6.8. After

the initial term of the resulting Contract, and each year of the Contract thereafter, the

Institution reserves the right to re-negotiate more favorable terms/pricing if more

institutions provided in Attachment 6.8 choose to join the resulting Contract.

1.5

Nondiscrimination

The Contractor shall abide by all applicable federal and state laws pertaining to

discrimination and hereby agrees, warrants, and assures that no person shall be

excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to

discrimination in the performance of this Contract or in the employment practices of

the Contractor on the grounds of classifications protected by Federal or State law.

Accordingly, the Contractor shall, upon request, be required to show proof of such

nondiscrimination and to post in conspicuous places, available to all employees and

applicants, notices of nondiscrimination.

1.6

Assistance to Proposers with a Disability

A Proposer with a handicap or disability may receive accommodation relating to the

communication of this RFP and participation in this RFP process. A Proposer may

contact the RFP Coordinator to request reasonable accommodation no later than the

Disability Accommodation Request Deadline in the RFP Section 2, Schedule of

Events.

1.7

RFP Communications

1.7.1

Unauthorized contact regarding this RFP with employees or officials of the Institution

other than the RFP Coordinator named below may result in disqualification from this

procurement process.

1.7.1.1 Interested Parties must direct all communications regarding this RFP to the following

RFP Coordinator, who is the Institution’s only official point of contact for this RFP.

4

RFP 26004

East Tennessee State University

Alex Ortiz

East Tennessee State University

1276 Gilbreath Dr.

Burgin Dossett Hall, B-16

Johnson City, TN 37614

423.439.6890

ortizag@etsu.edu

November 17, 2025

1.7.2 The Institution has assigned the following RFP identification number that must be

referenced in all communications regarding the RFP:

RFP 26003

1.7.3

Any oral communication shall be considered unofficial and non-binding with regard to

this RFP. Only the Institution’s official, responses and communications, as defined in

Section 1.7.7 below, shall be considered binding with regard to this RFP. The

Institution’s official responses and other official communications pursuant to this RFP

shall constitute an amendment of this RFP.

1.7.4

The RFP Coordinator must receive all written comments, including questions and

requests for clarification, no later than the Written Comments Deadline in the RFP

Section 2, Schedule of Events.

1.7.5

Each Proposer shall assume the risk of the method of dispatching any

communication or proposal to the Institution. The Institution assumes no

responsibility for delays or delivery failures resulting from the method of dispatch.

Actual or digital “postmarking” of a communication or proposal to the Institution by the

specified deadline date shall not substitute for actual receipt of a communication or

proposal by the Institution.

1.7.6

The Institution reserves the right to determine, at its sole discretion, the appropriate

and adequate responses to written comments, questions, and requests for

clarification.

1.7.7

The Institution will convey all official responses and communications and reserves

the right to determine, at its sole discretion, the method of conveying official

responses and communications pursuant to this RFP. Such communication may be

transmitted by mail, hand-delivery, facsimile, electronic mail, Internet posting, or any

other means deemed reasonable by the Institution. For Internet posting, please refer

to the following website: https://www.etsu.edu/bf/purchasing.php

1.7.8

Any data or factual information provided by the Institution (in this RFP, an RFP

Amendment or any other communication relating to this RFP) is for informational

purposes only. The Institution will make reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of

such data or information; however it is the Proposer’s obligation to independently

verify any data or information provided by the Institution.

1.8

Notice of Intent to Propose – Not Applicable

5

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 512110Motion Picture and Video Production

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