The University of North Dakota is soliciting proposals from agencies that can provide public relations and marketing services and strategies to promote the state’s unmanned aircraft systems industry.

UND

The Roughrider State has become a national leader in UAS commercial development, offering the country’s first public-private UAS business park, its first undergraduate program in UAS studies and the first FAA-designated UAS test center.

UND is looking for a PR/marketing firm that can boost the visibility of North Dakota’s UAS sector in an effort to drive increased business opportunities, investment, infrastructure and relocation of future UAS companies and workforce members.

Scope of the work includes executing a targeted public relations campaigns to generate feature articles, event listings and related publicity for events, promotions and UAS activities; providing recommendations on PR and branding strategies; providing talking points, speeches, presentations and press releases; creating and managing an editorial calendar; contacting media; assisting in the strategy and implementation of social media marketing (including maintaining social media presence, website, publishing posts and monitoring feedback); writing and distributing press releases targeting print, online and broadcast media outlets; coordinating messaging with industry partners and arranging media interviews; planning press conferences; tracking coverage and measuring overall efforts via regular reports; and sending media clips on a regular basis.

Terms of the work are set to run for one year after contract begins. UND has not presently established a budget for the work.

Proposals are due by 2:00 p.m. (CST) on Nov. 5 and can be submitted by going here and clicking on solicitation # 53-202 (“Unmanned Aircraft Systems Network Public Relations/Marketing Communication Services”). Bidders can then click on “Upload Response” to post a maximum of five documents.

Bidders must upload their technical proposals and cost proposals in separate files.

Questions should be directed to procurement officer David Krause, [email protected]. Deadline for questions has been extended to Oct. 25.

View the RFP (PDF).