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CONFIDENTIALITY/PRIVACY NOTICE – The documents included in this transmission may contain information that is confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the information to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of these documents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this document in error, please notify the sender immediately to arrange for return or destruction of these documents. ALL Documents are considered the proprietary property of Friendship Industries, Inc.

Friendship Industries Request for Proposal (RFP) Overview: Within the scope of our current Comprehensive Marketing Plan and as part of our 2005-2010 Strategic Plan, Friendship Industries (FI) seeks a qualified public and/or media relations company to create, support and maintain key aspects of our broad and varied public affairs and information dissemination efforts for a consistent image. The selected Contractor would help research and develop a Public Service Initiative to keep FI's Commercial Successes, Rehabilitative Services and Mission in the public arena on a regular basis. This Agency should already have or can quickly develop relationships with and keep our organization updated with Public Relations Media Contacts, local or otherwise as deemed relevant, for use by ALL Departments of FI. Organization Overview: Friendship Industries is a 501(c)(3) NonProfit Agency (NPA) and CARF-accredited Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) in business in Harrisonburg/ Rockingham County VA since 1964. We annually employ approximately 150 persons with disabilities with a professional staff of 20. Our annual budget is approximately $3.8 million. Our Mission: Friendship Industries develops and maintains employment and training opportunities for persons with disabilities in integrated work environments. Within the aforementioned Strategic Plan, the Critical Few Strategic Issues that must be accomplished over the next few years in order for Friendship to achieve Excellence are:

Employment for All Friendship Industries Clients with Disabilities Training and Career Development The Marketing of Friendship Industries New Business Development

801 Friendship DriveHarrisonburg, Virginia 22802

Phone (540) 434-9586Fax (540) 434-1407

www.friendship-industries.com

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Please check our website for more detailed information About Us. Scope of Work: FI seeks a Contractor with experience and expertise in communications planning, media relations, development and dissemination of information for publication, and evaluation of our communications efforts. The contract will require close coordination and cooperation between FI’s Director of Sales & Marketing, Director of Development, Director of Rehabilitative Services and our existing Branding Strategies. The public relations function has historically been a part-time position without day-to-day requirements; it is our intent to outsource a majority of the public relations function. Our Major Goals are to educate the community of the contributions made to the community by FI and to Improve and Increase our Public Image within our three (3) distinct areas of influence: Commercial/Sales & Marketing:

• To increase awareness of FI's commercial capabilities • To increase amount of regular daily commercial work • To increase amount of commercial work opportunities • To educate current customers and prospects of commercial

capabilities, esp. equipment available and partnering opportunities, such as government set-asides

Rehabilitative Services/Human Resources:

• To increase awareness of FI's rehab training capabilities, including Work Assessments and Work Adjustments

• To increase amount of Supported Employment outcomes in Community businesses

• To increase amount of work opportunities for ALL clients • To educate the community AND persons with disabilities of the

capabilities of persons with disabilities Development/Public Relations:

• To increase awareness of the needs of persons with disabilities to increase stewardship

• To increase the amount of funds from donations, especially for special projects and programs

• To increase amount of funding opportunities, including grants • To educate the community of the needs of persons with disabilities

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Objectives The four (4) major objectives to be accomplished through this contract are:

1. On an ongoing basis, develop and implement media outreach strategies, making effective use of media inquiries, PSAs, press releases, potentially video news releases, Op-Ed pieces, interviews, stories (such as new Contracts won), etc.

2. Develop, produce, and user-test information materials and educational campaigns for the following audiences: local mass media; general public (including those with and without disabilities and their significant others, friends and family members); specific disabled populations (including minority groups and low-literacy); disability service providers; primary health care providers; business and industry.

3. Market Friendship Industries’ materials through a wide variety of outlets and intermediaries, including the web, conferences, meetings, advocacy groups, organizations and associations, foundations, medical providers and disability services agencies.

4. Place, evaluate, track, and monitor media placements and other outreach efforts.

Friendship Industries will NOT require a Contractor for these requirements:

• conducting programs or events • developing materials for paid advertising • branding or creating new marketing messages (but rather to support the plan already in place) • day-to-day work • major publications or e-messaging

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Friendship Industries WILL require a Contractor for these requirements:

• dealing with the nuances of public service advertising and educational program opportunities • identifying and communicating to a wide variety of stakeholders, including government, press and the public • applying the principles and practices of social marketing (e.g., understanding target audiences, designing communications strategies based on their needs, and communicating messages through multiple channels) • managing the various activities that must be conducted simultaneously to successfully accomplish the program • developing innovative materials that can effectively compete for a finite amount of air time and newspaper space with PSAs • developing and implementing innovative—as well as traditional—communications methods, marketing strategies, and distribution channels, so that health care and mental health professionals, as well as the general public, will become more aware of the needs and contributions of persons with disabilities • building media relations in our local community, outside of the local community as deemed desireable, and on the world-wide web

The successful Contractor will work with FI to establish agreed-upon goals with milestones, deliverables, timelines and a report-back mechanism whereby FI can quickly and easily ascertain whether or not key success indicators are being met. Anticipated Costs: A flat-fee-paid per month, year-to-year contract is contemplated as actual number of hours required per month will vary and are an unknown at this point. This work has always previously been conducted in-house. The proposed total of the Contract should range between $1,200 and $7,200 per year.

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Proposal Submissions and Evaluation: The Proposal in response to this RFP should include:

1. Brief background of your organization. 2. Relevant experience on this type of request for proposal. 3. Statement/Scope of Work. 4. Suggested (or Sample) Public Relations Vehicles and Timelines. 5. Sample Performance-Based Standards and Measures. 6. Reporting Requirements or Technical Evaluation Criteria (if any). 7. Desired professional fees required. Fees may be stated in terms of

hourly rates with estimated hours per week, month and year. 8. References from similar engagements.

Additional information is available in the live links included in the body of this RFP. If you are unable to access the links to the Friendship Industries Proprietary Information or external websites for more information, please contact FI immediately. Just as all materials submitted herein and via links are considered Friendship Proprietary information, all Proposals submitted will be considered proprietary and not available for viewing by any competing Agency(s) that may be awarded the Contract. Evaluation of proposals will be made based on Clarity, Specificity and Outline of how the Contractor will address the needs indicated here and Cost. Following proposal submission and the initial review process, all RFP respondents will be notified of the outcome. Face-to-face presentations may be scheduled based on submission finalists. Not all submissions will warrant a personal presentation. Proposals must be received electronically (preferable) or via mail no later than October 20, 2005. Plans are to award a Contract as soon as possible. For more information or to submit a RFP, please contact: Missy Blankenship, Director of Sales & Marketing MelissaBlankenship@Friendship-Industries.com 540.434.9586 or 540.325.3060 or 800.777.9586 All questions must be submitted in writing (preferably via e-mail).