***08/08/24 - Pre-Solicitation Questions and CMS Answers posted in attachments. **08/01/24 - Pre-Solicitation Conference Presentation, Transcript, Attendee List and Link to Video posted in attachments. The Q&A's will be posted seperately. *7/15 - Added link to registation under Attachment/Links BACKGROUND: CMS administers a variety of programs, including, but not limited to Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Health Insurance Marketplace. As the largest healthcare payer, CMS serves more than 160 million people and is focused on improving the delivery and quality of care. CMS is responsible for conducting national communications campaigns to promote these programs and other CMS initiatives to consumers, providers and other key audiences. The purpose of this National Education Campaign & Outreach Contract (NEC) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract (IDIQ) is to provide the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) with a multi-year mechanism to support the agency in conducting a full range of activities associated with developing, implementing, and evaluating national integrated communications campaigns around these programs. CMS is recompeting the current NEC IDIQ contract. This IDIQ will primarily focus on conducting a full range of activities associated with executing CMS outreach, education, and communication campaign efforts and initiatives, coordinated with both internal and external stakeholders at a national, regional, state, and local level. Generally, task orders will include, but not be limited to: Proposing a comprehensive campaign strategy and corresponding tactics built on data-driven planning to reach target audiences and motivate behavior change. Implementing national large-scale integrated communications campaigns targeting a sub-section of the national population; populations of at least 50 million people. Developing and implementing national, regional/local integrated communications campaign targeting underserved or disadvantaged communities and/or multicultural audiences (Spanish-speaking populations; African American; Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander) to eliminate health disparities with the goal to help advance health equity. This may include translating and transcreating materials that ensure the intent and meaning of the work/materials are conveyed appropriately and effectively for the target audience. Developing robust amount of digital creative assets to be rotated into digital platforms. Developing and producing cutting edge creative assets (e.g., television, search, social, video, display) that resonates across target audiences, emphasize key messages, and motivate behavior change. These materials shall be able to be customizable by state or region. Implementing large-scale media buys ($60 million or more) in a short timeframe (as short as six weeks). This will include coordinating all facets of media planning and buying on behalf of CMS. Executing data-driven digital advertising approved under media planning and buying tasks, such as paid search, social, display, mobile and video. The advertising will focus on conversion-based marketing. Media buying tools should be used to ensure brand safety and avoid fraudulent media placements. Establishing campaign key performance indicators, tracking and analysis. Monitor, track and optimize the digital paid media spend on a day-by-day and weekly basis with ongoing creative testing through both performance (drive-to-site) and persuasion (awareness building) tactics. Supporting community management and content development of owned social media channels and email. Coordinating and executing data infrastructure, such as email marketing, short message service (SMS) and outbound call marketing Cultivating and maintaining partnerships and quantifying the results of the outreach. Developing and executing multi-faceted earned media outreach at a national, regional and local level. This will include coordinating satellite media tours and radio media tours, as well as placing and garnering earned media coverage with major publications, newswires, television and networks and their affiliates Developing and applying rigorous qualitative and quantitative measures to track and evaluate the effectiveness of all national campaign programs. Coordinating timely reporting based on data analysis and campaign evaluation, as well as in-campaign optimization and post-campaign analysis. This includes Marketing Mix Modeling (also known as Econometric Modeling). Supporting the testing efforts of CMS’ Division of Research, as needed, for messaging and creative development. DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK: In an attempt to improve the understanding of CMS’s NEC IDIQ requirements, allow potential offerors to judge whether or how they can satisfy the Government's requirements, and to increase efficiency in proposal preparation, proposal evaluation, negotiation, and contract award, CMS is releasing for comment a draft statement of work. CMS will utilize the comments and questions received to make revisions to the draft Statement of Work as determined appropriate. Additionally, CMS may attach questions and answers generated as a result of this request for information to the final solicitation document. CMS will not respond directly to the entity generating the question or comment. NATIONAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN & OUTREACH CONTRACT (NEC) INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT (IDIQ) PRE-SOLICITATION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE All interested parties are invited to join the National Education Campaign & Outreach Contract (NEC) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract (IDIQ) Pre-Solicitation Virtual Conference to be held on July 25, 2024 from 11 AM EST -12:30 PM EST. The purpose of this virtual conference is to provide a brief overview of the NEC IDIQ. Additionally, CMS will address several common themes that arose as a result of comments and questions received in response to the draft Statement of Work. There will also be a brief discussion about high-level milestone events and dates to assist in planning for the release of the final solicitation. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions as time permits. Please register in advance for this meeting at the site below or by clicking on the link under Attachments/Links: https://cms.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItdu6qrD8iGQSxfowmALIDzGwnlztAWV8 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We ask that you register by July 23, 2024. Questions should be directed to Deanna Kuehn at
[email protected] and Deborah Lester at
[email protected] by 2 PM EST July 18, 2024.