Napa Tourism Improvement District (TID) Destination Marketing Services

The City of Napa (“City”) requests proposals (“Proposals”) from qualified individuals or firms (individually, a “Respondent” and collectively, “Respondents”) for Napa Tourism Improvement District (TID) Destination Marketing Services (“Project”) by or before Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 5:00 pm, via electronic submission through the procurement portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofnapa, in the manner set forth in the Request for Proposal Procedures.

The objective is to promote the City of Napa as a premier travel destination within the Napa Valley, encouraging visitation through strategic use of owned, earned, and paid media channels. Through this competitive Request for Proposals (RFP), the City seeks to identify creative partners who can bring fresh perspectives, innovative strategies, and measurable results to its destination marketing efforts. The initial contract period will run from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with the opportunity for renewal based on performance and alignment with long-term marketing objectives.

The City of Napa is currently working with a Public Relations firm, thus that key marketing component is already being covered and is not included in the scope of work. The City is open to working with 1) multiple agencies working collaboratively as a project team; 2) individual agencies or contractors specializing in specific components of the scope of work; or 3) a single agency capable of delivering all services outlined in the RFP. Applicants located outside of Napa area should include a plan for maintaining a consistent local presence to support day-to-day coordination and engagement, as well as the potential to attend monthly/quarterly meetings.

Background

The City is a charter city located in Napa County, with an estimated population of 80,000. Additional information about the City is available online at www.cityofnapa.org.

Destination marketing efforts are funded through the Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District (NVTID), which was established in 2010 and renewed in 2025 for another ten-year term. The NVTID is supported by a 2% tax on overnight stays at all lodging establishments throughout Napa County.

A portion of the funds generated through the NVTID is allocated to Visit Napa Valley (VNV), the official destination marketing organization for Napa County. VNV leads regional marketing and promotional efforts that benefit the entire valley, including the City of Napa, and serves as a key partner in amplifying the area’s tourism brand across domestic and international markets.

The City of Napa receives a dedicated share of NVTID funds generated by lodging properties within the City, which are directed to the City of Napa Tourism Improvement District (Napa TID). The Napa TID focuses on local marketing efforts specific to the City of Napa. The Napa TID’s marketing initiatives are carried out under the DoNapa brand, which serves as the City’s tourism identity and primary promotional platform. In addition to the destination marketing, the Napa TID provides grants for events, organizations, and projects that enrich the visitor experience—contributing to longer hotel stays and repeat visitation.

The Napa TID’s overall budget for the past several years has been just over $1 million annually. The largest expenditure within this budget is dedicated to marketing, which has ranged from $600,000-$850,000 total per fiscal year. Marketing allocations may vary annually based on projected and actual revenues.

Oversight & Governance

The Napa TID is overseen by the Local Governing Committee (LGC), which operates under the authority of the City of Napa. This Committee consists of seven members:

• five representatives from the local lodging industry
• one representative from the City of Napa
• one at-large member representing a destination marketing or visitor-serving entity.

There is also a contracted Marketing Manager that supports the implementation of marketing activities. This individual is responsible for understanding the strategic goals of the LGC and managing the day-to-day execution of marketing efforts by the selected agency or contractors.

The City’s Economic Development Division is responsible for administering and coordinating the work of the Napa TID and its Local Governing Committee. The LGC meets on a monthly basis to review progress, approve initiatives, and ensure alignment with broader tourism and economic development goals.

Reference Materials

To assist applicants in understanding the broader context and governance of Napa’s tourism marketing initiatives, the following resources are available:

• Napa Valley Tourism Management Plan
  A comprehensive management document outlining governance structure, marketing services, and historical context of the NVTID.
• Visit Napa Valley
  The official destination marketing organization for Napa County: Visit Napa Valley Website
• City of Napa TID – Local Governing Committee
  Information on the committee’s responsibilities, meeting materials, and background: City of Napa TID Webpage
• DoNapa Website
  The official website funded by the Napa TID, featuring event listings, travel guides, and promotional content: DoNapa.com

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2025-RFP-087
• Department: Community Development Department
• Department Head: Molly Rattigan (Interim Community Development Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-05-09T00:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• General Qualifications (25 pts)
• Proposed Scope of Services and Schedule (35 pts)
• Responsiveness and Overall Proposal Quality (10 pts)
• Pricing (15 pts)
• References (10 pts)
• Proximity to the City of Napa (5 pts)
• Spec Pitch/Creative (25 pts) —

  Finalists will be invited to submit a speculative creative brief addressing the following challenge: The City of Napa is in need of a brand refresh. Long known for its association with wine country, the destination would like concepts and brand ideas that tackle the concept of expanding visitation and visitor experience beyond just wine as a reason to visit. Your creative and proposal should illustrate your agency's strategic approach, aesthetic sensibility, and creative process.

Submission Requirements

• Cover Letter, General Qualifications, Proposed Scope of Services, Price, Schedule, References (required) —
  1. Cover Letter

  Please include a cover letter that expresses your firm’s interest in the project and summarize any relevant experience. Please tell us what you know about the City of Napa as a destination and why you believe your firm could make a difference here. This letter should be signed by the project lead or firm principal, along with their corresponding contact information (address, email, direct phone number).

  2. General Qualifications

  Please share information on your business and project team. Highlight your relevant client and project list, awards, accomplishments, and special recognitions. Please also share your team’s experience regarding:

  • Development of branding and image creation for other destinations
  • Development of interactive websites 
  • Other firms with whom you have teamed and the role of your firm in project coordination; and
  • Social media campaigns and other creative marketing efforts
  • Professional photography and video production (provide links)

  We understand that the scope of this project requires multiple areas of expertise. If your Proposal is a partnership between firms, please be sure to include the qualifications and experience of all team members included in the proposal in addition to whom will be the main point person for the account.

  3. Proposed Scope of Services

  Based upon the Draft Scope of Services, provide a complete description of the scope of services (“Proposed Scope of Services”) the Respondent proposes to perform to achieve the City’s objective identified in the Draft Scope of Services. The Proposed Scope of Services may identify services which differ from the services in the Draft Scope of Services if the Respondent believes the changes will assist the City in more efficiently and effectively achieving the City's objectives. Briefly describe Respondent’s proposed approach to providing the Services from concepting to ongoing management. Provide a work plan and proposed schedule for the tasks described in the Draft Scope of Services.

  4. Price
  • Provide a total “not-to-exceed” cost for performance of all Services for which you are applying to provide, including all labor, materials, equipment, supplies, and all reimbursable charges.
  • Identify whether the compensation for performance of the Services will be based on hourly billing rates or a lump sum.
  • If compensation is based on hourly billing rates, attach a copy of hourly billing rates.
  • If compensation is on a lump sum basis rather than hourly, provide a breakdown of the proposed lump sum based on each task to be performed and/or deliverable to be provided
  • Identify any reimbursable expenses (e.g., travel, supplies) and the proposed rate of reimbursement for each category of expense.
  5. Schedule

  Assuming commencement of services is July 1, 2026, with the first month dedicated to transfer of creative assets and onboarding, and a potential contract renewal on July 1, 2027, please provide a schedule for execution of all Services identified in your Proposed Scope of Services.

  6. References

  Please provide at least three references for your project team.

• What type of Services does the City require? (required) —

  Provide specific services. (Example: Janitorial Services, Financial Auditing Services, etc.)

• Provide a summary of the services. (required) —

  Briefly summarize the need for the proposed services, e.g. the type of project, if project-related, or the type of need if for ongoing/on-call services. 

• Are the services being requested project related? (required) —

  "Project related" means services to be procured to facilitate a larger City project.

  Example: Engineering services to prepare plans and specs for a construction project.

• Provide a brief summary of the project. (required) —

  Example: "Renovation of an existing building."

• Which City standard agreement is to be attached to this RFP? (required)
• Will you utilize the electronic pricing table or will you have vendors upload their own attachment for pricing? (required)
• Who is the Decision-Maker for this RFP? (required) —

  Insert Name & Title of City Department Head who will make final selection decision or insert “City Council” if final selection decision will be made by City Council 

• Will your Pre-Submittal meeting be Mandatory or Non-Mandatory? (required)