Active SLED Opportunity · COLORADO · CITY OF GOLDEN
AI Summary
The City of Golden seeks proposals for the Visit Golden Agency of Record to lead destination marketing and sustainable tourism efforts. The agency will support strategic planning, media buying, and community engagement to balance economic benefits with resident quality of life. Proposals due May 8, 2026.
The City of Golden is seeking proposals for Visit Golden Agency of Record. Proposals are due no later than 3:00 pm on Friday, May 8, 2026. Questions must be submitted no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, April 24, 2026. Proposals and Questions must be submitted through the E-Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofgolden.
The following link has helpful information and videos for vendors, contractors, and consultants new to OpenGov Procurement - Video Guides: OpenGov Procurement Vendor Training. It is strongly encouraged to familiarize yourself with the portal well in advance of the bid submission date, email the Project Manager or Procurement Manager with portal questions, and use the OpenGov chat feature in the lower righthand corner.
Visit Golden serves as the destination marketing and management organization (DMMO) for the City of Golden, Colorado, with a mission to support and sustain a vibrant local economy while preserving the quality of life for residents. As a department within the City, Visit Golden operates at the intersection of tourism promotion, community stewardship, and economic development.
Golden’s unique appeal, from its historic downtown and proximity to outdoor recreation to its authentic Colorado character, has made it an increasingly popular destination, particularly during peak summer months. While this success has brought significant economic benefits to local businesses, it has also introduced challenges. Seasonal congestion, increased demand on infrastructure, and shifting resident sentiment have underscored the need for a more balanced and sustainable approach to tourism.
A key priority for Visit Golden is to better distribute visitation throughout the year. Off-season periods present meaningful opportunities to drive incremental revenue for local businesses, many of which experience significant fluctuations in demand outside of peak travel months. At the same time, there is a growing need to thoughtfully manage peak-season visitation in a way that respects the lived experience of residents and maintains community support for tourism.
Visit Golden is closely related to the Community Marketing Board, a newly created board designed to help guide marketing strategies and investments that promote Golden’s businesses, support economic vitality, and reflect the unique character of our community. In summer 2026, Visit Golden will publish a new strategic plan that will guide the organization’s direction in the years ahead. This plan will emphasize sustainable tourism, seasonal balance, and community alignment. The selected agency of record will play a critical role in bringing this strategy to life through integrated media buying and marketing efforts.
The ideal partner will understand the nuances of destination marketing in a community context (balancing economic impact with resident sentiment) and will bring innovative, data-driven approaches to audience targeting, seasonal demand shaping, and messaging. Success will be defined not only by increased visitation and economic contribution, but also by the ability to influence travel behavior, elevate off-peak periods, and support a tourism model that benefits both visitors and the Golden community.
This project represents an opportunity to reimagine how Golden shows up in the marketplace, including prioritizing the right visitors, at the right times, with the right message, while ensuring the long-term sustainability and livability of the destination.
Describe your team’s proposed course of action to accomplish the work identified in relation to
Submitters shall provide a detailed scope of services outlining the work required to complete the Project as presented in this RFP. Describe any innovative ideas, critical issues, and/or alternative approaches that may benefit the Project.
A proactive approach to marketing that considers the traveler lifecycle is vital to Visit Goldens strategic plan. Provide a detailed schedule that is well coordinated with the developed scope of services and identify milestones your firm thinks are critical for the project (i.e. seasonal/monthly OTT campaigns, biweekly Google Ad optimizations, etc.). Discuss the approach your project team will take in order to maintain schedule, and discuss any obstacles that could impact the schedule.
Discuss methods/concepts that your team uses for schedule, scope and budget management and how these methods will be employed. Describe the team members’ current and projected workloads and anticipated time dedicated to the work during the course of the Project.
Briefly discuss firm and project team qualifications that are being proposed for the Project. Discuss previous experience of the submitting firm in working with destination marketing and management organizations in projects of similar size, scope and nature. Identify project references that may be contacted in regard to the Consultant’s performance on past projects. Describe the firm’s ability to provide the breadth of competencies required by the City, either with its own staff or via the use of Subconsultants in specialty areas. Resumes of key personnel shall be provided as an Appendix to the RFP response.
Please upload proposal per Proposal Elements and Format Section.
A completed Acceptance of Conditions Statement is required. This Statement affirms the acceptance of all conditions or requirements contained in the Request for Qualifications, and lists the names of any of the submitting firm’s employees, and any proposed subconsultant’s employees, who are spouses or children of City employees or the spouse of a City employee’s child.
Please download the document, complete, and upload.
Failure to commit to DBE requirements will result is rejection of proposal.
CDOT Affidavit of Small Business Participation must submitted with the proposal. Failure of the proposer to submit the affidavit will result in the consultant being deemed non- responsive and ineligible for award.
Please download the below document, complete, and upload.
For information only and not to be used as part of evaluation
For information only and not to be used as part of evaluation
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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