Invitation to Bid for Poetry Out Loud Program
Download the Invitation to Bid
In accordance with state requirements, the Invitation to Bid for the Oklahoma Poetry Out Loud program will be facilitated by the Office of Oklahoma Management and Enterprise Services (OMES). During the bidding process, all correspondence related to the program must be facilitated through OMES by contacting Tamara P. Alexander at (405) 522-2334 or tamara.alexander@omes.ok.gov.
In order to submit a bid for the program, please download the Invitation to Bid.
Poetry Out Loud
The Oklahoma Arts Council seeks bids from organizations interested in coordinating and implementing the national Poetry Out Loud contest in Oklahoma. Eligible organizations will have 501(c)3 nonprofit status, incorporated in Oklahoma, with a mission that aligns with the goals of Poetry Out Loud, the capacity to implement a statewide poetry contest for high school students, and the ability to meet reporting requirements set forth by the National Endowment for the Arts in compliance with federal grant making rules. �
Scope of Work
The Poetry Out Loud program requires broad outreach and promotion of the contest to high schools across Oklahoma, distribution of Poetry Out Loud materials to schools wishing to participate, provision of technical assistance as needed, facilitation of regional and state level recitation competitions, and coordination of winning student�s preparation and travel for the national contest. Within the scope of work, the selected organization will be given, and encouraged to fully leverage, latitude for originality in its implementation and execution of the program.
In general, the contest schedule is as follows:
-
Fall 2015 � Outreach and promotion. Distribution of materials. Regional and state contest planning.
-
February 2016 � Oklahoma regional contests
-
March 2016 � Oklahoma state contest
-
April 2016 � National contest (Washington, D.C.)
About Poetry Out Loud
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation partner with state arts agencies throughout the United States and its jurisdictions to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
After successful pilot programs in Washington, DC, and Chicago, Poetry Out Loud was launched in high schools nationwide in the spring of 2006 and has grown to involve millions of students across the country annually.
Details about the program, including rules and eligibility guidelines, teaching resources, suggestions for organizing contests and preparing judges, and more, are available at www.poetryoutloud.org.
Bid Requirements
Organizations must include the following in their bids:
- A cover letter with a summary of the bid.
- Explanation of how the Poetry Out Loud program aligns with the organization�s mission and how it would complement current programming.
- Description of the potential outreach and promotional strategy to schools statewide.
- Description of any resources available to the organization that may assist in efforts to successfully execute the program.
- Description of any original ideas for implementing and executing the program, which may result in furthering the reach and impact of the program.
- Bios of staff members who will be directly involved with the management and implementation of the program.
- A copy of the organization�s bylaws.
- A list of the organization�s current board of directors.
- The organization�s most recent IRS Form 990 or most a recently completed audit.
- A copy of the organization�s strategic plan.
- A complete Poetry Out Loud program budget.
Incomplete bids will not be considered.
Bid Evaluation
Criteria for bid selection will include:
- The degree to which an organization�s mission and current programming aligns with the goals of the Poetry Out Loud contest.
- The organization�s demonstrated ability and/or history of serving schools in communities statewide.
- The ability of the organization to devote staff with the appropriate credentials to the program.
- The organization�s capacity for organizing and executing events and/or contests that are comparable in scale to the Poetry Out Loud program.
- The extent to which the originality of the organization�s ideas for implementing and executing the program would further the reach and impact of the program.
- The soundness of the organization�s financial status.
- Bids will be evaluated and a selection will be made by a committee of Governor-appointed Oklahoma Arts Council board members.
Deadline
Bids will be accepted through 3:00 p.m. CDT/CST, July 30, 2015. The selected bidder will be notified no later than September 1, 2015.
Price and Cost
This is a Flat Fee contract in the amount of $17,500, paid over two disbursements of $8,750. The first disbursement will be contingent upon the submission of a mid-year report, and the second disbursement will be contingent upon the submission of a final report. The grant will apply to state fiscal year 2016, which begins July 1, 2015 and ends June 30, 2016.
FAQs
Question #1: Should my proposed budget include all expenses related to conducting the program--gas/mileage, printing and material costs, facility rental (if needed--for regional and state competitions), and the winning poet's travel to the national competition? Or will the Arts Council provide all the written materials, promotional brochures, etc. that will be needed throughout the year?
Answer #1: Yes, please include all anticipated expenses related to travel, print and materials, and facility rental in your budget. The Oklahoma Arts Council does not provide materials. Please review information related to organizing a contest, including promotional ideas, the available PR Tookit, social media publicity, and more at poetryoutloud.org.
Question #2: Is the $17,500 considered the "salary" for the organization or is it to be used for the above mentioned items?
Answer #2: Grant funds are to be used for expenses associated with the scope of work defined in the Invitation to Bid, which may include costs associated with coordinating, implementing, and promoting the program. Expenses incurred through the administration of these activities are acceptable and may be included in your submitted budget.
Question #3: Who decides where the regional and state competitions are held?
Answer #3: The organization that is selected through the bidding process to coordinate and implement the program.
Question #4: If my organization is selected to conduct this program, I would like to travel across the state visiting teachers to promote it. Is this an expense that is allowed for the program?
Answer #4: Yes. Tavel costs associated with promoting the program would be an allowable expense. Please include your anticipated travel costs related to promoting the program in your submitted budget.