Graphic Design

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL:
506627
GRAPHIC DESIGN
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Issue Date .................................................................................................................... Monday, August 10, 2026
Requests for Clarification and Additional Information Deadline ............... Tuesday, August 18, 2026 11:00 A.M.
Response to Written Requests for Clarification and Additional Information ............. Thursday, August 20, 2026
Proposal Due Date ........................................................................................ Friday, August 28, 2026 2:00 P.M.
*All dates are tentative and subject to change and/or cancellation at Denver Water's sole discretion. Denver
Water will notify potential Proposers of any and all necessary changes and/or cancellations via written
addendum. All times included on this Schedule of Events are Mountain Time.
Procurement Specialist: Kristen Williams
Email: Kristen.Williams@denverwater.org
Phone: 303-628-6484
Procurement Section, Administrative Services

SECTION 1: STATEMENT OF WORK
1. PURPOSE:
Denver Water is seeking qualified graphic design services to support the development of print and digital
communications that align with Denver Water's brand standards and effectively communicate the organization's
mission, strategic priorities and public outreach objectives.
The selected Proposer (Contractor) will provide graphic design services on an as-needed basis, including working
from existing templates, creating new designs, redesigning existing materials and providing ongoing production
support. Work may include employee communications, customer communications, community outreach materials
and Board communications.
Printing and translation services are not included in this scope of work. However, the Contractor will coordinate with
Denver Water staff and external production vendors, including printers, as necessary to ensure final deliverables
meet production specifications.
All final deliverables shall:
* Meet Denver Water brand standards and style guidelines.
* Be production-ready for print or digital distribution, as applicable.
* Meet applicable digital accessibility requirements, including WCAG and State of Colorado accessibility
standards.
* Be delivered in the required native and production file formats.
2. BACKGROUND:
Denver Water proudly delivers high-quality water and promotes its efficient use to approximately 1.5 million people
in the City and County of Denver and many surrounding suburbs. To communicate effectively with customers,
employees and other stakeholders, Denver Water produces a wide range of publications, marketing materials and
digital graphics.
Denver Water currently utilizes:
* An advertising agency for strategic marketing and advertising services;
* An in-house graphic designer responsible for day-to-day design needs; and
* A contract graphic designer who provides monthly and annual publications, special projects, and digital
illustrations.
The resulting Agreement will be managed by the Integrated Marketing team within Public Affairs. Approximately five
to six Denver Water staff members will assign work under the Agreement.
Denver Water seeks to continue this contractor-supported model to provide additional production capacity while
maintaining consistent, professional, brand-compliant communications.
Actual volume may vary, and no minimum level of work is guaranteed under the resulting Agreement.
3. TIMELINE:
The anticipated Agreement term is January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2029.
4. GOAL:
Provide consistent messaging and complimentary design that supports Denver Water brand standards.
5. OBJECTIVES:
* Deliver accurate, professional-quality graphic design services for print and digital communications.
* Maintain consistent visual branding across all deliverables.
* Produce accessible digital materials that comply with applicable accessibility requirements.
* Meet agreed-upon production schedules and accommodate expedited requests when necessary.
* Collaborate effectively with Denver Water staff throughout project development and production.
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6. SCOPE OF WORK:
A. Core Services
The Contractor shall provide professional graphic design services, including but not limited to:
1. Graphic design for print and digital communications.
2. Development of original layouts, illustrations and infographics.
3. Modification and enhancement of existing Denver Water templates and branded materials.
4. Preparation of production-ready files for print and digital distribution.
5. Coordination with Denver Water staff and third-party vendors, including printers, to ensure accurate
production.
6. Incorporation of revisions based on stakeholder review and approval.
B. Additional Services
Denver Water may request additional graphic design services beyond recurring or anticipated projects,
including, but not limited to:
1. General graphic design services outside the anticipated recurring workload.
2. Recommendations for stock photography, illustrations, or other visual assets when requested. Denver Water
will typically provide photography and source content for projects.
3. Other related graphic design services offered by the Contractor.
C. Design Deliverables
Examples of anticipated work include, but are not limited to:
1. Monthly WaterNews
2. Annual Water Quality Report.
3. PowerPoint presentation templates
4. Infographics
5. Brochures and mailers
6. Fact sheets
7. Email banners
8. Digital graphics
9. Social media graphics
10. Event and outreach materials
11. Illustrations and diagrams
D. Accessibility and Formatting Requirements
Accessibility shall be incorporated throughout the design process rather than addressed after design
completion.
The Contractor shall ensure that all digital deliverables:
1. Comply with applicable State of Colorado accessibility requirements.
2. Meet current WCAG standards, as applicable.
3. Support use with assistive technologies through proper document structure, reading order, color contrast,
alternative text and other accessibility best practices.
4. Are provided in accessible file formats when requested.
E. Proposer Experience
1. Required Experience
a. Demonstrated experience providing professional graphic design services for print and digital
communications.
b. Ability to produce accurate, visually engaging layouts, publications and infographics.
c. Experience preparing production-ready files.
d. Experience designing accessible digital documents.
2. Preferred Experience
a. Experience with public sector, utility, water, or government clients.
b. Brand implementation across multiple communication channels.
F. Service Level Expectations
1. Project Management
The Contractor shall:
a. Respond promptly to project requests.
b. Provide estimated delivery schedules for each assignment.
c. Identify the number of revisions included with each project estimate.
d. Communicate project status throughout production.
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2. Turnaround Times
a. Establish, communicate, and consistently meet defined turnaround times and service expectations
for standard and expedited project requests.
3. Quality Standards
a. The Contractor shall maintain a documented quality control procedures to ensure accuracy,
consistency, brand compliance, production readiness, and accessibility compliance.
b. Quality review shall occur prior to submitting deliverables to Denver Water.
4. Work Authorization
Denver Water may require a written estimate (Quote) before authorizing work on any project. Unless
otherwise approved in advance by Denver Water, no work shall begin until the Quote has been reviewed
and approved by Denver Water.
Each Quote shall include, at a minimum:
a. Project description
b. Estimated hours for completion
c. Applicable roles and rates
d. Total estimated cost
e. Estimated completion schedule
f. Number of included revisions in the quoted price
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SECTION 2: RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
1. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS:
All Proposals must include the information requested in the following sections A, B, and C with each section clearly
labeled as outlined below.
A. General Information:
* Entity's legal name
* Entity's business address
* Point of contact name, email, and phone number
* Year entity was established
B. Required RFP Response Narrative:
For each item below, provide a narrative response that is concise but effective enough to allow qualitative
evaluation. Provide a response to all items in the order given. List each item number and restate the question
prior to the response. Limit response to 10 PAGES, excluding work samples.
1. Experience
a. Describe your experience providing graphic design services for print and digital communications.
Include experience supporting public sector or utility organizations, highlighting examples of work
involving complex, technical or program-related projects.
b. Describe your experience using Adobe Creative Cloud applications and working in Mac and
Windows environments.
c. Describe how you ensure your digital designs meet accessibility requirements.
2. Service Approach & Quality Assurance
a. How do you gather project requirements and communicate with clients?
b. How do you ensure design projects accurately communicate the intended message while
maintaining visual clarity, consistency, and brand standards?
c. Describe your quality assurance process, including editing and proofreading steps.
3. Account Management & Support
a. Describe the team that will support Denver Water, including the roles and responsibilities of key
personnel and the primary point of contact.
b. How will requests be coordinated and prioritized?
4. Service Level
a. What are your typical response times for general inquiries, project requests, and other
communications?
b. Describe your scheduling lead times, including:
i. Standard notice required for design requests
ii. Minimum notice required for urgent or expedited requests
c. Provide your typical turnaround times for the following deliverables:
i. Initial draft or design concept
ii. Incorporation of revisions following receipt of Denver Water feedback
iii. Final deliverable, including all approved revisions and required file formats
5. Work Samples
a. Provide 5-10 work samples of printed and digital work demonstrating your design ability. Samples
may be submitted via a link, appendix or attachment.
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6. Pricing Scenarios
The examples below (a. WaterNews and b. Water Quality Report) are previous work products that are
representative of recurring design projects anticipated under the resulting Agreement. Using each example
as a reference, provide two separate Quotes (one for each work product listed below) for designing
comparable work products. Quotes shall be prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined in RFP
Section 4, Work Authorization.
Note Denver Water encourages creative design solutions. These examples illustrate the typical scope,
complexity, and content of these work products, but future deliverables are not expected to replicate their
visual style or layout.
a. WaterNews
Description: Monthly Customer Newsletter/Bill Insert
Format: Two (2) pages; double-sided; tri-fold
Size: 3.6" x 8.5" Finished; 8.5" x 11" flat
Attachment: Refer to Exhibit C - WaterNews
b. Water Quality Report
Description: Annual Report (Print and Digital Formats)
Format: 16-page report
Size: 6" x 8.5" finished; 11" x 17" flat
Attachment: Refer to Exhibit D - Water Quality Report
C. Proposal Pricing:
Instructions: Proposers shall provide hourly rates for the roles identified in Table A - Hourly Rates below.
Include any other personnel necessary to provide the services described in this RFP. Rates shall include all
labor, overhead, and administrative costs. Enter any assumptions or comments necessary for evaluation.
If a role/title is not offered or is not applicable, indicate "N/A." Include all fees to be considered.
TABLE A - HOURLY RATES
Role/Title Rate Assumptions/Comments
Graphic Designer
Senior Graphic Designer
Illustrator
Other (describe)
Proposers are required to submit their pricing according to the compensation structure provided. Denver Water
will entertain other tailored compensation structures, but this table, at a minimum, must be included in the
proposal submittal.
Price Adjustments: Prices (fees) under the resulting Agreement are to be firm and fixed for the first 12 months
of the Agreement term. Requests for economic price adjustments to take effect after the first 12 months shall be
submitted to Denver Water by the Contractor with appropriate documentation justifying the request at least sixty
(60) calendar days prior to expiration of the first 12-month period. Price adjustments shall occur no more
frequently than annually. Requests for economic price adjustments not received at least sixty (60) days prior to
expiration of the first 12-month period will not be approved, and prices will remain the same for the next 12
months or for the remaining Agreement term, whichever is less. Denver Water and the Contractor will make
reasonable efforts to mutually agree on the format and methodology of documented price adjustments.
Reimbursement and Additional Fees: There are no reimbursable costs associated with the resulting Agreement.
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2. SUBMISSION FORMAT AND PROCESS:
Interested parties may submit a response via email narrative or PDF attachment addressed to the contact listed
below.
Kristen Williams, Procurement Specialist
kristen.williams@denverwater.org
Subject Line: RFP 506627 - Graphic Design - [Proposer Name]
Due Date: Friday, August 28, 2026 by 2:00 pm MST
NO HARD COPY/MAILED OR FAXED COPIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Proposal Submission Documents and Information Checklist:
A. General Information
B. Response Narrative
C. Proposal Pricing
Redacted Proposal, if applicable (see section 6 below)
Any proposed modifications and/or exceptions to Exhibit A - Sample Agreement (see section 7 below)
Completion of Exhibit B - Technology Accessibility Checklist (see section 8 below)
3. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS:
Proposals considered responsive will be evaluated for completeness of information provided, the Proposer's
adherence to RFP requirements, support for claims made, and the overall approach taken. Denver Water's
objective is to select the Proposal(s) judged to be in the best interest of Denver Water. Proposals may be
evaluated using criteria including but not limited to:
* Experience
* Service Approach & Quality Assurance
* Account Management & Support
* Service Level
* Work Samples
* Professionalism
* Proposed Pricing
* Any other relevant and appropriate factors as determined by Denver Water
This list does not reflect or imply any weighting or relative importance.
4. INTERVIEWS/SHORT LIST/SITE VISITS/PRESENTATIONS:
Denver Water may request interviews, oral or visual presentations, site visits, demonstrations, and/or the opportunity
to ask additional questions of Proposers as deemed necessary during the evaluation process. Denver Water may
require additional information from Proposers after the Proposal due date as necessary to complete the evaluation
process.
5. REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Any requests for clarification or additional information regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing via email to
the Procurement Specialist listed above by 11:00 am MST on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Denver Water will
summarize and respond to all material questions received by the deadline through an addendum. In the event it
becomes necessary to revise, change, modify or cancel this RFP or to provide additional information, addenda will
be emailed to all Proposers. The Procurement Specialist is the primary designated liaison between Denver Water
and all Proposers. Any unauthorized contact between the Proposers, its agents, employees, or others on the
Proposer's behalf may result in rejection of the Proposer's response.
6. DESIGNATION OF ANY PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION:
Proposers acknowledge that Denver Water may be required to disclose any or all of the documents submitted with
a Response, pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act, C.R.S. 24-72-200.1, et seq. Under C.R.S. 24-72-
204(3)(a)(IV), Denver Water may deny inspection of any confidential commercial or financial information furnished
to Denver Water by an outside party. Therefore, a Proposer must clearly designate any documents submitted with
its Response that the Proposer deems proprietary or confidential, to aid Denver Water in determining what should
be disclosed in the event of a request for documents under the Colorado Open Records Act.
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If Proposer is submitting a redacted version of its Response, Proposer must clearly designate any sentences,
pages or sections of the Proposal that the Proposer deems confidential or proprietary, and must include it as a
separate file on the same e-mail, marked "REDACTED ORIGINAL". The designation shall be made by stamping,
typing, or writing the word "CONFIDENTIAL" in a conspicuous place on every page of the document that is
confidential or proprietary. If only some portions of any document are confidential or proprietary, such designation
shall be made by redacting those portions only. The Proposer's designation must be reasonable or it will not be
honored. For example, a Proposer may not designate the entire Proposal to be confidential and proprietary.
7. SAMPLE AGREEMENT:
The selected Proposer will be required to sign a Denver Water Agreement. A sample of this Agreement is attached
as Exhibit A - Sample Agreement and is subject to Denver Water's revision. Proposer must clearly mark any and
all modifications and/or exceptions to the terms and conditions contained in this sample Agreement using Microsoft
Word, with the Track Changes function enabled, and submit such modifications and/or exceptions with its Proposal
as a separate section. Denver Water reserves the right to reject the entire Proposal containing any modifications
and/or exceptions to the terms and conditions contained in this sample Agreement.
8. TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
On June 30, 2021, Colorado HB21-1110 strengthened the Colorado law for protection of discrimination against
persons with disabilities; specifically, it requires the accessibility of all digital government information technology.
To comply, all digital experiences including websites, applications, digital assets, and digital interfaces provided to
Denver Water shall conform to or address each of the World Wide Web Consortium's current non-draft version of
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level A/AA success criteria wherever demonstrating such
performance is practicable and applicable. See Exhibit B - Technology Accessibility Checklist for additional
requirements for responding to this RFP.
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