At a Glance
- Buyer: Virginia Military Institute (VMI)
- Industry: Higher education (public military college)
- Location/markets: Lexington, Virginia; local and national media
- Primary scope: Public relations services (strategic comms, media relations, crisis/reputation)
- Key deliverables/channels: Messaging and comms plans; media relations; crisis/reputation support; content/thought leadership; influencer/social support; KPI reporting
- Budget: Not specified
- Contract type/term: Fixed price; date of award through 30 Jun, 2030, with five successive one-year renewals thereafter
- Key dates: Proposal deadline: 19 Mar, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST
- Eligibility/must-haves: Demonstrated PR experience (writing/editing/research, strategic comms); rapid-response media support; crisis/reputation management capability; submit via eVA; provide required forms, including COI and SWaM subcontracting plan (as applicable)
Why This Could Be Interesting
Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is seeking a public relations partner to support strategic communications for a high-visibility, public higher-education institution with a longstanding statewide profile.
The scope centers on core PR: strategic counsel and messaging, local and national media relations, crisis and reputation management, content and thought leadership, influencer/social support, and measurement tied to KPIs. This reads like an always-on communications partner, not a single campaign.
The standout signal is duration. The base contract runs from award through June 30, 2030, with additional one-year renewals available after that—creating the potential for a long relationship if performance is strong.
Best suited for PR agencies with strong crisis comms, media relations depth, and disciplined governance in public-sector environments.
Proposal deadline: 19 March, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST
Download the full RFP here.
