Notice End Date: May 4, 2023

Vendor Name: Lightpath OM LLC d/b/a strut AGENCY

Contract Amount: 120000.00

Agency Procurement Manager: Drew Spires

Agency Procurement Manager Email: Drew.Spires@admin.sc.gov

Agency Procurement Manager Telephone#: 803-734-5953

The Agency hereby provides notice that it intends to enter into a sole source contract per S.C. Code Ann. §11-35-1560 with Vendor for the following supplies, services, information technology, or construction:

The South Carolina Institute of Innovation and Information (SCIII), in accordance with South Carolina Procurement Code, Section 11-35-1560 and regulation 19-445.2105, is providing public notice of the intent to award a sole source contract to Lightpath OM LLC d/b/a strut AGENCY. The total potential value the contract is approximately $120,000.00. The anticipated contract duration is 02/01/2023 until 06/30/2023.

The South Carolina Institute of Innovation and Information (SCIII), intends to procure services to alleviate costs of hiring permanent staff which would be more costly due to fringes and other benefits, the South Carolina Institute of Innovation and Information utilizes consultant services of Lightpath OM LLC d/b/a strut AGENCY. This vendor has been on board since January 2022 and assists the organization in the following manner: 1) work with the Executive Director to market and promote the seven senior Historically Black Colleges and Universities funded by the SC Legislature to establish unique and distinctive programs/institutes on each of the respective campuses; 2) assist the agency as well as its member institutes to produce proposals for additional funding from federal, state and philanthropic sources; 3) advise the Executive Director and office staff on developing and enhancing programs and services to solidify the work of the respective institutes; 4) provide content creation and editing services for all marketing materials and selected documents as requested by the Executive Director related to the seven senior Historically Black Colleges and Universities of South Carolina; 5) serve as marcom/public relations, procuring media relationships as well as pitching and securing media

interview via tradition (tv, radio, print) and transmedia (podcasts, digital biogs) channels on behalf of

SCIII and the seven senior Historically Black Colleges and Universities of South Carolina; 6) Write any/all

relevant and time sensitive press releases and media talking points for SCIII and the seven senior Historically Black Colleges and Universities of South Carolina and distribute the release via national,

regional, and local channels; 7) Write quarterly articles for media distribution; 8) prepare reports and

assist the Executive Director in meeting with elected officials, the board of directors and others as

needed.

 

Dr. Tashion Macon is the rare individual who possesses the deep and complex insights of a lauded culturalist with the large-scale successes of a gifted mainstream branding expert, combining these differing perspectives into a subject matter expertise that is virtually unmatched in terms of cultural competencies. As a culturalist, she is exceptionally well-versed in the challenges and opportunities that HBCUs face today, sharing an innate understanding of the pain points and what is in the hearts and minds of all invested stakeholders -students, faculty, administration. At the same time, she is keenly aware of what it will take to harness the immense potential inherent in the institutions and transform the possibilities into reality. She fully believes that harnessing the immense talents and abilities of HBCU student cohorts will effectively transform business and industry in South Carolina and beyond; she sees this as practically a mandate for the future of our country, given that minorities will be the majority by 2045. Her experience helming highly successful fundraising projects spans multiple HBCUs- including Howard University and AUC-and other institutes of higher learning and includes securing an 8-figure grant. As a mainstream branding expert, she plies an unprecedented branding savvy and uncanny ability to see the way ahead long before others; Dr. Macon is often called a modern-day marketing + media guru.

 

Please see Section 11-35-4210(1): Right to Protest of the South Carolina Code of Laws for information relating to protest rights.

Agency's justification for a sole source procurement may be viewed or immediately obtained at: Agency Procurement Manager (Listed Above)

PROTESTS:
Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract, shall notify the appropriate chief Procurement officer in writing of its intent to protest within five (5) business days of the date this notice is posted. Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract and has timely notified the appropriate chief procurement officer of its intent to protest, may protest to the appropriate chief procurement officer in the manner set forth below within fifteen days of the date this notice is posted; except that a matter that could have been raised as a protest of the solicitation may not be raised as a protest of the award or intended award of a contract.
A protest must be in writing, filed with the appropriate chief procurement officer, and set forth the grounds of the protest and the relief requested with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided. The protest must be received by the appropriate chief procurement officer within the time provided above. Days are calculated as provided in S.C. Code Ann. § 11-35-310(13).

Any Notice Of Intent To Protest And Protest Must Be Addressed To: Materials Management Officer