It is recommended that the Mayor and City Commission approve the award of a contract to Solo Printing, LLC pursuant to Invitation to Bid (ITB) No. 2023-034-LB for Miami Beach (MB) Magazine Printing and Bulk Mailing Services for Group A.

This solicitation is currently under the cone of silence.

The City’s Office of Marketing and Communications publishes the MB Magazine on a quarterly basis. The magazine serves as a communication medium to inform residents of local news and events. As the official magazine of the City of Miami Beach, MB is delivered by the U.S. Postal Service to every household in the City. Copies are also available at various distribution points.

Heralded as the go-to source for up-to-date information on all things Miami Beach, MB Magazine is the city’s 68-page, quarterly and bi-lingual publication that takes a deep dive into our city’s most cherished arts and cultural institutions, its rich history, transformational amenities, and pressing challenges. It consistently ranks on resident surveys as the #1 source for municipal information among residents, surpassing both digital publications and social media. The magazine is mailed to each of the city’s 60,000-plus households and is available free of charge in various public buildings, city museums, and select hotels for those who live and visit our city.

Staff in the city’s Office of Marketing & Communications work every quarter with multiple city departments to source the most relevant and engaging content. Each issue chronicles the Miami Beach experience through beautiful imagery and descriptive writing at a time when the trend is to condense information into a format that suits social media. MB magazine proves there is still a place for in-depth reporting and print publications—and it is making a significant contribution to our community. 

On January 16, 2019, the City Commission approved the contract award pursuant to ITB 2019-007-ND for MB Magazine printing and bulk mailing services. Due to market conditions, the incumbent could not maintain the pricing submitted in 2019, and the contract has concluded. As a result, the City has issued Invitations to Quote (“ITQ”) to obtain pricing for these services in the short term until a long-term contract can be established.

Through this ITB the City has requested fixed pricing from qualified bidders to provide MB magazine printing and bulk mailing services. The Bidder must provide all labor, supervision, materials, equipment, and supplies necessary to print and mail the magazine. Interested bidders were allowed to submit pricing for Group A: Non-Recycled Paper or Group B: Recycled Paper for the MB Magazine or both.

On April 20, 2023, the ITB was issued. A pre-bid conference to provide information to proposers submitting a response was held on April 27, 2023. One (1) addenda was issued. The Procurement Department issued bid notices to approximately 12,078 companies utilizing the City's e-procurement system, with 42 prospective bidders accessing the solicitation. Responses were due and received on May 19, 2023. The City received two (2) responses from the following firms: J&B Staton Group, LLC and Solo Printing, LLC. Both bidders submitted pricing for Group A only. The tabulation of responses submitted is included in Attachment A. 

The solicitation stated that the lowest responsive, responsible Bidder meeting all terms, conditions, and specifications would be recommended for award. In its due diligence, the Procurement and Marketing and Communications Departments verified that the lowest responsive bid submitted by Solo Printing, LLC meets the requirements of the solicitation, including compliance with submittal requirements and prior experience.

Accordingly, Solo Printing, LLC has been deemed the lowest responsive and responsible Bidder, meeting all terms, conditions, and specifications of the ITB. Below is a brief bio of the firm based on the information it has provided.

Solo Printing, LLC

Solo Printing, LLC provides color lithography to the United States and the Caribbean. Solo Printing, LLC has provided printing services since 1935 and is located in a 180,000-square-foot facility in the Doral/Airport area of Miami. Solo Printing, LLC is equipped with electronic prepress and web and sheet-fed printing capabilities. It offers a wide variety of in-house binding and finishing services, including saddle-stitch, perfect binding, gate folding, die cutting, shrink-wrapping, and labeling. Solo Printing, LLC is also ISO27001 certified for in-house data management department for direct mail needs. All references provided positive feedback. Solo Printing, LLC has previously provided printing and mailing services for the MB Magazine, and staff has provided positive feedback regarding their services

The lowest most responsive bid pursuant to this ITB is 18% lower than the bids received pursuant to the quarterly ITQs issued for these services over the past year. The Marketing and Communications Department estimates an annual expenditure of $250,000.00. 

Account: 011-0350-000324-11-400-592-00-00-00-          $250,000.00

At this time, grant funding is not anticipated. 

MB magazine proves there is still a place for in-depth reporting and print publications—and is making a significant contribution to our community.  It is  the go-to source for up-to-date information on all things Miami Beach.

Based on the foregoing, it is recommended that the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, approve the award of a contract to Solo Printing, LLC, the lowest responsive and responsible Bidder to Invitation to Bid (ITB) No. 2023-034-LB for MB Magazine Printing and Bulk Mailing Services for Group A.