Request for Proposal Website Re-Design and Development Sealed proposals will be received in the office of the: Corporate Officer Town of Gibsons 474 South Fletcher Road, Box 340 Gibsons, BC V0N 1V0 Electronic proposals, in.pdf format, will be received at: mjansson@gibsons.ca Up to 2:00 p.m., local time, Monday, October 30, 2009 All queries related to this request for proposal shall be submitted to the attention of: Michelle Jansson Corporate Officer Email: mjansson@gibsons.ca
INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPONENTS 1.0 Introduction This request for proposal ( RFP ) is issued by the Town of Gibsons for the redesign and development of the Town website. The Proponents shall submit up to the date, time and location indicated on the title page of this RFP: Three (3) copies, of its Proposal in a sealed envelope or package, marked with the Proponent s name and the RFP title. OR Email in.pdf format. 2.0 Receipt and Acceptance of Proposal 2.1 The proposal, with all accompanying schedules, appendices or addenda submitted by the Proponent in response to the RFP (the Proposal ), will be received up to the closing time on the date and in the place shown on the title page of this RFP (the Closing Time ). The Proposal shall be submitted in a sealed envelope or package, marked with the Proponent s name and the RFP title, on the date shown on the title page of this RFP. 2.2 Proposals received after the Closing Time or in locations other than the address indicated, will not be accepted and will be returned unopened. The Town of Gibsons reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to extend the closing date and time. 2.3 If alternative Proposals are offered, the Proposals shall be submitted separately in the same format as the initial Proposal. While the Town of Gibsons is not obligated to accept any alternatives, all suggested alternatives will be considered during the evaluation process. 2.4 Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice only, provided such notice is received at the office of the Corporate Officer, Town of Gibsons, prior to Closing Time. 2.5 Any deviations from the requirements or the conditions specified in this RFP must be clearly stated in the Proponent s Proposal. The Town of Gibsons will be the sole judge as to what constitutes an acceptable deviation. If no deviations are indicated in the Proponent s Proposal, the Town of Gibsons expects the Proponent to be in full compliance of the requirements and conditions stated herein. -2-
2.6 The Town of Gibsons is not obligated to pay any costs the Proponent incurs in the preparation of their Proposal. All costs for the preparation of the Proponent s Proposal will be borne solely by the Proponent. 3.0 Unacceptable Proposals 3.1 Proponents are notified that the lowest or any Proposal need not be accepted and the Town of Gibsons reserves the right to reject or accept any or all Proposals in whole or in part at any time without further explanation. 3.2 Proponents are cautioned to carefully read and follow the instructions stated herein as the Town of Gibsons reserves the right to disqualify any Proposal that fails to meet any of the requirements of the RFP. 4.0 Prices 4.1 Prices quoted will be exclusive of all taxes, F.O.B. destination to the site named herin with all freight, unloading at destination, import duties, brokerage, royalties, handling, overhead, profit and all other costs prepaid and included. 5.0 Inquiries and Clarifications 5.1 It is the responsibility of the Proponent to thoroughly examine these documents and satisfy itself as to the full requirements of this RFP. All inquiries are to be in written form only, emailed to the contact person shown on the cover page of this RFP. 6.0 Evaluation Process 6.1 The Town of Gibsons will evaluate the Proposals received on the basis of the overall best value to the Town, based on quality, service, and any criteria set out herin based solely on the Town of Gibsons assessment of the Proposal, including, but not limited to and in no particular order, the following: a. Proponents ability to meet the requirements set out herin and deliver the requirements when and where required b. Quality of submission c. Creative design d. Costs e. Proponent s business and technical reputation and capabilities; municipal/government website design experience. 6.2 Proponents may be required to provide additional information including preparing a presentation, supplying samples, demonstrations, and/or additional technical literature prior to the award of a contract. -3-
6.3 The Town of Gibsons reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to enter into negotiations with the Proponent or with any other Proponent concurrently. In no event will the Town of Gibsons be required to offer any modified terms to any Proponent prior to entering into a contract, and the Town of Gibsons will not be liable to any Proponent as a result of such negotiations. 7.0 Award 7.1 The Town of Gibsons is not under any obligation to award a contract and reserves the right at its sole discretion to terminate or amend this RFP at any time. 7.2 Proponents are responsible for obtaining all applicable licences and permits, including WCB and business licences. 8.0 Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act 8.1 The Town of Gibsons is subject to the Province of British Columbia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. All documents will be received and held in confidence by the Town of Gibsons and the information will not be disclosed, except to the extent necessary for carrying out the Town s purposes or as required by law. 9.0 Confidentiality 9.1 Information about the Town of Gibsons obtained by a Proponent must not be disclosed unless authorized by the Town in writing. By submitting a Proposal, the Proponent agrees that this obligation of confidentiality will survive the termination of this RFP and any contract that might arise between parties. GENERAL CONDITIONS 1.0 Termination of the Contract 1.1 The Town of Gibsons may, by notice of default to the Contractor, immediately terminate part or all of this contract if the Contractor fails to make delivery of the goods and/or services within the time specified, or fails to perform any other provisions, terms or conditions of this contract within the time specified, or within a reasonable time if no time is specified. 1.2 In the event the Town of Gibsons terminates this contract in whole or in part as provided in the clause above, the Town of Gibsons may procure goods or -4-
services similar to those so terminated, and the Contractor shall be liable to the Town for any excess costs for such goods or services. The Contractor shall not be liable for any excess cost if failure to perform arises by reason of strikes, lockouts, acts of God or acts of the Town. The Town of Gibsons will not be liable where delivery site are not available due to strikes, lockouts, or acts of God. 2.0 Warranty: 2.1 The Contractor warrants that the equipment, goods, or services delivered by the Contractor to the Town of Gibsons in connection with the contract will perform according to the Proponent s Proposal and the requirements set out in the RFP. 2.2 The Contractor also warrants that its employees have the qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to carry out the services and the services will be performed in a competent, efficient and professional manner. 3.0 Indemnification: 3.1 The contractor shall indemnify, hold and save harmless the Town of Gibsons from and against all claim, losses, damages, costs, actions and other proceedings made, sustained, brought or prosecuted in manner, based upon, occasioned by attributable to any injury, including death, property damage, infringement or damage arising from any act or omission of the Contractor, his employees, officers, volunteers, servants or agents or persons from whom the Contractor has assumed responsibility in the performance or purported performance of this contract. 4.0 Subcontractors: 4.1 All subcontractors are the responsibility of the Contractor. The Proponent agrees that the subcontractors shown in its Proposal are the subcontractors that it proposes to use to carry out the requirements. Subject to the Town of Gibsons approval of the listed subcontractors, the Proponent agrees, if awarded this contract, to engage the listed subcontractors and no others in their stead without prior written authorization of the Town of Gibsons. 4.2 Nothing contained in any Contract Documents shall create any contractual relationship between the subcontractors and the Town of Gibsons. -5-
SPECIFICATIONS 1.0 Background / Overview: The Town of Gibsons is requesting proposals for the re-design of the Town s website, located at www.gibsons.ca and the consultation and implementation of a content management system. Since the original launch of the current website in 2001, it has not undergone any significant changes since inception. New sections and content have been added to the existing design/framework, which has resulted in a site that is cluttered, difficult to navigate, where content organizations is inconsistent, redundant and out of date. In some cases information is no longer relevant or links to content that no longer exists (dead links). The website redesign was identified as a priority in the Corporate Strategic Plan adopted this year and expected to achieve the objectives noted below: Key Objectives: Enhance communication with residents and businesses to provide information of Town activities, plans and issues. Expand communication with residents and businesses and include the opportunity for feedback. Establish and promote a customer service culture that is responsible to customer needs. Create a Town identity that can be used to unify the community. Strengthen the community identity and pride. Encourage and promote citizen participation and volunteerism. Development of a site that is easy to navigate, fast loading and intuitive Has a consistent design that is in keeping with the Town s overall brand character, which is implemented throughout the site Includes relevant content that is simple, logical and concise Supports customer service initiatives and provides key information 24/7 2.0 Scope of Project: The Town of Gibsons, through the RFP, is looking to secure graphic design, navigation, web writing, user testing, and content management website services. The website needs to contribute to the achievement of the Town s corporate goals by providing the delivery of services that are timely, relevant, customerfocused and are readily available and easy to find. A shift to a user-based management model that delivers content that is relevant, responsive and intuitive is essential. Therefore, content needs to be organized by topic, not by department or function area. -6-
The implementation of a new content management system is a critical element in the website design. The Town currently uses contribute software to update some of the content. The Town of Gibsons is seeking an alternative content management system that enables the Town to create and manage the content internally. The successful Proponent will have demonstrated knowledge and expertise in content management. The Graphic re-design and management system is the core of the RFP, and will provide a foundation for further enhancements and modifications to the site. Also, key will be the ability to train internal staff in order for the Town to maintain control of the website content. 3.0 Project Timeline: It is anticipated that the prototype of the website redesign will be completed by December 31, 2009. 4.0 Budget: $10,000 includes design, construction, consultation fees, web content management software, Town employee training and relevant training manuals and documents. Travel expenses during the selection process and/or project implementation are the sole responsibility of the Proponents and selected contractor. 5.0 Proposal Criteria: Proposal submissions are to be provided in the following format: 5.1 Corporate Profile 5.1.1 Length of time in business 5.1.2 Experience with other relevant company websites, such as municipalities, school districts, not for profit organizations 5.1.3 Complete list of services provided 5.1.4 Number of staff/employees 5.1.5 Concise company history 5.2 Project Team 5.2.1 List of individuals that will be involved in the project, include relevant experience and their role on the project -7-
6.0 Budget schedule 6.1 Provide an estimated budget breakdown, showing the allocation of funds. 7.0 Critical Path 7.1 Estimated project timeline including key steps in the process. -8-