Composting Council
Research and Education
Foundation
Request for Proposal
Website Design and
Development of
a Compostable Plastics
Toolkit
The Composting Council Research and Education Foundation (Foundation) is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) in order to identify one or more qualified vendors to design and develop a new website tool that effectively presents compostable plastic resources to a municipal audience.
Request for proposal packets may be obtained by visiting our website at www.compostingcouncil.org/foundation or by calling (301) 897-2584.
Technical questions regarding this Request for Proposal may be directed to Leanne Spaulding at (301) 897-2584 or by e-‐mail at: [email protected].
If you wish to submit a proposal for consideration, please email the proposal along with a letter of interest to Leanne Spaulding at [email protected] with the subject line “RFP WEBSITE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT.” All materials must be submitted by September 19, 2013 to be considered for review.
The Foundation reserves the right to cancel this request or reject any and all proposals submitted or to waive any minor formalities of this call if in the judgment of the
Foundation Council the best interest of the Foundation would be served.
Leanne Spaulding
Introduction
The Foundation, and their project partners in a USDN grant, Cities of San Jose, Ashville, NC, and Gaithersburg, MD seek the assistance of a company that can provide toolkit design for an online resource clearinghouse tailored for use by municipal employees, as well as the private agencies that support them. The company should also be able to assist with training Foundation employees on the new system so they may continue to update and maintain the site, and provide the Foundation with access to the the system.
Overview
Activities • Review resource contents collected by planning team. Approximately 100 items will be classified by their function and format type for consultant review.
• Utilize survey results collected from
approximately 200 potential end users in order to identify their needs and interests for the toolkit.. • Integrate the user needs and resource types to
design a toolkit to meet the project goals listed below.
• Develop user friendly site architecture that will allow users to find information on multiple tools and with a variety of search options
Proposed budget $30,000
Proposed schedule October 2013 to February 2014
Background
The Foundation website, located at www.compostfoundation.org, is built on the Word Press Platform and is hosted by Go Daddy. The current site was launched in Fall 2013.
Project Goals
The following goals have been identified for this project:
1. Create a website that helps municipal waste management personnel from across the United States understand the opportunities and issues presented by compostable food serviceware, bags and other compostable products. The website should present the information in a neutral tone, allowing municipal waste management personnel to determine for themselves the best method to manage compostable products in their unique jurisdictions. The website will also offer resources such as PDFs, sample ordinances, videos, and sample
CCREF Website Design/Development 3
2. The website information will be presented in a format that allows people with varying degrees of knowledge about compostable plastics to find what they need quickly. Experts should be able to locate resources they need, and novices should be able to navigate the site to learn the basics.
3. The website should be easy-to-update and make it easy to publish new pages. Staffing for website management is lean, and to the Foundation is unable to rely on a vendor for ongoing content updating.
4. The website should allow for site visitors to rate the resources offered, provide feedback to improve the site, as well as suggesting resources that they may have or know of to add to the toolkit.
Scope of Work
In order to present a Compostable Plastics Toolkit that will provide a valuable resource for municipalities, the consultant shall:
1. Review the industry survey findings provided by the Foundation.
Approximately 100 resources have already been collected by the planning team, and have been categorized by their function and their format.
2. Analyze the types and functions of resource tools that have been compiled by the project team and determine how the toolkit site can be designed to allow users to easily find and understand the resource types that are available. 3. Develop an informational architecture to reflect the needs of the municipal user
community. The architecture should maximize the ability to organize content in different ways and display the same items on different parts of the site based on different organizational views.
4. Create a visual design and informational architecture for the site, that supports usability and interest, as well as aligning with the design of the US Composting Council/Foundation website.
5. Develop feedback features, where visitors to the site can rate the contents, suggest improvements, and contact the site managers with content to add to the toolbox.
6. Coordinate with the Foundation webmaster, who will complete migration of all of the content material to the site.
7. The vendor will provide training to the USCC/Foundation staff who will manage and update the site, and support the planning team in presenting 2-3 national webinars for municipal end users of the site.
8. Provide guidance and support on how the site design can help to drive more traffic to the site.
9. Once the content is in place and the site has been suitably tested to allow it to go live, the vendor should be available to provide technical support, or ongoing training, as needed. This support would be priced accordingly.
10. Include in the proposal the potential need to purchase any applicable
software/licenses that may be required for the project. Any proposed software must be compatible with the USCC/Foundation system requirements, including any necessary add-‐on modules to provide desired features. Any new software will be installed, configured, and tested on USCC/Foundation hardware as part of the project. The cost of the software/license will be included in the proposal.
Web Site Features
The Foundation's new website and CMS must be able to provide as many of the desir
e
d features as possible. Budgetary constraints may require this project to be implemented in phases.1. Technical Requirements
1.1. Design must be based on Word Press format as used by the USCC/Foundation website.
1.2. Design a template for all subsequent pages: Provide a design that is consistent with the Home page and navigation that allows visitors to move freely without impediments or slow data retrieval.
1.3. The site must be viewable on multiple platforms, resolutions, and browsers. Design and function should be focused on intuitive and familiar navigation mechanisms and prominently feature high-priority or targeted content for the various Web site user audiences. Each page should contain breadcrumbs and searching.
1.4. Web development toolsets and features: The Contractor will work with the planning team and USCC/Foundation to identify automation opportunities, provide existing applications or toolsets that may assist in the automation of manual processes, and incorporate new tools that will enhance the user’s experience.
1.5. Ensure the privacy, security, and integrity of the information that is accessed through the Web site.
2.
Website Design and Features
2.1. Usability Testing–At proposed stages in the site design and development process, the Foundation will want to test concepts and designs with user groups. Proposed testing milestones should be included as part of the project proposal.
CCREF Website Design/Development 5
2.2. Browser, Device, Operating System, and Screen-‐size Compatibility– The design must be tested with a variety of client systems to ensure that it displays correctly in each. We’re interested in suggestions from vendors about the best way to provide access for mobile devices and to ensure the site remains available as new devices and technologies emerge. A printer-‐ friendly view of every page should also be available.
2.3. Branding–This new website will become part of the USCC/Foundation’s branding effort. The Foundation is looking for a strong, clear visual identity for the toolkit, that that is targeted to a municipal audience and helps distinguish the Foundation as a unique entity.
2.4. Multimedia–The site should easily incorporate video, Flash or JavaScript animations, slideshows, webcams, or other types of multimedia content. This content may be delivered from third-‐ party websites.
2.5. Links to non-‐HTML content or other sites–It should be easy to add links to other websites and have them appear in the menu structure. “Offsite” links should be signified by an icon. Users should receive a “leaving this site” message with an option to return to the Foundation site. These features also apply to offsite links in the body text of an article.
3. Website Management and Maintenance
Ongoing management and maintenance after the go live posting will be provided by the Foundation webmaster. Consultant should supply all necessary access to C-Panel and any other user authorization before completing contract work.
Submittal Procedure
Please submit the proposal for services in Microsoft Word Document or PDF format in no less than a 12 point font. Maximum number of pages that will be accepted, including attachments, is 25.
Responses must be received by September 19th by 3:00p.m. EST.
Responses delivered later will not be accepted. The Foundation is not responsible for delays in delivery. All responses shall be emailed to Leanne Spaulding, at
[email protected], with subject line “RFP WEBSITE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT.” Responses by fax will not be accepted.
The Supplier must sign, where indicated on the General Information page,
acknowledgement of any addenda prior to the bid opening. Failure to comply with this
provision will render the bid non-‐responsive and therefore void.
It is the sole responsibility of the Supplier to learn of Addendum, if any. Such information may be obtained from the Foundation web site,
www.compostingcouncil.org/foundation or by calling (301) 897-2584; however the sole
responsibility for obtaining and learning of Addendum belongs to the Bidder. The Foundation accepts no responsibility or liability and will provide no accommodation to bidders who fail to check for addendums and submit inadequate or incorrect
Project Budget
The available budget for this project is $30,000.
Approximate Project Timeline
Issue RFP: September 5, 2013 Proposal Due Date: September 19, 2013 Selection Complete: October 2
Notice to Proceed: October 10
Project Complete: February 28, 2014
Submittal Criteria
These instructions were developed to aid in proposal development, and evaluation. Each copy of the proposal package must include all of the sections in the order
indicated. Attachments should be clearly referenced and identified to facilitate the review process.
Vendor Qualifications
The intent of this RFP is to enable the Foundation to evaluate vendor experience, qualifications and capabilities for designing and developing the Compostable Plastics Toolkit. Responders are to submit a written narrative corresponding to each of the desired qualifications below:
Company Profile
1. Number of years in business. 2. Office locations
3. Demonstrated company financial stability.
4. Size of staff for similar projects and ability to manage concurrent projects. 5. Type and scope of web projects you typically design.
Municipal Website Design Experience
1. Past project performance that is relevant to this project. 2. List municipal clients with their website addresses.
3. If no previous municipal government experience, please explain relevant private sector or non-‐profit organization website experience.
4. References (Name, phone, address, URL.)
CCREF Website Design/Development 7
Vendor Service Capabilities (describe all available) 1. Information Architecture.
2. Web Design and Development
3. Branding, SEO, web site marketing and promotion. 4. Technical Support
5. Server Hardware and Software setup and configuration, add-‐on modules, backend databases, integration with existing systems, etc.)
6. Client Training. 7. Usability Testing.
Team Members/Roles (list all personnel to be assigned to this project) Name, title, role (e.g., project management, programming, graphics.) Required Information
1. Summarize your proposed project approach for building the Foundation Compostable Plastics Toolkit.
2. Include a proposed project schedule that meets the project timeline. 3. Provide the costs for services. Please include how many hours of time the
proposal includes for each deliverable of the project.
4. Include a brief overview of similar projects completed, with costs, staff hours required, overall timeframe, and how your estimates matched up when the project was completed.
Vendor Questions
1. How would you help us reach our design goal of an easy to use toolkit clearinghouse, tailored to the municipal audience? How would you help us determine those needs and interests, and create a visual and organizational design that meets them? What’s the best way to test the design and make sure it’s as easy to use as we can make it?
3. What’s your typical process for developing a visual identity with your clients? How can you help us build our brand? How can we use the site to tell our stories better?
4. We’ve identified much of the specific content to be included, such as
documents, powerpoints, video and graphic files. What design features for the toolkit can help us engage and serve the municipal recycling coordinator
community?
5. We want the site to be available on any device. What are the design considerations in meeting this objective?
6. What level of staff resources and end-user training should we plan for to make the tools you will create most effective?
System Demonstrations
Vendors may be asked to participate in demonstrations of the toolkit characteristics during planned national webinars, as well as during a hands-on workshop during the US Composting Council Annual Conference in Oakland in January, 2014. Please provide ideas or considerations about your abilities and experience in demonstrating your tools to end users.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated by the project committee. The scores will be used to develop a list of proposers with whom negotiations may be conducted. Additional documentation may be requested at the discretion of the Foundation. Interviews may be conducted if necessary as determined by the Foundation. Below are the evaluation criteria categories that each proposal will be scored on:
Experience and Ability
Demonstrated Past Performance Approach and Method
Proposed Cost
Answers to questions in section “Vendor Questions”
Information
Questions regarding this Request for Proposals may be directed to Leanne Spaulding, at 301-897-2584 or by e-‐mail at [email protected].
General Terms and Conditions
Contract
The successful Supplier(s) must enter into an Independent Contractor Agreement with the Foundation. (see attached example)
This contract will be for a period of five (5) months. The Foundation reserves the right to negotiate additional contract periods with the contractor.
Insurance
The Contractor will carry liability insurance sufficient and customary to the work it is providing (including malpractice insurance, if warranted) relative to any service that it performs for the USCC.
CCREF Website Design/Development 9
Reimbursement
The Foundation will not reimburse Proposers for any costs involved in the preparation and submission of responses to this RFP or in the preparation for and attendance at subsequent interviews. Furthermore, this RFP does not obligate the Foundation to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services. The Foundation reserves the right to request any Proposer to clarify their proposal or to supply any additional material deemed necessary to assist in the evaluation of the Supplier.
Confidentiality
The Contractor acknowledges that during the engagement Contractor will have access to and become acquainted with various trade secrets, inventions, innovations, processes, information, records and specifications owned or licensed by the USCC/Foundation and/or used by the USCC/Foundation in connection with the operation of its business including, without limitation, the USCC/Foundation’s business and product processes, methods, customer lists, accounts and procedures. The Contractor agrees that it will not disclose any of the aforesaid, directly or indirectly, or use any of them in any manner, either during the term of this Agreement or at any time thereafter, except as required in the course of this engagement with the USCC/Foundation. All files, records, documents, blueprints, specifications, information, letters, notes, media lists, original artwork/creative, notebooks, and similar items relating to the business of the USCC/Foundation, whether prepared by the Contractor or otherwise coming into its possession, shall remain the exclusive property of the USCC/Foundation. The Contractor shall not retain any copies of the foregoing without the USCC/Foundation’s prior written permission. Upon the expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement, or whenever requested by the USCC/Foundation, the Contractor shall immediately deliver to the USCC/Foundation all such files, records, documents, specifications, information, and other items in its possession or under its control. Further, except as is reasonably necessary in furtherance of its duties, the Contractor agrees that it will not disclose retention as an independent contractor or the terms of this Agreement to any person without the prior written consent of the USCC/Foundation and shall at all times preserve the confidential nature of its relationship to the USCC/Foundation and of the services hereunder.
Proposal Submittal Cover Page
The General Information form, on the next page, is designed to serve as the cover sheet. Do not attach cover letters, title pages, or blank sheets ahead of this form, nor substitute letterhead paper for it. If additional space is needed, plain paper may be attached behind this form. This form must be signed by a person authorized to make proposals and enter into contract negotiations on behalf of your agency. This individual must be at least 18 years of age. Failure to submit this form will result in your proposal being deemed non-‐responsive.
General Information Form
Website Design and Development
a. Legal Name of Respondent b. Street Address
c. Foundation State Zip Code
d. Phone( ) Fax( )
e. Contact Person (please print) f. E-‐mail Address
g. Signed Title
h. Federal Tax ID # i. Date
To be considered for this project, the proposals must be completed in accordance with this RFP.
The following Addenda is/are hereby acknowledged:
Addendum Date of Signed
Acknowledgement
No Addendum/Addenda
1. 2. 3.
11
EXAMPLE USCC INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT
This Agreement is entered into as of MONTH/DAY/YEAR, between United States Composting Council, located at 5400 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20814 (“the USCC”) and ORGANIZATION/CONTACT NAME located at ADDRESS (“the Contractor” and/or “ORGANIZATION NAME”).
Subject to the following terms and conditions of this Agreement, the USCC hereby engages the Contractor as an independent contractor to perform the services set forth herein, and the Contractor hereby accepts such engagement.
1. Duties, Term, and Compensation. The Contractor’s duties, term of engagement, compensation and provisions for payment thereof shall be as set forth in the estimate previously provided to the USCC by the Contractor and which is attached as Exhibit A, which may be amended in writing from time to time, or supplemented with subsequent estimates for services to be rendered by the Contractor and agreed to by the USCC, and which collectively are hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Expenses. During the term of this Agreement, the Contractor shall bill and the USCC shall reimburse the Contractor for all reasonable and approved out-‐of-‐pocket expenses which are incurred in connection with the performance of the duties hereunder.
3. Written Reports. The USCC may request that project plans, progress reports and a final results report be provided by Contractor on a regular basis. A final results report shall be due at the conclusion of the project and shall be submitted to the USCC in a confidential written report at such time. The results report shall be in such form and setting forth such information and data as is reasonably requested by the USCC.
4. Confidentiality. The Contractor acknowledges that during the engagement Contractor will have access to and become acquainted with various trade secrets, inventions, innovations, processes, information, records and specifications owned or licensed by the USCC and/or used by the USCC in connection with the operation of its business including, without limitation, the USCC’s business and product processes, methods, customer lists, accounts and procedures. The Contractor agrees that it will not disclose any of the aforesaid, directly or indirectly, or use any of them in any manner, either during the term of this Agreement or
at any time thereafter, except as required in the course of this engagement with the USCC. All files, records, documents, blueprints, specifications, information, letters, notes, media lists, original artwork/creative, notebooks, and similar items relating to the business of the USCC, whether prepared by the Contractor or otherwise coming into its possession, shall remain the exclusive property of the USCC. The Contractor shall not retain any copies of the foregoing without the USCC’s prior written permission. Upon the expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement, or whenever requested by the USCC, the Contractor shall immediately deliver to the USCC all such files, records, documents, specifications, information, and other items in its possession or under its control. Further, except as is reasonably necessary in furtherance of its duties, the Contractor agrees that it will not disclose retention as an independent contractor or the terms of this Agreement to any person without the prior written consent of the USCC and shall at all times preserve the confidential nature of its relationship to the USCC and of the services hereunder.
5. Conflicts of Interest; Non-‐hire Provision. The Contractor represents that it is free to enter into this Agreement, and that this engagement does not violate the terms of any agreement between the Contractor and any third party. Further, the Contractor, in rendering its duties shall not utilize any invention, discovery, development, improvement, innovation, or trade secret in which it does not have a proprietary interest. During the term of this agreement, the Contractor shall devote as much of its productive time, energy and abilities to the performance of its duties hereunder as is necessary to perform the required duties in a timely and productive manner. The Contractor is expressly free to perform services for other parties while performing services for the USCC. For a period of six months following any termination, the Contractor shall not, directly or indirectly hire, solicit, or encourage to leave the USCC’s employment, any employee, consultant, or contractor of the USCC or hire any such employee, consultant, or contractor who has left the USCC’s employment or contractual engagement within six months of such employment or engagement.
6. Right to Injunction. The parties hereto acknowledge that the services to be rendered by the Contractor under this Agreement and the rights and privileges granted to the USCC under the Agreement are of a special, unique, unusual, and extraordinary character which gives them a peculiar value, the loss of which cannot be reasonably or adequately compensated by damages in any action at law, and the breach by the Contractor of any of the provisions of this Agreement will cause the USCC irreparable injury and damage. The Contractor expressly agrees that the USCC shall be entitled to injunctive and other equitable relief in the event of, or to prevent, a breach of any provision of this Agreement by the Contractor. Resort to such equitable relief, however, shall not be construed to be a waiver of any other rights or remedies that the USCC may have for damages or otherwise. The various rights and remedies of the USCC under this Agreement or otherwise shall be construed to be cumulative, and no one of them shall be exclusive of any other or of any right or remedy allowed by law.
13
7. Termination. The USCC may terminate this Agreement at any time by 15 days’ written notice to the Contractor. Upon termination, USCC is responsible for all obligations arising from services performed prior to the termination date. If the Contractor is convicted of any crime or offense, fails or refuses to comply with the written policies or reasonable directive of the USCC, is guilty of serious misconduct in connection with performance hereunder, or materially breaches provisions of this Agreement, the USCC at any time may terminate the engagement of the Contractor immediately and without prior written notice to the Contractor.
8. Independent Contractor. This Agreement shall not render the Contractor an employee, partner, agent of, or joint venturer with the USCC for any purpose. The Contractor is and will remain an independent contractor in its relationship to the USCC. The USCC shall not be responsible for withholding taxes with respect to the Contractor’s compensation hereunder. The Contractor shall have no claim against the USCC hereunder or otherwise for vacation pay, sick leave, retirement benefits, social security, worker’s compensation, health or disability benefits, unemployment insurance benefits, or employee benefits of any kind.
9. Insurance. The Contractor will carry liability insurance sufficient and customary to the work it is providing (including malpractice insurance, if warranted) relative to any service that it performs for the USCC.
10. Indemnification. To the extent permitted by law, Contractor agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless USCC from and against all claims, demands, liabilities, judgments or causes of action of any nature for any relief, elements of recovery or damages recognized by law (including, without limitation, attorney's fees, defense costs, and equitable relief), for any damage or loss incurred by USCC arising out of, resulting from, or attributable to any acts or omissions or other conduct of Contractor or its agents in connection with the performance of Contractor’s or its agents' duties under this Agreement.
11. Successors and Assigns. All of the provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, if any, successors, and assigns.
12. Choice of Law. The laws of the state of Maryland shall govern the validity of this Agreement, the construction of its terms and the interpretation of the rights and duties of the parties hereto.
13. Arbitration. Any controversies arising out of the terms of this Agreement or its interpretation shall be settled in the Montgomery County, in the state of Maryland in
accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, and the judgment upon award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.
14. Headings. Section headings are not to be considered a part of this Agreement and are not intended to be a full and accurate description of the contents hereof.
15. Waiver. Waiver by one party hereto of breach of any provision of this Agreement by the other shall not operate or be construed as a continuing waiver.
16. Assignment. The Contractor shall not assign any of its rights under this Agreement, or delegate the performance of any of its duties hereunder, without the prior written consent of the USCC.
17. Notices. Any and all notices, demands, or other communications required or desired to be given hereunder by any party shall be in writing and shall be validly given or made to another party if personally served, or if deposited in the United States mail, certified or registered, postage prepaid, return receipt requested. If such notice or demand is served personally, notice shall be deemed constructively made at the time of such personal service. If such notice, demand or other communication is given by mail, such notice shall be conclusively deemed given five days after deposit thereof in the United States mail addressed to the party to whom such notice, demand or other communication is to be given as follows:
If to the Contractor:
If to the USCC: Lori Scozzafava, Executive Director United States Composting Council 5400 Grosvenor Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814
Any party hereto may change its address for purposes of this paragraph by written notice given in the manner provided above.
15
18. Modification or Amendment. No amendment, change or modification of this Agreement shall be valid unless in writing signed by the parties hereto.
19. Entire Understanding. This document and any exhibit attached constitute the entire understanding and agreement of the parties, and any and all prior agreements, understandings, and representations are hereby terminated and canceled in their entirety and are of no further force and effect.
20. Unenforceability of Provisions. If any provision of this Agreement, or any portion thereof, is held to be invalid and unenforceable, then the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first written above. The parties hereto agree that facsimile signatures shall be as effective as if originals.
United States Composting Council Business/ Contact Name
By:___________________________ By:_________________________________ Its: Executive Director Its:
