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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALSForWebsite DesignIssue Date: August 1, 2019Response Deadline: August 31, 2019Issued by:Athena SocietyP.O. Box 10813Tampa, FL 33679RFP athena-society.com/erarfp/The Athena Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Minority, disadvantaged and women-ownedbusinesses are encouraged to apply.!1
SECTION I – GENERAL INFORMATIONBACKGROUNDThe Athena Society is an organization of Tampa professionals who have demonstrated leadershipin the community and committed themselves to promoting equality and opportunity for women.Started in 1976 to support passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, Athena remains true to itsshared purpose today.The Athena Society is dedicated to creating a forum for interaction and collaboration and toimproving the status of women through equality, broader acceptance of women in business, theprofessions, and other positions of responsibility, and expanded educational and careerdevelopment opportunities.The Athena Society continues to promote equality through the removal of artificial boundaries tosuccess and by fostering leadership through collaboration and education. Athena is guided by theselfless spirit of founding member Nancy Torbett Ford (1927–2001), who often reminded us “fromthose to whom much is given, much is expected.”FUNDINGFunding for Athena Society (“Athena”) operations and programs is provided through the paymentof annual dues by its members. This project is 100% funded by the Athena Society and itspartners.PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALAthena is soliciting proposals from qualified organizations to provide website design anddevelopment.ELIGIBLE PROPOSERS /CONTRACTOR COMPETENCYOrganizations possessing the technical competence, skills, capacity, and capability of performingthe work solicited in this RFP may respond. Minority, disadvantaged and/or women-ownedbusinesses are encouraged to respond to this RFP. Athena is reluctant to contract with any partythat is debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in federalassistance programs.Athena members meeting the criteria described in ELIGIBLE PROPOSERS /CONTRACTOR COMPETENCY are not prohibited from submitting proposals forconsideration.!2
PROCUREMENT STANDARDSThis Request for Proposal (RFP) provides a uniform method for the procurement of specifiedservices, allowing for full and open competition. It contains the necessary background,requirements, technical specifications, information and instructions for responding to the RFP.The services solicited under this RFP are procured under the competitive negotiation method ofprocurement.TYPE OF CONTRACTAthena expects to enter into a fixed-fee contract with the successful respondent.CONTRACT PERIODThe initial period of performance under a contract resulting from this RFP will begin with awardand end 30 days thereafter, At its sole discretion, Athena may opt to reduce the contracted paymentamount by up to 15% if the website is not complete by the date agreed to by both parties.PAYMENTSContractor will be paid within thirty (30) calendar days of the receipt of a detailed documentedrequest for payment/invoice.GOVERNING PROVISIONS AND LIMITATIONS1. This RFP is not to be construed as a purchase agreement, contract, or commitment of anykind; nor does it obligate Athena to award a contract or to pay for costs incurred prior to theexecution of a formal contract, unless such costs are specifically authorized in writing byAthena.2. Athena reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received, to cancel, or toreissue this RFP in whole or in part at its sole discretion.3. Athena reserves the right to correct any error(s) and/or make any changes to this RFP asit deems necessary. Athena will provide public notice of any changes to the RFP.4. Athena reserves the right to negotiate the final terms of any contract awarded as a result ofthis RFP with the selected proposer, and any such terms negotiated may be re-negotiated and/or amended during the contract period to meet the needs of Athena.5. Athena reserves the right to contact any individual or entity listed in a response to this RFPthat may have knowledge of the proposer’s experience, performance and qualifications.6. Athena reserves the right to terminate or cancel this RFP and any resulting contract ifsufficient funding is not available.7. Proposer shall not, under penalty of law, offer or provide any gratuities, favors, or anythingof monetary value to any Board member, officer, employee or agent of Athena for thepurpose of having an influencing effect toward their own proposal or any other proposalsubmitted hereunder. In addition, no Board member, officer, employee or agent of Athenashall participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract if a conflict of!3
interest, real or apparent, exists.8. Proposer shall not engage in any activity which would restrict or eliminate competition.9. The contents of a successful proposal may become a contractual obligation if selected forcontract award. No pleas of error or mistake shall be available to a successful proposer as abasis for release of proposed services at stated price/cost. Any damage accruing to Athenaas a result of a proposer’s failure to meet the obligations of a contract may be recovered byAthena.10.Athena reserves the right to reject or disqualify any proposal that fails to conform to therequirements and specifications of this RFP.11.Athena reserves the right to select and award a contract to a party other that the lowest costand/or highest score proposal if it is determined to be in the best interests of Athena.12.Athena reserves the right to extend, shorten, increase or decrease any contract awarded as aresult of this RFP at its sole discretion.AVAILABILITY OF RFPThis RFP is issued at 3:00 p.m., August 1, 2019, by the Athena Society. Copies of the RFP areavailable from Athena’s administrator at administrator@athena-society.com, during normalbusiness hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., except for holidays). The RFP may alsobe downloaded from Athena’s website at https://www.athena-society.com/erarfp/.RESPONSE DEADLINEAll proposals must be received by Athena no later than 4:00 p.m., August 31, 2019. Officialreceipt of proposals will be by entry on an Athena log of proposals received and verified by areceipt form issued by the Athena administrator. Proposers who submit a proposal by mail thatis received on or before the deadline will be sent a copy of the receipt form. Electronic (email)submissions are encouraged (administrator@athena-society.com). Late proposals will bedisqualified from consideration. Proposals should be addressed and externally labeled asfollows:Website DesignAthena SocietyP.O. Box 10813Tampa, Florida 33679DATED MATERIALThe timely delivery of proposals is the sole responsibility of the proposer. Proposals submittedby mail, overnight delivery service, or other means must be physically received by the deadlinespecified above regardless of postmark or shipping date. Athena is not responsible for any!4
failures, errors or omission or otherwise on the part of the U.S. Postal Service or overnightdelivery service.Disputes concerning late or non-delivered proposals are not subject to appeal. Under nocircumstance may an Athena employee, Board member, officer, or agent deliver a proposalfor a proposing entity.Any modification or amendment to a proposal already submitted must also comply with the aboverequirements and response deadline. Any proposal and/or amendment delivered/received after thespecified deadline will deemed as late and non-responsive – NO EXCEPTIONS.PROPRIETARY INFORMATIONAny confidential, privileged, or proprietary information contained within a proposal must beclearly identified by the proposer in the proposal itself (each applicable page clearly marked).Such information will be kept confidential by Athena.TECHNICAL ASSISTANCEInterested parties may seek clarification, explanation, or ask questions pertaining directly to theRFP by submitting written questions. Questions may be submitted by email toadministrator@athena-society.com. Questions must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. on August 29,2019. Responses, except those that violate the questioner’s proprietary information, to allquestions received will be posted under the heading “RFP Q&A” on Athena’s website at https://www.athena-society.com/erarfp/.Athena Board members, officers, staff, or authorized agents are precluded fromentertaining any questions concerning this RFP outside of the process described in thissection. Athena Board members, officers, staff, or authorized agents are prohibited fromproviding any assistance in the preparation of a proposal by any entity. Violation of thisprovision will result in the disqualification of a proposal.PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESSA. All proposals received by the submission deadline will be reviewed by Athena staff todetermine their responsiveness to the requirements and specifications stated in the RFP.B. Proposals deemed “responsive” will be reviewed and scored by a designated evaluation team.C. Proposals will be evaluated and scored based on the following criteria:!5
1. Qualifications and Experience40 Points2. Design/Approach to Services40 Points3. Reasonableness of Cost20 Points4. Total Points1005. Historically Under-utilized Business Bonus Points 5 PointsD. A proposal must receive a minimum average score of 70 points (excluding HUB bonuspoints) to be considered for selection and award of a contract.E. Final selection and contract award will be made by the Athena Society Board of Directors, andshall be contingent upon successful contract negotiations.F. Should contract negotiations with the selected respondent not be successful, Athena reservesthe right to negotiate with the next highest scoring proposal.SECTION II – SCOPE OF WORKAthena has been inspired by different components of various established ERA websites toinclude eracoalition.org, erataskforceaz.com, and VAratifyERA.org, to name a few. It is ourintention to establish an ERA educational and advocacy-based website with content specific toFlorida’s ERA ratification efforts. If you should have questions regarding technicalspecifications and architecture of the website, please submit them in accordance with theinstructions in SECTION I – GENERAL INFORMATION, Technical Assistance. Navigation map – approximately 25 pagesConcept development – design options for home/sub pageDesign – full site in a staging environment for review/approvalWordPress platform – responsive on mobile devicesKey functionalitySquare or PayPal plugin integration – for donationsPetition sign-up formLead generation formCalendar plugin integrationContent population – using client-provided copyCMS training with clientWebsite analyticsTesting – on all major browsersDeployment – in hosting environment client selectsOngoing maintenance – please provide your firm’s options for ongoing support post-launch.!6
SECTION III – INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSALGeneral Instructions1. Format – Proposals must be typed, single-spaced, one sided, on 8 ½ x 11 inch whitepaper. Do not use less than an 11 point font. Each page of the proposal, with theexception of the Cover Sheet, must be sequentially numbered.2. Number of Copies – Electronic submissions are preferred but hard copy proposals mayalso be submitted. Electronic submissions: Submit one (1) complete, signed original.Hard copy submissions: Submit one (1) complete, signed original and four (4) exactcopies. Mark the original as “Original.” Incomplete proposals or submissions with lessthan the required number of copies may be disqualified.3. Labeling and Submission – Hard copy proposals must be externally labeled as follows:Website DesignAthena SocietyP.O. Box 10813Tampa, Florida 33679DATED MATERIALSubmit electronic proposals at: administrator@Athena-Society.com.Any confidential or proprietary information contained in a proposal must be clearlymarked and labeled as such.4. Table of Contents – Proposal must include a Table of Contents.B. Proposal Cover SheetProposal Cover Sheet (Attachment A) must be fully completed and signed. The personsigning the Cover Sheet must have the legal authority to negotiate and sign a contract onbehalf of the proposing entity. This is also the person who must sign all requiredcertification forms.C. Order of Submission – Proposals must be assembled in the following order: Proposal Cover Sheet (Attachment A)Table of ContentsProposal Narrative/Proposed Costs!7
HUB Certification, if applicableCertification of Legal and Signatory Authority (Attachment B)D. Proposal Narrative1. Qualifications and Experience Provide a brief description of the history and structure of your organization; howlong you have been in business; description of type of ownership; principlelocation; and number of employees.Describe the services that your organization provides.Describe your organization’s experience in providing the same or similar servicesto those solicited in this RFP.Describe the capabilities and capacity of your organization that demonstrate yourability to perform the services request in this RFP.Identify all personnel that will be assigned to work on this project – provide a briefsummary of each person’s qualifications. Identify the person that will serve as thelead or primary contact with Athena.Provide at least three (3) references of current clients (or clients within the past 12months). Include: name of organization, contact person, telephone number, and emailaddress.Provide a copy of your most recent financial statement for your organization oran audit report for the last completed fiscal year.Provide any additional information that would support your organization’squalifications and experience.2. Design/Approach Describe the process you will use to design the website. Describe the process you will use to coordinate additional Athena-provided content(graphic and narrative). Describe how you will ensure completion by deadline. Describe how you will migrate the completed website to the Athena contracted host.Include a description of how you will work to ensure minimal downtime of thewebsite. Provide any additional relevant information regarding the services to be providednot specifically requested.!8
E. BUDGET/COST1. Cost SummaryITEMFEEWebsite Design Migration Fees TOTAL 2. Hourly Rate(s) for Added Services as Needed (List/Describe)It is Athena’s intent that the project rate proposed will cover all costs related to the designand launch of the live website. The hourly rates should be limited to those services that maybe needed to maintain or update the website after it is launched.SECTION IV – ATTACHMENTS & EXHIBITS Attachment A – Proposal Cover SheetAttachment B – Certification of Legal & Signatory Authority!9
ATTACHMENT APROPOSAL COVERSHEETWEBSITE DESIGNProposer NameProposer’s Mailing AddressContact Name for ProposerContact’s Phone Number and EmailFederal Employer ID Number Corporation Partnership Sole Ownership Public/Gov’t Agency Other (describe)Type of Organization Yes NoHUBIf Yes, Certification No.Certifying AgencyAttach a copy of current certificationName/Title of Authorized SignatorySignature and Date!10
ATTACHMENT BCERTIFICATION OF LEGAL AND SIGNATORY AUTHORITYI,(typed or printed name) certify that I am the(typed or printed title) of the eligible entity named as bidder andrespondent herein, and I am legally authorized to sign and submit this proposal to Athena on behalf ofsaid organization by authority of its governing body.I certify that(typed or printed name) who signed the cover sheet ofthis proposal has the legal authority to enter into and execute a contract with Athena to provide theservices and activities authorized and detailed in this proposal. I agree to submit upon request by Athenasuch information and documentation as may be necessary to verify the certification contained herein.I further certify that the information contained in this proposal and all attachments is true and correct. Icertify that no officer, employee, board member, or authorized agent of Athena has assisted in thepreparation of this proposal. I acknowledge that I have read and understand the requirement andprovisions of this RFP and that this organization will comply with all applicable federal, state, and locallaws, rules, regulations, polices and directives in the implementation of this proposal. I certify that I haveread and understand the governing provisions, limitations and administrative requirements of this RFPand will comply with all terms and conditions.Name of OrganizationSignature of Authorized RepresentativeDateTyped/Printed Name and Title of Authorized Representative!11
Website Design Athena Society P.O. Box 10813 Tampa, Florida 33679 DATED MATERIAL Submit electronic proposals at: administrator@Athena-Society.com. Any confidential or proprietary information contained in a proposal must be clearly marked and labeled as such. 4. Table of Contents - Proposal must include a Table of Contents. B. Proposal Cover Sheet
