Audit, Assess and Update Online Media for ADA Compliance RFQ-P

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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS / PROPOSALS
FOR A CONSULTANT TO AUDIT / ASSESS / UPDATE ONLINE MEDIA FOR ADA
COMPLIANCE
Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA
1 S. Memorial Drive, Suite 1600
St. Louis, MO 63102
July 10, 2026

**File contains bookmarks

Request for Qualifications / Proposals
for
A Consultant Audit / Assess / Update Online Media for ADA Compliance
East-West Gateway Council of Governments (the Council) is requesting qualifications / proposals from a
consultant or a team of consultants to perform an audit and assess EWG's online media, addressing
points of ADA non-compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, and completing updates to the online
media to ensure compliance.
Initial Phase / Qualifications submittals are due no later than 1:00 p.m. local time on August 4, 2026 to
the following address:
"Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA"
c/o Ms. Leah Watkins
Senior Manager of Contracts and Grants
East-West Gateway Council of Governments
1 S. Memorial Drive, Suite 1600
St. Louis, MO 63102-2451
Section III contains the formatting, content, and other requirements for a submittal. Unless otherwise
due to extenuating circumstances and approved by the Council in advance, any submittals received
after the date and time listed above will be rejected and returned unopened.
Pre-Submi(cid:425)al Q&A Session - Consultants interested in submi(cid:427)ng a proposal will be required to a(cid:425)end a
mandatory virtual mee(cid:415)ng on July 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. CST. This mee(cid:415)ng must be a(cid:425)ended by at least 1
key staff member (Project Manager preferred) of the proposed project team. Please refer to Sec(cid:415)on IX of
this RFQ-P for more informa(cid:415)on regarding this mee(cid:415)ng.
2026 EWGCOG ADA COMPLIANCE RFQ-P
Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA
Page 3 of 47

Table of Contents Page 4 of 47
Section Page
I. Introduction & Background 5
II. Scope of Work 7
III. Submittal Requirements 17
IV. Evaluation & Selection Procedures 26
V. General Items 35
VI. Nondiscrimination Requirements 38
VII. D/S/W/MBE Participation & Equal Opportunity 39
VIII. Protest Procedures 43
IX. Inquiries & Submission Information 44
Attachments*
Time Availability for Key Personnel Form
Prior Work Experience / Past Performance Form
A Price Proposal
B Firm Information
C Affirmative Action Checklist
D Contract Terms & Conditions Comments
E RFQ-P Minimum Requirements Checklist
F D/S/W/MBE Participation Form
G Letter of Intent to Perform as a D/S/W/MBE
*Fillable / savable version of the attachments can be found on the Council's website at www.ewgateway.org/about-us/what-we-do/doing-
business-with-ewg/contracting-opportunities/
Appendices**
1 Evaluation Criteria & Factors
2 Draft Contract Terms & Conditions
3 Conflicts of Interest Policy
4 Firm Responsibility Questionnaire
5 FAQs - Submittal Requirements
**Appendices are available on the Council's website at www.ewgateway.org/about-us/what-we-do/doing-business-with-ewg/contracting-
opportunities/
2026 EWGCOG ADA COMPLIANCE RFQ-P
Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA
Page 4 of 47

I. Introduction & Background Page 5 of 47
East West Gateway Council of Governments (the Council) serves as the Metropolitan Planning
Organiza(cid:415)on (MPO) and Council of Governments (COG) for the St. Louis region, covering eight coun(cid:415)es
spread across two states, including the coun(cid:415)es of Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Louis, and the
independent City of St. Louis in Missouri and the coun(cid:415)es of Madison, Monroe and St. Clair in Illinois.
The MPO planning area is represented in the figure below.
Through its website and media, the Council houses, updates and maintains key regional planning
documents that are available to the public such as: the regional travel demand forecas(cid:415)ng model (TDFM)
for use in project planning, long-range plan development and other analyses, including air quality
conformity. Key regional informa(cid:415)on and data and public mee(cid:415)ngs are facilitated through the Council's
online media. The last full-scale refresh of the Council's website was conducted in 2017 and completed
in 2018.
In April 2024, the Department of Jus(cid:415)ce (DOJ) Issued a Final Rule under Title II of the Americans with
Disabili(cid:415)es Act (ADA) requiring state and local government en(cid:415)(cid:415)es to bring their web-based and digital
services into compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards. The
Council's deadline for compliance is April 26, 2027. The Council is reques(cid:415)ng qualifica(cid:415)ons / proposals
from a Consultant or team of consultants to perform an audit / conduct an assessment of exis(cid:415)ng
Council online media and addressing points of ADA non-compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards,
and comple(cid:415)ng updates to the website to ensure compliance. An alterna(cid:415)ve op(cid:415)on for a website
2026 EWGCOG ADA COMPLIANCE RFQ-P
Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA
Page 5 of 47

I. Introduction & Background Page 6 of 47
redesign to comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards is also included in the scope of work, and
Consultants will be required to provide price proposals for both op(cid:415)ons cited in the scope of work.
Interested vendors are encouraged to review Council websites and media to be(cid:425)er understand the scope
of work required under this RFQ-P.
This RFQ-P provides interested consultants with specific informa(cid:415)on to prepare and submit proposals for
evalua(cid:415)ng and addressing Council website and media needs and requirements for ADA compliance,
covering the Council's needs as described above. Key informa(cid:415)on regarding this work can be found at
ADA.gov: h(cid:425)ps://www.ada.gov/resources/web-rule-first-steps/.
Note that this request for qualifications / proposal process is divided into two separate submittal
phases:
* Consultant firms will first submit a relatively short proposal that outlines their project
approach, technical qualifications, key staff, relevant experience and draft schedule. This
phase will also include relevant work samples and references.
* The selection committee will review these and invite a short list of firms to develop detailed
scope, detailed schedule, and fee proposals for both Option A and Option B. This second,
more detailed submittal will also include all of the Council's required administrative review
forms in order to complete the "Responsiveness / Firm Responsibility" review.
Upon review of these detailed proposals, the selection committee will, at their option, select short
listed firms for interviews, then select a Consultant firm to negotiate a contract for the proposed
work.
2026 EWGCOG ADA COMPLIANCE RFQ-P
Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA
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II. Scope of Work Page 7 of 47
GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK: OPTION A
The tasks described below provide a generalized scope of work the project. A responding firm's
submi(cid:425)al must, at a minimum, address the tasks described below. Please note that the tasks described
below reflect the minimum number of broad elements that will be included in the assessment that is
created for the project. Each responding firm is encouraged to iden(cid:415)fy other key elements that it expects
may be an important part of the project and describe its approach to addressing those elements.
The selected Consultant will be responsible for the evalua(cid:415)on and assessment of the following digital
proper(cid:415)es and pla(cid:414)orms currently in use by the Council:
Websites:
* www.ewgateway.org Wordpress website, including any 3rd party plugins and customiza(cid:415)ons.
* www.onestl.org
Social Media Channels:
* Facebook
o h(cid:425)ps://www.facebook.com/EastWestGateway
o h(cid:425)ps://www.facebook.com/OneSTL
* LinkedIn
o h(cid:425)ps://www.linkedin.com/company/east-west-gateway-council-of-governments
* Twi(cid:425)er/X
o h(cid:425)ps://x.com/EWGateway
* Instagram
o h(cid:425)ps://www.instagram.com/ewgateway/
o h(cid:425)ps://www.instagram.com/onestl_sustainability/
Digital Communica(cid:415)ons:
* Email newsle(cid:425)ers via Mail Chimp
* Local Government Briefings: h(cid:425)ps://us13.campaign-
archive.com/home/?u=e99fef13b77f3bd010d6dc898&id=d74f52eae9
* Web-based Surveys via Survey Monkey
* Contracts and Purchasing Templates
* Zoom / GoTo / Teams
These digital proper(cid:415)es and pla(cid:414)orms will be referred to as "Online Media" throughout the RFQ-P.
Task A1 - Audit / Assessment of Online Media
The Consultant will be responsible for performing an audit / conduc(cid:415)ng an assessment and evalua(cid:415)ng
the Council's online media and iden(cid:415)fying instances of ADA non-compliance. These issues are to be
reported in a work plan that must indicate any resources or ac(cid:415)ons required from the Council or any
other party to ensure Council media is compliant with ADA requirements.
The Consultant will conduct an ini(cid:415)al mee(cid:415)ng with relevant Council staff to discuss the work approach,
iden(cid:415)fy major and minor issues in exis(cid:415)ng online media, and review methods for addressing poten(cid:415)al
areas of non-compliance. The Consultant will iden(cid:415)fy needed adjustments across the Council's website,
social media, and other online media, and communicate recommended correc(cid:415)ve ac(cid:415)ons. The
2026 EWGCOG ADA COMPLIANCE RFQ-P
Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA
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II. Scope of Work Page 8 of 47
Consultant will also advise the Council on long-term planning to maintain ADA compliance beyond the
April 26, 2027 deadline.
The Consultant will hold regular progress mee(cid:415)ngs with the Council. Following finaliza(cid:415)on of the project
work plan the Consultant shall provide the Council with a briefing on the overall work plan and finalized
project schedule.
The Consultant's work plan must include, at a minimum, the following:
* Iden(cid:415)fica(cid:415)on of instances of ADA non-compliance in online media.
* A final list of online media development work and methodology.
* Advise solu(cid:415)ons for long-term ADA compliance technical assistance.
* Iden(cid:415)fica(cid:415)on of specific ADA compliant procedures for future online media.
Task A1 Deliverables:
Conduc(cid:415)ng a mee(cid:415)ng with Council leadership and department heads
Bi-weekly mee(cid:415)ngs with Council project management team
Audit / Assessment of online media
Dra(cid:332) and final work plan
Mee(cid:415)ng minutes and progress reports
Task A2 - Development of Online Media to WCAG Standards
Using the Detailed Work Plan developed under Task A1, the Consultant will complete the online media
development and remedia(cid:415)on work necessary to address iden(cid:415)fied instances of ADA non-compliance.
This work must include the online media, correc(cid:415)ve ac(cid:415)ons, and priori(cid:415)es iden(cid:415)fied in the approved
detailed work plan, and must be completed before the Department of Jus(cid:415)ce's April 26, 2027
compliance deadline. Completed work must conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.
Consultant must produce ADA-compliant contract and purchasing templates iden(cid:415)fied by the Council
which must be structured so that Council staff can use them for future contrac(cid:415)ng and purchasing
ac(cid:415)vi(cid:415)es without introducing accessibility barriers. Other content to be considered includes, but is not
limited to, video and s(cid:415)ll image website banners, reports, work plans, calendars, announcements,
agendas, mee(cid:415)ng minutes, and press releases. An AI search engine tool must be added to the website.
The Consultant's development work must include, at a minimum, the following:
* Remedia(cid:415)on or correc(cid:415)on of non-compliant online media iden(cid:415)fied in the approved detailed
work plan.
* Development or revision of ADA-compliant contract and purchasing templates
* Remedia(cid:415)on or correc(cid:415)on of non-compliant online video and graphics
* Documenta(cid:415)on of completed correc(cid:415)ons and any items that require Council review or direc(cid:415)on
before final resolu(cid:415)on.
* Website customiza(cid:415)ons and modifica(cid:415)ons necessary to meet ADA WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards
Task A2 Deliverables:
Fully updated website with ADA compliant func(cid:415)onality
Migra(cid:415)on of exis(cid:415)ng web content to compliant format when media(cid:415)on is not possible
Deployment of website
2026 EWGCOG ADA COMPLIANCE RFQ-P
Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA
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II. Scope of Work Page 9 of 47
ADA compliant contract and purchasing templates
ADA compliant video and s(cid:415)ll image websites banners
Documenta(cid:415)on of completed correc(cid:415)ons
Copies of all source code and system configura(cid:415)on files
Accessibility tes(cid:415)ng documenta(cid:415)on
Task A3 - Staff Training and Documenta(cid:415)on
The Consultant will develop a syllabus or overview for Council staff training. Training materials must be
developed and tailored to each staff role; for example, IT personnel will require different training than
communica(cid:415)ons personnel.
The Consultant will train relevant Council staff to support ongoing ADA compliance for online media. The
Consultant will provide role-specific training on the areas of ADA compliance that apply to each staff
posi(cid:415)on. Poten(cid:415)al staff types may include IT, Communica(cid:415)ons, Contracts, or other Council staff who
create, edit, upload, publish, approve, or maintain online media. Training must be tailored to each role
so that staff receive instruc(cid:415)on related to their responsibili(cid:415)es rather than general informa(cid:415)on that does
not apply to their work.
The Consultant will develop training content, materials, and support op(cid:415)ons in the format approved by
the Council, which may include in-person, virtual, or self-paced materials. The training must explain how
staff should apply the ADA-compliant procedures iden(cid:415)fied through Parts A and B when edi(cid:415)ng pages,
uploading documents, publishing content, using templates, and maintaining Online Media a(cid:332)er the
project is complete.
The Consultant will maintain documenta(cid:415)on that supports the training and allows Council staff to follow
the approved procedures a(cid:332)er implementa(cid:415)on. Documenta(cid:415)on must be prac(cid:415)cal for staff use and must
align with the Online Media, templates, workflows, and correc(cid:415)ve ac(cid:415)ons iden(cid:415)fied elsewhere in the
scope of work.
The Consultant's training and documenta(cid:415)on must include, at a minimum, the following:
* Dra(cid:332) Training syllabus/overview
* Role-specific training materials based on the syllabus
* A checklist or workflow for Council staff to follow when ADA compliance review is required
* Iden(cid:415)fica(cid:415)on of specific ADA-compliant procedures Council staff should follow for future online
media to include the development of a procedures manual, which at a minimum must include
instruc(cid:415)ons for edi(cid:415)ng pages, uploading documents, publishing content, and using approved
templates in a manner that supports accessibility compliance
* Documenta(cid:415)on of training content provided and staff par(cid:415)cipa(cid:415)on, consistent with the
deliverables listed below
Task A3 Deliverables:
Staff training content and materials
Ongoing ADA support op(cid:415)ons for future training
List of staff who a(cid:425)ended training
Checklists, workflows, or wri(cid:425)en procedures for maintaining ADA-compliant online media
2026 EWGCOG ADA COMPLIANCE RFQ-P
Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA
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II. Scope of Work Page 10 of 47
Task A4 - Maintenance Expecta(cid:415)ons
Consultant will be responsible for post-remedia(cid:415)on maintenance to include the following:
Monthly CMS/plugin updates
Bug fixes and security patches
Annual content cleanup
Response (cid:415)me within 1 business day for cri(cid:415)cal issues
Ongoing support period of 12 months with poten(cid:415)al renewal
2026 EWGCOG ADA COMPLIANCE RFQ-P
Solicitation # 2026RFQP2-ADA
Page 10 of 47