Request for Proposal ? Website Redesign and Development

CHEBOYGAN COUNTY
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS
For the redesign and development of the official website for Cheboygan County,
Michigan
May 8, 2026
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1. INTRODUCTION
Cheboygan County, Michigan ("County") is seeking sealed proposals from qualified vendors to design,
develop, implement, and support a modern, secure, and accessible County website. The selected vendor
will also be responsible for migrating content from the County's existing website to the new platform.
The County's objective is to deliver a user-friendly, mobile-responsive, secure, and standards-compliant
website that enhances public access to information and services while aligning with federal and industry
best practices.
2. PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The primary goals of this project include:
* Develop a modern, responsive, and intuitive County website
* Migrate all relevant content from the current website to the County's new .gov site
* Implement a website compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. Site should contain
area for Pre-existing Archives: Documents available on the site before required compliance
date that are kept strictly for reference or recordkeeping and are not actively used for current
services.
* Align with .GOV domain requirements and federal best practices
* Incorporate CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) security best practices
* Provide a scalable platform capable of integrating AI-powered chatbot functionality/ other
technology in the future
* Improve usability, navigation, and search functionality
* Enable decentralized content management by County departments
3. SCOPE OF WORK
The selected vendor shall provide a turnkey solution including, but not limited to:
3.1 Discovery & Planning
* Conduct stakeholder interviews and needs assessment
* Audit existing website content and architecture
* Develop sitemap, wireframes, and design prototypes
* Provide project timeline and milestones
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3.2 Design & User Experience
* Create a modern, responsive design compatible with all devices (desktop, tablet, mobile)
* Ensure intuitive navigation and improved user experience (UX/UI)
* Provide ADA-compliant color contrast, typography, and layout
3.3 Development
* Build website using a secure, scalable Content Management System (CMS)
* Support role-based access for County staff
* Implement robust search functionality
* Ensure cross-browser compatibility
* Optimize for performance and load speed
3.4 Accessibility Compliance
* Meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA standards
* Ensure all templates and documents are compliant
* Provide tools or guidance for ongoing accessibility compliance
3.5 Security & Compliance
* Implement security best practices aligned with CISA guidelines
* Support HTTPS, SSL certificates, and secure hosting
* Provide protection against common threats (e.g., DDoS, XSS, CSRF)
* Support audit logging and administrative controls
* Align with .GOV domain requirements and policies
3.6 Content Migration
* Inventory, clean, and migrate existing content
* Ensure all migrated content meets accessibility standards
* Maintain URL redirects where appropriate to preserve SEO
3.7 Chatbot Readiness
* Architect site to support future integration of AI chatbot solutions
* Provide API compatibility or integration framework for chatbot deployment
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3.8 Training & Documentation
* Provide training sessions for County staff
* Deliver user manuals and administrative documentation
* Offer ongoing technical support options
3.9 Hosting & Maintenance (Optional/Preferred)
* Provide secure hosting environment (or recommend compliant hosting)
* Offer maintenance, updates, and support packages
4. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Vendors must address the following:
* CMS platform (open-source or proprietary) with justification
* Cloud-based or on-premises hosting options
* Backup and disaster recovery capabilities
* Scalability and performance considerations
* Integration capabilities (e.g., County's existing IT infrastructure, GIS, document management,
payment systems and third-party integrations.)
* Compliance with:
o WCAG 2.1 AA
o Section 508
o CISA cybersecurity guidance
o .GOV domain standards
5. VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS
Vendors must demonstrate:
* Proven experience developing government or municipal websites
* Experience with accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA)
* Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices and frameworks
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* Ability to deliver secure, scalable web solutions
* References from at least three (3) similar projects
6. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposals must include:
1. Project approach and methodology
2. Detailed project timeline
3. Description of proposed CMS and technology stack
4. Accessibility and security approach
5. Content migration strategy
6. Chatbot readiness approach
7. Training and support plan
8. A portfolio of three examples of home pages created for other municipal units with web
addresses.
9. Response to respondent questions (Appendix A).
10. Reference sheet (Appendix B).
11. Bid sheet with detailed fee (Attachment 1)
7. EVALUATION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
* Experience and qualifications (20%)
* Technical solution and approach (20%)
* Accessibility and security compliance (20%)
* Cost (25%)
* References and past performance (15%)
8. TIMELINE
* RFP Issued: May 8, 2026
* Questions Due by: June 1, 2026
* Proposal Submission Deadline: June 16, 2026
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* Vendor Selection: [Insert Date]
* Project Start: [Insert Date]
* Target Completion: [Insert Date]
9. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Sealed proposals must be submitted to:
Sealed proposals must be received no later than June 16, 2026 by 2:00 P.M. mail, or hand
delivery. Please mark packet "Cheboygan County Website Proposal". Late proposals will not be
accepted.
Mail Proposals To: (Use exact address below)
Cheboygan County
County Administrator
870 South Main Street
P.O. Box 70
Cheboygan Michigan 49721
10. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
* The vendor shall complete and provide with sealed response the acknowledged and completed
Federal Contract Certifications form with the submission of proposal (pg. 13-24).
* The County may request additional information or clarification.
* The selected vendor must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Project is
funded partially/fully with State, Federal and local funding. Contractor must comply with 2 CFR
Part 200 and all other required laws.
* Contract terms will be negotiated upon selection.
* Proposal should include a total nottoexceed contract proposal amount. Please be very explicit
in listing and describing any services or items not covered in the proposal fee amount. Proposal
fee should be broken down to include major fee categories.
* Selection does not guarantee award of the contract. In the event the Contractor and the County
fail to agree to a contract, the County may choose from remaining respondents or put out
another Request for Proposals. The County reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel or
modify the RFP in part or in its entirety. The County will not reimburse respondents for any costs
incurred in preparation or submission of the proposal. All proposals are made at the sole cost of
the Respondent.
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* Cheboygan County reserves the right to select bid, any portion of a bid and negotiate
with contractor that it believes is in the best interest of the County.
* Negotiation with an individual contractor does not require negotiation with others.
* Cheboygan County reserves the right to cancel the entire Invitation for Bid process.
* Cheboygan County reserves the right to remedy or waive technical or immaterial errors
in the bids submitted.
* Cheboygan County reserves the right to request any necessary clarifications, additional
information, or data without changing the terms of the IFB.
* Cheboygan County reserves the right to make selection of the contractor to perform
the services required on the basis of the original IFB without negotiation.
12. INQUIRIES
All inquiries and comments concerning this RFP must be directed to Dave Berg, Information Technology
Director and sent via e-mail to Berg@Cheboygancounty.net.
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Please submit the proposal with the following information:
A timeline indicating expected completion time of the project indicating when major
components of the project will be completed.
A portfolio of three examples of home pages created for other municipal units with web
addresses.
Response to respondent questions (Appendix A).
Reference sheet (Appendix B).
Bid sheet with detailed fee (Attachment 1).
Contract and Completed Website
The Contract between the Contractor and the County will include provisions indicating compensation
schedule and timeline for completion of and transition to the new website. The County will retain the
right of approval for all work done in designing the website. It is the expectation and desire of the
County to transition to the new website as soon as possible. The contract will be for the design and
implementation of the County website and will include no guarantee or intent to contract for future
services. Upon completion of the contract all content, site design, site templates, and any other item or
idea used in the completed website or contained therein will become property of Cheboygan County.
Contractor will relinquish all rights to the website and Cheboygan County will maintain sole control over
website design, content, and appearance.
Insurance and Indemnification Requirements
Vendor shall at all times during the term of the agreement carry, maintain, and keep in full force and
effect, a policy or policies of Comprehensive General Liability Insurance, with minimum limits of One
Million Dollars ($1,000,000) for each occurrence, combined single limit, against any personal injury,
death, loss or damage resulting from the wrongful or negligent acts by Vendor.
Vendor shall at all times during the term of the agreement carry, maintain, and keep in full force and
effect, a policy or policies of Professional Liability Insurance, with minimum limits of One Million Dollars
($1,000,000) for each occurrence.
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Appendix A
Respondent Questions:
1) Provide project approach and methodology.
2) Detailed project timeline.
3) Description of proposed CMS and technology stack.
4) Provide Accessibility and security approach.
5) Provide Content migration strategy.
6) Provide Chatbot readiness approach.
7) Provide Training and support plan.
8) Describe your organization's experience in developing websites. Note any experience with
design and development for municipal corporations. Also comment on the overall history of the
organization.
9) Provide a brief bio listing qualifications of each employee that would contribute to
developing the website for the County, if selected. Please note experience with similar projects.
10) Cleary define responsibilities of the County during the web site design process.
11) Provide all necessary contact information for your organization.
12) Provide indication that the Scope of Work identified in the RFP as well as each of the
following website requirements will be met:
A) The site must be unique, look professional, and uniformly represent the County in
interaction with residents, businesses, and visitors both current and potential.
B) Design for each page must be consistent throughout the site.
C) The entry point for the site must represent the quality and character of the County.
D) Each page must be sized as to allow printing or contain a printer friendly version and mobile
device compatibility for all website content.
E) The site should be designed to be accessible by viewers with limited computer knowledge
and should avoid using technology that may not be compliant with some browsers. In the event
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such technology is used, the site should provide alternate means for accessing the information
with backward compatibility browsers.
F) The site must be compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, Section 508 and
Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. Respondent will comply with all of these guidelines
and requirements as a priority and ensure that staff can easily update the site and content
contained within the website under these guidelines.
G) The site must be easy to update by nontechnical County staff using the software.
H) Provide County IT department with full and unlimited access to the website code.
I) Website content management system should allow for County to be able to post unlimited
amount of content at no extra cost to County when desired.
J) Website content management system should allow for unlimited amount of system users at
no extra cost to County.
K) Finished product should also provide the means to view and download all analytical data to
outline and make understandable the metrics and statistics of visitors to the site.
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