Amendment 1.docx

SAP

State of South Carolina

Request for Proposal

Amendment 1 Solicitation:

Date Issued:

Procurement Officer:

Phone:

E-Mail Address:

Mailing Address:

5400021409 08/20/2021

NATHAN DAWSON

(803) 737-9931 ndawson@mmo.sc.gov SFAA, Div. of Procurement Services 1201 Main Street, Suite 600 Columbia SC 29201

DESCRIPTION: State Museum - website redesign

USING GOVERNMENTAL UNIT: SC Museum Commission

SUBMIT YOUR OFFER ON-LINE AT THE FOLLOWING URL: http://www.procurement.sc.gov

SUBMIT OFFER BY (Opening Date/Time): 09/08/2021 11:00 am (See "Deadline For Submission Of Offer" provision)

QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY: 08/05/2021 11:00 am email questions to ndawson@mmo.sc.gov (See "Questions From Offerors" provision)

NUMBER OF COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED: Two (2) Online submissions – One (1) Original and One (1) Redacted Copy Initial here if NO redacted copy is necessary___________ See Section II A “Submitting Confidential Information” clause, and Section IV “Submitting Redacted Offers” clause

CONFERENCE TYPE: Pre-proposal Conference DATE & TIME: 08/04/2021 11:00am

(As appropriate, see "Conferences - Pre-Bid/Proposal" & "Site Visit" provisions) LOCATION: WebEx Online Conference

(email ndawson@mmo.sc.gov before 12:00 noon on 08/03/2021 for call-in instructions)

(See Section IIB “Conference – Pre-Bid/Proposal” clause)

You must submit a signed copy of this form with Your Offer. By signing, You agree to be bound by the terms of the Solicitation. You agree to hold Your Offer open for a minimum of sixty calendar days after the Opening Date. (See "Signing Your Offer" provision.)

NAME OF OFFEROR

(full legal name of business submitting the offer) Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the Offeror. The entity named as the offeror must be a single and distinct legal entity. Do not use the name of a branch office or a division of a larger entity if the branch or division is not a separate legal entity, i.e., a separate corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc.

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

(Person must be authorized to submit binding offer to contract on behalf of Offeror.)

DATE SIGNED

TITLE

(business title of person signing above)

STATE VENDOR NO.

(Register to Obtain S.C. Vendor No. at www.procurement.sc.gov)

PRINTED NAME

(printed name of person signing above)

STATE OF INCORPORATION

(If you are a corporation, identify the state of incorporation.)

OFFEROR'S TYPE OF ENTITY: (Check one) (See "Signing Your Offer" provision.)

___ Sole Proprietorship ___ Partnership ___ Other_____________________________

___ Corporate entity (not tax-exempt) ___ Corporation (tax-exempt) ___ Government entity (federal, state, or local)

COVER PAGE - ON-LINE ONLY (MAR. 2015)

SAP

SAP

PAGE TWO

(Return Page Two with Your Offer) HOME OFFICE ADDRESS (Address for offeror's home office / principal place of business)

NOTICE ADDRESS (Address to which all procurement and contract related notices should be sent.) (See "Notice" clause)

_________________________________________________ Area Code - Number - Extension Facsimile

_________________________________________________ E-mail Address

PAYMENT ADDRESS (Address to which payments will be sent.) (See "Payment" clause)

____Payment Address same as Home Office Address ____Payment Address same as Notice Address (check only one) ORDER ADDRESS (Address to which purchase orders will be sent) (See "Purchase Orders and "Contract Documents" clauses)

____Order Address same as Home Office Address ____Order Address same as Notice Address (check only one)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS

Offerors acknowledges receipt of amendments by indicating amendment number and its date of issue. (See "Amendments to Solicitation" Provision)

DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See "Discount for Prompt Payment" clause)

PREFERENCES - A NOTICE TO VENDORS (SEP. 2009):

Preferences do NOT apply to Requests for Proposals per SC Consolidated Procurement Code §11-35-1524(E)(5)

PREFERENCES - ADDRESS AND PHONE OF IN-STATE OFFICE:

Preferences do NOT apply to Requests for Proposals per SC Consolidated Procurement Code §11-35-1524(E)(5)

____In-State Office Address same as Home Office Address ____In-State Office Address same as Notice Address (check only one)

PAGE TWO (SEP 2009)

End of PAGE TWO

AMENDMENT #1

Solicitation #5400021409

AMENDMENTS TO SOLICITATION (JAN 2004)

(a) The Solicitation may be amended at any time prior to opening. All actual and prospective Offerors should monitor the following web site for the issuance of Amendments: www.procurement.sc.gov (b) Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this solicitation (1) by signing and returning the amendment, (2) by identifying the amendment number and date in the space provided for this purpose on Page Two, (3) by letter, or (4) by submitting a bid that indicates in some way that the bidder received the amendment. (c) If this solicitation is amended, then all terms and conditions which are not modified remain unchanged. [02-2A005-1]

Highlighted text is added to the original provision. Stricken text is deleted.

Section I. of the solicitation is amended as follows:SAP

I. SCOPE OF SOLICITATION

MAXIMUM CONTRACT PERIOD - ESTIMATED (JAN 2006)

Start date: 10/12/2021 10/27/2021. End date: 10/11/2026 10/26/2026. Dates provided are estimates only. Any resulting contract will begin on the date specified in the notice of award. See clause entitled "Term of Contract - Effective Date/Initial Contract Period".

[01-1040-1]

This is a one-year contract with four (4) one-year renewal options. The maximum contract life is five (5) years.

Section II. of the solicitation is amended as follows:SAP

II. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS -- B. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

PRESENTATION

The three highest-ranked responsive Offerors with a mathematical possibility of being the highest ranked Offeror after the Phase I evaluations may be required to give a presentation of their proposal to clarify or verify the contents and the representations made therein. The presentation will be made ‘virtually’ with staff from SCSM. Offerors may choose the platform they utilize for the presentation, but the platform must allow multiple users to attend the presentation. The time allotted per individual Offeror to and present their proposal shall not exceed two hours to include a question and answer session.

Note that the dates of 09/20/2021 – 09/24/2021 10/04/2021 – 10/08/2021 are tentatively scheduled for the demonstrations. The Office of State Procurement will notify the responsive Offerors as quickly as possible to schedule a specific date and time.

Presentations given by an Offeror under this section are permitted and communication by the Offeror with the Using Governmental Unit or its employees during a presentation will not violate the restrictions applicable to Offerors.

Attendees at the live or remote presentation session must include key members of the Offeror’s proposed account management team, key technical personnel, and key subject matter experts.

Section III. of the solicitation is amended as follows:SAP

III. SCOPE OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 Contractor Obligations

1. The Contractor shall provide website design, development, programming, and implementation of the new website.

2. The Contractor shall update the website from its current http:// status to a more secure https:// website, including coordinating the process of obtaining an SSL for the new website.

3. The Contractor shall be up-to-date on current industry security standards and include the necessary components in the new website to meet SC State security requirements, including two-factor authentication for website logins.

4. The Contractor shall utilize an open source content management system, such as WordPress, for the back-end of the website. SCSM will not use or otherwise procure proprietary content management software.

5. The Contractor will ensure all design elements and themes include the museum’s logo and branding.

6. The Contractor must receive final approval from the museum on all aspects of the website prior to the Go Live Date (this is the date that the website goes from testing into production and is available to external users through the internet).

7. The Contractor must utilize up to date and consistent coding techniques so the new website displays effectively and uniformly on all browsers, including but not limited to Internet Explorer (with graceful degradation for older versions), Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Safari. Furthermore, the Contractor must provide a responsive site that scales appropriately to display effectively on desktops, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones. The website must also contain a privacy statement provided by SCSM, and be ADA compliant meet at minimum WCAG level A requirements and preferred level AA for text/contrast.

8. The SCSM prefers that the Contractor be able to provide new written content for the main landing pages to improve SEO, as well as new photography and video elements to best feature the museum building and each floor of the museum’s exhibition galleries. The Contractor should ensure this content is consistent with the overall website aesthetic theme/design and creative visual elements as agreed-upon with SCSM.

9. The SCSM prefers that the Contractor be responsible for the production of any new graphic design or illustrations needed for the new website. These designs must be approved by SCSM prior to it being incorporated into the new website.

10. The Contractor will work with SCSM to create and populate webpages on the new website, as well as develop a series of page templates SCSM staff can utilize to create pages more easily in the future.

11. SCSM will consider suggestions from the Contractor on areas where content should be revised and/or replaced. In those cases, the Contractor will be responsible for the design, development, and deployment of such graphics and/or elements.

12. The Contractor will create a main landing page that will allow for easy content updates, as well as consistently feature information relevant to website visitors (i.e. museum hours, event/program schedule, current/upcoming exhibits, educator resources, online observatory access, etc.). The main page must allow for the quick addition and removal of content as needed and include the ability to add messages/ notifications (i.e. “Museum closed due to poor weather,” etc) when necessary. It must offer easy navigation options for the user (i.e., menu drop downs, search bar, etc.). It must also feature a donation button, ticketing and social media links, as well as the linked logos of affiliate organizations as designated by the museum.

13. The Contractor will create a template SCSM staff can utilize to create online exhibitions and virtual exhibitions, including the ability to develop and post 360-degree exhibit imaging of gallery spaces.

14. The Contractor shall design and develop a collections page portal, utilizing CSS and other current coding standards, that is consistent with the overall look of the new website and the museum’s branding, and that works with the museum’s online collections database, IMU.

15. The Contractor shall develop a site-wide keyword search function that is also accessible via mobile devices.

16. The Contractor shall create a searchable program database on the new website that will allow educators and/or guests to look for museum content and programs based on a variety of criteria, i.e. theme, timeframe, age/grade level, subject, class size, etc.

17. The Contractor will provide a platform for posting a museum events calendar and show schedules for the 4D Theater and the Planetarium. This component must allow for including graphics, video trailers (when available), and written descriptions. It must be easily navigable for website guests with basic computer skills, offer links to ticketing options where needed, and must be easy to update and maintain for museum staff. It must also offer tagging options, so content can be searched and sorted more easily.

18. The Contractor will design and develop a webstore and ticketing page portal, utilizing CSS and other current coding standards, that is consistent with the overall look of the new website and the museum’s branding, and that works with the museum’s online sales vendor, Gateway Ticketing Systems.

19. The Contractor shall include a component in the new website that allows content to be translated into Spanish.

20. The Contractor shall create a web portal/site that will be available to teachers. This will include the ability to set up accounts for teachers and for the teachers to be able to then manage and update their information and passwords. This portal will allow teachers to submit requests for scheduling distance learning programs, complete surveys, and include a forum/chat where they can interact with one another. The portal must also meet all SC State IT security requirements. The Contractor will need to coordinate any necessary SSLs for the teacher portal to meet appropriate security measures.

21. The Contractor shall create a landing page for the Observatory that will include an indicator/widget to show when the telescope is livestreaming and a searchable calendar for observatory viewing targets (i.e. moon phases, planets, etc.).

22. The Contractor shall develop an interactive map of the museum (with a downloadable version) as a resource for guests to understand museum content more easily and to assist with planning visits.

23. The Contractor shall create a visually striking section of the website to promote museum facility rentals utilizing event photography and 360 imaging of the eight available rental spaces. The SCSM prefers the Contractor be able to provide these 360 images. This section would also require areas for potential renters to see pricing options and submit requests for information.

24. The Contractor shall develop a shop page portal to connect the museum’s main website with the platform that houses the museum online store.

25. After the initial re-design and launch, the museum will manage the website. The Contractor shall provide up to seven designated SCSM staff members with the necessary training on the technological platform used in designing the website and the content management system used for day-to-day to updates, including providing a training guide.

26. The Contractor shall use a development URL during development/testing with transition to the live URL on the Go Live Date without compromising any site functionality.

27. The Contractor shall create a ‘test’ version of the new website that SCSM staff can use to assess new updates before applying them to the live website.

28. The Contractor shall coordinate with the hosting provider during the new website’s development, including testing the site before the Go Live Date, to ensure proper operation.

29. The SCSM desires a Contractor that can provide website maintenance and technical support after the new website goes live until the contract period ends.

30. The Contractor shall inform SCSM about industry trends that may be relevant to the museum’s needs.

31. The Contractor shall be knowledgeable of the museum’s target audiences (general public, educators, researchers, museum members, etc.) and make effective recommendations to the museum for website enhancements.

32. The Contractor shall ensure the State Museum has the ability to monitor and create web traffic and overall analytics reports.

33. The Contractor will not complete work other than that outlined in this solicitation without prior written approval from SCSM. Website design work, potential purchasing of media placement, creative materials, etc. described in this Scope of Work will be reviewed and will receive prior approval from SCSM.

34. SCSM retains intellectual property rights to all ideas and materials produced on the museum’s behalf by the Contractor and any subcontractor.

35. The Contractor shall:

a) conduct calls based on an agreed-upon schedule regarding progress creating and implementing projects,

b) provide monthly progress reports to include budget reports, project effectiveness, and web/digital analytics,

c) provide monthly planning sessions, as requested and based on need, and;

d) provide oral or written presentations regarding strategic and creative plans, as requested by either the Contractor or by the State Museum.

36. If necessary, the Contractor shall fully disclose to and credit SCSM all discounts, rebates, and special offers allowed by suppliers of goods and services purchased on behalf of the museum.

37. The Contractor shall be reimbursed at actual cost for expenses for postage, shipping and all other goods or services purchased on behalf of SCSM. The museum will not pay a markup on any goods or services procured on its behalf by the Contractor. The Contractor must provide written estimates and obtain written approval from SCSM prior to procuring any goods and services on the museum’s behalf.

38. Travel expenses to and from routine meetings with SCSM will be the responsibility of the Contractor. Travel time on the part of the Contractor is considered part of the cost of doing business. SCSM will not pay for travel time for any member of the Contractor’s account team, including subcontracted vendors, performing duties within the scope of daily business.

39. The Contractor and SCSM will agree upon a payment schedule based on project milestones.

40. The Contractor will create a Teacher Resources page with a searchable function that allows educators to filter the resources list to their specific needs. For example, we want a teacher to be able to check off options such as subject matter, grade level, SC Educational Standards, type (i.e. lesson plan samples, activity ideas, related video links, etc.) and see a list of museum resources. The page should be created so that Museum staff can easily upload / add new content as needed. Museum staff will be responsible for uploading/populating this section with content and they will work with the Contractor to determine the search criteria.

41. The Contractor will create a page to house the published articles and research papers written by the museum’s curatorial staff. The Museum will provide the articles in pdf format or by including a link to the paper if it is being housed on another site (ie. the publication’s site, a library/archive site, etc.) They need to be available for users to download and to filter the list by criteria like subject matter, content focus, etc. Museum staff will work with the Contractor to identify the search criteria to be included and the Contractor will be responsible for uploading the initial group of articles. Currently the museum has 30 papers in pdf format to include on this page, with an additional 13 papers available by link. This page should also be created so that museum staff can easily add new papers in the future.

QUESTIONS FROM OFFERORS - AMENDMENT (JUN 2017)

THE SOLICITATION IS AMENDED AS PROVIDED HEREIN. INFORMATION OR CHANGES RESULTING FROM QUESTIONS WILL BE SHOWN IN A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER FORMAT. ALL QUESTIONS RECEIVED HAVE BEEN REPRINTED BELOW. THE “STATE’S RESPONSE” SHOULD BE READ WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE QUESTIONS. THE QUESTIONS ARE INCLUDED SOLELY TO PROVIDE A CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE POTENTIAL OFFEROR THAT SUBMITTED THE QUESTION. QUESTIONS DO NOT FORM A PART OF THE CONTRACT; THE “STATE’S RESPONSE” DOES. ANY RESTATEMENT OF PART OR ALL OF AN EXISTING PROVISION OF THE SOLICITATION IN AN ANSWER DOES NOT MODIFY THE ORIGINAL PROVISION EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS: UNDERLINED TEXT IS ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL PROVISON. STRICKEN TEXT IS DELETED. [02-2A097-1]

The following questions were received pursuant to the original date and time specified on the front of the solicitation:

1. Question: Is there an anticipated start date and/or desired completion date?

State’s Response: We want the new website fully launched no later than 12 months after the contract becomes effective.

2. Question: Can you share the budget/budget range for this project?

State’s Response: We are not disclosing a budget at this time. However, we believe our Scope of Work is in proportion to the funds we anticipate spending on this project.

3. Question: You are currently using WordPress at the content management system. Is there a preference to stay with this platform or are you open to any open-source platform?

State’s Response: We are open to using another open-source platform.

4. Question: Are there any issues with the work being done completely remotely/off-site?

State’s Response: No.

5. Question: Are there any obstacles to contracting with a non-US based company?

State’s Response: No.

6. Question: Internet Explorer is listed as a required browser (3.1.7), and that layouts should gracefully degrade for IE. In order to support this legacy browser an entirely separate, browser specific CSS styling would need to be produced. This would add significant cost to the project, for a very small, and rapidly diminishing user base (since Microsoft will no longer support Internet Explorer after June, 15 2022). Can you provide a budget threshold for this requirement that you would consider worth spending to meet it? For example, if it would add more than $5,000 to the total cost, would you still want to keep this requirement?

State’s Response: We have removed this requirement. See this Amendment.

7. Question: Your RFP requests ADA compliance (3.1.7). We generally build to WCAG 2.0 level “A” standards. Can you confirm if this level of compliance meets your requirements, or specify another standard or level that would be required?

State’s Response: At minimum we want Level A, would prefer text/contrast to adhere to AA requirements. See changes to 3.1.7 in this Amendment.

8. Question: You request that the contractor provide new written content (3.1.8), as well as photography and video if needed, for main landing pages, as well as for each floor of the museum. Would the existing website be a correct basis for counting the number of landing pages you anticipate needing content for? How many floors are there that would need custom content?

State’s Response: The pages that would require this type of new written content (to maximize SEO) will be our main navigation landing pages (currently we have eight of these and we expect that number would not change dramatically on the new site), our facility rentals section (nine pages – landing page and one for each of the spaces available for rentals), as well as the new pages we will need to represent the museum’s four floors of permanent exhibition space (appx four pages). These four floors each cover a discipline: Natural History, Art, Cultural History and Science and Technology. So, we would need a page to highlight our Natural History galleries on the 2nd floor, a page to feature our Art gallery on the 1st floor, etc. For the creation and launch of the new site, we anticipate needing six videos that are approximately three minutes in length, as well as approximately 20 new 360 images (rental spaces and exhibition galleries) and 15 new professional shots to account for any images we do not have currently that we identify as needing for the new site during the development process. In subsequent years, per year: three new three-minute videos, six new 360 images, and seven new professional shots.

9. Question: Your RFP specifies that the Contractor will work with SCSM to create and populate pages (3.1.10). Can you clarify with approximate percentages how the split of that work would be allocated (i.e., 50% 50%)? Also, would the existing site be an approximate benchmark to tally the total number of pages anticipated in the new site? If not, do you anticipate more or fewer pages?

State’s Response: We want assistance to populate all of the pages that would be available on the new site at its launch. Much of this work will be carrying over pages from the current site (appx 250 pages / 70 of those being blog posts), with possibly an additional 20-25 new pages created. We prefer the Contractor be mostly responsible for the actual creation (plugging in copy, uploading images, etc.) of these pages. However, museum staff will assist with identifying the specific copy/images, etc. we want on each page. Our goal is also to cut down on our total number of pages in order to streamline things so, hopefully, we will be able lower the total number of pages compared to our current site.

10. Question: Can you confirm that Axiell’s EMu (via Imu web portal) will continue as the collections search portal, and that the design and development work is limited to matching the style of the new site as closely as possible using Imu’s capabilities and settings (3.1.14)?

State’s Response: Yes, this is all correct. We only need CSS styling created to give to the IMu team, they will incorporate it into the database portal so it is consistent with the look of the new site.

11. Question: Will the website’s events calendar always use Gateway Ticketing (3.1.17,18) for all purchases and transactions? Will links between website events and corresponding Gateway pages be manually populated, or will an API integration with Gateway be required to sync website events with corresponding Gateway events? If API integration is necessary, can you provide technical documentation for the Gateway API?

State’s Response: Links will be manually populated, no integration needed.

12. Question: Will the website’s translation requirement (3.1.19) utilize Google’s dynamic translation product (ex. vizcaya.org), or will the site require a Multisite solution where professionally translated copy can be added manually for each page?

State’s Response: The translation can be automated as it is with the example site linked in the question. In the event there are specific pages or sections where we want to include professional translations, the museum will provide them and identify where they need to go.

13. Question: Can you provide more detail (or relevant examples from other museums) about what kind of interactivity is desired for the map (3.1.22)? Are you expecting the downloadable version to be a PDF? If not, do you expect the downloadable version to likewise be interactive? Do you have an app in mind for such a downloadable version?

State’s Response: Download version can be a pdf. Interactive version could be something like this: https://www.vam.ac.uk/features/digitalmap/

14. Question: Is the platform that houses the museum online store (3.1.24) also Gateway Ticketing? Or do you have a new store platform in mind? If a new store is intended, are there any reasons for requesting a portal, rather than building the store into the website (ex. via WooCommerce)?

State’s Response: We need to either link to our Shopify store (launches in October, 2021) or incorporate a Shopify plugin into the new site – if it is available. We prefer the Contractor assist with identifying which option will work best within the new site. We have other ticketing/retail related projects under development that need to be resolved before we make longer term decisions about our webstore.

15. Question: If a new store is intended (3.1.24) can you provide us with an approximate number of SKUs in your shop’s catalog, and a list of product types?

State’s Response: No new store is requested in this RFP.

16. Question: Do you anticipate this web design work to be conducted with the current visual identity? Or do you plan to evolve the existing logo and visual identity?

State’s Response: The new site will need to include the museum’s logo and our color scheme to be consistent, but other than that the ‘visual look’ can be changed to fit new styles, design concepts, etc. We are about to revise our logo and color scheme slightly, but we will be able to provide the related graphics, specific color values, and a style guide as needed.

17. Question: Are you able to share how many other agencies you're currently engaging for this?

State’s Response: This is a public procurement and has been advertised on South Carolina Business Opportunities (SCBO).

18. Question: In section 3.1 it’s mentioned that access to virtual exhibitions would be required on the new website. How are these virtual exhibitions executed? Do you use a third-party tool that needs to be integrated onto the website or are these exhibitions done through Zoom/Google Meet/etc.?

State’s Response: We are asking the Contractor to create a template that would allow museum staff to create online exhibitions using our own copy, images, etc. Similar to this: https://americanhistory.si.edu/pleibol , but definitely a bit more visually interesting and including more options to feature engaging media (360 images, video, etc.).

19. Question: In section 3.1.19, it is mentioned that “the Contractor shall include a component in the new website that allows content to be translated into Spanish”. Is Google Translate an acceptable solution?

State’s Response: Yes. In the event there are specific pages or sections where we want to include professional translations, the museum will provide them and identify where they need to go.

20. Question: In section 3.1.21, it states that “the Contractor shall create a landing page for the Observatory that will include an indicator/widget to show when the telescope is livestreaming”. Will the live streaming also need to be included on the website? Do you have a preference in which live streaming platform you would use?

State’s Response: We have removed this requirement. See this Amendment.

21. Question: In section 3.1.24, it states “The Contractor shall develop a shop page portal to connect the museum’s main website with the platform that houses the museum online store.”. Would you also require us to redesign the pages of the external shop under the URL https://tickets.scmuseum.org/WebStore/landingPage ?

State’s Response: We will need the Contractor to provide the graphics and specific color values that reflect the new website’s design. These will be sent to Galaxy and their team will update our ticketing page design with those elements.

22. Question: In section 3.1.25, it states “The Contractor shall provide up to seven designated SCSM staff members with the necessary training on the technological platform”. Can this training be done virtually, or does it need to be in person? How many separate training times do you believe we would need to accommodate seven staff members?

State’s Response: Training can be virtual. We would have all seven museum staff attend the same training session time, so we should not need to offer a bunch of alternate dates/times. Without knowing how the new site will be set up, the current expectation would be that this training could be covered in, at the most, three sessions. The team members will need to know how to navigate the new CMS and how to populate and make basic copy and image updates to the pages related to their departments, but not much more than that.

23. Question: With regards to evaluation criteria, do you have a preference for web design agencies from the state of South Carolina or are all agencies equally evaluated despite where they are based?

State’s Response: All Offerors’ proposals are evaluated using only the evaluation criteria detailed in Section VI of the solicitation.

24. Question: Does the procurement officer prefer a .pdf per section, or one long .pdf that includes all sections?

State’s Response: There is no preference for how your Proposal is uploaded.

25. Question: How shall we format the pricing for the full 5-yeaer term of the contract?

State’s Response: Offerors are instructed to “provide a total cost of ownership to include all work associated with the RFP” and to “Breakout and show separately all costs for the requirement, including the hourly rate for services that may be performed throughout the contract term” (see Price Proposal clause in Section VIII. Bidding Schedule/Price-Business Proposal). How the breakdown of the total cost of ownership is presented is at the Offerors’ discretion.

26. Question: In the budget, should we show a separate line-item for third party photography and videography? Service by year?

State’s Response: Yes. Please include as much detailed cost info as possible, i.e., hourly rates, price per shot, etc. For the creation and launch of the new site, we anticipate needing six videos that are approximately three minutes in length, as well as approx. 20 new 360 images (rental spaces and exhibition galleries) and 15 new professional shots to account for any images we do not have currently that we identify as needing for the new site during the development process. In subsequent years, per year: three new three-minute videos, six new 360 images, and seven new professional shots.

27. Question: This site will certainly use plug-ins. If the plug-ins charge periodic fees, does the SCSM wish to pay those directly to each plug-in's vendor, or do they wish to pay them all through the Contractor? Should these fees be included in the budget, no matter the choice of direct or indirect payment?

State’s Response: Yes, they should be included in the budget. No preference for direct or indirect, either way is fine.

28. Question: Is the IMU database currently online somewhere? Is there an API for it? Is it hosted by the SCSM or is it hosted by a third party?

State’s Response: This is an example of a museum using IMu: https://collection.nrm.org/#browse=enarratives.1. However, we only need the Contractor to provide CSS styling to give to the IMu team, they will incorporate it into the database portal so it is consistent with the look of the new site.

29. Question: Concerning the Spanish translation: Is SCSM just looking for a programmatic option (ex. Google), or human translation?

State’s Response: Google/Automated is fine. In the event we have areas/pages that we want to incorporate manual translations, the museum will identify those spots and provide the translations to the Contractor.

30. Question: Is SCSM open to changing from their current plug-ins (JotForm, ThingLink, The Events Calendar, etc.) to newer, more effective plug-ins at our suggestion?

State’s Response: Yes.

31. Question: How does SCSM intend to ensure that everyone logging into the teacher portal is actually a teacher?

State’s Response: Our needs for the section have changed recently, so we have removed this requirement. See this Amendment.

32. Question: What is the current monthly/yearly traffic to the site?

State’s Response:

Annual Pre COVID (233,444 users / 341,135 sessions / 1,783,110 pageviews) Annual Post COVID (177,254 users / 234,184 sessions / 1,105,078 pageviews)

Monthly Pre COVID (25,668 users / 33,791 sessions / 176,231 pageviews) Monthly Post COVID (20,540 users / 27,342 sessions / 139,267 pageviews)

33. Question: Clarification: Will the actual Cotton Mill store remain on Gateway, or does SCSM want to move it and create a new portal to it?

State’s Response: We are moving it over to a Shopify store and will need to either link to it or incorporate a Shopify plugin into the new site – if it is available.

34. Question: ThingLink can only show one room at a time. Is the SCSM hoping to transition into walk-through tours, or are they satisfied with the current one-room option? This will impact the budget.

State’s Response: We are open to both options.

35. Question: What version of Internet Explorer does the site need to support? Do they need Opera testing?

State’s Response: We have removed this requirement. See this Amendment.

36. Question: Regarding “The Contractor will design and develop a webstore and ticketing page portal” (3.1.18 on p16): Can you elaborate on this requirement? Specifically, what the flow of information needs to be (email confirmation, connections to other platforms, how refunds need to be handled etc.)?

State’s Response: This just needs to be a link and/or adding a Shopify plugin to the new site. We will not be gathering any store-related emails, refunds, etc. via this new website. For the ticketing page, we will need the Contractor to provide the graphics and specific color values that reflect the new website’s design. These will be sent to Galaxy and their team will update our ticketing page design with those elements.

37. Question: For “The Contractor will design and develop a webstore and ticketing page portal, utilizing CSS and other current coding standards, that is consistent with the overall look of the new website and the museum’s branding, and that works with the museum’s online sales vendor, Gateway Ticketing Systems” (3.1.18 on p16) Would it be acceptable to plan for a re-skinning of the existing ticketing page portal / online store with the new website’s header, navigation, and look and feel as part of this proposal?

State’s Response: We need the Contractor to provide the graphics and specific color values that reflect the new website’s design. These will be sent to Galaxy and their team will update our ticketing page design with those elements.

38. Question: For “The Contractor shall develop a shop page portal to connect the museum’s main website with the platform that houses the museum online store.” (3.1.24 on p17). Does this mean a single page on the new site that links people to the museum online store, or the design and development of a new online store?

State’s Response: A page that links to the online store and/or the incorporation of the Shopify plugin into the new site. We prefer the Contractor assist with determining which option will work best for the new site.

39. Question: Is there an established budget for this project? We see that a project as described in the RFP could easily be more than $100,000, depending on the number of designs, integrations, and custom development. We also saw those 3 years of 990s show advertising budgets ranging from $22,000 - $49,000 per year. We can work within a wide budget range, but the more clarity we have on this front will help us better provide a tailored budget offering and allow SCSM to make an “apples-to-apples” comparison of proposals more easily.

State’s Response: Those 990s are likely related the Museum Foundation, which is a completely separate entity from the State Museum. We are not disclosing a budget at this time. However, we believe our Scope of Work is in proportion to the funds we anticipate spending on this project.

40. Question: Can you elaborate on the frequency and volume of on-site photography and video deliverables required for this project?

State’s Response: For the creation and launch of the new site, we anticipate needing six videos that are approximately three minutes in length, as well as approx. 20 new 360 images (rental spaces and exhibition galleries) and 15 new professional shots to account for any images we do not have currently that we identify as needing for the new site during the development process. In subsequent years, per year: three new three-minute videos, six new 360 images, and seven new professional shots.

41. Question: Would speaking to our photo and video capabilities in the proposal and leaving the cost estimate portion as a TBD for after the conclusion of the discovery phase be acceptable to SCSM?

State’s Response: No. Please see the Fixed Pricing Required clause in Section VII – Terms and Conditions -- A. General. To clarify the needs for this request: For the creation and launch of the new site, we anticipate needing six videos that are approx. three minutes in length, as well as approx. 20 new 360 images (rental spaces and exhibition galleries) and 15 new professional shots to account for any images we do not have currently that we identify as needing for the new site during the development process. In subsequent years, per year: three new three-minute videos, six new 360 images, and seven new professional shots.

42. Question: Can we assume SCSM will be responsible for all Spanish language translation of content?

State’s Response: The translation function is intended to be automated (Google, etc.) not manual. If there are pages that require manual translations, the museum will provide them.

43. Question: A Google search of your site indicates approximately 1,010 results. Does that sound accurate to you? How many pages of content do you anticipate needing to be migrated to the new version of the site?

State’s Response: Likely accurate, but many of those are probably old pages from the website calendar entries. Currently (not counting entries in our event calendar) we estimate about 250 pages (70 of which are blog posts) needing to carry over to the new site, with an additional 20 -25 pages being added where needed. Some of those 250 pages may be able to be combined to cut down on the total amount, as we may discover they are redundant or not needed after some of the new features are introduced.

44. Question: Content migration can traditionally be both an area that consumes a lot of time and budget on a website redesign. Would SCSM staff be available to help support the manual migration of content and the additional tagging and categorizing of both legacy and new content?

State’s Response: Our preference is for pages that are being carried over to the new site essentially as they are now, i.e., they are not part of a section that is getting major facelift like our Rentals pages for example, will be populated by the Contractor utilizing copy that exists on those pages currently. Museum staff can assist with tagging and categorizing new pages and those pages/sections that will be undergoing a lot of re-design.

45. Question: Is there a target launch date for the new site? If so, what is driving this date?

State’s Response: We want the new website fully launched no later than 12 months after the contract becomes effective.

46. Question: Please list all existing functionality on the site that must carry over to the new site that may not have been specifically listed in the RFP.

State’s Response: Other than what is listed in the Scope of Work, we are currently using a Constant Contact enews sign up pop-up on our Hours and Admission page.

47. Question: How many stakeholders will be involved in approving deliverables like wireframes and designs?

State’s Response: The Museum will put together an internal team for design review and approval, approximately ten people, with representatives from each department, that will be a part of the review and approval process.

48. Question: How many staff need to be trained on the new website?

State’s Response: No more than seven.

49. Question: We are anticipating being able to complete this project with a fully remote team. Would paid travel just for an initial kickoff meeting be acceptable to SCSM?

State’s Response: Yes.

50. Question: Is it open to a Canadian firm to do this work as we have numerous clients across the US?

State’s Response: Yes.

51. Question: For original and stock videography and/or photography, could you quantify how many you would require?

State’s Response: For the creation and launch of the new site, we anticipate needing six videos that are approximately three minutes in length, as well as approx. 20 new 360 images (rental spaces and exhibition galleries) and 15 new professional shots to account for any images we do not have currently that we identify as needing for the new site during the development process. In subsequent years, per year: three new three-minute videos, six new 360 images, and seven new professional shots.

52. Question: Does Gateway Ticketing Systems have a defined API with endpoints?

State’s Response: No API access is needed for this request. We will need the Contractor to provide the graphics and specific color values that reflect the new website’s design. These will be sent to Galaxy and their team will update our ticketing page design with those elements.

53. Question: For the 360 images of the eight rental spaces, do these currently exist or would we need to create them? If we have to, can you let us know what the current sq. ft of them are?

State’s Response: If you visit this page: http://scmuseum.org/events/rent-the-museum/, you can see the square footage of each space by clicking through to learn more about each area. You can also see our current 360 images of those areas, but as those images were not done professionally the museum will need new, better quality versions taken for the new website. We anticipate needing about 20 new 360s (includes rental spaces and exhibit galleries).

54. Question: Could you let us know what platform houses the online store and whether it is an API with endpoints?

State’s Response: We are currently moving our store to Shopify. We will need either a page that links to the online store and/or the incorporation of the Shopify plugin into the new site – if it is available. We prefer the Contractor assist with determining which option will work best for the new site.

55. Question: Would you need any content migration or copywriting services? If yes, could you quantify the same?

State’s Response: The pages that would require this type of new written content (to maximize SEO) will be our main navigation landing pages (currently we have eight of these and we expect that number would not change dramatically on the new site), our facility rentals section (nine pages – landing page and one for each of the spaces available for rentals), as well as the new pages we will need to represent the museum’s four floors of permanent exhibition space (approx. four pages). These four floors each cover a discipline: Natural History, Art, Cultural History and Science and Technology. So, we would need a page to highlight our Natural History galleries on the 2nd floor, a page to feature our Art gallery on the 1st floor, etc. As for migration, the RFP asks that the Contractor work with SCSM to create and populate pages. This would include carrying over pages from our current website to the new site, which would be appx 250 pages (70 of which are blog posts). That could be done through migration or through manually populating the pages, it is up to the Contractor’s discretion.

56. Question: For hosting, domain, and SSL services, could you let us know what your current environment is so as to gauge the best environment for yourselves going forward?

State’s Response: Hosting is BluHost, domain registered by GoDaddy, DNS records managed by the State of South Carolina Technology Services and there is no current SSL on the site.

57. Question: Who will make up the core project team for the project? Who are the wider project stakeholders?

State’s Response: There will be a team on the museum side that will include staff from marketing, curatorial, education, operations, administration, and IT. The stakeholders are the end users, so: potential and current guests, museum members, educators, students, researchers, donors, facility renters, and shoppers.

58. Question: Are there any external partners we should be aware of? If so, what will their role be on the project? Are these partners scoped to participate in our process?

State’s Response: No.

59. Question: What are the next steps following the submission of the proposal? Ex: How many agencies will be shortlisted, Will there be on-site (in-person) interviews vs. Zoom interviews, etc.?

State’s Response: Please see the Evaluation Factors – Proposals clause in Section VI. Award Criteria.

60. Question: Once the project is…