RFP- 26 - 178

CITYWIDE DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY COMPLIANCE

PLATFORM

City of St. Petersburg

P.O. Box 2842

St. Petersburg, FL 33731

RELEASE DATE: April 8, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: May 11, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: May 19, 2026, 3:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/stpete

City of St. Petersburg

Citywide Digital Accessibility Compliance Platform

I. Introduction

II. Instructions & General Conditions for Submittals

III. Vendor Questionnaire

IV. Scope of Work

V. Evaluation Criteria

Attachments:

A - Proposal Requirements

B - Base Agreement

AA - Subcontractor Utilization Plan

#RFP- 26 - 178

Title: Citywide Digital Accessibility Compliance Platform

1. Introduction

SUBMITTALS ARE ACCEPTED VIA OPENGOV

ALL QUESTIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN OPENGOV WITHIN THE QUESTION AND

ANSWER SECTION

The City of St. Petersburg’s Procurement & Supply Management Department utilizes OpenGov

Procurement to post, submit, and receive submittals for all active solicitations. Vendors must be registered within the OpenGov Procurement system in order to participate in City solicitations.

To remain informed of upcoming and active opportunities, vendors are encouraged to subscribe to the

City’s procurement page for notifications and updates.

For technical assistance, please contact OpenGov.

For information or questions about this solicitation, please contact:

Sakha Reed, Senior Procurement Analyst

(727) 551-3991 sakha.reed@stpete.org

2. Instructions & General Conditions for Submittals

2.1. PREPARATION OF SUBMITTAL

Submittal will be prepared in accordance with the following:

A. Submittals must be uploaded on forms furnished, utilizing the OpenGov Procurement website.

Failure to comply could result in the submission being rejected.

B. If price is a factor, unit prices must be shown and where there is an error in extension of price, the unit price will govern.

C. Alternate submittals will not be considered unless authorized by the solicitation.

D. Proposed delivery time must be shown and any date calculations must include weekends and holidays.

E. Vendor is advised that exceptions to any agreement terms contained or referenced in this solicitation must be stated with specificity in its response to the solicitation. Vendor is deemed to have accepted and to be bound by the solicitation and referenced agreement terms that vendor does not take exception to its response. The City reserves the right to modify or add terms and conditions based upon exceptions stated by the Vendor, or to declare any terms and conditions non-negotiable, as determined by the City in its sole discretion.

F. Vendors will thoroughly review the drawings, specifications, schedule, instructions and/or all other solicitation documents.

G. Vendors will make all investigations necessary to thoroughly inform themselves regarding facilities for delivery of material and equipment as required by the solicitation. Plea of ignorance by the Vendor of conditions that exist or that may hereafter exist as a result of failure or omission on the part of the Vendor to make necessary examinations and investigations, or failure to fulfill in every detail the requirements of the solicitation documents, will not be accepted as a basis for varying the requirements of the City or the compensation to the Vendor.

H. Vendors are advised that all City solicitations are subject to all legal requirements provided for in the Procurement Code and/or State and Federal Statutes.

2.2. SOLICITATION REVIEW

Vendors are required to carefully review this solicitation for defects and questionable or objectionable material. Comments concerning defects and questionable or objectionable material must be made in writing to the Procurement Analyst of record for this solicitation and received by the City at least 10 days before the solicitation submission deadline. This will allow issuance of any necessary addendum. A protest based on omission or error, or on the content of the solicitation, will be disallowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the City, in writing, at least 10 days before the time set for submission deadline.

2.3. SUBMITTAL METHOD AND FORMAT

A. Submittals must be uploaded utilizing the OpenGov Procurement website. Submittals sent via email or delivered in-person will not be considered.

B. The preferred format for submittals is PDF conversion from your source file.

C. Submittals must follow the page maximum stated in the solicitation requirements. Failure to comply could result in the submittal being rejected.

2.4. SUBMITTALS FROM RELATED PARTIES OR MULTIPLE SUBMITTALS

RECEIVED FROM ONE VENDOR

Where two (2) or more related parties each upload a submittal, or multiple submittals are received from one (1) vendor, for any solicitation, such submittals will be judged non-responsive. Related parties mean vendors or the principles thereof, which have a direct or indirect ownership interest in another vendor for the same solicitation or in which a parent company or the principles thereof of one (1) contractor have a direct or indirect ownership interest in another vendor for the same solicitation.

2.5. INTEGRITY OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS

Vendors will use the original solicitation form(s) provided by the Procurement and Supply Management

Department and enter information only in the spaces where a response is requested. Vendors may use an attachment as an addendum to the solicitation form(s) if sufficient space is not available on the original form for the vendor to enter a complete response. Any modifications or alterations to the original solicitation documents by the vendor, whether intentional or otherwise, will constitute grounds for rejection of a solicitation. Any such modifications or alterations a vendor wishes to propose must be clearly stated in the vendor's submittal response and presented in the form of an addendum to the original solicitation documents.

2.6. LATE SUBMISSION OR MODIFICATION

Submittals and modifications received after the time set for the submission will not be considered.

2.7. WITHDRAWAL OF SUBMITTAL

The submittal may be withdrawn prior to the solicitation opening date.

2.8. WRITTEN REQUESTS FOR INTERPRETATIONS/CLARIFICATIONS

No oral interpretations will be made to any firms as to the meaning of specifications or any other documents. All questions pertaining to the terms and conditions or scope of work of this solicitation must be in writing to the Procurement and Supply Management Department and received by the date specified in the solicitation. Responses to questions may be handled as an addendum if the response would provide clarification to requirements of the solicitation. All such addenda will become part of the agreement documents. The City will not be responsible for any other explanation or interpretation of the proposed solicitation made or given prior to the award of the agreement. The Procurement and Supply Management

Department will be unable to respond to questions received after the specified time frame.

2.9. REJECTION OF SUBMISSION

The City may reject a submittal if:

A. The vendor incorrectly states or conceals any material fact in the solicitation.

B. The solicitation does not strictly conform to the law or requirements of the solicitation, including insurance requirements.

C. The solicitation is conditional, except that the vendor may qualify its submittal for acceptance by the

City on an "all or none" basis, or a "low item" basis. An "all or none" basis submittal must include all items upon which the vendor was invited.

D. The Procurement and Supply Management Director determines it is in the best interest of the City to reject all submittals or parts of submittals at any stage of the procurement process through the award of an agreement.

E. The City reserves the right to waive minor informalities or irregularities in any submittal.

2.10. PUBLIC REVIEW OF SUBMITTALS

Pursuant to Florida Statute, Section 119.071(1)(b)2, all submittals will be subject to review as a public record after 30 days from opening, or earlier if an intended decision is reached before the thirty-day period expires. Unless a specific exemption exists, all documents submitted will be released pursuant to a valid public records request. All trade secret claims must be dispositively determined by a court of law prior to trase secret protection being granted.

2.11. ADA REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLIC NOTICES

Persons with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations to participate in this proceeding, should contact 727-893-7229.

2.12. CONE OF SILENCE

Vendors and their employees, agents, contractors, and representatives are prohibited from communicating

(whether oral, written, or electronic) with any member of City Council, the Mayor, City staff, any member of the selection committee, or any City project consultants related to the competitive solicitation beginning upon the date on which a competitive solicitation is first advertised and continuing until the later of (1) the final award of the competitive solicitation, (2) the date of rejection of all bids or responses to the competitive solicitation, or (3) the date of final disposition of any protest of the competitive solicitation.

2.13. AWARD

The City reserves the right to accept and award on a split-order, lump-sum, or individual item basis, or such combination as shall best serve the interest of the City.

2.14. PROTEST PROCEDURE

Protest procedures are governed by City of St. Petersburg Procurement Code Section 2-208 and can be viewed at the following link: Protest Procedure

2.15. NON-NEGOTIABLE CONTRACT TERMS

The City has deemed the following contract terms to be non-negotiable. Vendor is advised that if it wishes to take exception to any of the terms contained or referenced in the contract, it must explicitly identify the term and the exception in its response to the solicitation. Vendor's stated exception to a non-negotiable contract term may disqualify it from consideration:

1. Indemnification.

https://library.municode.com/fl/st._petersburg/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIISTPECO_CH2AD_ARTVPUCOET_DIV1PRCO_S2-208PRSOAW

2. Insurance coverage.

3. Governing Law and Venue.

4. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision requiring a dispute resolution process or method, including but not limited to binding arbitration.

5. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision waiving any remedy available to the City in law or equity (including but limited to the right to a jury trial)

6. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision providing for the award of attorney’s fees to the prevailing party.

7. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision limiting the liability of Vendor to a maximum dollar amount.

2.16. CONTRACT CAPABILITY/REFERENCES

Prior to award, any Vendor may be required to show that the company has the necessary facilities, equipment, ability and financial resources to perform the work specified in a satisfactory manner and within the time specified. In addition, the vendor must have experience in work of the same or similar nature, and can provide references, which will satisfy the City. Vendors must furnish a reference list of at least three (3) customers for whom they have performed similar services.

2.17. CONTRACTOR LICENSE REQUIREMENT

All Contractors performing construction and related work in Pinellas County must comply with all regulatory legislation, Chapter 75-489, Laws of Florida, as amended. Failure to have a competency license in a regulated trade will be cause for rejection of any submittal and/or award.

2.18. CORPORATE REGISTRATION

An award may not be issued without proof that your firm is registered with the Florida Division of

Corporations, as per Florida Statute §607.1501.

A foreign corporation (foreign to the State of Florida) may not transact business in this state until it obtains a certificate of authority from the Department of State. Please visit Division of Corporations for information on how to become registered.

2.19. INSURANCE

The Vendor must provide a certificate of insurance and endorsement in accordance with the insurance requirements listed in the insurance section of the agreement. Failure to provide the required insurance within a ten (10) day period following the determination of award may result in the City to vacate the original determination and proceed with another Vendor.

2.20. PUBLIC EMERGENCIES

It is hereby made part of this solicitation that before, during, and after a public emergency, disaster, hurricane, tornado, flood, or other acts of God that the City of St. Petersburg will require a first priority for goods and services. It is vital and imperative that the citizens are protected from any emergency situation that threatens public health and safety, as determined by the City. Vendor agrees to https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/ rent/sell/lease all goods and service to the City on a first priority basis. The City expects to pay a fair and reasonable price for all goods and services rendered or contracted in the event of a disaster, emergency, hurricane, tornado, or other acts of God.

2.21. EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation criteria define the factors that will be used by the Evaluation Committee to evaluate and score responsive, responsible and qualified submittals. Vendor shall include sufficient information to allow the Evaluation Committee to thoroughly evaluate and score their submittal. Each submission shall be evaluated and ranked by an Evaluation Committee. The contract will be awarded to the most qualified

Vendor, per the evaluation criteria listed in the solicitation.

2.22. RIGHTS OF CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG SOLICITATION PROCESS

In addition to all other rights of the City under Florida law, the City specifically reserves the following:

A. the right to rank firms and negotiate with the most qualified firm.

B. the right to select the proposal that it believes will serve the best interest of the City.

C. the right to reject any and all responses, or parts thereof, to disqualify any and all responses, and/or determine any response to be non-responsive.

D. the right to cancel the entire solicitation.

E. the right to remedy or waive technical or immaterial errors in the solicitation or in the proposals submitted.

F. the right to request any necessary clarifications or proposal data without changing the terms of the solicitation.

G. the right to require the Proposer to perform the services required on the basis of the original submittal without negotiation.

2.23. BONDS

Performance and Payment Bond: If applicable, the annual bond amount will be equal to the one-year amount of a multi-year agreement.

Bid Bonds: Must be uploaded with offeror's submittal prior to the solicitation close date.

3. Vendor Questionnaire

3.1. Is the Vendor registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations

(Sunbiz) in accordance with Florida Statute §607.1501?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.2. Is the Vendor a City of St. Petersburg certified SBE? *

If you have submitted an application and it is pending, please send an email to osd@stpete.org. In the subject line- provide the solicitation number and due date.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.3. Is the Vendor a City of St. Petersburg certified MWBE? * If you have submitted an application and it is pending, please send an email to osd@stpete.org. In the subject line- provide the solicitation number and due date.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.4. Address for Headquarters location.*

*Response required

3.5. Address of office providing service, if different than above.

3.6. Signature Authority *

Please provide a letter certifying who is authorized to execute the agreement on behalf of Company.

*Response required

3.7. Describe the nature of company’s business.*

*Response required

3.8. Year the Company was Founded.*

*Response required

3.9. Number of years company has operated under the current name. (Note: if the company has modified its corporate structure since its founding (e.g., from a corporation to an LLC), you may list the number of years the company was founded under the original corporate structure).* *Response required

3.10. Company’s bank of record.*

*Response required mailto:osd@spete.org mailto:osd@spete.org

3.11. Describe any litigation that the vendor has been a party to in the last five years where it was alleged that the offeror breached a contract for similar services with a client/customer and describe any contracts for similar services that the vendor failed to complete for similar services. Describe the facts and status of any such litigation or contract. * Type N/A if not applicable.

*Response required

3.12. Identify any government entity that has debarred or otherwise prohibited the vendor from responding to its competitive solicitations within the last five years. Describe the circumstances surrounding such debarment or other prohibition. * Type N/A if not applicable.

*Response required

3.13. The vendor acknowledges that it has read, understands and will comply with Florida

Statute §448.095 pertaining to required use of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-

Verify system. Should the City terminate the contract with the vendor for violation of

§448.095, vendor may not be awarded a contract with the City for at least one year.*

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

3.14. The vendor acknowledges that its quote response is subject to Public Records laws

(Chapter 119, Florida Statutes).*

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

3.15. Will vendor allow other agencies to piggyback the contract if awarded?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.16. The vendor hereby makes all certifications required by Florida Statute §287.135 related to scrutinized companies.*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.17. Is vendor required to provide any disclosures to the City regarding a foreign country of concern pursuant to Florida Statutes §286.101 (3)(a)? *

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.18. If YES, please provide the disclosure(s) in accordance with the requirements of Florida

Statute §286.101 (3)(a).

3.19. The vendor certifies that it takes no exceptions to the agreement attached. * The City has deemed the following contract terms to be non-negotiable. Vendor is advised that if it wishes to take exception to any of the terms contained or referenced in the contract, it must explicitly identify the term and the exception in its response to the solicitation. Vendor's stated exception to a non-negotiable contract term may disqualify it from consideration:

1. Indemnification.

2. Insurance coverage.

3. Governing Law and Venue.

4. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision requiring a dispute resolution process or method, including but not limited to binding arbitration.

5. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision waiving any remedy available to the City in law or equity (including but limited to the right to a jury trial)

6. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision providing for the award of attorney’s fees to the prevailing party.

7. The City will not agree to the addition of any provision limiting the liability of Vendor to a maximum dollar amount.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.20. If exceptions are taken to the attached agreement, please provide.

3.21. Has the vendor identified any trade secrets or confidential information in its response?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

3.22. If yes to the above question, please upload your redacted proposal here.

3.23. I currently have the required insurance coverage as specified in the solicitation and will be able to provide a Certificate of Insurance if awarded. *

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

3.24. References *

Please download the below document, complete, and upload.

• Vendor_Reference_Form.pdf https://procure-now.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/shared-sections/production/7730/af5e02f7-9845-4718-a389-83b49aa49254_Vendor_Reference_Form.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4FBGIKRVC%2F20260408%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260408T194415Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEDoaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJIMEYCIQCRjafVXd2YtV2OGwnAlT8rDRUJJVK1RMsLfzIRINiM%2BwIhAL2LdK6FgbDwRAQDmnJ4tbX8uOld7B7YXjgnLdXYeUPiKowFCAMQAhoMODkyMzY0Njg3NjcyIgxwWBHBCoGWb52wzmgq6QSsXy7B5sPo023%2Fdt1c4Q621DMaWIGrPzdDwI7TjHh7PmHn941xxFcZROr1nvvtQkjowHr6ydxG4Og%2B%2BddvTiUUNiKx60dFw1N65IZJqWBz3zZod7oQCIUli0gqEM%2Bv5kgtmI8%2BC4zA2QJ9YVOE76o%2Bri9jb92AC%2BF7us%2Bd%2FKhOpVQJOuBQKEmrIzhESThd4w4LEa3ifppSayA7iF%2FW60ckyn4AIMiZ9WalZXiFpwj9FEQr21ElE%2Brq6sBEv1vFxJP8QrAH5I19X%2FfRHrybEWYKF373UCM8hHQoeoAz4TAuWWp49ZZzUD2GIDAGCVH%2B%2BziDEX3Pdg6Cf2uiBlcIZqnAsS8CJ%2BZCO9NF1z5Kz0UO5oV6z9dfFykmg5L0PIJAXuFTCvwg8Aq4r%2BfYPap7XmqQ4BXmIW%2BdmTzUHuXUxzoEteZz9QTEUc0k2lJmlzV%2BKUff2lRbgUt95ozDhh2TpdbVmLqq1jZlS%2BBUgerChtJRwdVFZ4aSEA1oSmCTbJT%2Bbs13FlmU98efRIODXery677PCqjTsKfF5wAeeve2%2BEidql0cjGIzNqKZbqMx1L1sIy7nCqMfDjNxP3%2BEm8Y83jgxazcs5xZD%2FZEO2VD4E7Mpis4o8rEKr2%2BcJcm84%2F2jdmARjvXKHbKW1o0%2Ffh4D7g5i0rWmB0umzEZ1NIvQWdsD3wTprJoGlnCKVCizHo0w5hTGOemWDNg%2BU7ogDwHXLbXmL94peHRSV6v7JlOWSXcKS3lZaTEtBS8sJ8frV3owCLChYMXx8WBsDLEimAFHC9ns3HD8E07ezDeMMtt138gAnTRV4QLWiWFW8zC1sdrOBjqYAXUj1xamUHxWnZEaPUp%2B14fMSNhbYQHWpKut6O%2FmRoAyYM6AZkQ0DwCOWrUWUzbbHFimNWfGdxTMNZhigrypenp4NA2FCNTmoF%2FXUKGVhl6OVeoz5p3yRPMzckRTJtlquLUJtCLQAY7uuhtgDtiNefDmo287Ro7bgCtpPZ16118owLQJYhf1B4va39L%2Bjn4aBO0x5D11RrbA&X-Amz-Signature=69c23ea9f9bb000a29b4eebfb195fd818096e3c716d2a0823ceb01f7108b4f48&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Vendor_Reference_Form.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject

3.25. Submittal Documents*

Upload all other documents relating to this solicitation. Including but not limited to proposals/statements of qualifications, applicable bonds, warranty information, etc.

4. Scope of Work

4.1. Scope of Services

The City of St. Petersburg (“City”) is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide a comprehensive, cloud-based digital accessibility compliance platform and related professional services. The City requires both continuous web accessibility monitoring and document accessibility review and remediation as core components of the proposed solution. The City requires a tool that supports compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title II; Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA (and preferably 2.2 Level AA); Section 508 of the Rehabilitation; Florida accessibility regulations; and industry best practices.

4.2. Term

The initial term of the agreement will commence upon contract execution and will continue for a period of one (1) year. The City reserves the right to renew this agreement under the same terms and conditions for two (2) one (1) year periods at the end of the initial term, provided such renewal is mutually agreed upon by the parties in writing.

4.3. Preferred Qualifications

A. The vender shall have a minimum of five (5) years of experience in digital accessibility supporting local or federal government.

B. Have the ability to obtain the minimum insurance requirements set forth in the agreement.

C. Be free from legal and regulatory matters that might prevent the Vendor from fulfilling the obligations of the agreement.

4.4. General Requirements

The awarded vendor shall provide a cloud-based platform with the following minimum capabilities:

1. Accessibility Platform Requirements

A. Automated Accessibility Scanning

Must include:

o Weekly automated scans (or on demand) for StPete.org and City microsites.

o Ability to scan public-facing HTML pages, templates, and components.

o Ability to detect violations under WCAG 2.1 AA (minimum) and 2.2 AA (preferred).

o Color contrast testing, ARIA validation, heading structure, keyboard access, and form validation checks.

o Identification of repetitive issues across templates and components.

o Historical tracking of issues and improvements.

B. Manual Testing Support

Platform must support:

o Manual testing workflows o Assistive technology testing guidance o Support for screen reader testing protocols o Ability to tag issues, assign tasks, and track remediation progress o Workflow tools that allow administrators to assign flagged issues to specific SMEs or departments o Status tracking, comments, and notifications for assigned tasks

C. PDF & Document Accessibility

The platform should provide:

o Automated PDF scanning for accessibility errors o Bulk upload/batch processing (preferred) o Ability to provide hands-on PDF remediation services OR clearly defined remediation workflows, including tagging, structure correction, reading order, form fields, and table remediation o Clear distinction between issues that can be remediated within the platform versus those requiring professional services o Option vendor-performed remediation services for high-volume or high-risk documents o Ability to re-test remediated documents and verify conformance o Training for editors on accessible documents

D. Reporting & Dashboards

Must include dashboards for:

o Citywide accessibility status o Department-level reporting o Historical trends o High-risk issues o Compliance scoring o Role-based dashboards that limit visibility by department, website, or assigned responsibility o Ability for administrators to view all sites and issues, while individual departments only see their content o Exportable reports for executive leadership, ADA/HR, and Legal o Ability to generate reports for DOJ readiness, including audit trails o Identification of outdated or low-value content to support archival or removal decisions as part of accessibility risk reduction

E. Broken Links, Spelling, and Quality Checks (Optional but Preferred) o Broken link monitoring o Misspelling detection o Page inventory summaries o Heatmaps, analytics, and low-traffic pages to support content lifecycle management

2. Document Authoring & Office File Support

A. The platform and/or vendor services must support accessibility guidance for non-PDF documents, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and similar authoring tools, prior to export or publication.

This includes:

o Accessibility checks or guidance for Word and PowerPoint files o Best-practice authoring guidance for headings, tables, lists, links and images o Training and reference materials specific to document authors o Validation workflows to reduce accessibility errors before documents are converted to PDF

B. Accessible Templates & Design Resources (Preferred)

Vendors may propose the inclusion of ADA-compliant, reusable templates to support accessible content creation, including but not limited to:

o Microsoft Word templates o Microsoft PowerPoint templates o Accessible PDF starter templates o Accessible Canva templates for brochures, flyers, booklets and social media graphics

Templates should:

o Meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements o Include built-in heading structures, color contrast, and reading order o Be accompanied by usage guidance for staff o Be customizable to align with City branding standards o Be editable by non-technical staff without breaking accessibility

Preference may be given to vendors who provide template libraries or assist in developing City-specific accessible templates.

3. Third-Party Platform Evaluation & Support

The City uses numerous third-party hosted systems. The vendor will not be required to scan these applications directly, but shall:

• Review VPATs or accessibility conformance documentation

• Provide accessibility risk assessments for mission-critical services

• Identify barriers affecting high-demand workflows (bill pay, permits, job applications, public records requests, etc.)

• Ability to identify accessibility issues related to embedded content and iframes, including third-party widgets and services, and clearly distinguish between City-controlled and vendor-controlled issues

• Recommend mitigation options

• Assist with development of contract language for accessibility

• Ability to document third-party accessibility risks and mitigation decisions for audit and legal defensibility

4. Digital Accessibility Governance & Policy Development

The vendor shall assist in developing citywide accessibility governance, including:

• Digital Accessibility Policy

• Website & Content Standards

• Software Accessibility Evaluation Procedures

• Editorial Guidelines for Content Creators

• Accessibility Conformance Review Framework (VPAT review guidance)

• Remediation SOPs for departments

• Guidance for integrating accessibility expectations into department-level technology selection

5. Training & Capacity Building

Vendor must provide a structured training program including:

Required Training:

• Accessibility fundamentals (WCAG 2.1 Level AA)

• Training for all website editors and content contributors

• Training for IT and Developers (if applicable)

• PDF and document accessibility

• ADA/Legal-focused training on risk reduction

• LMS-style, self-paced training modules with lesson tracking, quizzes, and certificates of completion

• Training for users on how to manage assigned issues and navigate department-level dashboards

Delivery Methods:

• Live virtual sessions

• On-demand modules

• Downloadable resource library

• Ongoing quarterly refreshers

• Ability for ADA/HR or training administrators to track staff completion of LMS modules

6. Implementation Requirements

Vendor shall deliver a full implementation plan including:

• Kickoff meeting

• Timeline and onboarding schedule

• Website inventory and initial scan

• Setup of dashboards and user accounts

• Pre-launch accessibility baseline report

• Post-launch stabilization period

• Dedicated account manager / project manager

• Quarterly check-ins and annual strategic review

• Configuration of user roles, permissions, and departmental access levels during onboarding

7. Support & Service Level Requirements

The vendor shall provide:

• Dedicated account manager

• Technical support available during City business hours

• Support ticket response SLAs

• Escalation procedures

• Regular platform updates

• Access to knowledge base and user community

• Availability of additional support hours or professional services for complex remediation, if needed

8. Security & Technical Requirements

• Support SAML or syncing with the city’s Azure AD

• Ability to restrict logins based on the city’s public IP address

• Explain how roles are assigned to users

• Support for standard browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari)

• Define additional third-party software required to support the proposed solution

• Full support of HTML 5

• Solution should not use Java Applets, Reader (Java I/O class), or Flash based technologies

(JavaServer Faces context)

4.5. Deliverables

Deliverables of performance

The Vendors implementation plan must clearly define the hardware and software deliverables, tasks or other criteria associated with each milestone.

A. Testing

A sample test plan will be provided with each proposal. The successful Vendor must, as one of the early milestones, submit a test plan for the City’s approval. The test plan must document how each of the functional specifications are to be tested, the method of verifying the results, and the expected results. The test plan must also include test scenarios that allows for the system

(integrated hardware/software) to operate under a simulated test situation.

The performance requirements specified in this RFP must be met before the system is accepted.

Vendor is to specify any requirements it has for performance testing.

The Vendor must prepare a plan for correcting failures in any part of the system. Said plan must include reasonable remedies for the City to exercise if failures are not corrected in a timely manner.

Performance testing must include full testing of all interfaces to the system.

B. System Acceptance

The following specifications apply to the requirements for the City’s acceptance of the Vendor’s system after phase in begins.

The City expects the starting date for the project to be immediately following the execution of the contract.

Beginning with the first day after the completion of each phase (phases will be specified in the implementation plan) that the proposed system phase is operational and available to the City for testing; an acceptance test will be conducted for thirty consecutive calendar days (the Acceptance

Period).

During the Acceptance Period, the proposed system will undergo a live test that confirms the configuration, data conversion, performance and reliability requirements using the mix of users, applications, and functions as described in this RFP.

4.6. Support Services

The following specification describes the support requirements for Vendor’s Services following the City’s formal acceptance of the Services and throughout the life of the contract between the City and the

Vendor.

A. Provide telephone and email support (“Technical Support”) 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year. Support will include any research and resolution activity performed by

Vendor.

B. City will access support by calling or emailing the Vendor’s Technical Support staff or by submitting a request via the Vendor’s customer service web portal.

C. Incident Resolution Process

The City needs to understand the typical process that will be followed by the Vendor in order to troubleshoot a user support call. Provide the location of your primary support center, trouble ticket system used, incident analysis tools used (i.e., SolarWinds, OpenView) and what support groups (i.e., application software, database, infrastructure) are involved in the resolution of a support call.

a) Do the support specialists have direct physical access to the programmers and database managers for incident troubleshooting?

b) For Vendor-Hosted solutions, do the support specialists have direct physical access to the hosting infrastructure engineers and systems software administrators for incident troubleshooting?

c) Are the support specialists, programmers, database administrators, systems software administrators and infrastructure engineers all staffed by Vendor employees? If not, what sub-vendors are responsible with each of these areas?

d) If multiple sub-vendors are involved does the Vendor have defined SLA’s with them?

D. The Vendor will adhere to the following Problem Severity Levels:

a) Problem Severity 1

i. Description: This Problem Severity Level is associated with: (a) The services or system, as a whole, are non-functional or are not accessible; (b) unauthorized exposure of all or part of the City's data; (c) loss or corruption of all or part of the

City's data.

ii. Request Response Time: 30 minutes.

iii. Request Resolution Time: 2 hours.

b) Problem Severity 2

i. Description: This Problem Severity Level is associated with significant and / or ongoing interruption of a User's use of a critical function (as determined by the User) of the system/services and for which no acceptable (as deter-mined by the User) work-around is available.

ii. Request Response Time: 1 hour.

iii. Request Resolution Time: 4 hours.

c) Problem Severity 3

i. Description: This Problem Severity Level is associated with: (a) minor and / or limited interruption of a User's use of a non-critical function (as deter-mined by the

Authorized User) of the Services; or, (b) problems which are not included in Problem

Severity Levels 1 or 2.

ii. Request Response Time: 8 hours.

iii. Request Resolution Time: 24 hours.

d) Problem Severity 4

i. Description: This Problem Severity Level is associated with: (a) general questions pertaining to the system/services; or, (b) problems which are not included in Problem

Severity Levels 1, 2, or 3.

ii. Request Response Time: 8 hours.

iii. Request Resolution Time: 48 hours.

E. In the event that a problem resolution is not met within the Request Resolution Time, the Vendor will adhere to the following protocol:

If a Problem Severity Level 1 or 2 request cannot be corrected to the reasonable satisfaction of the requestor within the Request Resolution Time after the requestor makes the initial request for

Technical Support, Vendor will:

(a) immediately escalate the request to Vendor’s management;

(b) take and continue to take the actions which will most expeditiously resolve the request;

(c) provide a hourly report to the requestor of the steps taken and to be taken to resolve the request, the progress to correct, and the estimated time of correction until the request is resolved; and, (d) every four (4) hours, provide increasing levels of technical expertise and

Vendor management involvement in finding a solution to the request until it has been resolved.

If a Problem Severity Level 3 or 4 request cannot be corrected to the reasonable satisfaction of the requestor within the Request Resolution Time after the requestor makes the initial request for

Technical Support, at the sole election of requestor:

(a) Vendor will work continuously to resolve the request; or,

(b) requestor and Vendor will mutually agree upon a schedule within which to resolve the request.

4.7. Unspecified Services

Unspecified work is defined as materials or services that may be required due to unexpected conditions or events similar to the scope of work. Unspecified work is not guaranteed as part of the contract and must be properly authorized in writing by the City before performed.

4.8. Account Management

Vendor must provide a single point of contact, a dedicated account manager who will be readily available during normal business hours to administer the agreement. Vendor is responsible for notifying the City of any changes in account manager or contact information. Account managers' responsibilities shall include, but are not limited to, overseeing all aspects of implementation, servicing, reporting, and issue resolution.

4.9. Vendor Responsibilities

At a minimum, Vendor shall provide and meet the following responsibilities:

Vendor shall not commence work until a pre-work or project kickoff meeting between representatives of

Vendor and the City is held. The meeting will be held at a location, time, and date later to be established.

Vendor shall perform testing and demonstrating key features and functionality in a City specific model.

Offeror must include a list of all test system components, fully describing all hardware and software required, and identifying the processes to be included.

Vendor shall develop a detailed plan, including change management efforts, for phasing the test system into production use. Emphasis must be placed on utilizing existing hardware, software, and applications while minimizing throwaway costs and development efforts. Additional work for application integration and interfacing should be clearly identified.

4.10. City’s Responsibilities

At a minimum, City shall provide and meet the following responsibilities:

A. City shall provide a point of contact (City Project Manager) to administer the Agreement.

B. City Project Manager shall assist with planning, strategy, and objectives prior to performance of the Work.

C. City Project Manager shall promptly respond to issues and inquiries so as not to hinder the progress, completion, or compensation for the Work.

5. Evaluation Criteria

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Qualifications and Experience of Firm and

Staff

This section evaluates the Proposer’s qualifications, relevant experience, and capacity to successfully perform the required services.

Scoring will be based on the firm’s history of similar projects, technical expertise, organizational structure, key personnel credentials, and demonstrated past performance.

0-10 Points 20 (20% of Total)

2. Project Approach

This section evaluates the Proposer’s proposed methodology for delivering the services, including processes used on similar projects and the approach envisioned for this engagement. Scoring will be based on the clarity and feasibility of the project plan, schedule, key activities, deliverables, and the proposed coordination process with the City’s

Project Manager.

0-10 Points 35 (35% of Total)

3. Cost Analysis

This section evaluates the Proposer's completed cost analysis and proposed fee for the project.

Scoring will be based on the completeness, clarity, and reasonableness of the pricing information provided.

0-10 Points 15 (15% of Total)

4. Schedule

This section evaluates the Proposer's proposed schedule.

0-10 Points 20 (20% of Total)

5. Business Enterprise Program Outreach and

Utilization

This section evaluates the Proposer’s status as an SBE, MBE, WBE, or combination, and the firm’s demonstrated commitment to outreach, inclusion, and utilization of small and minority-owned businesses in performance of the contract. Scoring will be based on documented outreach efforts, planned mentoring and capacity-building initiatives, and processes for inclusive subcontracting.

0-10 Points 10 (10% of Total)