RFP-GCPD-2026-Web.SEO-01

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GULF COAST PROTECTION DISTRICT

Requesting Proposals for

Website Hosting, Maintenance, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Services

RFP No: GCPD-2026-Web.SEO-01

NIGP Class/Item No(s): 915 / 96

Procurement Schedule All Times are Central Time

Solicitation Release Date June 10, 2026

Deadline for Written Questions or Clarifications June 17, 2026 – 5:00 p.m.

Addenda Issued (if applicable) June 19, 2026

Bid Submission Deadline June 25, 2026 – 5:00 p.m.

Notice of Award (estimated) July 1, 2026

Anticipated Contract Start Date July 8, 2026

Bids must be emailed to procurement@gcpdtexas.com mailbox no later than the date and time shown above. Late bids will not be accepted.

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Table of Contents 1 Introduction and Purpose of Solicitation

1.1 No Guarantee of Volume, Usage, or Compensation

1.2 Solicitation Components

2 Procurement Schedule

3 Withdrawal of Response

4 District Overview

5 Definitions

6 Scope of Work (SOW)

6.1 Scope of Services to be Performed

7 General Information

7.1 Successful Respondent Obligations

7.2 Schedule of Events

7.3 Point of Contact and Communication

7.4 Offer Period

7.5 Costs Incurred

7.6 Changes, Modifications, and Cancellation

7.7 Ambiguity, Conflict, Discrepancy

7.8 Solicitation Questions/Clarifications

7.9 Deadline for Submission of Proposals; Delivery Instructions

7.10 Addenda Notification

8 Proposal Format

8.1 Executive Summary

8.2 Technical Proposal

8.3 References

8.4 Litigation and Regulatory History

9 VetHUB Subcontracting (HSP)

10 Pricing Information

10.1 Pricing Structure

10.2 Price Adjustments

11 Contract Term / Administrative

11.1 Contract Manager/Program Lead

11.2 Services Performed

11.3 Performance Reporting

11.4 Corrective Action Plan (The Plan)

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11.5 Performance Issues

11.6 Confidential or Proprietary Information

11.7 Bidder Waiver – Intellectual Property

12 Invoicing and Payment

12.1 Invoice Information

12.2 Payment

12.3 Invoice Submission

12.4 Disputed Invoice(s)

13 Insurance Requirements

13.1 Specific Insurance Requirements

14 Screening of Responses

14.1 Administrative Screening

14.2 Irregularities

15 Evaluation

16 Award

17 Certification

Appendix A – Submission Instructions and Response Checklist

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1 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF SOLICITATION

The Gulf Coast Protection District (District/GCPD) is seeking competitive bids to establish Contract(s) for website hosting, maintenance, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services.

Gulf Coast Protection District is a special-purpose district created by the 87th Texas Legislature in 2021. The District serves as the non-Federal sponsor for major elements of the Coastal Texas Project and the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Project. The District works to deliver large-scale storm surge protection and coastal restoration across approximately 5,220 square miles in five counties (Harris, Galveston, Chambers, Jefferson, and Orange).

The District maintains a public website at https://gcpdtexas.com/ to provide information on projects, board meetings, news, contracts, public meetings, and coastal resilience initiatives. The District seeks a qualified vendor to provide dependable, secure, and high-performance website hosting, ongoing maintenance, and search engine optimization (SEO) services to support its public-facing web presence in compliance with applicable Texas statutes, DIR standards, public information and accessibility standards, and to optimize it for public engagement and search visibility.

To be considered for the award, Bidders must submit a comprehensive response which includes all required information and documentation as outlined in this Solicitation to ensure the Bidder meets all requirements, possesses the required experience and qualifications, and has the capacity to provide the goods and related services described in this Solicitation.

1.1 NO GUARANTEE OF VOLUME, USAGE, OR COMPENSATION

The District does not guarantee any volume, usage, or compensation to be paid to any Contractor under any Contract resulting from this Solicitation. Additionally, all District contracts are subject to appropriations, the availability of funds, and termination.

1.2 Solicitation Components

This Solicitation includes the following items:

Exhibit A – General Affirmations and Solicitation Acceptance

Exhibit B – Pricing Sheet

Exhibit C – Bidder Reference Form

2 PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

The procurement schedule dates on the cover page of this Solicitation are tentative. The District reserves the right to modify these dates at any time by issuing an addendum. Any events listed in the procurement schedule after the response deadline will be at the District's discretion.

Responses must be received by the District before the response deadline, as indicated in the procurement schedule or as amended by an addendum. Every Bidder is solely responsible for ensuring its response is received before the deadline. The District is not responsible for lost, misdirected, or late responses. By submitting a response, the Bidder represents and warrants that any individual submitting the response and any related documents on behalf of the Bidder is authorized to do so and to bind the Bidder under any resulting contract.

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3 Withdrawal of Response Responses may be withdrawn from consideration or amended at any time before the response deadline by submitting a written request by e-mail.

The e-mail subject line for withdrawal should contain the Solicitation (RFP) number as indicated on the cover page of this Solicitation. The Bidder is solely responsible for ensuring the email is received by the District before the response deadline. The District is not responsible for lost or misdirected e-mails.

4 District Overview The District administers the procurement processes, which include the Solicitation announcement, Bidder communications, receipt of responses, screening of timely responses, and facilitation of the evaluation of qualified responses. The District, in coordination with each program, manages the execution of the award through the issuance of Purchase Order(s) or other Contract documents resulting from this Solicitation.

5 Definitions Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, throughout this Solicitation, the definition given to a term below applies whenever the term appears in this Solicitation, in any Response (Bid) submitted in response to this Solicitation, and in any Contract awarded as a result of this Solicitation. All other terms have their ordinary and common meaning.

a) Addendum – A written clarification or revision to this Solicitation issued by the District.

b) Bidder – Entity or individual that submits a response to this Solicitation. This term also includes anyone acting on behalf of the entity or individual that submits a response, such as an agent, employee, or representative. See also Respondent below.

c) Contract – A legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties. As a result of this Solicitation, the District may issue a Contract document or Purchase Order (see definition).

d) Contractor - Each Bidder, business entity or individual, if any, awarded a Contract (Purchase Order) to provide the services or goods as a result of this Solicitation.

e) Contract Term – The period during which the Purchase Order or Contract is in effect from the start date through the end date and may include renewal or extension periods.

f) Debarment – An exclusion from contracting or subcontracting with state agencies based on cause pursuant to Title 34, Part 1, Chapter 20, Subchapter G of the Texas Administrative Code, and the Federal System for Award Management (SAM).

g) Deliverables – The services or goods specified in this Solicitation and any resulting Contract, that the contractor shall perform or deliver to the District for acceptance.

h) Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) - The electronic online directory, administered by the Comptroller of Public Accounts, Statewide Procurement Division (SPD), for publishing procurement opportunities which exceed $25,000 in total estimated value and for providing public notice of contract awards. The ESBD may be accessed through the CPA website at:

http://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd.

Note: The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) recommends utilizing Google Chrome when navigating CPA websites.

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i) Exhibit – A document, included as an attachment to this Solicitation, which provides terms and conditions, additional requirements, and information related to this Solicitation.

j) District - The Gulf Coast Protection District (District).

k) Purchase Order – A legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties. A Purchase Order is issued by the District, specifying the types, quantities, and agreed-upon pricing for goods and services the contractor will provide. Also considered a Contract.

l) Response – All information and materials submitted in response to this Solicitation. May also be referred to as Bid or Bid Response.

m) Respondent – a term interchangeable with Bidder.

n) Scope of Work – The description of requirements, services, specifications for goods which may be required, and deliverables as provided in this Solicitation and any resulting contract which the contractor is required to provide.

o) Solicitation - This document includes all exhibits, attachments, appendices, or Addenda (if applicable).

It may also be referred to as a Request for Proposal (RFP).

p) Subcontractor - Any entity or individual that enters into a contract with the contractor to perform part or all the obligations of the contractor under the contract.

q) Unit Rate – The set rate per the unit of measure (UOM), used for payment of the services, included on the price sheet under the Contract or Purchase Order. (e.g., Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, etc.).

r) Vendor – A business entity or individual that supplies services or goods and may be a potential Bidder to this Solicitation.

s) Texas Identification Number (TIN) – The 11-digit identification number set up through the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, which is required for any entity or individual to receive payment under a contract with the State of Texas. Also known as the Texas Payee ID Number required in Exhibit A of the District Solicitation Affirmations. Further information regarding this number may be accessed on the CPA website at https://fmx.cpa.texas.gov/fm/pubs/payment/gen_prov/index.php?s=payee_numreq&p=payee_numre q.

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6 SCOPE OF WORK (SOW)

6.1 Scope of Services to be Performed

Service Description – The selected vendor will provide comprehensive services in three primary areas. The current site must be supported without a full redesign unless minor improvements are proposed as value-added.

A. Website Hosting Managed WordPress hosting environment, or an equivalent platform, capable of fully supporting the existing site’s functionality and architecture.

Service providers shall host all required domains on dedicated server infrastructure engineered for performance, reliability, and scalability.

Hosting environment must include multiple co-located servers configured with full redundancy and load balancing to ensure uninterrupted service availability and optimal resource allocation.

Continuous monitoring to maintain uptime and performance stability.

Scalable architecture capable of supporting future growth and increased traffic demands (e.g., during storm events or public meetings).

Secure HTTPS/SSL certificates (auto-renewing), DDoS protection, and enterprise-grade security (WAF, malware scanning).

Daily automated backups (with 30+ day retention and easy restore options).

Fast load times (core web vital compliant) and global CDN.

Staging environment for testing updates.

Compliance with Texas Public Information Act (PIA) data storage and accessibility requirements.

Ability to add additional websites owned by the District in the future.

B. Website Maintenance and Support

Regular core, plugin, and theme updates (security patches applied within 24-48 hours of release).

24/7 monitoring for uptime, security threats, and performance issues with proactive alerts.

Technical support (phone/email/ticket system) during business hours (minimum) with response time SLAs (e.g., critical issues within 2 hours, standard within 24 hours).

Monthly maintenance reports include uptime, security scans, and update logs.

Content management assistance (optional training for the District staff on the dashboard).

Minor enhancements or bug fixes as needed (up to ___ hours per month included).

C. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Services

The selected vendor shall provide ongoing SEO consulting, technical improvements, and content optimization to enhance the District website's visibility, strengthen the domain authority, and support long-term organic traffic growth. All SEO activities must comply with public-sector best practices, emphasize transparency and the accuracy of public information, and fully meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility standards.

1. Initial Comprehensive SEO Audit & Strategy Development o Perform a full baseline technical, on-page, content, and competitive SEO audit of https://gcpdtexas.com/.

Version 1.00 Page 8 of 26 May 2026 o Identify opportunities and issues related to site architecture, crawlability, indexing, page speed, mobile optimization, and current keyword rankings.

o Develop a detailed SEO Strategy and Action Plan tailored to the District’s objectives.

2. Strategic & Technical SEO o Maintain a keyword database and manage ongoing refinement as the District’s SEO objectives evolve.

o High-impact page architecture optimization.

o Structured data (schema) review and enhancement.

o Silo/category and hierarchy development and expansion.

o Meta tag updates aligned with keyword trends and algorithm changes across all pages.

o Internal link evaluation, mapping, and restructuring.

o Duplicate content auditing and ongoing remediation.

o Mobile optimization and mobile usability analysis.

o Toxic backlink evaluation and detoxification.

o Link reclamation (SEO backlink recapture).

o Optimization of existing content and support for new content creation (news, publications, project pages).

o HTTPS security and security-related SEO factors.

3. Content & Site Optimization o Ongoing content evaluation and management.

o Blog development, expansion (blog posts, guides, fact sheets, FAQs), and optimization to better serve public information needs.

o Long-form content analysis and recommendations.

o Creation of text navigation (as applicable).

o Image evaluation and optimization, including updates for new images.

o Video and image XML sitemaps updated and resubmitted as required.

4. Sitemap, Crawl & Local Search Enhancements o HTML sitemap optimization and maintenance o XML sitemap creation, submission, and registration o Comprehensive site crawls and internal error checking o Google My Business (GMB) profile optimization o Enhance local search visibility, optimization of local citations, and location-based schema.

o Geotargeting and local content strategies.

5. Monitoring, Reporting & Analytics o Ongoing traffic analysis with actionable insights.

o Reporting on SEO performance metrics, trends, and recommendations for the following month.

o Monthly strategy review meetings with District staff.

o Proactively monitor Google algorithm updates and implement necessary adjustments.

6. Additional Requirements o Provide training to District staff on basic SEO best practices and content optimization.

Version 1.00 Page 9 of 26 May 2026 o The vendor shall work collaboratively with District staff, implementing technical and on-page changes directly where possible while providing clear recommendations for content changes that require District approval.

o All work must support and not conflict with the District’s commitment to transparency. The vendor should propose the specific tools they will use (e.g., Google Search Console, Google Analytics, SEMrush, etc.) and include sample report formats in their proposal.

D. Deliverables:

Monthly SEO Performance Reports.

Monthly maintenance report.

Quarterly Strategy Reviews.

Ad-hoc Deliverables (as needed).

Emergency technical SEO fixes (within agreed SLA).

SEO input on new content or project pages upon the District's request.

Post-launch SEO optimization for any major site updates.

E. Proposed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Proposers should include in their response their suggested targets for the first 12 months, such as:

Percentage increase in organic sessions.

Percentage increase in organic traffic from target keywords.

Improvement in average keyword ranking position for priority terms.

Core Web Vitals scores (Good rating target).

Increase in domain authority/trust flow metrics.

Reduction in technical SEO issues (crawl errors, broken links, etc.).

Local pack/map visibility improvements (where applicable).

F. Technical and Performance Requirements

Full WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility compliance.

Security best practices (regular vulnerability scans, alignment with PIA).

Responsive design (support across devices).

Integration with existing tools (e.g., board meeting calendars, document libraries, forms).

Data sovereignty: U.S.-based servers are a must.

Vendor must provide a detailed Service Level Agreement (SLA) covering penalties for up-time/response failures.

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6.1.1 Performance Schedule

Contractor shall respond to all service calls within four (4) hours unless the District extends the response deadline. The District reserves the right to declare any necessary work to be an emergency. Services performed by the contractor without prior approval will be at the contractor’s own risk. Unless otherwise requested by the District, the contractor shall respond to a request for emergency services within two

(2) hours of notification and continue work until the services requested are complete to the satisfaction of the District.

6.1.2 Minimum Experience and Qualifications

These minimum requirements apply to the contractor and contractor’s personnel and any subcontractor and subcontractor’s personnel.

a) The Bidder shall have relevant experience needed for the performance of the services as outlined in this Solicitation. The minimum experience required is five (5) years.

b) The Bidder’s personnel, to be assigned to perform the services, must be fully trained and, at a minimum, have two (2) years of relevant experience.

c) Required Licensure and Accreditation

d) The Bidder must provide a minimum of three (3) verifiable references for current or previous contracts of the same size and for similar or the same services within the last five (5) > years.

See Exhibit E – Bidder Reference Form.

6.1.3 Contractor Responsibilities

The District will look solely at the contractor(s) for the performance of all contractual obligations resulting from an award based on this Solicitation. No contractor will be relieved of its obligations for any nonperformance by its subcontractor(s).

a) The contractor shall furnish all labor, tools, transportation, equipment, materials, and supplies, as necessary to perform the services and/or provide the goods, if applicable, as required.

b) Contractors shall provide, monthly, a report on metrics related to the usage of the District website. This includes, but is not limited to, the number of visits to the website and the usage of the provided search tab.

The contractor shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations, and the orders and decrees of any court or administrative bodies or tribunals in any matter affecting the performance of the contract, including, if applicable, workers’ compensation laws, minimum and maximum salary and wage statutes and regulations, and licensing laws and regulations.

Training for Contractor Employees:

All contractor employees and subcontractor employees, if applicable, assigned to perform the services must be trained and experienced in the type of work to be performed. The contractor shall provide adequate training to all personnel assigned to perform the services on the roles, responsibilities, and technical aspects of the work. The contractor shall only provide and allow trained and qualified personnel to perform the required services under the contract.

6.1.4 Independent Contractor

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It is understood and agreed by the District and the contractor that the contractor is retained as an independent contractor, and in no event shall any employee hired by the contractor be considered an employee of the District.

a) The contractor shall be responsible for all employment taxes and other payroll withholding for its employees.

b) The contractor shall be responsible and liable for the safety and health of its personnel while they are performing work for the District.

c) The contractor shall be responsible for verifying that all its employees assigned to perform services under the Contract are following all requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Public Law 99-603, which became effective November 6, 1986, and any later amendments.

d) The contractor and the assigned contractor employees or the Contractor’s subcontractor and subcontractor employees assigned to perform the services must have all applicable permits, licenses, accreditations, and insurance coverage.

6.1.5 24-Hour Contact The contractor must provide the District with 24-hour contact information for at least two (2) contractor employees, so the District may communicate urgent performance issues requiring immediate correction, as well as any other issues that may arise. The contractor’s 24-hour contact person must always be available. Any urgent performance issues requiring immediate correction will be followed up in writing by the District.

6.1.6 Contractor and Contractor Personnel Conduct

All personnel employed by the Contractor to fulfill the requirements and terms and conditions of the contract remain under the Contractor’s sole direction and control. The following applies to the contractor, contractor employees, and, if applicable, the contractor’s subcontractor and subcontractor’s employees.

6.1.6.1 Performance Compliance

While performing the services, all contractors and subcontractor personnel must follow all applicable state rules and regulations and the District’s requests regarding personal and professional conduct for the services being provided. All personnel must always conduct themselves in a businesslike and professional manner. The contractor shall provide competent supervisors. All supervisors must be able to communicate verbally and in writing in English. The supervisor shall be knowledgeable of the Statement of Work (SOW) and requirements of the Contract. The contractor and the supervisors shall continuously monitor and maintain awareness of the quality and completeness of the work being performed through personal inspection.

6.1.6.2 Personnel Removal and Replacement

The District may request the removal of any Successful Bidder or Subcontractor employee assigned to the Contract for any cause.

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7 GENERAL INFORMATION

7.1 SUCCESSFUL RESPONDENT OBLIGATIONS

The District shall look solely to the contractor for performance of the contract. Contractor shall provide the requested services under the direction of GCPD (“District”). Contractors shall be the sole point of contract responsibility.

7.2 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

The District anticipates that the selection of a contractor and execution of the contract, if any, will proceed according to the approximate Procurement Schedule posted on page 1 of this solicitation.

7.3 POINT OF CONTACT AND COMMUNICATION

The Point of Contact for inquiries concerning this Solicitation is Annie Linthicum at procurement@gcpdtexas.com. All requests, questions, or other communications about this Solicitation shall be made in writing to the District point of contact.

All other communication between Bidder and District staff concerning this Solicitation is prohibited. In no instance is a Bidder to discuss cost information regarding this solicitation, as contained in a response, with any District staff. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the disqualification of the Response. The communication restriction does not preclude discussions between Bidder and District personnel for the purpose of conducting business unrelated to this Solicitation.

7.4 OFFER PERIOD

By submitting a Response to this Solicitation, Bidder agrees that its Response will remain a firm and binding offer for at least the period of 90 days, as stated in the District Solicitation Affirmations.

7.5 COSTS INCURRED

Bidder understands that issuance of this Solicitation or retention of responses in no way constitutes a commitment by the District to award a contract. The District accepts no obligation for costs incurred in preparing and submitting a response, including, but not limited to, preparation for or participation in a vendor conference or site visit. Responses shall be submitted at the sole expense of the Bidder. All responses shall be prepared plainly and economically, providing a straightforward, concise delineation of the Bidder’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this Solicitation.

7.6 CHANGES, MODIFICATIONS, AND CANCELLATION

The District reserves the right to change, amend, or modify this Solicitation before the response deadline indicated in the procurement schedule (cover page of this Solicitation). Changes, amendments, and modifications will be processed through one or more Addendum. Notifications of any Addendum or Cancellation will be processed in accordance with Section 7.9. The District reserves the right to cancel this Solicitation at any time.

7.7 AMBIGUITY, CONFLICT, DISCREPANCY

Bidders must notify the District’s Point of Contact of any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, exclusionary specification, omission, or other error in the Solicitation via email and by the deadline for submitting questions. If Bidder fails to properly and timely notify the Point of Contact of any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, exclusionary specification, omission, or other error in the Solicitation, the Bidder, whether awarded a contract or not:

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a) shall have waived any claim of error or ambiguity in the Solicitation and any resulting contract,

b) shall not contest the interpretation by the District of such provision(s), and

c) shall not be entitled to additional compensation, relief, or time by reason of ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, exclusionary specification, omission, or other error or its later correction.

7.8 SOLICITATION QUESTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS

The District will allow written questions and requests for clarification regarding this Solicitation if submitted by e-mail to procurement@gcpdtexas.com by the deadline established in the procurement schedule (cover page of this solicitation) or deadlines established in subsequent addenda. Responses to questions or other written requests for clarification will not be provided individually to requestors; instead, they will be consolidated into one or more Addenda. The District reserves the right to amend the answers to questions or provide clarifications before the response deadline through a new Addendum. The notification will be processed in accordance with Section 7.10 (Notification of Addenda or Cancellation).

7.8.1 Submission of Questions or Clarifications

All questions and requests for clarification must be submitted in writing by e-mail and include the following information:

a) RFP Number and Title of Solicitation (see cover page of this Solicitation) must be included in the e-mail subject line and in the e-mail body.

b) Section, paragraph, or page number from this Solicitation

c) Exhibit name, section or paragraph, page number from the Exhibit.

d) Language, topic, and section heading are being questioned.

e) Requestor contact information must be included in the body of the e-mail submitted with questions.

Questions or requests for clarification received after the deadline set in the procurement schedule (on the cover page of this Solicitation) may be reviewed by the District but will not be answered.

7.9 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS; DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

One electronic copy of the Proposal in searchable PDF format must be submitted by email to procurement@gcpdtexas.com. The electronic copy must be received by the issuing office no later than 5:00 p.m. on the deadline outlined in the Procurement Schedule on page 1. The email must be labeled with “RFP- GCPD-2026-Web.SEO-01” and include the name and address of the Respondent in the body of the email.

GCPD is not responsible for lost, misdirected, or late Responses.

Late Proposals will not be considered under any circumstances.

7.10 ADDENDA NOTIFICATION

Addenda for changes, modifications, and answers to questions or requests for clarification, as well as subsequent addenda with amended answers to questions or requests for clarification, will be posted to the

ESBD.

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8 PROPOSAL FORMAT

Proposals must be organized as follows:

A. Table of Contents B. Executive Summary C. Respondent Identifying Information D. Respondent Qualifications and Experience E. Proposed Personnel F. Proposed Project Work Plan G. Proposed Price Sheet

8.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Respondent must provide an executive OF ITS Proposal and a representation that the Proposal addresses all requirements of this RFP. The executive summary must not exceed three (3) pages and must represent a full and concise summary of the contents of the Proposal. Respondent must identify any Services that are offered beyond those specifically requested. By submitting a Response to this solicitation, the respondent agrees that its response will remain a firm and binding offer for at least 90 days.

8.1.1 Table of Contents

Each Proposal must include a table of contents that clearly identifies and denotes by page number each section of the Proposal and the location of all enclosures of the Proposal. The table of contents must follow the RFP’s structure as much as possible.

8.1.2 Respondent Identifying Information

Respondent must provide the following identifying information:

name and address of business entity submitting the Proposal;

type of business entity (e.g., corporation, partnership, etc.)

state of incorporation or organization and principal place of business name and location of Texas offices, other major offices, and other facilities that relate to the Respondent’s performance under this RFP;

name, address, business telephone number, cell phone number, email address, and fax number of Respondent’s principal contact person regarding the Contract;

Respondent’s Federal Employer Identification Number (“FEIN” or “EIN”) and Texas Tax Identification/Registration Number, if any;

8.1.3 Key Staffing Profile

Respondents must provide a staffing profile and resumes for key staff responsible for performing the services requested under this Solicitation. “Key staff” is defined as experienced, professional, and/or technical personnel who will have major responsibilities under a contract and/or provide unusual or unique expertise essential for the successful completion of the work performed. Provider shall ensure key staff remain available for the entire term of a contract.

If key staff become unavailable for work, Provider shall promptly notify the District and assign alternative staff of equal ability and qualifications. GCPD reserves the right to approve changes to key staff.

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8.1.4 Respondent Knowledge and Experience

Respondent must include a detailed overview of Respondent’s experience providing the requisite Services. Respondent must demonstrate its knowledge of and experience with activities relevant to the Services requested by this RFP. Respondents must provide a detailed profile that describes the following:

The size and scope of all operations, including the number of Respondent’s employees and years in business;

The general nature of previous similar work performed by Respondent, particularly work in the three (3) years;

Respondent’s depth and length of experience working with state agencies or other governmental entities;

For each proposed Subcontractor:

o the size and scope of all operations, including the number of employees and years in business;

o the general nature of previous similar work performed, particularly work in the last three (3) years;

o depth and length of experience with state agencies

8.1.5 Respondent’s Minimum Experience and Qualifications

These minimum requirements apply to the Respondent and Respondent’s personnel and any Subcontractor and Subcontractor’s personnel. These minimum respondent experience and qualifications will be graded as pass or fail.

Successful Respondent must have a minimum of five (5) years of continuous experience in providing website hosting, maintenance, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Respondent must include the number of years in business.

Respondents’ personnel to be assigned to perform the services must be fully trained and, at a minimum, have one (1) year of relevant experience.

o The Respondent must have the necessary accreditation and have specific training and certification to ensure that work is performed professionally.

8.2 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

Respondent must describe clearly, specifically, and as completely as possible, its proposed methodology and schedule for achieving the objectives and requirements of this Solicitation. Respondents should identify all tasks to be performed to be responsive to the Scope of Work, including activities, materials, and other products, software, services, and reports to be generated during the contract period, and relate them to the stated purposes and specifications described in this Solicitation.

8.3 REFERENCES

Respondents shall provide a minimum of three (3) references for projects of a similar type and size performed within the last three years, preferably for state and/or local government entities. The District reserves the right to check references before award. Any negative responses received may be grounds for the disqualification of the Solicitation Responses.

Respondent must verify current contacts. Information provided must include:

a) Client name;

b) Project description;

c) Total dollar amount of project;

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d) Key staff assigned to the referenced project that will be designated for work under this Solicitation; and

e) Client project manager name, telephone number, and e-mail address.

GCPD will check references by e-mail. Respondents who do not provide accurate e-mail addresses waive the right to have those references considered in the evaluation of their Solicitation Responses.

8.4 LITIGATION AND REGULATORY HISTORY

Respondent must include in its Solicitation Response a complete disclosure of any alleged or significant contractual failures. In addition, Respondent must disclose any civil or criminal litigation or investigation pending over the last three years that involves Respondent or in which Respondent has been found guilty or liable. For each instance of litigation or investigation, Respondent shall list case information (e.g., cause number, location of court, names of parties); a description of each claim alleged against Respondent or its parent, subsidiary, or other affiliate; and a description of the disposition of the case.

Failure to comply with the terms of this provision may disqualify any Respondent. Solicitation Responses may be rejected based upon Respondent’s prior history with the State of Texas or with any other party that demonstrates, without limitation, unsatisfactory performance, adversarial or contentious demeanor, or significant failure(s) to meet contractual obligations.

If Respondent has no litigation history, as described above, so indicate in the appropriate section of the Solicitation Response.

9 VETERAN-OWNED HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS (VETHUB)

The District encourages all bidders to make a good-faith effort to subcontract with Vet/HUB-certified vendors.

An evaluation of potential subcontracting opportunities for this contract was conducted in accordance with Texas Government Code 2161.252, and it was determined that the contract contains no probable subcontracting opportunities. Therefore, the District is not requiring a HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP).

10 PRICING INFORMATION

Pricing Structure Prices offered as part of the Bidder’s response must be firm, fixed prices for the term of the Contract. The unit prices must include all Solicitation requirements, including, but not limited to, labor, equipment, materials, supplies, travel, and all other related expenses.

Price Adjustments Contractors are required to immediately implement any price decrease that may become available during the Contract term. Contractor must notify the District contract manager in writing so that a Change Order Notice or Contract Amendment may be processed.

Price Adjustment Requests The Contractor must provide the District contract manager with a written request for a price adjustment.

Contractor must provide supporting documentation to justify any price adjustment. The District reserves the right to accept or reject the request for a price adjustment. The contractor will receive written notification via a Purchase Order Change Notice or Contract Amendment, which documents the actions taken, including effective dates, for any approved adjustments.

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11 CONTRACT TERM / ADMINISTRATIVE

Initial Contract Term:

Any contract resulting from this Solicitation will have an initial term of one year from the date of the award.

The District, at its sole discretion, may renew the Contract for up to an additional four (4) one-year renewals based on satisfactory performance and subject to appropriation of funds by the Texas Legislature. Such renewal(s), if exercised, shall be subject to all the requirements and terms and conditions of the Contract.

Extension Option The District, at its sole option and subject to the availability of funding, may extend the Contract beyond the initial term and all renewal periods for up to one (1) year as necessary to ensure continuity of service, to process a new solicitation, to secure a new contract, for purposes of transition to a new Contractor, or as otherwise determined by the District. This extension, if exercised, will require the contractor to continue performing services in accordance with the Contract requirements and all terms and conditions.

11.1 CONTRACT MANAGER

The District will designate a contract manager or program lead and provide the contractor with that person’s contact information.

11.2 SERVICES PERFORMED

The District contract manager or designee will monitor all work performed, which shall be in accordance with the Contract, local codes and ordinances, and any other authority having lawful jurisdiction, and shall periodically communicate with the Contractor via telephone and email to address questions, concerns, or progress.

11.3 PERFORMANCE REPORTING

The District contract manager is required to report vendor performance for purchases over $25,000 through the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) Vendor Performance Tracking System (VPTS). VPTS reporting is required throughout the life of a contract, not just at its conclusion.

Performance Notification – Non-Material Deficiency The District may notify the contractor in writing of specific areas of the contractor’s performance that fail to meet performance expectations, standards, or schedules, but that, in the determination of the District, do not result in a material deficiency or delay in the implementation or operation of the services.

The contractor shall, within three (3) business days of receipt of written notice of a non-material deficiency, provide the District contract manager with a written response that: (a) Explain the reasons for the deficiency, the contractor’s plan to address or cure the deficiency, and when the deficiency will be cured; or (b) If the Contractor disagrees with the District’s findings, the response must include the reasons why the findings are disputed. The contractor’s noncompliance or failure to correct the deficiency may result in delayed payment or non-payment as determined by the District.

11.4 CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN (THE PLAN)

At its discretion, the District may, in writing, request and require the contractor to submit a detailed Corrective Action Plan specifying how the contractor will correct or resolve any issue, deficiency, or breach of this Contract.

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The Plan must include, but is not limited to:

a) A detailed explanation of the reasons for the cited deficiency.

b) The Contractor’s assessment or diagnosis of the cause; and

c) A specific proposal to cure or resolve the deficiency.

The Plan must be submitted by the deadline date. The Plan is subject to approval, which the District will not unreasonably withhold.

11.5 PERFORMANCE ISSUES

The contractor shall correct all performance issues reported by the District contract manager within 48 business hours. If requested by the District, the contractor shall provide a written report detailing the performance issue(s) and resolution. The District’s contract manager will report/discuss performance deficiencies with the contractor and seek to resolve the issues.

The District contract manager may report the following compliance issues to the District’s management for resolution.

a) Failure to reach an agreement on corrective action.

b) Failure to perform in accordance with the Corrective Action Plan.

c) Violations of this Contract and Corrective Action Plan

11.6 CONFIDENTIAL OR PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

Bidder Requirements Regarding Disclosure Proposals and contracts are subject to the Texas Public Information Act (PIA), Texas Government Code Chapter 552, and may be disclosed to the public upon request. Other legal authorities also require the District to post certain contracts and solicitation responses on its public website and to provide such information to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) for posting on the LBB's website.

Under the PIA, certain information is protected from public release. If Bidder asserts that information provided in its Solicitation Response is exempt from disclosure under the PIA, Bidder must:

a) Mark Original Proposal

1. Mark the Original Proposal, on the top of the front page, with the words “CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION” in large, bold, capitalized letters (the size of, or equivalent to, 12-point font or larger); and

2. Identify, adjacent to each portion of the Solicitation Response, that Bidder claims are exempt from public disclosure, the claimed exemption from disclosure (NOTE: no redactions are to be made in the Original Solicitation Response).

b) Certify in Original Solicitation Response - GCPD Solicitation Affirmations

1. Certify, in the designated section of the Solicitation Affirmations, Bidder’s confidential information assertion and the filing of its Public Information Act Copy; and

2. Submit Public Information Act Copy of Proposal

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i. Submit a separate “Public Information Act Copy” of the Original Proposal (in addition to the original and all copies otherwise required under the provisions of this Solicitation). The Public Information Act Copy must meet the following requirements:

ii. The copy must be clearly marked as “PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT COPY” on the front page in large, bold, capitalized letters (the size of, or equivalent to, 12-point font or larger).

iii. Each portion Bidder claims is exempt from public disclosure must be redacted (blacked out); and

iv. Bidder must identify, adjacent to each redaction, the claimed exemption from disclosure.

Each identification provided as required in Subsection (c) of this section must be identical to those outlined in the Original Proposal as required in Subsection (a)(2), above. The only difference in required markings and information between the Original Proposal and the “Public

Information Act Copy” of the proposal will be redactions, which can only be included in the “Public

Information Act Copy.” There must be no redactions in the Original Proposal.

By submitting a response to this Solicitation, Bidder agrees that, if Bidder does not mark the Original Solicitation Response, provide the required certification in the GCPD Solicitation Affirmations, and submit the Public Information Act Copy, Bidder’s Solicitation Response will be considered to be public information that may be released to the public in any manner including, but not limited to, in accordance with the Public Information Act, posted on the GCPD public website, and posted on the Legislative Budget Board’s public website.

If any or all Bidders submit partial, but not complete, information suggesting inclusion of confidential information and failure to comply with the requirements outlined in this section, the District, in its sole discretion and in any solicitation, reserves the right to (1) disqualify all Bidders that fail to comply with the requirements outlined in this section fully, or (2) to offer those who fail to comply with the requirements outlined in this section fully will be given additional time to comply.

The bidder should not submit a Public Information Act Copy indicating that the entire proposal is exempt from disclosure. Merely making a blanket claim that the entire proposal is protected from disclosure because it contains any amount of confidential, proprietary, trade secret, or privileged information is not acceptable, and may make the entire Solicitation response subject to release under the PIA.

Solicitation responses should not be marked or asserted as copyrighted material. If Bidder asserts copyright to any portion of its proposal, by submitting a proposal, Bidder agrees to the reproduction and posting of the proposal on public websites by the State of Texas, including the District and all other state agencies, without cost or liability.

The District will strictly adhere to the PIA's requirements regarding the disclosure of public information. As a result, by participating in this solicitation process, Bidder acknowledges that all information, documentation, and other materials submitted in the Solicitation response to this Solicitation may be subject to public disclosure under the PIA. The District does not have the authority to agree that any information submitted will not be subject to disclosure. Disclosure is governed by the PIA and by rulings of the Office of the Texas Attorney General. Bidders are advised to consult with their legal counsel concerning disclosure issues resulting from this process and to take precautions to safeguard trade secrets and proprietary or otherwise confidential information. The District assumes no obligation or responsibility relating to the disclosure or nondisclosure of information submitted by Bidders.

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For more information concerning the types of information that may be withheld under the PIA or questions about the PIA, refer to the Public Information Act Handbook published by the Office of the Texas Attorney General or contact the attorney general’s Open Government Hotline at (512) 478-OPEN (6736) or toll-free at

(877) 673-6839 (877-OPEN TEX). To access the Public Information Act Handbook, visit the attorney general’s website at http://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.

11.7 BIDDER WAIVER – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Submission of any document to the District in response to this solicitation constitutes an irrevocable waiver and agreement by the submitting party to fully indemnify the District from any claim of infringement regarding the intellectual property rights of the submitting party or any third party for any materials submitted to the District by the submitting party.

12 INVOICING AND PAYMENT

12.1 INVOICE INFORMATION

Invoices submitted to the District must reflect the Contract or Purchase Order number and must provide the work completed, in detail, for which payment is due. The details of the work completed must comply with the pricing sheet.

12.2 PAYMENT

The District will make payment in accordance with the pricing provided on Exhibit D - pricing sheet. The pricing is considered all-inclusive, and no additional pricing may be included on an invoice. The District will not pay any per diem, travel, hotel, equipment, phone calls, paper, reproduction services, office space, or other incidental expenses related to performing the services required by the Contract.

12.3 INVOICE SUBMISSION

Contractor must submit invoices monthly or as otherwise indicated on the purchase order. Separate invoices must be submitted for each delivery, as applicable. Failure to submit an accurate and valid invoice with all required information may result in a delay in payment.

12.4 DISPUTED INVOICE(S)

In accordance with Texas Government Code §2251.042, the District will immediately return disputed invoices to the Contractor, but in no event later than the 21st day after the District receives the invoice. The District reserves the right to dispute any portion of an invoice and will attempt to resolve the dispute with the Contractor in good faith. The District shall not be required to pay any disputed portion of an invoice until the dispute is resolved. Notwithstanding any such dispute, the Contractor must continue to perform the services and/or produce deliverables in compliance with the terms of the Contract. Pending resolution of a dispute, the District will continue to process payments for undisputed amounts and invoices to the Contractor.

13 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Contractors will be required to submit current certificates of insurance or other proof acceptable to the District at the time of notification of a potential award, and the District contract manager must receive such proof before contract execution.