Q_A_RFP-020-25_Website_Redesign_Lot_2.pdf

RFP-020-25 FOR WEBSITE REDESIGN SERVICES

Q&A for answering vendors questions1

Lot 2

1 These answers are informational and don't change the RFP-020-25 for Website Redesign Services.

No. Questions Answers Additional Information

1. Can the RTA please confirm whether a budget ceiling or estimated funding range has been established for this procurement? If so, may the Agency share the anticipated dollar range or ceiling amount to help ensure proposals are realistic and within budget expectations?

Please see the first Q&A lot 1.

2. Is there an anticipated total contract value (including optional add-ons such as Year 1 Maintenance and Chatbot features) that vendors should be aware of?

No.

3. Based on the procurement timeline, what is the anticipated award date and Notice to Proceed (NTP) date for this project?

Approximatively 10 days.

4. Can the RTA clarify the expected implementation period (e.g., number of calendar days or months from NTP to go-live) for the website redesign? (Form #1 references deliverables but does not specify duration.)

Vendor will provide a delivery timeline, as indicated in Form # 1.

5. The RFP references optional renewal terms for maintenance and support. Can RTA confirm the base contract term and number/duration of option periods envisioned (e.g., one base year plus up to three one-year renewals)?

Maintenance and Support is optional, and we are requesting pricing for one year. No renewal option has been determined at this time.

6. The RFP specifies an open-source CMS (e.g., WordPress). Is RTA particularly interested in WordPress specifically?

Please see the first Q&A lot 1.

7. What CMS is RTA currently using? WordPress

Information

8. How many webpages does RTA’s site currently contain? Does RTA plan to migrate them all or will there be a consolidation/edit effort prior to migration and launch?

Preliminary site: search results show roughly 20–30 pages (static informational pages like Home, About, Service Alerts, Title VI, Policies, Contact, etc.). All public-facing webpages (services, trip planning, policies, alerts) will need migration.

9. Will the selected vendor be responsible for website hosting and security monitoring post-launch, or will RTA host the site internally (e.g., via its existing server or third-party provider)?

No.

10. Will RTA provide all existing website content, imagery, and structure for migration, or should vendors include content migration (manual and/or automated) as part of our technical proposal and pricing?

RTA will provide some existing documents and images; however, vendors should plan to handle full content migration, including current files, images, forms, and site structure.

Vendors are also responsible for ensuring accuracy, proper formatting, functionality, and compliance with accessibility standards, including WCAG and ADA, during migration.

11. For the Swiftly API and GTFS/Google Maps integrations, will RTA provide existing API credentials and technical support access, or should vendors plan to set up integrations from scratch?

Yes.

12. Will RTA conduct its own WCAG 2.1/ADA compliance testing post-delivery, or should vendors include accessibility certification or audit services within the proposal?

Vendors should include WCAG 2.1 and ADA compliance testing, certification, and audit services as part of their proposal; RTA will not conduct these tests.

13. Is RTA open to custom multilingual solutions (e.g., CMS plugin) instead of Google Translate integration if they provide better control and compliance?

Yes.

14. Section B.22 (Page 15) states vendors must be registered with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). Will RTA accept proof of registration in progress at the time of proposal submission, provided registration is complete before award?

Yes.

15. Can RTA confirm the weighting of evaluation factors (Page 18, Section B.27), specifically whether “Methodology and Implementation Process” (25 points) includes accessibility and integration approach scoring?

Yes.

16. For email submissions, is there a maximum attachment size or file type restriction (e.g., PDF only, <25 MB)?

No.

17. Will RTA require onsite meetings or training sessions at the Savage, MD, facility, or can training be delivered virtually?

The RFP requires two-hour hands-on training for three RTA staff delivery virtually.

18. Is there a ceiling budget or price range RTA anticipates for the optional Year 1 maintenance?

Undisclosed

19. Will there be a defined User Acceptance Testing (UAT) period before project closeout and final payment?

Yes. Vendors should include UAT planning, execution, and issue resolution in their project timeline.

20. Does RTA have a target go-live date or specific milestone (e.g., fiscal year boundary, public event) the website should align with?

No specific go-live date has been set.

Vendors should propose a timeline based on their approach.

21. Is RTA partial to an Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid method? RTA does not mandate a methodology.

Vendors may propose Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid if it meets project goals.

22. Can RTA confirm whether there is an incumbent contractor currently maintaining or hosting the existing website?

GoDaddy is currently hosting out site.

23. What is the expected date of award notification or publication following proposal evaluation?

See the bid solicitation (Page 1- Schedule).

24. What plugin is used for e-commerce functionalities? The website uses the “WP Cart for Digital Products (eStore)” plugin for e-commerce functionality, integrated with PayPal for transactions.

25. Is the site hosted on RTA’s on-premise or elsewhere? The site is hosted with GoDaddy.

26. How many forms/surveys are anticipated for this effort? The current site includes several forms

(e.g., contact, feedback, paratransit requests). Vendors should anticipate migrating these and creating additional forms as needed. For surveys, vendors should plan to implement standard practices such as a post-launch website usability survey and service-related surveys for fixed-route, paratransit, and customer service feedback.

27. Will the winning vendor be providing hosting services? GoDaddy currently hosts our site.

Vendor may recommend other options.

28. Current Technology Stack: To better understand the migration and integration effort, could you please provide details on the current website's (www.transitrta.com) technology stack?

(e.g., current CMS, backend programming language, database, and hosting environment).

The current website uses WordPress as its CMS, with the “WP Cart for Digital Products (eStore)” plugin for e-commerce. It is hosted externally with GoDaddy. The backend is PHP/MySQL.

29. Security Requirements: Section C.2, item 4 mentions "Making the website safer by adding protections." Could you please provide more specific details on RTA's security requirements

RTA follows federal cybersecurity standards and conducts regular risk or any known vulnerabilities that must be addressed (e.g., specific compliance standards beyond WCAG, data handling policies, or penetration testing expectations)?

assessments, with no publicly reported vulnerabilities for transitrta.com.

30. Optional Maintenance & Support: To accurately price Form 1, Item 10 (Optional Add-On: Maintenance and Support - Year 1), could you please define the scope of services expected?

(e.g., expected response times, number of support hours per month, and whether this includes CMS/plugin updates, security patching, or content support).

Please refer to the responses above.

31. Content Migration: Does RTA expect the selected vendor to be responsible for migrating existing content (text, images, documents) from the current website to the new CMS? Or will RTA staff be handling content entry?

Vendor is responsible to migrate all existing content.

32. Design & Revision Process: To ensure the project aligns with RTA's vision, what is the expected design approval process?

For example, should the proposal assume a specific number of initial design concepts (e.g., 2-3) and a set number of revision rounds?

The design approval process will start with one initial concept, followed by two to three rounds of revisions to incorporate feedback and finalize the design. Additional revisions can be discussed if needed.

33. Is this opportunity a recompete of an existing contract?

No.

34. How many staff members are expected to be trained in the CMS, and should training sessions be conducted in person, virtually, or a combination of both?

Three staff members. Training to be conducted virtually.

35. Is there a target event or specific launch date for the updated website?

Please refer to the responses above.

36. Will the new website need to integrate with an HR platform via API, or link externally to job listings?

The new website will need to link externally to job listings through Paylocity, rather than integrate via API.

37. Should respondents include hosting and ongoing server management in their proposals, or will RTA provide its own hosting environment?

Current hosting is currently provided through GoDaddy.

38. Regarding the optional chatbot, does RTA envision a FAQ-style assistant, live chat functionality with internal staff, or integration with real-time service data? Or AI trained Chatbot?

FAQ style assistant.

39. Should the bus route maps and trip planner be fully interactive or embedded from existing platforms (like Google Maps or Swiftly dashboards)?

Embedded.