Response to Offeror Questions document.pdf

Q&A Document Date: August 18, 2026

Subject: Questions & Answers, 26RFP19895

In accordance with the subject Request for Proposal (RFP), the following are answers to questions which have been submitted prior to 5PM, August 11, 2026. These questions are for informational purposes only; they do not alter the requirements specified within the RFP. Any changes to the RFP will be accomplished by the Office of Procurement Management through an addendum.

*The State's response will be in red font following the Vendor's question.

1. Does the project include migration of historical ecommerce data, including customer accounts and order history, or should we assume migration of only the active product catalog and related website content?

There is no current ecommerce history for customers, although we would like to set up an integrated website where we could store ecommerce data for new or returning customers.

Currently, website and catalog data is all that needs migrating.

2. Beyond the integrations identified in the RFP, are there any additional third-party systems or integrations (ERP, inventory management, CRM, etc.) that we should plan to maintain or replace as part of this project?

We currently have Tax Jar, which adds the appropriate sales tax dependent upon zip code.

We also have an integration through the US Postal Service that calculates shipping costs for customers based on their zip code. Sales tax and shipping costs need to be immediately available for customers after they make their final selections and move into Checkout.

We would like a more efficient system of doing CRM, inventory management, and ERP. We currently use a separate system, QuickBooks, to track these things, but we would like it integrated into the new website. We do have Tax Jar, which adds the appropriate sales tax dependent upon zip code. We do also have an integration through the US Postal Service that calculates shipping costs for customers based on their zip code.

3. What is the approximate number of products in the current catalog?

Approximately 400 total.

4. The current website directs customers outside North America to Mare Nostrum Group for purchases. Should that behavior be maintained in the new website?

Yes, that should be maintained. Mare Nostrum (Wiley) is our international distributor. SDHS Press is not allowed to sell directly to customers outside the United States.

5. The RFP references both vendor-hosted and State-hosted deployment options. Does the State have a preferred hosting model, or should we propose the hosting approach we believe best meets the State's requirements?

The Vendor should propose the hosting approach.

6. The RFP references microsite capabilities. Can the State describe the anticipated use cases and expected number of microsites?

We only have one microsite, a blog that is run on WordPress. We do house PDFs for all but the most recent three years for our quarterly journal, which began in 1970. We want to continue making these PDFs available on our website as a public service. There is no charge for access to these PDFs. In addition, we have four audiobooks (all children’s books) that are available at no charge on our website. These need to migrate as well.

7. Is the State planning to archive or retire any existing website content before migration, or should we assume we will migrate all existing public-facing content?

All existing public-facing content will need to be migrated to the new website. We only retire books that are out of print or the sale of journal issues that have sold out. We keep those areas updated so that will not be necessary to do when migrating the site.

8. Is there a target launch date or other key milestone beyond the anticipated contract award timeframe?

There is no target launch date or other key milestone.

9. Your current website appears to use Wordpress as its CMS platform. Are you desiring to move away from Wordpress completely, or will Wordpress be an acceptable solution as long as it is updated to be more user friendly and fills your needs?

The State desires to move away from PHP-based CMS tools. PHP-based CMS tools will be evaluated.

10. You wish to retain ecommerce functionality on your new website. Can you describe ecommerce functions you wish to include moving forward? For example: shipping calculation, promo codes, saved user accounts with order history, etc.

Yes, we would like to create user accounts with order history, perhaps even specialty accounts for wholesalers, automatic shipping calculations, ability to run sales/use promos or coupons, updated and easy shopping cart, and an easy-to-navigate product catalog. We also would like for Historical Society members to be able to receive an automatic 10 percent discount that we currently cannot implement through our website.

11. Can you describe your needs for microsite creation? What will be the frequency and purpose of microsite content? Is the need for them to live on a separate URL or subdomain from the main website? Are they to have a different look & feel than the main website, with different navigation?

We would like the microsite to live on a URL. This site is already created; we do not wish to update it, but we would like to have a tab on the main website redirect to this. The blog does not need to have different navigation but we do need to be able to maintain the subscription list that the blog currently has. A new blog is posted at least monthly and it is automatically sent to subscribers (there’s no charge to subscribers for this). The audiobooks (If they count as microsites) are currently treated as books that are selected and placed into the shopping cart.

12. Can you describe the data visualization that you're needing? Is this public-facing charts and data, or just for website admins to see?

The data we are asking for would be for website admins only. We would like to be able to see popular products, website visits, number of clicks, duration spent on the website, inventory cataloging, etc. We would like to be able to gather this data and make monthly comparison

13. What are your expectations for "Requirements Traceability Matrix" as part of the proposal, so we can be sure to format our answer appropriately?

The purpose of the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) is to act as a roadmap that links user and business requirements directly to their corresponding design, development, and testing deliverables. It ensures that all requested features are fully delivered and successfully validated during testing.

14. Regarding section 4.2.12 Email Domain Name Requirement: As part of a regular ecommerce system, the website will send out email copies of orders and receipts to users and website admins. If the website is not to use the originating domain name as the "from" email address, what is the acceptable solution for the website to send these emails?

BIT can work with the vendor to leverage Azure Communication Services for email, unless the proposal includes a vendor’s solution for email.

15. What platform currently powers sdhspress.com, and approximately how many pages, product records, media files, customer records, and historical orders are expected to be migrated?

The platform that currently powers sdhspress.com is Plone. There are currently no historical orders or customer records that need to be migrated. We currently house 52 years of catalogued quarterly journals and over 100 books on the website.

16. Would a proposal covering only a vendor-hosted solution be responsive, or must an offeror also price a state-hosted or State cloud-hosted PaaS option?

The Vendor can propose either or both hosted options.

17. Does the State's OAuth 2.0 single sign-on requirement apply to website administrators only? If so, will the State provide an identity-provider test tenant, client registration, and metadata during implementation?

If citizens are required to login for certain features of the website, the State’s IDP must be used.

18. Beyond Stripe payment acceptance, are there required cart, sales-tax, shipping-rate, inventory, order-management, or fulfillment integrations that are not named in the RFP?

The only integrations at the moment are Stripe, Tax Jar (for sales tax), and USPS shipping rates, although we are hoping to include order history, inventory, order-management and cart creation with the new website in addition to sales tax, shipping, and purchasing integrations, as listed in the RFP.

19. For a vendor-hosted solution, what tools, testing standard, or independent-party qualifications must the full web application vulnerability scan report satisfy?

Tools and testing standards: The vendor must use a modern DAST/AppSec platform capable of authenticated scanning, API testing, business-logic checks, exploitability validation, and OWASP Top 10 coverage.

Independent-party qualification: A PCI DSS external scan with a passing status by a PCI SSC-listed Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV).

20. Is there a not-to-exceed budget or preferred cost structure separating implementation, third-party licenses, vulnerability scanning, hosting, and annual support through June 30, 2031?

Annual maintenance budget should be separate from website construction on the cost proposal.

21. What support hours, response targets, and expected volume of content or feature changes should offerors include for the post-launch term?

We publish 7-8 books a year, along with four journal issues per year. The website content would grow commensurate with those annual additions. We also add book reviews and book award notices to the sites for particular books (each book has its own page). We would like to be able to publish updates or sales on the website as they pertain to holidays or targeted events.

Our office hours are 9-5 Monday – Friday, so we would like the support hours to reflect that.

(Not too sure about what “response targets” refers to.)

22. Will the State provide a current content inventory or export before proposals are due, or should offerors estimate migration from the public website and state assumptions in their proposals?

The State will not provide a content inventory before the bids are due.

23. Is there an established budget or budget range for this project, or historical annual spend on the current website?

The budget will be determined from the proposals received.

24. Would the State accept a proposal for a vendor-hosted solution only, with a single cost proposal and Security and Vendor Questionnaire?

The State is accepting proposals for both state and vendor hosted solutions.

25. Does the SSO requirement (Section 4.2.3) apply only to website administrators, or also to public users making purchases? Can public shoppers check out as guests?

If citizens are required to login for certain features of the website, the State’s IDP must be used.

26. Approximately how many pages, product titles, and digital artifacts require migration (Section

3.1.10)?

There are approximately 400 pages, product titles, and digital artifacts that require migration.

27. For PowerBI compatibility (Section 3.1.11), is scheduled export of sales and analytics data to a state repository sufficient, or is a live connection required?

Scheduled should be sufficient.

28. What platform runs the current site, and does the State control the sdhspress.com domain and

DNS?

The current platform that runs the site is Plone. SDHS Press controls the sdhspress.com domain.

29. Does the State have an existing email newsletter tool and subscriber list, or is the Offeror expected to provide one?

Newsletters are handled through other divisions of the State Historical Society. The Offeror is not expected to provide this tool. There is not an existing newsletter tool and subscriber list through the current website, There is an information request form and “put me on your newsletter” form, however, and those should migrate over. We pass along those information requests to the person who can best answer the question and forward the newsletter names to the Historical Society membership chair. We do not need to keep a list or database of those names.

30. Are the demonstrations referenced in Sections 1.15 and 7.8 anticipated in person in Pierre or virtual?

Demonstrations should be virtual.

31. What content management system (CMS), ecommerce platform, and hosting environment currently support sdhspress.com?

Wordpress is the CMS, Stripe is the ecommerce. Plone is the hosting environment.

32. Are there any known migration constraints or technical challenges associated with the current environment?

As of now, there are no migration constraints or technical challenges.

33. Please provide an inventory of content and assets to be migrated, including:

i. Number of webpages

ii. Number of products/SKUs

iii. Number of PDFs/documents

iv. Number of media assets (images, videos, etc.)

v. Approximate total content volume/storage size

We have approximately 400 products and PDFs housed on the website. Our media assets would range to about double that, excluding our blog posts. An approximate total for all would be about 1500-1600.

34. Please provide website transaction volume, order volume, and online sales revenue for the most recent twelve-month period.

This data is not available at this time.

35. Beyond Stripe integration, are there any existing or planned integrations with accounting, fulfillment, inventory management, CRM, ERP, tax calculation, shipping, reporting, or other third-party systems that should be included in the proposed solution?

We currently use TaxJar for sales tax and USPS for shipping calculation. Besides that, we would like a more efficient system of doing CRM, inventory management, and ERP. We currently use a separate system, QuickBooks, to track these things, but we would like it integrated into the new website.

36. Approximately how many users will require CMS access at launch?

At launch, we would need 5 staff to be able to have CMS access.

37. How many users are anticipated in each role (administrators, editors, contributors, approvers)?

2 administrators, and 3 editors

38. Does the State require a formal content approval workflow prior to publication?

This has not been determined

39. Has the State completed a recent accessibility audit of sdhspress.com?

Yes.

40. If so, can the audit findings be shared with prospective offerors?

No.

41. Can the State provide additional detail regarding desired analytics, reporting, and Power BI requirements, including any specific dashboards, reports, or key performance indicators?

We’d like analytics that could reveal what customers leave in their carts, what items get the most attention, what suggested titles pique interest – basically, we’d like data that can help us shape a better direct to customer sales environment.

42. Does the State have a preferred hosting approach (vendor-hosted, State cloud-hosted, or

State-hosted), or will all compliant hosting models be evaluated equally?

All hosting models will be evaluated.

43. Is the State’s vision for the South Dakota Historical Society Press website intended to be independent of, or aligned with, broader Department of Education website modernization efforts?

Independent from the broader DOE websites.

44. Specifically, should offerors anticipate future integration, shared content management capabilities, common architecture, interoperability requirements, or platform standardization with other Department of Education web properties when designing the proposed solution?

No.

45. Does the state have any preferred technology solutions (eCom, CMS, etc.) ?

ServiceNow is preferred, but all solutions will be evaluated.

46. Does the state prefer commercial or open source solutions?

Commercial.

47. Is there a budget range or not-to-exceed amount for this engagement?

The budget will be determined from the proposals received.

48. Section 1.2.3 / Section 4 – Project Schedule: The RFP states that the Offeror may propose a phased approach and outlines anticipated phases (Discovery, Setup/Configuration, Content Migration, Feature Integration, Testing, Training, Go-Live/Support), but does not specify a target go-live date. Does the State have a preferred or required go-live date for sdhspress.com, or should Offerors propose a timeline based on their own recommended approach and phasing?

Offerors should propose a workable timeline.

49. This RFP covers sdhspress.com as a standalone project, separate from the three-site CMS RFP (#26RFP19882). Is the intent for the Press site to align with or share the CMS platform selected for the other three sites?

Independent from the broader DOE websites.

50. Is the Pioneer Girl Project (pioneergirlproject.org) in scope for this engagement?

The Pioneer Girl Project (pioneergirlprject.org) is a microsite that is housed on our press website but run on wordpress.com. We would like to have a tab on the website that would auto-redirect to the WordPress blog.

51. Will the Press site require the same branding as the overall Historical Society? Is there any plan for a design refresh separate from this project?

The Historical Society is a different website than the Press website. The scope of this project only includes the Press website.

52. Roughly how many products/SKUs are in the current store, and does migration include order history and customer accounts, or only the product catalog and site content?

There are roughly 400 products in the current store. Our current site does not store order history and customer accounts; we use QuickBooks for that. We are hoping to establish this on the new website.

53. Does the store sell digital goods or journal subscriptions/downloads alongside physical books?

If so, must the new site manage subscriptions, fulfillment, or digital entitlement/access?

Yes, digital books are sold (Kindle) and access delivered through the website. Individual journals are sold and PDFs of the entire journal run except for the most recent three years are housed on the website for researchers to download at their discretion (free to all interested parties). Subscriptions are handled by a different division of the State Historical Society.

54. Section 4.2.3 requires integration with the State's OAuth 2.0 SSO (with MFA for admins). For public store customers, is customer login also expected to route through State SSO, or should shoppers use a separate store account system (guest checkout plus store accounts)?

Public users are required to login through State SSO (mySD)

55. Regarding embedded translation: which languages must be supported, and is machine translation acceptable or is human-reviewed translation required?

Machine Translation is acceptable

56. Regarding microsite creation: what's the use case here for a single Press site? Campaign landing pages, author/book microsites, or something else?

We run a blog outside of the website, the Pioneer Girl Project, which would be our only microsite. Each book has its own “page” on the website, which is where the point of sale is located for that book.

57. Section 1.2.1 – Background: The RFP references the website as currently operating on "an outdated platform" but does not identify it. Can the State specify the current content management system (CMS) and, if applicable, e-commerce platform that sdhspress.com is built on, to help scope the content migration approach accurately?

Plone and Stripe

58. In section 4.2.1 the State asks for an explanation of the use of AI related to the solution. Does the State have a preference or guidelines for how AI should or should not be incorporated into the solution?

The vendor should propose how AI can be leverage for the website solution.

59. Content Migration – Section 3.1.10, Page 7

Please provide an inventory or estimated volume of the content and artifacts that must be migrated from the existing legacy platform, including any content types expected to require conversion or remediation.

We have approximately 400 items in our inventory, including: books, journals, documents, and PDFs. We also house media and images for each product, along with media from our blog posts. Approximately ten of our books offer an eBook or audiobook option.

60. Shipping Costs – Section 3.1.6, Page 7

Please clarify the source or methodology that should be used to calculate and automatically update shipping costs after a customer enters an address.

These come through a third party integration: Tax Jar for sales tax and USPS for shipping. We currently use only USPS for shipping.

61. Stripe Integration – Section 3.5, Page 7 Please clarify the expected scope of the Stripe integration and whether the State will provide the existing Stripe account, credentials, API access, and related configuration required for integration.

Whatever is needed for the integration will be provided. Stripe is integrated at every point of sale on the website.

62. Microsites – Sections 1.2.3 and 3.1.4 Please clarify the anticipated number and scope of microsites to be created under this project.

We only anticipate on having one microsite, although it is already created, we just need it featured on the new website.

63. Hosting Options – Sections 4.1 and 6; Exhibit E Please confirm whether Offerors are required to submit both Vendor Hosted and State On-

Premises proposals, with State Cloud Hosted/PaaS required only when applicable, or whether Offerors may submit only the hosting option they recommend.

The State is accepting proposals for both state and/or vendor hosted solutions.

64. Maintenance and Support – Sections 3.3.2 and 5.13

Please clarify the required duration and expected service levels for post-implementation maintenance and support, including any required response or resolution times.

The Vendor should propose an SLA.

65. Backup and Recovery – Sections 3.3.3 and 5.13

Please clarify the required backup retention period and recovery expectations for the website backup, including any required recovery objectives.

The Vendor should propose a backup retention and recovery plan.

66. UAT and Acceptance – Sections 1.2.3, 4.2.15 and Exhibit D

Please clarify the State’s UAT acceptance process, including the criteria for final acceptance and the expected timeframe for State review and approval.

This will be determined and documented in an approved SOW.

67. Training – Section 3.6 Please clarify the expected number of training sessions, intended audience, and approximate number of State staff who should participate in the training.

We have a staff of 5, all of whom will need to be trained in as many sessions as needed.

68. State Agency Support – Section 5.4

Please identify the State resources, personnel, system access, and other support expected to be provided to the selected Offeror during implementation.

This will be determined after proposals are submitted and reviewed.

69. Budget / Contract Value – Section 6 and Exhibit A Is there an established budget, estimated contract value, or maximum funding ceiling for this procurement that Offerors should consider when developing their proposals?

The budget will be determined from the proposals received. Vendors can propose different Cost proposals.

70. Renewal Pricing – Sections 1.13 and 6 Should pricing submitted in the proposal include the three optional one-year renewal periods, including any applicable annual increases?

Yes

71. Additional Work – Section 6.1 Please clarify the process for authorizing and pricing additional work that falls outside the original scope but is not related to the specific non-chargeable circumstances identified in Section 6.1.

Any work that falls outside the original scope or cost proposal shall be negotiated and placed in writing through a contract amendment.

72. Cyber Liability Insurance – Exhibit A and Exhibit D, Section II Exhibit A specifies a $1,000,000 cyber liability insurance limit, while Exhibit D, Section II contains a blank amount for the cyber liability insurance limit. Please confirm which insurance limit should govern the proposal and resulting contract.

Cyber Liability Insurance is standardly set at $3,000,000 but can be negotiated.

73. Service Bureau / Usage Scope – Exhibit D, Section V Please clarify the anticipated scope or volume of use by other State branches, county and its governments, tribal governments, and school districts under the Service Bureau provision.

There will be no use by anyone other than SDHS Press on the administrative side. On the customer side, we hope for widespread usage from all these groups.

74. What was the annual spend under the previous contract for these services?

Following the construction of the website in 2016, services were paid as needed. There was no retainer.

75. If this is a new contract, what is the estimated annual budget?

Annual maintenance budget should be separate from website construction on the cost proposal. The budget will be determined from the proposals received. Vendors can propose different Cost proposals.

76. Will the work be performed onsite or remotely?

Remotely.

77. Would it be possible to consider a 1–2 week extension to the proposal submission deadline?

No there will not be an extension.

78. Is this contract intended for a single vendor or for multiple vendors?

A single vendor.

79. Who is the current or previous incumbent vendor for these services?

The State will not be releasing that information.

80. Are there any challenges, gaps, or pain points with the current solution or contractor that the agency is looking to address through this procurement?

The State will not be releasing that information.

81. Is there a projected contract award date and anticipated start date?

See Section 1.3 and 1.13.

82. Does the permit the use of offshore resources for any phase of this project, including design, development, migration, or 24/7 technical support? It should be noted that incorporating offshore development and support can provide substantial value through cost optimization and the ability to offer "round-the-sun" (24/7) support. This ensures that system maintenance and technical troubleshooting can occur outside of standard business hours, minimizing downtime for users.

See Section XLVII in Exhibit D.