Request for Proposals

RRCC 26-14-RFP01

Website Redesign, Development and Migration

Posted: April 10, 2026

RFP Summary Sheet

The information found in this summary sheet is for reference purposes only. Vendors or other interested parties are cautioned to review the solicitation, including any later amendments, in its entirety and contact the listed Point of Contact with any questions.

1. Point of Contact- Lynn Beltran, Director of Purchasing, lynn.beltran@rrcc.edu

2. Important Dates:

A. Publication Date- April 10, 2026

B. Deadline for Questions- April 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM

C. Proposal Submission Deadline- May 12, 2026 at 10:00 AM

3. Overview and Goals:

A. RRCC seeks a strategic web development partner to assess the current site, recommend the most effective path forward (enhance the existing platform or rebuild on a new CMS), and execute the chosen approach with an emphasis on an improved user interface, maintainability, and accessibility.

4. Requested Proposal Format- Additional Information found in Section 5

5. Proposal Submission Instructions- Appendix A, Section 2

A. Responses must be submitted through BidNet Direct. Emailed proposals not accepted.

B. Ensure all requested attachments are included.

C. Responses received after the submission deadline shall not be opened and shall be rejected as a late response, unless otherwise permitted by the procurement official in accordance with Procurement Rule R-24-103-201-10.

Vendor Response Signature Page

RRCC 26-14-RFP01

Website Redesign, Development and Migration

VENDORS: See the solicitation document below for the response deadline and other response submission information and requirements.

Vendors responding to this solicitation must fill out this page in its entirety, sign and return with vendor’s response. This page must bear a physical or electronic signature, as electronic signature is defined in the "Uniform Electronic Transactions Act", section 24-71.3-102 (8), evincing an intent by the vendor to be bound by its response. Failure to do so may disqualify the vendor response.

The undersigned understands and agrees that misrepresentation made in this response and/or subsequent discussions or information presented to the State may be deemed sufficient cause for the refusal by the State to execute a contract as a result, and that that later discovery of any omission or misrepresentation made in the solicitation response and/or subsequent discussions or information presented to the State may be grounds for the cancellation of an existing contract.

LEGAL COMPANY NAME (OFFEROR): _____________________________

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

SIGNER’S NAME: _____________________

TITLE: _____________________________

PHONE NUMBER: _____________________

EMAIL: _____________________________

Award notice will be posted on ColoradoVSS. Please provide your VSS ID#, if known: __________________________

CONTACT FOR CLARIFICATIONS

NAME: ___________________________

TITLE: ___________________________

PHONE: _______________________

EMAIL: ______________________

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

A. General Information B. Background C. Overview and Goals D. Sole Point of Contact E. Schedule of Activities F. Pre-Proposal Meeting G. Start Date H. Anticipated Contract Term

2. OFFEROR’S EXPERIENCE AND PERSONNEL

A. Organizational Experience B. Organizational Personnel

3. REQUIREMENTS

A. Accessibility Requirements B. Insurance Requirements C. Mandatory Requirements

4. Scope of Work A. Scope of Work and Deliverables

5. REQUESTED PROPOSAL FORMAT

6. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

A. Evaluation Process B. Evaluation Committee C. Proposal Evaluation Criteria D. Demonstrations and Discussions E. Single proposal F. Award

Appendix A - Administrative Information

Appendix B - Vendor Disclosure Statement

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1. INTRODUCTION

A. General Information

On behalf of the State of Colorado, Red Rocks Community College (RRCC), a member of the Colorado Community College System, is issuing this Request for

Proposals seeking a strategic web development partner to assess the current site, recommend the most effective path forward (enhance the existing platform or rebuild on a new CMS), and execute the chosen approach with an emphasis on an improved user interface, maintainability, and accessibility.

B. Background

Red Rocks Community College (RRCC), with campuses in Lakewood and Arvada, Colorado, serves a diverse student body with a wide range of academic and workforce programs designed to support transfer, career readiness, and lifelong learning. The College’s website (www.rrcc.edu) is the college’s primary digital front door, providing information on admissions, programs, student services, community engagement, and more. The site’s primary audience is current and future students. The site is also used by faculty and staff, employers, and other community partners. The site offers a broad array of resources and has grown complex over time.

C. Overview and Goals

i. The awarded vendor will assess the current site, recommend the most effective path forward (enhance the existing platform or rebuild on a new

CMS), and execute the chosen approach with an emphasis on an improved user interface, maintainability, and accessibility. If the current site is kept, the project will include rebuilding components whose source code is inaccessible, improving key functionality, and establishing a sustainable maintenance model. While the College likes elements of the current site, we are seeking recommendations and improvements in structure and organization.

http://www.rrcc.edu/

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ii. Upon launch RRCC will assume content maintenance and ownership of all code and assets; the selected vendor will provide transition support and may propose hosting or recommend a hosting solution.

iii. Project Objectives

• Transfer/Rebuild Objectives:

o Evaluate the current site and recommend best path forward, including best CMS for current needs.

o If recommended, transfer the site from Drupal to a new content management system.

o Rebuild all or part of the site.

• Functionality Objectives:

o All functionality enhancements should follow mobile-first and accessibility-first design principles to ensure an inclusive, high-performing experience for all users.

o Enhance site functionality, including site architecture and search performance.

o Develop and implement new functionality in priority areas including an integrated calendar system and other tools that support user needs.

• Ongoing Services Objectives:

o Provide continuous technical support, maintenance, and updates to ensure the website remains secure, reliable, accessible, and aligned with best practices.

• Optional Hosting Objective:

o Offer secure, reliable, and scalable hosting services.

iv. RRCC’s goal with regard to these objectives is that:

• Prospective students can more easily find programs, admissions information, and next steps, with fewer dead ends.

• Publishing is safer and more scalable, with clear roles, permissions, and approvals.

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• Critical communications work reliably (alerts, closures, urgent messaging).

• The site remains stable after launch, with defined support, security, accessibility, and performance expectations.

• The site is organized around user tasks and student journeys, not the

College’s internal organizational structure.

• All content and functionality is equitably accessible to users with disabilities and users with limited English proficiency.

D. Sole Point of Contact

i. The State’s sole point of contact for this solicitation is Lynn Beltran, Director of Purchasing. Email is the preferred method of communication:

Lynn.beltran@rrcc.edu.

ii. The individual listed above is the sole point of contact for this solicitation.

Initiating contact with anyone other than this individual may result in Offeror disqualification.

E. Schedule of Activities

iii. This Schedule of Activities is for information and planning purposes only.

Schedules for Activities listed as “Estimated” may be subject to change depending on the needs of the State. All times are considered in Mountain

Time (MT), as adjusted for daylight savings.

iv. The date of publication for this solicitation on Colorado VSS is April 10, 2026.

a. Written inquiries must be submitted to Lynn.beltran@rrcc.edu no later than April 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Reference the Bid Number and Title in the subject line of the email.

b. The estimated date for the State’s responses to vendors’ written inquiries to be published on Colorado VSS is April 29, 2026.

c. All proposals must be submitted in the method described in Appendix A, Section 2.I. Administrative Information no later than May 12, 2026 at

10:00 AM.

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d. A public opening of the proposals will be held via WebEx on May 12, 2026, at 11:00 AM. So that RRCC can plan for attendance, if an Offeror wishes to attend the public proposal opening, please send an email to the Procurement Contact to RSVP at least one day prior to the date of the public proposal opening and include the name and email for the person who will attend. RRCC will respond to the attendee with a link to the meeting.

e. The estimated date for demonstrations from selected proposers, if needed, is June 16, 2026.

f. The estimated date for the publication of an Intent to Award on

Colorado VSS is June 24, 2026.

F. Pre-Proposal Meeting

This solicitation will not have a pre-proposal meeting.

G. Start Date

The desired Contract or Purchase Order start date is the earlier of the contract execution date or July 1, 2026.

H. Anticipated Contract Term

i. The initial term of the awarded Contract is anticipated to begin on July 1, 2026 and end on June 30, 2026. This Contract may be renewed for up to four (4) additional one-year periods at the sole discretion of the State. The total duration of the Contract, including all options, is not anticipated to exceed five (5) years.

ii. The State may extend the Contract beyond the anticipated term in accordance with the Colorado Procurement Code, and in the event that the

State determines an extension is necessary.

iii. The State may, within its sole discretion, choose not to exercise any option or extension term in the Contract for any reason. If the State chooses not to exercise any option or extension term, it may re-procure the goods and/or services in its sole discretion.

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2. OFFEROR’S EXPERIENCE AND PERSONNEL

A. Organizational Experience

i. Provide a detailed narrative describing your firm’s experience with a minimum of three (3) projects of similar size and scope in the past five (5) years. Experience with higher education and community colleges preferred.

B. Organizational Personnel

i. Provide a narrative description of the organization and capabilities of the project team and a personnel roster that identifies each person who will actually work on the contract.

3. REQUIREMENTS

A. Accessibility Requirements

All work performed as a result of this solicitation must comply with all applicable provisions of §§24-85-101, et seq., C.R.S., and the Accessibility Standards for

Individuals with a Disability, as established by the Office Of Information

Technology pursuant to Section §24-85-103 (2.5), C.R.S. and 3) all State of

Colorado technology standards related to technology accessibility and with Web

Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA standards, incorporated in the State of Colorado technology standards.

B. Insurance Requirements

The awarded Offeror will be required to submit a certificate(s) of insurance evidencing insurance coverage for, at minimum, the types and amounts of insurance as required by the Insurance provision in the Contract or Purchase Order

Terms and Conditions, included in this solicitation as an attachment, prior to execution of the Contract or Purchase Order.

C. Data Privacy & FERPA:

To the extent the website collects, stores, or transmits student data—including form submissions, behavioral analytics, or authenticated sessions—the vendor must disclose all third-party tools and services that will receive or process student data, and provide a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) prior to contract execution. The vendor is responsible for ensuring that all systems and integrations implemented

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 7 of 24 under this contract are configured in a manner consistent with FERPA and applicable state data privacy laws.

D. Mandatory Requirements

Mobile-first, accessibility, and security requirements are mandatory components of the project.

4. SCOPE OF WORK

A. General Scope of Work and Deliverables

This Scope of Work describes the deliverables sought through this RFP and the scope of what the awarded Offeror will be expected to offer through the contract resulting from this RFP. The Scope of Work is intended to provide interested

Offeror’s with sufficient basic information to submit a proposal. It is not intended to limit a proposal’s content or exclude any relevant or essential data.

B. Detailed Scope of Work

RRCC seeks a qualified vendor to assess, recommend, and implement a path forward for the college’s primary website (www.rrcc.edu) with the goal of improving user experience and site performance, and operational manageability.

The selected vendor will evaluate whether to enhance the existing Drupal implementation or migrate to a new CMS, propose a phased approach for migration or rebuild, execute the agreed plan, and deliver ongoing technical maintenance and support to ensure the site remains secure, reliable, accessible, and easy to manage. RRCC prefers to retain the current visual identity where feasible;

however, discovery may identify targeted design refinements that improve usability.

RRCC anticipates the possibility of a brand refresh occurring during or following this project, though no timeline has been confirmed. Should a brand refresh be initiated, updates to the visual design system, templates, or style guide to reflect new brand standards will be treated as a change to scope and subject to a separate cost and timeline agreement. Vendors should describe in their proposals how they would accommodate a mid-project or post-launch brand update, V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 8 of 24 including any design system or component-based architecture decisions that would minimize rework.

The vendor’s scope will include assessment, content strategy and cleanup, rebuilding components with inaccessible source code, functionality enhancements, testing, launch support, and a documented handover to RRCC.

Services will include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Project administration

• Establish a project manager to serve as liaison between RRCC project lead and the vendor to keep the website project on track.

• Establish a mutually satisfactory cadence of progress reports.

• Establish a timeline to complete the project.

• Agree on go-live criteria, including individual(s) (role(s)) who will provide final approval for launch readiness and go-live.

2. Discovery & Design

RRCC expects the discovery and design work to include the following components.

Should the vendor believe that one or more of these components are unnecessary to fulfill the project objectives, the vendor should provide a full explanation.

• Confirm audiences, objectives, graphic look and feel, navigation, site marketing, technology issues and assumptions, required functionality, phasing, and budgetary constraints, resulting in a creative brief.

• Develop a clear list of criteria by which project success will be measured.

• Provide a formal content audit mapping the current site and identifying what should migrate, what needs rewriting, and what can be archived.

• Develop and present interactive wireframes using a mobile-first viewport to illustrate content positioning and interaction within the site.

• Create new page designs, template pages, and UX models as needed.

• Lead a technical integration audit in collaboration with RRCC staff, who will provide documentation and access to existing systems. The vendor will conduct

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 9 of 24 structured discovery sessions with RRCC to identify all third-party integrations— including but not limited to student information systems (e.g., Banner), CRM platforms (e.g., Slate, Salesforce), learning management systems (e.g., Canvas), payment processors, analytics platforms, and marketing automation tools—and produce a formal integration map documenting connections, data flows, and dependencies. This inventory must be completed and approved by

RRCC before any migration plan is finalized.

• RRCC will provide existing or newly developed user personas and student journey documentation prior to the start of design and architecture work. The vendor is responsible for translating this institutional knowledge into concrete design decisions—including navigation structure, content hierarchy, information architecture, and calls to action—and for documenting how each major design decision maps to the personas and journey stages provided. The vendor will conduct technical validation exercises, as per next point, to confirm that design decisions serve RRCC’s defined audiences. If RRCC does not have existing personas, the vendor will recommend a lightweight research approach for RRCC to execute and will incorporate findings once available.

• Design, facilitate, and analyze user research exercises with representative users (minimum 10 participants recruited with RRCC’s assistance) to validate proposed navigation structures before wireframes are finalized. Produce a written findings report and a recommended navigation architecture grounded in the results. Navigation must be organized around user tasks and goals—not institutional department or org chart structure—minimizing decision fatigue and dead ends for prospective students. The validated navigation architecture must be approved by RRCC before development begins.

• Assess the technical feasibility of CMS-level multilingual support, including options for translated content management, language switching, and integration with translation services or tools. Produce a written options analysis—including implementation complexity, cost implications, and equity considerations for each approach—for RRCC’s review and decision. The vendor

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 10 of 24 will implement the approach selected by RRCC. Strategy and content decisions related to multilingual support are owned by RRCC.

• Lead an analytics audit during Discovery, using access to RRCC’s analytics platform(s) provided by RRCC staff. The vendor will document what is currently being tracked, confirm the analytics platform(s) in use, identify gaps in event tracking, and produce a documented data layer specification for implementation. RRCC will confirm platform access and validate findings before the data layer specification is finalized.

3. Website Transfer and Rebuild

• Recommend whether (or not) to transfer to a new content management system

(e.g., WordPress). The current site is built on Drupal.

• Migrate the site content from Drupal to WordPress or other CMS, if recommended. Vendor will provide a migration plan that maps existing content types to new CMS models, identifies content to archive, and includes a dry run-migration and rollback plan.

• Provide a documented inventory and continuity plan, in the migration plan, for all third-party integrations identified during the technical audit. For each integration, the vendor will specify whether it will be re-implemented, replaced, or deprecated, and provide a testing protocol to confirm functionality post-migration.

• Rebuild the site or at least certain components/functions for which source code is not accessible.

• Provide separate role-based training for content editors and administrators, with recorded walkthroughs as a backup reference.

• Provide a plain-language CMS guide for content editors covering the most common day-to-day tasks, distinct from a technical admin manual.

• Maintain a staging environment that mirrors production throughout the project and maintenance period. All changes must be validated in staging before deployment to production. The vendor will document the deployment workflow and environment configuration.

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• The content audit will inventory all PDFs accessible from the site and identify those that are high-traffic or student-facing. The vendor will recommend a prioritized remediation approach—including whether high-priority content should be converted to accessible web pages—and provide a timeline and ownership framework for ongoing PDF accessibility.

4. Improved Functionality

RRCC has identified the following improvements it would like to make in the functionality of its website. RRCC anticipates others being identified during discovery. The vendor will provide advice on optimal timing and order of these improvements.

a) Functionality Item 1. User Roles and Approval Workflow

Objective: Implement a tiered system of user roles tailored to different levels of access and responsibilities. Introduce an approval workflow to ensure quality control and consistency across all published content. Include a user-friendly dashboard to manage edits and approvals efficiently.

b) Functionality Item 2. Site-Wide Alerts System

Objective: Improve the look and flexibility of an alert system that enables communicating urgent and ongoing information to website visitors: emergency or major alerts and notices or informational alerts. Alerts should be customizable, allow for full descriptions, optionally include links, and be targeted to specific pages or site wide as needed.

c) Functionality item 3. Enhanced Calendar

Objective: Revamp the existing calendar system to improve usability, visibility, and integration across the site. The goal is to create a centralized, flexible, and easy-to-manage calendar that dynamically feeds important and timely event content to the homepage, department/program pages, and the main calendar hub. It should also support intuitive filtering and feature relevant calls to action.

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d) Functionality Item 4. Spotlight Component

Objective: Create a flexible, reusable Spotlight Component for highlighting short-form content such as student or staff testimonials, stories, or quotes.

This component should be able to function across individual pages as needed and also feed into a dedicated Spotlight landing page that aggregates all stories. It must support various content states (quote only, full story, with or without photo) and allow for visual polish through animation or interaction.)

e) Functionality Item 5. Search

Objective: Improve the site’s search function to ensure prospective and current students can reliably find programs, courses, and services. The redesigned search experience must support meaningful filtering and refinement options to help users narrow results without dead ends and must perform consistently on mobile devices. The vendor will assess current search limitations during Discovery and recommend an approach, including whether search should surface content from integrated systems such as the course catalog.

f) Functionality Item 6. Navigation and calls to action that support strategic enrollment management

Objective: Improve the site’s navigation, headers and calls to action based on identified user and student journeys.

The vendor will design navigation and CTA architecture around the primary prospective student lifecycle stages. For each stage, the vendor will identify:

(a) the key questions a student is trying to answer; (b) the content or tools that answer those questions; and (c) the CTA that moves the student to the next stage. This framework must be documented and validated through usability testing before final implementation.

g) Additional Functionality Items

In addition to the six items described above, RRCC anticipates recommendations from the vendor stemming from discovery and other

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 13 of 24 functionality improvements or enhancements becoming apparent during the process. Vendors should include in their proposal a clear pricing model or rate structure for such work. This should outline hourly rates, unit costs, or other applicable fee arrangements, as well as any minimum charges or conditions.

The College seeks transparency in how these costs will be calculated to ensure predictability and fairness in budgeting for future enhancements.

5. Ongoing Maintenance and Support

The selected vendor will provide ongoing technical maintenance and support for

Red Rocks Community College’s website to ensure reliability, security, and optimal user experience. Services will include, but are not limited to, the following:

a) Security & Compliance

• Apply regular updates and patches to the content management system

(CMS), plugins, and frameworks.

• Monitor for vulnerabilities, malware, and unauthorized access attempts.

• Manage SSL certificates and ensure secure connections.

• Conduct periodic accessibility audits to maintain compliance with WCAG

2.2 Level AA and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Audits will include both automated scanning and manual testing using screen readers and results and remediation timelines will be reported to RRCC quarterly.

• Ensure all video content published to the site includes accurate closed captions. Pre-recorded video with meaningful visual content must include audio descriptions or a text transcript. The CMS must support or integrate with a captioning workflow; the vendor will recommend and implement a solution for managing caption accuracy and updates.

• Provide a current Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or equivalent Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) documenting conformance with WCAG 2.2 Level AA and Section 508, at launch and upon request during the maintenance period.

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b) Performance & Reliability

• Optimize site speed through caching, image compression, and code minification.

• Monitor uptime and server response times, with alerts for outages.

• Ensure mobile responsiveness across devices and browsers.

• Perform routine backups and verify recovery processes.

• Meet or exceed the following performance benchmarks at launch and throughout the maintenance period: (a) Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) ≤

2.5s; (b) Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) ≤ 0.1; (c) Interaction to Next Paint

(INP) ≤ 200ms; (d) Mobile PageSpeed Insights score of 80 or above. These benchmarks will be validated at launch and included in quarterly performance reports.

• Provide a minimum 99.5% monthly uptime Service Level Agreement (SLA) for all hosted services, with documented escalation and incident response procedures. Planned maintenance windows must be communicated to RRCC no less than 5 business days in advance.

c) Technical Functionality

• Identify and repair broken links, redirects, and navigation issues.

• Test and maintain forms, search tools, and interactive features.

• Update and manage integrations with third-party systems (e.g., CRMs, analytics, payment gateways).

• Ensure APIs and data feeds remain functional and current.

d) Monitoring & Reporting

• Provide regular reports on site performance, traffic, and security status.

• Track analytics to identify usability issues and recommend improvements

(see also “Deliverables” below).

• Conduct SEO health checks, including sitemap updates and metadata reviews.

e) User Experience & Design Consistency

• Test site layout and functionality across major browsers and devices.

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• Ensure branding and design elements remain consistent throughout the site.

• Review accessibility features such as alt text, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility.

6. Deliverables

a) The selected vendor will be expected to provide the following deliverables.

Should a vendor believe that one or more of the items are not compatible with project objectives, the vendor should include in their proposal a full explanation of why the itme is not included in the proposal:

• Detailed project plan and timeline.

• Documentation of currently tracked metrics, confirmed analytics platform(s), identified gaps in event tracking, and a data layer specification for implementation including event tracking for key actions such as program page visits, search use, and application starts. Where applicable, a migration plan for historical analytics data.

• Functional rebuilt website, including confirmation that all content and functionality have been successfully moved to either a new hosting site or a new CMS and hosting site. To include analytics configuration—event tracking for key actions such as program page visits, search use, and application starts.

• Wireframes and design mockups (for any rebuilt portions of the website or new functionality enhancements)

• Three to five KPIs agreed to by vendor and RRCC at kickoff, tied to the success criteria established during Discovery and Design.

• Rebuilt Components – Updated portions of the site identified in the Scope of Work.

• Functionality Enhancements – Implementation of new or improved features as requested, with clear descriptions of how they operate within the CMS.

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• Testing & Quality Assurance Reports – Evidence of cross-browser, mobile responsiveness, and accessibility compliance testing.

• A dedicated accessibility testing report demonstrating both scanning and manual testing using screen readers and keyboard-only navigation. The vendor will specify tools used in their proposal. The acceptance threshold for launch is zero critical (Level A) WCAG violations and no unmitigated

Level AA violations without a documented remediation plan. Where feasible, testing will include participants who use assistive technologies.

• Usability testing is required prior to finalizing navigation and information architecture decisions. The vendor will conduct moderated or unmoderated testing with a minimum of 5 representative users, focusing on task completion rates for core student journeys (e.g., finding a program, starting an application, locating financial aid information). Results and all remediation actions will be documented and approved by RRCC before development begins. Additional usability testing at later project phases

(e.g., individual page templates, functionality enhancements) is at RRCC’s discretion and may be scoped separately.

• User guides and/or admin guides, to include a content governance guide written for Marketing & Communications staff—covering editorial standards, URL conventions, image guidelines, and who owns what. Also, a plain-language CMS guide for content editors covering the most common day-to-day tasks, distinct from a technical admin manual.

• Content governance model guide to include a tiered content ownership model distinguishing high-traffic student-facing pages (subject to Marketing

& Communications review) from internal/operational pages. The vendor will provide documented criteria and a recommended workflow for identifying and archiving stale or outdated content, to be operationalized by RRCC staff after launch.

• A post-launch baseline report 30 to 60 days after go-live, before the maintenance phase formally begins.

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• Maintenance schedule, reporting framework, and Reports – Regular summaries of updates, patches, performance monitoring, and security checks.

• Source Code & Repository Transfer: At project close, the vendor will transfer all custom source code to a controlled repository under RRCC ownership. Documentation must include deployment procedures, environment configurations, and a dependency manifest. RRCC must always have full administrative access to the repository throughout the project.

• SEO Audit & Redirect Map — A baseline SEO audit completed during

Discovery documenting current organic search performance, top-performing pages by traffic, existing keyword rankings for priority programs, and technical SEO health. A companion redirect map documenting all URL changes resulting from migration or content archiving, implemented before launch and validated post-launch. SEO implications must be considered in all content archiving and URL structure decisions.

b) For technical deliverables, RRCC will perform acceptance testing within 10 business days; deliverables are accepted when all critical defects are resolved or a mutually agreed remediation plan is in place.

c) For accessibility deliverables specifically, acceptance requires zero critical

WCAG Level A violations and no unmitigated Level AA violations at launch. Any known issues at the time of launch must be accompanied by a documented remediation plan with assigned owners and target dates.

7. Timeline & Milestones

RRCC anticipates that the migration of the existing website to a new content management system, along with the rebuilding of designated portions and the addition of new functionality, will be completed within six to twelve months of contract award, depending on whether the website must be rebuilt. The following milestones are provided as a framework and may be refined in collaboration with the selected vendor:

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• Project Kickoff (Month 1): Initial planning, requirements gathering, and confirmation of scope.

• Migration Planning & Setup (Months 1–3): Technical preparation, CMS configuration, and migration strategy finalized.

• Technical integration audit and persona/journey research completed and approved by RRCC before architecture and wireframes begin.

• Content Migration & Rebuild (Months 3–8): Transfer of existing site content, rebuilding of identified sections, and integration of new functionality.

• User research exercises completed and validated navigation architecture approved by RRCC before development begins.

• Testing & Quality Assurance (Months 8–10): Cross-browser, mobile, and accessibility testing; security and performance validation.

• Usability testing with representative end users and assistive technology users must be completed and remediated before launch approval.

• Final Adjustments & Launch (Months 10–12): Resolution of issues, user training, and official transition to the new CMS.

• Knowledge Transfer (Month 11): A formal knowledge transfer period of 2 to

4 weeks with a readiness check-in before contract close.

• Ongoing Maintenance & Support (Months 1–12): Continuous monitoring, updates, and technical support throughout the project year.

At the conclusion of the initial six to twelve-month period, the College may renew the contract for continued maintenance and support services. The timeline above is intended as a guide; the College will work with the selected vendor to finalize specific dates and deliverables to ensure flexibility and alignment with project needs. Vendor should include a bid for continued maintenance and support in the proposal.

5. REQUESTED PROPOSAL FORMAT

Proposals should cover the following areas, with an emphasis on how these areas relate to the evaluation criteria listed in this Request for Proposals. Please format Proposals as a single PDF document with tab sections as outlined below and no more than 50 pages not including administrative documents. Only proposals submitted via BidNet http://www.bidnetdirect.com/

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Direct (www.bidnetdirect.com) will be accepted. Please note that the BidNet site may may reference the Colorado Community College System instead of Red Rocks

Community College. See Appendix A Administrative Information, Section 2 Offeror

Proposal Information for more details.

A. Tab A – Administrative Documents

i. Signed Vendor Response Signature Page

ii. Completed W-9

iii. Vendor Disclosure Statement (Appendix B)

B. Tab B - Demonstrated Experience and Capabilities

i. Offeror’s Response- Offeror shall describe how the Offeror’s experience and capabilities make it the ideal candidate to perform the work. Describe experience with similar projects and provide examples or links to similar work performed. Include experience with higher education and other community colleges, if any. Reference Section 2.A. above of this solicitation regarding the desired organizational experience.

ii. Offeror’s Response- Offeror shall indicate key personnel who will be assigned to the project and describe their experience. Reference Section 2.B. above of this solicitation regarding the desired organizational personnel.

C. Tab C - Management Plan

i. Provide your management plan, including handoff and training experience and the ongoing support model (response time expectations, post-launch support window, SLA terms).

ii. Provide your proposed timelines and overall approach.

D. Tab D - Technical/Business Proposal

Offeror’s Response- Offeror shall describe how they will accomplish the Scope of

Work detailed in this solicitation and shall include the following:

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i. Identify any pertinent issues and potential problems. Identify any risks and how to mitigate them.

ii. Address the ability to meet any required technical requirements including:

• Your ability to provide all deliverables.

• Your discovery and UX methodology - how you conduct research and whether you test with real users.

• Your approach and experience in Drupal migration (if recommended) and experience with WordPress or headless CMS.

• Your mobile-first and accessibility approach—your methodology and process, not just portfolio outcomes.

• Your ability to meet WCAG2.2 accessibility and Section 508 compliance.

E. Tab E - Cost Proposal

Offerors shall submit with their proposals the proposed pricing that supports their response to the Scope of Work. The price proposal shall include your company’s pricing models and pricing narrative. Proposers shall outline pricing models and include a detailed pricing narrative that justifies its rates. Include a breakdown by milestone, if applicable. Differentiate between deliverables and milestones. The pricing narrative should explain how your company has structured its costs and how it proposes to charge the state for the work. Pricing must include all annual and one-time expenses, fees, materials and administrative costs for each year of the contract term.

F. Tab F – References

Provide a minimum of three (3) current or former clients where work has been performed within the last five years who may be contacted with respect to your firm’s reputation for high quality of work, responsibility and efficiency. Include the name, address and telephone number of the executive in each organization who can speak knowledgeably about the quality, timeliness and cost of your work.

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 21 of 24

G. Tab G – Confidential Information

Requests for confidential Information may be included in this section. It is also acceptable to provide this Tab G as a separate folder. Note that commingling of confidential and non-confidential information is not acceptable and the proposal may not be considered confidential in its entirety. Neither price information nor any information that will be included in a resulting Contract will be considered confidential. See Appendix A, Section 2.H for details.

H. Tab H – Exceptions or modifications to the Draft Contract terms

The standard terms and conditions in the State Model Contract shall govern this procurement and are hereby incorporated by reference. Vendors must submit any requested changes to the state’s contract template in redline format with their proposal. Please note that the section of the Contract identified as the Colorado

Special Provisions are considered non-negotiable.

• The state does not agree to accept any requested changes to the state’s contract template and will only consider changes proposed by potential vendors. While the state will work with a potential vendor on requested changes, none are guaranteed. Additionally, Vendors are cautioned that modifications to any of the provisions in the State Contract Template as well as other standard state exhibits, are considered to constitute an increased risk as well as increased costs to the State. Therefore, Vendor’s noted exceptions may be considered in any evaluation. The state will not accept or consider any requests to modify the Colorado Special Provisions, and the state reserves the right to deem proposals as unresponsive if this request is made.

• Any changes requested to the State Model Contract or Exhibits accompanying this solicitation will constitute an increased timeline to contract execution as approvals may need to be obtained by multiple RRCC departments. Therefore, any requested changes may take several weeks to review.

• If no exceptions are noted, Vendor indicates their intent to accept the State of

Colorado Terms and Conditions as-is.

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 22 of 24

I. Tab I – Acknowledgement that an acceptable VPAT demonstrating compliance with all requirements in the RFP document will be required prior to launch of the final website.

Include a statement acknowledging the requirement to provide an acceptable

VPAT prior to launch and your ability to do so.

6. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

A. Evaluation Process

A comprehensive, thorough, complete and impartial evaluation of each proposal received will be conducted in accordance with §24-103-203(7), C.R.S, which states, “The award shall be made to the responsible Offeror whose proposal is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to the state, taking into consideration the price and evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposal.”

B. Evaluation Committee

i. An Evaluation Committee will be established utilizing measures to ensure the integrity of the evaluation process. These measures include the following:

a. Selecting committee members who do not have a conflict of interest regarding this solicitation.

b. Facilitating the independent review of proposals.

c. Requiring the evaluation of the proposals to be based strictly on the content of the proposals.

d. Ensuring the fair and impartial treatment of all Offerors.

ii. The objective of the Evaluation Committee is to conduct reviews of the proposals that have been submitted, to hold frank and detailed discussions among themselves, and to recommend an Offeror for award.

C. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

i. The State will evaluate proposals to determine if each Offeror meets all mandatory qualification requirements; provided, however, that the State has the authority to waive non-material mandatory requirements in certain

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 23 of 24 circumstances. Reference Procurement Rule R-24-103-301-03. The mandatory qualification requirements are scored on a Met/Not Met basis and only those proposals found to meet all mandatory requirements, other than non-material mandatory requirements waived by the State, can be considered for a

Contract resulting from this solicitation.

ii. Proposals will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee using the evaluation criteria listed below. The evaluators will consider whether the Scope of Work requirements in the solicitation have been addressed, and they will review the capabilities of the Offeror, as well as the quality of the approach proposed, the price, and any other aspect determined relevant to the evaluation criteria.

iii. The evaluation criteria to be used in evaluating the proposals are as follows

(and are listed in no particular order):

Experience and Qualifications

Management Plan

Technical Proposal

Pricing

D. Demonstrations and Discussions

i. The Evaluation Committee may, if it deems necessary, request clarifications, conduct discussions or oral presentations, or request best and final offers. Per

R-24-103-203-03, discussions may be held with responsible offerors whose proposals are determined to be reasonably susceptible to be selected for award to:

a. Promote understanding of the state’s requirements and the offerors’ proposals; and

b. Facilitate a contract that will be most advantageous to the state taking into consideration price and the other evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposals.

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 24 of 24

ii. The Evaluation Committee may adjust its scoring based on the results of such activities. However, proposals may be reviewed and determinations made without such activities. Offerors should be aware that the opportunity for further explanation might not exist; therefore, Offerors should ensure that their submission is complete, and are encouraged to submit their best possible proposal, including pricing.

E. Single proposal

If only one bid or proposal is received in response to a solicitation, an award may be made to the single bidder or offeror if the procurement official finds that the price submitted is fair and reasonable and that other prospective bidders or offerors had reasonable opportunity to respond. Reference Procurement Rule R-

24-103-201-02(d).

F. Award

i. A Notice of Intent to Award will be published on Colorado VSS.

ii. The award determination is ultimately a business decision that will reflect an integrated assessment of the relative merits of the proposals received, using the factors set forth in in this solicitation. The State intends to award

Contract(s) to the Offeror(s) whose proposal(s), conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the State, price and other factors considered.

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 1 of 12

RFP APPENDIX A- ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

1. General Information

A. Cooperative Purchasing

B. Colorado Vendor Self Service

C. Offeror inquiries

D. Modifications and/or Supplemental Information to the Solicitation

E. Public Opening of Proposals

F. Pricing

G. Documents After Award

H. Incurring Costs

I. Confidentiality of Solicitation Process

J. Solicitation cancellation and/or Rejection of Offeror Proposals

K. News Releases and Announcements

L. Protested Solicitations and Award

M. FERPA

2. Offeror proposal information

A. Proposal Submission Deadline

B. General Information for the Proposal Response

C. Timeliness of Proposal Submission

D. Legally Binding Offer

E. Offeror Proposal Content

F. Certification of independent price determination

G. Proposal Response Material Ownership

H. Submission of Confidential or Proprietary Information

I. Online Proposal Submission Instructions

J. Modifications or Withdrawal of Proposals

K. Mistakes and Minor Informalities in Offeror Proposals

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 2 of 12

L. Modifications to State Contract

M. Conflicts of Interest and Ethics

N. Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB)

O. Performance Outside of Colorado or the United States

P. Vendor Assistance

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 3 of 12

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. Cooperative Purchasing

Reserved. Not applicable for this solicitation.

B. Colorado Vendor Self Service

i. This solicitation is being published on Colorado Vendor Self Service (Colorado

VSS), so that Offerors who have an interest may submit a proposal in accordance with the terms of this solicitation.

ii. Vendors can self-register for this system free of charge, or may click on

“Public Access” on the website to view solicitation documents and modifications without registering. Vendors are encouraged but not required to register prior to or at the time they submit their response. The State also recommends that interested vendors check Colorado VSS on a regular basis throughout this solicitation process.

iii. RRCC will require awarded vendors to register with ColoradoVSS.

iv. RRCC is also posting on the Rocky Mountain BidNet Direct system as a secondary posting for submissions. All proposals must be submitted via

BidNet Direct.

C. Offeror inquiries

i. Offerors may submit written inquiries via email concerning this solicitation to obtain clarifications. The State may not accept inquiries after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities. Send all inquiries to the

Procurement Contact identified in the Schedule of Activities within the main body of this RFP. Inquiries must be clearly marked with the RFP number and title. Where appropriate, inquiries should include references to any relevant

Section/paragraph of the solicitation.

ii. Responses to Offeror’s inquiries will be published collectively, as a modification on Colorado VSS. Offerors shall not rely on any verbal statements that alter any specification or other term or condition of the http://www.colorado.gov/vss

V02.2026 RRCC 26-14-RFP01 Page 4 of 12 solicitation. Such changes are valid only if provided in writing by the

Procurement Contact.

D. Modifications and/or Supplemental Information to the Solicitation

i. Any modifications, amendments or supplemental information to the solicitation will be published on Colorado VSS. A modification notice will be published on Colorado VSS in the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this solicitation.

ii. It is the Offeror’s sole responsibility to check Colorado VSS on a regular basis, prior to the proposal submission deadline, as this is the primary means for communicating any clarifications or changes to solicitation content, timeline and/or requirements.

E. Public Opening of Proposals

A public proposal opening will be held virtually. Additional information regarding the public opening, including the date, time, and format of the opening, can be found in the Schedule of Activities within the main body of this RFP.

F. Pricing

i. Proposed pricing must remain firm during the initial term of the Contract.

ii. Pricing must include any fees associated with the delivery of the goods or services, including, but not limited to, shipping and installation.

G. Documents After Award

Prior to Contract execution, the awarded Offeror must provide the State with

Proof of Good Standing with the Colorado Secretary of State and an insurance certificate documenting coverage according to the Model Contract found as an attachment to this solicitation. Offerors do not need to submit these documents unless they are awarded this solicitation.

H. Incurring Costs

Offerors are solely responsible for all costs incurred as a result of responding to…