721- 26037 Website Design Services - UMAC

The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a digital agency to redesign and consolidate core university websites through a Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 721-26037 for Website Design Services. The project encompasses redesigning and migrating three primary sites (utexas.edu, president.utexas.edu, and provost.utexas.edu) into a single consolidated WordPress platform, with the admissions.utexas.edu site included in discovery and design phases. The scope involves three main phases: Discovery (stakeholder interviews and strategic documentation), Design (visual identity and content strategy), and Development/Deployment/Content Migration (WordPress theme development and content migration of approximately 500 pages). Qualified agencies must demonstrate experience with complex digital projects, preferably in higher education, and adhere to WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility standards with a minimum 92.5% accessibility score. Proposals must be submitted by February 13, 2026, at 2:30 PM CST via the University Procurement Portal, with a pre-proposal meeting scheduled for January 28, 2026, at 12:00 PM CST. The evaluation will be conducted on best value criteria weighted as follows: Respondent Qualifications (25%), Quality of Proposed Services/Methodology (25%), Ability to Meet University Needs (20%), Price Proposal (15%), and Staffing Resources (15%).

The procurement includes a Veteran Heroes United in Business (VetHUB) Subcontracting Plan requirement, as the contract value is expected to exceed $100,000, which mandates good faith efforts to include service-disabled veteran-owned businesses in subcontracting opportunities. The contract term is anticipated to be up to two years with one optional renewal year. Pricing must be submitted as a firm fixed cost inclusive of travel and living expenses, with separate pricing for admissions work and additional content work. Contractors must comply with extensive information security requirements based on NIST frameworks and Texas Government Code standards, including multi-factor authentication, data encryption, and annual security risk assessments. The University requires comprehensive documentation, including Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) and detailed security compliance evidence. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the complexity of the project and the multi-phase approach suggest a significant investment in website redesign and consolidation. Proposers must also be prepared to integrate with existing University systems and meet stringent accessibility and security requirements.