DPA website and trumpet design and configuration

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Department of Public Advocacy (DPA) issued Request for Proposal 758 2600000258 to procure comprehensive website design, development, and configuration services for two integrated platforms: an external public-facing website and an internal training portal called "The Trumpet." The procurement seeks a single qualified vendor to redesign and maintain both systems, with the external website requiring modern design features including WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility compliance, mobile optimization, SEO enhancements, interactive elements such as a clickable Kentucky county map for office locations, integrated contact messaging systems, AI-powered search functionality, and social media integration. The internal Trumpet platform must be migrated from its current location on the National Association for Public Defense's learning platform to operate as a subsite beneath the public website, incorporating enhanced searchability, AI-enabled chatbot capabilities, role-based access controls with Active Directory and multi-factor authentication integration, and a redesigned motion bank with learning materials database supporting approximately 800 active users. The project scope includes content migration of approximately 86 external webpages (3.3GB of media files) and 19,664 internal pages (20,000-30,000 files including PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoints, and video content), comprehensive technical SEO audits, component-based template development, disaster recovery planning with 24-hour recovery time and recovery point objectives on business days, staff training for approximately 10 DPA employees, and ongoing maintenance and support services. The RFP was released January 21, 2026, with vendor questions due January 28, 2026, and Commonwealth responses provided by February 6, 2026, followed by multiple deadline extensions concluding with a final proposal submission deadline of April 10, 2026, at 3:30 PM Eastern Time. Technical proposals will be evaluated on a maximum of 1,000 points (scored across background, experience, technical approach, project approach, and support plan), cost proposals on 300 points, and optional oral demonstrations on up to 300 additional points, for a combined maximum of 1,600 evaluation points, with technical proposals scoring below 500 points deemed ineligible for further consideration. Vendors must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Cyber Liability Insurance ($1,000,000 per claim/$2,000,000 aggregate), and Professional Technology Liability/Errors & Omissions Insurance ($1,000,000 per claim/$2,000,000 aggregate) and comply with Kentucky Information Technology Standards, Commonwealth Office of Technology requirements, NIST Special Publication 800-53 moderate-level security controls, IRS Publication 1075 safeguarding requirements, WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards, and the Commonwealth's Artificial Intelligence Policy (CIO-126).

The Commonwealth of Kentucky does not identify set-asides or restrictions limiting participation to disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses in this procurement; however, vendors claiming nonprofit status under KRS Chapter 163 or qualified nonprofit agency status for individuals with severe disabilities must complete required affidavits certifying their status. The RFP does not identify an incumbent vendor or current contractor, indicating this represents a new engagement or transition from the existing National Association for Public Defense platform. Vendors must comply with the Commonwealth's mandate that all Commonwealth data remain within the continental United States, though offshore development resources are permitted if U.S. data access is restricted; the solution must be compatible with Commonwealth Office of Technology managed cloud environments (Azure, AWS, or GCP) or alternative FedRAMP/HITRUST-certified platforms. The contract will be awarded for an initial one-year term with five optional one-year renewal periods available upon mutual agreement, with pricing required to remain firm for the first twelve months and any subsequent increases limited to industry-wide adjustments with thirty days' written notice and supporting documentation. The Commonwealth has not disclosed specific budget ranges, estimated costs, or anticipated funding amounts, requiring vendors to develop comprehensive fixed-price proposals with milestone-based payments tied to implementation deliverables across six phases: Discovery and Strategy, Design, Development, Content Integration, User Acceptance Testing, and Launch. Payment terms are net 30 days upon invoice receipt and acceptance of deliverables, with the Commonwealth exempt from federal excise tax and Kentucky sales or use tax, and the Department of Public Advocacy located at 5 Mill Creek Park, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, serving as both the shipping and billing address.