RFP 25-05 Website and CMS

Cape Cod Community College, an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in Barnstable County, is seeking proposals for a comprehensive website redesign and content management system (CMS) migration project. The RFP (Reference Number 25-05) solicits proposals from website, digital, and technology providers with specific experience in higher education digital platforms. The primary objectives include designing a user-centered, content-focused public-facing website utilizing an open source CMS with a block-based templating engine. Key deliverables encompass website redesign, complete content migration from the current TerminalFour platform, and implementation of integrations with existing systems such as Element451 chatbot, GA4, and meta pixels. Vendors must provide technical and sealed price proposals, demonstrating their ability to launch the new website by early 2026. The RFP requires proposers to submit detailed technical documentation, project timelines, and evidence of higher education digital experience. Proposal submissions are due by December 20, 2024, with all questions to be emailed to procurement@capecod.edu, referencing "RFP 25-05 Website" in the subject line.

The procurement allows both local and international vendors, with a strong preference for providers demonstrating substantial higher education digital transformation experience. Vendors must provide at least three higher education references and showcase competency in CMS platforms like Drupal and WordPress, with interest in headless architecture. The college maintains flexibility in platform selection and has in-house experience with multiple systems. The project budget is fixed at $65,000 for design, build, and launch phases, with the college explicitly stating they will not consider proposals in the $200,000-$300,000 range. The incumbent vendor, TerminalFour, will not be participating in this procurement. Current website maintenance costs approximately $30,000 annually, and the previous website was built for under $150,000. The college will evaluate proposals based on understanding of scope, delivery capabilities, training and support offerings, vendor qualifications, project timeline, and overall proposal quality, with the intent to award to the vendor providing the greatest overall value.