WEB INFRASTRUCTURE IFB

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for a web infrastructure project focused on procuring a Content Management System with Platform as a Service (PaaS) infrastructure to support Drupal 8 and higher versions. The solicitation seeks a vendor to provide a one-year hosted web content management system with specific technical requirements, including 99.99% uptime, unlimited file storage, automated backups, cloud-based container infrastructure with scaling capabilities, and enterprise-grade disaster recovery. The system must support DHEC's current website of over 5,500 pages of dynamic content and enable rapid infrastructure scalability for pandemic response activities. Vendors must provide a comprehensive solution that includes compliance coverage for SOC 2, GDPR, FERPA, and Privacy Shield standards. Key deadlines include questions due by July 8, 2021, at 2:30 PM ET, with offers due July 15, 2021, at 2:30 PM ET. Award notification is scheduled for July 22, 2021, with the contract term estimated from July 26, 2021, to July 25, 2022. Evaluation will be based on lowest cost, with vendors required to complete a Service Provider Security Assessment Questionnaire demonstrating adequate information system safeguards.

The procurement allows for South Carolina resident contractor and subcontractor preferences, with vendors potentially qualifying for preference by maintaining a state office with appropriate staffing and direct labor composition. The incumbent vendor is currently Pantheon, and the project involves migrating approximately 5,500 web pages with significant traffic variability, including monthly pageviews of 1.7 million and traffic spikes reaching 1.5 million requests in 2-hour periods. The current infrastructure includes approximately 103 gigabytes of file storage, with daily growth rates ranging from 5 megabytes to 1 gigabyte. Vendors must register with the South Carolina Enterprise Information System (SCEIS) and comply with mandatory certifications regarding independent pricing, debarment status, drug-free workplace, ethics, and illegal immigration compliance. While the specific project budget was not disclosed, the procurement will consider total costs including migration expenses. The solicitation requires online submission through the South Carolina procurement portal, with one offer accepted per offeror and the award to be made to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder under South Carolina law.