Website Design and Development

The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG), a joint-powers authority representing nine member jurisdictions in San Joaquin County and surrounding cities, is requesting proposals for website design, development, and hosting under RFP 2027-RFP-003, with proposals due October 15, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. and questions due September 14, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. The RFP includes DBE participation requirements with Good Faith Effort documentation mandatory if claimed DBE participation falls below the contract goal.

The scope is custom high-end web design and development through a "concept to completion" process, encompassing design, development, content migration, testing, training, implementation, hosting, maintenance, and ongoing support. The website must include a user-friendly content management system with role-based user permissions, support easy content updates and future expansion, and comply with WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility standards. The selected vendor must demonstrate a minimum of five years of experience designing and maintaining public-sector or similarly complex organizational websites, full-cycle project delivery experience, and expertise in open-source CMS platforms such as WordPress or Drupal.

SJCOG retains exclusive ownership of all website content, source code, design elements, and materials, with requirements for full portability and transferability to another platform or vendor at any time. The anticipated total budget for the initial four-year contract term is between $100,000 and $200,000. The contract includes an initial one-year period for design, development, and implementation, followed by three years of hosting, maintenance, and support, with potential for mutual agreement on additional one-year extensions. Website launch is anticipated by month six of project kickoff. Board approval and award is scheduled for December 3, 2026.

Proposers must provide detailed cost breakdowns by project phase, including one-time Year 1 costs and annual recurring costs for Years 2 through 4, with clarification of whether annual costs are fixed or subject to escalation. The selected consultant must maintain Commercial General Liability, Professional Liability, Cyber Liability, and Commercial Automobile Liability coverage of $1,000,000, $1,000,000, $1,000,000, and $250,000 respectively. Proposals must not exceed fifteen pages excluding cover letters, tables of contents, samples, resumes, and references, and must be submitted electronically through the SJCOG e-Procurement Portal.