Website Redesign, Implementation, Hosting, and Maintenance Using CMS

Overview

Software, Web & Mobile Development

Lewisburg, West Virginia, United StatesPosted about 2 months agoDeadline: May 1st, 2026

Fit Score

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SUMMARY

Seeking a vendor for a complete website redesign, implementation, hosting, and maintenance project utilizing a CMS to modernize and unify the institution's digital presence.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

CMS platform must grant WVSOM full super-admin access and support complete export of content, media, configuration, and data
Vendor must provide a documented transition plan, including data export format(s) and any required utilities
Implement a single, centralized CMS managing six specified domains
Required Schema.org implementations including one unified CMS instance, shared design system, domain specific content control, centralized branding enforcement, and controlled template access
Proposers must demonstrate role-based permissions, workflow approvals, content versioning, and audit logging from a comparable higher-education implementation
Most legacy news and event content should be migrated via automated scripted processes
Propose a scripted migration methodology for news and event entries
Describe how metadata, tags, and structured fields will be preserved or enhanced during migration
Provide validation reporting to confirm content integrity post-migration
Identify any content types that may require manual intervention and justify why
Proposals must clearly distinguish between custom UI/UX page development (Core 30), template based page implementation, automated content migration, and manual content remediation
Vendor must deliver UX wireframes, mobile-first design, page layouts designed to support prospective student inquiry and application, and performance optimized implementation for Core 30 pages
Templates must be reusable across all domains, WCAG-compliant by default, support structured metadata, and enforce brand consistency
Intranet access must be restricted to authenticated WVSOM account holders
Integrate with WVSOM's Microsoft Azure Active Directory using SAML 2.0 or equivalent for SSO authentication
Intranet must enforce no-index/no-follow directives and prevent unauthenticated access, external indexing, and caching
Vendor must validate robots directives and authentication gates are effective pre-launch and post-launch
Implement a content and technical strategy for search visibility and AI discoverability
Implement Schema.org markup across all delivered pages and templates
Vendor must validate all structured data and Schema.org implementations prior to launch using industry-recognized testing tools
Structure page content for AI readability
Site search must support natural language and conversational queries, return intent-based results, support multisite indexing, and provide administrative analytics
Implement Google Tag Manager across all domains
Implement Google Analytics 4 with cross domain tracking
Ensure all data collection practices comply with current data privacy standards
Platform must comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA
Written vendor attestation certifying WCAG 2.1 AA conformance at launch
Defined path toward WCAG 2.2 Level AA with target milestones
Pre-launch accessibility audit report by qualified third party or internal specialist
Remediation documentation for identified issues
Ongoing accessibility monitoring plan with defined vendor responsibilities post-launch
Description of how new content added post-launch will be maintained in compliance
Accessibility compliance must be built into the platform from the ground up; third-party overlay tools are not acceptable
Final acceptance and milestone payment contingent upon accessibility audit evidencing WCAG 2.1 AA conformance
Preserve search engine visibility through migration, ensuring no measurable loss of organic search rankings or indexed page equity
Conduct a complete URL inventory of all existing domains prior to development
Deliver a baseline SEO audit documenting current rankings, indexed pages, and domain authority before migration
Produce a full 301 redirect mapping document and submit it to WVSOM for review and approval
Implement and validate all redirects in the staging environment
Deliver pre-launch crawl report confirming zero broken links, redirect chains, or missing canonical tags
Deliver post-launch crawl report within 30 days of each site launch confirming redirect integrity and indexation status
Notify WVSOM of any CMS updates, plugin changes, or platform modifications that could affect URL structure or redirect behavior
Baseline organic traffic, indexation, and top landing pages prior to migration
Monitor and report for 90 days post-launch, investigating material declines and recommending remediation without additional fees
Vendor is accountable for redirect performance throughout the managed services contract term
Provide fully managed hosting for all six domains
Maintain three distinct environments for each domain: Development, Staging, and Production
Staging environment must be a full mirror of production
No changes promoted to production without validation in staging
Identify underlying cloud provider, primary region(s), and whether environments are single-tenant or multi-tenant
Uptime SLA: minimum 99.9% for all production environments, measured monthly, with documented remedies
Backup and Recovery: daily automated backups, minimum 30-day retention; RTO of four hours or less for full production restoration; specify tested recovery process
Patch Management: CMS core, plugin, and server-level patches applied within 14 days for standard updates and 72 hours for critical security patches
Security Monitoring: continuous monitoring with logging retained for minimum 90 days; describe alerting thresholds and escalation procedures
Incident Response: define response time tiers; acknowledgment within one hour and active remediation within four hours for production outage affecting public facing pages
SLA Performance Credits: repeated SLA breaches trigger service credits
Provide ongoing managed services under a separate contract
Propose a monthly retainer structure with defined hour allocation for routine content work
Specify average turnaround time for standard content requests
Describe the request intake and ticketing process
Identify whether a dedicated account contact will be assigned
Provide a monthly retainer option for design and development work
Provide an hourly rate for out of retainer work
Describe the process for scoping, approving, and delivering larger design requests
Maintain platform security on an ongoing basis, including CMS core/plugin/module updates, security patch application, vulnerability monitoring, and annual security review
Proposed Year 1 annual managed services fee, with pricing held firm for three-year initial term or with clearly defined escalation caps
Pricing assumptions underlying the annual fee
Proposed rate escalation terms for annual renewals
Termination for convenience provisions and transition assistance obligations, including data export, documentation handoff, and minimum 90-day transition support period
Minimum of five years of experience providing website design, development, and/or hosting services
Successful completion of at least three comparable website projects within the past five years
Experience implementing and supporting a content management system (CMS) capable of supporting multi-user content editing and ongoing maintenance
Experience providing website hosting and infrastructure services, including uptime monitoring, backup and recovery, and security management
Experience delivering websites that meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards
Provide a proposed staffing plan, including key personnel, roles, and relevant experience
Provide references for prior comparable engagements
Demonstrate the ability to provide ongoing support and maintenance services, including content updates, technical support, and system updates
Vendors must score a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the total technical points possible
Vendors must meet or exceed all mandatory requirements

BUDGET

Estimate

$500,000 – $2,000,000

CONTRACT DURATION

48 months

TIMELINE

Discovery & Stakeholder Engagement: June - July 2026

Information Architecture & Wireframes: August 2026

Design System & Core 30 Design: September - October 2026

Development & Integration: November 2026 – March 2027

Migration, QA & Testing: March 2027

Main Site Launch & Stabilization: March 2027

Microsite Implementation & Launch: April – June 2027

QUESTION DEADLINE

April 10th, 2026

Issuing Agency

West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Organization overview and procurement intelligence available on paid plans.

See Issuer Research

DESCRIPTION

The institution seeks qualified vendors to redesign, implement, host, and maintain a unified multisite web platform utilizing a content management system. The selected vendor will be responsible for transitioning over 1,000 pages from a legacy environment into a modern, scalable, and high-performing digital platform designed to support institutional recruitment, communication, and long-term sustainability.

The project entails establishing a multisite ecosystem under centralized governance and implementing a sustainable, template-driven CMS structure. The redesigned platform must deliver AI-optimized, schema-enabled content and ensure WCAG-compliant accessibility standards. Additionally, the system should empower agency staff to independently manage and maintain website content post-launch, and support ongoing hosting, content management, and continuous improvement.

A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for March 30, 2026, and all questions must be submitted by April 10, 2026. The contract period for this engagement will be four years.

Source attribution

This Settle analysis is based on the issuing organization’s public RFP listing.