PRB

Background

PRB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with about 65 employees that analyzes and disseminates information about populations and their health and well-being so it can be used to inform decisions that improve lives around the world. We develop communication tools and strategies that drive policy, programming, and funding decisions and employ a variety of approaches to connect data users with data producers.

PRB.org is crucial for our success as an organization. It is a marketing platform to attract potential funders, a repository for our decades of work, and a resource for academics and other professionals around the world who use PRB data in their work.

PRB.org transitioned to WordPress in 2017. In 2021, the site underwent a redesign that included improvements in flexibility and functionality, as well as a transition to new branding. Since that redesign, we have identified some additional design and functionality needs to be addressed.

PRB also has a suite of microsites built over the past decade, mostly built in WordPress. Examples include https://2022-wpds.prb.org/, https://2022-family-planning-review.prb.org/, https://igwg.org/, and https://surgo.prb.org/. While we don’t expect much design or development work on these sites, the need may occasionally arise.

Scope of Work (SOW)

Vendor will support PRB’s Communications Department in our effort to improve the design and functionality of PRB.org. We require the following types of services:

Ongoing

We estimate 8-12 hours per month for ongoing support tasks, particularly:

1. Design adjustments. For example, adding more padding to or changing font styles inside a module, darkening background photos, redesigning the hero image, redesigning a basic resource page, changing heading styles, enlarging body text, or changing the structure of a commonly used module.
2. Functionality adjustments. For example, revisions to custom scripts, updates to site navigation, or changes to plugin configurations (such as fixing how tooltips show in a Highcharts-driven visualization).
3. Usability improvements. For example, reducing page load speeds.
4. Search engine optimization.

Ongoing requirements do not include the following types of services, which are handled by a different provider: updates (WordPress or plugin), hosting, security, backup, or regular analytics.

We would expect response times for requests that fall into the “ongoing” category to be timely.

 Ad-hoc

We estimate up to an additional 160 hours per year for larger TBD projects. Such projects could include usability improvements advice and/or web development to replace or revise PRB’s Data Center. These hours could also be used for ongoing projects that are larger in scope.

Proposal Process

Interested vendors should submit proposals via email to Anneka Van Scoyoc, avanscoyoc@prg.org, by January 20, 2023.

If you have questions about the RFP, please send them to the same point of contact. We will respond to all questions received on or before January 18, 2023. We will try to respond to questions received after that date but make no guarantees.

Contract Format

PRB intends to award a contract with an annual ceiling of up to $50,000 to the responsible vendor whose proposal provides best value to PRB. The contract is expected to have a base period of one year, and up to two option periods of one additional year each. We reserve the right to make multiple awards based on this solicitation. We also reserve the right not to award a contract to any offeror, or to award the contract to other than the lowest-price offeror.

The contract will have two components mirroring the requirements of the SOW:

1. Fixed monthly retainer at a TBD monthly fee for TBD hours with TBD rollover into following months.
2. Ad-hoc component with services to be provided up to a TBD ceiling based on TBD billing rates, with detailed requirements and estimates of hours to be determined based on the specific projects requested. PRB may or may not utilize any of the ad-hoc hours.

The successful offeror will be required to sign the Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment Certification (see, for example http://www.bidnet.com/bneattachments?/489400049.pdf).

Proposal Format

Proposals must include the following to be considered:

• Cover sheet identifying legal name, physical address, description of the organization, list of company officers, and information about how years you have been in business. If you are a small business, also indicate the applicable NAICS code(s) and your exact small business classification (e.g., woman-owned small business).
• Price proposal that includes:
  • Proposed monthly retainer (including any rate increases in the optional second and third years) to accommodate ongoing requirements, including details about the number of hours included and rollover conditions (e.g., no rollover, rollover of unused hours into the following month only, rollover of unused hours indefinitely).
  • Billing rate(s) (including increases in the optional second and third years) for ad-hoc services. If applicable, break down rates by labor type (e.g., web developer, graphic designer) according to your billing practices.
  • Explanation of any and all discounts, surcharges, and fees not already reflected in the monthly retainer or billing rate(s).
• Description of your expertise and experience performing similar work, preferably for similar nonprofit clients.
• Examples of past work of a similar nature, preferably with before and after images.
• Three references, preferably from other nonprofit clients with similar scopes of work, including name, organizational affiliation, phone number, and email address.
• Description of how you propose to manage the client relationship with PRB. For example: Would you assign a single point of contact? Would PRB submit requests through a ticket management system or via email? What are your typical response times? What do you expect from us?

Evaluation

We will evaluate proposals according to the following factors (listed in order of importance)

• WordPress support and development expertise
• Web development expertise
• Web design expertise
• Total expected price over the contract period with utilization of ~20% of ad-hoc hours

Contact

Anneka Van Scoyoc

Senior Graphic Designer

avanscoyoc@prb.org