A Standing Committee of Northern Maine Development Commission Requests Proposals To Redesign and Develop the Regional Tourism Website 11 W. Presque Isle Rd. PO Box 779 PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Caribou, ME Page 04736 0779 1 (207) 498 8736
Table of Contents Overview.p. 3 Background.. 5 Information for Potential Bidders 5 Budget.. 5 Timeline.. 5 Submission Address. 6 Response Format 6 Method of Selection 7 Selection Process Phase I. 9 Selection Process Phase II. 9 Disclosure of Data 11 Return of Proposal Materials.. 11 Conceptual Outline of Proposed Site 12 PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 2
I. Overview Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) issues this Request for Proposal to solicit bids from website development firms for the complete redesign and development of the Aroostook County Tourism (ACT) website www.visitaroostook.com and www.visitnorthernmaine.com. The ACT website serves all of Aroostook County as well as the northern parts of Penobscot, Piscataquis and Washington Counties with the purpose of attracting tourists to the region and providing information about the tourism industry to our visitors. The general expectations of this project are as follows: A. Develop a comprehensive regional tourism website This website will become the premier online destination for information and travel planning for the Northern Maine region. It will serve as the primary interface for existing and future online map applications, reservation systems, and itinerary/package planning. The site will be developed with optimal meta data and quality linkages to ensure good placement in major search engines. B. Comply with the Maine Office of Tourisms criteria This project is being funded by the Maine Office of Tourism as part of the Maine Tourism Marketing Partnership Program (MTMPP). http://www.mtmpp.com/resource/pdf/guidelines.pdf The specific guidelines for participation in this program are: Maine Logo All printed materials, audio visual presentations, films or videos, television commercials, broadcast programs, websites and trade show materials must include the approved Maine Office of Tourism (MOT) logo in accordance with the design guidelines of the MOT. Design Guidelines Regions are required to observe the design guidelines of the MOT. These guidelines help to create a consistent branded look for marketing communications funded by the MOT. The following topics will be included in these guidelines: 1. Selection, size and placement of the approved logo. 2. Use and treatment of the word Maine. 3. Color Palette. 4. Choices and layout of imagery, including photos and illustrations. 5. Typefaces. 6. Graphic design parameters for brochures, signs, trade booths and other printed materials. 7. Design of advertising, including print, television, radio and online. 8. Design of websites. 9. Design of newsletters and direct mailer PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 3
Consultants The following regulations must be observed when hiring a consultant: 1. All contracts between a region and a consultant must be pre approved by the MOT, and shall include language stating the contractor has sufficient worker s compensation and liability insurance. Contract costs will not be eligible for reimbursement until the OT has approved the contract and itemized budget in writing. 2. Consultant s billing must be itemized. Lump sum billings will not be reimbursed. 3. In such cases when Third Party purchases or services are required, a maximum mark up of ten percent (10%) will be considered an allowable MTMPP expenditure. 4. When a region is contracting for specialized professional services under the MTMPP, such as tourism marketing and/or advertising assistance, the maximum Account Management fee allowed will be twelve percent (12%) of their total contract value. C. Familiar Look, Feel, and Navigation structure This site will have a similar look, feel, and ease of navigation as that of the State of Maine s www.visitmaine.com and the Province of New Brunswick s www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca while maintaining the uniqueness of the Crown of Maine. D. Advertising Free Content This website will be content driven and free of paid advertising. Content will focus on the region, its people, things to do, places to go, stay and eat, and finally packages. The content will incorporate tourism efforts and products that have been or are currently being developed by NMDC and ACT. E. Regional Content Management A password protected interface will be developed for regional Chambers of Commerce, certain selected groups and organizations to input pertinent data on local tourism based businesses and into a calendar of events. With oversight from NMDC/ACT, each entity will have the ability to create, upload and manage content pertinent to their individual interests. F. Consistent Tracking and Reporting The site will be designed to allow tracking, troubleshooting, and provide consistent, detailed reporting on the websites visitation. These results will be in a printable format that can be utilized for reporting requirements. PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 4
II. Background Maintained by ACT, a standing committee of NMDC, this website serves as a significant tool in the marketing strategy of the Crown of Maine as outlined in the Five Year Tourism Business Plan: http://www.nmdc.org/pdf/tourismplanreportfinal.pdf. With tourism being such a significant economic driver to the state of Maine as well as to this region, it is important that this site presents the region in a manner that entices people to want to come and visit as well as providing planning and activity information for those already intending to visit. In recent years several projects have been undertaken at the local level to build content for this redesigned website. Including but not limited to GPS data on 2,300 miles of snowmobile trails, and completing an inventory of regional Cultural, Historic and Arts events and attractions, as well as projects currently underway such as the development of an online reservations system for local lodging establishments to utilize. It will be imperative that the winning bidder work with NMDC employees to implement these projects into the new site. III. Information for Potential Bidders A. Budget ACT s total budget for this project is $14,500 for the research, design and development of the regional tourism website. B. Timeline ACT intends to undertake this selection in the most expeditious manner possible. Although the following schedule may be subject to change, ACT anticipates the schedule to be as follows: Feb. 06 08, 2008 Feb. 22, 2008 Feb. 29, 2008 Mar. 07, 2008 Mar. 14, 2008 RFP advertised Deadline for Questions (9:00 AM) local time Responses to Questions sent RFP Phase I Submission Due by 2:00 PM local time Finalists Selected PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 5
March 19, 2008 Mar. 21, 2008 Mar. 24, 2008 Apr. 07, 2008 May 02, 2008 June 06, 2008 June 27, 2008 RFP Phase II Oral Presentations, if deemed necessary Contract Awarded Work to begin on Website Site Design & Interface Concepts Report 1 st Progress Report 2 nd Progress Report Website goes Live Note: Due to time constraints as outlined in the MTMPP Guidelines, it is imperative that the chosen agency can comply with the aforementioned deadlines. C. Submission Address To be considered for evaluation, the response to this RFP must be received by the Aroostook County Tourism, P.O. Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736, on or before 2:00 p.m. local time, March 7, 2008. Proposals must be sealed and identified as follows: ACT, REGIONAL Website Redesign. Proposals received after the date and time specified above cannot be considered and will be returned to the sender unopened. Any proposal received and not signed by an officer of the firm will not be considered and will be returned. Any questions regarding the Request for Proposal should be directed by mail, email or by fax or mail to: David Spooner, Business & Tourism Development Specialist, Northern Maine Development Commission, P.O. Box 779, Caribou, Maine 04736 0779, email: dspooner@nmdc.org (subject line should read ACT Website Redesign ), and fax number (207) 493 3108. The last day for submission of questions shall be February 13, 2008 by 9:00 a.m. local time. Responses will be sent on or before February 15, 2008. IV. Response Format Respondents are required to submit the following: ( 1) A brief letter to ACT stating that your agency intends to submit its credentials in response to this RFP. PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 6
(2) Written Submission to the Selection Criteria: Each provider is expected to examine and respond to the provisions of this RFP. One (1) original and 5 copies of the proposal shall be submitted. Because this is the first phase of a multi phase competitive selection process, ACT will seek to hold all submissions in confidence, to the extent consistent with applicable law, until a final selection has been made or the selection process is terminated. V. Method of Selection ACT is undertaking this competitive process with the intention of selecting an agency that offers the combination of experience and creativity with a competitive cost structure. The prospective agency should have the resources to provide available to ACT a qualified team who will perform the work contemplated by this RFP. The Selection Criteria that will be utilized throughout the review and selection process are as follows: A. Work Plan B. Size The Agency selected to plan, develop and create ACT s website will present the plan of work that will be undertaken to accomplish this task within the prescribed timeframe. This plan will include staffing and resource requirements to accomplish each element. ACT maintains a limited library of photography, this work plan will include an outline of additional photography resources. The Agency should have significant resources and stability to support the service requirements of this program as well as on going operating costs. C. Relevant Experience Ideally, the Agency engaged by ACT shall have demonstrable experience in the research, design and production of a fully integrated tourism website. D. Contract Responsibilities and Subcontractors If any part of the work to be performed under this RFP is to be subcontracted, the Agency shall provide a complete description of services to be subcontracted, an estimate of the overall amount of work to be subcontracted and complete description of the qualifications PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 7
and capabilities of the subcontractor to perform the same. As part of the contract, ACT reserves the right to approve or disapprove any and all such subcontractors and to revoke any approval previously given. E. Design and Development The Agency must have clearly demonstrated the ability to design and develop and/or subcontract for the development of this website. F. Reporting Process and Procedures ACT is very interested in the Agency s client reporting process and procedures, including estimating, invoicing, budget tracking, etc. The Agency must have an accounting system, which meets the following objectives: 1. The ability to record and report financial data in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles 2. A system of record keeping to ensure that costs billed to ACT are supported by adequate documentation 3. Consistent accounting treatment of costs in recording and reporting 4. A system of internal control which provides reasonable assurance that assets are protected; financial data, records and statements are reliable; and errors and irregularities are promptly discovered, reported and corrected G. Prospective Fee or Agency Compensation Requirements The Agency must provide a proposed agency compensation formula with a detailed list of all items included in any suggested fee and a schedule of charges for all other cost items, including hourly rates, where and if applicable. It is expected that any fee will include at least the following: all senior management time; account management services; planning and creative proposals, and; production supervision and management. All out of pocket costs such as production, photography and travel will be reimbursed at net, with no markup, based on approved invoices. PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 8
H. The Selection Process Phase I ACT intends to select the top scoring Agencies as FINALISTS through this RFP process. An evaluation committee will review all submissions to this RFP, which will be graded as follows: Selection Criteria: A, B, C, D, E & F 5 points each Selection Criteria: G 30 points* *Lowest bidder for cost will receive full points, each other bidder will receive a fraction of the full points based on standing, using the following formula: (Lowest Bid Price / Bid Price) X # Points = Score. 1. Overview of the Selection Phase The Goal of the Selection Phase is to evaluate the Agency s capabilities relative to the Selection Criteria. The Selection Phase may, at the sole election of ACT, involve reference checks, and/or site visits. I. SELECTION PROCESS PHASE II If deemed necessary, the top scoring agencies may be invited to an oral presentation on March 5, 2008. The oral presentation schedule, however, may be subject to change at the sole discretion of ACT. This phase represents the final step in a competitive process. If requested, the Oral Presentation will allow finalists to demonstrate their understanding of the project objectives, display creative concepts and articulate their ability to meet or exceed the requirements of this RFP. Phase II shall consist of two components: Component I: Destination marketing capabilities and experience, including resumes of key staff that would be assigned to this program. Component II: Sample websites and promotional pieces developed by the Agency and/or its senior staff. PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 9
1. PHASE II Evaluation A contract will be awarded to the provider who, in the opinion of the Committee, best satisfies the overall requirements of the RFP. The Committee will use the following process to evaluate proposals: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Initial Screening A screening of all proposals will be conducted by the Committee to determine overall responsiveness. Proposals that are determined to be in any way incomplete or non responsive will be disqualified. Scoring of Phase I Written Response Evaluation and Scoring of Oral Presentation 2. Proposal Scoring PHASE II Proposals will be presented by Agencies to the Committee at the Oral Presentation meeting. The Committee will evaluate your case studies based on the level of creativity, differentiation and measurability and will be scored as follows: Quality of presented samples Responses to questions regarding understanding of project objectives, agency/client philosophy and policies Quality and variety of creative concepts 40 points 40 points 20 points At the committee s discretion, the Agency with the proposal receiving the highest cumulative score from Phase I and Phase II will be awarded the contract. 3. Reservations by ACT ACT reserves the right to suspend, withdraw or amend this RFP at any time. ACT reserves the right to reject any proposal not submitted in conformance with this RFP and any amendments hereto. Specifically, ACT will not select any provider who, in ACT s judgment, is not capable of satisfactorily performing the work required in this RFP. PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 10
J. Disclosure of Data According to State procurement law, the content of all proposals, correspondence, addenda, memoranda, working papers, or any other medium which discloses any aspect of the request for proposals process will be considered public information when the award decision is announced. This includes all proposals received in response to this RFP, both the selected proposal and the proposal(s) not selected, and includes information in those proposals which a bidder may consider to be proprietary in nature. Therefore, the State makes no representation that it can or will maintain the confidentiality of such information. K. Return of Proposal Materials Proposal materials will not be returned to providers subsequent to the date and time of proposal submission. All costs incurred by providers in the preparation and submission of a proposal shall be the sole responsibility of providers. L. Conceptual Outline of Proposed Site This section is intended to provide an overview of the concept that NMDC staff have for this site. It however is not set in stone and creative insight from design team is greatly appreciated. I. Home page A. Tabs 1. About Aroostook a. Contact Us i. Invitation to contact via postal service ii. Toll Free Phone Number iii. Online contact option a. Subject b. Message c. Name d. State/Province/Territory e. Country f. Email Address g. Where did you find out about our website? h. Other iv. Other PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 11
b. Arts, Culture and History i. The Arts a. Galleries b. Exhibits c. Performing Arts ii. iii. Culture (pictures & map identifying each regionally) a. Acadians b. Swedish Colony c. Native American Tribes d. Scotch Irish e. Amish??? History a. Museums b. Heritage Sites c. Libraries d. Historical Societies iv. Artisans a. List by Segment b. List by Regions c. List by Town i. Attractions a. Searchable by Town and Region b. Searchable by Season c. Complete Listing ii. Agricultural a. Farmers Markets b. You Pick produce c. Other Agricultural Tourism iii. Festivals and Events a. Festivals b. Events iv. Our People a. Today s Aroosticrats 1. Brief Picture and Bio of interesting folks b. Historical Figures 1. Same v. Other c. Four Seasons PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 12
i. Spring (provides tabs like on home page but breaks out by season) a. About Aroostook b. Places to Go c. Where to Stay d. Where to Eat e. Things to do ii. iii. iv. Summer (all season will be the same layout) Fall Winter d. Getting Here i. Driving Map and Directions ii. Scenic Drives a. Official Scenic Byways 1. Map 2. Brief Description 3. Places to Stay 4. Places to Eat 5. Things to do b. Other great drives iii. Air Travel e. Schools i. Secondary Schools (Show on map with Links) a. Public School Systems b. Maine School of Science and Mathematics c. St. John Valley Trade School d. Job Corps ii. Universities and Colleges (Show on map with Links) a. Husson College b. Northern Maine Community College c. University of Maine at Fort Kent d. University of Maine at Presque Isle f. Order Guides g. Photos and Postcards h. Travel Information i. Visitor Information Centers and Chambers of Commerce i. Map identifying locations PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 13
ii. Links if available j. Weather i. link to http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/car/ k. Hospitals??? i. Map with links to a. Northern Maine Regional Hospital b. Cary Medical Center C. The Aroostook Medical Center D. Houlton Regional Hospital l. Shopping i. Aroostook Centre Mall ii. Other Retail searchable by town m. Other 2. Places to Go a. Towns i. list towns alphabetically a. Show on map (like weather site) b. Description c. Link if available d. Attractions e. Events f. Where to Stay listing in town g. Where to Eat in town b. Regions i. Southern Aroostook a. list towns by region 1. same as Towns above b. attractions c. events d. Other ii. iii. iv. Central Aroostook a. Same as Southern Aroostook St. John Valley a. Same as Southern Aroostook Western Corridor a. Same as Southern Aroostook c. Other PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 14
3. Where to Stay a. All Accommodations i. List alphabetically a. Map showing town b. Description & Image c. Link to website d. Online Reservation link e. Contact information b. Bed and Breakfasts i. Same as All Accommodations c. Campgrounds i. Same as All Accommodations plus hours of operation d. Cottages i. Same as All Accommodations plus hours of operation e. Hotels and Motels i. Same as All Accommodations plus hours of operation f. Outfitters i. Same as All Accommodations plus hours of operation 4. Where to Eat (Search For: with drop down by town and Region) a. Casual Dining i. Same as All Accommodations plus hours of operation b. Fine Dining i. Same as All Accommodations plus hours of operation c. Pubs/Taverns i. Same as All Accommodations plus hours of operation d. Other i. Same as All Accommodations plus hours of operation 5. Things to Do a. Agriculture b. i. Farmers Markets ii. You Pick Produce iii. Other Agricultural Tourism c. Arts and Entertainments d. Culture and History Museums e. Attractions f. Festivals and Events PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 15
g. Natural Wonders and Parks h. Scenic Drives i. Sports & Recreation 1. Registered Guides 2. ATVing 3. Biking 4. Camping 5. Canoeing and Kayaking 6. Hunting and Fishing 7. Skiing and Snowboarding 8. Snowmobiling 9. Spas 10. Bird watching 11. Golf 12. Horseback Riding 13. Other j. Shopping k. Packages l. Online Coupons 6. Packages a. Day Adventures b. Getaways 7. Other Each individual attractions, events, businesses, sites, etc will be displayed with; a. A map identifying its locations region and town b. Description c. Link to website d. Other similar listings within region PO Box 779, Caribou, ME 04736 0779 Phone: (207)498 8736 Web site: visitaroostook.com Page 16