WEBSITE RFP

Request for Proposals: Website redesign for enhanced functionality & client outreach marketing plan development for Wide Angle Youth Media

Wide Angle Youth Media (WAYM) invites website design and marketing firms or consultants that maintain an office in Baltimore City or the surrounding metro region to submit a proposal to redesign the website at www.wideanglemedia.com and develop a marketing strategy to address the goals provided below.


Background on WAYM

WAYM is a Baltimore-based 501(c)(3) organization. Through media arts education, WAYM collaborates with and amplifies the voices of Baltimore youth to engage audiences across social divides. Our programs inspire creativity and instill confidence in young people, supporting them to navigate school, career, and life. WAYM serves over 500 youth each year, funded through grants, contracts, and fee-for-service work. We have 37 full-time and part-time employees. WAYM's annual revenue has grown from $1.3 million to $3.1 million over the past three years.


Goals of the Focused Redesign and Marketing Plan

The primary focus of this redesign is aligning our storytelling with our greatest organizational need: positioning WAYM as an education and workforce development organization that also functions as a creative agency training and employing young professionals from its new state-of-the-art facilities. By redesigning the website with this end in mind, we can engage new clients with larger scopes of work to increase social enterprise revenue and secure more resources to support the next generation of students as we enter our 25th year. The redesigned website will be built on a current version of Squarespace.

Audiences:

  • Nonprofit and corporate entities seeking to hire a social design enterprise for design, video, and photography services

  • Students in Baltimore City and County, and their parents 

  • Donors who want to support WAYM

  • Potential new employees

Scope of Work:

  1. End-user research and strategy 

  2. Current website audit

  3. Information architecture 

  4. User experience design including annotated wireframes and user journeys, stories, or empathy mapping.

  5. Graphic design 

  6. Image asset production and CMS configuration (template building). The new website must be responsive, accessible, and fast-loading (Google Page Speeds of 60 or higher)

  7. Integration with CRM, GA4, and giving platform. 

  8. Content migration and unit testing 

  9. Interactive forms, including RFP request form and student application form

Out of Scope

  • Copywriting 

  • Photography and videography (WAYM will provide all assets to support the new website, following an audit of needed assets provided by vendor). 

Anticipated Measured Outcomes of the Website Redesign and Marketing Plan:

  • Increased volume and average contract value with production team clients.

  • Increased inquiries and opportunities for fee-for-service contracts and/or clients annually. 

  • Increased traffic to fee-for-service website pages. 

  • Increased local brand awareness and equity. 

  • Increased time on-site and pages requested to demonstrate higher user engagement. 

  • Increase workforce funding from private philanthropy and/or major donors. 

  • Increased organic traffic to the new website. 

  • Meet ADA Standards on mobile and desktop. 

Identified Methods to Achieve the Goals:

  1. Research with key stakeholders: Interviews, surveys, and focus groups with key staff and youth stakeholders and current clients to gather insights into WAYM current brand perception and revenue goals.

  2. Mobile (phone and tablet) design must be achieved so that students, families, and community support partners can access the web content in easy-to-read formats.

  3. Reorganize the current website on a newer version of Squarespace, with updated images showcasing new facilities and programming.

  4. Back-end tracking metrics must be installed to measure interest and engagement with the redesigned website so WAYM can correlate to the identified measured outcomes.

  5. The marketing plan must integrate digital marketing and SEO to drive traffic to fee-for-service pages of the website.  

Methodology 

  1. Describe in detail your proposed approach, methodology, and timeline for completing the redesign project and any additional innovative methods or measurable outcomes you plan to employ.

  2. Describe which and the number of main WAYM web pages that will be redesigned or built.

  3. Describe your approach to developing the information architecture and UI design and the software that will be employed.

  4. Describe your approach to migrating content from the current website to the new site.

  5. Describe the approval/acceptance, control, and testing methods employed pre-launch.

  6. Describe the main components of a marketing strategy development and implementation to drive new clients to the website. 


All Proposals must Include:

  • Evidence of the firm’s qualifications to provide the above services.

  • Background and experience in web design.

  • The size, number of years operating, and organizational structure of the firm.

  • Statement of the firm’s understanding of work to be performed.

  • A proposed timeline for assessment of the current site, recommended redesign, and timeline for completion.

  • Statement of understanding that the web redesign must follow industry accessibility standards: WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

  • Proposed fee structure of the redesign and milestones for payment. 

  • Describe your billing rates and procedures for any necessary change orders or ad-hoc out-of-scope supports that may arise.

  • Names of the partner, manager, and staff who will be assigned to WAYM’s redesign project.

  • Business references and contact information from at least three comparable nonprofits who the firm has performed similar services.

Additional Considerations:

  • The Vendor must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines in the State of Maryland, which may be created or changed periodically.

  • Upon bid closing, all proposals become irrevocable, and no words or comments will be added to the proposal unless requested by WAYM for purposes of clarification.

  • Participation of M/WBE firms is encouraged.

  • At its sole discretion and for any reason, WAYM reserves the right to reject any or all responses to this RFP. WAYM is not obligated to enter contractual relationships with any of the respondents.

  • WAYM shall keep confidential and secure all documents, information, and other material provided by the vendor in their RFP response. Proprietary or confidential information should be identified and marked as such.

  • All information and accompanying documentation received under this competition will become the property of WAYM.

  • The costs associated with responding to this RFP shall be the full responsibility of the respondent.

  • Neither WAYM, nor the respondent shall use the name of the other in publicity releases, referrals, advertising, or similar activity without the prior written consent of the other.

  • Respondents participating in this RFP waive the right to seek legal action regarding this RFP.


Submission and Review Process:

  1. Your proposal must be received by January 13, 2025.

  2. Please send your proposal to Kay Gaudin, Director of Business and Operations, at kay@wideanglemedia.org. 

  3. The WAYM Executive Committee will review all responses to this RFP. 

  4. Interviews will occur in mid-late January 2025 for those selected to proceed. 

  5. The WAYM Executive Committee will then recommend to the board for final approval the choice of a web design contractor.

If you have any questions or would like further clarification of any aspect of this request for proposal, please contact Kay Gaudin at kay@wideanglemedia.org no later than January 6, 2025. Answers to all submitted questions will be provided on January 8, 2025. We look forward to receiving your proposal.

Sincerely,

Susan Malone, Executive Director