1. Introduction
1.1. Purpose of Procurement
Pursuant to the State Purchasing Act (Official Code of Georgia Annotated §§50-5-50 et seq.), this electronic Request for Proposals (“eRFP”) is being issued to establish a contract with a qualified supplier who will provide Website Design – Branding and Marketing Services the Technical College System of Georgia (hereinafter, “the State Entity”) as further described in this eRFP.
The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) oversees the state’s technical colleges, adult literacy programs, and a host of economic and workforce development programs and provides technical, academic, and adult education and training focused on building a well-educated, globally competitive workforce for Georgia. TCSG’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD), administers a variety of state and federally funded programs directed at providing training and employment assistance to Georgia’s citizens and employers.
Project Overview:
In 2023, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced his intention to make Georgia the EV mobility capitol of America. In alignment with the Governor’s goal and TCSG’s mission of workforce development, the objective of this Request for Proposals is to obtain the services of a qualified Offeror to assist TCSG/OWD in creating an “EV Opportunity” website to provide a single location to offer comprehensive information on Electric Vehicle career opportunities, such as:
- Career Pathway information to include:
- Associated/aligned pathways such as EV Manufacturing Technician, EV
- Maintenance Technician, EV Charging Station installers/maintenance staff, etc.
- Training Providers to include:
- Direct linkages to technical colleges and state universities offering programs aligned with career pathways.
- Funding Resources to include:
- Direct linkages to state financial aid programs such as HOPE Career Grant
- Direct linkages to Local Workforce Development Areas/Title I funding opportunities
- Job Postings to include
- Direct linkages to job listings by employer/occupation/region
The purpose of the website is to be the primary marketing source to promote EV job opportunities within Georgia. It will serve as the go-to link when marketing to potential applicants and encouraging individuals to explore the EV industry as a career option. The website will not only showcase EV industry opportunities in Georgia, it will also highlight Georgia relative to quality of life and positive place in which to live and raise families.
The website will play a key role in all customized recruitment efforts trying to pull job seekers into Georgia to fill the growing workforce needs in the EV industry.
An example website to guide proposal development is: State Entity eRFP
Revised 1/4/21 2 of 20 SPD-SP016 https://michiganevjobs.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuLShBhC_ARIsAFod4fIkoCI96ZeakRTkCNc5xW1bAllv9L3zMclrypyPLARoVlG2ijoLGTwaAlTwEALw_wcB
Deliverables:
The following deliverables shall be produced by the successful Offeror:
1. Website Redesign Proposal: Prepare alternative website redesigns for discussion with staff. Develop demo designs or storyboards that work to meet the desired goals while also addressing the needs identified in this RFP. Format: PowerPoint slideshow or alternative visual format.
2. New Website: Design, integrate content, and launch the new website. Website will be branded in unison with TCSG/OWD branding and consistent color schemes and include the following features:
a. Management Systems (CMS): Support multiple user accounts, add/edit/publish granular permission, and a rich text editor that requires no HTML knowledge for average users to edit content.
b. Functionality specifications: The Offeror will work with staff to establish mutually agreeable functionalities for all proposed features of the new site such as video, graphics, tables and charts, text and other plug-ins.
c. Content and Organization: All content shall be approved by OWD. OWD should be consulted regarding collateral needs to determine if existing resources are available.
d. Navigation: The website will provide intuitive ease of navigation.
e. Quick Load Time: Three seconds or less.
f. Search functionality: The Offeror design will provide search functionality so that end-users can quickly find what they are looking for on the website.
g. Mobile and Tablet Devices and Social Networks: The website will be responsive and compatible with mobile and tablet devices and easily integrated with social engagement and sharing tools.
h. Fillable Forms: Ability for site authors to create and edit forms that generate emails to designated staff, form submitters, etc.
i. Accessibility Compliance: Develop and incorporate accessibility standards for compliance with all current accessibility laws. The successful Offeror must warrant that the products or services to be provided comply with the accessibility requirements for state and federal governments.
j. Search Engine Optimization: Ensure exposure of the EV Opportunity website by adhering to the latest search engine optimization (SEO) best practices and submitting page and sitemap information to all popular search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) while allowing for intuitive integration with major social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.).
k. Browsers and Platforms: The website should be designed to be responsive to all screen sizes, must be compatible with Macintosh and Windows operating systems, and compatible with popular website browsers.
l. Metrics and analytics: Google Analytics is preferred. The Offeror will incorporate this tracking tool into the new website so that staff can gauge visitor activity.
m. Security Certificate: All webpages to be encrypted with HTTPS and should not appear as “non-secure” in any web browser.
n. Maintenance: The website should be designed to be easily updated and maintained internally by TCSG staff.
o. Ownership. TCSG will retain ownership and copyright of the entire website.
3. Maintenance and Style Guide: Prepare a website maintenance and style guide for use by content managers to best maintain the new website. The maintenance and style guide should include recommendations about plug-ins/extensions maintenance and templates for the homepage and all subsequent subpages including icons, images, logos, and other design elements. The maintenance and style guide must include recommendations to maximize search engine optimization (SEO), search result rank, and targeted audience reach.
4. A design template for subpages. Following approval of the homepage design, the Offeror will design a subpage template.
5. Follow-up review and adjustments: The Offeror will support adjustment of the design and features based on staff review after the preliminary launch of the website.
6. Training Materials. Prepare website operation and maintenance training materials (in hard copy and electronic formats).
7. Training: The Offeror will conduct one formal training for staff, which will be recorded.
These resources will be used to train existing and new staff over time.
Target Audience:
Projected target audience members include:
• Job seekers within Georgia
• Job seekers external to Georgia
• Persons looking to relocate to Georgia
• Students exploring EV careers
• Parents exploring EV career opportunities for their children
• Working persons interested in better paying jobs