Business Opportunities
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Current Solicitations
Request for Proposals for Website Design, Creation, and Maintenance - Issued March 3, 2026
Proposals are due by 4:00pm on April 22nd, 2026.
Questions Submitted by Potential Bidders, with COAST's Answers
The following questions have been submitted by potential bidders, and the questions and answers are being made publicly available for all here. In the case of very similar questions being asked by multiple vendors, those questions may be combined below.
Question 1: Approximately how many pages and documents are expected to be migrated?
Answer 1: The site map is in the RFP. While there may be some pages that could be consolidated with a re-considered site structure, much of this content will need to end up on the new site. Approximately 40 - 50 PDF documents are currently linked from the website.
Question 2: Does COAST expect all historical content (news, alerts, documents) to be migrated, or only current/active content?
Answer 2: Only current / active content.
Question 3: Will COAST staff be responsible for reviewing and approving migrated content prior to launch?
Answer 3: Yes.
Question 4: Are there sections of the current website that COAST intends to retire or archive as part of the redesign?
Answer 4: None currently anticipated.
Question 5: The RFP notes that the current website includes custom features and integrations. Could COAST provide a list or summary of these items?
Answer 5:
- The largest custom feature is the GTFS import functionality. In this feature, COAST should be able to upload a GTFS folder and have it populate both current and future schedules for all routes. It also must be accessible via a public link to outside vendors like Google. More information about GTFS files can be found here. COAST's current GTFS data can be found here.
- ADP is integrated for employment applications. See the current www.coastbus.org/careers page.
- A Square store is integrated for commerce. This is simple coastbus.square.site linked from the website.
- The "We're On The Route" feature allows COAST to post individual businesses, correlate them with a bus stop, and have it display on the relevant route pages.
Question 6: For each custom feature or integration, should the expectation be to replicate existing functionality or evaluate alternative solutions?
Answer 6: ADP and Square should be replicated. We are open to evaluating alternative solutions for the schedule pages and "We're On The Route," but the GTFS file is required by Federal regulations and will need to be accessible and identical to the schedule page. We do not want to have to manually update every schedule on each route when changes are made.
Question 7: Are there any additional systems or tools not listed in the RFP that should be considered in scope?
Answer 7: No.
Question 8: Are the GTFS feeds currently maintained internally by COAST or provided by a third-party vendor?
Answer 8: Internally by COAST.
Question 9: Is the Google Transit trip planner embedded on the current site, or does it redirect users externally?
Answer 9: It is embedded. We have a Google account with an API key used for this.
Question 10: For Square e-commerce and ADP integrations, should the new website embed functionality or link users to external platforms?
Answer 10: Link users to external platforms.
Question 11: Has the existing website undergone a formal accessibility audit, and are there known issues to address?
Answer 11: The current site was audited in winter of 2025, and issues related to WCAG 2.1, Level AA were addressed. We continue to monitor accessibility using Monsido / Acquia. A current look at Monsido shows 97.91% compliance with level A. The only issues are a few headings needing accessible names.
Question 12: Does COAST require a formal post-launch accessibility audit, or is WCAG-compliant design and testing sufficient?
Answer 12: The vendor must ensure the site is WCAG compliant prior to live launch. Doing this through tools such as Monsido is sufficient. A third-party audit is not required.
Question 13: Are there any preferred hosting providers, infrastructure requirements, or security/compliance standards that vendors should consider?
Answer 13:
- We do not wish to use Drupal again.
- We wish to have a hosting and infrastructure design that minimizes the costs of future upgrades.
- The website should be designed in a secure manner using industry standards. COAST is open to recommendations along these lines. No personal identifying information should be stored or collected by the website. The ADP application and Square commerce integrations are exceptions. TLS, input validation & sanitization, CSP headers, etc. are expected.
Question 14: How many stakeholders will be involved in design review and approval?
Answer 14: COAST is the only organization-level stakeholder who will be involved in design review and approval. Approximately seven internal staff members will be involved, though others may be invited for feedback. COAST's Board of Directors may required a review prior to approval.
Question 15: Will COAST designate a primary contact responsible for consolidating feedback?
Answer 15: Yes, there will be a primary and secondary contact for the project.
Question 16: Will COAST staff participate in User Acceptance Testing (UAT) of the website and integrations?
Answer 16: Yes.
Question 17: What analytics platform is currently used, and what metrics are most important for evaluating website success?
Answer 17: Google Analytics is currently used. No specific metrics are required.
Question 18: Does the proposed project schedule assume that content review and approvals will be completed within the milestone timeline outlined in the RFP?
Answer 18: Yes. It is understood that a delay by COAST in content creation or review will impact the timeline in a way that is outside the control of the vendor. COAST does not intend a delay, though that cannot be guaranteed.
Question 19: Are there specific pain points with the current site experience?
Answer 19: The primary pain point is the cost to update the site each time a major Drupal update comes along. Maintaining the GTFS upload feature in particular requires work.
Question 20: Can you provide a budget range?
Answer 20: That will depend on the submissions received.
Question 21: In addition to the base design system, should any of the following content and new assets creation needs be considered as part of this scope?
Answer 21:
- Customer iconography or illustration: no
- Image or video sourcing, editing, resizing: no
- Infographics and data visualization design: potentially
- Copywriting and editing: no
- Content entry / upload to the CMS pre-launch: yes
Question 22: Are there any competitor or aspirational sites that we should look at that would give us a sense of where COAST wants to be re: design look, feel, or functionality?
Answer 22: No.
Question 23: Are there any risks or constrains we should know (parallel initiatives, acquisitions, reorgs, leadership changes, etc.) that could impact timing or scope?
Answer 23: No
Question 24: How long of an ongoing engagement do you foresee?
Answer 24: Beyond the initial design, we are looking to enter a 2 year contract with multiple optional one year extensions. We have been with our current website vendor (for both design and maintenance) for 9 years.
Question 25: What do you see as our biggest technical challenge with this project? Our biggest opportunity?
Answer 25: A clean way to import, via GTFS, and display schedules and route information is likely the biggest challenge.
Question 26: Are you open to refreshing design, features, UX, etc. for the store and job applications features on external platforms?
Answer 26: Yes.
Question 27: Are there any integrations or dependencies for code and/or data between the site and the Passio Go app?
Answer 27: No. The Passio Go app is completely unconnected.
Question 28: Do you have any site documentation to share?
Answer 28: No.
Question 29: Are there specific pain points with the current CMS authoring experience?
Answer 29: Drupal has high cost of maintenance with each major update. Changes beyond minor content changes can be cumbersome.
Question 30: Are there any customer workflows (i.e., reviews, approvals) or user groups?
Answer 30: I'm not sure what you're thinking here.
Question 31: What content types currently exist in the CMS?
Answer 31: Text, images, PDFs, embedded videos (via YouTube), KML files generating maps, embedded Google Trip Planner, ADP, Square, other links.
Question 32: Do you foresee any new content types that must be added?
Answer 33: Not necessarily new, but expanded use of short instructional videos.
Question 33: Are there any constraints (i.e., SOC 2, government accessibility standards, etc.) beyond WCAG?
Answer 33: No.
Question 34: If so, are there external review processes (client or regulatory) that the site will need to pass?
Answer 34: No.
Question 35: Do you have in-house technical staff? If so, what will be their role in this project?
Answer 35: COAST has no in-house technical staff. In-house staff will provide input on design and architecture decisions, based on the recommendations of the vendor, and will create content and test the site.
Question 36: Who maintains ongoing site administration and content entry?
Answer 36: The vendor will maintain the site infrastructure. COAST will maintain content entry, with occasional assistance from the vendor as needed.
Question 37: What constraints related to structure of your technology team should inform our work?
Answer 37: We don't have a technology team. We work with Mainstay for outsourced IT.
Question 38: Are there any other technology vendors or agencies that we should expect to work with?
Answer 38: Potentially ADP or Square if needed. Mainstay is our outsourced IT, though there likely won't be a lot of coordination.
Question 39: The proposed timeline appears relatively compressed given the scope of design, development, and integrations described. Is COAST open to adjusting the timeline based on vendor recommendations to ensure a high-quality and sustainable implementation?
Answer 39: We are open to recommendations on timeline adjustment, but have a relatively firm end date for the project in fall 2026. We have received other feedback that this timeline is realistic, and this timeline is longer than our last successful website rebuild with custom features.
Question 40: How is the GTFS currently processed and rendered on the existing site?
Answer 40: We upload the GTFS file to the Drupal backend. It then populates all route stops, schedules, times, etc., including identifying timepoints from non-timepoint stops. See schedule pages at www.coastbus.org to see the rendering.
Question 41: What level of customization is expected for route and schedule displays versus leveraging third-part or off-the-shelf tools?
Answer 41: We are open to proposals for third-party or off-the-shelf tools, but they would be subject to our approval. They should result in clean, understandable, easily navigated, easily updated, and integrated displays in both web and mobile.
Question 42: Are APIs and technical documentation available for existing integrations (e.g., GTFS, Square, ADP)?
Answer 42: GTFS information is available here. For Square and ADP, you can check their resources for documentation. We don't have any.
Question 43: What proportion of existing content is expected to be migrated versus newly created?
Answer 43: Probably 90% migrated, though this will be ironed out during initial design.
Question 44: What role does COAST expect the selected vendor to play in content cleanup, restructuring, and authoring?
Answer 44: The vendor is primarily focused on site design and recommendations on structure. COAST will author our own content. Suggested cleanup from an outside perspective is welcome.
Question 45: Beyond the stated evaluation weighting, how does COAST assess cost relative to overall value?
Answer 45: Factors may include examples of past work (design, clarity of information presentation, etc.), relevant experience of the project team, recommendations by established customers, clarity with which the proposal documents are presented, professionalism and accessibility of the project team during any initial conversations, etc.
Question 46: Is there an incumbent bidding on this project?
Answer 46: This project is going out to bid because the incumbent is no longer working on websites in the Drupal space, requiring us to either redesign or find another Drupal-supporting vendor. We have elected to both redesign and go out to bid for a vendor. The incumbent is one of many firms welcome to submit a proposal, although we won't know if they do until the submission deadline.
Question 47: What level of user testing is expected as part of this project?
Answer 47: The vendor should test the site to ensure it is free from bugs. COAST staff will also test the site prior to go-live, and may invite board members and some customers to test it as well.
Question 48:Would COAST be able to support or own recruitment of representative users for testing?
Answer 48: Yes.
Question 49: Does COAST have any preferences or constraints regarding hosting approach (e.g., vendor-managed hosting, cloud provider, or platform-specific hosting solutions)?
Answer 49: COAST will not host the site on our own server. We are open to vendor-managed hosting, cloud provider, etc. We have no further firm restrictions and are open to recommendations.
Question 50: Who currently owns and maintains these integrations?
Answer 50: COAST owns the website and the custom features built into it. Our vendor maintains the site. The custom features will need to be rebuilt as we wish to move away from Drupal.
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