Windmill Island Gardens RFP for Website Design, Development, and Hosting

The Windmill Island Gardens in Holland, Michigan, is soliciting proposals from qualified U.S.-based firms to design, develop, and host a new website that showcases its Dutch cultural heritage, attractions, programming, and community partnerships. The project emphasizes accessibility, mobile responsiveness, SEO optimization, and integration with third-party services such as MailChimp, Wufoo, and payment processors like Square or Stripe. The selected firm must deliver a user-friendly content management system enabling staff to update most webpages, with the website ownership transferring fully to the City upon completion. The project is slated to commence around January 1, 2026, with proposals due electronically by November 17, 2025, via BidnetDirect. The estimated contract value ranges from approximately $50,000 to $150,000, as indicated in the solicitation metadata. The procurement process is governed by straightforward terms outlined within the RFP, which requires submission of a completed bid form, firm background, project proposal, timeline, and three references for similar work. The City retains sole discretion in evaluating proposals, with no explicit weighting or scoring criteria specified, and reserves the right to select and negotiate with the most suitable firm based on the best interest of the City and its final approval by the City Council. There are no formal federal or state contract clauses incorporated; the terms focus on proposal submission procedures, ownership rights, technical specifications, and project timeline expectations. Administrative contacts include Andrea Bork, Programs Coordinator, who oversees contract management and project communications. The contract does not specify packaging, shipping, or special marking requirements, reflecting its digital service scope. Overall, the RFP emphasizes a clear, competitive selection process with defined technical and administrative requirements, ensuring the City’s ownership and control of all website content and functionalities upon project completion.