Kansas City Zoo Web Overhaul Request for Proposals

Proposal Deadline: 5 p.m. Monday, October 1 at the Kansas City Zoo Kansas City Zoo/6800 Zoo Dr/Kansas City, MO 64132/816.513.5800

Project Summary The Kansas City Zoo is accepting proposal to design, develop and host the organization’s web site. This will be a concept to completion project. The purpose of this RFP is to provide a fair evaluation for all candidates and to provide candidates with the evaluation criteria against which they will be judged.

The existing web site was given a facelift in 2008. Only a portion of the membership sales web store is integrated into the admission system. Education reservations move through an extranet that was specifically designed for their needs. The functionality of the web site dates back to 2005/06.

Company Information The Kansas City Zoo’s mission – to educate and entertain while instilling a respect for nature and conservancy – is timely, relevant and energizing. The advance of technology has woven education and entertainment together while instilling a respect for nature and conservation to our guests, guide many of our daily decisions.

Kansas City Zoo has a 104-year history in Kansas City’s Swope Park. Our recent capital improvement success stories (introducing Nikita the polar bear) and with the confidence of our community (70% of Jackson and Clay counties approved the Zoo’s recent tax initiative), we are well positioned to reach and surpass our goals of stimulating and inspiring all visitors as we continue to become the “edutainment” capital of the Midwest.

Open 12-months of the year, the Kansas City Zoo serve the metropolitan community of six counties, including urban, suburban and rural demographics. Over 713,000 guests strolled the 202 acre Zoo in 2011, the second-highest, one-year attendance marker in the Zoo’s history; 2012 is set to break last year’s attendance.

The Zoo’s story began in 1908 when the Kansas City Zoological Society asked the Board of Parks Commissioners for 60 acres within Swope Park and $32,000. The first expansion took place in 1912. During that same year the Zoo became primarily self-sufficient, producing most of the food for the animals from gardens within the park itself. The 40’s and 50’s saw a spurt of activity yet it was not until 1959 that the Zoo engaged in a partnership that continues to guide it today. In 2002, Friends of the Zoo, Inc., Kansas City, MO – a 501(c) 3, not-for-profit organization – took the reins of the Zoo’s growth with a focused commitment for improving and supporting Zoo facilities, animals and educational programs.

Polar Bear Passage was named the 2010 Midwest Travel Treasure by AAA. America’s Best Zoo book featured the Kansas City Zoo as one of the top 60 Zoos in the United States boasting the best African, Kangaroo and Chimp exhibits. The Zoo continues to win the favorite family day trip from KCParent Magazine and the best kids’ attraction as voted on by tourists visiting Kansas City.

Description The Kansas City Zoo would like to create a flexible, informative web site that is easy to maintain. It must be designed to be user-friendly with an intuitive interface, be visually pleasing, informative, and safe and secure. The development of a web-based, database-driven administration tool that allows key management personnel to easily update content is a must. It must be quick to load, operate and update and able to utilize current social technology trends and bend/grow with the ever-changing trends. It must be family-friendly that can deliver large amounts of constantly changing information to our key audiences.

Purpose The Kansas City Zoo web presence is outdated in appearance, structure and presentation of content. An opportunity exists to re-engineer the site to better reflect the mission and the long term goals of the Zoo incorporating the latest web technology.

Upon completion the Kansas City Zoo will assume full responsibility for web site content, maintenance and administration. All content, coding and graphics will become the sole property of the Kansas City Zoo. Therefore, the system must be usable by non-IT individuals.

The primary objective is to allow information obtained through the online resources built into the web to flow into the Zoo’s current systems. These business efficiency improvements include but are not limited to:

Memberships and donations Education program registrations School and groups reservations Volunteer assignments and information Event registrations Program management and scheduling Employee/Volunteer access Repeat members/guests/customer log in’s Tracking tools for all programs/reservations Interactive calendar

The web site should be an educational tool as well as a tourist guide providing general guest information that encourages visits and repeat visit to the Zoo. This easy to use comprehensive information should include is but it not limited to:

Maximization of web based technologies Building member loyalty Enhancing customer, guest, donor and sponsor relationships Promote involvement in programs

Finally, the Zoo’s web site should continue to build brand identity, awareness and interest in our organization and the services we provide. This consistent image should include but is not limited to:

Educational family-friendly entertainment Conservation education The desire to learn more and appreciate nature and its animals

Goals Make it easy; make it compelling; make it happen! Two clicks for more information Create a content management system that will permit non-technical staff to instantly update web site content and specific pages. Convert existing web site content into the new web format. Everything social. Everything interactive. Integration of social media ensuring the site generates additional interest and followers/fans. Visually appealing, with an attractive mix of text and graphics. Proposal Guidelines and Requirements This is an open and competitive process.

All proposals should be submitted in a written format and should be no longer than 30. Ten (10) copies of the proposal must be received by 5 p.m. on October 1, 2012 at the Zoo. Proposals will be reviewed by the Marketing Board Committee and the Kansas City Zoo staff, finalists will be notified in writing.

Proposals received after October 1, 2012 will not be considered and will be returned unopened.

The proposal must contain the signature of a duly authorized officer or agent of the company submitting the proposal.

The price you quote should be inclusive. If your price excludes certain fees or charges, you must provide a detailed list of excluded fees with a complete explanation of the nature of those fees. The Kansas City Zoo’s budget is below $200,000.

The project timeline including the earliest time and the duration of time this work would be completed must be included. Completion date is to co-inside with the opening of the Zoo’s new Penguin Plaza – late summer 2013. If project has additions that can be completed in phases, please include additional timeline and details on plans for future enhancements.

If the execution of work to be performed by your company requires the hiring of sub-contractors you must clearly state this in your proposal. Sub-contractors must be identified and the work they will perform must be defined in your proposal. Please provide the name, address and EIN of the sub-contractor. A proposal based upon the use of sub-contractors will not be refused; however we retain the right to refuse the sub-contractors you have selected.

Provisions of this RFP and the contents of the successful responses are considered available for inclusion in final contractual obligations.

Submitting agencies must provide the following within their proposals:

Details on the process used for identifying scope, functionality, development resources and aesthetics Detailed experiences with responsive design and mobile applications Technology development experience and CMS platform provider partnerships Content strategy experience Integrated marketing capabilities Mobile readiness requirements SEO capabilities and experience CMS platform requirements Database requirements Reporting analytics/Quantitative Measures Describe the processes for UX/wireframing (non-confidential examples, if possible) Provide examples and reference of sites with similar scope and functionality Describe success matrix Recommendations for web hosting Training Timeline with recommended deliverables Supplemental timeline, if needed, for additional enhancement phases

Contract Terms The Kansas City Zoo will negotiate contract terms upon selection. All contracts are subject to review by the Kansas City Zoo’s legal counsel and the project will be awarded upon signing of an agreement or contract that outlines terms, scope, budget and other necessary items.

Change in RFQ, Contract and Additional Work The Kansas City Zoo reserves the right to add, delete, modify or enlarge this RFP including any specifications and/or statement of work, the proposed contract, the terms and conditions, and any subsequently executed contract. The Zoo reserves the right to award additional contract for related work or subsequent project phases to the selected design professional.

Interviews, Discussions and Negotiations All proposals may be subject to negotiation at any time. Interviews may be conducted with none, one, some or all of agencies that submitted proposals. Proposals may be evaluated and awarded with or without discussions and negotiations. Additional information may be requested for any or all of the agencies. Negotiations will not be deemed a counter offer or a rejection of any proposal.

Rejection of Proposals The Zoo reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to award one or more contracts for all or any portion of the project.

Best and Final Offers The Zoo reserves the right to request one or more best and final offers.

Waivers The Zoo may waive any requirements imposed in this RFP when the requirement waived would be waived for all proposals when in best interest of the Zoo.

Closed Records All proposals and documents and meeting relating to may remain closed records or meeting sunder the Missouri Sunshine Act until a contract is executed or until all proposals are rejected.

Disclosure of Proprietary Information Proposal may restrict the disclosure of scientific and technological innovations in which it has a proprietary interest, or other information that is protected from public disclosure by law and segregating the information in a separate and sealed envelope marked ”Proprietary Information.”

After either a contract is executed pursuant to the RFP, or all submittals are rejected, if access to documents marketing “Proprietary Information,” as provided above is requested under the Missouri Sunshine Law, the agency will be notified and it will be the burden of the agency to establish that such documents are exempt from the disclosure under law.

Evaluation Criteria/Rankings Any evaluation criteria, weighing of criteria or ranking used by the Zoo is only a tool to assist in the selection of the most qualified agency for this project. Criteria, criteria weights and rankings can change at any time. Evaluation scores or ranks do not create an expectation to a contract regardless of any score or ranking given.

Key evaluation criteria and weightings: 40% functionality for internal and external use; 20% budget; 20% customer service; 10% creative; 10% timeline.

Minority/Women Business Enterprise Program Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Women’s Business Enterprises (WBE) have maximum opportunity to participate.

Questions Questions may be forwarded to the project manager. Questions received less than one day prior to the submittal date may not be answers. Interpretations or clarifications considered necessary by the project manager will be issued to all proposals/agencies. Oral or other interpretations or clarifications shall be without legal effect, even if made at a pre-proposal meeting.

Project Manager: Julie Neemeyer, Director of Marketing/Membership Kansas City Zoo, [email protected], 816.513.5714.

Kansas City Zoo 6800 Zoo Drive Kansas City, MO 64132 816.513.5800