Blog post

Call for tenders: Web services provider

Bruegel invites tenders for providing its web services. The deadline to express your intention to submit a proposal is on Apr

Publishing date
10 April 2014

Bruegel invites tenders for the contract of maintaining the website of www.bruegel.org which will include continual improvement and development of other online capabilities within a strategic communications plan.

Please read the call for tenders below carefully before submitting a proposal.

The deadline to express your intention to submit a proposal is on April 18, 2014.

The deadline for submitting the final proposal is June 4, 2014.


1. Invitation to Tender

1.1 The purpose of this email is to invite tenders for the contact of developing and maintaining bruegel.org, including continuous support and development of online presence within a strategic communications plan.

1.2 The commissioning party is the European economics think tank Bruegel, a non-profit organisation based in Brussels, Belgium.

1.3 This email constitutes an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the contract. Subsequent sections describe the background of the project, the expected work to be done under the tender and the terms and conditions under which the tender will take place.

2. Background to the project

2.1 Bruegel AISBL (non-profit organisation under Belgian law) is a European economics think tank based in Brussels, Belgium. It began operations in 2005 and has since become a global leader in its field. It received financial support from European states, global corporations and international institutions. its mission is to improve economic policy with open, evidence-based research, analysis and debate. It is independent and non-doctrinal.

2.2 Bruegel's current website was launched in 2011. The website remains Bruegel's most prominent and important windows to the world. As a public good, Bruegel's website is its primary communications and publishing tool.

2.3 Since the launch of Bruegel's current website, a number of important changes have been made. Most prominently, the Bruegel blog has been added as an output, the comments forum has been replaced by Disqus, and sharing and content recommendation tools have been included from AddThis.

2.4 bruegel.org currently uses TYPO3 for its content management system (CMS). We welcome proposals based on TYPO3, Wordpress or Flowli, or proposals for another CMS.

2.5 The following external services are utilized by Bruegel: Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, AddThis, Disqus, Mailchimp, Chartbeat, Google Analytics, Scribd, Youtube, Play Newsstand. We welcome proposals for how best to integrate and automate these services with Bruegel's website.

3. Work to be undertaken

3.1 The contractors will host and maintain bruegel.org, making adequate provisions for security and quality of service.

3.2 The contractors will not be responsible for the uploading of content to the website (responsibility of the Online Editor), but rather for identifying and remedying technical issues, updating and making requested modifications/improvements to the CMS, as well as unforeseen future development upon request within the duration of the contract.

3.3 Future development work (new functionality, new versions) will be regularly requested, but agreed upon separately under another budget.

3.4 The ability to advise Bruegel on how to best utilize its online presence to fulfil its communications strategy will be an advantage.

4. Skills and experience

4.1 Credentials and proven expertise in website development and maintenance is essential.

4.2 Proven experience with TYPO3, and/or Wordpress or Flowli is essential.

4.3 Experience in migrating a website from one provider to another is essential.

4.4 A proven ability to respond rapidly to requests is essential.

4.5 Experience is working with similar organisations is preferable, as is an understanding of the market in which Bruegel operates.

4.5 Ability to work without misunderstandings in English is essential, experience with multi-lingual and multi-cultural organisations is preferable.

5. Format of responses required

5.1 The tender proposals should include

  • An outline of the approach that will be taken to establish and deliver regular maintenance and minor development.
  • Details of the people who will lead, manage and deliver the project including their training, qualifications and experience.
  • Details of all costs involved in the project.
  • A clear timetable for the transfer of hosting and other necessary consideration.
  • Design proposals for development or evolution of new or existing website.

5.2 Tenders should include background material to demonstrate the previous experience of the organisation and the range of work of the people who will work with Bruegel

5.3 Tenders should include contact details of two referees.

5.4 Tenders should be sent via email to [email protected] with accompanying documents in PDF format.

5.5 Any queries regarding this brief should be addressed to Erik Dale, Online Editor ([email protected]) and Matt Dann, Secretary General ([email protected])

6. Evaluation criteria

6.1 The proposals will be evaluated by Bruegel's communications team and the Secretary General. Each proposal will be evaluated against the following criteria

  • Understanding of the brief demonstrated in the tender document: 5%
  • Credibility and proven expertise in similar website development and maintenance: 25%
  • Knowledge of the think tank sector and the market in which Bruegel operates: 10%
  • Extensive and current experience in providing web hosting and support services: 25%
  • Ideas for further development of Bruegel's digital offering: 20%
  • Price: 10%
  • Any added value offer by the tenderer: 5%

6.2 Bruegel is seeking value for money in the tenders for this project, but will not judge primarily on this criteria. Also considered heavily is the quality, reliability and scope of the submitted proposals.

6.3 Bruegel reserves the right not to consider a tender if it is judged that is it not viable or not appropriate.

7. Guide price

7.1 All tenders will submit a tender document, with a budget for the project, as described above. Example budget for further development ideas are welcome.

7.2 The tenderer should have the ability to charge in EURO and receive payment in EURO

7.3 As a general guide, an annual budget of + / - €18.000 (NOT including VAT) should cover hosting, maintenance and around 10 hours of development work per month for the duration of the contact.

8. Tender evaluation process and timetable

8.1 The timetable for the process will be as follows:

  • The deadline for expressing the intention to submit a tender is at 12:00 (midday) Friday, April 18, 2014.
  • The deadline for submission of tenders is at 00:00 (midnight) Wednesday, June 4, 2014.
  • Bruegel will select three tenderers to make a presentation in Brussels during the month of June 2014. Bruegel will inform all those who submitted a tender whether they have been selected to the final three being considered.
  • A decision on the successful tender will be made by Friday, July 4, 2014.
  • The contract will start on Monday, September 1, 2014, with necessary preparations for migrating our current website taking place in August 2014.

Any proposal must incorporate responsive webdesign and must take care in outlining the presentation of Bruegel's main outputs - publications, blogs posts, videos and events - keeping in mind objectives related to dissemination, engagement and re-circulation. It must be clear how proposals for landing pages will improve upon the existing solution(s) in capturing and re-circulating Bruegel's audience. Other static pages must be considered in relation to the rest of Bruegel's content and the presentation of these pages must be consistent across the website.

The deadline to express your intention to submit a proposal is on April 18, 2014. The deadline for submitting the final proposal is June 4, 2014

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