Request for Proposals: Website Developer

Request for Proposal: Website Redesign & Development 

June 4, 2026

Introduction

Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) is seeking proposals from qualified web designers and developers to redesign and develop our organizational website.

ICA is an Indigenous-led climate justice organization that works to build Indigenous climate leadership through community-based education, relationship building, and movement support. Our work centres Indigenous rights, sovereignty, land-based knowledge systems, and climate justice across Turtle Island.

The new website will serve as ICA’s primary digital platform for storytelling, education, campaigns, research, fundraising, and community engagement. The redesigned platform should reflect ICA’s organizational values, strengthen accessibility and usability, and support long-term growth and sustainability.

We are seeking a web development partner capable of delivering:

• A redesigned and accessible organizational website
• Improved site architecture and user experience
• A flexible and maintainable content management system
• Migration and retention of existing content and resources
• Technical documentation and staff training
• Ongoing maintenance and support options post-launch

Project Objectives

The objectives of this project are to:

• Refresh and strengthen ICA’s digital presence
• Improve accessibility, navigation, and user experience
• Better communicate ICA’s mission, programs, campaigns, and impact
• Support multiple audiences, including Indigenous communities, youth, partners, funders, media, and the public
• Create a scalable infrastructure that can grow alongside ICA’s evolving work
• Improve internal staff capacity to manage and update website content
• Ensure the website aligns with accessibility, security, and performance best practices

Scope of Work

The selected vendor will be responsible for the following:

Discovery & Planning

• Conduct meetings with ICA staff and key stakeholders
• Review existing website structure and digital assets
• Assess audience needs and user journeys
• Provide recommendations for site architecture and platform improvements
• Identify opportunities for improved accessibility, storytelling, and engagement

Website Design & Development

The scope of work includes:

• Information architecture and sitemap development
• User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design
• Responsive website development across desktop and mobile devices
• Development using a flexible and maintainable CMS
• Template creation for key page types
• Integration of ICA branding and visual identity
• SEO and performance optimization
• Analytics integration
• Accessibility compliance implementation
• Security implementation and best practices

The website must be designed to:

• Clearly communicate ICA’s mission, values, and programs
• Support storytelling, campaigns, fundraising, reports, and educational resources
• Enable internal staff to efficiently manage and update content
• Support future expansion and evolving organizational needs

Content Migration & Retention

ICA currently operates on Squarespace and intends to retain and migrate select existing content into the new website.

This includes:

• Existing blog content
• Reports and publications
• Organizational resources and archives
• Selected campaign and program pages

Vendors should outline:

• Their proposed approach to content migration from Squarespace
• Strategies for preserving SEO and existing URLs where possible
• Recommendations for organizing archived and retained content

Accessibility Requirements 

Accessibility is a core priority for ICA.

The selected vendor must ensure:

• Compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards
• Accessible navigation and content structures
• Screen reader compatibility
• Appropriate colour contrast and typography practices
• Accessibility testing across devices and browsers

Vendors should describe:

• Their accessibility approach and testing process
• Previous experience building accessible websites
• Tools and methods used for accessibility auditing

Security & Technical Requirements 

The selected vendor must implement security best practices appropriate for a public-facing organizational website.

Proposals should address:

• Website hosting recommendations
• Security infrastructure and protections
• Backup and recovery processes
• CMS and plugin maintenance considerations
• Performance optimization
• Long-term sustainability of the technical framework

Post-Launch Support & Maintenance

Vendors should clearly outline what ongoing technical support and maintenance would look like after launch.

This should include:

• Length and scope of post-launch support
• Response times for technical issues
• CMS and plugin updates
• Security monitoring and maintenance
• Bug fixes and troubleshooting
• Options for long-term maintenance retainers or support agreements
• Staff training and documentation

Project Timeline (Tentative)

• Discovery & Planning: July 2026
• Design Phase: July to August 2026
• Development Phase: August to September 2026
• Testing & Revisions: September 2026
• Launch: October 2026

Proposal Requirements

Proposals should include:

1. Overview of the vendor/team and relevant experience
2. Examples of similar website projects
3. Proposed approach and methodology
4. Proposed CMS and technical framework
5. Accessibility and security approach
6. Content migration strategy
7. Proposed timeline and milestones
8. Detailed budget breakdown
9. Post-launch support and maintenance options
10. Team composition and roles

Proposal Evaluation

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Alignment with ICA’s organizational values and goals
• Experience working with Indigenous organizations, nonprofits, or mission-driven organizations
• Quality and relevance of previous work
• Accessibility and technical expertise
• Scalability and sustainability of proposed solutions
• Budget and overall value
• Post-launch support capacity

Additional Terms

• ICA reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals
• ICA is not obligated to award a contract
• All intellectual property created specifically for this project will belong to ICA
• Vendors are responsible for all proposal preparation costs
• Proposals will be treated as confidential

Qualified persons of Indigenous Ancestry will be given preference in accordance with s.16(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act.

We thank all applicants for their interest in the project. We will only contact those selected for an interview.

Deadline to Submit 

July 1, 2026