Destination Marketing Website & Digital Clubhouse
| Location: | Washington |
|---|---|
| Posted: | Feb 25, 2026 |
| Due: | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Agency: | County of Cowlitz |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
|
| Solicitation No: | 2026-0010-01 |
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Bid Number: |
2026-0010-01
|
| Bid Title: |
Destination Marketing Website & Digital Clubhouse
|
| Category: | Event Center |
| Status: | Open |
|
Attachment Preview
Purchasing Services
1600 13th Ave S
Kelso, WA 98626
TEL (360) 577-3030
www.co.cowlitz.wa.us
Board of County Commissioners
Steve Rader
District 1
Steven L. Ferrell
District 2
Richard R. Dahl
District 3
Office of Purchasing Services
Ashley Claussen, Buyer
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
NUMBER 2026-0010-01
Cowlitz County Destination Marketing Website & Digital Clubhouse
Deadline: Friday, March 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM Local Time
This is a Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified digital strategy and web development
partners to design and build a new destination marketing website and digital clubhouse: Discover
Cowlitz County. Firms shall be licensed and bonded in the State of Washington to be eligible for
award of contract in response to this RFP.
Background
Cowlitz County, located in southwest Washington, is home to diverse natural beauty, rich history,
and vibrant communities. The county includes a variety of incorporated cities and towns, as well
as numerous unincorporated areas that contribute to the region’s unique tourism offerings. As part
of a rebranding effort, we are looking to design and build a new destination marketing website and
digital clubhouse: Discover Cowlitz County.
The website will serve as a best-in-class digital experience for visitors, partners, and community
stakeholders—positioning Cowlitz County Tourism (CCT) as both a leader and champion of the
region.
The selected firm will work collaboratively with CCT staff and designated consultants as part of
an integrated team to translate brand strategy, discovery insights, and visitor needs into a high-
performing, future-ready digital platform.
The primary goals of the Discover Cowlitz County website are to:
• Inspire visitation through strong editorial perspective and targeted storytelling
• Provide abundant, easy-to-access resources for trip planning
• Support visitor conversion (trip planning, itinerary building, overnight stays)
• Function as a “digital clubhouse” for tourism partners, event organizers, and stakeholders
• Be technically sound, accessible, searchable, shareable, and AI-discoverable
Scope of Services
The selected firm will be responsible for conducting a thorough analysis and providing
actionable insights and recommendations in the following areas:
A. Site Architecture & Content Strategy
The selected partner will lead or support:
• Website architecture informed by visitor journeys and audience needs
• Content strategy that balances inspiration, utility, and discovery
• Audience-based pages (e.g., families, outdoor enthusiasts, weekend travelers, etc.)
Editorial frameworks for storytelling, itineraries, and seasonal content
• Clear pathways from inspiration to conversion
Note: A smaller, minified version of the current Visit Mt. St. Helens site will exist
separately to support Mount St. Helens–specific tourism, while Discover Cowlitz
County will serve as the primary county-wide destination platform.
B. Core Website Functionality
The website must include, at minimum:
• Robust Content Management System (CMS)
o Easy staff content updates
o Scalable for future growth
o Role-based permissions
• Advanced Events Calendar
o Filterable by date, location, category
o Recurring events support
o Event submission workflow (with moderation)
• Itineraries & Travel Loops
o Multi-day and themed itineraries
o Geographic loops and regional groupings
o Editable and expandable content modules
• Filterable Attractions & Listings
o Communities
o Lodging
o Dining
o Things to do
o Outdoor recreation
o Cultural and heritage sites
• Digital Clubhouse Features
o Resource hub for partners and stakeholders
o Downloadable assets or toolkits (if applicable)
o Clear differentiation between visitor-facing and partner-facing content
C. Technical, SEO & AI Discoverability
The site must be built with:
• Technical SEO best practices baked in from launch
• Schema and structured data to support:
o Search visibility
o Social sharing
o AI-based discovery and future search platforms
• Fast page performance and mobile-first design
• Secure hosting environment and modern development standards
D. Accessibility & Compliance
• Website must meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards
• ADA-conscious design and development practices
• Public-sector appropriate usability and compliance
E. Analytics, Performance & Optimization
• Google Analytics (or equivalent) implementation
• Conversion tracking aligned with tourism goals
• Dashboards or reporting recommendations
• Guidance on post-launch optimization opportunities
Minimum Qualifications
Firms responding to this RFP must demonstrate the following minimum qualifications.
Submittals that do not clearly demonstrate compliance with these requirements may be deemed
non-responsive.
A. Organizational Experience
• The Proposer shall have a minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in
website design, development, and deployment.
• The Proposer shall have successfully completed at least three (3) projects within the past
five (5) years comparable in scope and complexity to the proposed Cowlitz County
Tourism Website & Digital Clubhouse. Comparable projects shall include:
o Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), tourism entities, chambers of
commerce, government agencies, or economic development organizations; and
o Content-rich public-facing websites requiring complex navigation, structured
listings, and stakeholder-driven content management.
o Experience serving rural destinations, regional tourism organizations, or multi-
jurisdictional public entities is preferred.
B. Technical Qualifications
• The Proposer must demonstrate:
o Expertise in the implementation of a modern, scalable Content Management
System (CMS) suitable for public-sector use.
o Proven experience developing:
▪ Mobile-first, responsive websites
▪ Advanced event calendar systems
▪ Filterable and searchable listings (e.g., lodging, dining, attractions,
communities, itineraries)
▪ Role-based user permissions for multi-stakeholder content management
o Implementation of technical search engine optimization (SEO) best practices,
including but not limited to:
▪ Schema/structured data markup
▪ Site speed optimization
▪ Clean URL architecture
▪ XML sitemaps
o Experience integrating third-party systems and APIs (e.g., CRM systems, booking
engines, event feeds).
o Configuration of website analytics platforms (e.g., GA4 or equivalent) and
development of performance reporting dashboards.
o Secure hosting environment options and ongoing maintenance/support
capabilities.
C. Strategic & Content Expertise
• The Proposer must demonstrate experience in:
o Developing information architecture for large-scale content ecosystems.
o Designing audience-based navigation systems (e.g., trip planners, visitor
segments, partner portals.)
o Implementing content strategies aligned with brand positioning and tourism
marketing objectives.
o Developing SEO-optimized content structures to support discoverability across
traditional and emerging search platforms.
D. Accessibility & Compliance
• The proposed solution must meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.
• The Proposer must demonstrate experience developing websites compliant with
applicable public-sector accessibility and privacy requirements.
• The Proposer shall describe its quality assurance and testing protocols to ensure
compliance prior to launch.
E. Project Management & Capacity
• The Proposer shall assign a designated Project Manager as the primary point of contact.
• The Proposer must demonstrate the capacity to meet established timelines and provide a
proposed project schedule.
• The Proposer shall describe its internal project management methodology,
communication protocols, and change-order process.
• The Proposer must outline post-launch support and training services available to County
staff and stakeholders.
F. References
• The Proposer shall provide a minimum of three (3) client references for projects of
similar size and scope completed within the past five (5) years. References shall include
contact name, organization, phone number, email address, and project description.
In addition, the Consultants submitting their proposals (and any subconsultants) must not be listed
with the Washington State Department of Licensing as debarred, suspended, or otherwise
ineligible to contract with Cowlitz County and must not be included on the General Services
Administration’s List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-procurement
Programs or the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Limited Denial of Participation
list.
Proposal Format, Style and Length
In order to assure uniformity of the proposals submitted in response to this RFP and to facilitate
the evaluation process, all submittals should be organized and labeled following the outline below:
1. Cover Letter – Introduce the firm and express interest in the project.
2. Company Profile – Include background, relevant experience, and qualifications.
3. Project Approach and Timeline – Outline the firm’s proposed approach, methodology,
and projected timeline for completing the project.
4. Key Personnel – Identify the project team and relevant expertise.
5. Relevant Work Samples – Provide examples of similar projects completed.
6. References – Include at least three professional references from similar projects.
7. Proposed Budget – Submit a detailed budget outlining project cost, including
professional fees, travel, and any additional expenses.
Writing styles should be concise and straightforward. The length of the submittal document shall
not exceed 10 pages (single-sided) using 12-point letter font for the main text. Consultants not
conforming to the criteria may be considered non-responsive. Consultants may use their discretion
for the font size of other materials (e.g. graphics, charts). Foldouts not exceeding 11x17, are
permitted. Supporting documentation (including team member résumés) attached as appendices
is not included in the determination of total page count.
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
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