CHFA 296-RFP for Website Design and Development Download PDF

Response date has been extended to 4:00 p.m. on September 15, 2026. Firms that have already
applied do not have to reapply.
Dear Interested Party: Date: August 6, 2026
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR
WEBSITE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority ("CHFA") requests written proposals for website
design and development from qualified firms. CHFA will not reimburse for any expenses incurred
in connection with this Request for Proposals ("RFP") including, but not limited to, the cost of
preparing the initial response and any additional information requested or travel expenses relating
to any oral presentation. Please be advised that responses will be considered property of CHFA,
are matters of public record, and may be disclosed by CHFA after the awarding of a contract.
OVERVIEW
CHFA, a body politic and corporate constituting a public instrumentality and political subdivision
of the State of Connecticut, was created in 1969 and operates pursuant to Chapter 134 of the
Connecticut General Statutes, as amended. CHFA's purpose is to help alleviate the shortage of
affordable housing for low-income and moderate-income families and persons in Connecticut by
providing single family mortgages, financing for rental housing, and mortgages for the purchase,
development and construction of housing.
For additional information about CHFA, please reference CHFA's website at www.chfa.org.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Project Overview
CHFA's current website (www.chfa.org) serves a wide range of stakeholders, including
homebuyers and homeowners, renters, lenders, real estate professionals, housing counselors,
developers, owners and property managers, investors, public officials, and partners, and the
general public.
CHFA intends to redesign and replace its current public-facing website with a modern, secure,
accessible, responsive, and user-centered digital platform that better serves its diverse audiences

and supports CHFA's business, communications, and customer service objectives. The project
includes website strategy, user experience (UX) design, information architecture, graphic design,
website development, content migration, systems integration, hosting, implementation, staff
training, and ongoing support.
The selected firm will partner with CHFA throughout the project to design and deliver a website
that reflects CHFA's mission and brand, improves access to information and services, strengthens
engagement with its diverse audiences, and provides an intuitive, accessible, and consistent user
experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. The website shall be designed to support
CHFA's current and future business needs through a secure, scalable, and easily managed digital
platform.
Scope of Work
1. Discovery and Strategic Planning
* Conduct discovery sessions with CHFA stakeholders to understand business objectives,
user needs, content priorities, and technical requirements.
* Evaluate the existing website and identify opportunities to improve usability, navigation,
accessibility, content organization, and overall user experience.
* Recommend best practices for information architecture, content governance, and long-term
website management.
* Develop a comprehensive project plan, timeline, and communication strategy.
2. User Experience and Website Design
Design a visually engaging, modern website that:
* Reflects CHFA's brand and mission.
* Provides an intuitive user experience with clear navigation and minimal clicks to reach
frequently accessed information.
* Is fully responsive across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
* Serves multiple audiences, including homebuyers, homeowners, renters, lenders, real
estate professionals, developers, property owners and managers, investors, housing
counselors, and other stakeholders.
* Includes user-focused navigation tools such as audience-based pathways (e.g., "I am a
Homebuyer," "I am a Lender," "I am a Developer") to help visitors quickly locate relevant
information.
CHFA will provide existing branding assets and photography. The selected firm may recommend
additional photography, illustrations, or licensed stock imagery as appropriate.
3. Website Development
Develop and implement a website that includes, at a minimum:
* A modern Content Management System ("CMS") that allows multiple content contributors
with configurable user roles and approval workflows.
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* Flexible architecture that is scalable, extensible, and easy for CHFA staff to maintain.
* Robust enterprise search functionality.
* Dynamic content capabilities.
* Document libraries organized by audience, topic, and document type.
* Archive functionality organized by date, year, and audience.
* Public notices and emergency alerts are displayed prominently on the homepage.
* Blog functionality.
* Public calendars that allow authorized staff to manage events and training schedules.
* Dedicated sections for Research, Data & Reports, Investor Relations, Housing Counselor
resources, and other CHFA programs.
* Integration of online forms and applications that securely collect and route data.
* Support for hosting embedded or streamed video content, including long-form training
videos.
* Compatibility with mortgage calculators, affordability calculators, rent-versus-own
calculators, and other interactive tools. The firm should identify whether existing tools can
be integrated or whether new tools should be developed.
* Test and development environments throughout the project lifecycle.
4. Systems Integration
Integrate the website with existing CHFA systems and third-party applications, as applicable,
including but not limited to:
* Google Analytics
* Existing production systems
* Online forms and application platforms
* Other third-party services identified during project discovery
Firms should describe their approach to integrating with external systems while maintaining
security, reliability, and performance.
5. Content Strategy and Migration
Work collaboratively with CHFA staff to:
* Develop the website information architecture and sitemap.
* Provide recommendations for improving website content organization and readability.
* Assist with content migration from the existing website.
* Recommend content governance practices.
* Provide guidance and training on writing and maintaining effective web content.
CHFA anticipates providing the majority of website content, with the selected firm assisting in
migration, formatting, and implementation.
6. Accessibility, Compliance, and Search Optimization
The selected firm shall design, develop, and implement the website in full compliance with the
Title II Web and Mobile Application Accessibility Rule under the Americans with Disabilities Act
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("ADA") on or before the compliance deadline of April 26, 2027, including all applicable
requirements for state and local government entities.
At a minimum, the website shall:
* Conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ("WCAG") Version 2.1, Level AA,
as required by the Title II Web and Mobile Application Accessibility Rule.
* Comply with all applicable requirements of the ADA, Title II, Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act, and other applicable federal and state accessibility requirements.
* Be fully accessible across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
* Ensure that all public-facing web pages, documents, forms, multimedia content, and other
digital content delivered as part of this project meet applicable accessibility standards.
* Undergo comprehensive automated and manual accessibility testing throughout the design
and development process and prior to launch.
* Provide CHFA with a detailed accessibility testing report documenting compliance,
identified issues, remediation efforts, and final conformance with WCAG Version 2.1,
Level AA.
* Correct any accessibility deficiencies identified during testing prior to final acceptance by
CHFA.
* Undergo comprehensive accessibility testing prior to launch, with documentation of testing
results and remediation provided to CHFA.
* Include recommendations and implementation options for language translation.
* Follow SEO best practices and maintain or improve existing search engine rankings.
7. Quality Assurance, Testing, and Launch
The selected firm shall:
* Conduct comprehensive functional, usability, accessibility, browser compatibility,
responsive design, performance, and security testing.
* Coordinate user acceptance testing with CHFA.
* Correct identified issues prior to launch.
* Support the final production deployment and launch.
8. Training, Documentation, and Knowledge Transfer
The selected firm shall provide:
* Administrator and content editor training.
* CMS documentation and user guides.
* Technical documentation describing system architecture, integrations, and maintenance
procedures.
* Recommendations for ongoing governance and content management.
9. Post-Launch Support and Maintenance
Following launch, the selected firm shall provide:
* Technical support.
* Warranty services.
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* Optional ongoing maintenance and enhancement services.
* Service Level Agreement ("SLA") options for support, response times, issue resolution,
and future enhancements.
10. Website Hosting Services
The selected firm shall include a fully managed website hosting solution as part of its proposal.
The proposal shall describe the firm's hosting environment and managed hosting services,
including its security architecture, monitoring capabilities, backup and recovery procedures,
disaster recovery and business continuity processes, system maintenance, software updates, and
ongoing technical support. The firm shall also describe its approach to ensuring the website's
availability, performance, scalability, and security throughout the term of the contract.
At a minimum, the hosting environment shall:
* Be hosted in a secure, professionally managed cloud environment with high availability
and redundancy.
* Provide a minimum uptime service level of 99.9%, excluding scheduled maintenance.
* Include continuous security monitoring, threat detection, and vulnerability management.
* Encrypt data in transit using current TLS standards and encrypt data at rest using industry-
standard encryption methods.
* Include regular operating system, application, and security patch management.
* Provide routine backups, with documented backup retention policies and disaster recovery
procedures.
* Include disaster recovery capabilities with documented Recovery Time Objectives.
* Support secure development, testing, staging, and production environments.
* Provide protection against common web threats, including distributed denial-of-service
("DDoS") attacks, malware, and unauthorized access.
* Support secure integration with CHFA's internal and third-party systems.
* Include ongoing monitoring, incident response, and technical support.
The firm shall describe its security governance program and identify the standards and frameworks
under which its hosting environment operates.
As part of its proposal, the firm shall provide:
* A current SOC 2 Type II report (or bridge letter if the report is between audit periods)
covering the hosting environment and managed services, or equivalent independent third-
party audit documentation if applicable.
* Documentation describing its information security policies and controls.
* Procedures for security incident notification, including notification timeframes and
escalation procedures.
* A description of data ownership, data portability, and the process for returning all CHFA
data upon contract termination.
* Any additional security certifications or compliance attestations applicable to the proposed
hosting environment (e.g., ISO/IEC 27001, FedRAMP authorization, if applicable).
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CHFA reserves the right to review the security documentation and to request updated SOC 2 Type
II reports or other compliance documentation throughout the term of the contract.
Project Deliverables
At a minimum, the selected firm shall provide the following deliverables throughout the course
of the project:
1. Project Management
* A comprehensive project management plan that includes the project scope, methodology
and quality assurance process.
* A detailed implementation plan identifying project phases, milestones, key deliverables,
dependencies, and anticipated completion dates.
* Regular project status meetings with CHFA's project team.
* Written monthly progress reports summarizing completed work, work in progress,
upcoming activities, project schedule, risks, issues requiring CHFA input, and status.
* Presentations to CHFA executive leadership and/or project steering committee, as
requested, to review project status, design recommendations, budget, timeline, and major
project decisions.
2. Research, Design, and Development
* Discovery findings and recommendations.
* Information architecture, sitemap, and navigation structure.
* Website design concepts and page templates for CHFA's review and approval.
* Functional prototype(s) or wireframes, as appropriate.
* A fully configured CMS.
* Development, configuration, and integration of all approved website functionality.
3. Testing and Quality Assurance
* Comprehensive testing, including functional, usability, browser compatibility, responsive
design, accessibility, security, and performance testing.
* Documentation of accessibility testing demonstrating compliance with WCAG 2.2 Level
AA, Section 508, and applicable ADA Title II requirements.
* User Acceptance Testing ("UAT") support, including issue tracking and resolution.
* A production-ready website that has successfully completed all testing and received CHFA
approval.
4. Launch and Transition
* Successful deployment and launch of the new website.
* Administrator and content editor training sessions.
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* Technical documentation, user documentation, and CMS administration guides.
* Transfer of all source code, design files, documentation, administrative credentials, and
other project deliverables to CHFA.
* Post-launch support during the warranty period and optional ongoing maintenance
services, including Service Level Agreement (SLA) options.
5. Financial Reporting
The selected firm shall submit detailed monthly invoices that include:
* A summary of work completed during the billing period.
* Hours worked by each project team member.
* Hourly billing rates, where applicable.
* Total project expenditures to date compared to the approved budget.
6. Content Inventory and Migration Plan
The selected firm shall work collaboratively with CHFA to develop a comprehensive content
inventory of the existing website and conduct a content audit to assess the quality, relevance,
accuracy, accessibility, and usability of existing content. CHFA anticipates providing subject
matter expertise and final approval of content decisions, while the selected firm will provide
guidance, best practices, and implementation support throughout the content migration process.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Firms will be evaluated on the basis of their written responses to this RFP, additional written
information as requested by CHFA, in person and/or virtual interviews, if any, including, but not
limited to, the following criteria:
* Reputation and experience of the respondent
* Organization and approach of the respondent to complete the project
* Costs
* Qualifications of personnel
* Functionality
* Tentative timeline for accomplishing the project
* Support and Training
* Data Conversion/Ease of Transition
* Turnkey Operation
OWNERSHIP
CHFA shall own the entire rights (including copyrights), title, and interests in and to the website
code, content and the "look and feel" of the site developed, documentation and any other
intellectual properties. CHFA will have ownership over all graphical elements including but not
limited to stock photography rights, original photos and other images used for the website. Any
customizations, integrations, or enhancements developed as part of this project shall be fully
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supported by the selected firm during the term of the agreement and shall not impair or limit the
functionality, maintainability, or vendor supportability of the website or its underlying platform.
CHFA shall retain sole ownership of all website content, data, domain names, analytics data, user
accounts, and digital assets associated with the website. Any type of source files, which would be
necessary for the CHFA to update or change the design of the site, shall be delivered at the end of
the project.
CHFA may select multiple firms for the services described herein. No selected firm is guaranteed
or ensured of any number of contracts or proportion of business.
REQUESTED INFORMATION
All firms must address the following issues and questions:
1. Provide a brief description of your firm, its history and main areas of business. Indicate
the total number of staff and the team available to CHFA.
2. Provide a summary of the key strengths and qualifications of your firm to perform these
services for CHFA. (Your response to this question should not exceed one page).
3. Identify the project manager who will be responsible for this project. Provide a brief
summary of the proposed project manager's relevant experience, similar work, and
references.
4. Identify the project team members, their qualifications and other resources relevant to the
scope of the work. Please indicate their probable areas of responsibility and the percentage
of their time which would be available to service CHFA's account. There should be no
subcontracting of services, without prior notification and approval from CHFA.
5. Describe the tasks that must be accomplished to complete the project, and a narrative
description of how the firm proposes to execute the tasks. Include a detailed timeline for
the project, from the date of signed contract to launching the website.
6. Provide examples of current websites, especially for government entities, your company
has designed and/or built.
7. Provide the total cost of designing, developing and launching a new CHFA website, as well
as the cost of support services and options for SLAs to support the site after launch. Please
indicate any specific price reductions or discounts made available to government agencies.
8. Provide a detailed schedule of all recurring costs associated with the website following its
launch. The proposal shall identify all annual or recurring fees, including, but not limited
to, website hosting, managed hosting services, software licensing, CMS, licensing,
maintenance and support services, security monitoring, software updates, backups,
technical support, and any other ongoing operational costs. Please clearly distinguish
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between required and optional services and identify any anticipated cost increases during
the term of the agreement.
9. Provide the rate or range of rates at which services would be billed. You may quote a
yearly flat fee for all services or indicate a yearly charge for each individual service.
10. Provide the rate or range of rates at which any ancillary services would be billed and
describe what is considered an ancillary service.
11. The SLA included in the proposal must include the following parameters:
- performance (response time to problem notification)
- availability (meantime between failures, meantime to repair)
- configuration: (add/remove/modify)
- support: help desk availability/location or locations
- emergency response process
- infrastructure needs (server, memory, storage, database, backup devices, etc.),
including any brochures or other collateral information.
12. Each respondent shall provide details of its warranty period and ongoing (post-warranty)
product maintenance/support costs, policies, procedures and other options. The description
shall include, but not be limited to, frequency of regularly scheduled upgrades and/or
policies on implementation of routine or emergency fixes. The respondent's and CHFA's
responsibilities shall be clearly listed. If warranty period support provides different service
levels or requires different procedures, then the services and procedures for both warranty
support and ongoing maintenance shall be separately listed and identified.
13. Each respondent shall clarify if support terms and pricing only applies to
maintenance/support services after expiration of the initial system warranty period. If
warranty period support is not included in the initial purchase/implementation cost, then it
must be separately listed and identified. Annual support plan renewal shall be offered and
pricing metrics shall be identified, including known or estimated annual increases.
14. Describe your presence in Connecticut, if any, including corporate existence in
Connecticut, whether formed in Connecticut or authorized to do business in the state. This
may include, but not be limited to, information on the number of offices your firm
maintains in Connecticut, the location of such offices, the number of Connecticut residents
employed in those offices, and payroll and corporate taxes paid in Connecticut. If your
firm currently is not registered with the Connecticut Secretary of State, please indicate
whether your firm will register if your firm is awarded this contract.
15. Include any participation by your firm in any civic or other non-profit activities, including
any charitable contributions that your firm made in Connecticut.
16. Provide a brief summary of the professional background of any individual who would be
assigned to work with CHFA. Please indicate their probable areas of responsibility and
the percentage of their time which would be available to service CHFA's account.
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17. Provide, in tabular form, information on the employee composition of your firm indicating
the total number of employees and the total number and percentages of minorities and
women employed and their titles.
18. Describe any and all material lawsuits, legal or administrative proceedings or governmental
investigations, criminal actions or law enforcement activities (including those by federal,
state or local authorities, or self-regulatory organizations) or non-routine inquiries or
investigations relating to you, your firm, or any of your affiliates, including any
proceedings to which you, your firm, your affiliates or any of their respective officers,
directors or employees are a named party or of which any of such has been the focus, that
have occurred in the last three (3) years or that are currently threatened, including whether
you, your firm, or any of your affiliates, or their respective officers, directors or employees
have been censured by any regulatory body. Describe any such circumstances and advise
whether these investigations or proceedings will affect you or your firm's ability to
complete the proposed transaction and perform the services in this RFP.
19. Describe whether you foresee any potential conflicts of interest arising from performing
these services. If so, describe how your firm would address potential conflicts of interest.
20. Has your firm ever been the target of a technology or IT security breach? If so, please
explain.
21. Has your firm ever been removed from an account prior to the expiration of its contract
(i.e., been fired)? If so, please explain. If you wish, list the name of a third party with
whom the CHFA could discuss this termination.
22. Describe your firm's knowledge of and past experience with CHFA.
23. Please provide as references, with a minimum of three clients for whom your firm has
performed similar and substantial services. Please include the name of the person to
contact, his or her phone number and email address. Please include as references any other
State of Connecticut agencies or departments that have engaged your firm to perform
services.
24. Selected people or firms must comply with CHFA and State Ethics requirements, laws and
regulations. Persons or firms seeking to do business with CHFA are required to comply
with the ethics statement, attached hereto on Exhibit C, and the applicable provisions of
the Code of Ethics and Code of Ethics for Lobbyists incorporated therein by reference.
25. An authorized signatory of any firm submitting qualifications or proposals is required to
execute and submit with the proposals, qualifications and with any agreement or contract
awarded in accordance herewith all applicable representations and certifications set forth
on Exhibit A, attached hereto and made a part hereof, regarding:
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