CALL FOR TENDERS TO DEVELOP A NEW EUROVELO WEBPORTAL www.eurovelo.com JUNE 2012.
Introduction and goals: The European Cyclists Federation (ECF) wants to appoint a subcontractor to prepare and develop a new webportal for EuroVelo, the European cycle route network, and cycling tourism in Europe generally. The goals are to: EuroVelo.com will provide information about each of the EuroVelo routes (general information and status reports) and about the countries. The target group is cycling tourists interested in the European cycle route network and cycling holidays in Europe. The aim is to motivate potential cycle tourists to plan and implement cycle holidays in Europe, particularly along EuroVelo routes. The website will provide overview information on the EuroVelo routes until dedicated websites are developed for each one. It will also provide direct links to detailed information on national and regional web portals. Please note that EuroVelo.com will not replace EuroVelo.org, which is targeted at professionals working on the routes. Tasks of the supplier Participation on bilateral meetings (at least 1meeting in person with the ECF and its partners). Develop the frame of the website (the ECF and its partners will be providing the content) with a Content Management System based on the defined web architecture (see Annex 3). - Cooperate with the existing Overview Route Database on EuroVelo.org to communicate the location and the status (realised, not realised or undefined) of each route. - Provide connections to the individual webportals of each EuroVelo route when they are developed. Currently the EuroVelo 15 Rhine Route portal is the only one under development but it is hoped that there will be further subsidies for the other routes, so it should be possible to easily integrate them (both technically and in terms of content) into EuroVelo.com. The realisation of the EuroVelo 15 Rhein Route portal is not part of the current project. Development of a connected database to store the information. Visualisation (computer graphics) - high quality visual design based on existing EuroVelo products and design manuals. Operation and maintenance of EuroVelo.com after the project period (after 1st March 2013). Based on a separate price offer and contract. Page 2/11
Copyrights After the end of the project all copyrights (e.g. web-design, databank, logos, pictograms etc.) belong to the ECF. Provided inputs (by the ECF) Web architecture (detailed, see Annex 3). Key visual components (e.g. logos, pictograms, pictures, EuroVelo map (digital format) etc.). Access to EuroVelo.org at the administrator level. Identify the relevant connecting regional and national portals and provide (technical) contact data (for deep links). Text of the route descriptions and pictures (including selected attractions) and country specific information. Testing the web portal. Required consumables / outputs One EuroVelo.com web portal: built up according the defined web architecture, with easy navigation and CMS, with all of the functions described in Annex 2 and Annex 3. filled with the overview route information. Expected experience: Experience of developing cycle route cycle tourism web-portals (at least one) on Trans-national and/or National level. Key milestones and deadlines: Deadline for submission of tenders 13th July 2012 Evaluation of the offers and selection 31st July 2012 Kick off-meeting (ECF + Service provider Web) 24th 30th August 2012. Version 1 EuroVelo.com (Service provider) 30th November 2012. Review Version 1 (ECF + Service provider Web) 31st December 2012 Version 2 EuroVelo.com (Service provider) 31st January 2012 Review Version 2 (ECF + Service provider Web) 15th February 2012 Between these key dates the supplier should be available for discussions with the contractor via skype. Page 3/11
Payment: Payment upon completion of the project to the satisfaction of the contracting authority (100%). Selection criteria and the chapters of the offer All offers should contain the following: References. - Please provide a list of the web-portals, with the year of the implementation, the name of the contracting authority, your role (advisor, complete implementation, web-design and programming, graphic design, collecting information etc.) and the links to the portals. Proposed Action Plan until 28th February 2013. - Please refer on the key dates and deadlines mentioned in the current call and make break down. Maximum 1 page. Methodology. - Please describe the key activities (based on the current call and its annexes) and specify who will be undertaking the work for each activity within your team and which CMS or other technologies will be used. Maximum 1 page. Please attach the CV of all the experts that will be working on the project. Two separate price offers (in Euro) for the implementation (until 28 th February 2013) and for the operation (after 1 st March 2013 until the end of 2013, then a yearly fee; differentiate the type of operational costs like working time, licences,...). - Maximum 25,000 Euro for the implementation. incl. VAT excl. Content (responsibility of ECF) excl. Server capacity (ECF will provide the web hosting) - There is no limit regarding the price offer for the operation but it will be taken into account in the evaluation process. incl. VAT excl. Content (responsibility of ECF) excl. Server capacity (responsibility of ECF) Evaluation Criteria Quality of the technical offer Delivery time (meets proposed timetable) Price Meets specifications References Page 4/11
Deadline for receipt of tender documents Tender documents should be received by the ECF no later than 5pm on Friday 13 th July 2012. The documents should be emailed to: eurovelo@ecf.com Questions If you have questions please contact Ed Lancaster on +32 (0)2 880 92 77 or by email at e.lancaster@ecf.com Page 5/11
Annex 1 Background Information European Cyclists Federation (ECF) The ECF has been the voice of European cyclists for over 25 years. Established in 1983, ECF now represents organisations in 40 separate countries, with over 500,000 active members. Our mission is to ensure that bicycle use achieves its fullest potential, so as to bring about sustainable mobility and public well-being. To achieve this, the ECF: provides information, suggestions and advice to authorities, organisations, international institutions, industry, transport companies and the tourism industry; disseminates information to members and the media; lobbies for the interests of cyclists in international and European institutions; and delivers projects on key subjects like bicycles & trains; bicycle thefts; law & cycling; technical standards; and developing EuroVelo, the European Cycle Route Network. EuroVelo The EuroVelo project promotes and coordinates the creation and operation of a complete European cycle route network crossing and uniting the whole European continent. The project is managed by the ECF, is sponsored by the ACCELL group and supported by the European Union under the preparatory action Sustainable Tourism. The objectives of ECF with regards to the EuroVelo project are: To ensure the implementation of very high quality European-grade cycle routes in all countries of Europe, carrying the best European practice across borders and harmonising standards; To communicate the existence of these routes to decision makers and potential users, promote and market their use, and provide an important port of call for information about cycling in Europe; In this way, to encourage large numbers of European citizens to give cycling a try, and so to promote a shift to healthy and sustainable travel for daily trips and as cycling tourism. EuroVelo currently consists of 14 routes made up of existing and planned cycle routes at regional and national level, selected according to published criteria. Approximately 45,000 km is already in place, which will be considered and communicated as realised or partly realised according the web-architecture (for details see Annex 3). EuroVelo national coordinators and coordination centres The development and operation of the EuroVelo routes are carried out by national, regional and local governments, commercial service providers and NGOs in all the European countries. Ideally there are national coordination centres in every country, but where they are not established yet, they can be supplemented by national coordinators. National EuroVelo coordination centres (NCC) coordinate and ensure the implementation, operation and quality assurance of EuroVelo at national level; ensure coordination with the ECF; and Page 6/12
are organized in accordance with requirements of each country, bringing together territorial authorities, tourism organizations, cycling organizations, public transport companies and service providers. The existence of NCC`s influence the web architecture because if they exist it is possible to provide direct links to their portals (for details see Annex 3). Further information Further information on EuroVelo, including a map of all the routes, overview route database, list of Coordinators and Coordination centres can be found on www.eurovelo.org, the website for professionals working on the routes, which was developed last year with the support of DG ENTR. Page 7/11
Simplified overview of the EuroVelo routes Page 8/11
Annex 2 Principles and Conditions General expectations from EuroVelo.com Overview information about EuroVelo routes and cycling tourism destinations (preferably on the national level). To collect and communicate detailed information is the responsibility of the national and regional web-portals. EuroVelo.com provides deep links to these portals with detailed information. Easy integration (both technically and in terms of content) with new EuroVelo route portals from other projects - currently only the EV15 route portal from the DEMARRAGE project (so the route module for EV15 will not have to be developed in the current project). Further route portals can be realized at a later date and they will replace the overview route modules. Easy integration of new route modules. Currently there are 14 routes in the EuroVelo network but there is a possibility (every 3 years) to add new routes. Languages. For the customers it should be English but with the possibility (without any additional development cost) to turn on (easily) other language versions. For the internal operations English should be the only language. Easy to use. The upload and the management of the content will be the responsibility of the ECF, the ECF staff (without special knowledge) should be able to upload and delete content easily and quickly. The customers / end users are cycling tourists, so it should be easy to use the web-portal on the most used web browsers. Attractive and clear. The design of the visual components and the ergonomic design should make the website attractive, clear and understandable. The web architecture (in the Annex 3) defines the web design in a general way. The detailed design is expected from the service provider. Database It should be a connected database (e.g. to enable the possibility of adding further language versions). The simplest and most cost effective solution can be via a CMS system. It should use commonly-used technologies in order to simplify its operation and maintenance in the future. We propose to use open source technologies. If open source technology is not chosen, then the user rights of the software should be given over to the ECF after the end of the project (maintenance should be included in the price offer for the operation). The database should include modules for the content according the web architecture and specified together with the ECF. We expect suggestions from the service provider for a rational and simple database structure and method of data connection, although the final decision about the database structure will be taken by the ECF. Data - content The content covers the following topics: route infrastructure, route description (including attractions), signing, public transport connections, services and bookable offers. The ECF is responsible for developing the content (titles, text, picture and links) and keeping it updated. Page 9/11
The ECF will provide an example of the database (in xls format) for a route and a country for the kick-off meeting (end of August 2012). Web design and programming Programming technology should be based on the web architecture, be connected to the website EuroVelo 15 and cooperate with the Overview Route Database on EuroVelo.org. The Web design (graphics) must be clear, easily understandable, "timeless" and "culturally neutral" (no country-specific graphical taste/culture) Content modules: developed according the defined web architecture (see Annex 3). Functionality: developed according the defined web architecture (see Annex 3). Mapping solution: Overview map of Europe: - Simplified overview. See Annex 1. It should be downloadable as pdf. - Overview after zooming (up to scale: 1:5 million), based on: a generalized map, including the possibility the integrate geo-referenced information (points or lines) on the map. on the map that is provided by the ECF (that will produced by another service provider following a separate Call). It should be downloadable as pdf. Routes should be represented with 3 different types of line (indicating whether sections are realised continuous line / not realised dashed line / undefined dotted line); each route should be a different colour (see Annex 1). Active map with different selecting functions and linked forward: - Select full individual routes Select the section of that route within a certain country - Select a country (completely) Page 10/11
Annex 3 WEB ARCHITECTURE (see separate pdf document) Page 11/11