ToR: Onboarding a Website Design, Development, Hosting, and Maintenance Platform Provider for RPLC

Ask Me Anything Session: 

May 14, 2026; 3:00-4:00 pm IST

Ask me Anything for Onboarding a Website Design, Development, Hosting, and Maintenance Platform Provider for RPLC | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

Stichting IDH (“IDH”) accelerates and up-scales sustainable trade by building impact-oriented coalitions of front running companies, civil society, governments, knowledge institutions and other stakeholders in several commodity sectors. We convene the interests, strengths and knowledge of public and private partners in sustainability commodity programs that aim to mainstream international and domestic commodity markets. We jointly formulate strategic intervention plans with public and private partners, and we co-invest with partners in activities that generate public goods.

Under this mandate, IDH is implementing the Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative (RPLC) in Madhya Pradesh, India and RPLC Brazil. The initiative brings together brands, implementing partners, and local institutions to promote regenerative agriculture, strengthen farmer livelihoods, and build traceable, low-impact cotton supply chains. The program is supported by a Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework, designed to capture environmental and socio-economic outcomes at scale. The program is also building traceable cotton supply chains linked to global brands and integrating MRV systems to track environmental outcomes

On the basis of these Terms of Reference (“ToR”), IDH aims to select a service provider to establish a professional digital platform to showcase regenerative agriculture initiatives through an interactive and user-friendly website that hosts and represents two distinct project streams: RPLC Brazil and RPLC India. The website will serve as the primary digital interface for project stakeholders, partners, administrators, and external audiences.

The platform provider will be responsible for designing, developing, deploying, and maintaining a robust website with administrative controls, content management capabilities, and secure hosting infrastructure.

IDH seeks to onboard an experienced website design and development platform provider to design, develop, host, and maintain a unified digital platform for the Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative (RPLC) initiatives in India and Brazil. The website will serve as the official digital presence for both RPLC India and RPLC Brazil, with dedicated sections for each geography under one integrated platform.

The platform is expected to function both as a public-facing website and, where required, include dashboard-like capabilities such as indicator visualization, reporting modules, and potential integration with analytics or BI tools. Vendors are expected to clearly specify their proposed approach to handling data visualization, analytics, and reporting functionalities

The platform will:

• The Platform should maintain distinct project sections for each geography under one integrated website
• Purpose is to strengthen communication, visibility, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge dissemination
• Website will showcase project objectives, activities, achievements, and regional interventions
• Platform must include resource sections for newsletters, reports, publications, case studies, and image/media galleries
• Website should include secure admin controls for content management and regular updates
• Scope includes website design, development, deployment, hosting, maintenance, and technical support
• The Platform should be scalable for future project growth and expansion
• IDH is looking for an experienced service provider to deliver a professional, responsive, and secure website solution aligned with organizational objectives.

Objectives

The overall objective of this assignment is to onboard an experienced website development agency/platform provider to design and implement a comprehensive digital platform that:

• Presents project information professionally for both RPLC Brazil and RPLC India through clearly structured project sections or microsites
• Provides an admin panel for backend management
• Enables uploading and managing indicators/data sets
• Ensures secure server hosting and maintenance
• Supports scalability for future enhancements
• Provide maintenance support for one year from the date of deployment
• Ensures deployment across separate environments for development, testing, and production, including:
  • Development
  • UAT/Staging
  • Production

Technical Ownership and Handover

IDH will retain full ownership of all platform components developed under this assignment, including but not limited to source code, databases, configurations, design assets, hosting and domain credentials, and all associated documentation.

The selected vendor will be required to ensure a complete handover of all assets upon completion or termination of the assignment. The platform should be developed using industry-standard, maintainable technologies to ensure long-term sustainability and ease of future enhancements.

3.1 Scope of Work 

The selected platform provider will be expected to deliver the following:

A. Website Design and User Experience

• Develop a responsive, modern, and visually appealing website
• Ensure compatibility across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
• Design intuitive navigation architecture
• Create dedicated sections or microsites for RPLC Brazil and RPLC India under one unified platform
• Ensure each project has distinct branding/content presentation while maintaining overall organizational consistency
• Create user-friendly interfaces aligned with regenerative agriculture branding
• Integrate multilingual capabilities if required, including region-specific content support
• Website should comply with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards where feasible
• Platform should support latest versions of:
  • Chrome
  • Edge
  • Firefox
  • Safari
• Mobile responsiveness should be tested across Android and iOS devices

B. Admin Panel

• Develop a secure backend admin panel for project administrators
• User role management and Role-based access controls
• Content management system (CMS) for updating website sections
• Website content management and updates
• Document and media upload functionalities
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for admin access
• Audit logs/activity tracking for administrative actions
• Version history and rollback capabilities for content updates
• Draft–review–publish workflow for content governance

(Admin, Editor, Viewer, etc.)

C. Content and Information Upload Features

• Enable structured uploading of project content, updates, and indicators
• Support formats such as Excel, CSV, PDF, Word documents, newsletters, reports, and image galleries
• Build systems for periodic updates and validation
• Organize uploaded data and materials for website content integration
• Enable categorization and tagging of uploaded content for easy navigation and retrieval
• Provide advanced search and filtering functionality across uploaded content and datasets

D. Resource Centre and Knowledge Repository

• Develop a dedicated resource section for both RPLC Brazil and RPLC India
• Include categorized repositories for newsletters, annual reports, technical publications, project documents, media assets, and image galleries
• Enable searchable and filterable access to resources
• Provide download functionality for public documents and publications
• Create multiple content sections such as news updates, events, publications, case studies, media galleries, and stakeholder resources
• Ensure regular content management capabilities through the admin panel

E. Security & Hosting Standards

To ensure operational stability, data protection, and compliance with industry best practices, the vendor must adhere to the following requirements:

• Provide secure server infrastructure and deployment support
• Ensure website uptime, speed optimization, and backup systems
• SSL certification and cybersecurity protocols
• SSL certificate management responsibility should be defined
• Domain integration and server management support
• Ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting support
• Hosting should follow industry-standard security practices
• Vendor should implement OWASP secure coding practices
• Clearly define responsibility for SSL certificate management
• Specify backup frequency and data retention policies
• Document disaster recovery and restoration processes
• Provide defined uptime commitments and Service Level Agreements (SLA)
• Define vulnerability identification and remediation timelines
• Clearly propose the hosting architecture and cloud platform to be used

F. Hosting & Maintenance Support

• Support coverage hours
• Response and resolution timelines
• Escalation matrix
• Incident severity classification
• Planned maintenance communication process

G. Technical Documentation and Training

• Provide complete technical documentation
• Conduct training sessions for project staff/admins
• Offer post-launch support for a defined period
• Provide system architecture and infrastructure documentation, including hosting setup and configurations
• Share admin/CMS user manuals and operational guidelines
• Document backup, recovery, and security procedures
• Ensure proper handover of all credentials and access details
• Conduct knowledge transfer sessions for long-term platform management

H. Analytics

• Integration with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics / Matomo)
• Visitor tracking and engagement metrics
• Download tracking
• Sitemap and SEO optimization
• Metadata management
• Performance & Scalability
• Page load performance benchmarks
• Scalability to support increasing users and content
• CDN usage for performance optimization
• Ability to expand features/modules in future

J. Multilingual

The platform must support multilingual functionality, including:

• English and Portuguese (minimum)
• Scalable architecture for adding additional languages
• Clear translation workflow (manual or integrated tools)
• Role-based content translation management

Deliverables

The deliverables of this assignment will be:

The platform provider must deliver:

• Fully functional dual-project website hosting RPLC Brazil and RPLC India
• Responsive front-end design with dedicated project sections for both geographies
• Secure admin panel
• Resource centre with newsletters, reports, publications, and image galleries
• Indicator upload and management system
• Server setup and hosting support
• Maintenance and troubleshooting plan
• Technical documentation and user manuals
• Staff training sessions

The procedure will be as follows:

1. Publishing the tender and/or inviting services providers to submit a proposal based on this ToR.
2. Evaluation of the proposals by the chair of the evaluation committee. The 3 proposals that receive the highest scores will be presented to the evaluation committee. The chair of the evaluation committee and the evaluation committee will evaluate the proposals based on the selection criteria as published in this ToR. OR Evaluation of the proposals by the evaluation committee. The evaluation committee will evaluate the proposals based on the selection criteria as published in this ToR.]
3. Decision on selection of the service provider.
4. Inception meeting with the selected service provider.

The schedule below indicates the timelines for the tender procedure:

• Tor Publish: 8 May 2026
• Ask Me Anything Session :13 May 2026
• Application close date -21 May 2026
• Top applicants will be invited for the Vendor Demonstration Round- 27 May 2026
• Partner selection -30 May 2026

* Questions received by IDH after this date will not be answered.

** Proposals submitted after the deadline will be returned and will not be considered in the tender procedure.

After the deadline to submit a proposal has passed, the IDH evaluation committee will assess the proposals.

The proposals will first be tested for completeness:

• The absence of the documents referred to in Section 6 of this document can lead to exclusion from further participation in the tender procedure. This is also the case when minimum requirements listed in this ToR are not met.
• If the proposal is complete, the selection committee will evaluate the proposal based on the criteria as set forth in Section 6.

The assignment will be awarded to the service provider with the most economically advantageous tender. This is determined based on the evaluation criteria of price and quality (see Section 6).

IDH will reject the proposal if any illegal or corrupt practices have taken place in connection with the award or the tender procedure.

Questions

questions regarding the assignment or the ToR can be submitted until 20 May CET, by e-mail to secretariat@rplcollaborative.or With the express mention: “Questions tender Development of RPLC Website”.

The submitted questions will group, anonymized, and combined in an information notice. This notice will be sent to all service providers in a reply to the e-mail in which the questions were submitted.

The responsibility for the timely and accurate submission of the questions lies with the service provider. When IDH indicates that questions have not been received by IDH before the indicated deadline, the service provider must demonstrate that the questions were sent timely.

IDH is requesting the service providers to hand in a proposal of maximum [number] pages (excluding company biographies, CVs, sample work and references). The proposal must be handed in a MS Word or PowerPoint version next to a PDF submission to facilitate any copy-and-pasting of content that we may need during evaluation.  

The proposal must at least include:

Content:

1. A succinct, well-documented approach addressing the requirements set out in this ToR. We request that the proposal structure match the selection criteria as closely as possible
2. Maximum of three client references and a sample of previous work relevant to the deliverables in this ToR,
3. An overview of the project team, including the CVs of the project team members,
4. Budget (as per template in Annex 2),
5. Description[1] (does the service provider); steps (to be) taken to identify risks in relation to safeguarding in the project at hand and description of approach to mitigate these safeguarding risks (if any),here); steps (to be) taken to identify risks in relation to safeguarding in the project at hand and description of approach to mitigate these safeguarding risks (if any),
6. Statement on Ground for exclusion (see Section 6 below).
7. Completed detail request form (Annex 4),
8. Copy of most recent (audited) financial accounts, if available,
9. Statement of acceptance draft contract (Annex 8).

Administrative:

The proposal must be submitted to RPLC Secretariat at secretariat@rplcollaborative.org before 20th May 2026.

[1] IDH’s safeguarding approach means taking all reasonable steps to identify and minimize the risk of harm caused by sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment (“Harm”) to children and vulnerable adults arising from coming into contact with our staff, partners or our work. In addition, safeguarding means protecting our staff itself from such Harm. For more information, please find IDH’s Safeguarding Policy here.

1. Applicants shall be excluded from participation in this tender procedure if:

• they are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations;
• they or persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control over them have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment which has the force of res judicata;
• they have been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the IDH can justify;
• they have not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established, or with those of the Netherlands or those of the country where the contract is to be performed;
• they or persons having powers of representation, decision making of control over them have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization, money laundering or any other illegal activity.
• Optionally: conflict of interest (see below).

Applicants must confirm in writing that they are not in one of the situations as listed above.

1. Applicants shall not make use of child labor or forced labor and/or practice discrimination and they shall respect the right to freedom of association and the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining, in accordance with the core conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Conflict of interest

Applicants shall not have a conflict of interest in submitting a tender application to IDH. Conflict of interest refers to any situation where an Applicant’s application may be compromised or not impartial and objective for reasons involving family, personal life, political or national affinity, economic interest or any other connection or shared interest with another person. Should the Applicant suspect any potential conflicts of interest on its part, it shall submit a written statement setting forth all conditions and circumstances of such potential conflict(s) of interest to IDH together with its application. A conflict of interest that cannot be solved effectively by less restrictive means constitutes an optional exclusion ground to an applicant, pursuant to article 2.87(1)(e) of the Dutch Procurement Act.

Minimum criteria

Applicants or Proposals not fulfilling the minimum criteria will be excluded from the tender procedure and will not be assessed against the other criteria.

• Minimum 3 years of professional experience in website design and development
• Successfully completed at least 3 similar website projects for NGOs, sustainability, development, or international organizations
• Proven experience in developing multi-country or multi-project websites
• Strong portfolio demonstrating responsive and user-friendly website design
• Expertise in CMS/admin panel development
• Ability to create resource sections including newsletters, reports, publications, and media galleries
• In-house technical team for UI/UX, frontend, backend, hosting, and maintenance
• Secure hosting and server management capabilities, including SSL, backups, and cybersecurity
• Capacity to provide ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting support
• Submission of technical proposal, financial proposal, and previous work references
• Compliance with confidentiality, data ownership, and security requirements
• Ability to deliver within agreed timelines and milestones

The assignment will be awarded to the Applicant with the most economically advantageous tender. This will be determined based on a combination of Quality and Price.

The evaluation criteria are compared and weighted according to the procedure below. This provides a structured scoring methodology and ensures transparency in how proposals are assessed.

Step 1 - Criterion Quality

Evaluation scores will be awarded for each of the components. The evaluation committee will score each component unanimously.

[IDH values quality highly, therefore a minimum grade of 3 must be scored by the Applicant on each component. If the Applicant scores a grade of 3 or less on one of the components, he will be excluded from the tender procedure and awarding the contract.]

The quality of the proposal will be evaluated based on the following components:

• Technical Architecture Approach (Max. Score: 5): Clarity, robustness, and suitability of the proposed system architecture, including scalability and maintainability
• UX/UI Design Quality (Max. Score: 5): User experience, interface design, accessibility, and responsiveness across devices
• Security and Hosting Approach (Max. Score: 5): Strength of security practices, hosting architecture, data protection measures, and compliance with standards
• CMS/Admin Usability (Max. Score: 5): Ease of use, flexibility, and effectiveness of the content management system and admin panel
• Support and Maintenance Model (Max. Score: 5): Clarity and strength of post-deployment support, SLA, and issue resolution approach
• Track Record and Relevant Experience (Max. Score: 5): Experience with similar projects, particularly with NGOs/international organizations, and team expertise
• Scalability and Future-readiness (Max. Score: 5): Ability of the platform to scale and accommodate future enhancements
• Delivery Methodology (Max. Score: 5): Project management approach, timelines, and engagement with IDH during development
• Proposal Overall (Max. Score: 5): Overall completeness, coherence, and alignment with TOR requirements

Vendor Demonstration Round

As part of the evaluation process, shortlisted Applicants may be invited to participate in a presentation/demo session. This stage will allow vendors to:

• Demonstrate relevant past projects
• Showcase CMS/admin panel functionalities
• Explain proposed technical architecture and hosting approach
• Clarify maintenance and support models

The evaluation committee will unanimously score each component by assigning scores from 1 to the maximum grading, with the maximum grading representing optimal performance on the component and 1 representing extremely poor performance on the respective component.

Step 2 -  Criterion price

The Applicant shall follow the Budget template (attached as Annex 2 to these Terms of Reference).

Please note that a combined price in Euros (excluding VAT) is to be presented. This is to be broken down by team member rate and hours.

Given the non-for-profit nature of IDH, we encourage Applicant to clearly mention if the budget might be positively impacted by partial pro-bono work or reduced rate as a contribution to the successful delivery of the assignment.

The criterion of assessment is “the best price for the proposed level of quality” with a maximum grading of 5.

Step 3 - Weighting

The final score will be weighted 75% on Quality and 25% on Price.

If scores of service providers are equal, priority will be based on the total scores that were given for the Criterion Quality. The assignment will be awarded to the service provider that has received the highest score for the Criterion Quality. If the evaluation of the Criterion Quality does not lead to a distinction, the score for the component “Proposal overall” will be decisive. If this does not lead to a distinction, the ranking will be determined by the drawing of lots.

Award

Once IDH has decided to which Applicant it intends to award the assignment, a written notification thereof is sent to all Applicants participating in the tender procedure.

The Applicant is contracted via a letter of assignment, following IDH’s template (Annex 5).

Please note: the payment schedule set out in the letter of assignment template may be amended, subject to unilateral decision of IDH.

All participants will ensure that all its contacts with IDH, with regards to the tender, during the tender procedure take place exclusively in writing by e-mail to RPLC Secretariat via secretariat@rplcollaborative. The participants is thus explicitly prohibited, to prevent discrimination of the other participants and to ensure the diligence of the procedure, to have any contact whatsoever regarding the tender with any other persons of IDH than the person stated in the first sentence of this paragraph.

The documents provided by or on behalf of IDH will be handled confidentiality. The Applicants will also impose a duty of confidentiality on any parties that it engages. Any breach of the duty of confidentiality by the Applicant or its engaged third parties will give IDH grounds for exclusion of the Applicant, without requiring any prior written or verbal warning.

All information, documents and other requested or provided data submitted by the Applicant will be handled with due care and confidentiality by IDH. The provided information will after evaluation by IDH be filed as confidential. The provided information will not be returned to the Applicant.

IDH respects the effort and time that participants are expected to put into this tender procedure. However, IDH has to use its financial means as economically as possible. Therefore, IDH will not remunerate participants for their interest and/or participation in the tender procedure. 

IDH reserves the right to update, change, extend, postpone, withdraw, or suspend the ToR, this tender procedure, or any decision regarding the selection or contract award. IDH is not obliged in this tender procedure to make a contract award decision or to conclude a contract with a participant.

Participants in the tender procedure cannot claim compensation from IDH, any affiliated persons or entities, in any way, in case any of the afore-mentioned situations occur.

By handing in a proposal, participants accept all terms and reservations made in this ToR, and subsequent information and documentation in this tender procedure.

Annex 1: Budget Template

Annex 2: Detail Request Form

Annex 3: Letter of Assignment

Annex 4: IDH General Terms and Conditions for Services

Annex 5: Statement of acceptance