Project Information

Bid Title

Destination Marketing Website & Digital Clubhouse

Issuing Agency

County of Cowlitz

Location

Washington

Published Date

Feb 25, 2026

Closing Date

Mar 20, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

2026-0010-01

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Number:	2026-0010-01
Bid Title:	Destination Marketing Website & Digital Clubhouse
Category:	Event Center
Status:	Open

Description: This is a Request for Proposals from qualified digital strategy and web development partners to design and build a new destination marketing website and digital clubhouse: Discover Cowlitz County. The resulting website will serve as a best-in-class digital experience for visitors, partners, and community stakeholders—positioning Cowlitz County Tourism  as both a leader and champion of the region. Additional information including proposal submission requirements can be found in the attachment below. All proposals are due by 4:00 PM on March 20, 2026. Publication Date/Time: 2/24/2026 10:00 am Closing Date/Time: 3/20/2026 4:00 pm Contact Person: Kimberly Bowcutt bowcuttk@cowlitzwa.gov Related Documents: 2026-0010-01 Tourism Website Design

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.

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541810Advertising Agencies

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