We received some clarifying questions for the amended call with the deadline of 28th June 2021, which we are sharing with every potential applicant. In this section the questions highlighted in bold and the answers can be found below each question.
Regarding the preliminary website, would it be a static page or would you like to edit / update content? Does it have to be available in 8 languages or only in English? .
Preliminary website should only be in English. Content will be static but the contractee should have the option to edit it.
National sites have to be managed independently or they would be translations of the main English-language site? The difference between the site would be contextual or structural?
Some parts of the national sites will be the translation of the English-language site (including main aspects of the project such as deliverables or description of the project). Some parts will not be translated and will not be in other languages just in English (including similar project repositories). However, additions to national websites due to country specifics, e.g. local news items will be added by the national partners. Therefore, national partners should be able to access and edit their respective sites. Only contextual change is envisioned. (Please, note however, that the consortium should agree on some aspects upon which changes of the website structure/vision may be expected, and subject to further discussion with the developer and the consortium during the development process).
Regarding the ability to stream webinars and events, may it be necessary to handle event registration? What would be the frequency of events? Do you need calendar functionality on the website?
To date, we envision that webinars and events should be open and can be viewed without registration. The frequency of events may depend also on situation of the pandemic, but only few events per year may be streamed. Calendar functionality is not necessary, but in case the developer deems it important and may not mean additional costs, it can be integrated to the offer.
Regarding the ability to host and feature interactive games (e.g., quizzes), can you please provide some use cases of what you imagine? How such games, quizzes correlate with the content? Are you thinking of thirdparty platforms or something the CMS can support?
It is an idea of easy plugins of choice selection questions/polls, etc. These games would target households to raise awareness about lifestyle changes and would be ways of interactive learning. If it is considered more useful and cannot be easily handled with plug-ins, it could be a third-party platform for which we'd ask for justification and price details.
There would be an open access repository of project deliverables. Only the content on the web (title, description of the document can be searched or search should include the content of the documents as well?
Ideally, it includes the documents (in case of deliverables of reports, presentations, photos, etc.). However, in case of scientific publications and data, the open access data will be probably found in another open access reposity (e.g. university platforms), for which links will suffice.
As for data visualization, can you share some examples you think of? Do you only consider integration of thirdparty tools
It would be useful if we can 'translate' data to more interactive and entertaining ways (e.g. storytelling with data) las e.g. Flourish does (https://flourish.studio/). We rely on the developer to consider thirdparty tools - should that be regarded more straightforward or applicable - and reflect on this with various budget options in the proposal along with justification of selected tools.
Do you have already a newsletter app you use like MailChimp or anything similar?
Our preference would be Mailchimp.
Are you going to provide the copy for the website and all necessary texts or do we need to propose a copy along with the technical par
Yes, all text/content will be provided.
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We received some clarifying questions on 26 May 2021, the answers of which we are sharing with every potential applicant. In this section the quiestions are highlighted bold and the answers can be found below each question.
A. Should the quote be submitted in HUF or EUR?
The quote can be in HUF too (or other currency), but the currency of the tender and the contract will be in EUR.
B. Brief description about how green and sustainable criteria are envisioned for the website and design (e.g. use of colors, specific design) Can you help me a bit with what to think about here?
We understand the sustainability of a site is mostly dependent on the server (the server will be sorted by the contracting entity not the contractor unless there is a strong preference/additional justification by the applicant). However, there may be additional aspects concerning sustainability to consider in your offer e.g., darker colors, simple design, counting carbon for offsetting, etc.
1. Who is responsible for hosting, the contracting entity or the contractor? The hosting platform is important for the correct operation and maintenance of the website.
Hosting will be sorted by the contracting entity, but in close cooperation with the contractor (please add specifically if you have a strong preference for hosting, and indicate additional hosting costs in the offer).
2. Could you elaborate a bit on what you mean by stakeholder consultation platform? (I.1.4.)
The stakeholder consultation platform is the Ask-the-Experts platform. The idea is that this is an interactive forum with visitors and “the experts” interacting (see further information below).
3. Video plugins possibilities: Are we talking about self-hosted videos or embedding various video services (YT, Vimeo etc.)?
We will have events we may stream for a wider audience openly – this is subject to further confirmation from the consortium.
As a minimum, we would like to embed video services, such as YouTube and Vimeo. In the offer and in the budget, please feel free to provide different versions for various streaming options, but as a minimum for embedding video services (Vimeo, YouTube).
4. Ask-the-Experts’ interactive platform, where visitors can raise questions to experts or discuss matters: Does “discuss matters” by any chance mean interaction between visitors, as opposed to interaction between visitors and “the experts”? The former - a sort of forum - would raise a lot of issues (spam, curation, privacy, copyright etc.) ‘Ask-the-experts’: A detailed specification of the process (from inquiry to published answer) will be required for this feature. There is such a system in place at https://klimavalasz.hu/kerdezze-szakertonket, with the processed questions/answers displayed at https://klimavalasz.hu/kerdezze-szakertonket/korabbi-kerdesek-es-valaszok Would this (visitor-facing) interface be satisfactory? If not, what features should be added/removed? Would this feature (or any other features) involve registering users? (Note: registering users is a new layer of complexity and is most likely unnecessary.)
We would like a similar platform (https://klimavalasz.hu/kerdezze-szakertonket), where questions can be raised within a template, and where the responses can be made visible to all visitors. We do not want to register people because of the additional privacy and GDPR considerations.
5. Social media feeds Does this mean more than embedding various social media feeds provided by those platforms? E.g. some sort of import/export functionality or other programmed interaction?
This is subject to further discussion by the consortium and suggestions by the contracter. Please provide various options in the budget. If this means price difference, please provide various versions with cost justification.
6. Newsletter sign-up option Just one, or more newsletters? Will a 3rd party mailing service (e.g. Mailchimp, Mailkitchen…) be used (strongly advised)?
There will be one project newsletter published 8 times within the project duration. We would ideally like to use a mailing service.
7. Repository of knowledge (catalogue of relevant presentations and publications) A detailed specification of the various types of materials with their features (image, text, attachments etc.) will be necessary.
This would include pdfs, links, videos, potentially images.
8. Collection of similar projects Assuming some sort of list of project descriptions, logos, links etc. Correct?
Yes (probably additions of brief discussions about what the project is about).
9. Ability to host webinars and streamline events Would “streamline events” be “stream online events”? What does “host” mean? Assuming the project does not wish to develop its own webinar/streaming platform what functionality is required other than displaying information/links and/or embedding such services? Application (unconditional?, accept/refuse option?), notification, restricted access...?
We don’t plan to develop our own platform, we want to use existing platforms.
Which 3rd party platforms would be used?
We may use Facebook, Zoom, YouTube, etc. but should the contractor see added value in additional services, which may mean further major costs, please provide various options clearly indicating in your offer and the budget.
10. Ability to host and feature interactive games (e.g., quizzes) Integrating 3rd party services is relatively simple.
Yes, we didn't think of anything difficult.
11. Open access repository of project deliverables Generally speaking any content on the website can be arranged in all manners and given access to. How does the project envision this repository? How does this feature differ from the repository of knowledge?
All of the project outcomes and deliverables should be featured in one place, which include a number of documents ranging from infographics through academic articles to videos. E.g. here: http://recoms.eu/outcomes. This is specifically about the project deliverables (project reports, scientific articles, videos and other pdfs) and ensuring the EU’s obligation to be open access about all deliverables. The other repository of knowledge is a collection of various project links/literature/video, etc. to provide guidance for people about sustainability lifestyles.
12. RSS feed with project partner and related project news An RSS feed is just a specific format for a list of content/data. What content is to be provided and in what “relation”? Is there to be some content import functionality? E.g. news imported automatically from another site’s RSS feed?
RSS feed e.g. from the project partners/other sustainability projects (to be confirmed) automatically imported and visible.
13. Options to integrate visualized data This can be done by embedding data visualisations from a 3rd party data visualisation service, or by integrating (and probably self-hosting) some (again 3rd party) data visualization library with data stored and provided by the site. The former is probably easier and would provide more “advanced” visualizations, but is dependent on the continued functioning of the service. The latter would involve more development, but is much less dependent on 3rd parties. A third option - if the desired method of visualization is not readily available - is to develop a fully custom solution.
Ideally, embedding data visualization from a 3rd party data visualization service.
14. 2.2 Static seven language sub-websites to be delivered by 30th September 2021 “Static” as in not interactive towards the visitors, or static as in static HTML = it does not change (require administration / content management) with significant frequency? The former could mean - depending on the desired structure/content of the sub-sites - a significant portion of the development work (content types, pages, lists, administrative users, design and site-build, translations, custom programming etc.) would have to be done before the sept.30 deadline (doable, but requires a different scheduling). The latter can probably be created by the design team. Please describe the desired features - if any - of the sub-sites.
The national sites are subject to further discussion within the consortium. Firstly, we’d like to ask the partners to provide a fixed text in their national languages in the summer 2021 to enable the basic function of the site. This will include e.g., project objectives, activities, outcomes, local contact. National sites may still to be updated regularly as per national news (e.g. events) and national outputs (e.g. press releases, national reports in pdf). If such development signifies important differences in the costs, please clearly indicate various versions in your offer and the budget.
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Questions received on 27 May 2021.
A) Design of Project Identity Items - What do you intend by template for press releases in English and in seven languages?
Press release templates would include the logo of the project, the compulsory EU sentence of the EU funding and the EU logo and various other design elements created (e.g. specific visuals in the footer or header, specific fonts and colors created for the project identity, etc). Please find some examples here: http://www.energise-project.eu/press
As the project will have its own name in each of the consortium partners’ language, the template should be adjusted to that and include the project name’s in the national language, the EU funding in national language, etc.
B) Development of a Project Website - Do you have a preferred Content Management System? - Would Wordpress a good option?
No preferred Content Management System is listed, but the selected one by the contractor should be easy to use and update and should be safe to store data.
Do we need to purchase the URL and the Server?
The URL is purchased by the contracting entity. Hosting will be sorted by the contracting entity, but in close cooperation with the contractor (please add specifically if you have a strong preference for hosting, and indicate additional hosting costs in the offer).
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Questions received on 11 June 2021.
Will all content be provided by Green Dependent (or consortium partners), including translation?
Yes, all contents and translations will be provided by GreenDependent and the consortium partners.
