An tobar – invitation to tender for creation of an educational website to aid the teaching of irish in english-medium primary and post-primary schools

The contract timeline includes several key elements. The Contractor is required to provide a detailed project implementation plan that outlines key milestones, the development schedule, testing timelines, and launch preparations. The target launch date for the Website is set for August 2027, unless a different date is mutually agreed upon in writing.

While specific start and end dates are not explicitly stated, the documents refer to a "Contract Term" during which ongoing support, website scalability, and insurance maintenance are required. The Agreement also allows for a potential extension of up to one additional year.

Regarding the commencement of the contract, a Standstill Period of at least fourteen calendar days will occur after unsuccessful tenderers are notified. The successful Tenderer must then sign and return the Services Contract within seven calendar days from the expiration of this Standstill Period.

Explicit contract start date, explicit contract end date, and explicit total duration (beyond the potential one-year extension) are not stated.

The core scope of work for this tender is to design and develop a dynamic, scalable educational website named "An Tobar." This platform is intended to support the teaching and learning of the Irish language (Gaeilge) in English-medium primary and post-primary schools by providing structured, curriculum-aligned resources for students, teachers, and parents/guardians.

The Statement of Work summary includes the following key areas and deliverables:

Core Services & Features:

• Design and Development: This involves designing, building, testing, and deploying the fully functioning bilingual website "An Tobar." Key sections include primary and post-primary education sections, search and filtering functionality, a content repository, news functionality, an administrative Content Management System (CMS), navigation management tools, resource management features, and multimedia content support.
• Bilingual Delivery: The website must operate in both Irish and English, with automated translation systems prohibited unless prior written approval is obtained from the Client.
• Administration Capabilities: The Contractor must ensure that authorized Client personnel can edit page content, manage navigation structures, create/modify/delete filters, upload/categorize/organize resources, manage sliders and featured content, rename tabs/menus/buttons, and create new pages and content areas. The website architecture must be scalable and configurable throughout the contract term.
• Technical Requirements:
• Accessibility: Compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA standards or equivalent and all National Disability Authority (NDA) accessibility requirements, including support for annual accessibility audits.
• Responsiveness: The website must function effectively across desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices.
• Performance: Assurance of fast page-loading times, efficient search functionality, optimized resource delivery, and reliable availability and uptime.
• Security: Implementation of industry-standard security controls, including secure authentication, user access controls, data encryption (where appropriate), security patch management, and vulnerability monitoring.
• Data Protection and GDPR: Compliance with GDPR, the Data Protection Acts of Ireland, and other applicable data protection legislation. Implementation of appropriate safeguards for personal data, especially where educational content may involve minors, immediate notification of any personal data breaches, and no transfer of personal data outside approved jurisdictions without prior written consent.
• Training and Support: Provision of training to designated Client personnel on CMS administration, content management, resource uploads, website maintenance, and user management. Electronic training materials must be supplied, and ongoing support, including a support contact and incident reporting procedure, must be available throughout the contract term.
• Project Management: The Contractor is required to provide a detailed project implementation plan, including key milestones, development schedule, testing timelines, launch preparations, and risk management measures. Progress reports must be provided at agreed intervals, with a target launch date of August 2027.
• Acceptance Testing: Upon completion of development, the Client will conduct acceptance testing, with acceptance granted if the website meets agreed specifications, is fully operational, passes accessibility requirements, meets performance expectations, and functions in both Irish and English. Any identified defects must be remedied by the Contractor at no additional charge.

Core Deliverables:

• A fully functional website.
• CMS access for administrators.
• Comprehensive documentation.
• A deployment-ready system.

Upon full payment, all intellectual property rights for the deliverables produced specifically for the Client will vest in the Client.