RFP: National Trust for Canada Website Redesign

Since 1973, the National Trust has championed the conservation of Canada’s historic sites, believing these places are essential to creating sustainable and livable communities. 

We are seeking a visionary digital partner to help us redesign our website (nationaltrustcanada.ca) and unify our brand through a cohesive, accessible, and intuitive user experience. Our goal is to consolidate our current digital footprint into a single, high-performing platform that meets WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards and reflects the diverse cultural perspectives of all Canadians.

Project Highlights 

The selected proponent will modernize our technical infrastructure by: 

• Implementing a staff-friendly CMS with robust integrations. 

• Designing a mobile-first, SEO and AEO-optimized experience focused on impactful storytelling. 

• Creating intentional pathways that drive engagement, memberships, and advocacy. 

Important Links & Dates

• Download the Full RFP

• Question Deadline: April 2, 2026, at 11:00 AM PST

• Submission Deadline: April 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST

RFP Questions and Answers

To ensure a transparent process, all inquiries submitted to NationalTrust@nationaltrustcanada.ca will be documented below. Please check this section regularly for the latest updates and clarifications.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Eligibility

Are international vendors eligible to apply?
Yes. While companies based outside of Canada are not restricted from applying, preference will be given to vendors operating within Canada.

Timeline

There are two proposal submission deadlines listed. Which is correct?
The April 2, 2026 date was included in error. The correct submission deadline is April 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm PST.

Creative & Strategy

How defined is your creative vision for the new website?
While we are not starting from scratch and have a collection of ideas to build from, we are looking to the selected vendor to support the evolution and finalization of our creative vision. Discovery and strategic thinking will play an important role in shaping the final direction of the site.

What does “impactful storytelling” mean for this project?
Impactful storytelling means implementing a stronger content management strategy so that our many stories are easier to find, navigate, and engage with. The current website does not tell a cohesive story about the Trust or clearly communicate what we do.
We are interested in expanding our use of mixed media, including accessible and engaging use of video (both new and existing), alongside text and visual content.

Does the existing brand guide apply to digital, or is brand evolution part of the scope?
We are not seeking a full rebrand. However, we are open to evolving the visual identity of our web presence to ensure an engaging, contemporary, and accessible digital experience.

Research & Discovery

Are there existing personas, journey maps, or analytics insights?
There are no existing journey maps. The Trust has provided a graphic overview of primary personas and audiences.
Journey maps will need to be developed for key audiences, including members, donors, and sponsors.

Target Audiences

Updated – Are priority audience segments defined to guide UX decisions?
The National Trust’s primary audiences include members, donors, sponsors, and partners. Growth will also come from the broader public. Rather than defining a single “general public” persona, priority audiences are outlined in the audience graphic provided in the RFP.
Vendors are expected to further refine audience segments through discovery and research. Additional detail will be discussed during the presentation stage.

Accessibility & Language

Updated – What is the Trust’s accessibility target (WCAG 2.1)?
The website must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA at a minimum. Where feasible, the Trust is interested in enhanced accessibility beyond baseline compliance. “Exceeds” does not imply full AAA compliance, but rather thoughtful improvements that support inclusivity while balancing cost and complexity.

Updated – Will the site be fully bilingual?
Yes. The site will be fully bilingual, with English and French offered as equal experiences across all core content and functionality.

Content & Migration

What is the estimated volume of content to be migrated?
Across all current sites, there are approximately 500+ pages. The Trust anticipates significantly reducing this number through consolidation and content culling, resulting in a smaller and more focused final website.

Is content writing or rewriting expected as part of this project?
The vendor is not required to write new content. However, recommendations on how to evaluate, cull, and restructure existing content for the new site are welcome.

Who will manage translation?
The Trust will manage all French translation using its third‑party translation service. Translation costs should not be included in the proposal.

Updated – Will the vendor be responsible for migrating content into the new CMS?
Yes. The expectation is that the vendor will handle automated migration of current content. The Trust team will be responsible for auditing, editing, and updating content.

Scope & Sites

Are auxiliary sites included in the design scope?

• The Annual Conference and Next Great Save websites will remain independent and do not require redesign, but must be seamlessly connected to the new corporate site.
• Redevelopment of This Place Matters is out of scope.
• The archive subdomain and Regeneration Works will be reviewed to determine what content should be retained and incorporated.

Are Member and Donor Portals required at launch?
Yes. Both the Member Portal and Donor Portal must be fully functional and live at launch.

Will the website URL change?
No. The website URL will remain the same.

New – Is the thisplacematters.ca website included or accessible?
No. The This Place Matters website has been retired and is not to be included in the new site.

New – Should the Historic Places Days, Next Great Save, and Conference URLs remain active?
Yes. These websites will remain active and will require redirects to and from the new corporate website, as appropriate.

New – Will the new site host the Historic Places Registry data?
No. The registry referenced is the Canadian Register for Historic Places. There is no plan to incorporate that database into the National Trust’s corporate website.

Integrations & Technical

What are the expectations for the Member and Donor Portal build?
A new portal must be built for integration with SUMAC. Existing portal infrastructure will not be reused.

Updated – Is the Trust planning to migrate away from SUMAC?
No. SUMAC will remain the system of record for membership and donor data.

Updated – Does the Trust currently use a SUMAC API?
SUMAC supports API‑based integrations; however, the Trust is not currently using an API. Existing integrations are hand‑coded, and a schema is not available for review.

Updated – Is single sign‑on required?
Yes. A single set of credentials across the website and member/donor functionality is the preferred direction. A specific authentication protocol has not yet been selected.

Updated – Should integrations be read‑only or bi‑directional?
Bi‑directional integration is preferred, allowing users to update information such as mailing address and email.

Updated – Are there known constraints with integrations or payment systems?
No known constraints are anticipated at this time.

Does the Trust have a preferred open‑source CMS platform?
No specific CMS preference or restriction has been defined. Vendors are encouraged to propose solutions aligned with RFP requirements, prioritizing usability for non‑technical staff.

Forms & Marketing Tools

Are third‑party forms acceptable?
Yes. The Trust is open to third‑party forms provided they meet accessibility, security, and functional requirements.

Does a Mailchimp newsletter sign‑up meet integration needs?
Yes. A Mailchimp newsletter sign‑up form fulfills current integration needs.

Hosting

New – What is the current hosting arrangement?
The current site is hosted by a contractor on Canadian servers. The Trust is open to migrating to a new Canadian hosting provider.

Support & Ongoing Maintenance

What level of post‑launch support is expected?
The site must enable non‑technical staff to manage content independently. Some level of ongoing vendor technical support is anticipated post‑launch.

Updated – What support model is preferred?
Vendors may propose multiple post‑launch support options, including retainers, time‑and‑materials, warranty periods, or tiered SLAs.

Updated – Are response‑time SLAs required?
Yes. Tiered response times based on issue severity are preferred.

Updated – Who covers third‑party tool costs?
The Trust will assume ongoing costs for hosting, plugins, and other third‑party subscriptions.

Budget & Resourcing

Is there an established budget range?
The Trust is seeking vendor‑recommended budget ranges based on the RFP requirements. The Trust is open to providing clarification as needed to inform proposals.

RFP Process & Documentation

Where can we find the updated Questions & Answers?
All Q&A are available on the RFP page:
https://nationaltrustcanada.ca/latest-news-from-the-national-trust/rfp-national-trust-for-canada-website-redesign

New – Does the 12‑page limit apply to the full proposal?
No. The 12‑page limit applies only to the proposed approach and timeline section. Company background, case studies, and appendices are excluded.

Is there a shortlist or presentation round?
Yes. A shortlist and presentation round will follow written submissions.

Project Governance & Planning

New – Who are the core project stakeholders?
A five‑person core team representing marketing and communications, operations, membership and donors, and outreach programming.
Project management is led by the Director, Business, Development and Partnerships.
A secondary approval group includes the CEO, CFO, Heritage Conservation Manager, and subject‑matter specialists.

New – Has a content inventory been completed?
No. A preliminary content inventory or migration priority has not yet been established.

New – What KPIs will measure success?
KPIs will be finalized during project development and are expected to include:

• Standard website engagement metrics
• Increased engagement with Trust offerings
• Revenue growth (as a supporting measure)

New – Is the long‑term vision centralized or distributed?
The long‑term vision is a centralized platform.

New – Regarding G4A: Do you have a list of required dashboards?

This will be developed with the vendor.

Content, Assets & Testing

New – Is there a DAM system or large media migration?
No centralized DAM system is in place, and no large‑scale legacy media migration is anticipated beyond standard website assets.

New – How are bilingual content workflows managed?
Content is typically created in English (and sometimes French), with translation managed by the content creator or editor. Final editorial approval is completed by the project manager or CEO, depending on content type.

New – Should UAT include members of the public?
Yes. The Trust is open to involving external users in UAT.

Membership & Data

Updated – Is there an existing member login portal?
No. Membership is currently managed through staff and back‑end systems.

Updated – Where is member and donor data stored?
SUMAC is the single source of truth for all membership and donor data.