Web Design

Having an effective website that meets MIT accessibility guidelines is a must in today’s digital world. If you’re in the market for a partner to help you create or upgrade your website, VPF is here to help you develop your project, find the right supplier, and negotiate the contract.

Quick Tips From Our Experts

Need a Website?

Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) launched MIT Sites, a new self-service website platform for MIT community members, powered by CampusPress, a WordPress hosting provider specializing in higher education sites.

Know What You Need Before You Reach Out.

Having some specifics about your web design project — budget, goal, features, timeframe — can help suppliers give you better information and make it easier to compare proposals.

We Strongly Recommended That You Obtain Competitive Bids.

Solicit different suppliers and evaluate their services and capabilities to ensure they can meet your project requirements.

Think About How You’re Going to Maintain Your Site After It Goes Live.

Make sure you have a plan for handling and paying for hosting, updates, technical issues, security patches, and more after it launches.

Benefits of MIT Preferred Suppliers

Preferred Suppliers found in Supplier Search have already been vetted through VPF, and using one of these many choices offers you considerable advantages:

  • Save money with pre-negotiated hourly rates.
  • Save time by engaging directly with high-quality companies instead of researching your own.
  • Reduce stress: All Preferred Suppliers are already compliant with MIT’s policies, including logo usage and brand guidelines, insurance, and accessibility requirements.

If you do choose to go with a non-preferred supplier and the total contract exceeds $10,000, you will need to fill out a Selection of Source form. In addition, you may need to allow additional time for contract negotiations.

How Do I Begin a Web Design Project?

If you know exactly what you want, need, and have the budget for, we recommend you begin by submitting a request for proposal to at least three suppliers from Supplier Search. We recommend searching Supplier Search for Preferred Suppliers that provide web design services, as their experience could save you time and effort, and ensure your website will meet MIT's technical and accessibility requirements. 

VPF can then help you negotiate contract terms and ensure everything aligns before you begin your project.

If you’re not sure what you need, contact Strategic Sourcing for help determining scope, budget, features, objectives, and more. They can assist at any point of the RFP process and all the way through the procurement process, including supplier selection, contract negotiations, and requisition.

Purchase with Purpose

Many of MIT’s Preferred Suppliers are categorized as local, small, and diverse, which can include women-, veteran-, or minority-owned, as well as those located in underutilized business zones.

You can learn more about each supplier on Supplier Search.