Introduction:

SMEX is seeking proposals from qualified web development partners to redesign and develop our official website – a critical platform to showcase our digital rights work and demonstrate our impact across the WANA region. The new website must:

• Serve as a dynamic showcase of SMEX’s programs, advocacy wins, and thought leadership
• Translate our mission and values into a visually compelling, user-centered design that intuitively demonstrates SMEX’s impact and work
• Prioritize accessibility, responsiveness, and cross-device functionality
• Feature compelling storytelling elements to highlight our measurable impact
• Maintain technical excellence while aligning with our visual identity
• Include both English and Arabic versions

• About SMEX

SMEX is a non-profit that advances and defends human rights and freedoms in the digital sphere across West Asia and North Africa. SMEX advocates for people in the WANA and the diaspora to access and engage with the internet, mobile services, and other networked spaces safely and without fear of censorship, surveillance, or repercussions. Our teams fulfill this vision through reporting, research, policy analysis, campaigns, and various advocacy projects. SMEX is primarily concerned with the impact of technology on human rights, recognizing that digital rights are human rights.

Our vision: Our vision is for everyone in Lebanon and across the Arab region to be able to access the internet, mobile services, and other networked spaces to communicate and express themselves safely and without fear of censorship, surveillance, or repercussions.

Our mission: SMEX advances freedom of expression and the right to privacy in WANA through research and reporting, monitoring state and tech companies’ policies, protecting the safety and security of online users, and collaborating with regional advocates to sustain a safer digital space.

• Scope of Work:

Execute a complete website redesign featuring a modern responsive framework tailored to SMEX’s brand identity, with particular attention to seven key pages. A detailed sitemap will be provided for the pages in a later stage.  The pages must incorporate essential functionalities such as donation processing, application forms (for programs/jobs), user sign-ups, and dynamic content management for frequent updates (news, articles, publications…).

• Partner Requirements:

The development partner should be able to ensure and provide us with basic website tech requirements, including but not limited to:

• Content migration: Make sure to migrate the blog content in both languages, Arabic and English, including all relevant media.
• Platform: SMEX’s website is currently built on WordPress. With the development partner, we will choose the platform that would work best for this project.
• Responsive design compatible with various devices and screen sizes (our websites to adapt and display properly on different devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones….)
• Intuitive user interface and navigation (Clear and Consistent Design and User-Friendly Layouts). Our creative unit would provide any needed materials to maintain the identity, like logos, color palette, brand conception, among others.
• Integration of necessary features (Newsletter Sign-ups, Social Media Integration, Petitions, Contact forms, Job applications, Donate….)
• Content Management System (CMS) for easy content updates 

• Easy Editing Interface: Intuitive backend tools for non-technical users to manage content.
• Version Control: Tracking changes and reverting to previous versions if necessary.
• Multimedia Support: Uploading images, videos, or documents easily

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices implementation

• SEO-Friendly URLs: Structuring URLs for readability and keyword relevance.
• Meta Tags and Descriptions: Optimizing meta titles, descriptions, and tags for each page.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Ensuring the site is mobile-friendly for better search rankings.
• Site Speed Optimization: Improving loading times for better user experience and SEO.

• Security measures to protect against vulnerabilities:

• SSL Certification: Encrypting data transmission to prevent unauthorized access.
• Regular Updates and Patches: Ensuring the website’s software is up-to-date to mitigate vulnerabilities.
• Firewalls and Security Protocols: Implementing measures to prevent hacking or data breaches such as firewalls, SSL, and encryption.
• Monitoring web traffic for suspicious activities
• Collaborating with SMEX’s threat lab unit for ongoing security assessments.

• Ongoing maintenance and technical support 

• Software updates and upgrades (security, performance and compatibility)
• Backup and recovery
• Helpdesk or ticketing system (how do we contact them to report an issue, what is the response time…)
• User training and support (how to update and manage the website content)
• Performance Monitoring and Reporting: how to monitor our website performance is there a dashboard for performance metrics? To analyze data and provide reports?

• Project Deliverables

• Wireframes and design concept for client approval
• Design mockups for each main page
• Liaising with the SMEX team to deliver a fully developed and functional website, including all specified features
• Comprehensive UX/UI design with justification
• Support in suggesting the website content and creating relevant visual elements
• Documentation for asset requirements and content authoring in CMS and content updates

• Proposal Submission Guidelines and timeline:

Interested parties are requested to submit this form by June 20, 2025. The estimated timeline for completing the website is 3 to 4 months. 

Proposals should include the following information:

• Company background, including relevant experience in website development
• Portfolio showcasing previous website projects and testimonials
• Proposed approach, methodologies, and technologies to be used
• Timeline for each website development
• Cost breakdown, including initial development and ongoing maintenance/support fees

• Selection Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Experience and expertise in website development
• Portfolio quality and relevance
• Proposed approach and technologies
• Cost-effectiveness
• Timeliness of project delivery

We welcome your proposal and look forward to collaborating with an experienced web development team to enhance SMEX’s website.