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Please Note: This project is being conducted with funding provided through a state earmark and does not use any funds from the Town of Franklin.
Deadline for Submission: Friday, June 5, 2026
SUBMISSION FORM
https://forms.gle/mB9FqAWm3ntzK72U6
Celebrate Franklin 250
The Town of Franklin, through its 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee, is seeking qualified web designers, Wix Studio developers, and creative partners to design and build the official website for Franklin’s 250th Anniversary celebration.
This milestone anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate Franklin’s history, community pride, and shared future. The website will serve as the central online hub for anniversary events, announcements, historical storytelling, volunteer opportunities, sponsor recognition, and community participation leading up to and throughout 2028.
The Committee is seeking a designer who can create more than a standard informational website. The goal is to develop a digital platform that feels welcoming, community-centered, visually engaging, compliant with the 250th Anniversary brand, and reflective of Franklin itself.
Background
Pursuant to Town Council Resolution 25-38, the Franklin 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee is charged with planning, organizing, and carrying out events and activities commemorating Franklin’s semiquincentennial in 2028.
The Committee’s work includes:
● Engaging Town boards, committees, departments,
businesses, organizations, and the public
● Coordinating yearlong events and activities
● Promoting Franklin’s past, present, and future
● Supporting community engagement and participation across the Town
The official 250th Anniversary Celebration Website will become the primary digital platform supporting these efforts.
The Committee has already:
● Secured the project domain
● Selected Wix Studio as the development platform
● Developed foundational branding and public outreach
efforts
● Begun work on an initial landing page, which will be in
place prior to final designer selection and will serve as
the starting point for the full website build
The selected designer will build on this foundation to create a complete public-facing website.
Scope of Design Services
The Committee is seeking a qualified designer, developer, or design team to complete a fixed-scope website design and development project in Wix Studio.
The selected designer will be responsible for designing and building the Franklin 250 website, then providing the access, documentation, and training necessary for Committee representatives to maintain and update the site internally after launch.
This is a project-based engagement, not an ongoing committee role, staff position, or long-term service arrangement.
The selected designer shall provide:
● Full website design and development in Wix Studio
● Expansion of the initial landing page into a complete public-facing website
● Mobile-responsive layouts for desktop, tablet, and mobile users
● Accessible and user-friendly design
● Integration of approved Franklin 250 branding, colors, logos, imagery, and content
● Recommended navigation structure and page organization
● Event, news, volunteer, sponsor, merchandise, and community engagement sections
● Forms or submission tools, as appropriate
● Basic SEO setup, page titles, descriptions, and metadata
● Configuration of administrative access for Committee representatives
● Basic training and written documentation for Committee administrators
● Final website handoff upon completion
The Committee is seeking one complete project proposal. Partial submissions or proposals for only one portion of the project are not being sought at this time.
Required Website Structure & Features
The Committee anticipates that the website will include, at minimum, the following primary sections and functionality. Designers may recommend an equivalent structure if it improves usability, accessibility, or site organization, subject to Committee approval:
Required Pages:
● Home Page
● About Franklin 250
● Events
● Franklin History
● Volunteer Opportunities
● Sponsors & Partnerships
● Merchandise Information – Not direct e-commerce
● Contact / Get Involved
Additional supporting pages, subsections, or landing pages may be proposed as part of the designer’s recommended site architecture.
Required Functionality
The website must include:
● Mobile-responsive layouts
● Public event calendar functionality
● News and announcements capability
● Newsletter or email signup integration
● Social media integration or linking
● Photo and multimedia support
● Community engagement and participation forms
● Sponsor recognition capability
● Search engine optimization (SEO) basics, including page titles, HTML tags, descriptions, image alt text, and metadata
● Administrator-friendly backend management tools
● Administrative access for Committee representatives
The website should be designed with accessibility in mind and should aim to meet applicable federal and Massachusetts accessibility expectations, including WCAG 2.1 AA or current equivalent guidance, to the extent practical within the approved scope and platform.
Designers should identify any recommended third-party tools, Wix apps, integrations, or subscriptions needed to support these functions.
Content Management Expectations
The website should be designed so that non-technical Committee members can:
● Update page content
● Post announcements
● Add and/or edit events
● Upload images and documents
● Manage basic site updates internally without requiring ongoing developer support
Website Goals
The website should:
● Celebrate Franklin’s 250th Anniversary in a way that feels welcoming, polished, and community-centered
● Serve as the primary source for anniversary-related information and updates
● Encourage participation from residents, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and community groups
● Be easy for visitors to navigate and easy for Committee members to update internally
● Support growth and additional content over multiple
years leading up to and throughout 2028
● Reflect both Franklin’s historical identity and its future-oriented community spirit
Community Engagement & Local Participation
A major goal of the Franklin 250 initiative is broad community participation.
Preference may be given to designers who demonstrate:
● Experience with civic, nonprofit, municipal, tourism, or community-centered projects
● Approaches that encourage resident participation and engagement
● Ideas for highlighting local organizations, schools, nonprofits, and businesses
● Strong visual storytelling and accessibility practices
● Experience creating websites that feel welcoming and community-driven rather than strictly institutional
Local and regional designers are strongly encouraged to submit.
Designer Qualifications
This call is open to qualified web designers, Wix Studio developers, creative agencies, digital studios, and freelance designers/developers
Preference may be given to applicants who can demonstrate:
● Experience with Wix Studio
● Strong portfolio examples
● Experience with accessible and mobile-responsive design
● Clear communication and project management
● Ability to collaborate effectively with volunteer committees and public-facing organizations
● Competitive pricing and scalable solutions
Submission Requirements
Interested designers should submit the Designer Submission Form by end of business Friday, May 29, 2026:
● Company or individual overview
● Primary contact information
● Relevant portfolio examples and links
● Description of proposed approach and design philosophy
● Experience using Wix Studio
● General timeline and estimated milestones
● Proposed flat project fee or estimated project range
● Any anticipated third-party costs, including Wix subscription costs, premium apps, integrations,
licensing, stock images, or related expenses
● Description of how community engagement could be
incorporated into the website
● Description of handoff, training, and documentation approach
Designers should describe the number of design concepts, revision rounds, or review milestones included in their proposed fee.
Content, Artwork, & Branding
The Committee will provide core written content, approved branding, logos, color palettes, approved artwork, and available imagery.
Designers may be asked to recommend content organization, page structure, visual hierarchy, and presentation to improve usability, accessibility, and overall visitor experience.
Designers should be prepared to work within established branding and accessibility expectations to ensure visual consistency across the website and related materials.
How the Website Will Be Used
The website will support Franklin’s 250th Anniversary celebration by providing:
● Public event promotion and updates
● Community engagement initiatives
● Volunteer coordination
● Historical and educational content
● Sponsorship and partnership recognition
● Public communication and announcements
● Celebration activities leading up to and throughout 2028
Additional Notes
The Town of Franklin and the 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee reserve the right to:
● Select one designer
● Request additional information, demonstrations, or interviews
● Negotiate scope and deliverables
● Decline any submission that does not meet project
needs, expectations, quality standards, budget
considerations, or timeline requirements
Submission of materials does not guarantee selection.
The Committee may request clarification regarding submissions before making a final selection.
Tentative Timeline
● Submission Deadline: End of Business Friday, June 5,
2026
● Designer Review Period: Monday, June 8-Thursday, June
11, 2026
● Designer Notification: Friday, June 12, 2026
● Contract Finalization: Monday, June 15-Friday, June 19,
2026
● Production Start: Friday, June 19, 2026
● Desired Website Handoff: Monday, July 20, 2026
Compensation & Ownership
Selected designers or design teams will be compensated through an agreed-upon flat project fee.
This project is intended as a fixed-scope design and development engagement. Upon completion and final payment, the completed website, project-specific design assets, associated project files, and related deliverables produced for the Franklin 250 website shall become the property of the Town of Franklin and/or the 250th
Anniversary Celebration Committee for purposes of administration, modification, publication, promotion, and ongoing use.
The selected designer or team will be expected to provide appropriate administrative access, transferable project ownership, and sufficient documentation or training necessary for the Committee to independently manage and update the website after project completion.
Designers may reference completed work in portfolios, websites, or professional materials unless otherwise specified in the final agreement.
Ongoing compensation, royalties, residual payments, or long-term service agreements are not anticipated as part of this project unless separately negotiated and approved.
Any third-party tools, stock assets, fonts, plugins, apps, or licensed materials should be identified in the designer’s submission and must be properly licensed for the Committee’s intended use.
How to Submit
Complete the Designer Submission Form before the end of business Friday, May 29, 2026.
Questions may also be directed to: chair.250@franklinma.gov
Subject line: Website Design Open Call Questions
