Financing Africa's Landscape Restoration Champions
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Website Hosting, Design & Content Management System
Issue Date: May 29th, 2026
Submission Deadline:June 15th, 2026
Submissions to: info@via-foundation.org
Subject: "Application for Website Development Service Provision"
PART A: TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)
1. Background & Organizational Context
Vumbuzi Impact Africa Foundation (VIA Foundation) is a pan-African, not-for-profit common-benefit foundation established in 2023 and registered in Kigali, Rwanda. VIA Foundation exists to accelerate and scale ecosystem restoration across member countries of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), with a focus on strengthening locally led solutions.
The Foundation was authorized by the African Union Development Agency, which hosts the AFR100 Secretariat, in response to a major gap in global restoration finance. Although Africa holds ambitious restoration commitments, most funding is managed by institutions based in the Global North, creating power imbalances and barriers that limit access for locally rooted organizations. VIA Foundation was created to address this challenge directly.
VIA Foundation is the first African institution purpose-built to finance, train, and monitor restoration champions, local organizations and enterprises that mobilize communities to restore degraded land and build resilient local economies. As a trusted intermediary between donors, investors, and local institutions, VIA Foundation channels funding high-quality, locally led restoration projects; designs blended finance solutions that combine public, philanthropic, and private capital; and builds partnerships to support a new restoration economy for Africa.
To date, VIA Foundation finances and manages 131 locally led restoration projects across Africa through the TerraFund partnership, delivering measurable ecological, economic, and community impact while shifting power and resources to African leaders on the ground.
2. Objectives of the Assignment
VIA Foundation seeks a qualified digital services firm or individual to host, design, and develop its website at www.via-foundation.org. The new site must:
- Present VIA Foundation's mission, services, portfolio, team, and partnerships in English from launch day.
- Appeal visually and narratively to three distinct audience groups: 1) Financial partners, including philanthropic donors, multilateral and bilateral development partners, and international and African supply chain companies; 2) government agencies in Rwanda, Ghana, and Kenya; and 3) local community-based organizations and small and medium enterprises that restore degraded land across rural Africa.
- Be fast-loading, mobile-first, and accessible across low-bandwidth environments.
- Be easily maintained by non-technical internal staff through robust and well-documented CMS.
- Be hosted on Microsoft Azure infrastructure with secure, resilient, and compliant architecture.
- Be easily crawlable by AI-powered search engines.
3. Scope of Work
The selected consultant shall deliver the following work streams:
3.1 Website Design & Development
- Design and develop a fully new, modern, responsive website aligned with VIA Foundation’s approved brand and design guidelines.
- Implement a clean, modern design with strong visual storytelling referencing the aesthetic quality of comparator sites while ensuring it distinctly reflects VIA Foundation's African identity and restoration mission.
- Develop all key site sections: Homepage, About, Services, Portfolio/Impact, Partnerships, Team, News/Blog, Jobs & Consultancies, Contact.
- Ensure all pages are available in English, with the possibility of easily expanding the website to include parallel French content in the future.
- Embed impact metrics and data displays (e.g., projects supported, hectares, jobs, trees) that can be manually updated easily by VIA Foundation staff.
- Integrate or embed multimedia content including video (e.g., YouTube/RestoreLocal) and photo galleries.
- Implement a news/blog/publications section.
- Ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.
3.2 Content Management System (CMS) Configuration
- Set up and configure a modern, secure CMS platform (Drupal or equivalent, subject to VIA Foundation approval).
- Create custom page templates aligned with VIA Foundation's visual brand.
- Configure user roles and permissions appropriate for the internal team.
- Establish content editing workflows that allow non-technical staff to update all page types without developer assistance.
3.3. Minimum CMS Capabilities
- Staff can create, edit, publish, and unpublish pages and posts without developer involvement.
- Staff can update impact statistics and key numbers.
- Staff can add team members, job listings, and publications.
- Role-based access control: at minimum, an Administrator role and an editor role.
- Media library with image optimization built in.
- Simple news/blog publishing workflow.
3.4 Hosting, Performance & Security
- Set up and configure hosting on Microsoft Azure, including environment setup, domain configuration, and SSL certificates.
- Implement automated daily backups with at least 30-day retention.
- Optimize site performance for Core Web Vitals targets (LCP < 2.5s, FID < 100ms, CLS < 0.1), accounting for mobile and low-bandwidth users.
- Implement basic cybersecurity measures: firewall, malware scanning, DDoS protection, and secure login protocols.
- Establish an uptime monitoring system and define response SLAs for critical issues.
- Ensure GDPR-aligned data protection practices and a compliant cookie consent mechanism.
3.5 AI search optimization & Analytics
- Implement on-page AI search optimization best practices across all pages and posts (meta titles, descriptions, structured data, sitemap, robots.txt).
- Integrate Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console.
- Configure basic analytics dashboards accessible to the VIA Foundation team.
3.6 Handover & Training
- Provide complete technical documentation covering the site architecture, CMS configuration, hosting setup, and maintenance procedures.
- Deliver all CMS credentials and access credentials to VIA Foundation via a secure handover process.
- Conduct a live training session (minimum 2 hours) with the VIA Foundation core team covering CMS usage, content editing, basic troubleshooting, and publishing workflows.
- Provide a simple CMS User Guide in English that staff can reference independently.
4. Deliverables & Timeline
| # | Deliverable | Description | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Project Kick-off & Discovery | Initial meeting, Website features review, audience analysis, and agreement on site architecture, design direction, and CMS platform. | Within 1 week of contract signing |
| 2 | Design Prototype | High-fidelity mockups for homepage and 2–3 key interior pages in both mobile and desktop views, for VIA Foundation approval. | 13 July 2026 |
| 3 | Beta Website | Fully built site populated with content provided by the VIA Foundation team, hosted on a staging environment for review. | 29 July 2026 |
| 4 | Website Hosting Live | Production hosting environment configured and lived on Azure, with SSL, backups, monitoring, and security measures active. | 10 August 2026 |
| 5 | CMS Training Session | Live training call with VIA Foundation core team (minimum 2 hours). Includes delivery of written CMS User Guide. | 14 August 2026 |
| 6 | Final Website Launch | Fully functional, responsive production website launched at via-foundation.org. | 21 August 2026 |
| 7 | CMS & Technical Handover | All credentials, documentation, and user guide delivered to VIA Foundation's designated contact. | 04 September 2026 |
5. Contract Terms
5.1 Contract Period
Contract Start Date: June 30, 2026
Contract End Date: September 12, 2026, with the possibility of an ongoing hosting and support retainer agreement.
6. Minimum Qualifications
6.1 Legal & Registration
- Must be a legally registered company in Rwanda, Kenya, or Ghana with a valid operating license and demonstrated compliance with relevant country regulations.
- Must provide a valid registration certificate and at least 2 recommendations.
6.2 Relevant Experience
- A minimum of 7 years of proven professional experience delivering digital solutions to foundations, non-profits, INGOs, development organizations, and/or corporate clients.
- Demonstrated prior experience working with international or donor-facing organizations. Experience with environmental, climate, or development sector clients is a strong asset.
6.3 Technical Expertise: Website Design & Development
- User-centered design experience for mobile-heavy and low-bandwidth environments. The website should look equally professional when opened by a donor or partner on desktop or by a local implementing partner on mobile.
- Visual storytelling capability is suitable for dual audiences: local community champions and international donors/investors.
6.4 CMS Expertise
- Strong experience implementing and configuring modern, secure CMS platforms (e.g., Drupal or equivalent).
- Custom page templates, user role configuration, and content workflow experience.
- Demonstrated delivery of practical CMS training to client staff enabling independent content management post-launch.
6.5 Hosting, Security & Cloud Infrastructure
- Demonstrated technical expertise in Microsoft Azure environment setup, configuration, hosting, and ongoing technical support.
- Experience with secure hosting, automated backups, performance optimization, and basic cybersecurity practices.
6.6 Languages & Communication
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English is required.
7. Application Requirements
Interested companies or individuals should submit the following documents to info@via-foundation.org with the subject line: "Application for Website Developer Service Provision":
- Company profile (maximum 2-page cover letter) including examples of high-level websites previously developed, with live URLs where available.
- Valid business certificate.
- A minimum of two (2) recommendation letters from recent clients, ideally in the development, NGO, or foundation sector.
- A technical proposal responding to this ToR, including proposed approach, sitemap, CMS recommendation, and project timeline. The proposal should be less than either a 10-page document or a 20-slide deck.
- A financial proposal with itemized cost breakdown (one-time development fees + monthly hosting/support retainer).
- CVs of key team members assigned to this engagement.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
8. Evaluation Criteria
| Criterion | Weight | Max Score |
|---|---|---|
|
40% | 40 |
|
20% | 20 |
|
20% | 20 |
|
20% | 20 |
PART B: DETAILED WEBSITE BRIEF FOR PROCUREMENT
Guidance for Vendors: Design Vision, Technical Specifications & Content Architecture
1. Executive Summary & Design Vision
VIA Foundation is building its digital presence to match the ambition and scale of its mission. The new website must communicate credibility, impact, and urgency to two very different audiences simultaneously and do so beautifully across every screen size.
| VISION | A compelling digital platform that tells Africa's restoration story with power and precision, compelling enough to attract corporate partners and international donors, accessible enough to load on a low-bandwidth mobile phone in rural Africa areas. |
The reference benchmark for design quality and institutional tone is the AGRI3 Fund website (agri3.com), a clean, professional blended finance site that balances mission clarity with investor credibility. VIA Foundation's site should match or exceed this standard while expressing a distinctly African identity rooted in community, land, and restoration.
2. Target Audiences
Audience A: Donors & Investors (Europe & North America)
These users access the site primarily on desktop or high-end mobile. They are evaluating the VIA Foundation's credibility, impact methodology, governance, and financial intermediary capacity. They need to see: institutional legitimacy, transparent impact data, world-class partners, and a compelling restoration narrative.
Audience B: Restoration Champions & Field Partners (Africa)
These users access the site primarily via mobile phones on 2G/3G networks. They may have limited data. They need to understand what VIA Foundation offers, whether they can apply for support, and how to get in touch. Speed, clarity, and simplicity are critical for this audience.
| KEY INSIGHT | The site should serve both audiences without compromise. A mobile-first, performance-optimized build with strong visual hierarchy will achieve this, heavy content modules should be deferred for desktop while core messaging and calls to action must be immediately accessible on mobile. |
3. Current Website Analysis
3.1 Current Site: via-foundation.org
The current website (via-foundation.org) is a single-page scrolling site. Key strengths include a clear mission statement, impact statistics (131 projects, 64,000 hectares, 18.2M trees), a team section, and embedded partner logos. Key limitations include: no CMS for easy content updates, limited visual storytelling, no news or publications section, no dedicated portfolio/project pages, and no clear donor or partner engagement pathway.
3.2 Reference Site: AGRI3 Fund (agri3.com)
AGRI3 Fund's website demonstrates the institutional standard VIA Foundation should aspire to. It features a full navigation structure with clear sections (About, Team, Deals, News & Publications, Policies), a clean editorial design system, a portfolio/deals section with individual project pages, a professional news and publications library, and a credible partner logo display. The site projects the authority of a serious blended finance intermediary while remaining accessible and content rich.
4. Site Architecture & Required Pages
The following site map is proposed. The vendor may refine this in their technical proposal, but must address all sections listed:
4.1 Primary Navigation
- Home
- About VIA Foundation
- Mission & Vision
- Governance & Structure
- What We Do
- Flexible Funding
- Technical Support
- Monitoring & Verification
- Blended & Outcome Finance
- Portfolio / Impact
- Overview & Statistics
- Project Map (Embed)
- Partnerships
- News & Publications
- Team
- Profiles of Team Members
- Jobs & Consultancies
- Contact
4.2 Footer Navigation
- Privacy Policy
- Cookie Policy
- Social Link (LinkedIn)
- Contact Information
5. Design System & Brand Guidelines
5.1 Visual Identity
The vendor must adhere to VIA Foundation's brand guidelines (to be provided upon contract award). In the absence of final brand guidelines at proposal stage, the following design principles should guide the prototype:
- Nature-inspired color palette: Deep Forest greens, warm earth tones, clean whites. Avoid corporate blues or generic nonprofit palettes.
- Photography-forward design: This should convey VIA Foundation as a focused, efficient implementation organization, complemented by light storytelling. The prototype is expected to use placeholder stock photography showcasing African landscapes and community-led restoration work.
- Clear typographic hierarchy: A humanist sans-serif typeface (e.g., Inter, Source Sans Pro, or similar) paired with a strong display typeface for headlines.
- Impact numbers prominently displayed: Large, animated counters for key metrics (projects, hectares, trees, jobs) modeled on the current site but more visually prominent.
- Partner logos displayed with consistent sizing and adequate spacing: Similar to AGRI3's partner section.
5.2 Mobile-First & Performance Standards
- Design mobile views first; desktop as enhancement.
- Target page load time under 3 seconds on 3G (optimized images, lazy loading, CDN).
- Core Web Vitals targets: LCP < 2.5s, CLS < 0.1, FID < 100ms.
- Images served in WebP format with fallbacks; video thumbnails used with click-to-load.
- No autoplay video on mobile.
6. Hosting & Infrastructure Requirements
6.1 Azure Hosting
All hosting must be on Microsoft Azure. The vendor must demonstrate prior experience with Azure environment configuration. The following minimum infrastructure specifications apply:
- Azure App Service or equivalent managed hosting tier.
- Azure CDN for global content delivery, with edge nodes serving African and European audiences.
- Azure Backup or equivalent automated daily backups with 30-day retention minimum.
- SSL/TLS certificate (free via Let's Encrypt or Azure-managed).
- Staging/development environment separate from production.
6.2 Security
- Web Application Firewall (WAF) enabled.
- Automated malware scanning.
- Brute force protection on CMS login.
- HTTPS enforced site-wide.
- Regular security plugin/module updates managed by vendor for the duration of the contract.
6.3 Ongoing Support (Post-Launch)
The vendor should include in their financial proposal a monthly hosting and support retainer option covering: hosting fees, security monitoring, CMS plugin/core updates, uptime monitoring, and up to 2 hours of technical support per month. This retainer will be evaluated separately and may form the basis of a follow-on contract from January 2027.
7. AI search optimization & Analytics Requirements
- AI search optimization installed and configured for all content types.
- XML sitemap auto-generated and submitted to Google Search Console.
- Schema markup for organization, website, and article content types.
- Google Analytics 4 property configured and linked to Google Search Console.
- Basic GA4 dashboard created for the VIA Foundation team showing sessions, geographic breakdown, and top pages.
- 301 redirects configured from all old page URLs to new URLs at launch.
8. Content & Media Assets
8.1 VIA Foundation Responsibilities
VIA Foundation will supply all text content, finalized photography and video assets, the organizational logo and brand guidelines, and approval of all design prototypes before building commences.
8.2 Vendor Responsibilities
The vendor is responsible for all technical development, CMS implementation, placeholder content during the development phase, image optimization for web delivery, and the technical framework. The vendor is not responsible for content writing, translation, or photography production.