RFP - Call for Expert Audit and Baseline Metrics

Introduction and Background

Open Source Matters, Inc. (OSM), the non-profit organisation supporting the Joomla project, is currently in the selection process for a funding by the Sovereign Tech Fund (STF) to deliver a structured, 20-month accessibility improvement program across the Joomla CMS. The program covers 19 independently contracted milestones.

This RFP covers Milestone 1a: Expert Audit and Baseline Metrics.

This is the foundation milestone of the entire programme. Its outputs will define the evidence base, test protocols, and acceptance criteria that all subsequent milestones depend on. The contractor for this milestone must be an independent external accessibility specialist with no prior vested interest in Joomla's current conformance claims.

Joomla currently aims for WCAG 2.1 AA conformance since Joomla 4, but this has never been independently validated. WCAG 2.2 introduces additional success criteria not yet fully addressed.

Scope of Work

The contractor is required to deliver all five deliverables described below. Scope and acceptance criteria are fixed. The budget is to be quoted as a fixed price. Applicants quote based on their approach and team composition.

Deliverable 1: Expert WCAG 2.2 AA Audit

Commission and complete an expert manual and automated, but not AI based WCAG 2.2 AA and ATAG audit of Joomla's admin interface (Atum template) and default frontend template (Cassiopeia)

including but not limited to:

Navigation and landmark structure
Editor, Forms and form controls
Dialogs and modal interactions
Tables and data presentation
Media manager
Installer and update flows
Authentication

All findings must be categorised by severity (critical, major, or minor) and mapped to the relevant WCAG 2.2 success criteria.

Deliverable 2: Baseline Metrics

Establish quantifiable, repeatable measurements of Joomla's current accessibility state, including:

Automated violation count from axe-core scans of core admin views
Task-completion benchmarks for key user journeys using assistive technologies (NVDA + Chrome, JAWS + Edge, VoiceOver + Safari)

Metrics documented in a format that can be re-run identically at project close, to allow direct before-and-after comparison for STF reporting.

Deliverable 3: Accessibility Test Protocols and Acceptance Criteria

Define the test protocols and acceptance criteria to be used across all subsequent milestones, including:

Which assistive technology and browser combinations are in scope
Pass and fail thresholds
Regression test approach

Minimum AT/browser matrix: NVDA + Chrome, JAWS + Edge, VoiceOver + Safari

Deliverable 4: Public Publication of Audit Report and Baseline Metrics

Deliver the full audit report and baseline metrics before the remediation plan is drafted in Milestone 1b.

Deliverable 5: Documentation and Milestone Report

Establish the programme documentation framework and produce the milestone completion report in the format agreed with OSM at kick-off.

Contract Details

Milestone reference

Milestone 1a (Cluster A: Foundation)

Contract type

Service agreement with OSM.

Duration

2 months from kick-off with optional continuous consultation for the milestones

Delivery Date

2 months after project kick-off (June 2026)

Contract Type

External accessibility specialist (separate contract from Milestone 1b)

Payment terms

Full payment upon acceptance of all deliverables

Eligibility and Required Skills

Applicants must have experience in the following areas:

Deep expertise in WCAG 2.2 and ATAG and assistive technology testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
Experience conducting and publishing independent accessibility audits for complex web applications
Interpretation of results, manual auditing
Proficiency with automated testing tools such as axe-core
Contribute to continuous training for team members on accessibility standards and best practices
Assist the core team in developing automated accessibility regression tests to support ongoing compliance monitoring
Clear, structured technical writing suitable for both community publication and regulatory reporting
Independence from prior involvement in Joomla accessibility claims

Skills the Project Manager should have

Familiarity with open source CMS architecture
Experience with ARIA authoring practices and complex UI patterns (modals, data tables, drag-and-drop)

Skills that would be nice to have

Familiarity with the Joomla CMS specifically.

How to Apply

Proposals must include the following:

A brief description of your organisation or team and relevant audit experience
At least two examples of comparable published accessibility audits
At least one reference from a contracted entity where an audit was done
Your proposed approach and methodology for this audit
Identify any potential schedule risks or bottlenecks
A timeline showing how the two-month delivery period will be structured
Your fixed-price proposal for the full scope

Proposals should be submitted by email to the address published alongside this RFP. The submission deadline is two weeks from the date of publication.

Selection Process

The Proposals will be reviewed by a small selection committee comprising OSM board members and/or the Project Manager(s) of the programme

Evaluation criteria are:

Technical quality: Depth and rigour of the proposed audit methodology.
Accessibility expertise: Demonstrated experience with WCAG 2.2, ATAG, manual and assistive technology testing.
Independence: No prior involvement in Joomla conformance claims.
Timeline: Credible plan for delivery within two months of kick-off.
Price: Value for money within the fixed contract envelope.

The winning team will be selected and asked to sign a standard OSM service agreement. Work can begin immediately upon signature.

Community Support

Every milestone in this programme includes the possibility to access an experienced Joomla community maintainer if you need. If you have questions about the codebase, an accessibility standard as applied to Joomla's specific implementation, or how something works within the Joomla ecosystem, you can ask. This support is funded through the project's Community Accessibility Reserve, a dedicated budget set aside to help contractors succeed. The maintainer's role is to guide, not to supervise. You are not on your own.

Questions

Questions about this RFP may be submitted via email at prior to the submission deadline. Answers to questions received will be shared publicly to ensure all applicants have equal access to information.

Submission Timeline

May. 18th 2026	Publication of request for proposal
May, 26th 2026	Deadline for questions to be submitted by email to
May, 29th 2026	Answers to questions submitted by email will be provided to all parties.
June, 3rd 2026	Deadline for proposals to be submitted by email to
June, 10th 2026	The OSM Board aims to notify vendors by this date.

Terms

This RFP is published as part of the STF-funded Joomla Accessibility Programme application that is in progress. Submitting a proposal does not guarantee selection. OSM reserves the right to cancel or amend this RFP at any time.

The RFP can be withdrawn at any point without reason.
No compensation will be given to any entity submitting a proposal or working on a proposal.
The vendor selected for this proposal will be solely at the discretion of Open Source Matters, Inc.
Open Source Matters, Inc. reserves the right to not award any applicant in the case no proposal meets the expectation or the requirements set by this RFP.

Projects