On Tue, 10 Mar 1998 22:44:05 -0500, Rich Urban <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >The Historical Society of Delaware is currently planning a new permanent >exhibition which includes a number of computer interactives. I'm >interested in hearing from others who have any advice about evaluating >bids from multimedia firms and/or references to articles on the subject. Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules for evaluating bids. It depends on what you need. If you are planning and storyboarding the entire application yourself and just require production work, then compare pricing, experience, and their track record. If they will be doing the design then look for companies that speak the same basic exhibit design language as you do - goals, audience needs, evaluation methods, etc. A good company will want to know about your existing resources (video footage, photographs, databases) before making a bid. Let them know *exactly* what you need and when you need it completed. Research the companies before contacting them. A company with a low bid that has done nothing but advertising multimedia may not be as well suited as a company with a higher bid but a broader range of experience. Since these will be exhibit displays, its a good idea to use a company with experience creating kiosks. As mentioned in a previous message, check their past clients and references. Ask about post-production support - how many months? Don't be shy in asking about their methods and procedures, flowcharting/scheduling software, or anything else with which you are concerned. Have them explain/diagram/demonstrate any computer concept with which you are unfamiliar. If you demand too much work up front they may want to charge for it; not enough and you may be surprised later. Finally, if a company you like makes a bid which is too high, negotiate with them (if your bidding process allows for that). A lot of companies will work on a sliding scale for non-profit organizations just for the good publicity and exposure. Hope this helps. Joel Long [log in to unmask] http://www.interlog.com/~joellong/home.htm