About RI.gov

RI.gov is both the official government Web portal for the State of Rhode Island, and a team dedicated to developing online services to enable citizens or businesses to complete tasks via the Internet.

Who We Are

The RI.gov team is employed by the Rhode Island division of NIC USA, a publicly held company and the largest developer of eGovernment solutions in the nation. The State of Rhode Island entered into a long term public-private partnership with NIC to carry out the mission of managing the RI.gov portal and growing the number of available Web-based services.

What We Do

• Develop online applications which include searching for data, filling in forms, buying or renewing licenses, paying statutory fees as well as a variety of other online services
• Design and build official Web sites and logos
• Process credit card and electronic payments on behalf of the state
• Offer consulting services to help improve government Web sites and online applications
• Work with third party vendors and developers to implement online payment solutions by credit card or electronic fund transfers.
• Market online services on behalf of the state to help bring attention to the benefits of utilizing the online solution developed by RI.gov

What We Don’t Do

• Provide ongoing maintenance for Web sites other than the RI.gov portal
• Install maintain or sell hardware solutions or backend systems
• Build Intranet sites or applications
• Contract with any non-official government or municipal entity

Funding

RI.gov is self-funded and is not paid for by taxpayer dollars. Revenue to support RI.gov comes from enhanced access fees associated with some of the eGovernment services we create, host and maintain. In most cases these fees are collected from businesses completing transactions with the state. These fees are used to grow the portal staff, increasing both the number of fee and free e-government services available online.

Our self-funded model means that Rhode Island state agencies and municipalities can take advantage of RI.gov resources at no cost.

Oversight

The Rhode Island Department of Administration (DOA) and Division of Information Technology (DoIT) manages the resources of the portal. This oversight includes setting overall priorities, approving projects, authorizing enhanced access fees and ensuring that the portal utilizes funds in the best interests of long-term growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are enhanced access and convenience fees?
  Certain online transactions will include an additional charge along with the normal statutory fee. This added fee is what supports the RI.gov portal and the continued development of online services. Enhanced access fees are only added to transactions completed online – in all cases those who do not wish to pay this added fee can avoid the costs by conducting state business through the mail or in person. Many of the services provided by RI.gov do not include an enhanced access fee and are offered at no cost as part of our overall partnership with the state.
• Is the public-private partnership unique to Rhode Island?
  No, NIC maintains partnerships with 18 other states and several large municipalities across the country. You can learn more about these partnerships at www.nicusa.com.
• Who can work with RI.gov?
  • State agencies, divisions and boards
  • Groups or quasi agencies which receive ongoing funding through the state budget
  • Rhode Island municipalities or municipal funded entity
• Who decides what projects RI.gov will work on?
  All projects are brought to a committee which works with the portal team to make recommendations as to what projects should be developed. Based on these recommendations the Department of Administration sets final priorities.
• Where is RI.gov located?
  RI.gov maintains its office at 2 Charles Street, Providence, Rhode Island.
• How do you submit a project idea to RI.gov?
  If you are a citizen or a business that would like to see an online service provided by RI.gov please send us feedback or contact us via our staff page. If you represent a state agency or municipality please contact the Division of Information Technology
• What online services are available?
  A complete list can be found on our online services page.
• Is RI.gov responsible for all government Web sites?
  No. The team at RI.gov only maintains the www.ri.gov website – all other state websites are managed by their respected agencies. While the RI.gov team does offer support and design services.

Our Address:

2 Charles Street
3rd Floor Center
Providence,
RI 02904

E-Mail:

rigov@nicusa.com