• Issue date: Monday, June 16, 2025
• Closing date and time: All proposals must be received no later than 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Friday, June 27, 2025
• Submit to: contracts-contrats@cedec.ca
• Contract period: work to be completed no later than September 30, 2025

The Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC) is requesting proposals to provide it with professional research services in workforce development, education and labour market entry and participation.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) contains specific details and timelines. They should be reviewed carefully by potential bidders. Bidders are expected to address all the requirements and meet all the standards outlined in this RFP. Incomplete or late proposals will not be considered.

ABOUT CEDEC

CEDEC is the federally designated and financed Official Language Minority Community in Quebec (OLMCQ) organization responsible for economic development, including business, labour market, and employment assistance development.

CEDEC’s mission is to strengthen the contribution of English speakers and the OLMCQ to growing and developing Quebec’s economy, while leveraging their participation to address economic disparities and disadvantages in the OLMCQ. It specifically seeks to generate tangible economic impacts for English speakers, their communities, the broader Francophone community, and businesses, social enterprises, and public sector organizations.

STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICE NEEDS

CEDEC wishes to hire experienced researchers to conduct a high-quality exploration and analysis about strengthening linkages between workforce development and labour market integration under the theme: Sustainable Futures for the OLMCQ

The main purpose of the research is to develop a best-in-class model linking workforce developers, specifically secondary and post-secondary institutions, with labour market demand, specifically in-demand careers and skills which respond to the human resource priorities and needs of employers.  

As labour markets shift to meet changing employer priorities and requirements, building a best-in-class workforce development – labour market integration model will greatly assist the OLMCQ in strengthening education-to-employment alignment. Accordingly, CEDEC wishes to create a best-in-class model based upon comparative international research including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Nordic countries (Scandinavia and Finland)

The research will be structured as follows:

• Literature Review: To ground the research in existing knowledge across the selected countries.
• Key Informant Interviews: Conducted with key stakeholders in the education and workforce development fields.
• Best-in-Class Model Development: Synthesizing international best practices into a best-in-class workforce development and labour market integration model that is actionable in a Quebec context.
• Gap Analysis: Evaluating how OLMCQ workforce development strategies and practices, specifically in OLMCQ secondary and post-secondary institutions, align with or diverge from the identified best-in-class model. The gap analysis must provide recommendations on how to address any identified gaps.

CEDEC expects the following research outcomes:

• The identification of a set of internationally benchmarked best practices in workforce development and labour market integration converted into a best-in-class model that is actionable in Quebec
• A situation analysis comparing OLMCQ workforce development practices, especially in the secondary and post-secondary spaces, relative to the best-in-class model that is developed.
• Recommendations to strengthen the alignment between OLMCQ workforce development, especially in secondary and post-secondary institutions, and OLMCQ labour market integration
• Insights to guide future research and partnerships in education and workforce development

The diverse target audiences for the produced research include:

• English-speaking students and families in Quebec
• Educators and school administrators
• English-language school boards and educational institutions
• Community organizations and advocacy groups
• Policy makers and government agencies
• Researchers and academics
• Parents’ associations and advisory committees
• The Francophone majority, specifically OLMCQ partners and supporters.
• Broader civil society

CRITERIA FOR THE EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

Proposals received through this RFP will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Demonstrated expertise and experience in relevant fields such as workforce development, education, and labour market analyses. Demonstrated track record of producing similar-type and high-quality research outputs,
• A deep understanding of Quebec’s workforce and labour market development context,
• An ability to grasp and understand the characteristics and dynamics of the OLMCQ,
• Experience working with not-for-profit and mission-based organizations,
• The ability to work effectively within a bilingual environment and produce content in English and French,
• A clear demonstration of the ability to deliver on time and according to client specifications,
• A commitment to a team-based approach and “after-sale” client service,
• The competitiveness of the quote provided.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposals responding to this RFP must contain the following elements:

1. A cover letter summarizing your proposal, yourself, your research organization, and your unique value and experience,
2. A professional curriculum vitae or business prospectus demonstrating that you and/or your organization meet the specifications and required research expertise and experience outlined in this RFP,
3. A detailed work plan to complete and submit the final deliverables by September 30, 2025,
4. A detailed budget linking fees to deliverables and the level of effort required to produce these deliverables,
5. Three recent examples of recent high-quality research products,
6. Three references from past clients.

Interested researchers should consider the following stages when submitting a work plan and a quote:

1. Preliminary research
2. Formulating main research questions,
3. Research tasks
4. Timeline outlining first draft, advanced draft and final paper
5. -Recommendations for further research

Please note that all expenses associated with this work are the responsibility of the contractor and should be reflected in the professional fees quoted.

Proposals must be sent by email to the following address: contracts-contrats@cedec.ca. All proposals must have RFP: Education and Labour Market Research in the subject line, be complete as per the requirements of this RFP, and received by no later than 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Friday, June 27, 2025.

NEXT STEPS

CEDEC may retain one or more proposals for consideration and conduct follow-up interviews. All candidates that have responded to this RFP will be informed about the status of their proposal after the closing date.

Questions about this RFP are welcomed. All questions should be received no later than noon on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, and should be sent by email to contracts-contrats@cedec.ca . Please use Education and Labour Market Research in the subject line of all inquiries. Please do not phone with your questions, as we have limited capacity to manage telephone inquiries.

This Request for Proposals has been prepared by the Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC). CEDEC considers the material in this RFP to be proprietary and confidential. The contents of this RFP must be held in confidence by recipients and used only to prepare a proposal for consideration by CEDEC.