• Issue date: Monday, July 29, 2024
• Closing date and time: Friday, September 13, 2024, at 5:00 pm (17:00)
• Submit to: contracts-contrats@cedec.ca
• Contract period: October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025

The Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC), based in the Province of Quebec, is requesting proposals for contractors to provide Communications and Marketing Writing services.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) contains specific details and timelines and should be reviewed carefully prior to submitting a proposal. Incomplete or late proposals will not be considered.

Note that in addition to the work described in this RFP, CEDEC may choose to extend the contract for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2025.

Thank you for your interest.

STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICE NEEDS

The Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC) requires the services of two highly qualified and experienced Business Communication and Marketing Writers. The contract period will begin on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, and end on March 31, 2025.

Service providers must be capable of developing, composing and delivering compelling narratives for digital publication and distribution. These narratives will be about the work, views, positions, and accomplishments of CEDEC according to the organization’s strategic communications and marketing plan and its editorial guidelines and standards.

Service providers must be capable of effectively and efficiently performing the following duties:

• Work and edit closely with CEDEC’s Editorial Board.
• Conceptualize, write and review compelling narratives about the work, views, positions, and accomplishments of CEDEC.
• Conduct relevant research, including the gathering and analysis of key information and data to be used in the development of organizational narratives.
• Collaborate with staff across the organization to develop narrative content for a variety of communication products including external presentations, articles, op-eds, reports, targeted emails, social media posts, press releases, speeches, etc.
• Manage assigned writing projects to deliver quality communication and marketing products on time and to expectation.
• Actively participate, as required, in the development of story ideas to promote and advance CEDEC’s work, views and positions.
• Create and include appropriate infographics and visuals in the communication and marketing products they are assigned to produce.

Service providers must demonstrate, in their proposal, clear examples of their ability to increase the brand visibility of their clients, create organizational awareness and support for their clients with key audiences, drive audience traffic to client websites, educate key audiences about the value of the services and products of their clients, and strengthen their clients’ reputations.

STATEMENT OF WORK

• Provide between three to five high-quality, just-in-time communication and marketing products each month.
• Level of effort for this work is estimated at 45 to 60 hours per month (six to eight days) per writer. This will include:
  • Drafting three to four versions of each story until completed.
• Conducting appropriate research to gather relevant details about the development of assigned narratives related to CEDEC’s core work, activities, and accomplishments.
• Active and ongoing participation in Editorial Board meetings to develop story ideas to promote and advance CEDEC’s work, activities, views, and positions.
• Active and ongoing meetings with CEDEC representatives to develop storyline details and assess/edit story copy.
• The creation and inclusion of appropriate infographics and visuals in the communication and marketing products.
• The sourcing and cataloging of infographics, images and other visual content to support the development of assigned communication and marketing products.
• The preparation and editing of substantive research and business documents for public distribution.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

In their proposals, service providers must specifically demonstrate through concrete examples their experience and qualifications regarding the following:

• A minimum of five years of communications and marketing service provision.
• Demonstrated understanding and mastery of digital communications.
• A minimum of five years of experience in providing high-quality written communication and marketing products to at least fifteen clients over this period.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality just-in-time written communication and marketing products which respond to client expectations in the forms of emails, website postings, social media postings, newspaper and journal articles, op-eds, and news releases.
• The ability to work professionally in English and French.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposals responding to this RFP must contain the following elements:

1. A cover letter summarizing your proposal.
2. A professional curriculum vitae or business prospectus demonstrating that you have the experience and qualifications necessary to undertake this contract.
3. Professional fees for up to 60 hours (eight days) of service per month per writer, plus all applicable taxes.
   1. All expenses associated with this work are the responsibility of the contractor and should be reflected in the professional fees quoted.
4. Three examples of professional business or marketing writing undertaken for clients in both English and French.
5. Three references from past clients.

Proposals must be sent by email to the following address contracts-contrats@cedec.ca. All proposals must have RFP: Proposal for Communications and Marketing Writing Services in the subject line, be complete as per the requirements of this RFP, and received by the closing date (see above).

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 5:00 pm (17:00), Thursday September 12, 2024, and should be sent by email to contracts-contrats@cedec.ca . Please put RFP: Communications and Marketing Writing Services in the subject line of all 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.