Communication Strategy Consultant
- Job Type
- Other
- Job Level
- Other
- Location
- Sutton, ON
- Impact Area
- Other
- Impact Category
- Other
- Company Type
- Other
About this position
Request for Proposal
Communication Strategy
IntroductionThe Georgina Working Centre (in partnership with SERA Community Ventures Ltd.) is a not-for-profit collective, currently formed of 5 organization partners. This new concept community “working centre” has the mission of fostering economic participation of the residents of Georgina, Ontario who have been chronically underemployed and underserved (the client population). This is a new approach to employment services.
The collective has received an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to build its resilience and sustainability by developing the Georgina Working Centre and creating new pathways to employment, training, education, and social entrepreneurship through a non-traditional intervention model approach and collaborative partnerships.
The Georgina Working Centre has three main components – a social enterprise, a collective of organizations & the Working Centre’s governance, and an intervention model.
The Georgina Working Centre is newly formed and does not have a website as yet, however the successful proponent will be provided with a full history of the collective and its activities to date.
For more information on the Georgina Working Centre please visit:
- Community Assessment – Closer Look
- Made in Georgina Report
- The Georgina Working Centre Final Report 2022 December
- Strategic Planning April 2023
- Strategic Planning Summary 2024
- The Kitchener-Waterloo Working Centre - The inspiration behind our work
Requirements
The Georgina Working Centre collective partners invite proposals from professionally qualified consultants or contractors to provide services to the Georgina Working Centre to create a Communication Strategy for the launch of the working centre, detailing the methodologies for communication to achieve:
- target population outreach
- partnership/fundraising support from potential organizations, and
- branding & identity development of the organization.
Project Overview
The Georgina Working Centre collective has created a strategic plan. An operations plan and a fund development plan is in progress. The strategic plan details the project outcomes and needs for the functioning of the collective & the Working Centre, outlining high-level project outcomes that serve as the direction of alignment for project activities. The operational planning will develop the infrastructure and logistical aspects to run the Working Centre, including costs for the project setup and a governance model. The fund development plan will develop methods of financing for the project’s sustainability in the near future (for the project execution in 2024 & for the years of operation after the project launch, 2024 - 2029). The strategic planning, operational planning, and the inputs from fund development projects are to serve together as a base for the communications strategy needed to achieve the mentioned outcomes.
The overall project comprises five phases:
- Strategic Planning – Completed January 2024
- Operations Plan & Community Engagement Strategy – March 2024 - May 2024
- Funding Development Plan – April/May 2024 - June 2024
- Communications Strategy – May 2024 - June 2024
- Evaluation of Plans & Implementation – July 2024 - Aug 2024
The Georgina Working Centre is currently seeking assistance with the next phase of the Centre’s development, the communications strategy, which will aid in developing the messaging and marketing activities to achieve target population outreach, fundraising/donor communication, and branding of The Georgina Working Centre.
With the above as the basis for the collective’s representation needs, this proposal also requires recommendations and advice on the outlined objectives below in Scope of Work.
The Georgina Working Centre collective is accepting proposals for a Communications Strategy at this time.
Scope of Work
The work will entail working with leaders of the organizations in the collective and the Program Coordinator on the development of a communications strategy. The aim of the communications strategy is to build messaging & marketing activities in alignment with the Centre’s strategic plan, operations plan and fund development plan objectives.
Proponents would be responsible for the following tasks and outcomes:
Gain Project Understanding
- Review existing literature and reports developed by the GWC team to understand the progress of the Georgina Working Centre to date.
- Review reports developed by external consultants that inform the Communications Strategy and provide alignment.
- Identify pathways of reaching the client population through the services of the partners on the project and develop strategies of outreach that reflect the engagement channels of the client population, which may differ from traditional channels used by sectors and organizations.
- Develop effective messaging, with clear impact, to initiate client buy-in to the Centre’s program and to aid in delivery of information, experience, and any other related resources about the Centre and its program. Specifically to recruit those who visit partner organizations.
- Develop an engagement framework to analyse effectiveness of proposed methodology and/or gauge reception in outreach work and program engagement in participants.
- Identify pathways or effective channels for communicating with identified partner or donor organizations, corporate teams, and/or volunteers whom GWC can initiate/market collaboration or funding needs. Identify outreach methodologies.
- Develop strategies of outreach that reflect the engagement channels of organizations. For example, LinkedIn may work for corporate partnerships while Facebook may work better for the general community etc.
- Develop messaging/ask letters with clear impact for seeking partnerships, with a focus on services they can offer, funding resources, or support they can offer.
- Develop an engagement framework to analyse effectiveness of proposed communication methodology.
- Development of an identity in the community that will get its enthusiastic buy-in from the community in anticipation of their support.
- Develop key program messaging, consistent with branding, for Mission Monday’s program and other key outreach activities.
- Provide recommendations on the communication tools including any recommendations to streamline internal communications, and branding components that will need to be developed, including a brand identifier/logo.
Submit a Final Communications Strategy upon completion of work, on or before June 26, 2024.
Proposal Submission
Required Experience:
- The proponent will demonstrate experience working with relevant community programs & relevant stakeholders for example, leaders in a flat hierarchy.
- The proponent will possess:
- An understanding of the Georgina Working Centre’s mission and values.
- Experience in strategy development for communication & related methodologies for non-profits, with a speciality in creating strong impact statements for multi-dimensional projects.
- Experience in analysis of communication needs within a community.
- Experience in establishing communication channels or establishing methods of communication with the community on behalf of a non-profit.
- Experience in developing key messaging based on cultural artefacts analysed.
- Clear and concise communication skills and report writing.
- Any experience in the following is appreciated but not necessary:
- Familiarity with processes and dynamics of social enterprise development & establishment.
- Familiarity with Georgina & York Region.
- The proposal must demonstrate an understanding of the project objectives and requested deliverables.
- The proposal must present clear milestones, deliverables, and timelines.
- Proposal deliverables including but not limited to project approach (outlining specific work terms/deliverables), a detailed project schedule/work plan, and budget.
Project Timeline
Release of RFP: March 26, 2024.
Deadline for Submission of Proposal: April 30, 2024 at 6:00PM.
Review & Selection Process: May 2 – 3, 2024
Projected Start Date: May 13, 2024.
Final Report: 33 days from start date.
Project Budget & Proposal Expectations
The total contract for the communication strategy is $5,000.00, inclusive of all taxes and expenses.
Proposal Guidelines
Submissions will be accepted in PDF format, submitted electronically. Please limit your submission to 10 pages in length.
Your proposal is to be accompanied by a cover letter/email certifying the accuracy of all information contained in your submission and acknowledging your offer of services according to the project scope as set out in the scope of work and the terms and conditions of the RFP.
Please provide the following:
Section 1: Consultant Profile & Experience
Brief profile of the company/consultant (company name if applicable, name of project leads, website) and outline of candidates’ experience, specifically highlighting relevant experience, how you meet the requirements of the project and the value you would bring to completing this project within the timelines provided.
Section 2: Executive Summary
Outline of your understanding of the project, identifying concerns or potential problems with the project overview or approach to the project.
Section 3: Methodology/Approach
Given the information provided in this RFP, outline your approach to the requested scope of work and any anticipated issues/concerns about the nature and/or scope of work and/or timelines. Please include a draft work plan informed by the project timeline.
Section 4: Work Plan
The proposal should contain a detailed description of the activities to be conducted by the consultant to complete the requested scope of work, including:
· The specific activities to be conducted.
· A timeline for the activities outlined above.
· Milestones and deliverables tied to those activities
· A detailed budget for each phase, along with a proposed payment schedule tied to project milestones and/or deliverables. Overall budget should not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) inclusive of all costs and taxes.
Section 5: References
Please provide 3 references based on similar work projects.
Evaluation Criteria Weight %
Demonstrated a clear understanding of the project including a description of work tasks, data collection methods, fulfilling responsibilities and deliverables. - 15%
Experience working with similar projects, diverse stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, non-profits and government bodies. - 10%
A clear plan for research and methodology for need/gap identification. - 15%
A clear plan of activities around consultants’ envisioning of the steps in the final product development. - 10%
Qualification of project lead(s) with relevant experience. - 10%
Knowledge of strategy development for communication and outreach in communities, especially for vulnerable populations. - 10%
The proposal meets format requirements. - 5%
Relevant work experience with references. - 15%
Thoroughness of proposal and ability to meet specifications. - 10%
Total Score - 100%
Submission
It is your responsibility to seek clarification of any matter that you consider unclear before submitting your proposal by the deadline specified herein. The Georgina Working Centre and SERA Community Ventures Ltd. are not responsible for any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of this RFP document or requirements.
Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, April 30, 2024, by 6:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically only to the Georgina Working Centre coordinator at the email address provided
All contracts will be with SERA Community Ventures Ltd. on behalf of the Georgina Working Centre.
SERA Community Ventures Ltd. is an equal opportunity employer and strongly committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from members of racialized groups, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.
General Terms and Conditions
SERA Community Ventures Ltd. reserves the right, at its sole option, and for its convenience, to accept and/or reject any proposal, in whole or in part, for any or no reason. By making this request for proposals (RFP), SERA Community Ventures Ltd. does not imply or give any assurance whatsoever that any proposal will be accepted. No contractual or other legal obligations arise on the part of SERA Community Ventures Ltd. to any proponent by this RFP until such time as a final, written agreement, if any, is subsequently entered into with a proponent.
SERA Community Ventures Ltd. may or may not award the business that is the subject of this RFP to any proponent or proponents at its sole discretion. SERA Community Ventures Ltd. reserves the right to negotiate with proponents, seek clarification from proponents regarding their proposal responses and invite modifications to the proposal responses submitted. SERA Community Ventures Ltd. also retains the right to withdraw or modify this RFP at any time without notice and without obligation to proponents. SERA Community Ventures Ltd. may waive compliance with the requirements of this RFP and consider a proposal response that does not meet all of the requirements of this RFP.
Your proposal is submitted at your own risk. If, prior to the deadline for submission of proposals you fail to notify SERA Community Ventures Ltd. of an error and your proposal is selected, you shall not be entitled to any compensation or time by reason of the error or its later correction.
No part of this RFP will become part of any final agreement between SERA Community Ventures Ltd. and the provider unless specifically incorporated into a final, written agreement. Any or all contents of your proposal may become part of the final agreement. Further, your proposal response, including fees, shall constitute a binding offer capable of acceptance in whole or in part by SERA Community Ventures Ltd., and if selected will remain valid until such time as a final agreement is negotiated and executed.
SERA Community Ventures Ltd. shall not be in any way responsible for or liable for any costs associated with your proposal and you shall not make claim to SERA Community Ventures Ltd. for any such cost or expenses. By submitting a proposal response, you agree to waive any right to claim damages against SERA Community Ventures Ltd. for any reason, cause, or thing arising out of the RFP process.
Any contract awarded as a result of this RFP will be non-exclusive. SERA Community Ventures Ltd. may, at its sole discretion, purchase the same or similar services from other sources during the term of the contract.
It is understood and agreed that the successful proponent will be an independent contractor. Any proposed subcontracting agreements must be approved by SERA Community Ventures Ltd. and will not release you from any obligation with respect to the performance of your obligations.
Errors and omissions
SERA Community Ventures Ltd. shall not be held liable for any errors or omissions in any part of this RFP. While considerable effort was made to ensure an accurate representation in this RFP, the information contained in the RFP is supplied solely as a guideline for proponents. The information is not guaranteed or warranted to be accurate, nor is it necessarily comprehensive or exhaustive. Nothing in the RFP is intended to relieve proponents from forming their own opinions and conclusions with respect to the matters addressed in the RFP.
Potential for conflicts of interest
Each proponent, in their proposal submission, shall declare all conflicts of interest or any situation that may be reasonably perceived as a conflict of interest that exists now or may exist in the future. Failure to comply with this requirement will render the proposal non-compliant and will cause the proposal to be rejected. SERA Community Ventures Ltd. reserves the right to disqualify from further consideration proposals that in SERA Community Ventures Ltd.’s opinion demonstrate a conflict of interest.
Land Acknowledgment
The Georgina Working Centre acknowledges that we are on the land of many Nations and as settlers, we are grateful for the opportunity to meet, live and work here. This land has been inhabited by Indigenous People from the beginning and we thank the generations of Indigenous people, who have been the stewards of this land for thousands of years. We recognize and appreciate their deep historic connection to this place.
We acknowledge the traditional territory of the Mississauga of Scugog Island First Nations, the Chippewas of Georgina Island, and all other territories we work particularly those in the Upper Canada and Williams Treaties.
We also recognize the contributions of the Metis, Inuit and other Indigenous people in shaping and strengthening our community, province, and country.