Translate "Request for Proposal"

Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to set forth requirements and seek proposals from potential vendors to design a Foreign Direct Investment Strategy for Pictou County. The strategy aims to thoroughly evaluate the assets within the region and conduct essential research to identify the industry sectors that offer the most significant opportunities for development and attraction.

About Pictou County Partnership

The Pictou County Partnership initiates, leads, and contributes to sustainable economic growth in Pictou County by fostering a culture of collaboration, navigating organizations to the resources they need, and engaging in meaningful economic development projects.

Administrative Requirements

For tendering, legal and billing purposes, the client is Pictou County Partnership. Submissions in response to this request for proposal assume acceptance of all terms described herein.

Eligibility

Vendors must be registered companies, with the legal authority to conduct business in the Province of Nova Scotia. Any vendor consultants proposed for this project must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

RFP Guidelines and Schedule

Schedule:

• Questions can be submitted to Pictou County Partnership until 12 p.m. (noon) AST on April 22^nd.
• Proposals will be accepted until 4 p.m. AST on April 22^nd.
• Pictou County Partnership to notify the successful candidate and start contract negotiation between April 25^th and April 30^th.
• The selected vendor is required to commence work no later than June 1st with project completion by November 30th.

Any proposal received after the deadline will not be considered. All proposals must be signed by an official agent or representative of the company submitting the proposal. 

If the organization submitting a proposal must outsource or contract any work to meet the requirements contained herein, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. Additionally, all costs in the proposal must be all-inclusive and include any outsourced work. All proposals recommending outsourcing must provide a name and description of the organizations they plan to partner with. 

Project Goals and Scope

• Develop an Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) strategy and plan for economic growth in Pictou County.
• Analyze the business composition of Pictou County to identify both short-term and long-term opportunities for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Specifically, focus on clusters that demonstrate competitive advantages and resilience.
• Conduct a study to identify and analyse priority industries that align with the FDI Strategy.

Success Criteria 

The following criteria must be met:

• Ability to work closely with members of Pictou County Partnership on coordination of tasks and resources.
• Ability to successfully partner with local organizations and businesses.
• Proven resume of similar projects

Pricing

All proposals must include proposed costs to complete all services. Vendors are asked to provide pricing models that are scalable and provide economies based on project size.

Value Add

Respondents are invited to include in their proposal any service(s) or component(s) that add(s) value to their submission or which provide(s) a unique offering not included in this RFP. This will include a description of the service/component/offering and associated cost (if not included in the requested breakdown of fees and rates).

Bidder Qualification

We ask Bidders to follow the following format for their proposal:

• Business name and contact information
• Qualification and experience of the firm
• Qualifications and experience of key staff allocated to the project
• Project management methodology: Description of how they will plan, build and deploy their solution. As well as an outline of how they will manage disputes and resolutions
• References from previous clients
• Pricing
• Proposed Schedule

Proposal Evaluations Criteria

To ensure consideration for this RFP, your proposal must be complete and include all the following:

• Proposed solutions must meet the scope needs included and be presented in a clear and organized manner (20%)
• Evidence that the proposer can carry out the project on time/budget (20%)
• Awareness and understanding of the project goals and objectives (20%)
• Organizational experience: Bidders will be evaluated on their experience as it pertains to the scope of the project (20%)
• Pricing and Value Add: Bidders will be evaluated on the cost of their solution(s) based on the work to be performed in accordance with the scope of the project as well as any value-added components that may wish to provide to their proposals. If bidders intend to provide valued-added items to their proposals, they should be listed separately with estimated values attached (20%)

Notification of Proponents

Note that while pricing is an important factor, the lowest price bid will not necessarily determine the winning proposal.  Pictou County Partnership may contact individual respondents during this process for clarification or elaboration of proposal elements.  Selected proponents may also be expected to meet with Pictou County Partnership virtually to present their proposals.

Pictou County Partnership reserves the right to negotiate the final scope and price of the project with the selected proponent.

Inquiries and Proposal Submissions

All inquiries are to be directed to:

Lynne Jamieson, Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Email: lynne.jamieson@pictoucountypartnership.com

Phone: (902) 755-2244 (ext 5)

Inquiries and responses may be recorded and may be distributed to all proponents at the option of the Pictou County Partnership.

Please provide proposal submissions electronically to opportunities@pictoucountypartnership.com