EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
For the PROVISION of
Research and Communications Services:
Small-Medium Enterprise Professional Training and Development Program
Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce
Issue Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2021
The Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce (WCC) supports local businesses and organizations to contribute to the economic, civil and social well-being of Whitehorse. We do this through a variety of programs and services including advocacy work and engagement with stakeholders and partners.
The WCC is seeking Expressions of Interest from independent contractors for the provision of Research and Communications Services for our SME Professional Training and Development Program. The goal of WCC’s SME program is to provide training, education and mentorship to facilitate capacity-building for Yukon businesses and organizations.
Research:
The goal of the research is to ensure that course offerings are current and relevant and bring maximum value to Yukon businesses.
Communications:
The proponent will be responsible for providing communication services during the research, planning and delivery phases of the project.
Proposal documents are included in this Request for Expressions of Interest. The deadline for submission is 4:00 p.m. PST on Monday July 26, 2021.
SUBMISSION OF PACKAGES:
Respondents are required to submit one (1) original signed proposal electronically to [email protected].
Late and/or incomplete documentation will not be considered.
Proposal Documents
Background
For several years, the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce (WCC), with funding from CanNOR, Government of Yukon and service providers to the SME community, has offered a variety of Professional Training and Development opportunities to businesses and organizations, with a goal to increase the capacity of the SME community and the private sector, who contribute to Yukon’s positive, forward-moving economy.
SME workshops, seminars (guest speakers, webinars), courses and specific training of interest to the SME community have included: Financial, Tax and Accounting Considerations of Starting a New Business; Advanced Financial Management; Marketing and Digital Marketing; and, Human Resources. These courses offered under WCC’s previous funding agreement with CanNOR continue to fill up within a short time of being advertised and participant evaluations receive high ratings.
WCC recently developed and administered a targeted SME Training and Development Program Survey, inviting respondents to confirm their interest in SME topics for planning purposes and to inform the content for this EOI. Subjects of interest to respondents, ranked in order of preference, include: Digital First Marketing; Website Design/Hosting; Customer Service & Leadership; Bookkeeping for Small Business; E-Commerce Adoption/Engaging a New Audience; Financial, Tax & Accounting Management; Human Resources: How to Support Your Team During Uncertain Times; Customer Service & Strategy; Mental Health: How to Support Your People & Your Organization; and Business Succession Planning.
In addition to the survey, WCC regularly engages with businesses and organizations to confirm their training needs, to ensure that course content is current and relevant, and that course offerings deliver the most value to businesses and organizations.
These two factors are important indications of the tremendous benefits that professional development courses bring to Yukon businesses and organizations. Territorial and Federal funding agreements with WCC continue to provide training and development opportunities that support and advance the private sector in the Yukon. The outcome of this Expression of Interest will determine WCC’s ability to continue offering businesses unique professional development opportunities that are scheduled to accommodate participants’ business hours.
Pending the outcome of this EOI, WCC will finalize a schedule for Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 Professional Training and Development courses, using information from the January 2021 survey, information gleaned from engagement with membership and the broader private sector and, once local facilitator capacity is confirmed.
Negotiation of Contract
The WCC will negotiate a finalized scope of work, agreed price and, conditions of the contract with qualified Proponents who have responded to the EOI. The WCC reserves the right, at their sole discretion, to award contracts to multiple Proponents. The award of all contracts is conditional on approved funding and the conditions and requirements attached to the funding. The WCC is not bound to proceed to contract.
The scope of this call is for Research and Communications Services to independent Contractors to be added to a list of external service providers of the WCC. Nevertheless, this does not provide the certainty that these service providers will eventually be engaged by the WCC.
Proposal Requirements:
Expression of Interest – Research and Communications Services: Small-Medium Enterprise Professional Training and Development Program
The following is an outline of the basic information that will be required to assess a Proponent’s EOI. Proponents must provide:
Company Profile and Team Members
- A resume and cover letter outlining relevant work or consulting experience, along with contract rate and general availability over the next three months
Experience
- Two examples of Research and Communications Services provided for a similar client project
- Reference and contact information for the two experience examples, including: Reference Name(s), Contract Role, Phone Number, Email Address
Yukon Content
An estimate of the percentage of time that a Yukon-based Contractor will spend on the contract, based on a proportion of service billings. A Yukon-based Contractor is defined as “maintaining a permanent residency in the Yukon”. For example, a Contractor based in the Yukon that engages a digital agency based in Vancouver, or a company that has employees who work in another office of the company outside of the Yukon, shall not be listed or considered as Yukon-based.
Other Information
- Statement of current commitments/availability based on completion of the project by October 31, 2021
- Please include any other information (either written or visual) that may be relevant in assisting the WCC to assess your company and your proposal
- The provision of this document and submitting of any Expression of Interest by any potential proponent shall not constitute a binding agreement between the WCC and the Proponent
- The WCC reserves the right to enter into, or to decline to enter into, any agreement at its sole discretion
- The successful proponent will be required to enter into a formal contract with the WCC
Evaluation Criteria
The following are some key criteria that will be applied during the EOI proposal review phase:
- Accountability and experience
- Quality and relevance of services provided to previous clients
- Yukon content
- Price
- Capacity and availability
- Overall quality of the Proponent’s proposal and information provided