- Issue date: February 5, 2026
- Closing date and time: February 23, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.
- Submit to: contracts-contrats@cedec.ca
- Contract period: March 9, 2026 – March 31, 2026
The Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC) is the federally designated economic and labour market development organization dedicated to strengthening the economic vitality and labour market participation of the Official Language Minority Community in Quebec (OLMCQ) through applied research, the creation of public, private and civil society collaborative economic development partnerships, and policy and program development.
CEDEC strengthens the contribution of English speakers and the OLMCQ to the economic development of Quebec, while addressing economic and labour market disparities within the community. Specifically, it generates tangible economic benefits and impacts for English speakers, businesses, social enterprises, and communities, all of which contribute to the vitality of the OLMCQ and the broader Quebec society.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
CEDEC manages a large and growing body of applied research, policy analysis, program documentation, administrative data, and external evidence related to workforce development, labour market participation, economic development, and Official Language Minority Community vitality. As the scale, interdependence, and strategic importance of this knowledge base have increased, CEDEC requires an integrated, intelligence-driven system that moves beyond document storage toward active knowledge mobilization.
CEDEC’s mandate requires the organization to generate and steward a growing body of applied research, policy analysis, collaborative economic development initiatives, and program outcomes related to workforce, venture, and labour market development for the Official Language Minority Community in Quebec.
As CEDEC’s work has expanded in scale and complexity, so too has the need for strengthened third-party communications and marketing support to consistently translate this substantive work into clear, credible, and decision-relevant narratives.
Communications and marketing are treated not as promotional activities, but as enabling infrastructure that supports policy influence, partnership development, funding alignment, and ecosystem coordination. This RFP seeks expert services to operationalize that capacity.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) contains specific details and timelines and should be reviewed carefully prior to submitting a proposal. Every proposal must cover all of the service requirements outlined in the RFP. Incomplete or late proposals will not be considered.
STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICE NEEDS
The purpose of this RFP is to retain a qualified communications and marketing firm or consortium to design and deliver all service and product components described in this RFP as a single, integrated assignment by March 31, 2026.
The objectives of the assignment are to:
- Strengthen CEDEC’s ability to translate complex research, policy, and economic development work into accessible, persuasive, and evidence-based narratives.
- Bolster a coherent and recognizable CEDEC voice across initiatives, platforms, and audiences.
- Enhance the demonstration of CEDEC’s results and contributions through credible storytelling linked to outcomes.
- Fortify CEDEC communication assets to support ongoing outreach and future growth.
STATEMENT OF WORK
The successful proponent will be responsible for delivering all communications and marketing services and products described below in an integrated and coordinated manner.
COMPONENT 1
COMPREHENSIVE CEDEC COMMUNICATIONS AND MESSAGING FRAMEWORK
The proponent will develop a unified communications and messaging framework that defines how CEDEC communicates across audiences and channels.
This work includes:
- Clarification of CEDEC’s core positioning, value proposition, and narrative architecture.
- Definition of consistent language, tone, and voice across research, policy, program, and partnership communications.
- Development of audience-specific message adaptations for governments, funders, ecosystem partners, employers, and communities.
- Guidance on translating evidence, data, and outcomes into clear narrative form.
The framework will function as the authoritative reference for all CEDEC communications activities.
Key deliverable:
- Comprehensive CEDEC Communications and Messaging Framework document
COMPONENT 2 – FOUNDATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS
Building on the messaging framework, the proponent will develop a suite of foundational communications tools to support consistent, efficient content development. This component includes:
- An updated CEDEC overview brief articulating mandate, approach, and impact
- A concise executive summary tailored for senior decision makers and funders
- A structured key message house supporting rapid deployment across initiatives
Key deliverables:
- Bilingual CEDEC overview brief
- Executive summary
- Key message house
COMPONENT 3 – EVIDENCE-BASED SUCCESS STORIES
The proponent will develop a set of short, high-quality success stories that illustrate CEDEC’s impact in practice. Each story will be grounded in evidence and structured to demonstrate:
- The challenge or opportunity addressed
- CEDEC’s role and contribution
- The collaborative or systemic approach applied
- Tangible outcomes and early results
- The initial focus will be on workforce development, venture support, and collaborative economic development initiatives.
Key deliverables:
- A curated set of reusable evidence-based success stories suitable for presentations, reports, funding discussions, and digital use
COMPONENT 4 – STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT FOR KEY INITIATIVES
The proponent will provide targeted communications services and edit and produce materials to support priority initiatives and moments of influence. This component includes, for example, supplementary support for:
- The 2026 Flagship Workshop
- The Collaborative Economic Development Roadmap
- Policy outreach and engagement with governments and institutions
Deliverables may include edited and updated materials as well as original content such as speaking notes, media and announcement texts, and partner toolkits that enable consistent amplification by CEDEC and its collaborators.
Key deliverables:
Strategic communications content packages aligned to priority initiatives
REQUIRED DELIVERABLES
The successful proponent will deliver:
- A detailed communications methodology and work plan.
- The CEDEC Communications and Messaging Framework.
- Foundational communications tools.
- Evidence-based success stories.
- Strategic communications content for key initiatives.
- An executive summary describing outcomes achieved through the assignment.
All deliverables must be provided in English, with clear structure, documented assumptions, and transparent linkage between activities and outcomes.
TIMELINE
The assignment will be delivered over a multi-year period, with an initial foundation phase and subsequent annualized delivery.
Proponents must include a detailed timeline identifying phases, milestones, and deliverables.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
CEDEC is seeking proponents with demonstrated expertise and experience in:
- Developing strategic and senior-level communications and marketing advisory and support services in public policy and economic development contexts.
- Translation of research and complex policy materials into accessible narratives.
- Evidence-based storytelling and results communication.
- Working with public, nonprofit, and multi-stakeholder organizations.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposals must include:
- Organizational profile and relevant experience
- Understanding of CEDEC’s mandate and communications context
- Proposed methodology and service approach
- Work plan and timeline
- Project team composition and roles
- Examples of comparable communications work
- Budget proposal and cost breakdown
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
- Senior-level communications and marketing advisory and support services in public policy and economic development contexts.
- Demonstrated understanding of objectives and scope.
- Quality and coherence of the proposed approach.
- Relevance and depth of experience.
- Feasibility of the work plan and timeline.
- Value for money.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Proposals must be submitted electronically to CEDEC by February 23, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.
Late submissions will not be accepted.
CEDEC reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal and to cancel this RFP at its discretion.
As we anticipate a high volume of responses to this Request for Proposals, we are unable to address questions prior to the submission deadline. Additional information and the opportunity to seek clarification will be provided to the firms selected to advance to the next stage of the procurement process.
NEXT STEPS
CEDEC may retain one or more proposals for consideration and conduct follow-up interviews.
Please put RFP: EXPERT COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING SERVICES in the subject line of all inquiries.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) 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.