The information contained in this notice is a brief description of the requirement and is for information purposes only. Bidders must refer to the complete Request for Standing Offer document for a full description of the requirement and the full bid instructions.

Background

The Commissioner is the independent officer whose duty is to ensure that the Canada Elections Act (CEA) and the Referendum Act are complied with and enforced. The Commissioner receives complaints from the public, as well as referrals from other sources alleging violations to the CEA. If, following a preliminary review, the Commissioner concludes that the allegations made in connection with a complaint or referral may have merit, an investigation may be conducted to clarify the facts and gather evidence related to the alleged offence. The Commissioner may also initiate a review or investigation without any complaint or referral.

In certain circumstances, the Commissioner favours the use of an Informal resolution process as a means of ensuring compliance with the CEA. This may be the case for instances involving minor contraventions or inadvertent non-compliance. Informal means include caution or information letters and other forms of communication (telephone or e-mail) addressed to persons or entities that are the subject of a complaint or referral.

Requirement

The Commissioner requires professional investigative services to carry out inquiries and conduct reviews and/or investigations under the CEA (and/or the Referendum Act).

Incumbents

The work is currently being performed by Nicholas Alexander under contract value $862,646.13.

The work is currently being performed by John Dickson Professional Corporation under contract value $888,515.50.

The work is currently being performed by Altis HR under contract value $1,111,488.82.

The work is currently being performed by Makwa Resourcing under contract value $1,126,513.75.

Security

Minimum resource security required: Secret

Period of the Contract

The Contract period will be from the Effective Date of the Contract until March 31, 2023 (the “Initial Term”).

The Contractor will grant to Elections Canada irrevocable options to extend the period of the Contract by 2 additional periods of 12 months each under the same terms and conditions.

Submission of Proposals

This Request for Standing Offer allows bidders to use the epost Connect service provided by Canada Post Corporation to transmit their proposals electronically. For further information, bidders must refer to Part 2 – Bidder Instructions, and Part 3 – Proposal Preparation Instructions of the Request for Standing Offer document.

Proposals are to be addressed to the attention of the Contracting Authority and delivered, sealed, to the Proposal Receiving Unit on or before the bid closing date and time indicated on the front page of the Request for Standing Offer.

For sending packages by courier or for dropping off, please note that the Proposal Receiving Unit at the Business Centre is open Mondays to Fridays from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 16:00 (Gatineau, Quebec time).

Bids sent via email or facsimile will not be accepted.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.

Elections Canada retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Selection Methodology

Competitive Procurement Strategy: Highest combined rating of technical merity and price

Enquiries

All enquiries and other communication with Elections Canada personnel are to be directed ONLY to the Contracting Authority. The Contracting Authority will be the bidder’s primary contact. Bidders who contact anyone other than the Contracting Authority may be disqualified.

All enquiries must be submitted in writing to proposal@elections.ca no later than the deadline indicated in the Request for Standing Offer. Enquiries received after that time may not be answered.

Interested parties wishing to obtain the solicitation documents for this Request for Standing Offer must do so through https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/tenders. The documents downloaded through this site take precedence over any copies that may also be made available.

Further information about Elections Canada may be obtained at elections.ca.

Debriefings

Once the successful bidder has been announced, bidders may request a debriefing on the results of the Request for Standing Offer process. Bidders should make the request to the Contracting Authority as per the terms of the Request for Standing Offer. The debriefing may be in writing, by telephone or in person.