Update to the Economic Contribution of the Ocean Sectors in Coastal BC Report

The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) is seeking a qualified contractor to update the Economic Contribution of the Oceans Sector in Coastal BC (2021) study. Updated economic information is required to support provincial decision‑making for marine management, planning, and policy development, and to inform ongoing collaborative work with federal and First Nations partners in coastal British Columbia.

The updated study will provide new estimates of the economic contribution of ocean‑based sectors to the coastal BC economy, reflecting the most recent data available (e.g., 2023/2024). This work will help assess how recent developments—such as the COVID‑19 pandemic, changes in aquaculture activity, and port expansions—have influenced the ocean economy at both provincial and regional scales.

The contractor will review and update the value chain descriptions for the ocean‑related industries identified in the 2021 report, recommend additions or revisions where appropriate, assess whether new sub‑sectors should be included, compile required data, and update the economic contribution analysis and associated provincial and sub‑provincial multipliers.

Key outputs will include updated value chain documentation, updated economic contribution and multiplier estimates, and draft and final reports suitable for public release. The services of the contractor will be required for approximately ten months, beginning May 2026 and concluding by February 2027, with some deliverables due earlier in the project.

Further details on the required work, methodology expectations, and deliverables are provided in the subsequent sections of this RFP.