RFP: NunatuKavut Tourism Guide

Release Date: March 16, 2022
Closing Date: March 28, 2022

The NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC), along with its business arm Nunacor Development Corporation (Nunacor), are inviting proposals from the private sector to develop and deliver a comprehensive online tourism guide for the traditional territory of NunatuKavut Inuit. The successful vendor will be responsible for all aspects of the development and delivery of the final online tourism guide as outlined in this RFP and Scope of Work.

If interested, please submit a proposal outlining how you will meet the requirements in this RFP and submit by email to tourism@nunacor.com. Submissions must be received by March 28, 2022. All proposals will be reviewed by the NCC and Nunacor with the successful vendor being notified by March 29, 2022 with project works to start shortly after.

Background

The NCC is a rights-based governing body for the more than 6,000 NunatuKavut Inuit primarily residing in south and central Labrador. Translated from Inuttitut, NunatuKavut means “Our Ancient Land” and refers to the traditional territory of Inuit who belong to this land.

Inuit in southeast Labrador have practiced seasonal migration from time immemorial. Traditionally, they shifted between headlands in the summer and fall months, and interior bay areas in the winter and spring. This moving with the seasons and the resources allowed our people to hunt and harvest, sustaining themselves and their families. We did not live in permanent settlements until the 1960s. Today, NunatuKavut encompasses more than 20 permanent communities divided into six areas, with the vast majority of members residing along Labrador’s south coast, south of Hamilton Inlet. As it was in times of old, and still today, we are deeply connected to the land, sea and ice that make up NunatuKavut, our home.

The NCC is led by a Governing Council comprised of a President and Vice-President, Councillors representing each of the six areas in our territory, as well as an area that represents non-resident members and an Elder and a Youth Councillor. NCC’s primary function is to ensure the land, ice and water rights as well as titles of our people are recognized and respected.

Nunacor was incorporated in 2003 by the NunatuKavut Community Council to pursue economic and business opportunities on behalf of the people of NunatuKavut. Nunacor’s mandate is to develop and operate profitable business ventures on behalf of NCC. Revenue is directed to NCC for investment in programs and services for the betterment of our people and communities.  Nunacor has four wholly owned subsidiary companies, operating in a broad range of industries. The NunatuKavut Business Centre is also operated by Nunacor. Nunacor continues to work with industry-leading strategic partners to secure work with mining and industry partners throughout Labrador.

Nunacor and subsidiary companies are ISO 9001:2015 certified – representing a commitment to excellent customer service, quality products and services and a focus on continuous improvement. Nunacor has an appointed board of directors to govern the Corporation. Continual effort is placed on governance and strategic planning, while maintaining a deep respect for NunatuKavut Inuit traditions and way of life.

NCC and Nunacor representatives have come together to form the NunatuKavut Tourism Committee. The Committee is currently developing a working tourism strategy that supports NunatuKavut Inuit and NunatuKavut communities, improving quality of life while celebrating the unique culture through tourism by focusing on a number of key goals, which may include but are not limited to:

  • Developing a strong and diverse tourism industry;
  • Generating support from & for NunatuKavut communities;
  • Reconciliation through tourism;
  • Promoting cultural tourism;
  • Building a sustainable tourism destination;
  • Ensuring NunatuKavut communities are promoted as unique and accessible provincial tourist destinations;
  • Developing responsible tourism in NunatuKavut; and
  • Supporting tourism viability in the natural spaces of NunatuKavut.

Scope of Work

The NunatuKavut Tourism Guide will celebrate and share the living culture, rich heritage, and relationship that NunatuKavut Inuit have to their lands, ice, and waters. The guide will promote NunatuKavut as a welcoming destination that is focused on inclusive and accessible tourism products, services, and experiences. The NunatuKavut Tourism Guide will target potential visitors visitors entering through Quebec, Newfoundland, and, the surrounding areas, as well as the adventure tourism sector. Promotional material will need to be developed for distribution at key points of entry into NunatuKavut directing tourists to the online guide.

The NunatuKavut Tourism Guide will be a downloadable, digital publication. As such, the successful vendor will be required to produce the following:

Guide:

  • Provide editorial oversight including research, identify themes, writing, editing
  • Layout and design
    • Incorporate community maps and visuals as provided by the NCC and Nunacor
    • Source additional photographs (see below)
    • Develop original illustrations (see below)
  • Technical specifications to quote on (these specifications may change as the project unfolds and those changes will be identified, and fees adjusted through dialogue with the successful proponent)
    • Language versions: English Only
    • Page count: 56 pages plus cover
    • Size : 6 x 9 
    • Full color, full bleed
    • Up to 20 licensed photographs
    • Up to 10 illustrations

Promotional Poster:

  • Write content in English
  • Design and layout 8.5 x 11 poster

In collaboration with the NunatuKavut Tourism Committee, the successful vendor will need to develop a timely and efficient method to collect and incorporate community input and feedback.

The successful vendor will be asked to participate in a project kickoff and debrief meeting. Regular bi-weekly meetings with the NunatuKavut Tourism Committee (including the NCC Strategic Communications Lead) will be required and the responsibility of the successful vendor for ongoing reporting.

Contract for the English NunatuKavut Tourism Guide to be awarded and signed by March 31, 2022, with a commitment to deliver a finished product within 3 months.

Proposer Response Guidelines

The proposal should contain the following sections. Proposers may wish to elaborate on these requirements and to offer optional methodologies that may strengthen and broaden the overall scope of the project.

The following are guidelines meant to assist proponents in responding to this RFP and will be utilized in evaluating each submission. They are not meant to limit or restrict proposals.

1. Cover Letter

The cover letter should summarize the contents of the proposal, including your organization’s interest and suitability for this project. It is suggested the cover letter be in a standard business format and should identify and be signed but the individual(s) who prepared the proposal, including their title(s) and identify a contact person responsible to answer questions regarding the proposal content.

2. Corporate Profile

The corporate profile should detail the organization’s experience providing the proposed services. The profile should highlight experience in the development of marketing materials and experience working with Inuit or other Indigenous peoples as well as indigenous organizations and / or governing bodies. In addition to a basic description which includes history, lines of business, skills and areas of expertise, list two similar projects that have been completed by the vendor.

3. Project Methodology Approach & Work Plan to Successful Completion

This section will demonstrate your understanding of the project and potential for achieving the project objectives. Provide details of your approach and how it will be implemented. Your methodology should also include your proposed means of working with the NunatuKavut Tourism Committee and all lines and means of communication. You may also summarize your methodology in a work plan or other format which demonstrates a logical sequence of events and identifies specific tasks for completing them.

  • An understanding of the requirements of the project and deliverables;
  • A methodology to meet those requirements;
  • A workplan detailing:
    – All tasks to be completed, including the deliverables and/or results arising from each task
    – A schedule for the completion of each task;
    – The individuals and resources allocated to each task;
    – A person-day estimate for each task, and the entire project; and,
  • Organizational and managerial competence.

4. Project Team

Proposers should identify the members of the project team, the roles each member will play, and describe how the team will be organized and managed. Proposers should describe the capability of the team members to meet the requirements described. For each project team member proposed, a complete personal resume is required.

5. Fees and Expenses

  • NunatuKavut Tourism Committee informed of progress.

Budget

The budget for this project is $20,000 exclusive of HST.

Deliverables

The successful proposer will be expected to prepare and submit the following items:

  • Periodic reporting (financial tracking and progress reports);
  • Guide Content development:
    • One (1) electronic copy of a draft NunatuKavut Tourism Guide in Microsoft® Word format; and
    • One (1) electronic copy of the final NunatuKavut Tourism Guide in Microsoft® Word format;
  • Guide Design Deliverables:
    • ADOA compliant Accessible PDFs for upload onto NunatuKavut website
    • Press ready PDF file
    • Packaged InDesign files for cover and content
    • Licensing for any sourced photographs for web use and a potential print run
  • Poster:
    • English PDF format web friendly; Full color no bleeds
      • Reproducible on black and white office printers
    • English PDF format press files; Full color full bleeds

Proposal Evaluation

Selection Methods

Proposers should be aware that certain mandatory requirements might have been set out in the Scope of Work. Proposals that fail to provide these requirements shall be deemed “not responsible” and will not be evaluated. When an alternative is proposed regarding any specific non-mandatory requirement, it will be evaluated to ensure that the desired results will be achieved.

This RFP describes the NunatuKavut Tourism Committee expectations in the Scope of Work for the project. Proposers may suggest enhancements to any aspect of the RFP. In doing so, proposers must clearly identify the reason for recommending each particular enhancement, and the implications on cost and time.

Preference may be given to enterprises registered with the NunatuKavut Business Centre.

Rating

An evaluation team will use specific criteria to rate each proposal. Ratings will be confidential and no details will be released to any of the other proposers.

Each proposal will be evaluated using the following criteria:

25% fees and expenses
25% methodology
30% proposer’s knowledge, skill and past experience
15% proposer’s experience in working with Inuit and/or Indigenous organizations or governing bodies
05% schedule

Proposals must provide sufficient information to be rated according to rating criteria, as follows:

  • Fees and expenses should include estimates of reimbursable costs for telecommunications, report publication, etc.
  • Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of the project requirements as well as describe the proposed methodology.
  • Proposals should identify the role of each proposed project team member.
  • Proposals are to include resumes for the proposed project team members.

Guidelines

  • Proposals will be received electronically until 4:00 p.m. AST, Monday, March 28, 2022 and must be emailed to tourism@nunacor.com, attention Benita Penney.
  • Preference may be given to vendors experienced working within a Northern context and dealing with culturally relevant subject matter.
  • The NunatuKavut Tourism Committee is not bound to accept either the proposal that provides for the lowest cost or price to the NunatuKavut Tourism Committee, or any proposal of those submitted.
  • The NunatuKavut Tourism Committee has the right to cancel this Request for Proposals at any time and to reissue it for any reason whatsoever, without incurring any liability, and no proposer will have any claim against the NunatuKavut Tourism Committee as a consequence.
  • Proposers may not amend their proposals after the closing date and time but may withdraw their proposal at any time. Notices of withdrawal must be in writing and will be accepted email.

If you have any questions or you wish to submit an application, please contact Benita Penney in writing at  tourism@nunacor.com

PDF copy of Tourism Guide RFPDownload