National Electors Study for the 44th General Election

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 RFP document for a full description of the requirement and the full bid instructions. Background The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada (CEOC), an agent of Parliament, exercises general direction and supervision over the conduct of elections and referendums at the federal level. The CEOC heads the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, commonly known as Elections Canada. EC requires the professional services of a public opinion research supplier to conduct its next National Electors Study (NES GE44), which consists of two components: 1) a national longitudinal survey of electors (SOE), and 2) a series of post-election focus groups. Requirement PROJECT BACKGROUND In 2019, for GE 43, EC changed the format of its flagship survey from a post-electoral telephone survey to a longitudinal, multi-mode survey, the NES 2019. For GE44, the format of the NES 2019 will be adapted to mitigate the higher risk of a snap election in the context of a minority government, and the unpredictability that stems from this context. STUDY OBJECTIVES

This study seeks to gather information regarding electors’ opinions and attitudes toward various election-related issues, their knowledge and use of the agency’s services and programs, their recall and evaluation of the Voter Information Campaign and experience with the electoral process during GE44. The study should produce reliable information on electors, including subpopulations of interest to EC. The results of the study will assist in the evaluation of EC’s programs and services to the electorate and inform the CEO’s reports to Parliament; notably by allowing for comparisons over time during and after the election, or with previous federal general elections. It will also identify areas for improvement in EC’s various products, services and information campaign. The study will also evaluate the GE44 Voter Information Campaign, using standard ACET questions. It will contribute to establishing a list of strengths and weaknesses of the GE44 campaign, and to determine how the lessons learned can be applied to subsequent GEs to improve communications with electors. The study will provide a better understanding of the access and motivational barriers to voting among several subpopulations. Finally, the study will also allow for research into electors’ attitudes and behaviours, and their opinions on various election-related policy issues.

Period of the Contract The Contract period will be from the Effective Date of the Contract until October 30, 2024 (the “Initial Term”). Submission of Proposals This RFP 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 RFP 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 RFP. 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 RFP. Enquiries received after that time may not be answered. Interested parties wishing to obtain the solicitation documents for this RFP 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 RFP process. Bidders should make the request to the Contracting Authority as per the terms of the RFP. The debriefing may be in writing, by telephone or in person.