Introduction
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations.
The AFN hosts at least two Assemblies each year where mandates and directives for the organization are established through resolutions directed and supported by the First Nations-in-Assembly, (elected Chiefs or proxies from member First Nations.)
The AFN is also guided by an Executive Committee consisting of an elected National Chief and Regional Chiefs from each province and territory.
The AFN invites qualified individuals, firms, or organizations to submit proposals to provide professional legal, economic, and advisory services to support AFN’s mandated advocacy towards securing First Nations’ self-determination and governance. This is a necessary condition for enabling the full affirmation and enforcement of First Nations’ inherent and Treaty rights, title, and jurisdiction.
The means and conditions for achieving this should be guided by, though not necessarily limited to, attaining the minimum human rights standards articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration), and pursuant to the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA).
Ensuring First Nations’ governance will require substantial funding and capacity supports, and new fiscal relations with Canadian governments. Thorough costing analyses and estimates are necessary to support advocacy towards these ends. Beyond base costing, any additional cost-utility, cost-benefit, or net monetary benefit analyses are welcome to support return-on-investment propositions to federal, provincial, and territorial governments.
Objective
The objective of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to select a bidder to provide a high quality of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality in conducting a literature review and research to provide an Economic Reconciliation report which includes forecasting the following outcomes; anticipated employment growth and economic impacts, incomes earned by Indigenous and non-Indigenous project owners, increased tax and other revenues and levies for all levels of government in Canada, indirect benefits to the Canadian economy from an expanded resource and infrastructure sector, increased investments in Canadian projects, anticipated returns to shareholders from project development, and anticipated impact on GDP, productivity, and competitiveness.
While expectations and suggestions for the scope of the work are elaborated below, all work of the AFN, including that which is contracted to external parties, must ultimately serve the AFN’s four foundational outcome areas:
- Legislation, policy and regulation aligned with First Nations’ inherent and Treaty rights, title and jurisdiction;
- Funding to support fuller implementation of those rights, title and jurisdiction by First Nations;
- Policies and programs that improve service delivery for First Nations, while incrementally transferring jurisdiction and service delivery capacity to First Nations;
- Machinery or processes that support attainment the other three outcomes.
The project is anticipated to start November 1, 2024 and last until March 31, 2025.
Background
Over the past few years, the term “economic reconciliation” has come to describe a state where First Nations have greater voice in determining the economic direction of Canada, share in the country’s wealth and resources, and where economic inclusion drives improved socio-economic outcomes for First Nations.
Economic reconciliation is inspired and grounded in a number of foundational documents: notably, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Economic reconciliation also draws on the work of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and other seminal documents, including the Constitution Act, 1982 and treaties, as well as contemporary studies and reports, such as the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, OECD reports, Parliamentary studies, and studies undertaken by, or for, the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, to name a few.
Despite significant strides towards reconciliation, economic gaps persist, hindering the full participation and prosperity of First Nations. 2021 data from the Community Well-Being Index demonstrates that significant employment, income, and labour force gaps still remain despite unprecedented funding from the federal government in previous years. First Nations know that realizing economic reconciliation requires First Nations to be key drivers in identifying and implementing solutions that are First Nations-led and support First Nations’ jurisdiction and authority over their own peoples, lands and economies.
In the context of Canada’s evolving social and economic landscape, characterized by a growing emphasis on equity and inclusivity, addressing historical injustices and fostering economic reconciliation stands as a cornerstone of progress. Our proposal aims to outline a comprehensive strategy for fostering economic empowerment and reconciliation for First Nations across Canada.
Scope of Work
For this RFP, the AFN and the AFN Economic Development sector’s vision of economic reconciliation emerged from its work on behalf of First Nations and includes but not limited to the following:
- Support for business development and labour market participation – including improved access to capital, business supports, a higher share (5%) of federal procurement, more supports to improve employment outcomes.
- First Nations involvement and participation in major economic development projects – including fulfilling obligations relating to consultation and accommodation, free, prior, and informed consent on projects that impact rights, opportunities to benefit economically (resources revenue sharing, resource charge, equity participation), and participation in the socio-economic benefits that projects generate (procurement, business partnerships, employment, and training).
The successful proponent shall identify requirements for Indigenous engagement with resource and infrastructure development. This should include investments in Indigenous training and career development and mechanisms for improved access to investment capital (on a business case basis) to support Indigenous participation in the sector.
The project will be lead by AFN and the successful proponent must demonstrate how they will work in tandem with expert advice from First Nations financial institutions, corporate Canada, First Nations economic development organizations and First Nations leadership.
The proponent is required to outline the historical constraints placed on Indigenous peoples in Canada, including both Government of Canada policies and private sector approaches to resource development and current barriers to Indigenous investment in projects; and document the scale and nature of the resource and infrastructure growth that could be unleashed in the coming years, much of it tied to the critical minerals needed to support the renewable energy.
A forecast of the following outcomes are to be included:
- Anticipated employment growth and economic impacts
- Incomes earned by Indigenous and non-Indigenous project owners
- Increased tax and other revenues and levies for all levels of government in Canada
- Indirect benefits to the Canadian economy from an expanded resource and infrastructure sector
- Increased investment in Canadian projects
- Anticipated returns to shareholders from project development
- Anticipated impact on GDP, productivity, and competitiveness.
First Nations know that economic reconciliation will not be achieved without significant joint policy and legislative change to support:
- Access to Capital: capital provides expanded options for government finance, allows businesses to start and supports business growth over time. This includes addressing current legal and regulatory barriers to accessing capital, as well as exploring and supporting new and alternative lending options.
- Governance Capacity Supports: Economic reconciliation requires progress on fiscal and institutional supports for First Nations governments including, both sufficiency of funding (both transfers from other levels of governments as well as other revenue sources derived from economic activity and benefit) in addition to flexible funding arrangements.
- Labour and Employment Supports: First Nations economies benefit from their capacity to access the job market and employment prospects. A First Nations labour market and employment model would address current disadvantages and provide possibilities while supporting Canada’s commitment to eliminate systematic obstacles in this sector.
The proponent will provide a systematic analysis of the potential economic benefits that could accrue to all Canadians, including Indigenous peoples, if Indigenous peoples are fully and appropriately engaged.
The successful proponent will demonstrate capacity to maintain a high level of autonomy throughout, though the AFN will be responsive in providing additional reference materials where appropriate.
Deliverables:
- Initial meeting with the AFN.
- Initial work plan with timeline and approved methodology.
- The establishment of an Expert Advisory Committee on First Nations Economic Reconciliation.
- The establishment of a Chiefs Roundtable Committee on First Nations Economic Reconciliation.
- The establishment, maintenance and operation of a joint technical working group composed of representatives form the AFN Economic Development and Rights Sectors, a project supervisor, and relevant partners.
- Literature review.
- Economic Reconciliation Report
- Op-eds
- Webinars
- Coordination of a final launch event at end of the project.
Proposal Submission Instructions
Proposal Submission Requirements
All proposals shall include the following information:
- Name
- Address
- A summary outlining the background of the proponent’s company, the proposal contents, and any specific exceptions to the stated requirements.
- A description of the proponent’s qualifications, capabilities and experience specifically related to the Request for Proposals, including demonstrated experience and qualifications related to OCAP®.
- A description of the physical and human resources required to complete the activities outlined in the Request for Proposals, including identification of the project team members, if any, and their roles and experience.
- A proposed timeline and methodology that identifies the time and resources required to complete the proposed work.
- A cost breakdown for the proposed services, in Canadian dollars and inclusive of HST.
- The name, title and contact information for three (3) references that have used the services of the proponent.
Rights of the AFN
The AFN reserves the right to:
- reject any or all proposals received in response to this Request for Proposals;
- enter into negotiation with one or more bidders on any or all aspects of their respective proposals;
- accept any proposal in whole, or in part;
- cancel and/or re-issue the modified version of a given RFP requirement at any time;
- award one or more contracts;
- verify all information provided with respect to a given RFP requirement, including the right to request a confirmation of the bidder’s legal status and signed documentation; and
- award contracts without competition for follow-up work, if any, to the selected bidder for a given project
Evaluation Criteria
The AFN will select the Proponent(s) which, in the AFN’s sole discretion, best serves the needs of the AFN. The following is a summary of the general considerations that will be used to determine the Proponent(s) that will be selected:
| Overall Experience and Demonstrated Results | 20 |
| Budget Approach and Cost Effectiveness | 20 |
| Terms and Conditions | 10 |
| Indigenous Organization / Individual | 10 |
| Strategic Thinking and Planning Approach | 40 |
| Total | 100 |
Timetable
| Description of Deliverables | Due Date |
|---|---|
| 1. Introductory meeting with AFN | Dec 01, 2024 |
| 2. Workplan & Methodology | Dec 15, 2025 |
| 3. Expert Advisory Committee | Jan 15, 2025 |
| 4. Chiefs Roundtable | Jan 15, 2025 |
| 5. Joint Technical Working Group | Jan 30, 2025 |
| 6. Literature Review | Mar 30, 2025 |
| 7. Economic Reconciliation Report | Mar 30, 2025 |
| 8. Op-Eds | Apr 30, 2025 |
| 9. Webinars | May 25, 2025 |
| 10. Launch Event | May 01, 2025 |
Miscellaneous Provisions
Price
Contractors must provide a firm fixed price, including administrative fees, travel, material costs, translation, printing of draft concepts and HST.
Confidentiality
Responses to this RFP will be considered as confidential information by the AFN and will be used solely for the purposes of selecting the successful bidder.
Clarification/Questions
All on-time proposals will be acknowledged.
Requests for clarification and/or questions regarding this RFP should be directed to:
Sacha LaBillois
Director, Economic Development
Assembly of First Nations
50 O’Connor Street, Suite 200 Ottawa, ON K1P 6L2
Telephone: (613) 241-6789
Facsimile: (613) 241-5808
Electronic Mail: [email protected]
Responses/Submission
Only those submissions that meet the deadline will be considered.
Responses to this RFP must be received by the close of business (5:00pm EST) on November 8, 2024
Responses may be sent by mail or courier to:
Sacha LaBillois
Assembly of First Nations
50 O’Connor Street, Suite 200
Ottawa, ON K1P 6L2