Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Comprehensive and Scalable Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to Enhance Recruitment Efficiency and Candidate Experience

Employment and Social Development Canada is soliciting proposals for a comprehensive and scalable Software-as-a-Service Applicant Tracking System to enhance recruitment efficiency and candidate experience for the Canadian Digital Service. The system must provide a public-facing applicant portal, support CV uploads, and offer configurable end-to-end hiring workflows including requisition management and analytics to track hiring bottlenecks. The contract is structured with an initial term ending September 30, 2028, and includes three optional one-year extensions. Evaluation is based on the lowest evaluated price among bidders who meet mandatory technical requirements, including WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility standards and the capacity to manage 100 simultaneous recruitment processes for 120 users. The procurement mandates rigorous security compliance, requiring the solution to support Protected B data and the provider to hold ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, and SOC 2 Type II certifications. Contractors must maintain a valid Designated Organization Screening and ensure personnel hold the appropriate Reliability or Secret security clearances. Financially, the target budget is 26,500 CAD per year, though proposals exceeding this amount may be considered based on funding availability. The final deadline for submissions is September 8, 2026, at 2:00 PM EDT.