Social Media Account Management Solution

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 portion of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, commonly known as Elections Canada (EC). EC requires a social media account management solution in the form of a software as a service (SaaS) to manage its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X (Formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube. Requirement EC first launched its corporate social media presence by creating official accounts on Twitter (now X), YouTube, and Facebook leading up to 42 in 2015 federal general election. These accounts were initially used primarily to communicate information on where, when and ways to register and vote, as well as to answer questions from electors (including Canadians living abroad) on the electoral process and any items falling within EC’s mandate. EC has continued to use social media for each subsequent election and for ongoing engagement in between elections. Over the years, it has added YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn to its official accounts and increased its capacity for two-way engagement and more creative content development. As part of the governance and protocols developed to effectively manage the content that is posted to social media channels, and any engagement with electors (i.e. to respond to enquiries from the public), a social media account management solution in the form of a software as a service (SaaS) is required to facilitate and streamline access to (and usage) of the accounts both during and in between electoral events. The requirement is the provision of a social media account management solution in the form of a software as a service (SaaS) that will allow EC to more efficiently and effectively manage its official social media presence. Among other features, the solution will allow the Social Media Team to publish and schedule posts, categorize, track and reply to enquiries from the public, monitor ongoing account activities, provide analytics, and generate reports for senior management. Incumbent The work is currently being performed by Sprout Social Inc. under contract (value $320,537.49 USD). Security There is no security requirement applicable to this procurement. Period of the Contract The contract period will be from the effective date of the contract for one (1) year. The contractor will grant to EC irrevocable options to extend the period of the contract by three (3) additional periods of one (1) year each under the same terms and conditions. Procurement Method Competitive procurement method with open bidding (Request for Proposal), which could involve negotiation in some specific circumstances, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Request for Proposal. Submission of Proposals This Request for Proposal allows bidders to use the 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 Request for Proposal 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 Request for Proposal. 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. EC retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement. Selection Methodology Competitive Procurement Strategy: Highest combined rating of technical merit and price, subject to the resulting contract evaluation as described in the Request for Proposal, if applicable. 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 Request for Proposal. Enquiries received after that time may not be answered. Interested parties wishing to obtain the solicitation documents for this Request for Proposal 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 EC may be obtained at elections.ca. Debriefings Once the successful bidder has been announced, bidders may request a debriefing on the results of the Request for Proposal process. Bidders should make the request to the Contracting Authority as per the terms of the Request for Proposal. The debriefing may be in writing, by telephone or in person.