The Focus Groups for the Evaluation of the Wage Earner Protection Program requirement

This amendment no.1 is raised to extend the end date to August 26, 2026 @2:00pm EDT. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This requirement is for: Employment and Social Development Canada This requirement is open only to those Supply Arrangement Holders under E60ZT-16TSSB who qualify under Tier 1, National Capital region and for the Business consulting/change management services stream. The requirement is intended to result in the award of one contract. The following SA Holders have been invited to submit a proposal. • Big River Analytics Ltd. • Ernst & Young LLP • Goss Gilroy Inc. • KPMG LLP • NATTIQ INC. • PRA Inc. • QATALYST RESEARCH GROUP INC. • R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. • The Institute on Governance • The Social Research and Demonstration Corporation Description of the Requirement: Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) requires the services of a Contractor to conduct six focus group discussions in support of the Evaluation of the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). Focus group discussions with WEPP applicants are one of the lines of evidence prioritized to assess the Program's performance over the period from April 2020 to March 2025. The purpose of the focus group discussions is to gather insights from WEPP applicants both recipients and non-recipients on recent program changes, the application process and its timeliness, as well as the program’s effectiveness in reducing economic insecurity of Canadian workers. Capturing and understanding the perceptions of WEPP applicants regarding the program’s effectiveness must help identify its strengths and areas for improvement. Security: There are security requirements associated with this requirement. Please note that SA Holders do not need to have the required clearance to submit a bid. For additional information, consult Part 6 - Security, Financial and Other Requirements, and Part 7 – Resulting Contract Clauses. For more information on personnel and organization security screening or security clauses, Bidders should refer to the Contract Security Program of Public Works and Government Services Canada (http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/esc-src/introduction-eng.html) website. The following security requirements, applies to and forms part of the Contract. SECURITY REQUIREMENT FOR CANADIAN SUPPLIER: PWGSC FILE No. 100032440 1. The Contractor must, at all times during the performance of the Contract, hold a valid Designated Organization Screening (DOS), issued by the Contract Security Program (CSP), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). 2. The Contractor personnel requiring access to PROTECTED information, assets, or sensitive site(s) must EACH hold a valid RELIABILITY STATUS, granted or approved by the CSP, PWGSC. 3. Processing of PROTECTED material electronically with the Contractor's IT equipment and/or systems is NOT permitted under this Contract. The use of personal devices to connect to or conduct any activity on GC networks and GC furnished IT equipment is strictly prohibited. 4. Subcontracts which contain security requirements are NOT to be awarded without the prior written permission of the CSP, PWGSC. 5. The Contractor must comply with the provisions of the: a) Security Requirements Check List and Supplemental Security and Classification Guide (if applicable), attached at Annex B; b) Contract Security Manual (Latest Edition). Proposed period of contract: The proposed period of contract shall be from the date Contract is awarded and ends November 30th, 2026. File Number: 100032440 Contracting Authority: Jie Bai E-Mail: [email protected] Inquiries: Inquiries regarding this Request for Proposal (RFP) requirement must be submitted to the Contracting Authority named above. RFP documents will be e-mailed directly by the Contracting Authority to the Qualified Supply Arrangement Holders who are being invited to bid on this requirement. BIDDERS ARE ADVISED THAT “CANADABUYS.CANADA.CA” ” IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS. The Crown retains the right to negotiate with any supplier on any procurement. Documents may be submitted in either official language. Debriefings: Bidders may request a debriefing on the results of the bid solicitation process. Bidders should make the request to the Contracting Authority within 15 working days from receipt of the results of the bid solicitation process. The debriefing may be in writing, by telephone or in person. NOTE: The Task and Solutions Professional Services (TSPS) Method of Supply is subject to quarterly refresh cycles. If you wish to find out how you can be a “Qualified SA Holder”, please contact [email protected]