REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
DESIGN, BUILD, AND IMPLEMENT THE EASCDI PROVINCIAL TALENT
PLACEMENT PLATFORM
Issue date: February 5, 2026
Closing date and time: February 23, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.
Submit to: contracts-contrats@cedec.ca
Contract period: March 9, 2026 – March 31, 2026
The Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC) is the
federally designated economic and labour market development organization dedicated to
strengthening the economic vitality and labour market participation of the Official Language
Minority Community in Quebec (OLMCQ) through applied research, the creation of public,
private and civil society collaborative economic development partnerships, and policy and
program development.
CEDEC strengthens the contribution of English speakers and the OLMCQ to the economic
development of Quebec, while addressing economic and labour market disparities within the
community. Specifically, it generates tangible economic benefits and impacts for English
speakers, businesses, social enterprises, and communities, all of which contribute to the vitality
of the OLMCQ and the broader Quebec society.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
CEDEC manages a large and growing body of applied research, policy analysis, program
documentation, administrative data, and external evidence related to workforce development,
labour market participation, economic development, and Official Language Minority Community
vitality. As the scale, interdependence, and strategic importance of this knowledge base have
increased, CEDEC requires an integrated, intelligence-driven system that moves beyond
document storage toward active knowledge mobilization.
The Employment Assistance Services Capacity Development Initiative (EASCDI) is designed to
strengthen the capacity of the English-speaking community of Quebec to participate fully in the
provincial labour market. Achieving this objective requires a coordinated provincial system that
connects employers, workforce developers, and job seekers across regions, sectors, and
institutions.
The Provincial Talent Placement Platform is the operational backbone of this system. Its
purpose is to enable the development and operation of a coherent, scalable, and accountable
provincial employment assistance ecosystem that delivers measurable placement outcomes
while supporting learning, adaptation, and long-term labour market inclusion.
CEDEC functions as the provincial owner and system integrator of the Platform, with
responsibility for coordination, performance monitoring, reporting to funders, and continuous
system improvement.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) contains specific details and timelines and should be
reviewed carefully prior to submitting a proposal. Every proposal must cover all of the service
requirements outlined in the RFP. Incomplete or late proposals will not be considered.
STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICE NEEDS
The purpose of this RFP is to retain a qualified proponent to design, build, populate, and
operationalize the Provincial Talent Placement Platform as a single integrated assignment by
March 31, 2026.
The objectives of the assignment are to:
Establish a province-wide digital Platform that increases successful job placements for
OLMCQ job seekers.
Improve employer engagement, matching quality, and retention outcomes.
Provide EASCDI Partners with a shared operational infrastructure that supports
collaboration, accountability, and performance management.
Embed evaluation, learning, and compliance directly into daily operations.
Ensure bilingual accessibility, privacy protection, and trust by design.
STATEMENT OF WORK
The successful proponent will be responsible for completing all components described below in
an integrated and coherent manner.
COMPONENT 1 - PLATFORM FOUNDATIONS AND SYSTEM DESIGN
The proponent will design the overall Platform architecture, operating model, and system logic.
This component includes:
Translation of EASCDI outcomes into Platform design requirements.
Design of the end-to-end employment lifecycle supported by the Platform.
Definition of roles, permissions, and interaction models for CEDEC, EASCDI Partners,
employers, workforce developers, and job seekers.
Design of bilingual, accessible, and mobile-first user experiences.
Key deliverables include a system architecture blueprint, user journey maps, and a functional
requirements specification.
COMPONENT 2 - MATCHING, PLACEMENT, AND CASE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES
The proponent will design and implement core operational capabilities. This component
includes:
AI-assisted skills parsing, transferable skills inference, and job clustering.
Hybrid matching with explainability and human in the loop overrides.
Case and service management workflows covering intake, action planning, referrals,
placements, and retention.
Employer vacancy management, talent pools, and outreach sequencing.
Training and micro-credential referral functionality.
Key deliverables include configured workflows, matching logic, explainability panels, and rolespecific
interfaces.
COMPONENT 3 - PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION, AND REPORTING ENGINE
The proponent will embed performance measurement and learning directly into the Platform.
This component includes:
Standardized indicators aligned to EASCDI outcomes.
Cohort tracking and post placement follow-up at multiple intervals.
Real-time dashboards for CEDEC and Partners.
Automated quarterly reporting packs and early wins summaries.
Anonymized data outputs to support labour market intelligence and research.
Key deliverables include dashboards, reporting templates, and evaluation logic models.
COMPONENT 4 - DATA, PRIVACY, SECURITY, AND GOVERNANCE
The proponent will ensure that trust, compliance, and accountability are foundational. This
component includes:
Compliance with applicable federal and provincial privacy legislation.
Role-based access controls, consent management, and audit trails.
Data lineage, retention schedules, and security controls.
Governance tools to support oversight, stewardship, and escalation.
Key deliverables include a privacy and security architecture, governance framework, and
compliance documentation.
COMPONENT 5 - IMPLEMENTATION, ENABLEMENT, AND CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION
The proponent will support implementation and long-term sustainability. This component
includes:
Phased implementation and rollout planning.
Training, onboarding, and user support materials.
Product management and continuous improvement processes.
Support for a multi-stakeholder steering and delivery model.
Key deliverables include an implementation roadmap, training materials, and a continuous
improvement plan.
REQUIRED DELIVERABLES
The successful proponent will deliver:
An integrated methodology and work plan.
System architecture and design documentation.
A fully operational Provincial Talent Placement Platform.
Configured AI-assisted matching and placement capabilities.
Dashboards, reports, and evaluation outputs.
Governance, privacy, and security documentation.
An executive summary for senior and non-technical audiences
All deliverables must be provided in English, with clear structure and documented assumptions.
TIMELINE
The assignment must be completed no later than March 31, 2026.
Proponents must include a detailed timeline with phases, milestones, and deliverables.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
CEDEC is seeking proponents with demonstrated expertise in:
Employment and labour market Platforms.
AI-assisted matching and case management systems.
Public sector or regulated data environments.
Accessibility, bilingual systems, and inclusive design.
Complex multi-stakeholder program delivery.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposals must include:
Organizational profile and relevant experience.
Understanding of the EASCDI context and objectives.
Proposed technical and delivery approach.
Work plan and timeline.
Project team composition and roles.
Examples of comparable platforms or systems.
Detailed budget and cost breakdown.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
Understanding of objectives and scope.
Quality and feasibility of the proposed approach.
Technical and domain expertise.
Ability to deliver an integrated system.
Feasibility of timeline.
Value for money.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Proposals must be submitted electronically to CEDEC by February 23, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.
Late submissions will not be accepted.
CEDEC reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal and to cancel this RFP at its
discretion.
As we anticipate a high volume of responses to this Request for Proposals, we are unable to
address questions prior to the submission deadline. Additional information and the
opportunity to seek clarification will be provided to the firms selected to advance to the next
stage of the procurement process.
NEXT STEPS
CEDEC may retain one or more proposals for consideration and conduct follow-up interviews.
Please put RFP: Design, Build, and Operationalization of the EASCDI Provincial Talent
Placement Platform in the subject line of all inquiries.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) has been prepared by the Community Economic
Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC). CEDEC considers the material in this
RFP to be proprietary and confidential. The contents of this RFP must be held in confidence by
recipients and used only to prepare a proposal for consideration by CEDEC.
