Basic Information

Reference Number

0000310726

Issuing Organization

Transportation Association of Canada

Owner Organization

Transportation Association of Canada

Solicitation Type

RFP - Request for Proposal

Solicitation Number

TACRFP_20251218

Title

Consulting Services for Building a Secure Online Gateway to TAC Publications

Source ID

PP.CO.Ont..1554669.C3593001

Details

Location

Canada, Ontario, Ottawa

Description

Introduction and Overview

The Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) invites proposals from qualified consultants to provide specific key services as part of a larger project to build and launch a secure online gateway that allows stakeholders to access all, or a group of, its technical publications. Distinct from TAC’s current sales model, which sells individual publication titles in either print or e-book format, the new gateway will offer employees of subscribing stakeholder organizations bulk access to TAC’s saleable publications online, while also enforcing its digital intellectual property rights.
An expert consultant or consultant group will be contracted to perform two key parts of the project:

Part A) The consultant will research, analyze, and score options for secure, cloud-based software platforms specializing in document digital rights management (DRM), and deliver a report with findings and recommendations. They’ll learn about TAC’s customer relations management (CRM) system and its single sign-on (SSO) requirements to ensure compatibility with potential DRM solutions. Finally, they will outline an implementation plan for staff to execute the late phases of the project.

Part B) The consultant will analyze TAC’s existing publication and membership sales data, develop pricing and subscription scenarios, and deliver a report recommending viable subscription structure and pricing model options.

Background and Objectives

TAC is a not-for-profit, national association known as the centre of technical expertise for roads, highways and urban transportation in Canada. TAC brings together about 500 corporate members, including federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, businesses, academic institutions, and other associations, to share ideas, exchange information, and pool resources to tackle transportation challenges. TAC communicates with and delivers services to about 7,000 active employees affiliated with these member organizations. Information about TAC is available online at www.tac-atc.ca.
TAC generates revenue and delivers on its mandate by selling memberships, products and services (publications, training courses, conference registrations, and sponsorships), and undertaking projects that develop technical guidance to support Canadian road, highway, and urban transportation infrastructure, systems, and services. Technical publications are available for purchase individually by title, in hard copy or e-book format.
To modernize access to its publications for stakeholders and protect its intellectual property, TAC plans to implement a secure online gateway using Digital Rights Management (DRM) software technology integrated with TAC’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system (In1Touch by Olatech).
The solution must:

Authenticate user access via Single Sign-On (SSO) linked to TAC’s CRM
Not require users to install software or otherwise need to modify their devices to get access
Be able to be purchased as either an optional add-on to an annual TAC organizational membership or as a separate optional subscription available to any stakeholder organizations and their employees with active profiles in TAC’s CRM. The gateway should serve as another stable stream of revenue for TAC, while also being cost-effective and convenient for member organizations.

Scope and Schedule of Work

Starting in March 2026 and completing the work between July and October 2026, the successful proponent will complete the two parts of the project concurrently.
Part A: Research, recommend, and support the selection of a DRM platform. Provide an implementation plan outline.
The consultant will research, identify, analyze and recommend potential DRM solutions. Assess publication inventory, storage needs, and expected usage volumes. Once the preferred solution is selected, the consultant will provide an outline of an implementation plan to guide staff during the implementation, testing, launch preparation, and training phases of the project.
Part A will include:

Kickoff meeting
Explore information on TAC’s CRM and SSO methods
Confirm the publications to be included in the gateway and the space they require, as well as the expected volume/flow of coincidental accesses to the platform, and other components that may affect DRM specs
Research and identify potential cloud-based, secure, SSO-capable DRM options
Deliver a report with
- General approach and findings
- An in-depth analysis of the top several suitable DRM platform options, including a scorecard to evaluate detailed features, functions, usability, security, and costs
- Recommendations for the preferred selection, highlighting strengths, weaknesses and rationale
Meet with the staff management team to discuss the draft report
Provide a final DRM recommendation report
Deliver a subsequent smaller report that outlines the proposed implementation plan
Provide a final report suitable for presentation to TAC’s Executive Committee or Board of Directors

Part B: Develop a model and business plan.
The consultant will receive and analyze data about TAC’s members and recent publication sales, as well as its internal processes and systems. They will use these to develop options for a model and business plan to build and sell access to the gateway.
Part B will include:

Kickoff meeting
Explore existing hard copy and e-book sales data, membership sales and renewal workflows
Deliver a report with:
- At least three scenarios and sensitivity analyses
- Cost-recovery and break-even analysis
- Member economics: per-organization comparisons vs current buy-per-copy costs
- Forecasts for 1, 3 and 5 years
- Recommended price points and packaging options (e.g., per-organization flat fee, per-seat, tiered banding, or hybrid)
- Considerations affecting CRM for billing/renewal mechanics
- Member organizations only or non-members?
- Final recommendation regarding the extent of the offerings provided via a subscription
Meet with the staff management team to discuss the draft report
Provide a final report suitable for presentation to the Executive Committee or Board of Directors

Proposal Requirements

Proposals from prospective consultants must be clear and concise and describe how the required services will be provided.
Mandatory requirements to be included in the proposal are:

1. Demonstrated knowledge and expertise in DRM technologies and SaaS platforms
2. Experience with CRM integration and SSO authentication
3. Proven ability to develop subscription-based business models.

The proposal should also include:

A short cover letter
An organization and team overview. Identify the staff assigned to the project and their responsibilities. If the execution involves hiring subcontractors or partner organizations, this must be clearly stated, and the scope of their work must be defined
Relevant experience, descriptions of relevant projects completed and client organizations where similar skills, tools, or outcomes were leveraged, as well as references. For each organization, provide the name and contact information of the individual responsible for project oversight. TAC reserves the right to request additional references
The planned approach to meeting the project objectives and deliverables. Describe the major tasks and methodology
The proposed work plan and timeline
A conflict-of-interest declaration, disclosing any financial or organizational conflicts of interest in conducting the project; for example, the proponent’s ownership, relationships or proprietary rights and interests could be perceived as jeopardizing its objectivity. Identify mitigating strategies for any conflicts
Project cost breakdown/structure and payment terms (one page), inclusive of all fees or charges.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals meeting the mandatory requirements will be evaluated using the criteria below. Note that preference will be given to Canadian-based consultants.
Criteria _ Weight
Technical expertise and relevant experience _ 25%
Understanding of TAC’s needs and proposed approach _ 25%
Quality of the work plan and timeline _ 20%
Cost-effectiveness _ 15%
References and past performance _ 15%

Submission Information

Send all questions and a PDF copy of the proposal to:
Erica Andersen, Sr. Director, Member Services & Communications: eandersen@tac-atc.ca

Deadline for questions: Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Proposal deadline: Thursday, February 5, 2026, 16:00 ET
Deadline to evaluate proposals and notify applicants: week of February 16, 2026.

Project Administration

TAC is not liable for any costs and/or expenses incurred by proponents in the preparation of proposals
A contract for services will be established before work can begin
The working language for this project is English.

Dates

Publication

2026/01/05 02:31:23 PM EST

Question Acceptance Deadline

2026/01/28 04:00:00 PM EST

Closing Date

2026/02/05 04:00:00 PM EST

Contact Information

Erica Andersen

613-736-1350 ext. 235

eandersen@tac-atc.ca

Bid Submission Process

Bid Submission Type

Electronic Bid Submission

Pricing

Lump sum

Bid Documents List

Item Name	Description	Mandatory	Limited to 1 file
Bid Documents	Documents defining the proposal	No	No
No entries

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