NAME OF PROCURING ENTITY
The Governing Council of the University of Toronto (the “University”)
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTRACT PERSON COORDINATES
Susan Dyson
Procurement Manager, Financial Services
University of Toronto Scarborough
Susan.dyson@utoronto.ca
PROCUREMENT DOCUMENTS
The procurement documents are available at www.merx.com.
Note that obtaining access to the procurement documents will require prospective suppliers to register and pay a registration fee. Pricing and Payment Terms are available on the MERX website.
DESCRIPTION OF PROCUREMENT
The University of Toronto Scarborough (“UTSC”) invites qualified proponents to submit proposals to develop a comprehensive Web Governance Framework that will bring clarity, consistency, and strategic direction to UTSC’s decentralized web environment. The framework will define roles, responsibilities, and standards across departments and units, ensuring alignment with accessibility (AODA/WCAG), branding, security, and institutional priorities.
The successful proponent will undertake a two-part engagement consisting of:
- Research and Environmental Scan – Conduct a comparative analysis and benchmarking of peer higher education institutions and industry leaders to identify effective governance models, policies, and standards applicable to UTSC’s context. This research will inform recommendations on governance structures, decision-making processes, and compliance frameworks that balance central oversight with local flexibility.
- Stakeholder Facilitation and Validation – Facilitate structured engagement sessions with UTSC’s internal stakeholders to review, refine, and validate the proposed framework. These sessions will provide an opportunity for the community to identify potential gaps, implementation challenges, and change management considerations, ensuring broad-based understanding and buy-in.
The resulting Web Governance Framework will provide actionable recommendations, sample policies, and standards to address existing gaps and operational challenges. Its implementation will support Information & Instructional Technology Services [IITS] and Marketing & Communications department in advancing web governance process maturity, strengthening institutional alignment, and securing executive-level endorsement for the recommended future-state model.
This initiative is critical to ensuring that UTSC’s digital ecosystem effectively represents the university’s academic excellence, accessibility, and institutional values, while fostering long-term sustainability, innovation readiness, and continuous improvement.
The procurement is anticipated to involve negotiation. An electronic auction is not anticipated
ADDRESS AND FINAL DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS
Submissions must be submitted electronically at
https://utoronto.bonfirehub.ca/opportunities/99950
on or before December 18, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. (local time).
The submissions will not be opened publicly.
CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION
The procurement is subject to the following conditions for participation. N/A
APPLICABLE TRADE AGREEMENTS
This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s):
The Canadian Free Trade Agreement, Chapter Five
The Ontario-Quebec Trade and Cooperation Agreement, Chapter 9
CONTRACT DETAILS
Contract expected to be six months from contract award.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The University will base its selection of qualified suppliers on the following criteria:
Experience and Qualifications (25%)
Proposed Approach and Methodology (35%)
Project Understanding (15%)
Pricing (25%)
Interview (5%)
NOTES
Suppliers should note that information contained within this notice is subject to change. Suppliers are encouraged to obtain the procurement documents which contain the most current information. If there is a conflict between the procurement documents and this notice, the procurement documents will take precedence.