Request for Proposal (RFP) Community of Practice Support

Issue Date: October 9, 2026

RFP Contact:

Nadia Umadat, TSWLIP Manager,

partnership@torontolip.com

IMPORTANT DATES

Issue Date of RFP

October 9, 2026

Deadline for Vendor Questions

October 15, 2026

Bid Submission Date

October 22, 2026

Consultant begins work

November 1, 2026

Work Completed

March 31, 2026

1. INVITATION TO VENDORS

This Request for Proposal (the “RFP”) is issued by The Neighbourhood Group Community Services (“TNG”) and invites prospective Vendors to submit a proposal for the opportunity to support the development of a Toronto South West Local Immigration Partnership (TSWLIP) Community of Practice (CoP) for settlement organizations transitioning to delivering services in the new Needs and Assets Assessment and Referral Services (NAARs) model.

By way of background, Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) are federally funded planning bodies focused on developing and implementing local strategies that coordinate and enhance service delivery to newcomers while promoting innovation and efficient use of resources. Toronto South West Local Immigration Partnership (TSWLIP) is a consortium of four agencies, TNG, Woodgreen Community Services, COSTI and the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT). It brings together approximately 90 members, including social service agencies, schoolboards, community legal clinics and health clinics, among others. During the last fiscal year we were elected by our member agencies to serve as the lead for the creation and development of a NAARs Community of Practice (CoP) in the Toronto South West region.

The TSWLIP is now seeking a consultant able to support the work of TSWLIP staff and CoP members as they seek to further the rollout of the NAARS Transformation Initiative by sharing knowledge, information, and promising practices to facilitate adequate access to NAARS for newcomers, and to enable connections to settlement services in the community while supporting the broader transition towards a new NAARS delivery model and broader (Re)Settlement Program objectives.

Only applicants with direct experience working with Local Immigration Partnerships in the Toronto Area in the last few years will be considered.

The budget range for this project is $18,000 to $21,000 inclusive of HST.

This RFP sets out the requirements for the Vendor’s proposal and specifies the evaluation criteria and Vendor selection process for this phase. Vendors must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the requirements. The objective in issuing this RFP is to obtain the best overall value, considering quality, service, cost and other relevant factors

Queries during the RFP

The Vendor will base their proposal on The Neighbourhood Group’s RFP documents. It is the responsibility of the Vendor to obtain clarification of any terms, conditions or technical requirements contained in the RFP.

Evaluation of Responses

Incomplete proposals, namely those that fail to comply substantially with the Mandatory Requirements, Specifications, and/or Specific Terms and Conditions, will be eliminated from further consideration in the evaluation process.

The Neighbourhood Group reserves the right to request clarifications and/or confirmations from any or all Vendors regarding any aspect of the proposal. The request for clarification and/or confirmation will be directed to the individual named as the Vendor’s contact in their proposal. A written response to each such communication is required from the Vendor.

An interview may be required and reference checks may be done to complete the evaluation.

Final Contract: Changes, Deletions and Additions

On completion of the evaluation process, a Vendor may be selected with whom discussions will be undertaken to refine the details of the contract for all or portions of a proposal chosen by The Neighbourhood Group.

The Neighbourhood Group reserves the right to negotiate price and work schedule amendments with the successful Vendor.

If it appears that the timely signing (within 30 days of award) will not take place as a result of non- acceptance of The Neighbourhood Group’s terms and conditions, or through the need for extensive legal review to assess suggested terms, The Neighbourhood Group reserves the right to award the contract to the next most-qualified Vendor or to otherwise terminate the selection process

PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND DELIVERABLES

Company Description

The Neighbourhood Group Community Services (TNG) helps over 60,000 vulnerable people by delivering programs and services throughout Toronto that create opportunities to improve and enhance people’s lives and help them to live independently and with dignity in the community.

TNG is also the lead agency for Toronto South West Local Immigration Partnership (TSWLIP) which brings together approximately 90 organizations in order to develop and implement local strategies that coordinate and enhance service delivery to newcomers while promoting innovation and efficient use of resources.

Project Background

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which is the primary funder of most newcomer settlement services in Ontario, has embarked on a sector renewal initiative. As part of this initiative they propose to roll out a centralized and coordinated model of service delivery (NAARs). In Toronto, it is anticipated that in future newcomer services will be coordinated by a Dedicated NAARs Service Provider (DNS.) IRCC has mandated the creation of CoPs for the purpose of supporting newcomer serving organizations in their transition to the NAARs model and recommending a possible DNS.

Specifically, the CoP is mandated to:

• Coordinate with other TSWLIP Working/Action Groups to share best or promising practices pertaining to NAARS
• Assist TSWLIP in Increasing awareness of services to support referrals (including those non-IRCC funded and that may cover the entire community), including zone management: assist in defining, establishing, and validating geographic service delivery zones.
• Identify where all IRCC-funded and non-IRCC funded service providers are located, working with IRCC if needed
• Strengthen collaboration between the Resettlement and Settlement streams of the NAARS program to facilitate a seamless transition for GARs entering settlement services
• Share resources that may be helpful in the delivery of NAARS and promote use of the National Settlement Assistance Template (NSAT.)
• Work with the TSWLIP Newcomer Council to explore how to make better use of newcomer assets to help newcomers on their settlement journey
• Form a DNS working group. This group will propose an approach to the implementation of the DNS model within their designated zone to the CoP. Once this approach is approved by the CoP it will then be presented to IRCC.

Scope of Services and Deliverables:

Although the CoP is expected to fulfill all of the above functions and nominate a DNS by end of March 2028, we are seeking a consultant to support specifically in rolling out the portion of the CoP workplan between November 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027. This includes:

• Overseeing a scan of current member services and mapping, including follow up with service providers and gap identification. (November-December)
• Coordinating with CoP/DNS Co-chairs to ensure alignment between DNS WG and CoP deliverables and agendas.
• Designing a method for collecting structured input from CoP members on current referral pathways and practices, access points, service coordination strengths, collaboration gaps, and pain points. Collecting and Synthesizing findings. (November-December)
• Drafting preliminary CoP feedback report for IRCC (due early January)
• Preparing materials, tools, and presentations based on DNS WG input that can be presented for CoP approval.
• Working with DNS and CoP co-chairs to draft initial service provision zone options and assumptions (completed by March)

For a more detailed overview of timelines and deliverables for the CoP, please refer to the CoP workplan in Appendix E.

Mandatory Submission Requirements

Proposals that do not comply with all of the mandatory requirements including incomplete or late submissions, will, subject to the express and implied rights of The Neighbourhood Group, be disqualified and not evaluated further.

All proposals must include:

1. Mandatory Response Submission Form (Appendix A)
   1. Pricing Submission Form (Appendix B)
      1. Conflict of Interest / Unfair Advantage Declaration (Appendix C)
      2. Reference Form (Appendix D)
      3. Project Schedule

The proposal must be no more than six pages in length, not including appendices.

Evaluation Criteria

The Evaluation Team will score each qualified Proposal on the basis of the requirements listed below.

Understanding of Requirements

The Vendor should demonstrate an understanding of the requirements by describing how the Vendor will deliver the services outlined in the section above.

Project Schedule

The Vendor should provide a project schedule demonstrating understanding of The Neighbourhood Group’s timeline. The project schedule should include all activities, milestones, and timelines for the completion of deliverables outlined in the section above.

It should be noted that the number of workdays and/or hours in the Project Schedule is expected to match with the costing information provided by the Vendor as part of Appendix B.

Relevant experience

The Vendor should demonstrate through concrete examples that they have past experience in conducting similar kinds of work in a Toronto LIP context

In-person Interview

An in-person interview may be conducted for the purpose of learning more about a vendor’s:

1. relevant work experience including the Vendor providing examples of past Toronto LIP work
2. unique skills and experience that sets the Vendor apart from its competition.

References

The Neighbourhood Group reserves the right to contact any or all project references indicated in the Vendor’s submission and to use this information in the evaluation and scoring of submissions.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The Vendor must submit one (1) signed proposal by an authorized representative in either Microsoft Word or PDF format to the RFP Contact. Appendix B should be completed and submitted as a separate attachment.

RFP Contact:

Nadia Umadat, TSWLIP Manager,

partnership@torontolip.com

Appendix A

Please fillout the following form, and name one person to be the contact for this RFP response.

Full Legal Nameof Vendor:

Any Other Relevant Name Under Which the Vendor

Carries on Business:

Street Address:

City, Province/State:

Postal Code:

Phone Number:

Company Website (If Any):

RFP Contact Person and Title:

RFP Contact Phone:

RFP Contact E-mail:

APPENDIX B PRICING FORM

Vendors shall submit a separate copy (attachment) of their Pricing Form Proposal for the required Deliverables. The Pricing Form shall be clearly marked as Appendix B – Pricing Form.

As outlined in this RFP, Vendors must include the overall cost, and a breakdown of the per diem rate for different team members, to meet the required deliverables and should provide a clear outline of costs (e.g., an itemized list) of their proposal.

Pricing must include all expenses, disbursements, payment terms and Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).

APPENDIX C

CONFLICT OF INTEREST/UNFAIR ADVANTAGE DECLARATION (To be submitted on vendor letterhead with the proposal)

In order to be considered for a contract award, Vendors must submit the following statement and information regarding conflict of interest:

I/We hereby certify that the preparation and submission of this response to (TNG-09-2020-DC003) by (Vendor company name), its employees, agents and advisors was done in the absence of any conflict of interest or unfair advantage of those so involved.

I/We further confirm that (Vendor company name) has not knowingly hired or retained the services of any employee or former employee of The Neighbourhood Group, where in doing so such employee or former employee is in breach of a Conflict of Interest Policy or separation agreement.

Principal(s) of Vendor:

Name:

Address:

Telephone:

Proposed Participants from Vendor: Name Address Telephone

Dated at this day of , 2020.

(Signed – Original Signature)

(Authorized Signing Officer Name - Print)

(Title)

APPENDIX D – REFERENCES

CLIENT REFERENCES

Please provide details of two (2) references to whom you have provided similar services within the past five (5) years, and provide as much of the following information as possible for each client.

Reference 1:

Client’s name

Client’s address

Client Contact name

Contact’s title/function

Contact’s telephone number

Contact’s email

Type of service / project implemented

Brief description of project (must havebeen completed withinprevious five (5)years):

Reference 2:

Client’s name

Client’s address

Client Contact name

Contact’s title/function

Contact’s telephone number

Contact’s email

Type of service/ project implemented

Brief description of project (must have been completed within previous five (5) years):

Appendix E

Draft Workplan: NAARS Transformation Community of Practice

The draft timeline organizes the NAARS Transformation Community of Practice workplan into two-month phases from September 2026 to February 2028. It focuses on the major decisions, activities, and deliverables needed to support DNS working group planning, service mapping, zone development, and the community transition plan.

Assumptions

• The CoP will meet at least four times per year, with DNS working group and sub-committee meetings held between full CoP meetings as needed.
• All activities will be undertaken in a participatory and inclusive manner, with French interpretation and translation available for CoP activities.
• The workplan will remain flexible and will be updated as IRCC provides further direction, guidance, and clarification.
• The CoP will focus on local operational planning, service mapping, referral pathways, zone management, and transition planning, while also providing structured input to the National Advisory Table on digital solution considerations, settlement plan transferability, and related implementation issues.

Workplan Timeline

Timeline

Focus

Key Activities

Key Deliverables

September–November 2026

CoP mobilization and DNS working group launch

Confirm CoP membership, review Terms of Reference, establish meeting and communication practices, launch the DNS working group, and begin early review of current referral practices, collaboration gaps, and DNS implementation opportunities and risks.

Completed workplan, confirmed or near-final membership list; working Terms of Reference; DNS working group membership confirmed; information-gathering template.

November–January 2026

DNS objectives, member input, and initial findings

Establish DNS working group objectives by November 2026. Collect structured input from CoP members on referral pathways, access points, service coordination strengths, gaps, and pain points. Synthesize questions, concerns, and preliminary insights related to DNS readiness, geographic access, digital solution needs, settlement plan transferability, and implementation risks.

Approved DNS working group objectives; member input summary; preliminary service inventory and map, initial asset and gap list; draft initial findings report.

January–February 2027

Initial reporting and service inventory

Finalize and submit initial findings to IRCC, including early recommendations, implementation risks, digital solution considerations, and questions requiring clarification. Begin mapping gaps in service provider inventory across IRCC-funded and relevant non-IRCC-funded services.

Initial findings report submitted to IRCC; record of IRCC feedback; data gap list; preliminary service mapping structure.

March–April 2027

Service mapping continued and early zone development

Validate the service provider inventory with CoP members and relevant working/action groups. Identify geographic patterns, access barriers, assets, and gaps. Use this information to develop early service delivery zone options.

Validated service provider inventory; preliminary service map; updated gap and asset analysis; initial zone options and assumptions.

May–June 2027

Zone refinement and submission preparation

Review zone options with CoP members, assess implications for DNS provider identification and partnerships, develop preferred proposed zones, and prepare decision materials for CoP approval.

Refined zone options; preliminary DNS provider and partner considerations; draft proposed zone package; MOU or partnership agreement considerations.

July–August 2027

Zone submission and IRCC feedback

Finalize CoP decision-making on proposed zones and submit the proposed zone package to IRCC. Respond to IRCC questions and refine zone boundaries, DNS nominations, partnership assumptions, and outstanding mapping issues as needed. Begin work on MOUs

Proposed zones submitted or ready for submission by July 2027; response to IRCC feedback; updated zone proposal package; refined list of potential DNS providers and partners.

September–October 2027

Transition planning

Incorporate final IRCC feedback, confirm the zone approach, identify transition planning requirements, and begin drafting the community transition plan, including roles, responsibilities, referral flows, and local operational requirements.

Finalized or near-final zone approach; transition plan outline; draft operational model; role and responsibility matrix; MOU and partnership planning checklist.

November–December 2027

Partnership agreements and transition plan refinement

Develop draft partnership agreements or MOUs, clarify referral protocols and communication expectations, review the draft transition plan with CoP members, and consolidate input for the National Advisory Table on digital solution and settlement plan transferability considerations.

Draft MOUs or partnership agreements; referral and communication protocol drafts; revised transition plan; implementation risk log; consolidated NAT input.

January–February 2028

Readiness confirmation and final submission preparation

Confirm DNS provider identification, partnership arrangements, referral and documentation processes, readiness gaps, and required supports. Complete final CoP review and prepare the community transition plan package for March 2028 submission.

Readiness summary; near-final partnership agreements or MOUs; final community transition plan package ready for March 2028 submission; implementation readiness summary.

Ongoing Activities Throughout the 18 Months

• Convene full CoP meetings at least quarterly and maintain minutes for all meetings.
• Hold DNS working group and sub-committee meetings as needed between full CoP meetings.
• Maintain regular communication with members by email and ensure key updates are documented and shared.
• Coordinate with other TSWLIP working/action groups to share promising practices and identify opportunities for alignment.
• Promote awareness of services that support referrals, including both IRCC-funded and non-IRCC-funded services.
• Strengthen collaboration between resettlement and settlement service streams to support seamless transitions for GARs entering settlement services.
• Share resources, tools, promising practices, and information that support NAARS delivery and promote the use of the NSAT.
• Provide structured input to the National Advisory Table on the digital solution, including usability, information-sharing, privacy, referral tracking, reporting, and settlement plan transferability considerations.
• Engage the TSWLIP Newcomer Council to explore how newcomer assets and experiences can inform settlement pathways and service access.
• Capture member feedback and ensure relevant process and implementation issues are conveyed to IRCC.

Key Milestones

• September–November 2026: CoP membership, Terms of Reference review, DNS working group membership, meeting structure, communication practices established.
• November 2026: DNS working group objectives established and approved.
• January–February 2027: Initial findings report submitted to IRCC and service provider inventory launched.
• July–August 2027: Proposed zones submitted to IRCC and refined based on feedback.
• September–October 2027: Transition plan outline and local operational model developed.
• March 2028: Community transition plan submitted, including DNS provider identification and partnership agreements or MOUs for organizations in each DNS zone.

Risks and Considerations

• Further clarification may be required from IRCC regarding the maximum number of DNS nominations, the expectations for MOUs, and the timing of final approvals.
• Mapping will require access to reliable and current information on both IRCC-funded and non-IRCC-funded service providers.
• Consensus-building may take additional time if proposed zones or DNS nominations raise concerns among members.
• The transition plan will need to remain aligned with national direction on the settlement plan template and digital tool.
• Digital solution planning and settlement plan transferability will require clear guidance on privacy, information sharing, consent, data ownership, referral tracking, reporting expectations, and how settlement plans move between providers and across zones.
• The CoP should monitor workload implications for members, especially where multiple sub-committee or DNS working group activities are required between quarterly meetings.