RFP-CTCMPAO Online Learning Hub Development

Request for Proposals for Interactive Learning Hub Design and Development (Phase 1)

Issue Date: January 26, 2026

Proposal Submission Deadline: February 13, 2026

1. INTRODUCTION

The College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario (the “College”) is inviting organizations and/or individual consultants to submit proposals to assist the College in the design and development of an Interactive Learning Hub. This project represents Phase 1 of a broader educational strategy, with Phase 2 focused on the stand-up of a Learning Management System (LMS).

The College is the governing body established by the government of Ontario under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA), and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006. The College’s mandate is to regulate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners and acupuncturists in the public interest.

Project Overview

The College seeks to develop an Interactive Learning Hub to serve as a central resource for applicants and members. The goal of this Hub is to increase engagement and provide accessible opportunities for members to learn and keep up-to-date with their regulatory obligations, including resources, Standards of Practice, and legislation necessary to self-regulate effectively. While this RFP focuses on Phase 1 (Design and Development of the Hub), the successful Proponent must possess knowledge of LMS environments to ensure the Hub is designed with the foresight to support Phase 2 (LMS Stand-up).

2. DEFINITIONS

Throughout this RFP, the following definitions apply:

• “Contract” means the written agreement resulting from this RFP to be executed by the College and the Contractor.
• “Contractor” means the successful Proponent to this RFP who enters into a written Contract with the College.
• “Must” or “mandatory” means a requirement that must be met in order for a Proposal to receive consideration.
• “Proponent” means an individual or a company that submits, or intends to submit, a Proposal in response to this RFP.
• “Should” or “desirable” means a requirement having a significant degree of importance to the objectives of the RFP.

3. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVERABLES

3.1 Summary of the Project:

The College is seeking a qualified service provider with expertise in designing e-learning solutions and digital engagement platforms. The provider will design an Interactive Learning Hub that houses educational content regarding Standards and legislation.

3.2 Guiding Principles:

Engagement: The Hub must utilize interactive elements (e.g., scenarios, self-assessments, decision trees) to increase member engagement compared to static PDF resources.

Accessibility: The Hub must be easily accessible and comply with the College’s legislative requirements (including AODA accessibility).

Scalability (Phase 2 Readiness): The design must account for future integration or migration into a formal LMS environment in Phase 2. The Proponent’s advice will support future decision-making regarding the LMS stand-up.

3.3 Target Audience:

The audience includes current Members of the College and Applicants for registration. The solution must consider different levels of learners’ language proficiency, technical expertise, and infrastructure.

3.4 Project Deliverables:

The successful Proponent is expected to deliver the following:

1. Project Plan: A detailed outline including analysis, design, development, timelines, and budget.
2. User-Needs Assessment: Review project goals and identify user group needs to ensure the Hub effectively engages the profession.
3. Content Strategy & Architecture: Define and organize learning content (Standards, legislation, resources) into an intuitive, navigable structure.
4. Interactive Hub Development: Develop the online Learning Hub modules/platform. This includes creating interactive media (text, images, animations, video) to replace static content.
5. Phase 2 Advisory: Provide preliminary recommendations and technical specifications to support the future stand-up of an LMS, ensuring the Hub is "LMS-ready".
6. Pilot Testing: A pilot stage to test the Hub with College staff and members of the profession.
7. Implementation: Assist the College in launching the new Learning Hub.

3.5 Reporting and Approval Requirements:

The successful Proponent will meet with College staff to develop timelines and methodology. Reports and recommendations will be submitted to the Registrar and CEO for consideration.

3.6 Project Timelines:

The expected project timeline will commence March 2, 2026, end date will be negotiable based on Project Outline and approved statement of work details.

4. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Proponent should address each element listed below indicating how it will meet the College’s needs.

4.1 General Understanding The Proponent should demonstrate an understanding of the project’s objectives—specifically the dual need to create engaging content now (Phase 1) while preparing for an LMS later (Phase 2).

4.2 Qualifications/Personnel The Proponent should include a detailed description of the relevant qualifications, skills, and experience of the team.

• Specific Requirement: The team must demonstrate expertise in both instructional design (content creation) and technical LMS architecture (to support Phase 2 advisory).

4.3 Proposed Work-Plan The Proponent should provide a detailed work plan including all tasks, milestones, and timeframes.

4.4 Cost Estimates/Budgets The Proponent should:

• Provide consulting fees on a per diem rate.
• Set out separately all anticipated expenses.
• Calculate the total cost of the project.

5. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

5.1. Submission of Proposal

To be eligible for consideration, Proponents must submit one signed Proposal marked “original” on or before February 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST. The College will not consider any Proposals received after the closing time. The proposal is to be submitted by email to:

Mary Kennedy, Manager, Quality Practice at mary.kennedy@ctcmpao.on.ca

5.2. Questions and Enquiries

Proponents, who have read this Request for Proposals (RFP) and are interested in responding may direct questions or request additional information in writing by email to Mary Kennedy, Manager, Quality Practice at mary.kennedy@ctcmpao.on.ca.

The questions must be submitted by February 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST. Received questions and responses will be disseminated to all Proponents by email, prior to the Proposal submission deadline. The College is not responsible for any misunderstanding on the part of the Proponent and is under no obligation to provide additional information but may do so at its sole discretion.

5.3. The College’s Right to Amend, Supplement or Cancel RFP

The College, without liability, cost or penalty, may at any time cancel, amend or supplement this RFP. Any material amendments or supplements to the RFP will be communicated in a timely fashion to all Proponents

5.4. Disqualification of Proposals on Grounds of Faulty Submission

The College, without liability, cost or penalty, in its sole discretion, may disqualify any Proposal before the Proposal is fully evaluated if:

i. It contains incorrect information;

ii. It does not include all required elements as noted in this RFP;

iii. The Proponent misrepresents any information provided in its Proposal;

iv. The Proposal reveals a conflict of interest as per Section 6.3, Conflict of Interest; or

v. The Proposal does not otherwise comply with the terms of the RFP.

5.5. Amending or Withdrawing Proposals Prior to Proposal Submission Deadline

At any time prior to the Proposal submission deadline, a Proponent may amend or withdraw a submitted Proposal. Any amendment must clearly indicate what part of the Proposal the amendment is intended to replace.

A notice of amendment or withdrawal must be signed and sent prior to the Proposal submission deadline to:

Mary Kennedy, Manager, Quality Practice at mary.kennedy@ctcmpao.on.ca

6. FORMAT OF THE PROPOSAL

6.1. Proposal Format Checklist The Proposal should:

1. Submit one signed Proposal marked “original” by February 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
2. Include all required elements as described in the RFP;
3. Include a description of the Proponent’s ability to satisfy the requirements of the RFP; and iv. Include a detailed cost for the proposed services.

6.2. Proponent Information

The Proposal should provide/state:

1. Name, mailing address, email address, telephone and facsimile numbers of the contact person(s) for the Proponent;
2. Proponent’s legal name and any other name under which it carries on business; and
3. Proponent’s address, telephone and facsimile numbers.

6.3. Conflict of Interest

For conflict of interest reasons, the College will not accept proposals from Proponents who are affiliated with education institutions that offer TCM programs.

The Proponent must confirm in its Proposal that the Proponent:

1. Does not and will not have any conflict of interest (actual or perceived) in submitting its Proposal or, if selected, with the contractual obligations as Contractor under the Agreement. Where applicable, a Proponent must declare in its Proposal any situation that may be a conflict of interest in submitting its Proposal.

The Proponent must confirm that the Proponent neither has nor has had access to any Conflict of Interest Confidential Information as defined below:

2. “Conflict of Interest Confidential Information” refers to confidential information of the College other than confidential information disclosed to Proponent in the normal course of the RFP. The Conflict of Interest Confidential Information is relevant to the project/services required by the RFP and the RFP evaluation process, and the disclosure for which could result in prejudice to the College or an unfair advantage to the Proponent.
3. “Confidential Information” means information, data, material and items in any form supplied to the Proponent by the College or otherwise acquired by the Proponent in connection with this RFP, whether supplied to or acquired by the Proponent before or after the issuance of this RFP, as well as all software and deliverables supplied or created by the Proponent.

The successful Proponent will be expected to sign a confidentiality agreement and will be subject to section 36 of the RHPA (confidentiality provisions).

All Confidential Information is the property of the College, unless indicated otherwise.

The Proponent shall ensure that it:

1. Holds Confidential Information in confidence;
   1. Does not disclose Confidential Information without prior written authorization from the College;
   2. Upon request returns Confidential Information to the College within ten calendar days after any request; and
   3. Upon request returns all Confidential Information to the College within ten calendar days after the announcement of the qualified Proponent.

The Proposal of any Proponent may be disqualified, or if the Proposal is accepted, can be cancelled, where the Proponent fails to provide confirmation of the foregoing or makes misrepresentations regarding any of the above.

7. EVALUATION PROCESS

The objective of the evaluation process is to identify the Proposal(s) that most effectively meet(s) the requirements of the RFP, based on the evaluation criteria.

7.1. Evaluation Process

The College shall evaluate all Proposals that have not been disqualified for the reasons set out in Section 5.4, Disqualification of Proposals.

7.2. Evaluation of Overall Presentation of Proposal and General Requirements of the RFP

Stage 1: The College shall evaluate the Proponent’s Proposal based on the rated criteria

with respect to the requirements of the RFP provided for in Section 3, Project Requirements and Deliverables.

Stage 2: The top Proponents will be invited to participate in an interview/presentation with the College.

Stage 3: The College shall check the references provided by the selected Proponents.

Further details concerning this evaluation are provided in Section 9, Evaluation Criteria.

The College reserves the right to communicate with Proponents as necessary during the evaluation process. Not all Proponents may be communicated with in the same manner or to the same extent.

The College without liability, cost, or penalty, may, in its sole discretion, at any stage, do one or more of the following:

1. Qualify any Proponent;
2. Not qualify any Proponent;
3. Cancel the RFP;
4. Issue a new RFP; or
5. Short-list one or more Proponents for further evaluation.

8. CONTRACT

Subject to satisfactory reference checks and completed security clearances, any qualified Proponent will be required to enter into an acceptable written contract with the College before final selection. The College may, in its sole discretion, enter into preliminary discussions with the Proponent with the aim of expediting the finalization of the contract and any negotiations.

9. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Each Proponent’s submitted Proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Experience and Qualifications (40%)

• Proven experience in developing similar projects
• Proven technical expertise and experience
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders

Work Plan (40%)

• Understanding of the project requirements
• Understanding of challenges and feasibility of proposed solutions
• Realistic timelines and costs for each component of the workplan
• Thoroughness/quality of the submission

References (20%)

• Proven ability to meet timelines and delivery expectations
• Responsiveness to client needs and flexibility
• Reliability and professionalism

The questions below have been provided to indicate the kinds of considerations the College will make when evaluating Proposals. This list may not be exhaustive. The questions have been organized to correspond to the requirements provided for in Section 3, Project Requirements and Deliverables and Section 4, General Requirements.

9.1. Evaluation of the General Requirements

Does the Proponent describe the project/services in such a way that the Proponent demonstrates an understanding of the project/services?

9.2. Evaluation of Qualifications

Do the qualifications, skills and experience of the Proponent appear to be appropriate and sufficient to meet the College’s needs?

9.3. Evaluation of Proposed Work Plan and Timeframe for Project Completion/Service Delivery

Does the work plan and timeframe address and meet the College’s needs?

9.4. Evaluation of Cost Estimates/Budgets

How does the total cost of the project compare with the costs shown in other Proposals and does it fit within the College’s budgetary allocation for this project? Cost is not the only consideration and the lowest bid may not necessarily be the successful one.

9.5. Evaluation of Communications Abilities

Has the Proponent communicated easily and clearly? How will the Proponent be able to accommodate the unique challenges of this project?