What a six-figure website RFP reveals about choosing the right projects to pursue.
The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), a Canadian nonprofit focused on technology research and workforce development, is looking for an agency to redesign its corporate website. The budget is up to $200,000 CAD, and proposals are due November 13, 2026.
There's an important eligibility requirement: Only federally or provincially registered Canadian businesses can apply.
If that rules you out, the RFP is still worth examining. It offers a look at what an organization expects from a six-figure website engagement, how it evaluates agencies, and the contractual obligations that come with winning.
You can follow along with the original RFP and its October 27 addendum.
What they're actually looking for
ICTC operates several websites serving job seekers, employers, educators, policymakers, and other audiences. It wants to consolidate them into a WordPress website with distinct program mini-sites, bilingual content, user testing, and WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility compliance.
An October 27 addendum identifies approximately 1,579 existing content items across two websites, including hundreds of news articles, research reports, and events. The inventory uses Drupal content types, suggesting a Drupal-to-WordPress migration. Automatic translation plugins are prohibited, and ICTC will confirm the final migration inventory before migration begins. I'd want to understand how changes to that scope would be handled, since the agency will already have submitted its price.
There's also an AI component. The website must integrate a research tool being developed by other vendors, alongside an off-the-shelf conversational assistant supporting both text and voice.
Personal information collected through the site must be stored and processed in Canada unless ICTC approves an exception. ICTC data cannot be used to train public or shared AI models, and Canadian AI vendors with strong French-language support are preferred. These requirements narrow the field of suitable chatbot providers considerably.
A November bid could mean a year-long commitment
ICTC expects to announce its intended award on December 7, with the initial website designed and built by March 31, 2027. That's roughly sixteen weeks, including the holidays.
The soft launch, however, isn't expected until July or August. All project work must be invoiced by March 31, even though training, launch responsibilities, and 90 days of post-launch support extend beyond that date.
The addendum clarifies that payment timing will be governed by the contract. I'd want those terms settled before committing resources, particularly with several months separating the initial build from launch.
ICTC says it will coordinate timelines with the vendors developing the AI research tool. The 90-day support period begins upon written confirmation of the production launch, with schedule adjustments to be agreed upon if delays affect that period. The contract is scheduled to end November 30, 2027.
The warranty is part of the price
The agency must mitigate critical or actively exploited vendor-attributable vulnerabilities within 24 hours and permanently remediate them within seven days where a fix is available. High-severity findings must be addressed within 14 days, and Medium findings within 60.
Corrections are required at no additional cost, and the necessary response coverage must be included in the project price. Qualifying issues discovered during implementation or the 90-day support period remain the agency's responsibility until resolved, even if that extends beyond the contract's expiration.
I'd want to know exactly who on my team would handle those incidents, what that availability would cost, and how much margin would remain after accounting for it.
Only 15% of the score is about price
ICTC has published the criteria it will use to evaluate proposals.
An agency could submit the lowest bid and still lose badly on the other criteria.
The RFP allows up to three relevant portfolio examples with testimonials, limited to three pages. I'd choose work demonstrating experience with comparable challenges: multilingual websites, complex integrations, substantial content migrations, or public-interest organizations with multiple audiences.
Separately, the addendum requires three client references with contact details. ICTC intends to contact them before selecting a vendor. I'd make sure those people are prepared to speak about the agency's work and their experience throughout the engagement.
Bidders also need executive-level project oversight, a dedicated UX/UI specialist, at least $2 million in general liability coverage, $1 million in professional liability insurance, and additional cyber liability coverage, all documented within a proposal capped at 30 pages.
Would you bid?
There's a fairly specific kind of agency I'd expect to have an advantage here: a Canadian firm that's already delivered bilingual, WCAG 2.2 AA WordPress websites for research institutions, nonprofits, or public-interest organizations. One that's comfortable migrating Drupal content and has an established relationship with a Canadian-hosted AI provider.
That agency already has much of the evidence ICTC is asking for. Its team knows the work, its portfolio demonstrates the experience, and its references can confirm it.
More importantly, it can estimate the cost of delivery with fewer unknowns.
That's what I'd be looking for when reading an RFP: Where does my agency already have an unfair advantage?
I'd consider the alternatives, too. An established agency with a predictable pipeline of smaller projects might earn better margins using its existing processes, without tying up capacity through a summer launch and a security warranty that could extend into late 2027. Contract value alone doesn't tell me which option leaves the business better off.
I'd rather spend my time pursuing opportunities where the buyer's requirements read like a description of what my business already does exceptionally well.
Interested in this opportunity?
Client: Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC)
Budget: Up to $200,000 CAD, plus applicable taxes
Eligibility: Federally or provincially registered Canadian businesses
Questions due: November 6, 2026, at noon ET
Proposals due: November 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET
Submission email: a.harlap@ictc-ctic.ca
Evaluation and interviews: November 23–27, 2026
