Issued by: Trans Canada Trail
Submission Closing Deadline
Date: April 3, 2026
Time: 5:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Submission contact: Kristen Gabora, Director, Partner Services and Support, kgabora@tctrail.ca
Late submissions will not be considered. Please ensure your proposal is in PDF format.
Jump to section:
- Introduction
- Scope of Services
- Term and Budget
- Eligibility
- Proposal Preparation and Submission Requirements
- Evaluation Criteria
- Province- or Region-Specific Requirements
- Terms and Conditions
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Trans Canada Trail background
Trans Canada Trail is a national non-profit organization that leads, develops, and stewards a connected network of trails across Canada. Working in collaboration with provincial, territorial, municipal, Indigenous, and community partners, Trans Canada Trail supports the development and sustainability of a nationwide trail system that connects people and places and promotes physical activity, environmental stewardship, tourism, and community wellbeing.
Trans Canada Trail provides national leadership, funding, coordination, and strategic guidance to support trail development, stewardship, and activation across the country. Through strong partnerships and collaborative approaches, Trans Canada Trail advances a connected and accessible trail network that reflects regional priorities while contributing to national objectives.
1.2 Purpose of the RFP
Delivery of Trans Canada Trail’s national mandate relies on strong regional coordination and collaboration among trail groups, municipalities, Indigenous communities, land managers, governments, tourism partners, volunteer organizations, and other sector stakeholders.
The purpose of this RFP is to identify an organization in each applicable province that demonstrates the leadership capacity, regional credibility, and multi-sector experience required to act as a connector and facilitator within a complex stakeholder environment. The Provincial Lead Organization (PLO) will support implementation of nationally led priorities through locally grounded action, helping to align regional efforts with Trans Canada Trail’s broader strategic objectives.
Through this competitive RFP process, Trans Canada Trail invites proposals from qualified organizations to serve as a Provincial Lead Organization for regional service delivery within a defined province for a one-year period until March 31, 2027.
Trans Canada Trail is currently looking for PLOs in the following provinces:
- Prince Edward Island, budget: $15,000
- Newfoundland and Labrador, budget: $15,000
- New Brunswick, budget: $35,000
- Ontario, budget: $50,000
- British Columbia, budget: $35,000
The Provincial Lead Organization will work in close collaboration with Trans Canada Trail to support regional coordination, stakeholder engagement, and on-the-ground mobilization aligned with Trans Canada Trail’s Strategic Plan, Theory of Change, and Comprehensive Campaign.
2.0 Scope of Services
The Provincial Lead Organization will work in close collaboration with Trans Canada Trail to support delivery of nationally led priorities through regional coordination, engagement, and facilitation.
The organization will act as a connector and mobilizer within its jurisdiction, leveraging established relationships, sector knowledge, and convening capacity to advance shared objectives. The specific mix of activities will be confirmed through a co-developed annual Workplan.
2.1 Regional Coordination and Mobilization
The Provincial Lead Organization will:
- Act as a regional point of contact for Trans Canada Trail–related initiatives
- Support alignment between local activities and national priorities, while coordinating with local trail groups, volunteers, tourism organizations, and delivery partners
- Facilitate regional participation in Trans Canada Trail initiatives, and activities including pilot projects, and national campaigns.
2.2 Stakeholder and Government Relations
The Provincial Lead Organization will:
- Support Trans Canada Trail’s engagement with municipal, provincial, and regional governments
- Facilitate connections with land managers, authorities, and sector stakeholders
- Assist Trans Canada Trail in navigating regional considerations and opportunities
2.3 Community and Sector Leadership
The Provincial Lead Organization will:
- Demonstrate the ability to lead within a multi-stakeholder environment
- Convene and collaborate with volunteer organizations, tourism partners, community groups, and other sector representatives in coordination with Trans Canada Trail.
- Promote inclusive and regionally appropriate engagement approaches
2.4 Information Sharing and Regional Insight
The Provincial Lead Organization will:
- Share regional knowledge related to trail conditions, opportunities, and emerging issues
- Support collection or validation of information to inform national reporting
- Contribute insights that support organizational learning and strategic adaptation
2.5 Reporting, Deliverables and Performance Monitoring
The Provincial Lead Organization will provide reporting that is aligned with Trans Canada Trail’s Theory of Change and Impact Evaluation Framework (IEF). Reporting is intended to be light-touch and outcomes-focused, emphasizing progress, collaboration, learning, and contribution to shared objectives rather than detailed activity tracking.
The following deliverables will be required:
- Annual Workplan (Start of Term): A finalized Workplan, co-developed with Trans Canada Trail, outlining priorities, activities, timelines, and expected outcomes for the province. Outcomes should align, where applicable, with Trans Canada Trail’s Theory of Change.
- Quarterly Progress Reports: Brief written reports summarizing key activities, partnerships advanced, barriers addressed, and progress toward agreed outcomes. Reports should highlight contributions to relevant Theory of Change outcomes and associated IEF indicators.
- Quarterly Check-In Meetings: Participation in scheduled virtual meetings with Trans Canada Trail to review progress, discuss risks, and confirm next steps.
- Year-End Summary Report: A concise report outlining achievements, lessons learned, partnership development, and overall contribution to provincial and national objectives, including reflection on progress toward relevant Theory of Change outcomes.
Payment will be tied to the submission and approval of agreed deliverables as outlined in the final agreement.
Performance will be monitored based on:
- Demonstrated progress against the approved Workplan
- Evidence of stakeholder engagement and regional coordination
- Contribution to relevant Theory of Change outcomes
- Alignment with applicable IEF indicators and impact measures
- Quality and timeliness of reporting
Success will be defined by the organization’s ability to effectively convene and coordinate stakeholders, advance priority initiatives, strengthen regional alignment with Trans Canada Trail objectives, and demonstrate measurable progress toward agreed outcomes through proportionate, outcomes-focused reporting.
3.0 Term and Budget
The resulting agreement(s) will be for a single-year term.
This RFP includes opportunities for the following provinces and associated maximum funding amounts:
- British Columbia – $35,000
- Ontario – $50,000
- New Brunswick – $35,000
- Prince Edward Island – $15,000
- Newfoundland and Labrador – $15,000
Organizations may submit a proposal for one or multiple provinces. A separate workplan and budget must be provided for each province applied for.
The maximum funding available per province shall not exceed the amounts listed above. Proposed budgets must reflect the scope of work for the applicable province and remain within the identified maximum amount.
4.0 Eligibility
Eligible applicants may include non-profit organizations, trail associations, Indigenous organizations, tourism organizations, sector organizations, or other entities with demonstrated capacity to deliver the Scope of Services within the province.
Applicants must demonstrate:
- Established presence and credibility within the relevant jurisdiction
- Proven ability to lead within a complex, multi-faceted stakeholder environment
- Experience working with governments (municipal, provincial, regional), volunteer organizations, tourism bodies, and community groups
- Experience in trail development, stewardship, coordination, or sector leadership
- Capacity to manage funds and deliver against agreed objectives
5.0 Proposal Preparation and Submission Requirements
Applicants are invited to submit a proposal confirming their interest and capacity to deliver the services outlined in this RFP.
Proposals must include:
- Organizational overview and relevant experience
- Description of leadership capacity and stakeholder relationships
- Proposed annual Workplan aligned with this RFP
- Proposed budget for each province applied for (not to exceed the maximum amount identified in Section 3.0)
- Identification of risks and mitigation strategies
Proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format to the contact identified above no later than April 3, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
6.0 Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
- Demonstrated leadership capacity within a multi-stakeholder environment
- Strength and relevance of regional relationships and partnerships
- Experience working across government, community, volunteer, and tourism sectors
- Quality and feasibility of the proposed Workplan
- Alignment with Trans Canada Trail’s strategic priorities and outcomes
- Overall value and impact within the available budget
Trans Canada Trail reserves the right to accept the proposal deemed to be the best overall fit based on the evaluation criteria, and may enter into negotiations with one or more proponents prior to finalizing an agreement. Trans Canada Trail is not obligated to accept the lowest cost proposal or any proposal submitted.
7.0 Province- or Region-Specific Requirements
Trans Canada Trail may include a province- or region-specific appendix outlining additional or differentiated priorities relevant to the jurisdiction. These requirements will form part of the overall Scope of Services and will be finalized through the annual Workplan.
8.0 Terms and Conditions
8.1 Description
This Request for Proposal (the “RFP”) is an invitation by Trans Canada Trail to receive proposals from qualified proponents to serve as a Provincial Lead Organization (PLO) for regional service delivery within a defined province.
8.2 Non-binding Procurement Process
The process will be governed by the terms and conditions of the RFP, and that, among other things, such terms and conditions confirm that this procurement process, does not constitute a formal, legally binding bidding process or tender, and that no legal relationship or obligation, if any, regarding the procurement of any good or service shall be created between Trans Canada Trail and the proponent unless and until a fully executed contract between Trans Canada Trail and the proponent execute a written agreement for the Deliverables.
8.3 Submission Closing Deadline/Delivery
The RFP submission must be emailed in PDF format to Kristen Gabora, Director, Partner Services and Support, at kgabora@tctrail.ca.
Please indicate “RFP – Provincial Lead Organization” in the email’s subject line.
Proposals must be submitted no later than April 3, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
Submissions received after the closing date and time will be disqualified from competition. Trans Canada Trail will not make allowances for delays due to factors such as email server delays and power outages. Trans Canada Trail strongly encourages proponents to avoid waiting until the final calendar day to submit responses to mitigate any unforeseen circumstances.
8.4 Enquiries
Enquiries concerning this RFP are to be directed via email only to the attention of Kristen Gabora, Director, Partner Services and Support, at kgabora@tctrail.ca. Please reference “RFP – Provincial Lead Organization” in the email’s subject line.
Proponents and their representatives are not permitted to contact any employees or other representatives of Trans Canada Trail, other than the contact noted above, concerning matters of this RFP, unless the above contact has specifically directed you to another to respond. Trans Canada Trail reserves the right to disqualify any proponent that does not comply with this requirement and reject the proponent’s submission.
Anyone who believes the RFP contains any error, inconsistency, or omission should submit a written inquiry via email requesting clarification, interpretation or explanation to the Trans Canada Trail contact identified above.
Please submit all inquiries via email to the Trans Canada Trail contact noted above no later than April 3, 2026.
8.5 Proposal Contents
All proponents are asked to organize their submissions in the order outlined in Section 5.0. Proponents should include a Table of Contents in their response.
8.6 Addenda
It is the responsibility of proponents to ensure that they have all the necessary information concerning the intent and requirements of this RFP, and to seek clarification of any matter they consider to be unclear before forwarding a submission. Trans Canada Trail is not responsible for any misunderstanding of this RFP on the part of a proponent. No proponent can claim any advantage from any error, inconsistency, or omission in this RFP.
No information given verbally by Trans Canada Trail, or by means of telephone, will be binding, nor will it be construed to change the requirements of the RFP in any way.
Trans Canada Trail reserves the right to modify the terms of the RFP before the closing deadline, such changes to be communicated from Trans Canada Trail in the form of an addendum to all proponents.
8.7 Confidential Information of Proponent
A proponent should identify any information in its submission, or any accompanying documentation supplied in confidence for which confidentiality is to be maintained by Trans Canada Trail. The confidentiality of such information will be maintained by Trans Canada Trail, except as otherwise required by law (including, without limitation the requirements of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, S.N.S. 1993 (“FOIPOP”), as amended from time to time) or by order of a court or tribunal. Proponents should review and understand the effect of FOIPOP on their submissions, including the criteria related to third party confidential information. Proponents are advised that their submissions will, as necessary, be disclosed on a confidential basis, to Trans Canada Trail’s advisors retained for the purpose of evaluating or participating in the evaluation of their submissions. If a proponent has any questions about the collection and use of confidential information pursuant to this RFP, questions are to be submitted to Trans Canada Trail’s contact.
8.8 Taxes
Applicable taxes of HST shall be included as separate pricing in the submitted price.
8.9 Standard Clauses
An incomplete submission and submissions that fail to comply with the specification documents will be rejected. If a submission fails to satisfy all the mandatory requirements, Trans Canada Trail will issue the proponent a rectification notice identifying the deficiencies and providing the proponent an opportunity to rectify the deficiencies. If the proponent fails to satisfy the mandatory submission requirements within the Rectification Period of one day, its proposal will be excluded from further consideration. The Rectification Period will begin to run from the date that Trans Canada Trail issues a rectification notice to the proponent.
The entire content of the proponent’s submission should be submitted in a fixed form, and the content of websites or other external documents referred to in the proponent’s submission but not attached will not be considered to form part of its proposal.
8.10 Withdrawal of Submissions
At any time throughout the RFP process, until the execution of a written agreement for provision of the Deliverables, a proponent may request to withdraw a submission. To withdraw a submission, a notice of withdrawal must be sent to Trans Canada Trail’s contact and must be signed by an authorized representative of the proponent. Trans Canada Trail is under no obligation to return withdrawn submissions.
8.11 Submissions to be retained by Trans Canada Trail
Trans Canada Trail will not return the submissions, or any accompanying documentation submitted by a proponent.
8.12 Contract Negotiations
The selected proponent will be requested to enter into direct contract negotiations to finalize an agreement with Trans Canada Trail. The proponent shall accept and agree that only contracts or amendments signed by the Trans Canada Trail will be valid.
8.13 Governing Law and Interpretation
These Terms and Conditions of the RFP Process:
- are intended to be interpreted broadly and independently (with no particular provision intended to limit the scope of any other provision);
- are non-exhaustive and shall not be construed as intending to limit the pre-existing rights of the parties to engage in precontractual discussions in accordance with the common law governing direct commercial negotiations; and
- are to be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
8.14 Conflict of Interest
Trans Canada Trail may disqualify a proponent for any conduct, situation or circumstances, determined by Trans Canada Trail, in its sole and absolute discretion, to constitute a Conflict of Interest. For the purposes of this, the term “Conflict of Interest” includes, but is not limited to, any situation or circumstance where: in relation to the RFP process, if the proponent has an unfair advantage or engages in conduct, directly or indirectly, that may give it an unfair advantage, including but not limited to: (i) having, or having access to, confidential information of Trans Canada Trail in the preparation of its proposal that is not available to other proponents, (ii) communicating with any person with a view to influencing preferred treatment in the RFP process (including but not limited to the lobbying of decision makers involved in the RFP process), or (iii) engaging in conduct that compromises, or could be seen to compromise, the integrity of the open and competitive RFP process or render that process non-competitive or unfair; or in relation to the performance of its contractual obligations under a contract for the Deliverables, the proponent’s other commitments, relationships or financial interests (i) could, or could be seen to, exercise an improper influence over the objective, unbiased and impartial exercise of its independent judgement, or (ii) could, or could be seen to, compromise, impair or be incompatible with the effective performance of its contractual obligations.
Proponents should disclose the names and all pertinent details of all individuals (employees, advisors, or individuals acting in any other capacity) who (a) participated in the preparation of the proposal; AND (b) were employees of Trans Canada Trail within twelve (12) months prior to the Submission Deadline.
8.15 Notification of Successful Proponent
Notification of the successful proponent will be via direct communication.
5.16 Evaluation and Selection
An Evaluation Team will review and score the submissions received in response to the RFP. Upon selection of the most qualified proponent, Trans Canada Trail will begin negotiations in order to secure a contract. Should Trans Canada Trail be unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the proponent considered to be most qualified, negotiations with that proponent will be formally terminated. Trans Canada Trail may then undertake negotiations with the next most qualified proponent. Refer to Evaluation Criteria for details.
