Request for Proposals Website Redesign for the Canadian Club of Ottawa

Introduction and Purpose

Founded in 1903, the Canadian Club of Ottawa (CCO) has played a central role in convening national conversations at the heart of Canada’s political capital. For more than a century, the Club has provided a respected, non-partisan forum where elected officials, public servants, business leaders and civil society engage on issues of national importance.

As the CCO approaches its 125th anniversary in 2028, the Club is implementing a three-year modernization plan to strengthen engagement, accessibility, visibility and relevance while honouring its legacy.

A redesigned website will support that plan by improving how audiences discover events, explore past conversations and learn about the Club’s history, membership and sponsorship opportunities.

The Club is seeking a practical, well-executed website that incorporates its refreshed visual identity and can be maintained easily by Club staff.

Scope of Work

The selected proponent will provide:

• A redesigned website incorporating the Club’s refreshed brand identity, built on a content management system our team can update without developer support. 
• Core pages, including Home, About/History, Upcoming Events, Past Events/Archive, Membership, Sponsorship and Contact;
• An events listing with registration/ticketing integration or clear links to the Club’s existing ticketing platform;
• A fully mobile-responsive design;
• Support for migrating existing content from the current website; and
• Basic SEO setup and analytics integration.

Proponents should describe their approach to accessibility, testing, launch and staff handover. They should identify the amount of content migration included, the Club’s responsibilities and any ongoing hosting, platform, licensing or maintenance costs.

The Club is seeking an efficient, reliable website. Proponents should recommend the most effective scope of deliverables and implementation approach.

Separate Brand Refresh RFP

The Club is also issuing a separate Request for Proposals for a logo redesign and brand visibility refresh.

Proponents may bid on either project or both. Those bidding on both may submit a coordinated proposal, but must provide separate scopes, timelines and itemized fixed prices for each project.

The Club may award or schedule the projects independently. The website designer will be expected to coordinate with the selected brand designer and incorporate the approved logo and brand guidelines.

Website planning may proceed while the brand work is underway. Final visual design should follow approval of the refreshed identity.

Qualifications and Proposal Requirements

Proponents should demonstrate strong experience in website design and development. Experience with nonprofit, membership-based or civic and cultural organizations is preferred but not required.

Proposals should include:

• A brief professional profile;
• Relevant experience and a portfolio of comparable websites;
• The proposed approach and process, including the recommended content management system and how the Club will participate;
• Expected timeline covering planning, brand coordination, content migration, development, testing and launch;
• An itemized fixed price;
• Any assumptions, limitations, recurring fees or optional costs; and
• Two relevant references.

Optional services must be clearly identified and priced separately. As a not-for-profit organization, the Club welcomes nonprofit discounts, in-kind contributions and phased-payment options.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Quality, relevance and craft of previous work;
• Understanding of the Club’s mission, history and audience;
• Usability and ease of ongoing staff updates;
• Practicality of the proposed approach and realism of the timeline;
• Value and cost-effectiveness;
• Professionalism and reliability; and
• Fit with the Club’s three-year modernization plan and its milestone 125th anniversary in 2028.
• Timeline and Implementation

The anticipated schedule is:

• Submission deadline: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
• Target selection: By mid-November 2026
• Discovery, website structure and content planning: November–December 2026
• Website design: Following approval of the refreshed visual identity, anticipated in Q1 2027
• Development and content migration: March–May 2027
• Testing, staff training and target launch: June 2027

Proponents should recommend a realistic schedule and identify dependencies, including the availability of approved brand assets, content and Club feedback.

The Club’s goal is to have the redesigned website operational ahead of the 2027–2028 season, beginning in Fall 2027.

Development may take place behind the scenes during the current season, but must minimize disruption to event promotion, registration and other Club activities. The existing website must remain operational until its replacement has been tested and approved for launch.

The selected proponent will coordinate directly with the Vice President of Operations and Communications and the Club Administrator. The Board meets monthly, and reviews will be scheduled at appropriate project milestones.

Submission

Proposals must be submitted electronically by Wednesday, October 21, 2026, to:

Bryan Detchou, VP, Operations and Communications: admin@canadianclubottawa.ca