HomeMy WebLinkAboutRequest for Proposal - Consulting Services - County_Duchess IDPRequest for Proposal (RFP)
Consulting Services for the Update of the County of
Newell – Village of Duchess Intermunicipal Development
Plan
1. Introduction
The County of Newell (“the County”) invites qualified planning consulting firms to submit proposals to
facilitate the review and update of the Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) between the County of
Newell and the Village of Duchess.
The current IDP was adopted in 2014 and requires updating to reflect changes to provincial legislation,
municipal planning documents, and local priorities. The successful consultant will work collaboratively
with both municipalities to prepare an updated IDP that supports coordinated growth, land use
compatibility, and continued intermunicipal cooperation.
2. Project Background
The County of Newell and the Village of Duchess share an established planning relationship through the
existing Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP), which was adopted in 2014.
Since the adoption of the current IDP, both municipalities have updated their statutory planning
documents and Land Use Bylaws. The purpose of this project is to ensure the IDP remains consistent
with each municipality’s current planning framework, complies with the requirements of Alberta’s
Municipal Government Act, and continues to support effective intermunicipal communication and
coordinated land use planning.
Over the past several months, Administration from both municipalities have been working
collaboratively to review the existing IDP and identify potential amendments. As part of this work, the
municipalities have discussed proposed revisions and compiled comments and suggested edits
throughout the document.
The successful proponent will be provided with a working copy of the existing Intermunicipal
Development Plan containing these proposed edits and comments. This document will serve as the
primary working document throughout the project.
This assignment should be understood as an update to an existing statutory plan, not the preparation of
a new Intermunicipal Development Plan. The intent is to refine, modernize, and consolidate the existing
document while maintaining its overall framework and purpose.
The Intermunicipal Development Plan area is generally stable and experiences modest development
activity, consisting primarily of residential and agricultural development. There are currently no
significant development pressures or major growth areas anticipated within the plan area. Accordingly,
the focus of the project is expected to be on improving consistency between municipal planning
documents, updating policies where required, improving readability, and ensuring the document
reflects current legislation and planning best practices.
3. Project Objectives
The objectives of this project are to:
Review and update the existing 2014 Intermunicipal Development Plan.
Ensure consistency with current municipal statutory plans, Land Use Bylaws, and applicable
provincial legislation.
Improve the clarity, usability, and effectiveness of the document.
Facilitate collaboration between the County of Newell and the Village of Duchess throughout
the project.
Prepare an updated Intermunicipal Development Plan suitable for adoption by both Councils.
4. Scope of Work
The successful consultant will, at a minimum, complete the following tasks:
Review the existing 2014 Intermunicipal Development Plan.
Review the working copy of the IDP provided by the municipalities, including all proposed edits
and comments.
Review and become familiar with all applicable municipal planning documents, policies, and
bylaws to ensure consistency throughout the updated document, including:
o Municipal Development Plans;
o Land Use Bylaws;
o Area Structure Plans, where applicable; and
o Other relevant statutory plans and municipal policies.
Review applicable provisions of the Municipal Government Act and other relevant provincial
legislation.
Facilitate five (5) to seven (7) meetings with the Project Team and/or the Intermunicipal
Development Plan Committee. One meeting may include facilitation of a public open house, if
requested by the municipalities.
Refine the proposed amendments through consultation with the municipalities and provide
professional planning advice regarding policy wording and legislative compliance.
Update the Intermunicipal Development Plan, including:
o All required text amendments;
o Figures and illustrations;
o Maps and mapping products;
o Diagrams and graphics; and
o Any other supporting visual content required to complete the document.
Present the draft IDP to Administration for review.
Incorporate comments received from both municipalities.
Prepare the final bylaw-ready Intermunicipal Development Plan, and Bylaws to be presented to
each Council.
5. Deliverables
The successful consultant shall provide:
Project work plan and schedule.
Draft Intermunicipal Development Plan for municipal review.
Final Intermunicipal Development Plan.
A fully editable Microsoft Word version of the final Intermunicipal Development Plan.
PDF copies of the draft and final documents.
All raw images, graphics, figures, diagrams, and associated source files used in preparing the
document.
Source information for all imagery, graphics, and mapping incorporated into the document.
All GIS mapping information in ESRI Shapefile format suitable for integration into the County of
Newell’s ArcGIS Enterprise environment.
***All Deliverables shall become property of the County of Newell and the Village of Duchess
upon completion of the project.
6. Proposed Schedule
Milestone Target
RFP Issued July 27, 2026
Proposal Closing August 13, 2026
Consultant Awarded August 21, 2026
The County anticipates the project being completed within approximately five (5) months of contract
award.
7. Proposal Requirements
Proposals shall include:
Company profile.
Demonstrated understanding of the project.
Proposed methodology and work plan.
Detailed project schedule.
Project team and relevant experience.
Examples of comparable Intermunicipal Development Plans or statutory planning projects
completed in Alberta.
A lump sum fee proposal for completion of the entire scope of work described in this Request
for Proposal. The lump sum price shall include all labour, project management, meeting
facilitation, travel, disbursements, graphics, mapping, GIS deliverables, and any other costs
necessary to complete the project. Applicable taxes shall be shown separately.
Three municipal references for comparable projects.
8. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
Criteria Weight
Understanding of the Project and Proposed Methodology 40%
Lump Sum Fee 40%
References 20%
The County reserves the right to interview shortlisted proponents and to verify references prior to
awarding the contract.
9. Submission Requirements
Electronic submissions only will be accepted.
Submissions shall be made to MUNICIPALSERVICES@NEWELLMAIL.CA, prior to 2:00pm on August 13,
2026. The clock on the County of Newell Exchange Server shall be considered official.
It is the proponent’s responsibility to ensure the proposal has been received.
Submissions shall include information requested in this Request for Proposal and be received prior to
the closing date identified in the procurement notice.
Late submissions may not be considered.
10. General Conditions
The County of Newell reserves the right to:
Accept or reject any or all proposals.
Waive informalities or irregularities.
Cancel or reissue this Request for Proposal.
Negotiate the scope of work, fees, and schedule with the preferred proponent.
Not necessarily accept the lowest-priced proposal.
11. Project Contact
All inquiries regarding this Request for Proposal shall be directed to:
County of Newell
Planning, Development and Engineering Services
Questions will be accepted until the deadline identified in the procurement notice. Responses affecting
the interpretation of this Request for Proposal will be provided to all proponents.
Appendix A – Lump Sum Fee Proposal
The Proponent shall provide a single lump sum fee for completing all work described in this Request for
Proposal, in accordance with the Proponents’ proposed methodology.
The lump sum fee shall include all labour, project management, meetings, travel, graphics, mapping,
GIS deliverables, disbursements, and all other costs necessary to complete the project.
Appendix B – References
Provide three municipal references for comparable projects involving:
Intermunicipal Development Plans;
Municipal Development Plans;
Land Use Bylaws; or
Other statutory planning projects.
For each reference, include:
Municipality;
Project description;
Contact person;
Telephone number;
Email address; and
Year completed.
Description Amount
Lump Sum Fee (excluding GST) $ __________________________
GST $ __________________________
Total Proposal Price $ __________________________