Developing a stronger design culture, together

Coordinated by the Bureau du design, the call for proposals is part of Area 3 of the Montréal Agenda 2030 for Quality and Exemplarity in Design and Architecture, which focuses on awareness-raising and training of stakeholders in the shift to design quality processes. It is supported by the ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec under an agreement between Montréal and the Québec government (Entente 2018-2021 de développement culturel de Montréal). 

Call for proposals for designing and implementing support resources and teaching tools

Businesses seeking to contribute their ideas and talent toward developing a stronger design culture may submit a service offer for a contract to design, develop, implement, and disseminate support resources or teaching tools for audiences targeted by this call for proposals. Proposals must meet the stated objectives and benefit Montréal and its citizens. Businesses that submit proposals may be eligible for a contract by mutual agreement of up to $100,000 (including taxes).

Examples of eligible tools and resources: reference guides and documents (e.g., exemplary achievements), popularization tools, tutorials, design and architecture knowledge assessment quizzes, digital directories, FAQs, instructional videos, development of a web/mobile app, webinars, case studies, project quality assessment frameworks, critical path for a design or architecture project, creative process mapping, etc.

The proposed projects and activities, and support resources and teaching tools must be designed and created for the target audiences below and offer solutions to the issues mentioned.

Citizens

• People who wish to take part in participatory budgeting and other forms of public consultations on land-use planning, including citizen cocreation or coprogramming processes. Whether it be for specific projects or for methods of developing the territory, producing, consuming, or living together, citizens have the power to influence decisions and actions made by the city that impact the quality of the environment and living spaces.

How can we raise awareness, educate, and support citizens so they are able to form enlightened and reasonable judgements as to the acceptability of a city development project in a manner that encourages quality, sustainability, and resilience?

• Construction, conversion, and demolition permit applicants. Just like demolition, construction and renovation incur costs and have impacts on the environment, health, the economy, and the quality of living environments. Before carrying out such work, citizens and contractors must obtain permits and make design choices and decisions on issues such as installing systems that improve energy efficiency, reducing potable water consumption, reducing resource consumption by reusing used materials or choosing materials with recycled content, reducing harmful emissions by choosing less-polluting materials or favouring locally produced materials to reduce transportation costs and stimulate the local economy.

How can we raise awareness, educate, and support citizens and contractors to encourage responsible choices and ensure that their projects contribute to Montréal’s green and social transition?

• Citizens sitting on urban planning advisory committees. Urban planning advisory committees (comités consultatifs d'urbanisme—CCUs) are tasked with studying and making recommendations about urban planning and development proposals. Committee members are primarily involved in examining applications for minor exemptions; comprehensive development plans; conditional uses; along with certain zoning issues; site planning and architectural integration programs; and specific construction, alteration or occupancy proposals for an immovable. For each application submitted, the CCU must make recommendations to the borough council for improving the proposals. The committees’ makeup varies from borough to borough but generally includes resident citizens and elected officials.

How can we raise awareness, educate, and support non-specialist members of these committees to ensure high quality, responsible, and long-lasting development for current and future generations?

• Municipal elected officials. Montréal’s primary decision-making body is the municipal council. It approves budgets, passes bylaws, establishes grant programs, and signs government agreements. It is made up of 65 elected members, including the mayor, who is also the mayor of Ville-Marie, the 18 other borough mayors, and 46 city councillors. The agglomeration council passes bylaws and authorizes expenditures related to services shared over the entire Island of Montréal, such as social housing, emergency services, and public transit. It is made up of the mayor of Montréal, 15 city councillors, and the mayors of 14 reconstituted cities. In adopting the Montréal Agenda 2030 for Quality and Exemplarity in Design and Architecture and its principles of sustainability, creativity, and innovation, Montréal’s elected officials have committed to taking advantage of design and architecture in all actions that affect the quality of living environments.

How can we raise awareness, educate, and support the elected officials engaged in defining the city’s future so that they are able to work with Montréal designers and architects in building a resilient city that promotes the health and well-being of all and that is equitable and inclusive, ecologically responsible, prosperous, appealing, and culturally fulfilling?

Professionals in design and architecture

• People who organize design and architecture competitions, workshops and design panels. Because they are stringent and effective processes, competitions, workshops, and design panels make excellent decision-making tools. They enhance project quality and optimize implementation conditions. Professional advisors tasked with preparing framework documents and overseeing the fairness and impartiality of these processes are also the preferred intermediaries with the various stakeholders. Montréal has held nearly 60 competitions, workshops, and panels over the past 20 years and will hold more in the future. To this end, the city must be able to call upon a deep pool of designers and architects who are trained and skilled in organizing competitions, workshops, and panels.

How can we develop this area of knowledge and expertise for the benefit of Montréal municipal departments and boroughs in holding competitions, workshops, and design panels that are challenging and appealing to the best candidates but that also encourage emerging talents?

Businesses are eligible to receive service contracts under this call for proposals provided they:

• do not appear on the register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts (Registre des entreprises non admissibles aux contrats publics—RENA),
• do not appear on the Montréal’s list of companies with unsatisfactory performance (Liste des firmes à rendement insatisfaisant),
• do not have, at the time the contract is awarded, a current service contract with the Service du développement économique of over $25,000, or one that has ended in the past 90 days,
• have fulfilled the commitments of previous service contracts with other Montréal municipal departments or boroughs.

Relevance

All proposals must:

• fulfill the objectives set out in this call for proposals,
• address one or more of the target audiences and address the issues raised, 
• offer a solution that is available to the target audience(s) free of charge or at minimal cost,
• be achievable in the short or medium term (no later than the end of 2022),
• be adapted for or consider pandemic-related issues and public health regulations.

Content

All proposals must include all information required to evaluate the assessment and feasibility criteria of the project, activity, support resource, or teaching tool, along with any necessary legal documents

Capability

The organization or business must demonstrate its ability to carry out the majority of the project, activity, support resource or teaching tool by providing:

• examples of previous achievements;
• the makeup of the in-house team (e.g., combined skills and specialties);
• the competencies and experience of the project lead;
• external contributors, partners, network, and any other resources involved;
• an analysis or consideration of the current context (pandemic, staffing, remote working, etc.).

Financial requirements

Budget and costs must be:

• detailed,
• realistic,
• include contributions from the organization and other partners or collaborators if such.

Proposals must be filed online before April 13, 11:59 p.m. We recommend that you gather the required documentation first, then fill out the form and upload your files.

Businesses – You will need your registration number with the Ville de Montréal list of suppliers and the following documents:

1. Description of company (including past achievements and ongoing project) and staff, including the project lead (short bios that include education, experience, specialties or expertise) (max. 10 pages)
2. Description of proposed support resource or teaching tool, project stages and timetable, distribution or deployment strategy, and service offer, including an assessment of fees and design, development, and production costs (5-10 pages)
3. Up-to-date copy of the company’s registration with the Registre des entreprises du Québec.

Businesses: submit your proposal (form in French only)

Can a non-profit organization and a creative business join forces on a single proposal and receive funding under stream one and a service contract under stream 2?

Yes and no. Given the specific natures and legal parameters of the two funding streams, the organization and business must submit separate proposals. However, they may work together on their respective proposals such that each benefits and enhances the other without them being dependent on each other. Each proposal must meet the stated eligibility requirements and criteria on its own merits, and the organization and business must be in a position to carry out the majority of their project, activity, support resource, or teaching tool on its own.

Can an NPO submit more than one proposal and, if so, must they complete an application for each one?

Yes. An organization may submit multiple proposals if they target different audiences and concern different types of projects or activities. Each proposal must be submitted separately.

I have a contract or agreement currently underway with the city, but the work has been postponed or cancelled. Can I propose an amendment to my contract so that it fulfills the objectives of this call for proposals?

No. This call for proposals is aimed at new projects and has its own criteria and selection process.