Marketing RFP Issued By Canada Council For The Arts

The Canada Council for the Arts was created by the Canadian Parliament in 1957 “to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts” for the benefit of Canadians. The Council provides support to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations through grants, payments, prizes, awards and services. By strengthening arts practice and making the arts an integral part of Canadian life, it aims to develop a vital and diverse arts sector that enriches the lives of all Canadians. The Council’s operating budget is approximately $193 million.

The organization has issued an RFP for a digital agency or marketing agency to provide research and analysis services to the Canada Council for the Arts.

By way of background, Canada has long been a leader in digital technology and content creation, use and consumption. According to the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, based on the amount of time Canadians spend online, they are among the heaviest users of the Internet in the world. It is no surprise, then, that Canada’s public, private and voluntary sectors are all preoccupied with the challenge of ensuring Canada succeeds as a digital nation.

As such, The Canada Council for the Arts is developing a strategy to support the arts sector in its ongoing adaptation to the digital transformation. The strategy will aim to ensure the arts sector’s adaptability, sustainability and capacity in a digital age.

In developing its strategy, the Council will consider how to:

• work within its mandate and focus on artistic creation, dissemination, production, and public engagement;
• clearly differentiate its work in this area from other federal and provincial/territorial digital policy initiatives, programs and strategies;
• achieve impact for both artists and arts organizations;
• build a plan for the Council’s investment that has a long-view and that remains iterative and flexible as digital technologies e

The Council is conducting a comprehensive research initiative that will review and assess strategies and studies at the national and international level designed to support and promote digital capacity in the arts and culture, and survey the Canadian professional arts sector to understand the current level of integration of digital technology and the opportunities for the future.

The goal of this research will be to understand the current landscape related to integration of digital technology in art and digital arts practices and to identify how the arts sector is adapting to the challenges and opportunities presented by Canada’s rapid adoption of digital tools and the resulting emergence of networked culture.

The total budget is approximately $175-$200K.

Proposals must be submitted by email by Monday, January 18, 2016 to:

Alexis Andrew

Director, Research, Evaluation and Performance Measurement

Canada Council for the Arts

Performance Court

2nd Floor, 150 Elgin Street

P.O. Box 1047

Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5V8 alexis.andrew@canadacouncil.ca and celine.gratton@canadacouncil.ca

There are many strong Canadian marketing companies likely to pursue this interesting and high-profile engagement.