REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Invitation:
The Liberty Village BIA (LVBIA) invites qualified consultants with a background in design thinking and/or urban development and planning to submit their proposals for a research and needs assessment project. The Liberty Village BIA aims to better understand the impact and challenges of Metrolinx-Ontario Line construction on the people living and working in Liberty Village (The project will be funded under the Transit Expansion Construction Mitigation Grant Program, City of Toronto).

Background:
The Liberty Village BIA (LVBIA), established in 2001, was Canada’s first “campus-style” commercial-based Business Improvement Area. We proudly represent over 600 businesses and over 11,000 employees. Over 25,000 people call Liberty Village home. The LVBIA is a community-driven, non-profit organization that is committed to improving the experience of our business owners, employees, visitors, members, and stakeholders.

Ontario Line Construction Overview:
The Ontario Line will be a 15.6-kilometre subway line that will make it faster and easier to travel within Toronto and beyond and will span from Exhibition Place, through the heart of downtown, all the way to the Ontario Science Centre.

The construction of the Exhibition Station, the new SmartTrack GO Station in Liberty Village(King-Liberty), and the integrated transit-oriented community (Atlantic Ave.) will have major impacts on the lives and livelihood of 25,000+ residents, 600+ businesses in our boundary, and 11,000+ employees who live and work in Liberty Village.

Project Description:
To better understand the impact of these challenges on the people living and working in the area, it is important to conduct a research and needs assessment project. This will help us identify the problems worth solving by engaging with key stakeholders and conducting public engagement sessions to identify potential solutions to mitigate these problems.

In Phase 1 of the project, LVBIA will work with the consultant to use design thinking and a human-centred approach to mitigating the impacts of the construction by:

a) Conducting research and needs assessment to understand the current state. This research will help identify the profile of people living and working in the area, their needs, pain points, and the top problems worth solving to improve their experiences.

b) Identifying actionable solutions and an implementation strategy to address the top problems worth solving by bringing together businesses, community members, and City of Toronto stakeholders to brainstorm and co-create these solutions and submit some of those projects for future funding.

The successful applicant will: Be the project manager, planner, and advisor to conceptualize and identify solutions related to the Ontario Line construction impacts.

The consultant will be required to engage with key stakeholders, including:

➔ Commercial Property Owners
➔ Small Business Owners
➔ The Board of Management, LVBIA
➔ Metrolinx and Ontario Transit Group Team
➔ City of Toronto, Construction Hub and BIA Office
➔ The Project Working Group
➔ Infrastructure Ontario

The consultant will research, uncover findings, organize and run co-creation workshops, and develop and design the recommendations report.

Project Deliverables:
➔ The hired consultant will put together a project proposal to outline the scope of work, approach, timelines, and criteria for research participant recruitment.
➔ The current state report will include the results of the research including stakeholder profiles, their pain points, needs, and the top problems worth solving. It will serve as a blueprint for brainstorming and solutions.
➔ Recommendations Report: Based on the top problems worth solving, the consultant will hold a series of co-creation workshops with residents and stakeholders to brainstorm ideas and develop a series of innovative solutions and best practices to mitigate the problems.
➔ The implementation strategy will demonstrate a phased roadmap for developing the top solutions based on an evaluation of their feasibility, desirability, and value to the area. It will serve as guidance for a potential phase 2 of the project focused on bringing one or a series of life solutions.
➔ Coordinate consultations with stakeholders including, preparing engagement parameters, best practices, and questions.
➔ Schedule and run consultations with relevant stakeholders.
➔ Synthesize information and capture it in relevant deliverables
➔ Create the recommendations and prepare the final report in collaboration with LVBIA management and the Board of Directors and based on the consultations
➔ Ensure the project is on time, within budget, and with minimal risks
➔ Ability to work in alignment with our BIA’s BOM and sub-committees
➔ Attending planning meetings as necessary
➔ Previous experience working with a BIA is an asset, but not required.

Please submit:
➔ Project pitch (plan, timeline, core team)
➔ Budget breakdown
➔ References
➔ Samples of work

Timeline: The deadline for submission is 4:00 pm on Monday, April 15th, 2024. Interviews of shortlisted candidates will commence on Monday, April 8th, and our goal is to award the contract by Monday. April 22nd.

The final project report with deliverables is due on July 10th, 2024.

Proposals can be submitted electronically to Abhi Kathuria, Executive Director of Liberty at admin@libertyvillagebia.com.

Liberty Village Business Improvement AreaVillage BIA