Quest Community Health Centre Request for Proposals (“RFP”) RFP # 2022-001
For:	Professional Auditing Services
Issue Date:	Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Submission Deadline:	Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 2:00 pm
Eastern Daylight Savings Time

BACKGROUND

This Request for Proposals (RFP) is issued by the Quest Community Health Centre (Quest CHC) for the purpose of selecting an Audit Firm to provide Financial Audit Services for Quest CHC. Quest CHC is situated in St. Catharines. We work with the community, to address its health-related needs through the delivery of primary health care, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevention and self- management services, exercise programs, service coordination, health promotion, counselling, advocacy, and community capacity building. We give priority to individuals and groups who traditionally encounter barriers to high quality health care services, including marginalized or vulnerable populations such as people with mental health challenges and addictions, isolated seniors, LGBTQ communities, people living in poverty and seasonal agricultural workers. Quest CHC has a client population of 4000+ with funding from the Provincial and Regional government. We have 50 employees located at our site. For additional Information on Quest background and annual reports, please refer to Appendix A or our website at www.questchc.ca. Our 2020/21 audited financial statements are attached as Appendix C. 

1.	RFP TERMS AND PROCEDURES

1.1.	RFP Coordinator
All communications with the Purchasing Organization regarding any aspect of this RFP must be directed in writing to:

Name:	Nancy Garner
Title:	Executive Director 
Address:	145 Queenston St., Suite 10,  St. Catharines ON L2R 2Z9	ngarner@questchc.ca

Proponents that fail to comply with the requirement to direct all communications to, and rely on information only from, the Executive Director shall be disqualified from the RFP process. Without limiting the generality of this provision, Proponents shall not communicate with or attempt to communicate with the following individuals with respect to the RFP:

(a)	any employee, volunteer or student or agent of the Purchasing Organization (other than the Executive Director);
(a)	
(b)	any member of the Evaluation Team, or any expert or advisor assisting the Evaluation Team;

(c)	any member of the potential Purchasers’ governing Board of Directors; or

If a Proponent has questions or concerns about which individuals it is permitted to discuss the RFP with and which it is not, the Proponent shall contact the Executive Director for direction and/or clarification.
The Executive Director may, with notice to a Proponent, engage a member of her team to respond to some or all inquiries as her delegate.
1.2.	Proposal Time Limit
Each bidding firm shall commit that the proposal is valid and accurate for 90 days from the closing date Thursday, July 15, 2021.

1.3.	Selection Process
Quest CHC will review all applications and reserves the right to accept or reject any proposals. The award will be based on a review of the proposals against all evaluation criteria. Each firm will be provided with fair access to information, as requested by e-mail or in writing (see RFP Tentative Schedule). Additional written materials, to ascertain the qualification of Proponents may be requested.

1.4.	RFP Tentative Schedule
The following is a summary of key dates in the RFP process.

Event	Date	
RFP Issue Date:	Tuesday, June 29, 2021	
Bidder's questions deadline: (Questions to be submitted in writing)	Tuesday, July 6,  2021, 5:00 pm	
Response to questions	Friday, July 9, 2021,  5:00 pm	
Deadline for proposals: 
	Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.	
Interviews for shortlisted proponents:	August 3 – 5, 2021	
Final recommendation from the Quest CHC Finance Committee to the Board of Directors for approval.	Thursday, August 26th, 2021	
Anticipated Appointment of Auditors	Wednesday, September 23, 2021 at the Annual General Meeting	

The Purchasing Organization may change any of the above dates and times, including the RFP Submission Deadline, at its sole discretion and without liability, cost, or penalty. In the event a change is made to any of the above dates, the Purchasing Organization will re-post any such change on the Quest CHC website.

In the event of any change in the RFP Submission Deadline, the Proponents shall thereafter be subject to the extended RFP Submission Deadline.

All shortlisted Proponents will be notified of the status of their application by August 27, 2021.

1.5.	Distribution of the Invitation for Proposals
This invitation has been released by notice to potential Proponents identified by Quest CHC

1.6.	Quest CHC is not committed to Applicant's Expenses
The application process will not necessarily result in a commitment to sign a contract with the Proponent. Quest CHC shall not be liable for any expenses incurred by any Proponent, including the expenses associated with the cost of preparing the Application.

1.7.	External Factors
Quest CHC reserves the right to withdraw this RFP or terminate the resulting contract within the terms of the contract without penalty. Quest CHC receives funding from various sources and therefore all contracted services are subject to budget constraints.

1.8.	Proposal submission
Proposals shall be delivered to the Executive Director as referred in Section 1.1.

Proposals received after the RFP Submission Deadline shall not be considered and shall be returned to the Proponent unopened. Regardless of the method of delivery of the Proposal chosen by Proponent (such as courier, delivery service, Canada Post), each Proponent is responsible for the actual delivery of its Proposal to the address and location listed above.

In order to be fair to all proponents, late submissions and phone calls or e-mails to discuss the applications status will not be accepted. Only shortlisted Proponents (individuals/organizations) will be contacted.

1.9.	Receipt
Every Proposal received will be date/time stamped at the location referred to in Section 1.8 and a receipt will be provided upon request. Under no circumstances will the Purchasing Organization be held responsible for late Proposals.

2.	SERVICES
This RFP is issued for the purpose of obtaining proposals for the provision of Audit Services.

2.1.	Scope of Audit
This proposal must address all of the following audit items:

•	Audit of the corporation and the preparation of Audit Reports and other reports; 
•	Audit of the annual Financial Statements;
•	Conduct of the examination in accordance with the Canadian Auditing Standards and in compliance with the Canadian Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations;

•	Presentation of the audit findings to the Quest CHC Board of Director's Finance Committee and the Quest CHC Board of Directors in person in May and/or June;

•	Recommendations based on audit findings and/or issuance of a Management letter;

•	Advise Quest CHC on any and all changes in accounting and reporting requirements; Attendance at the following four (4) meetings at Quest CHC each year:
o	The Finance Committee to discuss the audit plan in February, 2022.
o	The Finance Committee to report on the audit findings in late May/June, 2022
o	The Board of Directors to report on the audit findings in June, 2022
o	The Annual General meeting to respond to questions as well as for the appointment of the auditors in September, 2022

2.2.	Consultation from time to time
The Auditors are to serve as a resource and be available for consultation on accounting and related issues throughout the fiscal year.

2.3.	Audit Timing
The fiscal year-end at Quest CHC is March 31st. Typically the field work takes place in April/ May and June. Draft financial statements are usually presented to the Finance Committee in early to mid June.  The finalized audited statement /special audit reports must be provided in June.

3.	GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND PRICING

The requirements set out below will be scored and failure by a Proponent to meet any requirement will affect the Proponent’s evaluation and final score. Proponent should provide its responses to the General Requirements as directed.

3.1.	Proposal Format

3.1.1.	General
The Proponent’s Proposal should be comprised and formatted as follows:           1 envelope containing 4 original paper copies of the Proposal, including the Pricing Exhibit; and 1 electronic copy (on a separate memory stick), sent to the RFP Coordinator: 
Nancy Garner
Executive Director
   Quest Community Health Centre
  145 Queenston St.., Suite 100, St Catharines ON  L2R 2Z9

3.1.2.	Forms and Schedules
Proposals should be submitted in accordance with the instructions set out in this RFP and by completing the schedules in the attached Response Schedule. The Response Schedule should be completed without delineations, alterations, or erasures to the wording of the Response Schedule. In the event of a discrepancy between the original paper copy of a Proposal and any of the copies, the original shall prevail. Every Proponent should provide its responses to the requirements using the Response Schedule, including any Exhibits attached thereto or as otherwise directed.  The Response Schedule is attached to this RFP.

3.1.3.	Technical Issues
In preparing its Proposal, the Proponent should adhere to the following:
•	All pages should be numbered;

•	The use of scanned copies of documents should be avoided, where possible (scanned   copies tend to be of greater size than original electronic versions);

•	Embedded hyperlinks to online literature about the Services are not permitted – as needed, a PDF document containing such information may be incorporated within the Proposal;

•	Each general requirement identified in section 3.4. should be completely addressed on a point-by-point basis;

•	The Proposal format requirements described above;

•	Responding to the requirements in the applicable schedule, or as may be directed in this RFP;

•	The use of schedules provided, as appropriate, for completing the Proposal; and

•	Each hard-copy Proposal submitted should have section tabs dividing the above referenced documents, in the order in which they appear. Additional supporting information should be inserted in the appropriate tab.

3.2.	Executive Summary
The Proponent should submit an Executive Summary of its Proposal describing the main features, benefits, and any limitation or condition of its Proposal, in non-technical terms. Such executive summary shall include no reference to Pricing.

3.3.	Mandatory Requirements

3.3.1.	Unfair Advantage and Conflict of Interest Statement
The proponent shall complete the statement provided in the Response Schedule.

3.3.2.	References
The Proponent shall provide references from at least three (3) current comparable non-profit audit clients (ideally of a similar size and audit scope). The format is included in the Response Schedule.

3.3.3.	Additional Mandatory Requirements
Proponents must provide:

•	An Overview of the firm describing the firm’s experience in providing audit services to government funded not-for-profit and charitable organizations and any other ancillary services that you feel would be beneficial to Quest CHC;

•	The size and organizational structure of the auditor's firm;

•	Evidence of the firm's qualifications to provide Auditing Services

3.4	General (Non-Mandatory) Requirements
Proponents will be scored on how well they complete the general requirements set out in this RFP. These are not Mandatory Requirements.

3.4.1.	Corporate Overview 
Complete applicable components of Stage II of the Response Schedule. 

3.4.2.	Organizational Profile
The Proponent should:
•	Indicate how long they have been providing	auditing services for non-profit charitable organizations;

•	State whether they are a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) member, Licensed Public Accountant (LPA), experienced and knowledgeable in the not-for-profit sector;

•	State whether they have current knowledge with respect to legislation relevant to the operation of not-for-profit charitable organizations;

•	Have experience in providing audit services for similar sized not-for- profits and charitable organizations;

•	State particular areas of expertise which may be of value beyond the normal engagement;

•	State their understanding of the scope of the proposed professional services as evidenced by the proposal submitted, including a comprehensive understanding of issues that affect the proposed service;

•	State whether there are any outstanding judgements against them and provide details;

•	State whether there has ever been a claim made against them for breach of third-party confidentiality;

•	Warrant that the firm does not currently have any outstanding liability claims that may impact the future health of the firm and that the firm maintains sufficient liability insurance relevant to a client of our size. The liability coverage must be included; and,

The Proponent must not have any personal or business interest that would present an actual, potential or apparent conflict-of-interest with the performance of the contract to be awarded.

3.4.3.	The Audit Team
The Proponent should:
•	Provide  names  of  the  partner,  audit  manager,  and  field  staff  who  will  be assigned to our audit and provide biographies;

•	Provide the firm's history regarding staff continuity at the partner and senior staff level and its experience with other clients similar to Quest CHC in this regard;

•	    State the background, education, qualifications and relevant experience of staff assigned to the engagement, and the professional standards of the firm.

3.4.4.	The Audit Approach
The Proponent should: 
•	Describe the audit processes and techniques used by their firm; 
•	Indicate expectations of Quest CHC both before and during the audit; 
•	Propose a timeline for fieldwork and final reporting;
•	Provide a proposed fee structure inclusive of any expenses or administrative fees for each of the 5 (five) years of the proposal period (2022-2027), including any assurances that can be given regarding fees in future years, and the maximum fee that would be charged;

•	Describe their billing rates and procedures for technical questions that may come up during the year, or whether these occasional services are covered in the proposed fee structure;

•	Indicate any additional services that the firm can provide that might be beneficial to Quest CHC and the fee schedule that would apply;
•	Complete credit references in the Response Schedule.

3.4.5.	Legal Actions
The Proponent should disclose any pending or threatened legal actions against the Proponent or by the Proponent against any third party that may have an impact on the Service proposed. 

3.4.6.	Pricing Schedule
The Proponent shall complete the Pricing Exhibit in the Response Schedule.

3.5	Type of Agreement
Project Based Contract for Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2022 with an option to extend annually for an additional 4 (four) years.

4.	EVALUATION CRITERIA

4.1.	General
The evaluation of the Proposals will be conducted by the Quest CHC Finance Committee based on, but not limited to, the following criteria:

Description	Points	Weighting	
Stage I: Mandatory Requirements	
Unfair Advantage and Conflict of Interest Statement Completed	P/F	N/A	
Reference Completed	P/F	N/A	
Additional Mandatory Requirements	P/F	N/A	
Stage II: General Requirements	
Corporate Overview and Financial Viability	P/F	N/A	
Organizational Profile including audit team and audit approach

		30%	
Stage III: Shortlisted Proponents	
In-person Interview

		20%	
Stage IV: References	
Validation of references will occur at this stage of the evaluation	P/F	N/A	
Stage V: Price	
Price		50%	

Please note that all scores on stage I and II of the above evaluation process will be used to shortlist Proponents.

There will be a minimum of 2 shortlisted Proponents invited to an interview.
Proposals that do not meet the mandatory requirements listed above will be disqualified.

Proponents are expected to respond to all requirements of this RFP

4.2.	Stage I - Review of Mandatory Requirements (Pass/Fail)
Proposals that do not meet the mandatory requirements will be disqualified.

4.3.	Stage II- General Requirements (30%)
Proponents are to respond to the General Requirements of this RFP in the Response Schedule or as otherwise directed in that schedule.

4.4.	Stage III – In person interviews (20%)
Shortlisted Proponents are expected to accommodate to the dates and times of the interviews.

4.5.	Stage IV- Reference Verification (Pass/Fail)
The Purchasing Organization will verify as many references provided by the Proponent in
The References as the Evaluation Team may deem appropriate. References will be assessed on a pass/fail basis as to their satisfaction with the Services delivered, and will serve to validate (or not, as the case may be) the evaluation conducted by the Evaluation Team.

4.6.	Stage V - Pricing (50%) 
Pricing will be scored on a pricing formula established by the Evaluation Team on the basis of the information provided in the Price Exhibit set out in the Response Schedule.

4.7.	Discussions with Preferred Proponent
After identifying the Preferred Proponent, the Purchasing Organization will finalize the draft terms and conditions of the Agreement with the Preferred Proponent.

For certainty, the Purchasing Organization makes no commitment to the Preferred Proponent that the Agreement will be executed, until the Auditor is approved at the Annual General Meeting in September 2021. The Preferred Proponent acknowledges that the commencement of any discussions does not obligate the Purchaser to execute an Agreement.

4.8.	Successful Proponent
The successful Proponents will be required to:

•	Provide the services for fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 with an option to extend annually for an additional 4 (four) years. Annual extensions will be determined through a vote at the Annual General Meeting;

•	Provide invoices to Quest CHC on account of their services; 

•	Provide Quest CHC with an HST number for their business.
Appendix A

Quest Community Health Centre Background

Quest CHC is a non-profit organization providing primary health care, health promotion and a wide variety of community programs to residents of St. Catharines and the Niagara Region since 2010.

Our team consists of a wide range of interdisciplinary healthcare providers working in a shared care model. Our focus is on the delivery of client centred holistic health care that seeks to remove barriers to care as well as address the Social Determinants of Health.

Our Team includes:

•	Client Coordinators	•	Physicians	
•	Nurse Practitioners	•	Nurses	
•	Dietitians	•	Health Promoters	
•	Therapists/Social Workers	•	Community Health Workers	
•	Community Outreach Workers	•	Full Dental Team
•	Volunteer professionals such as chiropractors and learners from various disciplines	

Quest CHC is a publicly-funded, charitable organization which is governed by a Board of Directors. We are a member of the Alliance for Healthy Communities (previously the Ontario Association of Community Health Centres).

Our Vision

A healthy and engaged community, that participates, collaborates, celebrates and grows. 

Our Mission

Quest CHC supports individuals experiencing social, economic and cultural barriers by providing primary healthcare services and promoting wellness, community and social justice.

Our Values

Quest CHC believes that all people have a right to be treated with dignity and respect, acknowledging that all forms of oppression including racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, ageism, classism, and economic oppression impact the health and well-being of individuals and communities.  Board and staff operationalize this belief by ensuring that all our actions are guided by the following core values:

•	Health Promotion	•	Empowerment	
•	Service Access	•	Accountability	
•	Sustainability	•	Learning and Innovation	
•	Holistic Practice & Collaboration	•	Ecological and Environmental Responsibility	
APPENDIX B RESPONSE SCHEDULE FOR
RFP NO. 2022-001 FOR AUDITING SERVICES
ISSUE DATE: Monday, June 28, 2021

CLOSING TIME: AT 4:00 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME (EDT) ON Thursday, July 15, 2021

Response Schedule

Please provide concise responses to the following questions in complete sentences where applicable. Any questions left blank in your company’s response will be evaluated unfavourably. Please keep this in mind when completing your company’s response.
Please note any or all parts of this response schedule will form the basis of the Scope of Work incorporated in the Services Agreement that will be signed with the awarded Proponent.
Please review all RFP materials before completing this schedule.

Stage I – Mandatory Requirements

Proposals that do not meet the mandatory requirements will be disqualified.  A Proposal must include, or conform to, the following Mandatory Requirements:

Unfair Advantage and Conflict of Interest Statement

Unfair Advantage and Conflict of Interest Statement provided for in the Response Schedule, completed, by the Proponent in accordance with the instructions contained in that schedule.

References

The References in the Response Schedule, completed by the Proponent in accordance with the instructions contained in that schedule.
Additional Mandatory Requirements

Proponents must answer the additional mandatory requirements set out in Section 3.3.3 of the RFP and in the Response Schedule.

Please note Proponents unable to comply with any of the Mandatory Requirements shall be eliminated from the process and will not be further considered.

Unfair Advantage and Conflict of Interest Statement

In the event that the boxes below are left blank, the Proponent shall be deemed to declare that
(a)	It has had no Unfair Advantage in preparing its Proposal and (b) there is no foreseeable actual or potential Conflict of Interest in performing the contractual obligations contemplated in the RFP.
If either or both of the statements below apply, check the appropriate box:

•	The Proponent declares that there is an actual or potential Unfair Advantage relating to the preparation of its Proposal.

•	The Proponent declares that there is an actual or potential Conflict of Interest in performing the contractual obligations contemplated in the RFP.

In the event the Proponent declares an actual or potential Unfair Advantage and/or an actual or potential Conflict of Interest (by marking either of the boxes above), the Proponent shall provide all relevant detailed information below.

The Proponent agrees to provide any additional information which may be requested by the Executive Director, in the form prescribed by the Executive Director. Where, in its sole discretion, the Purchasing Organization concludes that an Unfair Advantage and/or Conflict of Interest arises, it may, in addition to any other remedy available to it at law or in equity, disqualify the Proponent’s Proposal or terminate any Agreement awarded to the Proponent under the RFP.

References

Subject to the requirements set out in this RFP, the Proponent shall state below its experience on work that is similar to that which is contemplated in this RFP.  Quest CHC may, at its discretion, request any additional references in support of the RFP.  The Proponent shall comply with any such request.
Reference 1	Proponent Response	
Organization name		
Address		
		
Number of sites/facilities		
Contact Information
Identify appropriate contacts to discuss the Services (e.g., Director of … in this area)	Contact Name & Title	

	
	Phone		
	Email		
Detailed description of the Services provided		
Start-up date of implementation		

Reference 2	Proponent Response	
Organization name		
Address		
		
Number of sites/facilities		
Contact Information
Identify appropriate contacts to discuss the Services (e.g., Director of … in this area)	Contact Name & Title	

	
	Phone		
	Email		
Detailed description of the Services provided		
Start-up date of implementation		

Reference 3	Proponent Response	
Organization name		
Address		
		
Number of sites/facilities		
Contact Information
Identify appropriate contacts to discuss the Services (e.g., Director of … in this area)	Contact Name & Title	

	
	Phone		
	Email		
Detailed description of the Services provided		
Start-up date of implementation		

Additional Mandatory Requirements

Please limit your answers to  250 words or less	
An Overview of the firm describing the firm’s experience in providing audit services to government funded not-for-profit and charitable organizations and any other ancillary services that you feel would be beneficial to Quest CHC.	

	
Provide the size and organizational structure of the auditor's firm.	
	
Provide evidence of the firm's qualifications to provide Auditing Services.	

         Stage II – General Requirements 

Completion of this document is required to establish whether a Proponent possesses the capacity, skill and reliability necessary for the proper execution of the Agreement.
Please provide concise responses to the following questions.

                 Corporate Overview

Item	Proponent Response	
Identification	
Corporate head office location		
Other locations		
Indicate whether incorporated, partnership, sole proprietorship, consortium or other		
Incorporation date		
Place of incorporation		
Incorporation type (provincial/federal)		
Number of years in business		
Number of years in Canada		
Corporate Overview (In 300 words or less),	
Brief overview of the company background and its corporate philosophy	

	
Brief description of the area and scope of services provided by your organization		
Type of clients		
Organizational Profile (In 300 words or less),	
Proponent should indicate how long they have been providing auditing services for non-profit
charitable organizations.		
Proponent should state whether they are a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) member, Licensed Public Accountant (LPA), experienced and knowledgeable in the not-for- profit sector;		
Proponent should state whether they have current knowledge and experience with respect to legislation relevant to the operation of not-for-profit charitable organizations;		
The Proponent should state their experience in providing audit services for similar sized not- for-profits and charitable organizations? 		
The proponent should state particular areas of expertise which may be of value beyond the normal engagement;		
The Proponent should state their understanding of the scope of the proposed professional services as evidenced by the proposal submitted, including a comprehensive understanding of issues that affect the proposed service;		
Proponent should state whether there are any outstanding judgements against them and provide details;		
Proponent should state whether there has ever been a claim made against them for breach of third-party confidentiality;		
Proponent should warrant that the firm does not currently have any outstanding liability claims that may impact the future health of the firm and that the firm maintains sufficient liability insurance relevant to a client of our size. The liability coverage must be included;		
Proponent should state that it does not have any personal or business interest that would present an actual, potential or apparent conflict-of-interest with the performance of the contract to be awarded.		
The Audit Team (In 300 words or less),	
Proponent should provide names of the partner, audit manager, and field staff who will be assigned to our audit and provide biographies;		
Proponent should provide the firm's history regarding staff continuity at the partner and senior staff level;		
The Proponent should state the background, education, qualifications and relevant experience of staff assigned to the engagement;		
The Audit Approach (In 300 words or less),	
Proponent should describe the audit processes and techniques used by their firm;	

Proponent should indicate expectations of  Quest CHC both before and during the audit;		
Proponent should propose a timeline for fieldwork and final reporting;		
Proponent should provide a proposed fee structure inclusive of any expenses or administrative fees for each of the 5 (five) years of the proposal period (2021/22-2025/26), including any assurances that can be given regarding fees in future years, and the maximum fee that would be charged;		
Proponent should describe their billing rates and procedures for technical questions that may come up during the year, or whether these occasional services are covered in the proposed fee structure;		
Proponent should indicate any additional services that the firm can provide that might be beneficial to Quest CHC and the fee schedule that would apply;

		
Legal Actions (In 250 words or less),	
The Proponent should disclose any pending or threatened legal action against the Proponent, or by the Proponent against any third party, that may have an impact on the service proposed by the proponent under this RFP.		

Stage III 
                                       Price Exhibit

1.	Proposed Price: $  	

The Proponent is to complete this Exhibit in accordance with the instructions contained in this RFP, provided that the following shall apply:

(a)	All prices shall be provided in Canadian funds and shall include all applicable customs duties, tariffs, overhead, profit, permits, licenses, labour, carriage insurance, and warranties. All prices shall be quoted exclusive of applicable taxes, taxes if applicable, should be stated separately;

(b)	All prices quoted, unless otherwise instructed in this RFP, shall remain firm for the period set out in the RFP;

(c)	Travel, meal and accommodation expenses shall not be paid, and should not be quoted;

(d)	In the event of any discrepancy in the pricing, the lowest unit price submitted shall prevail; and

(e)	The Proponent is deemed to confirm that it has prepared its proposed pricing with reference to all of the provisions of the Agreement and Form of Agreement.

2.	Payment Terms and Conditions

Standard payment terms for the Purchaser are net 45 days subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement.