Story shared by Najah Al-Atassi

We are thrilled to witness the growing number of organizations across Canada that are journeying forward in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #92. This particular call urges the corporate sector to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a Reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms and standards to corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous Peoples and communities. This year, we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Calls to Action. 

Over the past two years, our team has been grateful to receive numerous Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from organizations seeking to take meaningful steps toward Reconciliation. Each RFP represents not just a business opportunity, but a chance to contribute to a much broader movement with economic Reconciliation and toward a more prosperous society for all. For our small but mighty team, responding to these invitations is a responsibility we take seriously and with great care. 

Every proposal we share is the result of a thoughtful and intentional process. We begin by thoroughly researching the organization and its goals, the industry and the trends, and then we build an understanding of the context and scope of the work (i.e. why this? why now? are we solving for a problem? what is it? what is the opportunity?), experiences to date and capacity and then we identify how we can best support their journey. We engage in internal discussions on our team to share ideas and to determine the most effective approach to co-create in a way that is both impactful and sustainable. We want to meet clients where they are and walk alongside them as we build authentic community relationships and collectively advance Truth and Reconciliation. Each proposal is carefully crafted to ensure it reflects our best understanding of the situation while simultaneously centering on our two core tenets: “Nothing about us without us” and “Reconciliation as relationship”. 

At Rise, on average, we dedicate forty percent of our time to learning, product and service development and community engagement. We believe that allocating time to be in relation in community and to learn, supports our ability to develop customized solutions, based on the gifts we each carry and the experiences we’ve had — this is one of the aspects that makes Rise an impactful and trusted partner. Yet, responding to RFPs is time-intensive. Although we understand that we will win some and lose some, depending on the complexity of the RFP, it can take anywhere from four to 15 hours on average—or up to a full week in some cases to prepare a comprehensive and tailored approach. Often, two or more team members dedicate their time and energy to building proposals, balancing this work alongside other responsibilities we carry with existing relationships – with our team, with clients and in community.  

Through this experience, we’ve gained valuable insights into how the procurement process can be made more accessible and equitable for smaller Indigenous (and non-Indigenous) suppliers and we want to share them with you! This three-part series will share a few practical, wise practices that can help organizations improve their RFP processes and nurture inclusive relationships. 

Wise practice #1: The first wise practice we want to recommend is to declare your RFP budget whenever possible. Organizations often choose not to declare the budget in RFPs for reasons such as negotiation flexibility, avoiding price anchoring, or internal uncertainty about funding—but this approach can unintentionally disadvantage Indigenous suppliers that the company is looking to support, especially if the budget is relatively small (below $20,000). Without clear budget guidance, suppliers may struggle to assess whether the opportunity is viable, risk under- or over-scoping proposals, and waste valuable time and resources preparing submissions that may not align with the budget. Transparency around budget expectations allows suppliers to better understand the level of effort and resources required. This leads to more accurate and realistic proposals, and it helps suppliers determine early on whether the opportunity is a good fit for us or not.  

We will share two more wise practices in the following weeks. We believe that Reconciliation is a shared journey, and procurement practices play a vital role in shaping how organizations respond to Call to Action #92. By making inclusivity-focused adjustments to the RFP process, organizations can foster more reciprocal, respectful, and effective relationships.