Comparative Analysis of Funding Availability for First Nations Post-Secondary Institutions vs. Non-Indigenous Institutions

Introduction

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations individuals and communities across Canada on matters of national or international nature and concern. The AFN hosts two Assemblies a year where mandates and directives for the organization are established through resolutions directed and supported by the First Nations-in-Assembly (elected Chiefs or proxies from member First Nations).

In addition to the direction provided by First Nations-in-Assembly, the AFN is guided by an Executive Committee consisting of an elected National Chief and Regional Chiefs from each province and territory. Representatives from five national councils (Knowledge Keepers, Youth, Veterans, 2SLGBTQQIA+ and Women) support and guide the decisions of the Executive Committee.
Objective

This Request for Proposals (RFP) aims to select a bidder to conduct a study on the funding mechanisms available to First Nations Institutes (FNIs) compared to mainstream, non-Indigenous post-secondary institutions (PSIs). This comparative study aims to identify gaps in funding sources and delivery, evaluate the impacts of these gaps, and highlight the differences in funding mechanisms and their effects on both First Nations institutions (FNIs) and non-Indigenous post-secondary institutions (PSIs). The study must:

Complement existing AFN research: Integrate findings from the AFN Post Secondary Education Review: Institutions Costing (2018), the 2019 and 2021 Policy Proposals on First Nations Post-Secondary Education (PSE), and the First Nations Post-Secondary Education: A Costing Analysis on the Establishment and Advancement of First Nations Institutions (2022).
Update Existing Expenditure Profiles: Review and update the funding profiles with current data for the three FNIs identified in the 2018 Institutions Costing.
1. Identify FNI infrastructure needs, including digital and student information systems, and their associated costs.
2. Assess and compare funding accessibility for infrastructure projects, and culturally appropriate learning spaces and compare FNIs to non-Indigenous PSIs.
3. Assess and compare different institution types (e.g. colleges, primarily undergraduate universities, research universities, specialized universities)
Create New Expenditure Profiles: Develop 3-4 profiles for non-Indigenous PSIs to assess their current funding sources.
1. Assess provincial/territorial funding, federal funding, tuition fees, research grants and contracts, donations, etc., on non-Indigenous PSIs.
2. Examine and compare funding expenditure sources between FNIs and non-Indigenous PSIs.
3. Roll-up results from the expenditures reports and supporting literature into an Environmental Scan to demonstrate current conditions.
Identify Gaps: Identify how First Nations access funding outside the PSPP and what First Nations institutions must cover using their own source funding.
1. Assess the proportion of funding FNIs must apply through proposal-based funding compared to mainstream PSIs.
2. Compare and assess the proportion of own-source funding, tribal council and band revenue, tuition revenue (domestic and international), donations, and foundation investments compared to total funding by FNIs and PSIs.
3. Conduct qualitative research with students, staff and faculty (interviews, surveys, and/or focus groups) on the impact of inadequate infrastructure support on education quality.
4. Create visual graphics that compare the funding sources and levels provided by governments to both FNIs and PSIs and their impacts on students, faculty, and staff.
5. Assess and recommend alternative funding sources, including private research organizations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous corporations, and donors.
6. Provide recommendations that build on existing literature, including national and international perspectives.

Background

FNIs have consistently pointed to the lack of stable funding, capital funding, and pathways for recognition and accreditation as a barrier to the growth of the FNI sector. The only mechanism for the federal government to allocate funding to FNIs is PSPP. PSPP is a proposal-based program that supports FNIs and communities to develop and deliver post-secondary education programming for First Nations students. Funding through PSPP has not increased over the last ten years. On average, $15 million has been available to FNIs annually on a proposal-based approach despite growth in the First Nations population.

First Nations profiles, as presented in the Institutions Costing Analysis, demonstrate that FNIs have great diversity while sharing a commitment to being accountable to First Nations, being governed by frameworks that reflect First Nations culture and values, having epistemology and pedagogy rooted in First Nations ways of knowing, being, and doing; creating environments where Indigenous students feel welcome, supported, and successful; and preserving and revitalizing First Nation history, culture, and language. The Institutions Costing Analysis identified Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) amounts, or ‘per-student’ amounts, for First Nations to maintain themselves and expand comfortably. There are immediate needs currently not covered by PSPP, and it is unclear where this funding could be sourced for FNIs. Research on the impacts of PSPP’s shortcomings and the structural impacts that bar FNIs from effectively using their funding would assist in making the case of moving away from a strictly proposal-based funding pot to a more robust support system.

Proposal Submission Instructions

All proposals will clearly identify the name of the proponent and the project title: Assessing the Structural Funding Availability for First Nations Institutions.

All proposals will be sent to Acting Director Bram Lerat (BLerat@afn.ca) and received no later than October 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm ET. Late submissions will not be accepted and will be returned unopened without exception. Other proposal enquiries may be sent to Randy Schmucker (RSchmucker@afn.ca).

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All proposals must include the following information:

Project Overview: This section will include credentials, relevant past and current experience, the approach to the scope of work, a timeline for activities, a management approach, a work statement and a detailed schedule.
Capabilities and Experience: This section will highlight relevant experience, skills and capacity, resources and/or facilities to support work, foreseeable challenges and how to work with them, and examples of recent relevant work.
Project Budget: A detailed cost breakdown including salaries, resources, travel, materials, and payment schedule. The budget should include a virtual meeting for project initiation and another for a final presentation on research.

Rights of the AFN

The AFN reserves the right to:

reject any or all proposals received in response to this Request for Proposals;
enter into negotiation with one or more bidders on any or all aspects of their respective proposals;
accept any proposal in whole or in part;
cancel and/or re-issue the modified version of a given RFP requirement at any time;
award one or more contracts;
verify all information provided with respect to a given RFP requirement, including the right to request a confirmation of the bidder’s legal status and signed documentation; and
award contracts without competition for follow-up work, if any, to the selected bidder for a given project

Evaluation Criteria

PROPONENT QUALIFICATIONS

Proponents should possess:

Expert-level knowledge of First Nation-related social policy cost estimation and analysis with consideration of holistic well-being.
Demonstrated expertise in generating primary data sets (quantitative and qualitative) with First Nations and First Nations-led organizations.
Demonstrated knowledge of PSE funding, infrastructure, digital infrastructure, operations and maintenance needs.
Demonstrated expert-level knowledge of the Government of Canada’s cabinet and budgetary systems, including central agencies and Parliament.
Substantial experience collaborating with First Nations and First Nations-led organizations.
Data custodial practices governed by OCAP® Principles.

The AFN will select the Proponent(s) that, at the AFN’s sole discretion, best serve the needs of the AFN. The following is a summary of the general considerations that will be used to determine the Proponent(s) that will be selected:

1. Indigenous involvement and/or capacity	10%
2. Capacity to do the work	25%
3. Management of the work	15%
4. Methodology	15%
5. Quality of proposal	15%
6. Price	10%
7. Quality of the price quote	10%

The following dates are set forth for informational and planning purposes and may be changed at the AFN’s sole discretion.

Description of Deliverables	Due Date
Environmental Scan	November 2024
Draft Institution Profiles	January 2025
Draft Report	February 2025
Final Report	March 2025

The timetable is tentative only and may be changed by the AFN, at its sole discretion, at any time before the Proposal Submission Deadline.

Miscellaneous Provisions

Price

Contractors must provide a firm fixed price, including administrative fees, travel, material costs, translation, printing of draft concepts and HST. Any additional costs anticipated by the contractor must be explicitly listed in the “Price” section.

Confidentiality

The AFN will consider responses to this RFP confidential information and use them solely to select the successful bidder.