Ontario’s Southwest (OSW) is seeking proposals from qualified creators to produce a promotional video series showcasing tourism businesses across the region. The successful proponent will plan, script, shoot, edit, and produce final videos. Proposals will be accepted until March 1, 2026, and all applicants will be notified of the results by March 23, 2026.
Request for Proposal
The Ontario’s Southwest Story
OSW is a welcoming, down-to-earth place where people can slow down, enjoy real connections, and discover memorable experiences that feel personal and genuine, not manufactured or crowded. It’s a region shaped by nature, its people and communities, offering space to reconnect with nature, savour great food and drink, and return to a sense of ease. Every trip leaves you feeling restored and wanting to come back.
The main video series will highlight the tourism businesses and the people who run them in OSW. Authentic storytelling is the key to this video series being successful. Stories must be entertaining (this is our top priority) while educating viewers about the amazing places within the region.
Support is also needed to produce videos for businesses included in the Ontario’s Southwest Signature Experience Program. These videos will serve as storytelling-driven marketing assets for both OSW and the featured businesses, capturing the guest experience and conveying each business’s uniqueness.
We are leaving the creative concept of the video series up to the creators. As experts in this field, we want to know what creative concept you believe will be the most impactful on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. The video creative concept must be repeatable so that there is symmetry across the videos within the series.
Scope of Work and Deliverables
Deliverables
6-minute fully produced episodes - taken horizontally - to be used on OSW’s and the businesses’ YouTube channels and websites.*
90-120 second fully produced episodes - taken horizontally - to be used on OSW’s and the businesses’ YouTube channels and websites.*
30-second fully produced segments - taken vertically - to be used as Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts on OSW’s social media accounts and businesses’ social media accounts.*
Final production and working HD files and rights for OSW, partnering tourism businesses, Destination Management Organizations, Destination Ontario, and Destination Canada to use the b-roll (supplied digitally).
* Our goal is to partner with a minimum of 8 tourism businesses, ideally more. The number and length of videos will depend on the number of tourism businesses willing to participate in this video project. Partners will be able to sign up to participate in this project starting in April 2026.
Scope of Work for Successful Proponent
The creator will be responsible for:
Storyboarding, coordination/scheduling and logistics for shoots, including scouting and permit approvals where applicable.
Their own film crew.
Coordinating with the tourism businesses and subjects of the video series.
Signed release forms (supplied by OSW).
Asset and Music Licensing, where applicable.
Production titling and graphics as required for the series.
The successful proponent will be fully responsible for all travel and logistical planning required to complete the project, including their own transportation, accommodations, meals, and travel-related expenses. Proponents should note that filming with tourism businesses will occur based on the individual availability of participating businesses. Filming should not be assumed to occur within a single or condensed production window.
Editing and post-production services.
If models or actors (including voice actors) are required, their fees and coordination will be the responsibility of the creator.
Support from OSW
OSW will be responsible for:
Sourcing partnering tourism businesses to participate in this video series.
Providing a list of locations/contacts that the creator will be responsible for coordinating with.
Approvals and feedback on the storyboards and final cuts of the video series.
Posting the final videos to OSW’s social media channels (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok).
Payment of creator fees. Since the number of videos will depend on the number of tourism businesses willing to participate in this video project, OSW is unable to pay a deposit prior to establishing partners for this project.
Required Delivery Timeline
Based on seasonal and proximity filming limitations for certain locations filming schedules and itineraries will need to be flexible. We will be looking to the selected creator to schedule filming in 2026/2027 and logistics accordingly, with the understanding that the project must be completed in full by March 15th, 2027. However, the majority of the filming should take place in the summer and fall of 2026.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals shall include detailed information relating to the following categories, submitted as noted below.
Company background and overview of services.
A brief outline of the company's proposed lead, project team, associated bios and roles and responsibilities as related to the project.
Company lead contact information.
Sample links to similar completed projects.
Complete project price (budget) for all required services and deliverables as outlined in the scope of work and deliverables. Since the number of videos is unknown, please provide a quote per video. Please include details of whether a certain number of additional videos would result in a discount.
3 client/past project references.
Disclose any direct or indirect, actual or potential conflicts of interest with OSW and/or any of the listed partners.
Specify the date through which the proposal is valid. At a minimum, proposals shall be valid for 90 days from the receipt deadline.
Confirmation of the creator’s capacity and ability to deliver the project on time.
To ensure a seamless, efficient, and low-burden experience for participating tourism businesses, please create a structured, turnkey coordination process. This process is intended to minimize time commitments required from tourism business staff and OSW staff, while enabling the production team to gather all required creative and logistical information. The coordination process should include, at a minimum:
A plan to lead an initial kickoff with each participating tourism business to collect key project details.
A process to create and maintain a tracker that’s shared with OSW to show the status of the project and deliverables.
Please include a completed copy of the Form of Proposal and the Statement by Bidder in your submission.
Please indicate if quotes are valid for more than the above-indicated 90 days, for the possibility of additional video projects in the future. This would reduce the need to resubmit quotes for similar projects in the future.
Submit Your Proposal
Proposals will be received by the Digital Content Manager by way of the following method:
By e-mail to: megan@swotc.ca Subject line: RFP – Video Series Film/Production Services
Closing Date: March 1, 2026 – 11:59 pm EST
Contract Award Date: March 23, 2026
Terms and Conditions
General
Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the proponent of all of the conditions contained in this RFP and an Independent Contractor Agreement, unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the agreement between project partners and the successful proponent.
The successful Bidder will sign the Independent Contractor Agreement. Should there be a discrepancy between this RFP and the Independent Contractor Agreement, the latter shall prevail.
As OSW is funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming (MTCG), this project is contingent on receiving partnership dollars from the MTCG.
Late Submissions
Bids received later than the closing date and time will not be accepted. Such bids will result in an automatic rejection. It is the Bidders’ responsibility to verify receipt of the bid by OSW staff.
Intention to Submit, Questions & Queries
Questions regarding this RFP are to be directed in writing via email to megan@swotc.ca, who may send an addendum to all Bidders, and post on www.swotc.ca. No addendum will be issued after February 23rd, 2026.
To ensure Bidders receive any possible addenda, please submit your intention to bid by February 22nd, 2026 to megan@swotc.ca.
Proposal Withdrawal
Any proponent may withdraw his/her proposal prior to the time of closing from Project Lead, provided such request for withdrawal is received in writing prior to the specified closing date and time.
Rights Reserved
Project partners are not liable for any costs incurred by the proponent in the preparation of their response to the RFP or presentations, if required. Furthermore, project partners shall not be responsible for any liabilities, costs, expenses, loss or damage incurred, sustained or suffered by any proponent, prior or subsequent to, or by reason of the acceptance, or non-acceptance, withdrawal by project partners of any proposal, or by reason of any delay in the award of the proposal.
The lowest bid proposal will not necessarily be accepted. Project partners reserve the right to accept/reject any or all proposals and/or reissue the RFP in its original or revised form.
Project partners reserve the right to request specific requirements not adequately covered in their initial submission and clarify information contained in the RFP.
Project partners reserve the right to modify any and all requirements stated in the Request for Proposal at any time prior to the possible awarding of an agreement.
Project partners reserve the right to cancel this RFP at any time, without penalty or cost to project partners. This RFP should not be considered a commitment by project partners to enter into any agreement.
In the event of any disagreement between project partners and the respondent regarding the interpretation of the provisions of the RFP, the Project Lead (Megan Carman) shall make the final determination as to interpretation.
Acceptance or rejection of proposals will be at the discretion of the project partners. They reserve the right to reject the proposal of any proponent who does not furnish satisfactory evidence of sufficient qualification to successfully execute and complete the work. Past performance of firms submitting proposals shall also be a consideration.
Proposals that are incomplete, conditional or obscure, or which contain additions not called for, erasures, alterations or irregularities of any kind may be rejected.
Prices shall be irrevocable for 90 days at minimum.
Invoices shall be Net 30 Days.
Insurance Coverage and Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB)
The successful Bidder shall provide OSW with a valid Certificate of Insurance with:
Commercial General Liability Insurance, including but not limited to bodily and personal injury liability, extended bodily injury, property damage, products liability, completed operations liability, owners & contractors protective liability, blanket contractual liability, premises liability, and contingent employer’s liability coverage, having an inclusive limit of not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence. The Certificate will contain a Cross Liability and Severability of Interest clause naming Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation as an additional insured and that the policy or policies will not be altered, cancelled or allowed to lapse without thirty (30) days prior written notice to the Corporation;
Automobile Liability Insurance that complies with all requirements of the current legislation of the Province of Ontario, having an inclusive limit of not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence for Third Party Liability, in respect of the use or operation of vehicles owned, operated or leased by the Contractor for the provision of services;
Insurance companies providing coverage must be licensed to do business in the Province of Ontario.
WSIB Certificate of Clearance: The successful Bidder shall furnish a valid Certificate of Clearance from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and shall be furnished prior to commencement of work. The successful Bidder shall further agree to maintain good standing throughout the contract period. OSW will not be liable to the WSIB for payments in connection with the successful Bidders' fulfillment of the award requirements.
Infringements and Indemnifications
The successful bidder shall indemnify project partners, its Board of Directors, employees and agents, from all claims, demands, actions or other proceedings initiated by others, arising out of, or attributable to anything done or omitted to be done by the successful bidder, its officers, employees or agents, in connection with the services performed, or required to be performed, under this proposal.
Errors and Omissions
Any errors, omissions or misinterpretation made by the bidder does not relieve the bidder of the responsibility to provide the aforesaid services and/or relieve the successful bidder of the terms and conditions of the agreement.
Evaluation
Click here to see the list of criteria and the points awarded for each section.
