Indigenous Climate Action is Hiring a Website Developer – Remote Contract Opportunity (Canada)

Indigenous Climate Action is now accepting proposals from web designers and developers for a full website redesign project, a remote contract opportunity open to qualified freelancers and agencies across Canada. This is not a typical job listing but a Request for Proposal, meaning vendors and development teams are invited to pitch their approach, timeline, and budget rather than simply submit a resume. The project covers everything from discovery and planning to design, development, content migration, accessibility compliance, and post-launch support. There is no application fee involved, and while the opportunity is technically open to any qualified vendor, preference will be given to persons of Indigenous ancestry in line with Canadian human rights provisions. The deadline to submit a proposal is July 1, 2026, so anyone interested needs to move fairly quickly.

What makes this opportunity stand out is the scale and purpose behind it. Indigenous Climate Action, often referred to as ICA, is an Indigenous-led climate justice organization working across Turtle Island to build community-based education, support Indigenous sovereignty, and strengthen land-based knowledge systems. Their new website isn’t just a cosmetic refresh, it is meant to become the organization’s central hub for storytelling, fundraising, campaigns, research, and community engagement. For a developer or agency, this means working on a meaningful project with real social impact, not just another corporate landing page.

Below, we have broken down everything you need to know about this opportunity in a simple and organized way, so you can quickly decide if it’s the right fit and understand exactly what’s expected before you submit a proposal.

Key Details of the Opportunity:

Here is a quick snapshot of the essential information before we go further.

• Opportunity Type: This is a Request for Proposal for a website redesign and development contract, not a salaried position
• Organization: Indigenous Climate Action, an Indigenous-led climate justice nonprofit
• Work Location: Fully remote, open to vendors based in Canada
• Submission Deadline: July 1, 2026
• Current Platform: The organization currently runs on Squarespace and wants content migrated to a new system
• Project Timeline: Discovery in July 2026, design from July to August, development from August to September, testing in September, and launch targeted for October 2026
• Preference Clause: Qualified persons of Indigenous ancestry will be given preference under section 16(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act
• Application Fee: There is none, proposal submission is completely free
• Confidentiality: All proposals submitted will be treated as confidential by the organization
• Intellectual Property: Anything created specifically for this project will belong to ICA once the contract is complete

What This Opportunity Offers:

Many freelancers assume an RFP is just about landing a paycheck, but this particular project offers a lot more depth in terms of professional growth and exposure. Here is what a selected vendor actually gains by working with ICA.

• You get to work on a purpose-driven project for an organization rooted in Indigenous climate justice, which adds meaningful, values-aligned work to your portfolio
• You gain the opportunity to build a project from the ground up, starting with discovery and stakeholder meetings all the way through to launch, giving you full ownership of the process
• You receive a clearly defined and realistic project timeline, so you are not left guessing about deadlines or working without structure
• You build long-term relationship potential, since the organization has mentioned interest in post-launch maintenance and support agreements, meaning steady work beyond just the initial contract
• You strengthen your professional reputation by contributing to accessibility-focused, WCAG 2.1 AA compliant development work, a skill set that is increasingly valued across the industry
• You walk away with a strong case study, since this project touches design, development, content migration, SEO, security, and training, covering nearly every skill a web professional could showcase

Who Should Apply – Eligibility and Suitability:

This opportunity isn’t limited to a single type of applicant. It can suit solo freelancers, small studios, or full digital agencies, as long as they meet the basic expectations laid out below.

• You should have proven experience designing and developing organizational or nonprofit websites, ideally ones that required custom content structures
• You need to be comfortable working with a flexible and maintainable CMS, since the organization wants long-term staff usability built into the system
• You should have hands-on experience with website accessibility standards, particularly WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, screen reader compatibility, and proper colour contrast practices
• You must be capable of handling content migration, specifically moving existing material from Squarespace into a new platform while preserving SEO value and existing URLs
• You should understand website security basics, including hosting recommendations, backup processes, and ongoing plugin or CMS maintenance
• You are expected to offer some form of post-launch support, whether that is a fixed support window or an ongoing maintenance retainer
• Experience working with Indigenous organizations, nonprofits, or other mission-driven groups will be viewed favourably during evaluation

Areas of Work Involved in This Project:

Since this is a single comprehensive RFP rather than multiple separate roles, here are the core areas of work a vendor will be responsible for.

• Discovery and stakeholder consultation
• Information architecture and sitemap planning
• User experience and user interface design
• Responsive website development
• Content management system setup and customization
• Content migration from Squarespace
• Accessibility implementation and testing
• Security infrastructure and best practices
• SEO and performance optimization
• Analytics integration
• Staff training and technical documentation
• Post-launch maintenance and support

How to Apply for This Opportunity:

Submitting a proposal for this RFP requires a fairly detailed package rather than a simple cover letter, so it helps to prepare everything in advance.

• Put together an overview of your team or agency along with relevant past experience
• Include examples of similar website projects you have completed before, ideally for nonprofits or community-based organizations
• Outline your proposed approach and methodology for tackling this specific project
• Specify the CMS and technical framework you intend to use
• Explain your accessibility and security approach in detail, including tools and testing methods
• Describe your content migration strategy, particularly how you plan to preserve SEO and existing URLs from Squarespace
• Provide a proposed timeline with clear milestones
• Include a detailed budget breakdown covering all phases of the project
• Mention your post-launch support and maintenance options
• List your team composition and the specific roles each member will play
• Submit everything before the deadline of July 1, 2026

How Proposals Will Be Evaluated:

It helps to know what the organization is actually looking for before you put your proposal together, since this can shape how you present your experience and approach.

• How well your proposal aligns with ICA’s organizational values and overall goals
• Whether you have prior experience working with Indigenous organizations, nonprofits, or similarly mission-driven groups
• The quality and relevance of your previous website projects
• Your level of accessibility and technical expertise
• How scalable and sustainable your proposed solution is for long-term use
• Your overall budget and the value it represents
• Your capacity to provide meaningful post-launch support

About Indigenous Climate Action:

For anyone unfamiliar with the organization, Indigenous Climate Action is an Indigenous-led climate justice group working to build Indigenous climate leadership through community education, relationship building, and movement support. Their work centers Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and land-based knowledge systems across Turtle Island. Understanding this mission matters quite a bit if you’re putting together a proposal, since the organization has made it clear that alignment with their values is part of how submissions will be judged. A purely technical pitch without any understanding of who ICA is or what they stand for is unlikely to stand out among other applicants.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind Before Applying:

Before you spend hours preparing a full proposal, there are some additional terms worth being aware of. ICA reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal, and they are not obligated to award a contract to anyone at all, so there is some risk involved as with most RFPs. Vendors are responsible for covering their own proposal preparation costs, meaning there is no compensation for putting together your pitch even if you are not selected. Once a contract is awarded, all intellectual property created specifically for the project becomes the property of ICA, so this should be factored into your pricing and expectations. Lastly, all submitted proposals will be kept confidential, which is good news if you’re including sensitive pricing details or proprietary approaches in your pitch.

Why This Opportunity Might Be Worth Your Time:

If you are a freelancer or small agency looking to diversify your portfolio with meaningful, community-focused work, this is a fairly comprehensive project to sink your teeth into. It touches nearly every corner of modern web development, from UX design to accessibility compliance to long-term technical sustainability. Plus, the clearly laid out timeline and evaluation criteria mean you are not walking in blind, you know exactly what is expected and how decisions will be made. For developers who care about social impact work, especially around Indigenous-led initiatives and climate justice, this is the kind of project that adds real substance to a portfolio rather than just another generic business website.

Frequently Asked Questions?:

Is this a full-time job or a contract opportunity?
This is a contract-based Request for Proposal, not a salaried full-time position. Vendors and freelancers submit a proposal outlining their approach, timeline, and pricing.

Is there an application fee to submit a proposal?
No, there is no fee involved in submitting a proposal for this opportunity.

Who gets preference in the selection process?
Qualified persons of Indigenous ancestry will be given preference in accordance with section 16(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act, though all qualified vendors are welcome to apply.

What is the deadline to submit a proposal?
The deadline to submit your proposal is July 1, 2026.

Does ICA guarantee they will hire someone from the submitted proposals?
No, ICA reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and is not obligated to award a contract.

Will vendors be compensated for preparing their proposal?
No, vendors are responsible for covering all costs related to preparing and submitting their proposal.

What platform is ICA currently using, and will content be migrated?
ICA currently uses Squarespace, and selected vendors will be responsible for migrating existing content such as blogs, reports, and program pages into the new website.

Does the project include post-launch support?
Yes, vendors are expected to outline their post-launch support and maintenance options, including response times, security monitoring, and long-term retainer possibilities.