Laboratory Proficiency Testing Program Services

1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

2. Definition of the requirement

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has a laboratory data quality policy that compels all operational analytical laboratories (Environmental Science and Technology Laboratories, ESTL) in ECCC to meet ISO/IEC 17025 quality standards including compliance with participating in Proficiency Testing (PT) programs.

3. Scope of Work

ECCC requires a contractor to provide Proficiency Testing (PT) samples and complete services associated with the PT program such as a written final report with performance evaluations against other ESTL laboratories and other private or public analytical laboratories.

4. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it meets the following requirements:

1) Must be able to provide a proficiency test program which consists of:

a. Four studies per year for National Laboratory for Environmental Testing (NLET)Burlington and two studies per year for NLET Saskatoon for the two disciplines of inorganic and inorganic chemistry in both solid and water matrices. See Appendix 1.

b. A confidential report for each study which contains the performance evaluation for each analyte that NLET Burlington and NLET Saskatoon reports results for in the study.

c. Proficiency Testing (PT) providers conforming to the international PT standard ISO/IEC 17043: 2010.

5. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement

This procurement is NOT subject to trade agreements.

6. Set-aside under the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business

This procurement is NOT subject to a set-aside.

7. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement

This procurement is NOT subject to the CLCA.

8. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

Proficiency Testing (PT) Canada Inc. is a unique PT provider in Canada producing PT sample and providing PT studies suitable for environmental labs to achieve and maintain their accreditation. PT Canada is a newly created organization branching of the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA) that NLET and all other ESTL are holding the accreditation with to meet ISO/IEC 17025 requirements. Proficiency Testing Canada is an ISO/IEC 17043 accredited PT provider, accredited by A2LA., A2LA is an ILAC signatory for the accreditation of PT Providers.

Meeting this standard ensures that the ECCC Science and Technology laboratories (ESTL) achieve and demonstrate the highest levels of scientific and management excellence through the combined principles of competence, consistency, credibility and communication. It is one of the steps that enable data from the ECCC scientific programs to be accepted as authoritative around the world.

9. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) - "only one person is capable of performing the work".

10. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The proposed contract is for a period from award date to October 31, 2026.

11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract is $ 57,000 (tax extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Proficiency Testing Canada Inc.
102-2934 Baseline Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K2H 1B2

13. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

14. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is:

1 November 2023 at 1400 EDT

Submission email: soumissionsbids@ec.gc.ca

15. Contact Person

All enquiries must be addressed by e-mail to:
Name: Megan Filliol
E-Mail: megan.filliol@ec.gc.ca