External RPAS (Remote Piloted Aircraft System aka Drone) for Wildlife Damage

Date: April 28, 2023 COMPETITIVE BID Issued by: Agriculture Financial Services Corporation COMPETITIVE BID FOR: External RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System aka Drone) Pilots for Wildlife Damage Capture COMPETITIVE BID #: RFP 0690 CONTRACTED SERVICE: External RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System aka Drone) Pilots for Wildlife Damage Capture CLOSING: May 24, 2023 @ 1:00 pm (MST) AFSC BUYER: Kathy Walker TITLE: Buyer, Business Services ADDRESS: AFSC Purchasing Department 5718 56th Avenue Lacombe, Alberta T4L 1B1 PHONE: 587-815-6146 FAX : 403-782-5650 E-MAIL: RFP@afsc.ca Competitive Bid #, Submission Deadline, and Proponent’s Return Address must appear on the cover page. TABLE OF CONTENTS: TERMS AND CONDITIONS - 1 - 1.0 INTRODUCTION - 1 - 1.1 DEFINITIONS - 1 - 1.2 MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS AND DESIRABLE PROVISIONS - 1 - 1.3 CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY OF INFORMATION - 2 - 1.4 MATERIAL OWNERSHIP - 2 - 1.5 CONFLICT OF INTEREST - 2 - 1.6 INACCURACIES OR MISREPRESENTATIONS - 3 - 1.7 INQUIRIES - 3 - 1.8 BLACKOUT PERIOD - 4 - 1.9 LIABILITY FOR ERRORS - 4 - 1.10 NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES - 4 - 1.11 VENDOR’S EXPENSES - 5 - 1.12 SHORT-LISTING - 5 - 1.13 RESOURCE REPLACEMENT - 5 - 1.14 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY - 5 - 1.15 RESERVATION OF RIGHTS - 6 - 1.16 COMPETITIVE BID ADMINISTRATION - 6 - 1.17 AFSC’S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR SECURITY AND TRAINING ON-SITE - 7 - 1.18 VENDOR DEBRIEFING - 7 - 2.0 STATEMENT OF WORK - 8 - 2.1 INTRODUCTION - 8 - 2.2 BACKGROUND - 8 - 2.3 OBJECTIVES - 8 - 2.4 REQUIREMENTS - 9 - 2.5 RESOURCES - 11 - 2.6 CORPORATE CAPABILITIES AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - 12 - 2.7 VALUE ADD - 12 - 2.8 APPROACH - 12 - 2.9 TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION - 12 - 2.10 PRICING - 13 - 3.0 EVALUATION - 14 - 4.0 CONTRACT REVIEW - 16 - 4.1 NEGOTIATIONS - 17 - 5.0 MASTER SCHEDULE - 18 - 6.0 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES - 19 - 6.1 PROPOSAL FORMAT - 19 - 6.2 PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS - 21 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1.0 Introduction Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) is an Alberta Provincial Crown Corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (AI). AFSC’s core programs include business risk management programs and services to the agriculture industry as well as lending products and services to farmers’ agribusinesses, value added enterprises and commercial operations. More detailed information about AFSC is available on the website www.afsc.ca. The objective of this Competitive Bid is for AFSC to solicit Proposals from those qualified in providing the specified services described under section 2.0 of this Competitive Bid. 1.1Definitions The following abbreviations and terminology are used throughout this Competitive Bid: Term Description Personnel Employees, contractors, subcontractors and agents of the Vendor. Vendor Any business that is registered in Canada and is authorized to operate in Alberta, proposing to submit a Proposal to the Competitive Bid. Competitive Bid Competitive Bid (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ), Value Based Request (VBR), Notice of Proposed Procurement (NPP), Request For Information (RFI), Request for Comment (RFC) Statement of Work The services required by this Competitive Bid as described in section 2.0 of this Competitive Bid. Contract Monitor AFSC representative that will be responsible for the management of the contract that may result from this Competitive Bid. 1.2 Mandatory Requirements and Desirable Provisions Proposals that do not comply with the Competitive Bid requirements will be rejected. “Must”, “shall”, “mandatory” and “will” mean a requirement that must be met in order for the Proposal to receive consideration. For mandatory requirements, the Vendor must provide sufficient information in the Proposals to sustain compliance to the Competitive Bid’s Mandatory requirements. “Should” and “desirable” mean a provision having a significant degree of importance to the objectives of the Competitive Bid. For desirable/optional provisions, the Vendor’s Proposal should provide details of how the desirable/optional provisions are addressed. 1.3Confidentiality and Security of Information The Vendor and the Vendor’s personnel shall: a) Keep strictly confidential all information concerning AFSC or third parties, or any of the business or activities of AFSC or third parties acquired as result of participation in the Competitive Bid. b) Only use, copy or disclose such information as necessary for the purpose of submitting a Proposal or upon written authorization of AFSC. The Vendor shall maintain security standards, including control of access to data and other information, consistent with the highest standards of business practice in the Vendor’s industry. 1.4 Material Ownership Ownership in all materials including copyright, patent, trade secret, industrial design or trade mark that are made, prepared, developed, generated, produced or acquired under or in relation to the Competitive Bid and any subsequent contract by the Vendor, the Vendor’s employees, subcontractors or agents belongs to AFSC as they are made, prepared, developed, generated, produced or acquired. Any such materials shall be delivered to AFSC upon completion or termination of the Competitive Bid. The Vendor: a) Irrevocably waives in whole all moral rights. b) Shall ensure that its employees, subcontractors and agents irrevocably waive in whole all moral rights to the materials made, prepaid, developed, generated produced, or acquired under the Competitive Bid and any subsequent contract and declares that these waivers shall operate in favour of AFSC and AFSC’s assignees and licenses. 1.5 Conflict of Interest Vendor(s) must fully disclose, in writing to AFSC on or before the closing date of the Competitive Bid, the circumstances of any possible conflict of interest or what could be perceived as a possible conflict of interest if the Vendor were to become a contracting party pursuant to the Competitive Bid. AFSC will review any submissions by Vendor(s) under this provision and may reject any Proposals where, in the sole opinion of AFSC, the Vendor could be in a conflict of interest or could be perceived to be in a possible conflict of interest position if the Vendor were to become a contracting party pursuant to the Competitive Bid. 1.6 Inaccuracies or Misrepresentations If, in the course of the Competitive Bidding process, AFSC determines that the Vendor has made a material misstatement or misrepresentation or that materially inaccurate information has been provided to AFSC, the Vendor will be disqualified from the Competitive Bidding process. 1.7 Inquiries All inquiries related to this Competitive Bid must be addressed to the AFSC Buyer on or before the date specified in the Master Schedule and as per the following: a) Inquiries must be sent by e-mail to the AFSC Buyer at RFP@afsc.ca utilizing the Q&A template provided. b) No telephone inquiries will be accepted. c) No additional information or clarifications will be provided to inquiries received after the applicable deadline. d) In order to be considered, all inquiries must provide the following Vendor information: • Name of Primary Contact • Address • Telephone number • E-mail address • Competitive Bid Reference Number. e) All inquiries received will be reviewed by AFSC. f) All inquiries will be compiled and answered in the form of written Addendum(s) issued by AFSC via Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) to all prospective Vendor(s). g) Vendor(s) are advised that all inquiries answered by AFSC will be provided verbatim in writing to all prospective Vendor(s). h) Inquiries that may contain proprietary or confidential information of a Vendor may be answered exclusively to the submitting Vendor (AFSC will direct the correspondence regarding this inquiry only to the Vendor’s Primary Contact) provided the Addendum does not: • Require a modification to this Competitive Bid; or • Potentially provide an undue advantage in the competitive process. i) If either of the above situations (h) arises, AFSC reserves the right to: • Request the Vendor reword and resubmit the inquiry; or • Decline to provide a response. j) AFSC reserves the right to not disclose information in conjunction with this Competitive Bid on any inquiry that requires releasing information that AFSC, in its sole discretion, regards as confidential to AFSC. k) AFSC reserves the right in any event to decline to provide a Proposal for any reason in its sole discretion. l) It is the Vendor’s responsibility to notify AFSC, in writing, and in advance, of any change in the Vendor(s) Primary Contact Information. m) AFSC assumes no responsibility or liability arising from information obtained in a manner other than as described in this Competitive Bid. 1.8 Blackout Period With respect to the Competitive Bid, AFSC prohibits communications initiated by a Vendor to any AFSC employee, other than the Purchasing Department, for the period of time from the submission date of the Competitive Bid up to and including the date of contract award resulting from this Competitive Bid. Any communication between a Vendor and AFSC during the Blackout Period will be initiated by AFSC, in writing, for the purpose of obtaining information or clarification necessary in order to ensure a proper and accurate evaluation of the Proposal. Any communication initiated by a Vendor during the Blackout Period may be grounds for disqualifying the offending Vendor from further consideration for the acquisition and/or any future AFSC solicitations. AFSC will notify all Vendors upon award of a contract from this requisition. Accordingly, Vendors are asked to refrain from requesting status updates during the proposal evaluation process. Vendors who are currently engaged in an active contract with AFSC may continue to communicate directly with the AFSC Contract Monitor as it relates to activities covered under the active contract. 1.9 Liability for Errors While every effort is taken to ensure an accurate representation of information in this Competitive Bid, AFSC shall not be liable or accountable for any error or omission in any part of this Competitive Bid. 1.10 Notification of Changes Any changes to this Competitive Bid, as well as the Response(s) to inquiries, will be posted as an addendum on the Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC). Vendors should routinely check APC for amendments and adhere to any amendment requirements. In the event of a Directed Competitive Bid, Vendors should routinely check the email address the Bid was delivered to for amendments. 1.11 Vendor’s Expenses Vendors are solely responsible for their own expenses in preparing the Proposal, as well as any subsequent Proposals, including any costs associated with attendance to Information sessions, site tours or a potential short-listed Vendor’s interview with AFSC. 1.12 Short-Listing A short-list of Vendors may be established. Short-listed Vendors may be requested to make formal presentations, regarding their Proposal to AFSC. Key Vendor management and technical personnel will be expected to participate in the presentations. This process is used to validate claims made in the Proposal and confirm the Vendor’s ability to meet the requirements in the Competitive Bid. These presentations must be made at no cost to AFSC. Based on information obtained at the presentation, Vendors’ scores may be adjusted. 1.13 Resource Replacement Resource replacement is not encouraged, however, there could be circumstances following the Competitive Bids closing date and prior to contract execution that a Vendor may request that a proposed resource be replaced. Any proposed resource replacement must have, in the opinion of AFSC, equivalent or better qualifications than the originally proposed resource. Vendors will not receive additional credit in the evaluation process if the qualifications of the replacement resource exceed those of the original resource. AFSC reserves the right to deny any request for replacement and reject any proposed replacement. 1.14 Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy The Vendor acknowledges that: a) Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) applies to all information and records relating to, or obtained, generated, created, collected or provided under the Competitive Bid and any subsequent contract and which are in the custody or control of AFSC. FOIP allows any person a right of access to records in AFSC’s custody or control, subject to limited and specific exceptions as set out in FOIP. b) FOIP imposes an obligation on AFSC, and through the Competitive Bid and any subsequent contract on the Vendor(s), to protect the privacy of individuals to whom information relates. The Vendor(s) will protect the confidentiality and privacy of any individual’s Personal Information accessible to the Vendor(s) or collected by the Vendor(s) pursuant to the Competitive Bid and any subsequent contract. c) The Vendor(s), if it considers portions of its Proposal to be confidential, will identify those parts of its Proposal to AFSC considered to be confidential and what harm could reasonably be expected from disclosure. AFSC does not warrant that this identification will preclude disclosure under FOIP. d) Materials produced by the Vendor(s), in connection with or pursuant to the Competitive Bid and any subsequent contract, which are the property AFSC pursuant to the Competitive Bid and any subsequent contract, could be considered records under the control of a public body and could therefore also be subject to the FOIP before delivery to AFSC. As such, the Vendor must conduct itself to a standard consistent with FOIP in relation to such materials. e) For the records and information obtained or possessed by the Vendor(s) in connection with or pursuant to the Competitive Bid and any subsequent contract, and which are in the custody or control of AFSC, the Vendor(s) must conduct itself to a standard consistent with FOIP when providing the services or carrying out the duties or other obligations of the Vendor under the Competitive Bid and any subsequent contract. The purpose for collecting Personal Information for the Competitive Bid is to enable AFSC to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information, to evaluate the Proposal, and for other related program purposes of AFSC. Authority for this collection is the Government Organization Act, as amended from time to time. The Vendor(s) may contact the Buyer identified in the Competitive Bid regarding any questions about collection of information pursuant to the Competitive Bid. 1.15 Reservation of Rights AFSC reserves the right in its sole discretion to: a) Accept or reject any or all Proposals. b) Disqualify a Vendor in the event that, in AFSC’s opinion, the Proposal does not contain sufficient information to permit a thorough evaluation. c) Verify the validity of the information supplied and to reject any Proposal where the contents appear to be incorrect or inaccurate in AFSC’s estimation. d) Seek Proposal clarification at any time with Vendor(s) to assist in making evaluations. e) Accept Proposals in whole or in part. f) Accept a Proposal with only minor non-compliance. g) Retain one copy and destroy and dispose of all other copies of any and all Proposals received by AFSC. h) Cancel this Competitive Bid process at any stage, without award or compensation to Vendors, their officers, directors, employees or agents, without assigning any reasons. 1.16 Competitive Bid Administration The Proposal must indicate that the Vendor accepts the Procedures set down in this Competitive Bid. In accordance with this Competitive Bid, the Vendor, if it considers portions of its Proposal to be confidential, shall identify those parts of its Proposal to AFSC considered to be confidential and what harm could reasonably be expected from disclosure. AFSC does not warrant that this identification will preclude disclosure under FOIP. 1.17 AFSC’s Policies and Procedures for Security and Training On-Site The Vendor, its employees, subcontractors and agents when using any of AFSC’s buildings, premises, equipment, hardware or software shall comply with all safety and security policies, regulations or directives relating to those buildings, premises, equipment, hardware or software that are promulgated by AFSC from time to time. The Vendor’s employees, subcontractors and agents shall comply, as applicable, with all provisions of the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and Occupational Health and Safety Code with respect to the provision of services and materials. When the Workers’ Compensation Act (Alberta), as amended, applies, and upon request from AFSC, deliver to AFSC a certificate from the Workers’ Compensation Board showing that the Vendor is registered and in good standing with the Board. 1.18 Vendor Debriefing The Corporate Purchasing Section will, at the request of an unsuccessful Vendor who responded to this Competitive Bid, conduct a debriefing after contract award for the purpose of informing the Vendor on the reasons their Proposal was not selected.   2.0 STATEMENT OF WORK 2.1 Introduction AFSC is seeking experienced external pilots to operate Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), also known as drones, or, in the alternative, to engage a company; that can utilize automated flight software to capture images of agricultural producers’ fields that have undergone wildlife damage. 2.2 Background For over 80 years Agriculture Financial Services (AFSC) has provided Alberta's agricultural producers and agribusinesses with loans, crop insurance and farm income disaster assistance. Wildlife damage is a significant source of loss for producers in Alberta. Losses occur in almost every municipality of Alberta but are generally concentrated in areas with low population density and good habitat. The top five counties in terms of five-year average wildlife damage are Saddle Hills, Athabasca, Birch Hills, Grande Prairie and Spirit River. A vast majority of claims are from the Peace and Northern regions. The current damage assessment method uses adjusting techniques that are only able to account for damage that is estimated using observations around a field perimeter. The inability of adjusters to access the interior of a field and the subjective nature of the estimated assessment results in inaccurate assessments and payments to the producer. Through 2021-2022, AFSC ran a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) for a new damage assessment method using RPAS automated flight software and machine learning algorithms to assess wildlife damage to crops. This entails the use of aerial imaging to provide a complete picture of damage on a field; and an objective assessment is made by a third party via a machine learning algorithm. The overall image, with damage identified, provides a clear and unbiased assessment that can be viewed by the client, with the adjuster, prior to the claim being finalized. The PoC has shown that it is possible to fly fields to collect images using the flight software, and process them successfully in the wildlife program timeframes. It has also proven that a hybrid RPAS pilot model (clients and independent contractors) is the most successful approach. Results of the PoC met the requirements to expand into the third stage of the project to expand the number of acres in the test to further improve the algorithm. While the first stage focused on equipping clients to fly their own fields and the second stage focused on the use of contractors to handle the drone flights, the third stage will expand the acres captured to further improve the algorithm using both clients and contractors to handle drone flights. 2.3 Objectives The vendor will capture high resolution images of clients’ fields that are experiencing wildlife damage. The captured GPS tagged RGB JPG images will be uploaded into a software program (DroneDeploy) that stitches the images into orthomosaic imagery so that AFSC adjusters can view the captured data, send to the analysis company (Western Heritage), and complete the wildlife claims. There will be approximately 200,000 acres to fly and capture during the harvest season of 2023. Fields range in size from approximately 20 acres to up to 640 acres. An average field is 160 acres and takes roughly 5GB of source imagery. AFSC has an agreement with DroneDeploy for the orthomosaic software. The Vendor will have the choice of either using DroneDeploy for the flight mapping and image capture (utilizing AFSC’s license for accounts) or using an equivalent software. Image stitching and orthomosaic creation must be done through the DroneDeploy application. A majority of the wildlife damaged fields are in the counties of Athabasca, Birch Hills, Grande Prairie, Saddle Hills, and Spirit River (other areas in central Alberta will also require such services). The resulting initial contract shall be for a period of one (1) year with an option for extension subject to negotiations satisfactory to both parties. AFSC reserves the right to award to one or more qualified Vendors. The successful Vendor(s) will be AFSC’s preferred Vendor(s) on a need to need basis during the term of the contract or until such time as AFSC’s business needs change. Expansion Capabilities – In the future, AFSC may wish to expand services into other areas of its business. In this regard, AFSC reserves the right to engage the successful Vendor in the future for integrated expansion capabilities/modules for other ASFC business areas. 2.4 Requirements Vendors must complete the “Vendor’s Response” column of the table below, providing detailed commentary (including examples where necessary) to the corresponding Requirements column: Requirements Vendor’s Response: Flight experience completing manual and automated flight missions required; indicating years of experience. Good working knowledge of Part IX of Transport Canada Aviation Regulations. Experience using orthomosaic image stitching software (i.e., DroneDeploy, Pix4D, etc.) or an equivalent. Reliable transportation and willing to travel to various locations in Northern Alberta or Central Alberta. Advanced RPAS Operations Certificate from Transport Canada; and an ROC-A Radio License. (Proof of Certificate is required) 2021-2022 RPAS Recency Requirements/activities. (Please provide documentation). Digital Security Does your company perform criminal/background checks on hires/ sub-contractors? Do your staff/sub-contractors undergo annual security awareness training? Are the devices used to upload data to cloud service secured and how? (Successful vendor will provide proof before commencement of any work) 2.4.1 Responsibilities and Expectations of the RPAS Pilot a) Assess site hazards and prepare job hazard analysis documentation to ensure safe drone operation. b) Prepare flight operation plans to communicate with the different stakeholders. c) Complete pre and post flight checks, logs and documentations. d) Complete flights in strict accordance to Transport Canada regulations. e) Obtain necessary permits and approvals. f) Have the initiative and ability to handle multiple tasks and changing priorities based on harvest season demands, while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and professionalism. g) Comply with all Health and Safety regulations. 2.4.2 Service Levels / Deliverables a) Fields must be flown within five (5) business days of such fields being submitted into the system via a shared excel file. b) Captured images must be uploaded into an orthomosaic through DroneDeploy within 24 hours (will be extended if quality of work is consistent). c) The captured images must be high resolution (approximately 5cm/pixel). • Most orthomosaics will be 5 GB on a 160 acre field. This requires high speed internet and large data plans. • All field edges must be captured. • Preferred accuracy for Georeferencing is <1.0m RMSE. Horizontal accuracy is more important than vertical accuracy. i. GCPs and Checkpoints are not required but can be used whenever possible. d) Weekly meetings to discuss progress and workload. e) Efficient flight planning, in regards to field distances and weather conditions. 2.5 Resources Key Personnel – In the table below, provide a list of each person/resource, sub-contractor or partnership resource that will deliver any aspect of the services, along with an overview of their professional qualifications and experience. Resource/Name Professional Qualifications and Experience Flight Manager Advanced RPAS Pilot Spotter From the table above, please provide; • Resumes and other relevant documentation. These should be attached as appendices and should demonstrate qualification and experience directly related to each person’s role in providing the services, as well as outlining any specific area(s) of expertise. • At least two (2) examples within the last two (2) - three (3) years of similar experiences in the format of a case study, outlining a description of the tasks and the related deliverables. Please include experiences with a public organization similar in scope and size to AFSC. Outline a human resources risk mitigation plan which will ensure an uninterrupted level of service throughout the life of the contract. Reference checks shall be conducted to validate information provided in the Vendor’s Proposal including resumes of resources submitted. 2.6 Corporate Capabilities and Executive Summary Proposals must contain an executive summary of the key features of the Proposal. This summary should include: a) A brief introduction of the Vendor. b) A brief company history and overview of the Vendor as it applies to the content of the Competitive Bid. c) A demonstration of a sound understanding of the scope, objectives and requirements presented in this Competitive Bid. d) The number and nature of engagements in similar scope and size as outlined in section 2.0 of Competitive Bid during the past two years. e) Industry awards, certifications and other market place distinctions. f) Social responsibilities and environmental consideration. g) An explanation as to why the Vendor considers itself to be a “right” service provider and what key strengths it will bring to AFSC in the immediate and long term. 2.7 Value Add The Vendor may describe two significant value added services provided relative to the scope of work delivered to other clients including the Vendor’s commitment for future support. The Proposal should contain a description of value added services provided by the Vendor and the strategy that the Vendor would employ in proposing a similar type of service to AFSC. The Proposal must clearly outline if there are any additional costs for the value added services. 2.8 Approach The Proposal should include the following: a) A description of corporate philosophies, values, culture and approaches especially as they relate to the requirements of AFSC. b) Two project examples to demonstrate the Vendor’s ability to take ownership, accept accountability and deliver on commitments made and to “stand behind their work”. c) How the Vendor plans to proactively address issues that may come up in regards to a relationship with AFSC. d) The Vendor’s approach to quality assurance, continuous improvement, performance management processes, techniques, change control and tools. 2.9 Technology Information AFSC currently has a contract with DroneDeploy for automated flight technology and orthomosaic stitching. Image stitching and orthomosaic creation must be done through the DroneDeploy application. Login details will be provided to the successful Vendor. 2.10 Pricing Vendors should provide pricing (price per acre, etc.) using the table below, and should adjust to fit their fees schedule (if applicable). Please note, with the expected current budget available at this time AFSC is looking for pricing between $1.00 - $3.00/acre. AFSC pays the kilometer rate of $0.55/km. Vendors must also identify any other administrative fees or service charges, and provide details on invoicing (which may subject to change based on AFSC’s requirements). Services Pricing Price per Acre Administrative Charges /Out of Pocket Expenditures, etc. Please edit table as required. Vendors should: a. Indicate any volume/quantity price breaks or any percentage discounts for the price per acre. b. Ensure that the proposed fee schedule details all professional fees, any estimated administrative fees, estimated out of pocket expenditures and value added services (if applicable). Travel and Lodging Expense The response must indicate the Vendor’s approach to travel, lodging and meals expenses. Lodging, mileage and meals are payable at the AFSC expense rates. G. S. T. Certification Clause This is to certify that AFSC will be purchasing the services with Crown funds and is, therefore, not subject to the goods and services and harmonized sales tax. 3.0 EVALUATION The members of the evaluation committee consist of AFSC staff requesting the services. Written Proposals will be evaluated and scored based on the quality of responses to the requirements of this RFP. The Competitive Bid evaluation criteria uses the following rating categories. Evaluation Criteria The evaluation committee will utilize the below criteria to evaluate the Proposal: Evaluation Category Weighting % Corporate Capability & Executive Summary (For this criterion, the evaluation committee will focus on the Vendor’s response to Section 2.6) 5 Requirements (For this criterion, the evaluation committee will focus on the Vendor’s response to Section 2.4) 20 Resources (For this criterion, the evaluation committee will focus on the Vendor’s response to Section 2.5) 20 Approach (For this criterion, the evaluation committee will focus on the Vendor’s response to Section 2.8) 10 Value Add (For this criterion, the evaluation committee will focus on the Vendor’s response to Section 2.7) 5 Demo/Presentation (For this criterion, the evaluation committee will focus on the Vendor’s response to Section 2.4) 10 Pricing (For this criterion, the evaluation committee will focus on the Vendor’s response to Section 2.10) 30 The Proposals that score the highest may be short-listed to participate in a subsequent presentation/demonstration. Such presentations/demonstrations are expected to be approximately one hour in length. The demonstration/presentation is meant to provide further elaboration and clarification of the written responses. The scores from the written response may be adjusted as per the clarifications provided during the presentation/demonstration. AFSC, in its discretion, may choose to omit the interview portion resulting in the score being based solely on the written portion of the Proposal. In the event that only one applicable response is received, AFSC, in its discretion, may omit the interview portion and adjust the process accordingly. Contract negotiations may be completed prior to award and may be used as part of the overall award decision. 4.0 Contract Review All agreements must be drafted (or reviewed and agreed to) by AFSC’s Legal Department. Any previously entered into agreements between AFSC and the successful Vendor WILL NOT be used as the form of definitive agreement for this engagement. The definitive agreement that is entered into between the Vendor and AFSC will incorporate AFSC’s Terms of Business set out at Appendix (B), as well as Key AFSC Standards for Contracts, which are as follows: • Termination for Convenience upon written notice. • No Limitations of Liability or Monetary Caps granted. • No Disclaimers of Liability granted. • No Indemnities Against Third Party Claims granted (limited exceptions). • Governing Law - Province of Alberta, Country of Canada. • Finite Term of Contract - No Auto-Renewals. If the Vendor wishes to propose alternative wording to the Terms of Business set out at Appendix (B) or disagrees with the above-listed Key AFSC Standards for Contracts, the Vendor must complete and submit Appendix (C) (Alternate Wording – Additional Clause Template) clearly citing the suggested variations. ***Note that AFSC has the sole discretion to consider whether wording changes or alternate clauses will be considered for negotiation purposes and/or incorporated into the definitive agreement. The extent and materiality of any requested changes/deviations from the Terms of Business or Key AFSC Standards for Contracts by the Vendor will impact the Vendor’s overall rating when the Proposal is evaluated. By submitting a Proposal without a completed Appendix (C) attached thereto, Vendors are deemed to accept the Terms of Business as set out at Appendix (B), as well as the above-listed Key AFSC Standards for Contracts as a condition of submitting a Proposal. A Vendor’s acceptance of the Terms of Business and Key AFSC Standards for Contracts will have a positive bearing on the Vendor’s overall score. As part of the Vendor’s Proposal, AFSC requires the Vendor to submit the Vendor’s typical form of agreement generally used with customers. ***The Vendor’s typical form of agreement will NOT be used as the definitive agreement between AFSC and the Vendor. While AFSC may consider the typical form of agreement when drafting the definitive agreement between AFSC and the Vendor, the definitive agreement will be based on the Terms of Business and the Key AFSC Standards for Contracts. ***Note that AFSC has the discretion to amend the wording of the Terms of Business as set out at Appendix (B) when incorporating into the definitive agreement and, to the extent that there is any inconsistency between the Terms of Business and the definitive agreement, the definitive agreement shall take precedence. No work will commence in relation to this Competitive Bid until a fully executed definitive agreement is in place between AFSC and the Vendor. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in non-payment of any activities performed prior to the execution of the definitive agreement. 4.1 Negotiations AFSC may require selected Vendor(s) to participate in negotiations and to submit revisions to pricing, technical information, agreements and any other items in any Proposal that may result from negotiations. If negotiations do not result in modification of the agreement(s) that is acceptable to AFSC, the Proposal may be rejected. 5.0 Master Schedule The Master Schedule of Competitive Bid related events is set out in the table below and is governed by the following principles: a) In the event that any dates elsewhere in this Competitive Bid conflict with a date set out in this table, the date set out in this table shall prevail. b) All times listed are based on Mountain Standard Time (MST). c) If required, AFSC reserves the right to adjust the dates of the Master Schedule through an addendum. # Event Scheduled Date/Time 1 AFSC to accept e-mail inquiries relevant to this Competitive Bid. Vendor(s) must use the Q & A template provided as Appendix (A) and submit through RFP@afsc.ca. May 2, 2023 3:00 pm (MST) 2 Issuance of the final written response by AFSC to inquiries received by Respondent(s). May 4, 2023 1:00 pm (MST) 3 Final receipt of Proposals. (closing date) May 24, 2023 1:00 pm (MST) 4 Evaluation of Competitive Bid written Proposals. AFSC in its discretion may change this date. May 25 to June 1, 2023 5 Interviews/Presentations/Demonstrations from short-listed Vendors. AFSC in its discretion may change this date. June 8 and 9, 2023 6 AFSC to perform reference checks on short-listed Vendors. AFSC in its discretion may change this date. Week of June 12, 2023 7 Final Evaluation and notification of award of contract. AFSC in its discretion may change this date. June 12 – 26, 2023 8 Target Commencement Date. AFSC in its discretion may change this date. June 30, 2023 6.0 Proposal Submission Guidelines 6.1 Proposal Format To facilitate ease of evaluation by the evaluation committee, and to ensure each Proposal receives full consideration, Proposals should be organized in the following format using the section titles and sequence listed below: Table of Contents; a) Proposal to Statement of Work (2.0); including: Legal and Contact Information: • The full legal name of the Vendor. • The location of the Vendor’s head office and service centers. • A Vendor contact for all questions and clarifications arising from the Proposal. • Vendor contact authorized to participate in contract finalizations. References • The Proposal should include three references including, but not limited to, organization, address, contact name, telephone number and email address. • References should include organizations that can verify the satisfactory provision, performance and/or servicing of goods and associated services, the same as, or similar to the requirements of this Competitive Bid. Note that the Corporate Purchasing Section may contact references in addition to those provided in the Proposal. • References may be conducted to validate information provided in the Vendor’s Proposal. • It is expected that the Vendor(s) will be able to arrange for AFSC to contact the references during the evaluation period. • While optional, references from Government and Agencies would be preferred if available. Additional Information • Additional information may be included at the Vendor’s discretion (but must not detract from the ability of AFSC to easily reference information for evaluation purposes). Assumptions • The Vendor is expected to identify, in detail, any assumptions that have been made during the creation of their written Proposal to the scope identified. b) Alternate Wording Template (Appendix C). c) Vendor’s Agreement Template. d) Proof of WCB and Insurance. e) Proof of Corporate Registry. f) HSE sign off form and/or Proof of Vaccination g) Vendor’s Ethics Policy (optional). The Vendor should have an ethics policy that guides their organization in all of its business activities, and should provide a copy of this ethical policy as an attachment to their Proposal. This policy will not form part of the evaluation. Appendices The following Appendices are included and applicable to this Competitive Bid: Appendix A: Question and Answer Template Appendix B: Terms of Business Appendix C: Alternate Wording-Additional Clause Template Responsive Proposals should provide straightforward, concise information that satisfies the requirements noted in the Proposal Guidelines section of this RFP. Emphasis should be placed on conformity to AFSC’s instructions, requirements of this RFP, and completeness and clarity of content. Ambiguous, repetitive, unclear or unreadable Proposals may be cause for rejection. 6.2 Proposal Submissions Vendors must provide an electronic version of their Proposal by e-mail to RFP@afsc.ca prior to the closing date and time of this Competitive Bid. Electronic versions (emails) must be less than 18 MB in order for AFSC to receive the Vendor’s submission. If the Proposal is larger than 18 MB, it must be divided into a sufficient number of files such that each email, including attachments, is less than 18 MB. AFSC cannot accept files on media storage devices. In responding to this Competitive Bid, your attention is drawn to the following: • Proposals received after this Competitive Bid’s closing date and time will be rejected. • Proposals received that neglect to follow the order outlined above in section 6.1 may not be evaluated further. ***VENDORS, BY SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL, ARE DEEMED TO HAVE ACCEPTED THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS COMPETITIVE BID***