Socioeconomic GIS Solution, Data, and Analytic Capacity

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
The Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has a requirement to engage the subscription services of a provider of geographic information system (GIS) solutions focused on economic development. The purpose of this requirement is to fulfill the mapping, planning, and analysis needs of the newly created Regional Strategies Office (RSO) within the Energy Systems Sector. The RSO requires an intelligent GIS platform specialized in economic development to support regional development through decision-making, spatial analysis, and strategic planning processes that go beyond the capacity available internally.

The work to be carried out under this contract will involve the following tasks, objectives, expected results, performance standards, constraints, and deliverables:

a) Needs Assessment
• Task: Conduct a thorough needs assessment to understand the specific requirements of the RSO.
• Objective: Determine the requirements and scope of the GIS platform, as well as the additional functionality and unique data (e.g. in-depth socio-economic data) required to fulfill the project mandate.
• Deliverable: Needs assessment report detailing the requirements and scope of the GIS platform.
• Performance Standards: The needs assessment should be comprehensive, covering all relevant aspects of the Regional Strategies Office's mapping, strategic planning, analysis, and dynamic reporting needs.
• Constraints: The needs assessment should be completed within a timeframe of 1 month.

b) GIS Platform Development
• Task: Develop a customized, interactive GIS platform tailored to the RSO’s needs, including data collection, storage, analysis, dynamic reporting, and visualization capabilities.
• Objective: Provide a comprehensive GIS platform to support the RSO’s mandate.
• Deliverable: Customized GIS platform deployed and operational, including data collection and tools, storage, analysis, and visualization components.
• Performance Standards: The GIS platform should meet the specified requirements, be user-friendly, and effectively support decision-making and strategic planning processes.
• Constraints: The development of the GIS platform should be completed within a timeframe of 3 months.

c) Integration with Existing Systems
• Task: Leverage the GIS platform to fully integrate with existing systems and tools utilized by the Regional Strategies Office.
• Objective: Ensure seamless integration and interoperability of the GIS platform with existing systems.
• Deliverable: Integration of the GIS platform with existing systems and tools completed.
• Performance Standards: The integration should be seamless, with data flow and functionality effectively connected between the GIS platform and existing systems.
• Constraints: The integration process should be completed within a timeframe of 2 months.

d) Geospatial and Socio-Economic Data and Analysis Services
• Task: Provide geospatial and socio-economic data acquisition, processing, and maintenance services at varying levels of specificity from the hyperlocal to regional level.
• Objective: Ensure accurate and up-to-date geospatial and socio-economic data for analysis, visualization, and reporting.
• Deliverable: Geospatial data acquisition, processing, and maintenance services provided as per the agreed-upon schedule.
• Performance Standards: The geospatial data should be of high quality, accurate, and updated regularly to meet the Regional Strategies Office's needs.
• Constraints: The geospatial data services should be provided consistently throughout the project duration.

e) Training and Support
• Task: Develop and deliver training programs to enhance the GIS literacy and skills of Regional Strategies Office staff.
• Objective: Enable Regional Strategies Office staff to effectively utilize the GIS platform.
• Deliverable: Training programs conducted, and training materials delivered to Regional Strategies Office staff.
• Performance Standards: The training should be comprehensive, and engaging, and enable staff members to confidently use the GIS platform for their work.
• Constraints: The training programs should be developed and delivered within a timeframe of 1 month.

f) Technical Support and Maintenance
• Task: Provide ongoing technical support and maintenance for the GIS platform.
• Objective: Ensure the smooth operation and maintenance of the GIS platform.
• Deliverable: Ongoing technical support and maintenance services provided as per the agreed-upon service level agreement.
• Performance Standards: Technical support should be prompt, responsive, and effectively resolve any issues or concerns related to the GIS platform.
• Constraints: The technical support and maintenance services should be available throughout the project duration and beyond as per the agreed-upon terms.

The deliverables for this contract will include reports, documentation, training materials, and the fully functional GIS platform. The contractor will be responsible for meeting the specified performance standards, adhering to the constraints, and delivering the expected results for each task outlined above.

3. 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:
The assessment of the statement of capabilities will be conducted based on these criteria, ensuring that potential suppliers meet the minimum essential requirements to carry out the work. Each criterion will be evaluated in terms of the supplier's qualifications, expertise, and demonstrated capability. The contracting officer will use these criteria as a basis to determine the suitability of potential suppliers and their ability to meet the project's needs.
The Contractor must have a subscriptions service with:

a) An existing community and place-based geospatial model with socio-economic development research, analysis, and reports as components.
b) Input data available for the North American labour pool, talent pool, environmental incentives, key infrastructure, demographics, business resources, and industry clusters.

4. Justification for using a pre-selected supplier
The supplier mentioned in article 8 below, to our knowledge, is the only supplier who meets the mandatory criteria set out in article 3 above.
Should Canada receive a statement of capabilities from a supplier that contains sufficient information to indicate that it meets the requirements set out in this ACAN, a competitive process will be triggered with a technical and financial evaluation methodology of the offers proposed by the suppliers. potential bidders.
5. Ownership of Intellectual Property
The contractor will retain ownership of any background intellectual property arising out of the proposed contract while the Crown will retain ownership of any foreground intellectual property created through the proposed contract for the purpose generating knowledge and information for public dissemination.
Canada intends to retain ownership of any Foreground Intellectual Property arising out of the proposed contract on the basis that the main purpose of the contract is to generate knowledge and information for public dissemination.
6. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date
The proposed contract is for a period of 1 year, from October 27, 2023, to October 26, 2024.

7. Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract is $ 63,787.20 (GST/HST extra).

8. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
GIS Planning, Inc.
311 California Street, Suite 700
San Francisco, CA 94104
CANADIAN REGIONAL OFFICE
GIS Planning, Inc. – Canada
730 Upper Roslyn Avenue
Westmount, QC H3Y 1H9
9. 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 demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

10. Closing date for submission of a statement of capabilities
The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is October 20, 2023, at 2:00 PM EST.

11. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities
Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:
Mathew Star
Natural Resources Canada
506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, BC, V8Z 1M5
Telephone: 613-222-9067
E-mail: mathew.star@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca