Invitation to Qualify - Hardware as a Service (HaaS) Solution for Private Cloud

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DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

The Government of Canada (Canada) has recognized the essential role of Cloud Services in meeting its vast array of organizational needs, as outlined in the Shared Services Canada (SSC) 2024-2025 Departmental Plan. To enhance its digital infrastructure and to further meet Canadians' expectations for simple, secure, and efficient delivery of government services and benefits, the Canada is expanding its cloud services portfolio.

To address the diverse digital needs of its operations, Canada is integrating a Private Cloud to its hosting solution portfolio. Canada is looking for a contractor who has the capability to provide Hardware as a Service (HaaS), including compute, storage and networking, in a data center. This is to serve as a foundation of a Canada-built Private Cloud service. Key consideration Canada is looking for include the contractors ability to rapidly scale, have the capacity to provide private connectivity to Canada’s networking infrastructure, effectively manage the hardware lifecycle and stay align with future technological advancements.

This approach highlights Canada’s dedication to a balanced hosting strategy that meets the evolving needs of Canada's digital landscape.

INVITATION TO QUALIFY

The intent of this Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) is to identify the suppliers who have the required capacity in delivering Hardware as Service (HaaS), including compute, storage, and networking services for a Private Cloud Solution. Suppliers are invited to qualify in accordance with the terms and conditions of this ITQ in order to participate in any for subsequent phases of the procurement process. Only suppliers who qualify will be permitted to participate in any subsequent solicitation.

This ITQ is not a solicitation. No contract will be awarded as a result of this ITQ.

PROCUREMENT PROCESS

ITQ Process – Phase 1

This ITQ is part of the first phase of the procurement process. The ITQ process will be conducted in the following stages:
1. ITQ Draft: The Notice of Proposed Procurement (NPP) and draft ITQ are first posted on https://canadabuys.canada.ca (Completed - Posted October 21, 2024)
2. ITQ Webinar: Suppliers are invited to attend an Information Webinar during which Canada provides an overview of the approach, explains the Invitation to Refine (ITR) “wave” and gathers feedback from industry on the ITQ process and evaluation framework. (Completed - Held October 25, 2024)
3. ITR Evaluation Criteria: Suppliers are invited to provide feedback on the ITQ including the qualification criteria and share their perspectives. ITR questions and answers will be documented and provided to all suppliers. The purpose of the ITR wave is to help Canada finalize the ITQ. (Current Stage – Closing November 1, 2024)
4. ITQ Final: Based on feedback from the ITR, Canada will refine, and issue the final ITQ. The instructions to respond to the ITQ are described in Section 3 – Instructions for Respondents.
5. ITQ Evaluation: Evaluation process is described in section 5 of the ITQ document, which will be conducted in accordance with the final ITQ.

Challenge-Based Solicitation (CBS) - Phase 2 - To be confirmed

1. During phase 2, if any, Canada will issue a CBS to the respondents that have qualified (QRs) under the ITQ.
2. SSC is currently contemplating the award of one or multiple contract(s). The contract(s) may have an initial term of between 5 to 25 years, with option periods. Canada seeks a long-term contract(s) to ensure stability for applications hosted on the platform for many years to come. This approach will not only reduce the introduction of technical debt and facilitate economies of scale for Canada, but also to provide financial stability to the winning bidder(s).
3. As part of phase 2, negotiations under Article 512 of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (and the corresponding Articles in the applicable international trade agreements) may be conducted with any bidders related to this procurement

ITQ INFORMATION WEBINAR

Suppliers are invited to attend an Information Webinar to discuss the ITQ. The suppliers are prompted to register by contacting the Contracting Authority prior to the date of the Webinar, no later than Thursday, October 24th at 4:00 p.m EDT.

The Information Webinar will be held on the following dates and times:
• The English-language webinar will be held on October 25th, 2024, at 10:00 a.m EDT
• The French-language webinar will be held on October 25th, 2024, at 1:00 p.m EDT

Please note, due to security reasons, a recording of the Information Webinar will not be provided.

Please note that Canada will create a document for questions received during the Webinar. Answers will be posted on CanadaBuys.

FUTURE COMMUNICATION

After the ITQ Process (Phase 1), only QRs will be invited to participate in the CBS process (Phase 2). Canada will nevertheless update this notice to inform all suppliers about the issuance of the final CBS, if any.

COMPREHENSIVE LAND CLAIM AGREEMENTS (CLCA)

The requirement is not subject to the Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements (CLCAs), as none of the locations proposed services that will be provided are located within any of the Land Claim Settlement Areas.

LANGUAGE

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.

ENQUIRIES

Enquiries regarding this solicitation are to be submitted to the email below:
PVRCloudServicesRCRs.DCCServicesinfonuagiquesARF@ssc-spc.gc.ca.