Mineralogy - Surficial Sediments

PART 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.

PART 2 – DEFINITION OF THE REQUIREMENT
The Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) requires mineralogical analysis and optical dating services for fifty (50) sand-sized sediment samples as part of the Environmental Geoscience Program (NAF1), Eolian Deposits in Eastern Canada project. The purpose of this work is to support interpretations of surficial sediments for assessing regional post-glacial climatic and permafrost conditions.

The work will involve the following tasks:

Preparation of sediment samples for luminescence dating analysis.
Conducting mineralogical and luminescence analysis of the samples.
Providing a report summarizing the results of the mineralogical analyses and optical age determinations.

PART 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:

3.1.1. The Supplier MUST reference at least 3 specific reports and or, scientific literature between January 1st, 2019 and September 1, 2024 that demonstrate the laboratory’s unique qualifications in applying protocols of anomalous fading of feldspar minerals to sediments in Canada. These reports/literature must demonstrate techniques that have been developed and applied to optical dating of samples derived from Canadian Shield-derived sediments, including Archean age gneisses and migmatites;
3.1.2. The Supplier MUST demonstrate the ability to apply, modify and test optical dating laboratory protocols including requirements for quartz and feldspar minerals that apply separation methods, pre-heats, aliquots and anomalous fading tests of samples derived from Canadian Shield-derived sediments;
3.1.3. Supplier MUST have a trained team of minimum of 4 staff with post-secondary qualifications in optical dating procedures using specialized laboratory methods applied to Canadian Shield-derived sediments.

PART 4 – APPLICABILITY OF THE TRADE AGREEMENT(S) TO THE PROCUREMENT
This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s):

• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
• Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)
• Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement

PART 5 – JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER
The supplier mentioned in section 13 below is the only known supplier that meets the mandatory criteria set out in section 3 above.

Should Canada receive a statement of capabilities from a supplier that contains sufficient information to indicate that it meets the requirements set forth in this ACAN, a competitive process will be triggered with a technical and financial evaluation methodology of the bids proposed by the potential bidders.
PART 6 – GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS REGULATIONS EXCEPTION(S)
The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection subsection 6(d) - only one person is capable of performing the work.
The identified supplier, University of the Fraser Valley, is the only one able to meet all of the criteria identified in paragraph 3 above
PART 7 – EXCLUSIONS AND/OR LIMITED TENDERING REASONS
The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the:
• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) – Article: 513.1(b) (iii);
• Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) – Article(s) Kbis-09 (b),Article Kbis-09 (c)
• Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement – Article(s): 1409 (b) (iii);
• Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement – Article(s): 17.11 2 (b) (iii)
• Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement – Article 14.3, Under the Revised GPA - Article XIII, 1 (b) (iii);
• Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement – Article(s) 16.10 (b) (iii)

PART 8 – OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
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.

PART 9 – PERIOD OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT OR DELIVERY DATE
The proposed contract is for a period of 3 years, from the date of contract award to February 26, 2027 inclusive.
PART 10 – COST ESTIMATE OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT
The estimated value of the contract, including options, is $125,000 (GST/HST extra).
PART 11 – NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER
Supplier Name: University of the Fraser Valley
Address: 33844 King Road
Abbotsford, British Columbia,
Canada V2S 7M8

PART 12 – 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.
PART 13 – CLOSING DATE FOR A SUBMISSION OF A STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES
The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is November 29, 2024.
PART 14 – INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSION OF STATEMENTS OF CAPABILITIES
Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Name: Alexandre Rheault
Title: Procurement Specialist
Address: 580 Booth St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-298-6447
E-mail: alexandre.rheault@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Amendment #001: To correct the closing date of this ACAN.