ACAN – COURT REPORTING SERVICES

ACAN – COURT REPORTING SERVICES

Tender Notice
Status - Active

Dates
Publication date: 22 May, 2024
Amendment date: None
Date closing: 5 June, 2024 at 2:00pm Eastern Daylight Team

Details
Reference number:
Solicitation number: 5X001-24-0029
Region of opportunity: Canada
Region of delivery: National Capital Region (NCR)
Notice type: Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)
GSIN R116A - Court Reporting Services

Trade agreements – This requirement is subject to the following trade agreements

Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)

Tendering procedure: ACAN
Procurement entity: Courts Administration Service
End user entity: Courts Administration Service
Contact Information: Leticia Obeng Asante
Email: Leticia.Obeng-Asante@cas-satj.gc.ca
Address: 90 Sparks Street, Ottawa, On, K1A 0H9, CA

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 Requirements
The Designated Proceedings Services (DES) of the Courts Administration Service (CAS) requires a bilingual Court Reporter who hold a valid Top-Secret SIGINT clearance to provide Court Reporting and Transcription services on an as and when required basis. The work must be performed primarily in Ottawa with possible services in other CAS offices across Canada. Please note that travel fees will not be covered for work performed in the National Capital Region (NCR).

2.1. Objectives:

CAS requires the services of a bilingual Top-Secret SIGINT cleared court reporter to:

a) Provide Court Reporting and Transcription services in both French and English.
b) Provide certified French and English transcripts of court proceedings.

2.2. Tasks

The supplier must:
- provide English and French Court Reporting and Transcription services at Court hearings or sessions.
- prepare English and French certified transcripts of Court hearings or sessions.

3. Work Location

3.1 In person

- The Top-Secret SIGINT Court Reporter must perform the required work in a secured facility in the NCR.
- In the event where work must be performed outside of the NCR, the Top-Secret SIGINT Court Reporter must perform the required work in a secured facility in Canada as directed by the Project Authority.

4. Background

The Federal Court has jurisdiction over matters pursuant to a series of federal statutes (including, but not limited to, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, the Canada Evidence Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Secure Air Transport Act, and the Prevention of Terrorist Travel Act).
When certain matters arise in the context of specific provisions in those statutes, they must be adjudicated before a Federal Court judge that has been designated by the Chief Justice (i.e. a “designated judge”), and these matters are referred to as “designated proceedings”. The Designated Proceedings Section (DES) is the designated registry assisting the court with such designated proceedings, and it delivers critical services.
Designated proceedings are held in secure courtrooms. Court Reporters assisting on these matters must meet the enhanced security requirements to access the highly classified information and secure workspaces.
It is for this reason that DES is seeking the services of a bilingual Court Reporter who hold a valid Top-Secret SIGINT security clearance.

5. 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:

5.1 Security Requirement

a) Ability to provide a Court Reporter with a valid Top-Secret SIGINT clearance delivered by the Contract Security Program (CSP) division of Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC).

5.2 Court Reporting and Transcription Services

a) Ability to provide Court Reporting services in English and French
b) Ability to provide Transcription services in English and French

5.3 Experience

The Supplier must clearly demonstrate in their Statement of Capabilities that the proposed resource has a minimum of 1 (one) year of experience providing Court Reporting and Transcription services.

5.4 Education/Certification

a) The Supplier’s resource must have at minimum a court reporting certification from a recognized organisation in Canada.

5.5 Work Location

a) Ability to work in the NCR on short notice*
b) Ability to travel to other locations within Canada on short notice*

*short notice means 48hours

Please note that travel fees will not be covered for work performed in the NCR.

6. Applicability of the Trade Agreements to the Procurement

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements:
Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)

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

This procurement is not subject to any set-asides for Aboriginal Suppliers.

8. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement (s)

This procurement is not subject to a Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.
9. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
The pre-identified supplier was selected based on the following capabilities:
STENO C.A.T Reporting Services specializes in Court Reporting and Transcription services.

They currently have a resource who:

1) Holds a valid Top-Secret SIGINT clearance delivered by the CSP division of PSPC
2) Offers French and English Court Reporting and Transcription services in the NCR

10. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)
The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection: 6 (d) –“only one person is capable of performing the work”.

11. Exclusions and /or Limited Tendering Reasons

None
12. 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.
13. The Period of the Proposed Contract
The proposed contract is for a period of one (1) year from date of award with an irrevocable option to extend the period by up to three (3) additional one year periods under the same conditions.
14. Cost Estimate of the Proposed Contract
The total estimated value of the contract for one (1) year is $ 100,000.00 (GST/HST extra).
Option Years 1 & 2 & 3 is estimated at $300,000.00
The total including option years is estimated at $400,000.00 ($452,000.00 with taxes).
15. Name and Address of the Pre-identified supplier:
Name: STENO C.A.T. Reporting Services
117 du Marchand Street
Gatineau, QC
J9J 2K2

16. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the 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.

Documents may be submitted in either official languages of Canada

17. Closing date and time for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is June 5, 2024 at 2pm.
Eastern Daylight Time.

18. Inquiries and Submission of Statement of Capabilities

Enquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Leticia Obeng Asante
Manager, Procurement and Material Management
Gestionnaire, Services de l’approvisionnement et gestion du matériel
Courts Administration Service | Service administratif des tribunaux judiciaires
90 Sparks St./90 rue Sparks,
Ottawa ON K1A 0H9
Leticia.Obeng-Asante@cas-satj.gc.ca