ACAN - Toxicity of Priority Technology-Critical Elements in Freshwater Invertebrates

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

Environment and Climate Change Canada has a requirement to develop methods for the analysis of priority technology-critical elements, to assess their acute and chronic toxicity, and to analyze water and snail tissue samples in support of collaborative work.

3. Scope of Work

3.1 The Contractor must complete the follow work during the period of work from date of contract to March 22, 2027:
3.1.1. Method development
• Acquire required standards and supplies
• Optimize analysis and generate calibration curves for water and tissue assays
3.1.2. Toxicity testing with Daphnia magna
• Conduct acute and chronic toxicity tests with Daphnia magna, following Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD protocols.
3.1.3. Chemical analysis
• Analyze aqueous samples from toxicity tests (Daphnia and snails)
• Extract and analyze snail tissues
• Extract and analyze shells to identify whether the compounds can be incorporated into shells
3.2 Deliverables
3.2.1. Toxicity tests
• Toxicity data to be provided to the technical authority
• Electronic copy of notes and spreadsheets to be provided for submission to Open Government
• Contribution to reports to funding agency and preparation of manuscripts
3.2.2. Chemical analysis
• Chemical analysis results to be provided to the technical authority
• Electronic copy of notes and spreadsheets to be provided for submission to Open Government
• Contribution to reports to funding agency and preparation of manuscripts as/when needed

4. 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:

Essential Requirements for
Toxicity of Priority Technology-Critical Elements in Freshwater Invertebrates
1 Must have already developed the methods and capacity to conduct acute and chronic toxicity testing with Daphnia magna
2 Must be able to follow OECD Protocols
3 Must have in-house capacity to analyze technology-critical elements in aqueous matrices by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP- OES) and graphite furnace spectrophotometry
4 Must have in-house capacity to develop analysis of technology-critical elements in tissues and shells by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP- OES) and graphite furnace spectrophotometry

5. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement

This procurement is NOT subject to trade agreements.

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

This procurement is NOT subject to a set-aside.

7. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement

This procurement is NOT subject to the CLCA.

8. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The pre-identified supplier is highly recommended for:
1. Operational efficiency – specializing in both toxicity testing and chemical analysis of technology critical elements allowing for all work to be done by one supplier.
2. Cost-effectiveness – only needing to send samples to one laboratory will save on both time and costs.

9. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) –

“only one person is capable of performing the contract”

10. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property will be owned by the Crown as per the Policy on Title to Intellectual Property Arising Under Crown Procurement Contracts for the reason outlined below:

The main purpose of the contract is to generate IP, knowledge or regulatory information that is itself intended for public dissemination.

11. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The period of the Contract is from date of Contract (target: December 16, 2024) to March 22 2027 inclusive.

12. Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated cost of the contract is $54,000.00 CAD, applicable taxes extra.
13. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Wilfrid Laurier University
75 University Ave W
Waterloo, ON
N2L 3C5

14. 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.

15. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is 29 November 2024 at 2:00pm EST.

Submission email: soumissionsbids@ec.gc.ca

16. Contact Person

All enquiries must be addressed by e-mail to:

Name: Caitlin Andersen
Email: Caitlin.Andersen@ec.gc.ca