Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) - Digital National Security Archive

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 Library and Archives Canada has a requirement for the supply of perpetual access to Digital National Security Archive (DNSA) which is the largest digitized collection of US Freedom of Information releases related to international affairs, security, and intelligence records. The DNSA will support the core work of the Historical Research team of the Access to Information, Security and Intelligence Requests Division (AISIR) in the ATIP Branch. This team locates when records related to international affairs, security, and intelligence have already been released by LAC or other archives and organizations or are no longer sensitive.

3. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities
The bidder MUST have the following mandatory asset to be considered for the challenge mechanism: Ability to provide access to The Digital National Security Archive (DNSA), this collection is produced in partnership with The National Security Archive offering the most comprehensive collection available of significant primary documents central to U.S. foreign and military policy since 1945.

4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement
This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements:

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

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
ProQuest LLC are the owner or the licensee of all copyright, trademarks, design rights, database rights, confidential information, or any other intellectual property rights (together the "Intellectual Property") in the ProQuest LLC site, the content and the materials.

The materials are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved. LAC will have the right to access and use the site and the materials is strictly limited to that set out below and, where applicable, in any accompanying license agreement between LAC and ProQuest LLC.
6. 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 work").

7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the (section of the trade agreement(s) specified):
o Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) – Article(s) 513,1.b
o Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) – Article Kbis-09.1.b
o Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement – Article(s) 1409.1
o Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement – Article(s) 17.11.2.iii
o Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement
o Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement – Article(s) 16.10.1.iii

8. Ownership of Intellectual Property
ProQuest LLC are the owner or the licensee of all copyright, trademarks, design rights, database rights, confidential information, or any other intellectual property rights (together the "Intellectual Property") in the ProQuest LLC site, the content and the materials.
The materials are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved. LAC will have the right to access and use the site and the materials is strictly limited to that set out below and, where applicable, in any accompanying license agreement between LAC and ProQuest LLC.

9. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date
The contract is for Perpetual access as of March 1st, 2024, with annual hosting fees.

10. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including the option periods, is $ 87,897.50 USD.

11. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
Proquest LLC
6216 Paysphere Circle
Chicago, IL 60674
USA

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.
13. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities
The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is February 22, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

14. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Cristel St-Louis
Strategic Procurement Advisor, Financial Services and Procurement Branch
Library and Archives Canada / Government of Canada
Cristel.St-Louis@bac-lac.gc.ca