For the Development of a Drug-Checking Network

***Upload Statement of Capabilties to:
https://uwo.bonfirehub.ca
Note: Hardcopies will NOT be accepted
 

1. Background Information

The University of Western Ontario (Western), the third largest university in Ontario, has a full and part-time enrolment of more than 40,000 graduate and undergraduate students and includes affiliate University Colleges.  The Western campus covers 487 hectares and is located about 4 km north of the centre of London. Western’s campus has one main campus with 95 buildings and 16 residences. Western has several off site locations, including but not limited to, the Institute for Chemicals and Alternative Resources (ICFAR) located on Wonderland Road north and the Advanced Engineering Park (AMP) located off the Veterans’ Memorial Parkway, north of Highway 401 near Bradley Avenue. There are approximately 3700 Full-Time Staff and Faculty.  An additional 5,000 Part-Time Staff and Faculty represent approximately 3,800 Full-Time equivalents.
 

2. Context

This Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) is aimed at communicating Western’s intention to issue a Purchase Order for the Development of a Drug-Checking Network to Scatr, located in 148 King St West, Brockville, Ontario, K6V 3R5, Canada. However, before the contract is awarded, Western would like to give suppliers the opportunity to prove that they can meet the requirements set out in this advance notice by presenting a Statement of Capabilities during the posting period of at least 15 calendar days.
 

3. Statement of Capabilities

This document does not constitute a call for tenders.

Suppliers who consider themselves wholly qualified and who are available to meet the specified requirements may present a written Statement of Capabilities to the contracting authority named in this advance notice, by no later than the notice closing date. The Statement of Capabilities must clearly prove that the supplier has the necessary qualifications, current technology, capabilities, capacity, experience and resources to meet the requirements set out in the advance notice

If other potential suppliers present a Statement of Capabilities during the posting period and prove that they meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, Western will initiate a full tendering process through Bonfire and MERX public tendering service.

If no supplier presents a Statement of Capabilities meeting the requirements set out in this ACAN by the closing date, a purchase order will be awarded to Scatr.
 

4. Application
    

Health Canada has awarded the University of Western Ontario a research grant entitled Creating a Drug Checking Network.  The project will involve using machine learning enabled spectrometers to conduct research on the composition of illegal substances tested at ten supervised consumption sites (SCSs), and develop reports and studies to help inform harm reduction service delivery, particularly with respect to drug checking. The ultimate goal of this research is to give Canadians an opportunity to make informed decisions about their consumption. This project will collaborate with a vendor to provide rapid on-site drug checking services.

The project will deploy ten networked spectrometer systems for permanent use at each harm reduction site in Ontario and Nova Scotia. The vendor will train harm reduction workers on how to operate these devices, and workers will be responsible for scanning samples from people who use drugs (PWUDs).

This project will seek to add a data analytics layer by using geolocalized data from the SCSs to generate real-time reports on drug circulation in Ontario and Canada, respectively. These sites will share anonymous drug checking data, allowing PWUDs to be more informed about the composition of their street drugs.
 

5. Deliverables

The vendor is responsible for the following deliverables:
 

1. (11) Benchtop Drug-Checking Systems with the following specifications:

• The system shall utilize Raman 3D mapping technology to collect hundreds to thousands of points on a sample.
• The system shall generate surface topologies for each sample.
• The system shall be non-destructive so samples can be returned to clients after testing.
• The system shall interface directly with a web platform in a browser window running on Windows or MacOS.
• The system shall be compatible with the cookers (drug preparation device) used at SCSs.
• The system shall be networked with all other devices.
• The system shall be portable and not exceed a length, width, or height of ~13 inches.
• The system shall not require continuous nitrogen supply.

 

2. Dashboard / Web Platform and Maintenance Subscription for 2-years

• The web platform shall host a secure account for each SCS.
• The web platform shall display spectrum classification results in real-time using machine learning.
• The web platform shall display the approximate percent composition for each substance while automatically excluding any non-sample acquisitions.
• The web platform shall display results in an interactive colour-coded 3D map.
• The web platform shall store scan data in a secure database.
• The web platform shall store the following information for each scan:
  • Raw spectrum
  • Processed spectrum
  • 3D point coordinate for each acquisition
  • Device ID
  • Spectrometer serial number
  • Wavenumber correction
  • Number of active pixels
  • Recorded excitation wavelength
  • Number of bad pixels and their location
  • The relative intensity calibration utilized

 

• The web platform shall collect and store additional scan information, including:
  • A serial number
  • A client code (if given)
  • The week of the scan
  • The expected substance
  • A description of the sample
  • The results output by the system
  • The impact of the scan on users behaviour
  • The reported strength of the sample
  • Any additional notes made by the worker
• The web platform must be anonymous and shall not store a timestamp for any database entry in any form (i.e. UUID v1)
• The web platform shall ask for worker consent to share notes with other sites
• The web platform shall include an interactive database table where harm reduction works can:
  • View previously uploaded scans
  • Delete uploads
  • Update information pertaining to each scan
  • Search for scans by:
    • Serial number
    • Client code
    • Description
    • Notes
  • Filter scans by:
    • Expected substance
    • Strength
    • Week scan was added
• The web platform shall display the detected substances in rank order for a given date range and include:
  • The substance name
  • The number of samples in which the substance was detected
  • The percentage of samples that included the substance
• The web platform shall display the expected substances in rank order for a given date range and include:
  • The substance name
  • The number of samples in which the substance was expected
  • The percentage of samples in which this substance was expected
• The web platform shall alert PWUDs to potentially dangerous substances, even if the particular chemical is not present in the database.
• All digital data used and generated by the web platform must stored on secured servers
• The web platform shall display similar samples with the degree of similarity (%) and all relevant information (description, sample strength, and additional notes if consent has been given) to the harm reduction workers in real-time.
• The web platform shall allow authorized personnel to:
  • View spectra for each coordinate and at each processing step
  • Change the laser power
  • Change the integration time
  • View raw machine learning output
• The web platform shall allow users to add new reference standards to the machine learning database.
• The web platform machine learning algorithm shall be updated within 48 hours after a new reference standard is added

A proven prototype of the instrument with the technical hardware and software specifications listed above must be available for testing within one week of the contract award.

The instrument must meet electrical certification for Ontario, Canada.
 

3. Full-Time Project Manager for 24 months

• Will work closely with Western’s primary investigator to ensure successful development and maintenance of the project
• Will assist in the hiring of a mass spectrometer specialist
• Develop drug-checking network platform

 

4. Full-Time Drug-Checking Coordinator for 24 months

• Drug database development
• Plan Limit of Detection and Limit of Quantification investigations
• Provide drug trend report and early warning system consultations for harm reduction sites

 

5. Procurement of controlled substances for Raman database

-The vendor must meet all the requirements and be eligible to submit an exemption to use controlled substances for scientific purposes to the Office of Controlled Substances, a division of Health Canada.


 

6. Budget Limit

The available budget for the deliverables (equipment, maintenance and personnel) is approximately $1,600,000 CAD.
 

7. Delivery

The Benchtop Drug-Checking Systems must be delivered by April 2023.  On-site installation, system integration, and testing will be completed by the vendor.
 

8. Deadline

Statement of Capabilities must be received by Western no later than December 6, 2022 12:00PM.
 

9. Statement of Capabilities Submission Instructions

All submissions and accompanying documents must be uploaded electronically at https://uwo.bonfirehub.ca.  Hardcopy submissions will NOT be accepted.
Suppliers are solely responsible for the delivery of submissions in the manner and time described.
 

1. Requested Files:

Organize your submission into the following individual files (note the required file types):
Statement of Capabilities Response- MS Word or PDF

Each file has a maximum size of 1000 MB. You will upload each file individually.
 

2. Technical Support:

Western is using a BonfireHub public portal for the submission process. Please contact Bonfire at Support@GoBonfire.com for technical questions related to submitting your documents. You can also visit their help forum at https://bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc.
 

10. Submissions Must Be Submitted on Time at Prescribed Location

Statement of Capabilities submissions must be submitted in the method set out above on or before the Deadline. 

When submitting through Bonfire electronic bid submission, please note that submissions will be time stamped with the time at the end of the upload process not the beginning.

Submissions to Bonfire after the specified deadline will be rejected.
 

11. Western Primary Contacts:   Scott Roth sroth6@uwo.ca

Julie Nicely jnicely@uwo.ca
[end of document]
 

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