Accreditation of the National Laboratory for Environmental Testing – Burlington and Saskatoon

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the competitive requirements of the government’s contracting policy have been met. Following notification to suppliers not successful in demonstrating that their statement of capabilities meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contract may then be awarded using the Treasury Board’s electronic bidding authorities.

If other potential suppliers submit statements of capabilities during the fifteen calendar day posting period, and meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, the department or agency must proceed to a full tendering process on either the government’s electronic tendering service or through traditional means, in order to award the contract.

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services described herein, 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.

Environment Canada, Burlington, intends on entering into a contract with the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA). The total contract value will not exceed $105,000.00, HST extra for the period ending 31 March 2014 with two option years for the periods 01 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 and 01 April 2015 to 31 March 2016.

In order to conduct analytical business in a manner that meets international standards of quality (ISO/IEM 17025, General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories), and to comply with Environment Canada (EC) quality policy adopted in February 2003, the National Laboratory for Environmental Testing (NLET) must obtain auditing, membership and Proficiency Testing services for environmental analyses and laboratory accreditation from CALA.

CALA provides Proficiency Testing (PT) samples to participating laboratories twice a year, conducts a detailed site audit of the laboratory every second year, and required that the laboratory be a member of CALA. NLET receives Organic PT samples in January and June, and Inorganic PT samples in March and October every year. The auditors also assess the laboratories at each location every second year. 

NLET has to be accredited to ISO quality standards and must meet the intent of all EC lab data quality policy. Laboratory accreditation must be earned every year, through a combination of performance on PT samples, and by means of a detailed operational audit every two years. This will allow NLET to maintain its accreditation.