Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) - Theoretical and Practical Military Tactical Vehicle Mobility Fundamentals Training Program for Technical Staff

Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

Requirement
The Department of National Defence (DND) has a requirement for theoretical and practical on- and off-road vehicle mobility fundamentals training.  The Logistics Vehicle Modernization (LVM) Project, which will replace the existing light and heavy logistics vehicles and associated equipment, is currently in the Option Analysis phase.  In order to assist with the finalization of the Statement of Requirements, the development of the Statement of Work and the test plan, the Project Management Office LVM has a requirement to train engineers, technicians and other technical staff to enhance their technical knowledge of military tactical vehicles’ off- and on-road mobility fundamentals.  This includes engineering aspects of vehicle design, testing, and operation which are unique to military vehicles.  Another objective of this course is for candidates to better understand the vehicle terrain interaction, and to improve their ability to optimize the use of the vehicle for specific conditions.

This Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)
The purpose of this ACAN is to signal DND’s intention to award a contract with an estimated value of US $44,140.00 for theoretical and practical military tactical vehicle mobility fundamentals training for nine (9) technical staff, to the Nevada Automotive Test Center (A Division of Hodges Transportation, Inc.) of Carson City, Nevada.

What is an 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.

Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
Sole source justification is supported by the following:

The Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC) is the only known supplier that offers both theoretical and practical military tactical vehicle training using in-service military vehicles (light, medium and heavy) in a variety of terrain conditions including but not limited to:  deep mud to rocky terrain and soft sand, river fording, hilly terrain to severely wash boarded gravel roads and paved roads.

Sole sourcing a contract is permitted in very few exceptional circumstances.  This requirement falls into one of these exceptional circumstances since NATC is the only firm capable of performing the contracting (per Government Contracts Regulations section 10.2.10, sub section (d)).

You are hereby notified that DND intends to solicit a bid and negotiate with one supplier only, as identified above.  Although DND considers the above situation to be unique, any supplier that has the identified qualifications is advised to contact the DND Contracting Authority (contact information below).

Other Qualified Suppliers May Submit a Statement of Capabilities
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services described herein may submit a statement of capabilities by e-mail to the contact person identified in this ACAN on, or before, the closing date of this ACAN.  The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

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:

Provide an on and off-road vehicle dynamics training course for light, medium and heavy military tactical vehicles with two and more axles.  The course length should be approximately 3 days in length, accommodate up to ten (10) DND participants, and must be provided in the November 2013 timeframe.  The training must include both a theoretical and a driver familiarization portion.  Its focus must be on the engineering aspects of vehicle design, testing and operation which are unique to military vehicle operation.  It must consider the three main factors that determine a vehicle’s mobility capability, in both tactical and non-tactical modes of operation – driver factors, various terrain, and vehicle characteristics.  The supplier must provide the training, equipment and facilities which include, as a minimum, 5 different tactical vehicles from a mobility perspective for hands-on driver training and authorized access to an off-road driving course for the purposes of this training, with a wide variety of terrain.

Closing Date and Process for Submitting Statement of Capabilities
The closing date for accepting statements of capabilities is 3 September 2013.
Written responses quoting the solicitation number DND-13/0012044 are to be directed to the DND Contracting Officer by either email or facsimile:
Email:  diane.wouters@forces.gc.ca.
Facsimile:  (819) 997-3211

Suppliers that have submitted a response will be notified in writing of the Department’s decision to continue with the non-competitive procurement or to tender the requirement.