Procurement of Special Studies and Analyses Support Research Services to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) Expert Support group.

Solicitation #: FP802-130099 Closing Date: November 25, 2013 Time: 11 am (Ottawa) time

This requirement is for the department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

TITLE: Procurement of Special Studies and Analyses Support Research Services to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) Expert Support group. 

BACKGROUND:

In Canada, there are thousands of contaminated sites on federal lands, or for which the federal government has accepted responsibility, that require attention.  The Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) is a 15 year program established in 2005 with funding of $3.5 billion in order to provide funding, scientific and technical support to federal departments (custodial organizations) in order to assist them with the management of human health and ecological risks associated with contaminated sites under their custody. 

There are four (4) FCSAP expert support departments (ESDs) in the Federal Government which provide scientific and/or technical support to custodial organizations (COs). DFO is one of those 4 Expert Support departments under the FCSAP program and therefore provides scientific and technical advice to COs when requested.  

With the goal of protecting fish and fish habitat that support fisheries, DFO expert support provides scientifically sound and nationally consistent advice to COs during the investigation and assessment of FCSAP sites, in the planning of remedial activities, and in site-specific risk management in both the short and long term.  

In the past, part of DFO’s expert support advice to COs depended on DFO Science support from DFO researchers who were involved in contaminants research projects.  As of this year DFO researchers are no longer focussing their research efforts on contaminants related research projects and as a result a gap in science support has been created.

The DFO National Expert Support Team (NEST) has identified, catalogued and prioritised a number of areas where scientific gaps exist (see Science Priorities table in Appendix A in a separate attachment) and are seeking a scientific support service provider to assist the NEST on its mandate to deliver scientifically sound and nationally consistent advice on assessing and mitigating ecological risks associated with Federal contaminated sites while protecting fish and fish habitat that support fisheries in Canada. 

ESTIMATED VALUE: 

The total value of this contract must not exceed $200,000.00 including all applicable taxes, travel & living expenses but excluding option period(s).

The funds for science support are obtained from the FCSAP Expert Support O & M budget.  This contract is dependent upon receiving these funds on a yearly basis.  Currently we have a funding commitment up to 2015-2016 however; there is no definitive commitment of these funds for the remaining two (2) years (i.e. option years 3 and 4) and as a result this contract will only exercise the option years 3 and 4 if appropriate funding is received.  

SECURITY REQUIREMENT: There is no security requirement for this contract.

RESOURCE REQUIREMENT:

DFO is seeking a qualified contractor in a team who will deliver the Services described in this Statement of Work. 

The following is a list of possible resource categories that could be required to complete various aspects of the work identified in this Statement of Work:
1.	Project Manager;
2.	Research Scientist;
3.	Monitoring Scientist;
4.	Environmental Scientist
5.	Fisheries Biologist
6.	Taxonomist;
7.	Field Technician and;
8.	Junior Field Worker/Intern/Student

It is up to the contractor to determine if other individuals or experts are required in order to complete the work and meet the deliverables required.

Task Authorizations (TA) for services will be issued on an “as-and-when required basis” by the project authority. Each TA must be signed by three parties (Awarded Contractor, Project Authority, and the Contracting Officer) prior to starting the work.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS:

M1	The bidder/firm must provide a signed copy of the Certifications of Availability detailed in Appendix “C-1” to this Request for Proposal at the time of bid closing.

M2	The bidder/firm must demonstrate, using project descriptions, a minimum of two (2) years’ experience in a global network of collaboration between academic, government and industry stakeholders.

M3	The bidder/firm must demonstrate, using project descriptions,  that they have experience in engaging in cooperative aquatic scientific research studies with federal, provincial or municipal government departments.

M4	The bidder/firm must demonstrate, using project descriptions, a minimum of three (3) years’ experience in developing professional courses based on need/demand in the field of aquatic biology, contaminants or resource management.

M5	The bidder/firm must demonstrate, using project descriptions, a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in development of innovative aquatic resource management and monitoring standards and practices related to our list of priorities (Appendix A).

M6	The bidder/firm must demonstrate, using project descriptions, a minimum of two (2) years’ experience in on-going research studies related to effects of chemicals in multiple (more than one) stressor environments of flowing waters in urban settings.

*** Proposals not meeting the above noted Mandatory Criteria shall be deemed non-compliant and therefore will not be given any further consideration.***

RATED REQUIREMENTS:

R1) The bidder/firm should demonstrate using project descriptions, that they have experience in conducting an on-going research with a minimum of two (2) affiliated academics researchers. 
Evaluation Grid:
2 academic researchers = 4 points
3-5 academic researchers = 8 points
6-8 academic researchers = 12 points
 +9 academic researchers = 16 points

R2) The bidder/firm should demonstrate using project descriptions that they have experience in conducting an on-going research with Canada Research Chairs.
Evaluation Grid:
1-2 Canadian Research Chairs = 4 points
3-4 Canadian Research Chairs = 8 points
 +5 Canadian Research Chairs = 12 points

R3) The bidder/firm should demonstrate using project descriptions that they have experience in delivery of online and field-based training courses in an aquatic bio-monitoring.
Evaluation Grid:
1-2 courses = 4 points
3-4 courses = 8 points
 +5 courses = 12 points

R4) The bidder/firm should demonstrate using project descriptions that they have experience in delivering training courses to a large group of students (a minimum of 50) in the past two (2) years.
Evaluation Grid:
50 students = 5 points
51-101 students = 10 points
102 -152 students = 15 points
+153 = 20 points

R5) The bidder/firm should demonstrate using project descriptions that they have experience in managing large  projects generating  a minimum of $1 million in revenue.
Evaluation Grid:
$1M = 2 points
$2-3 million = 5 points
+ 4 million = 8 points

Total Points = 68
* The Proposed Resource MUST obtain at least the minimum 70% Pass Mark.

 BASIS FOR SELECTION:

The compliant bidder with the highest combined rated criteria points (90%) and price (10%) shall be selected as the best value supplier.  An average hourly rate shall be used in the Best Value Determination if different hourly rate are bid for the initial year and the extension periods except that if a bidder quotes lower rates for the option year than for year one, the year one rate will be used for the purposes of evaluation. 

Enquiries regarding this RFP requirement are to be submitted in writing to the following:


Grace Chau
Senior Contracting Officer
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
9S018, 200 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario,  K1A 0E6 
Tel:  (613) 993-8935
Fax:  (613) 991-1297
Email: Grace.Chau@dfo-mpo.gc.ca