Comparison of Exposure Metrics and Associations with Cardiorespiratory Health Effects in Controlled Human Exposures to Ambient Particles with a Focus on Traffic-Related Air Pollution.

HEALTH CANADA ADVANCE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE


TITLE:   Comparison of Exposure Metrics and Associations with Cardiorespiratory Health Effects in Controlled Human Exposures to Ambient Particles with a Focus on Traffic-Related Air Pollution.

SOLICITATION NUMBER:

1.  The purpose and explanation of an ACAN

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows Health Canada contracting authorities to post a notice on the Government Electronic Tendering System (GETS), for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that a good, service or construction contract will be awarded 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 contracting authority may then proceed with the award. However, should a Statement of Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full tendering process.

2.  Rights of suppliers

Suppliers who believe that they are fully qualified and available to provide the services or goods described in this ACAN may submit a Statement of Capabilities clearly demonstrating how they meet the advertised requirement. This Statement of Capabilities must be provided via e-mail only to the contact person identified in Section 12 of the Notice on or before the closing date and time of the Notice. If there is a reasonable level of evidence regarding capability, the requirements will be opened to electronic or traditional bidding processes.

3.  Proposed Contractor

St. Michael’s Hospital       
Gage Occupational and Environmental Health Unit
30 Bond Street
Toronto, ON
M5B 1W8

4.  Definition of Requirements or Expected Results

Health Canada wishes to direct a contract to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto to undertake  a study entitled “Comparison of Exposure Metrics and Associations with Cardiorespiratory Health Effects in Controlled Human Exposures to Ambient Particles with a Focus on Traffic-Related Air Pollution.”   

Health Canada is collaborating with the Gage Occupational and Environmental Health Unit of St. Michaels Hospital to study the adverse health effects of traffic types and density in Toronto.  For this purpose, the research institute is required to compare the strength of associations between persons’ exposure to traffic and health measurements using traffic counts with other exposure metrics that were obtained including black carbon, total mass particle constituents and gaseous co-pollutants.  Health measures included pulmonary function, symptoms, blood pressure, heart rate variability, brachial artery size/reactivity and inflammation markers in the lungs, blood and urine. The study results will be used to assess human health risks of air pollution emitted from various traffic types and exposure metrics (single & multiple).

5.  Minimum requirements

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a Statement of Capabilities that it meets the following minimum requirements: 

a)	must have a controlled human exposure facility for measuring coarse, fine and ultrafine particles.

b)	must have databases of air pollutants (size fractions and chemical and biological constituents), traffic, and human physiological and biochemical measurements collected during controlled exposure to coarse, fine and ultrafine particles obtained from ambient air in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

6.  Reason for non-competitive award

Section 6 of the Government Contracts Regulations contains four exceptions that permit the contracting authority to set aside the requirement to solicit bids.  For the proposed procurement, the following exception applies:

(d)	Only One Person or Firm is capable of performing the contract.

The Gage Occupational and Environmental Health Unit of St. Michael’s Hospital is the only institute in Canada that has a controlled human exposure facility for measuring coarse, fine and ultrafine particles.  The institute is the only one in the world that has the databases of air pollutants (size fractions and chemical and biological constituents), traffic, and human physiological and biochemical measurements collected during controlled exposure to coarse, fine and ultrafine particles obtained from ambient air in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

7.  Applicable trade agreements and justification for limited tendering or the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business

This contract is a health study and therefore is not subject to either the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-GPA).  It is however subject to the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT).  This requirement is subject to limited tendering procedures in accordance with:

-	 AIT, Article 506.12 (b).	
		
	which allows for contracts to be directed to a particular firm when the products or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.


8.  Ownership of Intellectual Property

Copyright shall vest with the Contractor, although the Contractor shall grant the Crown a license to exercise all Intellectual Property Rights in the Materiel for any public purpose.

9.  Period of the proposed contract

The contract period shall be from date of contract award until March 31, 2016. 

10.  Estimated value of the proposed contract

 
The total estimated value of the proposed contract should not exceed $130,000.00, including all applicable taxes.

11. Closing date and time 

The closing date and time for accepting Statements of Capabilities is 26th of June 2014, 2 p.m. EDT).

12.  Contact Person

All inquiries with regard to this Notice must be addressed by e-mail to:

Name:   Robert Merrick
E-Mail:    Robert.Merrick@hc-sc.gc.ca