Voter Information Card (VIC) Printing Services

Request for Standing Offer (RFSO) for Voter Information Card (VIC) Printing Services
Trade Agreements: Yes
Tendering Procedures: All interested suppliers may submit a bid
Attachment: Yes (buyandsell.gc.ca)
Competitive Procurement Strategy: Best overall Proposal
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirement: Printing Services

Elections Canada File No:
ECSVT-RFSO-14-0385

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH GETS.

The information contained in this notice is a brief description of the requirement and is for information purposes only. Offerors must refer to the complete Request for Standing Offer (RFSO) for a full description of the requirements and the full instructions.

Background:
The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, an agent of Parliament, exercises general direction and supervision over the conduct of elections and referendums at the federal level. The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada heads the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, commonly known as Elections Canada.
Description:
Elections Canada has a requirement for the printing, storage, mail preparation and delivery to Canada Post Corporation of approximately 26,000,000 voter information cards (VIC) necessary to support a general election or a referendum. Elections Canada anticipates issuing up to a maximum of five Standing Offers each with a requirement to print 5,200,000 VICs. The Standing Offers will also be used for by-elections. There are on average 10 by-elections per year. Offerors will be assigned electoral districts. If a by-election occurs in one of those electoral districts, a Call-up will be issued to that Offeror. 

Offerors have the options to submit offers for additional print capacity. In the event that five Standing Offers are not issued, Elections Canada will issue Call-ups for the additional print capacity to those Offerors that have submitted offers for such additional print capacity.

Elections Canada anticipates issuing a call-up within three Business Days of the issuance of the Standing Offers. The Standing Offers will be for the exclusive use of Elections Canada.  The Technical Authority will identify the requirements and the Standing Offer Authority will authorize the Call-up.

The SOW outlines the services that will be required by Elections Canada.

Period of the Standing Offer:

The period for making Call-ups against the Standing Offer will be from the Effective Date of the Standing Offer until March 31, 2016
The Offeror grants to Elections Canada the irrevocable option to extend the term of the Standing Offer by up to four additional periods of one year under the same terms and conditions.  

Evaluation Methodology:
Offers will be evaluated in the following progressive stages: 
Phase 1 – Mandatory Technical Evaluation
Phase 2 – Rated Technical Evaluation
Phase 3 – Financial Evaluation 
Phase 4 – Determination of Highest Ranked Offeror
Phase 5 – Rated Technical Evaluation for Option 1 – Additional Printing of 1,300,000
Phase 6 – Financial Evaluation for Option 1 – Additional Printing of 1,300,000
Phase 7 –Determination of Offerors for Option 1 – Additional Printing of 1,300,000
Phase 8 – Rated Technical Evaluation for Option 2 – Additional Printing of 3,463,000
Phase 9 – Financial Evaluation for Option 2 – Additional Printing of 3,463,000
Phase 10 –Determination of Offerors for Option 2 – Additional Printing of 3,463,000
Phase 11 – Rated Technical Evaluation for Option 3 – Additional Printing of 7,800,000
Phase 12 – Financial Evaluation for Option 3 – Additional Printing of 7,800,000
Phase 13 –Determination of Offeror for Option 3 – Additional Printing of 7,800,000

Please note that no later than January 5, 2015 at 2:00 PM, Offerors wishing to submit on offer shall submit a written request via email to the Standing Offer Authority requesting the VIC data. The VIC data is required to complete a test print run of 200 VICs in accordance with M1 of Part 7 – Technical Evaluation Criteria.

Offers which fail to achieve the requirements specified in the RFSO for Phases 1, 2, or 3 will be deemed non-responsive and given no further consideration.
The five responsive offers with the highest combined evaluation scores (technical and financial) will be recommended for award of a standing offer.	

International Trade Agreements:
This procurement process is subject to the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT).

Elections Canada retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Submission of Offers:
Offers must be provided directly to the Standing Offer Authority. Offers must be delivered to the following address, sealed, on or beforeThursday, January 08, 2015 at 2:00 PM (Gatineau Time).
Mailing Address:
Elections Canada
30 Victoria Street -1st Floor (Business Centre)
Gatineau, QC 
K1A 0M6
Attn: Stella van Tassel, Senior Advisor, Procurement and Contracting Services
Elections Canada File No: ECSVT-RFSO-14-0385
For sending packages by courier or for dropping off, please note that the Business Centre hours are Mondays to Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 
Offers received after the stipulated closing date and time will not be accepted and will be returned unopened to the offeror. If a late offer must be opened to determine the name and/or address of the offeror or the nature of the enclosure, a covering letter will be sent to explain the necessity of opening the offer. 
Faxed or offers sent via electronic mail will not be accepted.
All enquiries and other communication with Elections Canada officials are to be directed ONLY to the Standing Offer Authority. The Standing Offer Authority will be the offeror’s primary contact. All requests for information must be directed to this contact. Offerors who contact anyone other than the Standing Offer Authority may be disqualified.  All enquiries must be submitted in writing to proposition-proposal@elections.ca no later than 5 calendar days before the RFSO closing date.  Enquiries received after that time may not be answered.
Interested parties wishing to order the solicitation documents for this RFSO must do so through buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders.  The documents downloaded through this site take precedence over any copies that may also be made available.
Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.
Elections Canada retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement. 
Further information about Elections Canada may be obtained at www.elections.ca