Sea-based Cargo Delivery Operation for Sable Island National Park Reserve – Parks Canada

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 Boards electronic bidding authorities.   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.

1.	Requirement Definition:

Background

Parks Canada requires sea-lift delivery of fuel (in drums) and other cargo supplies to Sable Island before December 31, 2015 in order to meet ongoing operational requirements.

Purpose of the Project and Objectives

Parks Canada, Sable Island National Park Reserve, has a requirement for the delivery of drummed fuel, bulk cargo, and vehicles to and from Sable Island, NS. Sable Island is only accessible by sea and by air. Based on the type and volume of cargo required, a multi stage sea based resupply operation is required commencing in the spring of 2015. All vessel based cargo operations at Sable Island are carried out either by beach landing or helicopter sling load, there is no dock. Beach landing operations are carried out by the use of a tracked skidsteer loader fitted with pallet forks which PCA operates on Sable Island. The reliable operating season for beach landings on Sable Island is roughly between April and October but small operating windows do exist in the winter months as well.

2.	Description of the work:

Potential bidders must be able to demonstrate recent experience in performing beach landing or vessel based helicopter sling load cargo operations in the form of written/photo accounts (to be provided at the request of PCA). They will provide, as a minimum, an operations manager and a lead hand (operator in charge, or OIC) among the ship’s crew that both have current and documented experience in these types of operations (resumes to be provided on request by PCA).

The vessel itself, including any landing craft, must be fully outfitted for these types of operations at the owner’s expense and be ready to commence operations immediately upon award of the contract. Both the vessel and crew will be fully certified for the class of voyage and all aspects of the work. The bidder will provide a detailed description of their equipment and plan for their operation at Sable Island (this may include a tour by Parks Canada staff of their facilities if requested by PCA).
Parks Canada’s Sable Island operations are conducted out of the HRM and so Halifax Harbour is the necessary port of departure due to the preparations required for the staging of cargo and personnel. It is understood that alternate ports may need to be used on return voyages, as required for the safe and efficient operation of the vessel, but the end destination for all cargo returning from Sable Island still has to be Halifax Harbour. The bidder must have a base of operations in Halifax Harbor, including a secure storage facility and material handling equipment such as forklifts and cranes.

It will be the responsibility of the operator to have a safety and an environmental emergency response plan in place, to ensure all their personnel are trained in how to implement it, and to have the materials and equipment available to respond to any type of emergency, accident, grounding, or leak/spill, when handling and transporting the cargo. 

The bidder must confirm that they have a Quality Assurance Program in place.

Parks Canada requires a multi stage resupply operation for the delivery of cargo and palletized fuel drums from Halifax/Dartmouth Nova Scotia via vessel to Sable Island and the removal of backload from the island. Parks Canada’s 2015 seasonal cargo requirements will require two types of operation program. The first and at least one other operation this season will be “large scale”. Subsequent operations may be “small scale”. Large scale operations will be planned to carry ~40 pallets, or a combination of pallets and other large cargo (such as vehicles). Small scale operations will be planned to carry ~15 pallets, as well as small cargo such as construction materials, food, and personnel. Small cargo in the form of food will require temperature control (reefer) during transit for volumes of up to 500 lbs of mixed fresh and frozen and it will be the contractor’s responsibility to provide the equipment required for temperature control. 

The contractor is required to provide pricing for each type of operation and it will be at the discretion of PCA to decide which type they want to use at any given time up to the maximum value of the contract, based on the list of objectives outlined in section 4 below. All pricing is to include the full cost of transit time between Sable Island and Halifax Harbor and the return at a flat rate, regardless of delays encountered en route. Pricing for a large scale operation will include 3 full working days on site and a day rate to be applied thereafter in case of delay or at the request of PCA. Pricing for a small scale operation will include 1 full work day on site and a day rate to be applied thereafter in case of delay or at the request of PCA.

All bulk/heavy cargo will be palletized, motorized (vehicular), wheeled (i.e. trailers), or skidable and Parks Canada will provide the equipment and operator to load/unload at the beach in the form of a tracked skid-steer loader with 48” pallet forks and a ~2000 lb lifting capacity. Any ramp or deck required to be driven on either by vehicles being delivered or by this tracked vehicle for unloading must be engineered to safely support up to at least 14000 lbs.

Multiple operation “programs” are expected throughout the operating season. Parks Canada only has the capacity to handle ~40 pallets of material per operation/day in a beach landing scenario and the intent is to unload and reload as safely efficiently as possible while keeping the vessel on site for as short a period as possible to avoid potential delays caused by changing weather.

To facilitate the removal of waste materials from the island, the contractor will, at their own expense, have their vessel fitted to carry a minimum of two 40 yard roll-off type dumpsters with end doors that can be transferred, fully loaded, directly to a truck on return to the mainland. PCA will assume the cost of the trucking of the full dumpsters and the disposal of the waste as a separate arrangement with the trucking / waste disposal company.

It will be the responsibility of the contractor to work with PCA in planning, take delivery of the cargo on the mainland and store it in a secure facility, load it onto or off of the vessel, transport it to Sable Island, assist Parks Canada staff to un-load the cargo on the beach, receive the return load and transport it back to the mainland. 

Prior to commencement of any voyage, the Parks Canada representative and the contractor will communicate / meet to confirm whether factors, lists of materials and supplies for delivery to the island, and an estimate of material to be transported from Sable Island back to the mainland for disposal. It will be the responsibility of the vessel owner/operator to decide when the voyages can/will take place, taking into account factors such as:
	-PCA’s needs at the time
	-availability of cargo (lead time)
	-the weather

The contractor will provide a safe and secure storage facility for storage of the cargo up to 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the operation. Cargo will be delivered to the vessel owner’s facility in advance of the projected program window and will be stored there, in the secure location, until it is deemed ready for loading and transporting to Sable Island. Upon delivery of cargo to the contractor’s mainland facility, the contractor will be responsible to unload the cargo from the delivery vehicle(s) into the storage area and is responsible for any loss or damage to the cargo following receipt.

If it is determined that all the cargo having been delivered cannot be carried in one load, the priority will be placed on transport and delivery of drummed fuel and products, or based on the PCA representative’s discretion.  The contractor must contact the Parks Canada representative to confirm concurrence prior to departure.

Upon loading and securing for transport, the contractor will arrange for and obtain, at their own expense, a load/stow survey from a third party with SAMS/NAMS accreditation which will be turned over to Parks Canada.

The point of landing on the North beach will be at the discretion of the operator based on input from the Parks Canada representative on the island and local weather and surf conditions at the time. 

If time and operating conditions allow, a return load (specified in section 4) will be prepared for transportation back to the mainland. The priority upon reaching the island will be to un-load the cargo for delivery. The Parks Canada representative will prioritize the backload and will have it prepositioned in such a way as to make best use of time and weather while the vessel is on site.

Upon return to the mainland, provision will be made by the contractor to store back-load materials and assets at the contractor’s facility until transportation can be arranged by Parks Canada to have them removed. The contractor will provide this storage for up to two weeks from the start of the first business day after the vessel reaches port and unloading can commence. The contractor will provide access to their site and will provide assistance in the loading of vehicles to as many parties as required by Parks Canada to complete the removal in the time period specified.

Provision will be made by the contractor to transport up to four Parks Canada staff or contractors on the vessel for the duration of the voyage and operation, including onboard accommodation and meals. This option may or may not be exercised during any given operation, but it will be at the discretion of Parks Canada, should they have a requirement for it. The contractor is responsible to transport staff safely between the vessel and the beach on Sable Island as required.

The contractor is required to comply with the protocols outlined in the “Guide to Sable Island National Park Reserve” and the “Parks Canada Best Management Practice for Management of Vessel Landing , Sable Island National Park Reserve", including the protocols outlined therein for communications with the Sable Island National Park Reserve Operations Coordinator for vessels accessing the island. These documents are available on request.

	Minimum Qualifications and Experience 

Potential bidders must be able to demonstrate recent experience in performing beach landing or vessel based helicopter sling load cargo operations in the form of written/photo accounts (to be provided at the request of PCA). They will provide, as a minimum, an operations manager and a lead hand (operator in charge, or OIC) among the ship’s crew that both have current and documented experience in these types of operations (resumes to be provided on request by PCA).

The vessel itself, including any landing craft, must be fully outfitted for these types of operations at the owner’s expense and be ready to commence operations immediately upon award of the contract. Both the vessel and crew will be fully certified for the class of voyage and all aspects of the work. The bidder will provide a detailed description of their equipment and plan for their operation at Sable Island (this may include a tour by Parks Canada staff of their facilities if requested by PCA).

Parks Canada’s Sable Island operations are conducted out of the HRM and so Halifax Harbour is the necessary port of departure due to the preparations required for the staging of cargo and personnel. It is understood that alternate ports may need to be used on return voyages, as required for the safe and efficient operation of the vessel, but the end destination for all cargo returning from Sable Island still has to be Halifax Harbour. The bidder must have a base of operations in Halifax Harbor, including a secure storage facility and material handling equipment such as forklifts and cranes.

It will be the responsibility of the operator to have a safety and an environmental emergency response plan in place, to ensure all their personnel are trained in how to implement it, and to have the materials and equipment available to respond to any type of emergency, accident, grounding, or leak/spill, when handling and transporting the cargo. 

The bidder must confirm that they have a Quality Assurance Program in place.


3.	Intellectual Property

N/A

4.	Contract Period  

Work will commence immediately upon award of a contract and will be completed by December 31, 2015.

5.	Estimated Value
 
The estimated value of this work is $500,000.00 


6.	Exemption to the Government Contract Regulations

Part 1, Section 6(d) of the Government Contract Regulations is being invoked in this procurement as only one known person or firm is capable of performing the contract. 

7.	Name and Address of Proposed Contractor 

Dominion Diving
Dartmouth, NS

8.	  Closing Date and time for Submissions:

		Submissions must be received on or by May 29th, 2015 @ 2pm (ADT)

9.	   Submission of Statement of Capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services/goods described herein, may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the Contracting Officer 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. Statement of capabilities received after the mentioned delay will not be considered.

The Agency File Number, the Contracting officer’s name and the closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the envelope or, in the case of a facsimile transmission, on the covering page.

Responses received on or before the closing date will be considered solely for the purpose of deciding whether or not to conduct a competitive procurement. Information provided will be used by the Crown for technical evaluation purposes only and will not be construed as a proposal. Your written response must provide sufficient evidence that clearly demonstrates that your service is capable of fulfilling this requirement. 

Suppliers that have submitted a response will be notified in writing of Department’s decision whether to continue with the aforementioned procurement or to complete the requirement.

10.	Responsible Contracting Officer
Colleen Sheehan
Advisor, National Contracting Services 
Parks Canada Agency 
John Cabot Building 
P.O Box 1268 
St. John's, NL A1C 5M9
Telephone  709-772-6129
Facsimile 709-772-3651
Email: colleen.sheehan@pc.gc.ca