Apatite Fission Track

ADVANCE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE  (ACAN)


1.	Definition

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15) 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 Board's electronic bidding authorities.

If other potential suppliers submit Statement of Capabilities during the fifteen calendar day posting period, and meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, the department or agency must proceed to a full tendering process on either the government's electronic tendering service or through traditional means, in order to award the contract.

2.	Definition of Requirements

Apatite fission track analysis of 15 samples from areas surrounding the Hudson Bay.

Apatite fission track analysis provides information about the low temperature ( ~120°C to 70°C) cooling history of rocks that contain the mineral, apatite. The results of this study will help constrain the geologic history of the Hudson Bay area, possibly including the timing of surface uplift and denudation.

Scope of Work:
-	Mineral separation - isolation of apatite. Note that all but the lightest mineral separates are to be kept (15 samples)
-	Irradiation of apatite crystals from samples to be provided by the Scientific Authority – Note that only samples that contain apatite will be irradiated (Maximum 15 samples).
-	Slide preparation
-	Track length analysis
-	Fission track density analysis
-	Microphobe analysis

A final data report must be prepared for each sample or group of samples analysed. This should include standard tables containing apatite fission track age and length data and any relevant descriptions of the sample or samples and analytical procedures.

Each analysed age grain requires the following: number of spontaneous (Ns) and induced (Ni) tracks, number of counting grid squares (quads), uranium concentration (ppm), fission track age plus one standard deviation, etch figure size, grain identification number and corresponding elemental (including Cl and F) wt% data (for samples with mixed age populations). Also required are other supporting information for age calculation including the analyst’s zeta factor and the associated standard error, the number (Nd) and density of tracks for the glass dosimeter and the area of a counting grid square. For each apatite length grain, we require the track length, its angle with respect to the c-axis (degrees), etch figure size, grain identification number and corresponding elemental wt%.

All slides and mineral separates will be returned to the Scientific Authority.


3.	Trade Agreements

This requirement is no subject to the trade agreements, the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business, or to one of the Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements.


 
4.	Title to Intellectual property 

Natural Resources Canada has determined that any intellectual property rights arising from the performance of the Work under the resulting contract will belong to Canada, on the following grounds: 

-	Where the main purpose of the Crown Procurement Contract, or the deliverables contracted for, is to generate knowledge and information for public dissemination

NRCan reserves the right to grant, upon written request, a license to exercise the required Intellectual Property Rights in such Canada-owned information to the successful Contractor.
For reference, the Treasury Board Site is: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=13697  

5.	Contract Period

From contract award date to March 31, 2016.

6.	Estimated Cost

The estimated cost of the proposed contract is $30 000.

7.	Exception to the Government Contracts Regulations and applicable trade agreements

Part 1, Section 6 - D of the Government Contract Regulations - Dalhousie University is the only Canadian University that provides that kind of analysis.

In addition to performing all the tasks described in paragraph 2, the laboratory located at the Dalhousie University is the only one in Canada that performs the measurement of fission track.

8.	Name and Address of the Proposed Contractor

Dalhousie University
Department of Earth Sciences
Attn: Isabelle Coutand
6299 South Street, PO Box 15000
Halifax (NS) B3H 4R2

9.	Inquiries on 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, preferably by e-mail, to the contact person identified in this Notice on or before the closing date and time of this Notice.  The Statement of Capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements."

In order to submit a Statement of Capabilities, a supplier must comply with the following minimum requirements:
-	Apatite-fission track analysis of samples with the following steps: 
o	mineral separation;
o	isolation of apatite; 
o	irradiation of apatite crystals; 
o	apatite fission track length analysis; 
o	fission track density analysis and microprobe analysis

10.	Contract Authority

Caroline Martel
Procurement agent
819-564-5600 x222
Caroline.Martel@RNCan.gc.ca