Satdnding Offer - Marine Technical Services

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

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has a need for Marine Technical Expertise to support equipment owned by the Geological Survey of Canada. Required technical support may vary based on maintenance requirements, equipment failure or updates, for example. NRCan will award a standing offer in order to meet the technical requirements on an as-and-when-required basis. 

The supplier must demonstrate a minimum of two years of experience that would include the following areas: 

High Resolution Seismic Systems: 

•	in installation, operation, calibration, maintenance of High resolution seismic equipment listed below:
o	Huntec DTS tow fish and control console 
(Note: the provider MUST have at least minimum two years of experience in the operation/calibration/maintenance on Huntec System) 

•	in installation, operation, calibration, maintenance of High resolution seismic equipment listed below such as:

o	Short single channel analog streamers
o	Small portable sub bottom profiling systems
o	Boomer plates
o	Sparker sleds and candles
o	Seismic receivers
o	Electrical power supplies for seismic sources

General Seismic/Geophysical System Components:

•	installation, operation, calibration, maintenance of General seismic/geophysical system components such as:
o	Side scan systems
o	Medium length single and multichannel streamers
o	Streamer flight control systems
o	High pressure, high volume air compressors with electric or diesel drive
o	Air guns such as Bolt, sleeve gun, G-gun, GI gun
o	Air gun firing control systems


•	installation, operation, calibration, maintenance of General mechanical systems such as:
o	Electromechanical winches or capstans
o	Hydraulic winches or capstans
o	Small hydraulic cranes
o	Hydraulic power sources
o	Electromechanical wires
o	Mechanical wires
o	Sliprings
o	Terminations

General Navigation and data acquisition components:

•	installation, operation, quality control and data processing for the following equipment and data such: 
o	Differential GPS systems
o	Attitude sensors (using GPS integrated with other instrumentation)
o	Inertial Guidance systems (using GPS integrated with other instrumentation)
o	Data acquisition subsystems (using analog to digital conversion for analog instrumentation)
o	Data storage and management

The following resources will be required to provide the above mentioned services: 

•	Senior Technician
o	Electronic instrumentation Specialist – design, maintenance, installation, operation of various Geophysical/Oceanographic electronic instruments owned by NRCan
o	Navigation/Data curation Specialist – installation, operation and acquisition of data from navigation sources and other instrumentation and maintaining this data in a format compatible with NRCan’s data curation system and using NRCan navigation and acquisition sub-systems

•	Senior Technologist
o	Huntec Deep Tow specialist – maintenance, calibration, mob/demob, and operation of Huntec deep tow seismic system owned by NRCan
o	Mechanical Seismic Technician – hydraulics, winches and mechanical deployment , towing and recovery systems owned by NRCan
o	Side Scan Sonar specialist – maintenance, installation and operation of side scan sonar systems owned by NRCan
o	Air Gun/Compressor specialist – maintenance, installation, operation of Air guns and compressors owned by NRCan

•	Project Technologist
o	Ability to coordinate mobilization/demobilization activities for the systems and equipment the contractor is responsible for. This will include liaising with outside contractors, vessel staff and other personnel to load/unload, install, configure and test for operability the systems the contractor is responsible for preparing
 

•	Engineer
o	Provision of engineering design support.

Since most of the work requires that technicians go on board Government ships, the supplier and his staff will require valid reliability status security clearance from the Industrial Security Program.

3.	Trade Agreements

      Applicable Limited Tendering Provision under WTO-AGP (article XV)

XV 1 (b) - when, (…) in the absence of competition for technical reasons, the products or       services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.

Applicable Limited Tendering Provision under NAFTA (Article 1016.2)
1016.2(b) - where, (…) there is an absence of competition for technical reasons, the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists;
Applicable Limited Tendering Provision under AIT (Article 506.12)
506.12(b) - where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons and the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no alternative or substitute exists;

Applicable Limited Tendering Provision under Canada-Chile (Article Kbis-09)

Kbis-09 (b) – (…) in the absence of competition for technical reasons, the products or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists
Applicable Limited Tendering Provision under Canada-Colombia (Article 1409)
1409 (b) where the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute goods or services exist for any of the following reasons:
(iii) 	Due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;

 
4.	Contract Period

The period of the proposed Standing offer is three years from award date. 

5.	Estimated Cost

The estimated expenditure against the Standing offer for the 3-year period is $1,200,000.00, applicable taxes extra. The limitation for each call up will be of $75,000.00.

6.	Exception to the Government Contracts Regulations 

Sole Source Justification   Exception of the Government Contract Regulations (GCR):

(d) Only one person or firm is capable of performing the contract

The proposed supplier is the creator and original installer of the Huntec DTS, a system created for the specific needs of NRcan sea going vessels for Geological Sub-Bottom Profiling. This system is vital for the research and as other components of the vessel, requires ongoing maintenance. 

Geoforce is the only known vendor that can meet all of the requirements listed in paragraph 2 above, including two years of experience with the Huntec System. 
 
7.	Name and Address of the Proposed Contractor

Geoforce Consultant
P.O. Box 696
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2Y 3Y9

8.	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 present a Statement of Capabilities, a supplier must demonstrate that he meets all the mandatory requirements presented under 2. Definition of requirements. 

9.	Closing Date

The closing date for a submission of a Statement of Capabilities is August 17, 2015.

10.	Contract Authority

Julia Armstrong
1 Challenger Drive, P.O. Box 1006
Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2
Julia.armstrong@RNCan.gc.ca