Advanced Expert Event Management Services for Canada’s Science Policy Conference

1. ADVANCE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE (ACAN)

   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 supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

   If other potential suppliers submit statements of capabilities, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, 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. Contracting Officer

   Name: Chantal Lafleur

   Telephone Number: 613-990-5937

   E-mail: chantal.lafleur2@canada.ca

3. DESCRIPTIVE TITLE:

   The Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has a requirement for the full range of advanced expert event management services for the Canadian Science Policy Conference 2016 November 8th-10th at the Shaw Convention Centre in Ottawa, Canada. 

4. REQUIREMENTS/RESULTS

   ISED has a requirement to obtain full range of advanced expert event management services by the Canadian Science Policy Centre to prepare and organize a successful 8^th annual Canadian Science Policy Conference 2016 November 8th-10th at the Shaw Convention Centre in Ottawa, Canada. 

   Established in 2009, the Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) meets an important need for a non-partisan, inclusive, national dialogue on science, technology and innovation policy. The vision is to ensure systematic connections between Canada’s diverse scientific enterprises and policymakers in bureaucracy, and political spheres both federally and provincially. The CSPC has become Canada’s most comprehensive, multi-sectorial and multi-disciplinary annual science policy forum and has attracted numerous politicians and hundreds of professionals from industry, academia, the non-profit sector, federal and provincial governments every year. The conference has traveled across Canada: Toronto (2009), Montreal (2010), Ottawa (2011), Calgary (2012), Toronto (2013), Halifax (2014), Ottawa (2015) and returns to Ottawa in 2016.

The Canadian Science Policy Conference 2016 will cover areas like Policy Making and Evidence-Based Decision-Making, A New Innovation Agenda for Canada, Science Funding Review, Clean Energy and Climate Change, and Science Diplomacy.

The Canadian Science Policy Centre, as the lead organizer for the 8^th annual CSPC 2016, has past successful experience from organizing CSPCs, an existing network of science policy experts and advocates, and knowledge on providing advanced expert event management services efficiently and effectively to organize and facilitate another successful conference. The Canadian Science Policy Centre would:

• Act as a hub promoting ongoing national dialogue in support of more effective coordination and collaboration across all science and innovation stakeholders, nurturing a broad and evolving community of science policy thinkers;
• Build capacity by introducing and fostering initiatives to train the next wave of leaders in science, technology, and innovation policy; and
• Advance science policy research by enabling a framework for collaborative, multi-sectoral assessment of science and innovation policies in Canada.

  In particular, the work will involve a full range of Advanced Expert Event Management Services in the following areas, but not limited to:

Specific Pre-Event Planning

• Leveraging networks to recruit event speakers;
• Finalizing event program and panel sessions in consultation with speakers and key stakeholders;
• Establishing and coordinating registration procedures;
• Arranging for the production, printing, and distribution of related material, before, during and after the event;
• Collating and distributing conference kits; and
• Preparing name badges.

Venue and Related Services 

• Selecting and making provisions for facilitators/speakers; 
• Arranging for the provision of simultaneous interpretation and/or on-site translation (in English, French, or one or more other languages as requested by the Project Authority); 
• Planning and managing audiovisual requirements;

• Provision of venue accoutrements (podiums, decorations, banners, tables, chairs, tents, etc);
• Arranging for a photographer and/or videographer; and
• Arranging and providing for support services such as a Business Service Centre (with fax, printer, monitor, internet capability, etc.) desk top publishing, conference publishers, IT hardware and software, and electronic polling.

On-Site Event Coordination Services 

• Maintaining logistical control of events; 
• Hiring, training, and leading volunteers; 
• Managing exhibits and booth setup; and 
• Coordinating speakers / presenters / facilitators, note takers, simultaneous interpreters and translators, security staff, audio-visual staff, photographer/videographer. 

Post-Conference Reporting and Debriefing

• Preparing final report for the event including a final budget;
• Debriefing the Project Authority and other client officials regarding the final outcome(s) of the event, including lessons learned; and
• Preparing a proceeding report, which includes an analytical review, lesson learned, recommendations and main messages for each session.

Environmental Considerations

Invitations to, registration of, and correspondence with event participants are to be conducted electronically whenever possible.

Official Languages

The Contractor’s firm may be required to provide some services in both official languages (English and French). At a minimum, one (1) of the Contractor’s on-site resources must be bilingual if the Work is being performed in a bilingual region. 

5. Minimum Essential Requirements

• Vast knowledge* and expertise of the current science and innovation ecosystem in Canada, related gaps, issues and important international topics for discussion, especially in the context of advancing Canadian science and innovation;

• Vast knowledge* of current Canadian science and innovation programs, policies and funding mechanisms related to Canada’s science policy, and how they are developed;

• Extensive** experience in outreach activities on public science policy issues; strong credibility and existing relationships with the post-secondary research community; 

• Extensive** experience in working with the federal and provincial governments and government officials;

• Extensive** experience in event planning and management for national conferences in the area of science policy;

• Ability** Experience to engage with multiple stakeholders from diverse fields such as academia, government, non-for-profit and industry to plan and facilitate panel discussions or roundtables with high profile industry stakeholders; and

• Ability to provide services in both official languages.

* Vast knowledge is defined as thorough understanding of a topic, including the perspectives of different stakeholders and associated political, economic social and technical considerations. This understanding would normally be obtained through substantial research, stakeholder outreach and first-hand experience.

**Extensive experience is defined as a minimum of 5 years of experience of which one is within the last year.

6. IDENTIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR

Name of Contractor: Canadian Science Policy Centre

Address: 282 Somerset Street West
City: Ottawa

Province: Ontario

Postal Code: K2P 0J6

7. REASON FOR AWARDING CONTRACT TO THIS CONTRACTOR

The chosen organization, the Canadian Science Policy Centre, has extensive experience in providing regular annual Advanced Expert Event Management Services to the previous seven CSPCs. The Canadian Science Policy Centre is the lead organization in charge of CSPC 2016. They have an extensive network of key science, technology and innovation (ST&I) stakeholders networks in Industry, Non-for-Profit, Academia, Provincial and Federal Governments, and science policy experts, as well as the expertise and knowledge to execute Advanced Expert Event Management Services in the areas of pre-event planning, venue and related services, on-site event coordination, and post conference reporting and debriefing, and can do so effectively and efficiently within the required timeframe. Also, the Canadian Science Policy Centre organization has demonstrated from previous CSPCs its ability to mobilize the science policy community across the country, attract international speakers and has shown concluding results in delivering successful CSPCs and a productive national science policy dialogue. Based on this unique combination of ST&I, experience with regular annual national conferences, knowledge and expertise, the Canadian Science Policy Centre is the only supplier capable of performing this work.

8. CONTRACT PERIOD/ESTIMATED COST

The period of the contract will be from date of contract award to November 10^th, 2016 with a possibility of renewal for two additional option years.

Total project cost is $50K (+ applicable taxes) per year with a possibility of renewal at that level for two additional option years

9. OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The Contractor will own any intellectual property arising from the performance of the Work under the Contract.

10. APPLICABLE TRADE AGREEMENTS AND APPLICABLE LIMITED TENDERING REASONS

10.1 Section 6(d) of the Government Contracts Regulations is being invoked in this procurement as only one person or firm is believed capable of performing the contract.

(http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-87-402/page-2.html#h-6).

10.2 Canadian Science Policy Centre, as the organization responsible for delivering CSPCs, is considered to be the only firm in a position to perform these services at Canadian Science Policy Conferences and is the only known source that complies with all the essential requirements listed above and is capable of performing the work during the specified time period.

10.3 The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the:

• the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), Article 506.12(b);
• the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Article 1016.2(b);
• Canada-Columbia 1409 (b) and (c);
• Canada-Chile Kbis-09 (b);
• Canada-Honduras, Article 17.11 (b);
• Canada-Panama, Article 16.10 (b).

  http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/index.aspx?view=d

11. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person 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.

CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR WRITTEN SUPPLIER RESPONSES CHALLENGING THIS REQUIREMENT IS 14:00 HRS, EASTERN TIME, September 30, 2016.

You are hereby notified that the government intends to solicit a bid and negotiate with the firm identified above.

If you wish to submit a written response showing that you are capable of meeting this requirement, it must be done not later than the closing date and time. As it is intended to proceed in a timely manner, responses received after the closing date will not be considered. The Crown reserves the right not to open this procurement to competition.

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 is not to be construed as a competitive solicitation. Your written response must provide sufficient evidence (e.g. specifications, technical data, drawings, or any other proof) that clearly demonstrates that your product or service is capable of fulfilling this requirement.

Suppliers that have submitted a response will be notified in writing of ISED's decision to continue with the non-competitive procurement or to compete the requirement.

Should you have any questions concerning this requirement, contact the contracting officer identified above. The ISED file number, the contracting officer's name and the closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the envelope in block letters or, in the case of a facsimile transmission, on the covering page.