Study of Industrial Air Pollution and Childhood Asthma

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. 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.

Requirement

Health Canada has a requirement of scientific services for a study of a Long-Term exposure to industrial air pollution emissions and its association with the incidence of childhood asthma. The project will assist Health Canada to develop knowledge of total industrial emissions, characterization of emissions, and emissions for various individual sectors, and analyze the health impacts and valuation of proposed regulatory and non-regulatory actions of the Air Quality Management System including setting Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards.

The Contractor will;

(1) Develop comprehensive long-term exposure estimates to industrial air pollution emissions by major industry (defined as those emitting more than 100 tons of either PM2.5, SO2 or NO2 per year), and by industrial sector for a birth cohort of children;

(2) Conduct analyses on the associations between long-term exposure to industrial emissions and childhood asthma incidence, controlling for socioeconomic status, environmental tobacco smoke and other air pollutant sources (for example, when studying the emissions of a metal smeltor, other sources must be non-smeltor industries);

(3) Assess asthma incidence risks for major industry sectors and provide scientific reports for publications and scientific presentations; these sectors are petroleum refineries, metal smelters, and pulp and paper mills.

Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it meets the following requirements:

• The supplier must have access to the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance system (QICDSS) established by the Institut nationale de santé publique du Québec.
• The supplier must demonstrate at least 5 years of experience in the past 10 years of compiling industrial air pollutant emission data, by stating the data source, the data collection methods, or providing their published paper(s). 
• The supplier must demonstrate at least 5 years of experience in the past 10 years of compiling meteorological data, by stating the data source, the data collection methods, or providing published paper(s).
• The supplier must have at least 3 years of experience in the past 5 years in calculating weather-adjusted industrial emission levels of air pollutants.
• The supplier must demonstrate at least 5 years of experience in the past 10 years of calculation of yearly concentrations of PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 related to emissions from industries petroleum refineries, metal smelters, and pulp and paper mills using the CALPUFF dispersion model by stating the data source, the data collection methods, or providing published paper(s).
• The supplier must have at least 5 years of experience in the past 10 years in conducting statistical analyses on the health impact of industrial emission-related air pollution, using various regression models.
• The supplier must have at least 3 years of experience in the past 5 years on indirect adjustment for cigarette smoking in regression models by stating the data source, the data collection methods, or providing published paper(s).
• The supplier must demonstrate at least 3 years of experience in the past 5 years on adjusting for road traffic emissions in regression models by stating the data source, the data collection methods, or providing published paper(s).
• The supplier must demonstrate at least 3 years of experience in the past 5 years on adjusting for regional secondary fine particulate matter in regression models, by stating the methods or providing published paper(s).
• The supplier must demonstrate at least 3 years of experience in the past 5 years on Pampalon indicator, and adjusting for socioeconomic status in regression models, by stating the methods or providing their published paper(s).
• Academic qualifications: The Principal Investigator must have a Ph.D degree from a recognized university in the field of physical or natural science. 

  Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement
  This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement: Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)

  This procurement consists of a Medical and Health Study (Non-R&D) which are not subject to the provisions of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP) and from the application of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as per Annex 1001.1b-2, Section B – Exclude Coverage (Class B) Studies and Analysis - (not R&D).

  Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s)
  The Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements (CLCAs) are not applicable to this procurement, as the Work will not be delivered to, nor conducted within CLCA areas.

  Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
  Université de Montréal is the only known supplier to have access to Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance system (QICDSS) database and has unique experience and the capacity to conduct sophisticated statistical analyses on the linkages between the exposure of this birth cohort to industrial emissions and children’s asthma incidence, Université de Montréal meets all criteria in Section 2.

  Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)
  The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) - "only one person is capable of performing the work".

  Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

  The following exclusion(s) and/or limited reasons are invoked under the (section of the trade agreement(s) specified;

  Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) – Article 506, 12b – “Where there is absence of competition for technical reasons and the goods and services can only be supplied by a particular supplier

  Period of the proposed contract or delivery date
  The period of the proposed contract is from the date of contract award to March 31, 2019 with the option to extend the contract period by up to two (2) additional periods of one (1) year each.

  Cost estimate of the proposed contract

  The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $383,600.00 (GST/HST extra).

  Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
  Université de Montréal

  Pavillon Marguerite d’Youville

  Département de santé environnementale et santé au travail

  École de santé publique

  CP6128 Succursale Centre-Ville

  Montréal QC H3C 3J7

  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.

  Suppliers may request a copy of the Statement of Work from the Contracting Authority.

  Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

  Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:
  Nathalie Dagenais

  Supply Specialist

  Science and Software Systems Procurement Directorate

  Life and Earth Sciences Division

  Phone: 819-420-0803

  Email: Nathalie.Dagenais@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca