Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) for Subscription to Bloomberg Professional Service

1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

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.

The National Energy Board (NEB) has identified a requirement for a subscription to the Bloomberg Professional Service that provides real-time energy data, news, research and analytics to allow NEB analysts to monitor in real-time: energy market fundamentals, regional considerations, supply chains, pipeline flows and capacity utilization, commodity pricing and energy news developments. The Bloomberg Professional Service subscription provides access to thousands of reports and aggregated databases all in one place. This content will help to keep NEB data sets current and consistent, shorten the reaction time to respond to emerging developments and support NEB energy information analysis and products including Market Snapshots, issues sections of Energy Futures and Pipeline Transportation reports, annual outlooks for crude oil and natural gas deliverability, and to support other analyses for publication and for internal NEB use.

NEB analyses require a comprehensive understanding of interlocking relationships throughout the North American and global energy marketplaces. With limited resources available, the NEB can improve its efficiency and effectiveness through subscribing to a service which constructs, analyzes and packages intelligence into a single, user-friendly source.

2. Description of Requirement

The NEB requires a subscription to the Bloomberg Professional Service. Bloomberg is the sole provider of the Bloomberg Professional Service subscription. No other company is authorized to sell or support this product.

The Bloomberg Professional Service provides a comprehensive understanding of the interrelationships between energy fundamentals, market participants and energy infrastructure. The data and analysis also offers insight into interrelationships through physical assets, industry and company data, corporate filings, and news. The Bloomberg Professional Service is an interactive energy and financial information network that integrates real-time data, news, research and analytics. The integrated platform delivers information across market sectors and workflows through one unified system.

The Bloomberg Professional service subscription includes integrated third party information including PointLogic pipeline data, Genscape oil analysis, OTC market prices, energy and financial news coverage and thousands of contributing broker and research reports. Bloomberg incorporates a comprehensive set of information, including fundamentals, regional considerations, commodity prices and supply chain analysis on a single platform.

The Bloomberg Professional service subscription provides information and analysis for renewable and low/no carbon energy systems. The service looks at the changes hitting this industry, covering supply and demand fundamentals, technology costs, company strategies, and policy developments. The service includes related global energy analysis (analyst reports, news, and daily and weekly industry briefs) in one location.

The Bloomberg Professional service subscription includes an Excel add-in tool to allow easily downloadable formats for both current and historic data through wizards. Also included are additional pre-built Excel templates ranging from industry to company specific sheets that can be altered as needed by the user. The subscription includes unlimited searches through the Bloomberg terminal and broad data download capabilities into Excel.

The Bloomberg Professional service subscription includes Application Programming Interface (API) tools to automatically send updated data to NEB Excel spreadsheets to enhance data consistency and efficiency.

The Bloomberg Professional service subscription provides access to a team of unbiased industry experts who offer deep insight into the profitability drivers, themes and key issues that will shape the energy industry and affect its competitive dynamics. The Bloomberg Professional service subscription also provides access to a broad range of sector and industry analysis for energy, utilities, materials and related consumer staple and consumer discretionary markets

The Bloomberg Professional Service subscription includes 24-hour 7 days a week comprehensive support to answer questions and address concerns, and assist in finding and interpreting energy and financial information and analysis, assist in developing API customization. There are also online user guides designed to help find answers fast and discover new analytical solutions. Individual and group training sessions are available at Bloomberg offices and at the NEB office at no additional cost. Training to be available for API customization

Definition of the requirement

National Energy Board requires access for one year contract period with an additional one year option to an Interactive energy and financial information network that integrates real-time data, news, research and analytics to allow NEB analysts to monitor in real-time: energy market fundamentals, regional considerations, supply chains, pipeline flows and capacity utilization, commodity pricing and energy news developments.

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

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities, ability to provide a system that has, but is not limited, to the following characteristics:

• Interactive energy and financial information network that integrates real-time data, news, research and analytics. The product must be an integrated platform that delivers data across market sectors and workflows through one unified system
• Product can be custom tailored to meet specific needs for energy commodity analysis including: oil, gas, power, coal, pipeline and power infrastructure and environmental markets.
• Product provides ongoing updates of spot, futures and over-the-counter pricing
• Product provides data, analysis and news on energy market fundamentals including supply, demand, pipeline capacity and utilization
• Product includes an Excel add-in tool to allow easily downloadable formats for both current and historic data through wizards. Also included are additional pre-built Excel templates ranging from industry to company specific sheets that can be altered as needed by the user. The product includes unlimited searches and broad data download capabilities into Excel
• Product includes 24-hour 7 days a week comprehensive support to answer questions, address concerns, and assist in finding and interpreting energy and financial information and analysis.
• Product includes online user guides designed to help find answers fast and discover new analytical solutions.
• Product includes the option of individual and group training sessions held at the NEB office at no additional cost.

4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s):

• Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT);

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The NEB has identified a requirement for a subscription to the Bloomberg Professional Service. Bloomberg is the sole provider of the Bloomberg Professional Service subscription. No other company is authorized to sell or support this product.

6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under Subsection 6(d) – only one person is capable of performing the work.

7. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The proposed contract is for a period of one year from date of Contract award, plus one year option period.

8. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option, is $51,360.00 (USD) (GST/HST extra)

9. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Bloomberg Finance L.P.

731 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY USA 10022

10. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully capable of providing the 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.

11. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is March 2, 2017 at 02:00pm MST.

12. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Jenny Gong

Procurement Technical Analyst,

National Energy Board

Suite 210, 517 Tenth Avenue, SW

Calgary, AB T2R 0A8

Tel: 403-470-1748

Email: jenny.gong@neb-one.gc.ca