Development of a Joint U.S. and Canada Alternative Fuels Map - ACAN

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.

2. Definition of Requirements

The department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has a requirement to develop a Canadian alternative fuels map that is integrated with an existing United States information source. This initiative will accelerate the deployment of advanced vehicle technologies and make progress towards Canada’s energy and climate goals.

This is a multi-year project that supports a Memorandum of Understanding between Canada, the United States and Mexico to improve trilateral coordination regarding climate change and energy collaboration, as well as, commitments made at the North American Leaders Summit to facilitate the use of North American refuelling corridors.

The scope of work includes the following components:

1. Develop a Canadian on-line alternative fuels station locator widget
2. Integrate Canadian alternative fuels information/data with an existing U.S. alternative fuels information source to provide North American information.
3. Develop an applications programming interface (API) to enable individuals to access and download North American alternative fuels data on a free open source basis
4. Develop an on-line data administration tool that will enable Canadian data administrators to add, update and delete alternative fuels station information
5. Provide training and support to the Government of Canada’s alternative fuels station data gatherer/contractor
6. Provide application server and database services to facilitate the proper functioning of Canada’s on-line alternative fuels station locator
7. Provide annual maintenance and administration services for a period of 5 years in support of Canada’s on-line alternative fuels station locator
8. Provide Natural Resources Canada with:

• Access to alternative fuels stations in Canada that will enable the Department to incorporate an internet frame of on its website
• The ability to access and download Canadian alternative fuels raw data for Departmental use
• Training and support services to enable the Department’s data gathering contractor to effectively upload and update Canadian alternative fuels data.

  3. Criteria for Assessment of the Statement of Capabilities

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

1. Possessing an existing and functional on-line alternative US fuels station locator application with the following users capabilities:
   1. Filter and search capabilities for alternative fuels stations (including electric vehicle charging stations, hydrogen, natural gas, propane) and related information;
   2. Access and download alternative fuels information (including electric vehicle charging stations, natural gas, propane, hydrogen and ethanol) on an open source basis;
   3. The ability to plan transportation routes and identify potential alternative fuelling options. 
2. Demonstrated experience (10 years) in operating a national Alternative Fuels Data Centre which is involved in:
   1. data development and analysis;
   2. development of on-line tools, and;
   3. fleet evaluations;
3. Possessing an existing web platform that can be customized to present Canadian Alternative Fuels location information.
4. Agree to the following liability clause:

   The Contractor is liable for any damage caused by the Contractor, its employees, subcontractors, or agents to Canada or any third party. Canada is liable for any damage caused by Canada, its employees or agents to the Contractor or any third party. The Parties agree that no limitation of liability or indemnity provision applies to the Contract unless it is specifically incorporated in full text in the Articles of Agreement. Damage includes any injury to persons (including injury resulting in death) or loss of or damage to property (including real property) caused as a result of or during the performance of the Contract.

4. Trade Agreements

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

North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA);

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT);

World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP).

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

We intend to deal directly with the supplier mentioned in section 10 below as; it is the only known supplier that meets the mandatory criteria set out in section 3 above.

Should Canada receive a statement of capabilities from a supplier that contains sufficient information to indicate that it meets the requirements set forth in this ACAN; this non-competitive process will be abandoned and a competitive process will be pursued as appropriate with a technical and financial evaluation methodology of the bids proposed by the potential bidders.

6. Exception to the Government Contracts Regulations

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”.

The identified provider, mentioned in section 10 below, is the only one able to meet all of the criteria identified in paragraph 3 above.

7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

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

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): Article 1016, 2, d.

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT): Article 506.12 (b)

World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP): Articles XIII (b), Article XV (d) and XV (a).

8. Contract Period

The contract period will be from Award to March 31, 2021.

9. Estimated Cost

The estimated maximum value of the contract is $473,349.00 USD inclusive.

10. Name and Address of the Proposed Contractor

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

15013 Denver West Parkway

Golden, Colorado, 80401

United States

11. Suppliers’ right to submit a 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.

12. Closing Date

The closing date for a submission of a Statement of Capabilities is March 17, 2017 at 14:00 Eastern Standard Time).

13. Contract Authority

Serge Tshimanga

Telephone: (343) 292-8374

E-mail address: Serge.Tshimanga@canada.ca