Preventing Contraband Delivery via Air and Ground

December 14, 2018

The closing date for this challenge has been extended to January 10, 2019 at 14:00 EST.

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November 16, 2018

Attachment 1 contains questions and answers related to the challenge.

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October 31, 2018 - Amendment 001

This amendment has been raised to include additional text, identified in italics, in the Problem Statement and Desired Outcomes and Considerations sections of this Challenge Notice.

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This Challenge Notice, updated October 31, 2018, is issued under the Innovative Solutions Canada Program Call for Proposals 002 (EN578-170003/C).

Please refer to the Solicitation Documents which contain the process for submitting a proposal.

Steps to apply:

Step 1: read this challenge

Step 2: read the Call for Proposals

Step 3: propose your solution

CHALLENGE TITLE: Preventing Contraband Delivery via Air and Ground

CHALLENGE SPONSOR: Correctional Service Canada (CSC)

FUNDING MECHANISM: Contract

MAXIMUM CONTRACT VALUE:

Multiple contracts could result from this Challenge.

The maximum funding available for any Phase 1 Contract resulting from this Challenge is $150,000.00 CAD (plus tax) including shipping, travel and living expenses, as applicable, for up to 6 months.

The maximum funding available for any Phase 2 Contract resulting from this Challenge is $1,000,000.00 CAD (plus tax) including shipping, travel and living expenses, as applicable, for up to 2 years. Only eligible businesses that have completed Phase 1 could be considered for Phase 2.

This disclosure is made in good faith and does not commit Canada to contract for the total approximate funding.

TRAVEL:

For Phase 1, it is anticipated that two meetings may require the successful bidder(s) to travel to the location identified below:

• Kick-off Meeting: Ottawa, Ontario
• Final Review Meeting: Ottawa, Ontario

PROBLEM SUMMARY

Correctional Service Canada (CSC) is seeking an innovative and cost-effective technology solution to detect, track and prevent contraband items from entering the perimeter via Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as drones, and fence throw-over.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The number of weapons, drugs, alcohol, cellphones and other contraband items entering Canadian prisons is an ongoing security concern with increasing occurrences. These items pose a risk to the safety of inmates and correctional staff.

Introduction of contraband by persons approaching on the ground and throwing items over the fence is not a new concern. Drones in particular are seen as an emerging risk due to their increasing capabilities and decreasing costs, making them an easily accessible means of introducing contraband into an institution, creating diversions, or covert surveillance. The actual threat is not caused by the UAV itself but by the payload content the UAV is carrying.

Research conducted by CSC and the National Research Council has determined that Air and Ground Intrusion Detection Systems (AGIDS) are available but don’t include legal and safe counter measures and are too expensive for CSC to deploy to all its institutions. (Updated October 31, 2018)

CSC is seeking an innovative, scalable and cost-effective technology solution to detect, track and prevent the delivery of contraband items to institutions via both UAV and fence throw-over.

DESIRED OUTCOMES AND CONSIDERATIONS

Essential Outcomes

Proposed solutions must:

• Include legal and safe (no risk of harm and/or injury) counter measures to prevent delivery (CSC does not consider jamming counter-measures to be safe) (Updated October 31, 2018);
• Address both UAV and fence throw-over delivery methods;
• Have sufficient volumetric coverage to detect and track both the intruders and the contraband items from any direction (ex. ground and/or air);
• Automatically and immediately detect and classify threats (ex. human, car, deer, bird, drone, etc.) in order to minimize nuisance alarm;
• Track the payload and identify the location and person recovering the items in the event that the contraband enters the perimeter;
• Operate effectively 24/7 in all weather conditions; and
• Take into consideration the presence (or not) of buildings close to the perimeter fence/wall, here are a few examples to demonstrate:
  • https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.2345328,-76.5529758,1304m/data=!3m1!1e3
  • https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.0824575,-97.225237,890m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=fr
  • https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.1636036,-122.29263,843m/data=!3m1!1e3
  • https://www.google.com/maps/@46.6872079,-71.693399,1090m/data=!3m1!1e3

Additional Outcomes

Proposed solutions may:

The solution should be affordable : eventual sales price should be less than $200, 000.00 per solution to allow for deployment through all Correctional Service Canada institutions. (Updated October 31, 2018)

Considerations

• Radar systems can be jammed.
• UAVs can fly without Radio Frequency (RF) emission or by using LTE/Cellular RF interface.
• All CSC institutions are equipped with Pan–tilt–zoom (PTZ) cameras which covers all areas accessible by inmates within the perimeters.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

UAVs represent a rapidly emerging threat all over the world which may be abused by criminals. Several incidents within the last years revealed that there is a rapidly emerging threat caused by small commercially available UAVs.

Depending on the category of the UAV, the maximum weight of the payload could be 4-5 kg or even more.

In general, UAVs may be used to assist or execute illegal actions like smuggling illegal items (e.g. drugs or cellphones into prisons).

ENQUIRIES

All enquiries must be submitted in writing to TPSGC.SIC-ISC.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca no later than ten calendar days before the Challenge Notice closing date. Enquiries received after that time may not be answered.