Sodium Reduction Supplementary Teaching Material

Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

Title: Sodium Reduction Supplementary Teaching Material

Solicitation Number: 1000206094

1. The Purpose and Explanation of an ACAN

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows Health Canada to post a notice for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that a goods, services or construction contract will be awarded to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets the minimum requirements identified in the ACAN, the Contracting Authority may then proceed to award a contract to the pre-identified contractor.

2. Rights of Suppliers

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services or goods described in this ACAN may submit a Statement of Capabilities demonstrating how they meet the advertised requirement. This Statement of Capabilities must be provided via e-mail only to the contact person identified in Section 12 of the Notice on or before the closing date and time of the Notice. If the Bidder can clearly demonstrate they possess the required capabilities, the requirement will be opened to electronic or traditional bidding processes.

3. Proposed Contractor

Colleges and Institutes Canada

1 Rideau Street

Suite 701

Ottawa, Ontario

K1N 8S7

4. Definition of Requirements or Expected Results

Health Canada is proposing developing supplementary teaching material on sodium reduction in both French and English, that can be incorporated into college and institute courses and programs and suitable for Health Canada to use as an education tool for food supply stakeholders to help them reduce the amount of sodium in food prepared in and for foodservices.

By May 31, 2019, the Contractor will need to complete an environmental scan and gap analysis of Canadian colleges and institutions, including polytechnics and CEGEPs to identify existing programs, courses and applied research projects that incorporate sodium reduction education. This will require access to program and course curriculum from over 130 Canadian colleges, institutes, including “Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel” (CEGEPs) and polytechnics, to identify those which are delivering programs and courses where sodium reduction in foods is relevant, for example: culinary, hospitality, foodservice, food technology, and nutrition and dietetic programs and courses, including relevant applied research programs. The environmental scan must also include a list of experts in that can participate in a roundtable discussion, that will include a minimum of 12 experts with particular areas of expertise that can provide practical and applied knowledge on constraints and future opportunities on curriculum related to sodium reduction. Following a discussion, the contractor will provide a ‘What We Heard’ report summarizing practical and applied knowledge with findings and recommendations by August 30, 2019; and, by March 1, 2021, the contractor must develop English supplementary teaching material on sodium reduction that can be incorporated into college and institute programming, that will be piloted in 3 institution, evaluated, finalized, and then promoted to colleges, institutions and CEGEPs for integration into their programming. Health Canada will be responsible for the translation of the material for use in French institutions.

To spur uptake across the country, the contractor will develop and execute a promotional campaign that will be launched at a national conference in 2020. The project must be completed by March 1, 2021.

5. Minimum Requirements

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

MR 1

The contractor must have in-depth knowledge of and working relationships with all deans and key personnel at over 100 post-secondary institutions (e.g. colleges, institutes, CEGEPs) across Canada, operating in both English and French and in diverse settings both urban and rural that have programs related to culinary arts, hospitality, foodservice management, food technology, and nutrition and dietetics.

MR 2

The contractor must be able to mobilize key resources from all post-secondary programs related to culinary, hospitality, foodservice, food technology, and nutrition and dietetics to be able to identify experts for a roundtable to discuss gaps and opportunities for the development of teaching materials, as well as tap into program experts to contribute to the development of curriculum and teaching materials.

MR 3

The contractor must have experience leading pan-Canadian projects and programs in post-secondary institutions (e.g. colleges, institutes, CEGEPs) in partnership with the federal government.

MR 4

The contractor must be able to work effectively with post-secondary institutions (e.g. colleges, institutes, CEGEPs) to conduct projects in both French and English.

MR 5

The contractor must have extensive experience in developing teaching material and curriculum that can be incorporated into post-secondary institution (e.g. colleges, institutes, CEGEPs) courses and programs.

MR 6

The contractor must have the ability to recruit a cross section of post-secondary institutions to conduct pilot testing of new curriculum and teaching materials, including a rural, urban and francophone setting.

MR 7

The contractor must have the resources and opportunities to promote uptake of new curriculum and teaching material to all pot-secondary institutions with programs related to culinary arts, hospitality, foodservice management, food technology, and nutrition and dietetics.

6. Reason for Non-Competitive Award

Section 6 of the Government Contracts Regulations contains four exceptions that permit the contracting authority to set aside the requirement to solicit bids. For the proposed procurement, the following exception applies: (d) Only one person or firm is capable of performing the contract. 

The proposed contractor is specialized in the subject matter.

The proposed contractor is the only source who has internal databases of college, CEGEP or polytechnic programs and applied research project which includes data from their annual applied research survey.

7. Applicable trade Agreements and Justification for Limited Tendering or the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business

This requirement is subject to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization – Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-GPA) and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). The requirement is being directed to the proposed supplier as permitted under the following sections of the above trade agreements:

• Article 513 b) of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
• Article XV, 1d of the World Trade Organization – Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
• Article 1016, 2(b) of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

8. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Crown to own the Foreground IP under section 4: Where the main purpose of the Crown Procurement Contract, of the deliverables of the contracted for, is:

4.1 To generate knowledge and information for public dissemination.

9. Period of the Proposed Contract

The contract period shall be from date of contract award until 02, January, 2021

10. Estimated Value of the Proposed Contract

The total estimated value of the proposed contract should not exceed $263,000.00, including travel and living expenses (if applicable), and all applicable taxes."

11. Closing Date and Time

The Closing Date and Time for accepting Statements of Capabilities is 13 February 2019, 2 p.m. EST.

12. Contact Person

All enquiries must be addressed by e-mail to:

Name: Cheryl Moss
E-Mail: cheryl.moss@canada.ca