Sea Bird Surveys – At Sea Observers

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, has a requirement for a Standing Offer for seabird observers. Observers will be required to collect data on seabird occurrence and behaviour at sea from ships traveling offshore Atlantic Canada using a standardized protocol. Surveys will be conducted from ships-of-opportunity, which may include offshore supply ships, container ships, and research vessels operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. Trips can last anywhere between one day to several weeks, and will occur throughout the year and travel in a variety of environmental conditions. Observers will be expected to stand for long periods of time, work each day that the ship is at sea, and survey during the daylight period. Observers will record data on field data forms or directly into field computer, often under arduous conditions.

A maximum of six (6) standing offers will be issued as a result of this solicitation process. Call-ups will be issued on a “right of first refusal” basis.

The period of the standing offer is anticipated to be from issuance of standing offer to May 31, 2020 with two (2) options to extend the standing offer by two (2) additional one (1) year periods.

The requirement is not subject to the provisions of the trade agreements.

The Request for Standing Offers (RFSO) is to establish a Departmental Individual Standing Offers for the requirement detailed in the RFSO, to the Identified Users across Canada, excluding locations within Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, and Labrador that are subject to Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements (CLCAs). Any requirement for deliveries to locations within CLCAs areas within Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, or Labrador will have to be treated as a separate procurement, outside of the resulting standing offers.

This RFSO allows offerors to use Environment and Climate Change Canada’s electronic bid submission to transmit their offers electronically. Offerors must refer to Part 2 of the RFSO entitled Offeror Instructions and Part 3 of the RFSO entitled Offer Preparation Instructions, for further information on using this method.

There are security requirements associated with the requirement of the Standing Offer. For additional information, see Part 6 - Security, Financial and Insurance Requirements, and Part 7 - Standing Offer and Resulting Contract Clauses. For more information on personnel and organization security screening or security clauses, offerors should refer to the Contract Security Program of Public Works and Government Services Canada (http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/esc-src/introduction-eng.html) website.

In accordance with the Integrity Provisions of the Standard Instructions, all offerors must provide, upon request, a list of names, or other related information as needed.

For services requirements, bidders in receipt of a pension or a lump sum payment must provide the required information as detailed in article 3 of Part 2 of the bid solicitation.

Offerors may request a debriefing on the results of the request for standing offers process. Offerors should make the request to the Standing Offer Authority within 15 working days of receipt of the results of the request for standing offers process. The debriefing may be in writing, by telephone or in person.

Should Offerors consider that the specifications or Statement of Work contained in the RFSO could be improved technically or technologically, Offerors are invited to make suggestions, in writing, to the Contracting Authority named in the RFSO. Offerors must clearly outline the suggested improvement as well as the reason for the suggestion. Suggestions that do not restrict the level of competition nor favour a particular offeror will be given consideration provided they are submitted to the Contracting Authority at least seven (7) calendar days before the bid closing date. Canada will have the right to accept or reject any or all suggestions.

Inquiries regarding this RFSO requirement must be submitted to the Contracting Authority named below. 

RFSO documents will be e-mailed directly from the Contracting Authority to the Offerors who are being invited to submit an offer on this requirement. OFFERORS ARE ADVISED THAT “BUYANDSELL.GC.CA” IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS. The Crown retains the right to negotiate with any supplier on any procurement. Documents may be submitted in either official language.

Contracting Authority

Name: Jennifer Legere

Phone Number: 902-426-9940

Email Address: jennifer.legere@canada.gc.ca