Atlantic Salmon rearing - Cape Breton Highlands National Park

1. Purpose of an Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows a department to post a notice, for no less than fifteen calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it intends to award a contract to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, during the fifteen calendar day posting period, a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the competitive requirements of the government’s contracting policy have been met. Following notification to suppliers not successful in demonstrating that their statement of capabilities meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contract may then be awarded using the Treasury Board’s electronic bidding authorities.

If other potential suppliers submit statements of capabilities during the fifteen calendar day posting period, and meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, the department must proceed to a full tendering process on either the government’s electronic tendering service or through traditional means, in order to award the contract.

2. Definition of Requirements

The contractor must be able to retrieve up to 500 juvenile salmon from Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Ingonish Beach) and transport them live in aerated tanks or appropriate temperature (no greater than 12^oC) to the rearing facility no further than 350km away. Technicians trained in fish care must be present during transport to monitor and adjust conditions.

The contractor must raise juvenile salmon from smolt or parr stage to adulthood with a survival rate that exceeds that which would be expected in the natural environment. Rearing must occur in a land-based facility and must have sufficient capacity for up to 1000 fish at various life stages.

The contractor must have experience and training rearing fish, and proven experience working with threatened or endangered fish species.

Fish must be raised in bio-secure conditions, and a bio-security plan and protocol must be in place at the facility. The Salmon from Cape Breton Highlands National Park must not at any time be exposed to other fish either through direct contact or recirculation of water from another tank. The contactor must be able to quarantine fish if necessary. Biosecure conditions must also be maintained during transportation.

The facility must be capable of transitioning between fresh and salt water.

The contractor must have access to on-site veterinary care with a response time of 24hrs or less.

The contractor must be able to transport adult salmon from the rearing facility to Cape Breton Highlands National Park live in aerated tanks of appropriate temperature (no greater than 12^oC). Technical support must be on hand during transport to monitor conditions.

3. Governing Contracting Rules

This procurement is subject to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA).

This procurement is NOT subject to NAFTA, see Annex 1001.1b.-2, exemption F030

4. Period of Proposed Contract

The proposed contract is for the period starting in July 2019 to March 31, 2024

5. Estimated Value of Proposed Contract

This requirement is estimated to cost between $200,000.00 and $250,000.00

6. Reason for non-competitive award

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

The following exclusions and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the following trade agreements:

CFTA, Article 513, para 1(b)(iii) wherein it states "due to an absence of competition for technical reasons".

7. Proposed Contractor

Aquatron Laboratory
Dalhousie University
Life Sciences Centre
1355 Oxford Street
Halifax, NS B3H 4R2

8. Submission of Statement of Capabilities by Suppliers:

Suppliers, who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services described herein, 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.

9. Closing Date for Submission of Statements of Capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is July 16, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

10. Departmental Contact Person

Suppliers may inquire or submit a statement of capabilities to:

Michel Marleau
Contracting Officer
Parks Canada Agency
National Contracting Services
Chief Financial Officer Directorate
111 Water Street East
Cornwall ON K6H 6S2

Telephone: (613) 938-5822
E-mail address: Michel.Marleau@canada.ca