ADVANCE CONTACT AWARD NOTICE (ACAN)

Background

Canadian Food Inspection Agency has a requirement for the following need:

On May 20, 2003, a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly called mad cow disease, was confirmed in an animal born and raised in Canada. On January 9, 2004, the Government of Canada announced it would increase BSE surveillance testing as part of the national BSE response strategy. The CFIA has increased the number of samples collected at the national level to a minimum of 8,000 in 2004, the CFIA has subsequently implanted a BSE surveillance system program to analyze a minimum of 30,000 samples annually. The CFIA therefore wishes to encourage, through offers of service contracts, the collection of samples in sufficient quantity to meet the objectives of the National surveillance program for BSE.

The work will involve the following:

Services required by the CFIA in implementing its surveillance program include those associated with carcass pick up, identification and traceability (record keeping) of selected carcasses, provision and maintenance of a suitable sampling facility and on site handling to present the appropriate samples to the CFIA, as well as those services related to the storage and segregation of carcasses pending determination of BSE status.