Transitional Employment - Vocational Training

An advanced contract award notice (ACAN) is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date and time stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

1. Definition of the requirement:

Background:

CORCAN is a program of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). CORCAN’s mission is to aid in the safe reintegration of offenders into Canadian society by providing employment and employability skills training to offenders incarcerated in federal penitentiaries and, conditionally released offenders.

The Correctional Service Canada (CSC), CORCAN has a requirement to provide vocational essential skills and on the job training for supervised offenders with mental health needs, on an ‘as and when’ requested basis, in the Truro, Nova Scotia area, to help them secure and maintain employment in the community.

The work will involve the following:

1.1 Objectives:

To provide employment and employability skills and on-the-job training through a work placement for offenders with mental health needs under supervision in the Truro, Nova Scotia area, on an ‘as and when’ requested basis. 

1.2 Tasks:

The Contractor must provide a structured, paid work environment and provide the opportunity for offenders to practice employability skills through on-the-job training, on an ‘as and when’ requested basis.

The Contractor must support up to two (2) supervised offenders with mental health needs at one time.

The Contractor must provide training and work placement related to the food industry or cleaning industry, or both.

The Contractor must:

• Provide on-the-job training by providing a structured and paid work environment.
• Provide training, coaching, mentoring and supervision.
• Teach professional work ethic (i.e. attendance, punctuality, attitude, etc.).
• Teach “essential skills”, to the offender which include, but are not limited to communication, time management, problem solving, working with others, taking initiative, adaptability, punctuality and attendance.
• Provide worksite orientation.
• Provide worksite rules and regulations.
• Provide worksite supervision.
• Provide personal protective equipment (if applicable).

CSC CORCAN will provide the following:

CSC/CORCAN will refer offenders to the Contractor.

CSC/CORCAN representatives will set up 2 or 3 meetings with the Contractor to discuss progress and any concerns or issues. CSC staff at the Truro Parole Office will be the liaison, and will ensure the lead on this initiative.

Location of Work:

The Contractor must provide and accommodate offenders with on an on-the-job training opportunity at their business location. The nature of the work (job placement) must be very basic in a structured and supervised environment.

Hours of Work:

The Contractor must provide on-the-job training for 20 hours per week for 12 weeks, for a total of up to 240 hours per offender.

1.3 Expected results:

To increase the employability of offenders with mental health needs within the community by providing them with training and work experience (on the job training).

1.4 Deliverables:

1.4.1 The Contractor must provide a final report for each offender that includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Name of offender
• Description of on-the-job training including tasks and hours of work
• Description of employability skills learned (strengths and challenges)
• Performance evaluation: attendance, attitude, ability to follow direction and perform the work.
• Outcome and recommendations for future employment

1.4.2 Paper consumption:

a. Should printed material be required, double sided printing in black and white format is the default unless otherwise specified by the Project Authority.

b. The Contractor must ensure printed material is on paper with a minimum recycled content of 30% and/or certified as originating from a sustainably managed forest.

c. The Contractor must recycle unneeded printed documents (in accordance with Security Requirements).

1.5 Constraints:

1.5.1 Location of work:

a. The Contractor must perform the work at the contractor’s place of business in Truro Nova Scotia.

b. Travel

No travel is anticipated for performance of the work under this contract.

1.6.2 Language of Work:

The Contractor must perform all work in English.

1.5.3 Security Requirements:

There are no security requirements associated to this contract.

2. Criteria for assessment of the statement of capabilities (minimum essential requirements):

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

1. The Supplier must have a minimum of three (3) years experience in providing an employability skills training program for individuals with mental health needs and substance abuse issues that is based on a continuous intake model. The experience must have been acquired within five (5) years preceding the closing date of this ACAN.
2. The Supplier must have a minimum of three (3) years experience in providing *essential skills training to individuals with mental health needs and substance abuse issues. The experience must have been acquired within five (5) years preceding the closing date of this ACAN.

   *Essential skills training includes, but is not limited to the following: communication, time management, resume writing, interview preparation, problem solving, working with others, taking initiative, adaptability, punctuality and attendance.

3. The Supplier must have a minimum of three (3) years experience in providing the following training to individuals with mental health needs and substance abuse issues:

1. Worksite orientation
2. Worksite rules and regulations; and
3. Worksite supervision

The experience must have been acquired within five (5) years preceding the closing date of this ACAN.

3. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement

This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

4. Set-aside under the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business

This procurement is not subject to any set-asides for Aboriginal Suppliers.

5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s)

This procurement is not subject to a Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.

6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The Canadian Mental Health Association is the only supplier that offers this type of training to individuals with mental health needs within the Truro, Nova Scotia area.

The pre-identified supplier meets all of the minimum essential requirements described in this ACAN.

7. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection:

 (d) only one person is capable of performing the contract.

8. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the section of the trade agreement(s) specified

This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

9. Ownership of Intellectual Property

There are no intellectual property terms in the contract.

10. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The proposed contract is for a period of one (1) year, from the date of Standing Offer award to July 31, 2022 with an option to extend the contract for two (2) additional one (1) year periods.

11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $ 51,840.00 (GST/HST extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Canadian Mental Health Association

Colchester East Hants Branch

Address: PO Box 1412 (859 Prince Street)

Truro Nova Scotia

B2N 5V2

13. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN, may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date and time of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

14. Closing date and time for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is July 14, 2021 at 14:00 CST.

15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Claudette Chabot

Senior Contracting Officer

Telephone: 639-317-8547

E-mail: Claudette.Chabot@csc-scc.gc.ca