Reception, interpretation, security, surveillance and maintenance at the Pointe-de-l’Est National Wildlife Area

1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

An 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 stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

2. Definition of the requirement

The Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) requires services to ensure the ongoing operations of the Pointe-de-l’Est National Wildlife Area (PDENWA) and adjacent lands managed by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The specific objectives include visitors reception and interpretation, facility and land maintenance, site monitoring and public safety.

3. Scope of Work

The reception of the public allows visitors to appreciate the site and to discover its particular richness. Surveillance of the territory of the NWA is an important aspect of the work to be carried out. This sector is also recognized for its importance as a nesting area for two migratory birds at risk (Piping Plover melodus subspecies and Horned Grebe Magdalen Islands population) and for the habitat of a plant at risk, the Gulf of St. Lawrence Aster. It is also the habitat of several other endemic or endangered plants. It is essential to ensure that uses in this area are compatible with existing regulations. The contractor is responsible for acting as a responder to the various categories of public safety incidents that may occur at the NWA, according to the emergency procedures in place (public safety plan). The PDENWA, which is open to the public, includes several infrastructures (trails, boardwalks, parking lots, etc.). It is important that these infrastructures comply with the laws and regulations in effect, that they promote a good image of the department and that they are safe for visitors.

4. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)

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

• The contractor must have more than 10 years of experience in the management of a protected area (parks, refuge, national wildlife reserve, biodiversity reserve, etc.);
• The contractor must have experience in natural resource conservation projects;
• The contractor must demonstrate more than 10 years of experience in welcoming visitors and in providing interpretation and public awareness activities;
• The contractor must have more than 10 years of experience in the maintenance of natural sites (cutting vegetation, trail maintenance, minor repair of infrastructure, etc.);
• The contractor must be available 5 to 6 days/week and 8 hours/day between the months of June to October and offer visitor reception, interpretation, surveillance and maintenance and public safety services in an area protected in the municipality of Grosse-Île in the Magdalen Islands;
• The contractor must have proven experience with regional, provincial and national collaborators.

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

This procurement is not subject to trade agreements.

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

This procurement is not subject to a set-aside.

7. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement

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

8. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The selected supplier meets all the requirements and no other contractor offering this type of service is known in this remote and isolated region of Quebec, namely in Grosse-Île in the Magdalen Islands. The selected supplier is a local organization that knows the requirements, the ECCC programs and the territory. He is well established in the community and this greatly facilitates collaboration with the other local actors. The contractor has developed great expertise in carrying out these mandates in the maintenance, surveillance and reception of the public at the PDENWA and acquired extensive knowledge of the territory. No other contractor offering this type of service and having the ability to fulfill these mandates has been listed in this region of Quebec.

9. Government Contracts Regulations Exception

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 contract.

10. Trade Agreement-Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

This procurement is not subject to Trade Agreements.

11. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Not applicable.

12. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The proposed contract is from contract award date to December 31, 2023.

13. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract is $67,988.00 CAD plus applicable taxes.

14. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

La Salicorne

377 route 199

Grande-Entrée, QC

G4T 7A5

15. 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 of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

16. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is June 2, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

17. Inquiries and submissions of statement of capabilities

Any inquiries or submission of statements of capabilities shall be submitted in writing to the contracting authority:

Angela Quan

Procurement Specialist

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Procurement and Contracting Division

E-mail: soumissionsbids@ec.gc.ca