ACAN - Warehouse Storage and Related Services

Nathan Nguyen

Procurement and Contracting Officer

Privy Council Office

Email: nathan.nguyen@pco-bcp.gc.ca

1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) #20220786

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.

1. Background

Due to the reduction of onsite storage capacity and closure of government offsite storage options over the decade, the department has had to store dormant files within the National Capital Region and Montreal to alternate and security-approved private warehouse facilities.

The department currently has approximately 13,000 cubic feet of Secret dormant files stored in the private warehouse facilities of Iron Mountain. The project authority requires continued warehouse storage and services for the current inventory of dormant files in both facilities located within National Capital Region and Montreal metropolitan area.

The services required include warehouse storage and related services, such as transport and container retrieval to ship out and return this material to the project authority’s defined delivery point.

1. Scope of Work

The services required include warehouse storage and related services, such as transport and container retrieval to ship out and return this material to the project authority’s defined delivery point.

The project authority will specify its account number to precisely identify the work location (National Capital Region or Montreal) where the vendor shall store and safeguard the secret physical information items the project authority has shipped for storage, safeguarding and any related warehouse services (such as transportation, delivery).

The project authority requires communicating directly with a Canadian contact point when placing a request for warehouse services relating to its secret physical information items. The project authority will require personnel cleared to Secret to handle its inventory when retrieving, refiling and transporting.

1. Deliverables
   • Secure (24/7) records warehouse services for dormant files classified at Secret
   • Warehouse services include:
     • Information storage and safeguarding per container, or file (by cubic foot)
     • Vault storage per container
     • Access to integrate per container, file
     • Retrieval per container and transportation for delivery if and when requested
     • Retrieval per container and arrange for pick up by the project authority if and when requested
     • Transportation delivery / pick-up service for retrieval to or from a destined specified location (within 90 km from the warehouse locations) based on timelines required – regular (next day), half day rush (within 4 hours), emergency (2 hours)
     • Transportation delivery / pick-up service for retrieval to or from a destined specified location (outside 90 km from the warehouse locations) based on timelines required – regular (next day), half day rush (within 4 hours), emergency (2 hours)
     • Retrieval per container, file, or media item outside normal busines hours
     • Deaccession or delocation per container, file, or media item
   • Transportation services shall be performed using a secret security-cleared driver. The vendor will inform the project authority if no such driver is available.
   • Transportation vehicles are equipped and secured for handling information classified at Secret
   • The vendor shall provide a method to contact the vendor and/or facility directly from within Canada to request services (e.g., email, phone number)

1. 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:

• Secured facilities and personnel cleared to Secret, as per the Government of Canada’s security policies, in both the National Capital Region and the Montreal metropolitan area.
• Canada will not delay the award of any contract to allow bidders to obtain the required clearance.
• Shall render services immediately for document safeguarding, storage, transportation, retrieval and refile for the current inventory of dormant files classified at Secret
• Shall have available the option to use a secure vault storage, as per the Government of Canada’s security policies, in the National Capital Region.
• Shall render services immediately for the current inventory of dormant files classified at Secret, the capacity to render services of transportation delivery / pick-up services to or from downtown Ottawa (within and outside 90 km to/from the warehouse locations) based on timelines required – regular (next day), half day rush (within 4 hours), emergency (2 hours).
• Retrieval per container, file, or media item outside normal warehouse busines hours
• Deaccession or delocation per container, file, or media item.
• Shall provide a method to contact the local facilities directly from within Canada to request services (e.g., email, phone number).
• Shall provide a method to contact for services directly from within Canada for after hours services, as required.
• Must provide the services required in English and/or French

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

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s)

• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
• Revised World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
• Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
• Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
• Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)
• Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA)
• Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (Canada-UK TCA)
• Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA)

1. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The Department of Privy Council Office has pre-selected Iron Mountain to render records warehouse storage and related services for the current inventory of dormant files classified at Secret. The vendor is the only known firm in the National Capital Region holding a valid security clearance for facilities and personnel to render continued storage of dormant files at a facility within the National Capital Region and the Montreal metropolitan areas.

Privy Council Office is seeking to ensure continued records warehouse storage and related services (e.g., transportation and handling) is rendered for Secret dormant files currently in storage with the company in the NCR and Montreal metropolitan area. Warehouse storage was considered and acquired following modifications and reductions to onsite storage capacity and the decommissioning of Library and Archives Canada’s government records warehouse storage facilities and services. Modifications were needed onsite to improve ventilation in a storage room with flood-damaged files affected by dormant mold and then followed, the requirement to relocate to smaller office space as asbestos removal was to be conducted in the original office storage location.

The proposed vendor, Iron Mountain, is recognized as a global leader in warehouse records storage and related records management services. The company has been operating for 70 years in 58 countries with more than 225,000 customers. The company has shown resilience to continue its successful operations amidst the numerous pandemic restrictions and lockdowns. The company has facilities across Canada. In particular, the company has secure facilities to safeguard Secret information along with the security cleared personnel within the National Capital Region and the Montreal metropolitan area.

The organization offers various records management services in relation to warehousing. For example, records storage with controls on the chain of custody when containers are handled and relocated at each stage when processing orders or maintaining in storage. The company offers file room storage, secure scanning, online system to monitor one’s inventory, etc.

Privy Council Office required using warehouse storage when mold recurred on flood-damaged files. The file room required modifications which reduced its storage capacity. Then, Privy Council Office required renovations and asbestos removal to a federal building where its central file rooms were located. The relocation of the file rooms was again impacted by reduced storage capacity. This resulted in using warehouse facilities cleared to Secret security clearance. The Privy Council Office is seeking to maintain continued storage of its current inventory at Iron Mountain, as the vendor currently operating secured facilities for Secret files. Privy Council Office will evaluate its future business needs.

Iron Mountain Canada has proven capacity to deliver on the requirements of this contract, as demonstrated in its past services supporting Privy Council Office in secure warehouse storage and services at the facilities in NCR and the Montreal metropolitan area.

1. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for the procurement under subsection Section 6, (d) only one firm is capable of performing the work, of the Government Contracts Regulations set aside the requirement to solicit bids.

1. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Ownership of any Foreground Intellectual Property arising out of the proposed contract will vest in the Contractor.

1. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The contract period shall be from date of award of Contract to October 31, 2027 with the option to extend to two (2), two (2)-year option periods.

1. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is between $250,000.00 and $500,000.00 (GST/HST extra).

1. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Iron Mountain Canada,

1171 Kenaston Rd, Ottawa, ON K1B 3N9

1655 Fleetwood St, Laval, Quebec H7N 4B2

1. 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.

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

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is October 27, 2022 at 14:00 Eastern Standard Time.

1. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Nathan Nguyen

Procurement and Contracting Officer

Privy Council Office

Email: nathan.nguyen@pco-bcp.gc.ca