ACAN - Professional Tire Safety Testing and Evaluation

ADVANCE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE

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 other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, 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 electronic bidding authorities.

If other potential suppliers submit statements of capabilities during the fifteen calendar days posting period, and meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, the department or agency 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. Background & Definition of Requirements

Canada’s transportation system needs to be safe, efficient, accessible, reliable and clean. Transport Canada’s (TC) Innovation Centre is working in collaboration with governments, industry and academics to test and evaluate the safety and environmental performance of advanced vehicle technologies in Canada. The program’s test results are helping to develop codes, standards and regulations that government and industry require to introduce these technologies in Canada in a safe and timely manner.

Transportation is an important contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for approximately 24% of all emissions in Canada in 2015 (of which, 21% is generated by passenger cars). There were nearly 13 million passenger cars in Canada in 2015 with annual sales of approximately 0.7 million vehicles. Improving the fuel efficiency of vehicles can reduce GHG emissions. Reducing the rolling resistance of tires could improve fuel efficiency by 1.4-1.6%.

Low rolling resistance (LRR) tires are used by automobile manufacturers to help meet the federal GHG emission standards for new passenger cars and light trucks. Globally regulations are being developed to set thresholds for their minimum performance as well as rating systems for consumer information.

Beginning in November 2012, the European Union established type-approval legislation (Regulation 661/2009) on general safety of motor vehicles, which sets minimum requirements on tire fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise. The United Nation’s Global Technical Regulation (GTR) No. 16 on tyres was established in November 2014 and amended in 2016 to include provisions for wet grip performance and rolling resistance for passenger cars, based on the requirements of the EU regulation.

Introduced in 2015, the US Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act requires the US Department of Transportation, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Department of Energy to establish minimum performance standards for tire fuel efficiency.

Low rolling resistance (LRR) tires have the potential to significantly improve fuel

consumption and reduce GHG emissions from on-road vehicles. Several vehicle OEMS are equipping new vehicles with LRR tires, to meet the Canadian Light-duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulations.

In order to develop approaches to encourage up-take of fuel-efficient tires, Transport

Canada and Natural Resources Canada have been studying the relationship between rolling resistance, wet grip, and snow traction of light-duty vehicle replacement tires.

NRCan made a commitment to develop minimum tire energy performance standards (MEPS) for passenger vehicle and light-truck replacement tires. Tire MEPS would be enacted under the Energy Efficiency Act (1992) - tires would be classified as an “energy using product”, using rolling resistance as a measure of energy efficiency.

Transport Canada is working with the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) to further the body of work required to support an energy efficiency standard, safety considerations will need to be accounted for as TRAC has indicated an energy efficiency standard without a corresponding minimum traction performance standard would lead to poorly performing tires.

Tire safety variables i.e. wet grip & snow traction could be further explored for new tire technologies available on the market & for tire types only Canada is interested in regulating (i.e. snow tires, light-truck tires) in varying sizes, as tire safety is regulated under the Canadian Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations.

In Canada, greater than 60% of the replacement tire market is comprised of winter tires, and it is essential to take winter tires into account when developing tire energy efficiency standards in Canada, and when updating standard test procedures

3. Criteria for Assessment of the Statement of Capabilities

The Contractor will be assessed based on testing capabilities for performing the tire tests as specified in standards test procedures established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Society of Automotive Engineers, or other standards bodies. 
Quotations will be required for light-duty and heavy-duty tires. Testing effort will be a sample of approximately 50-100 tires tested for a combination of the following procedures outlined below depending on yearly test plans.

Transport Canada will select from the following list of test procedures/standards for each light or heavy-duty tire model selected for testing:

• Rolling resistance: ISO 28580

• Wet traction: UN-ECE R117

• Snow traction: ASTM F1805. ASTM F1805 (Transport Canada "Winter Test" Version)

• Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) viscoelastic properties

• Tread composition (plasticizer, polymer, carbon, ash): Thermogravimetric analysis per ASTM E1131-03

• Comprehensive, detailed tire composition analysis

• Ice traction: ASTM F1805, modified procedure for icy surfaces. Single Wheel ASTM F1805-Type

• Analysis Consulting: perform specific analysis of test results on an hourly basis.
*One off-testing; A reasonable modification of work not specified in the procedures above will be appended on an as needed basis. An official sales quotation will be required for customized/modified testing or testing not included in the price list above. Appended work must support the overall objectives of the project as laid out in the statement of work.
The contractor must be able to test at the latest revisions of the procedures as they evolve as according to the test list provided above.

The contractor will conduct the work in a North American laboratory.

3.1 Testing Process

The Contractor must carry out the following services:

1. Provide the necessary qualified personnel, facilities, materials, supplies and equipment to perform and manage the requisite testing.
2. Perform testing of tires selected and delivered to the test laboratory by Transport Canada. Transport Canada will be responsible for shipping the test tires to the testing locations.
3. Additional testing may be required and authorized by Transport Canada for specific investigations, subject to the financial limitations of this contract. Transport Canada will be responsible for the costs of any additional testing required.
4. The Contractor must implement and maintain a suitable calibration system and laboratory conditions as specified in the applicable test standard
5. Where required, the Contractor must provide test fixtures and equipment such as, but not limited to, test wheels for tires.
6. The Contractor must provide indoor storage of the tires during pre-test preparation and after testing has been completed to allow for results analysis
7. The Contractor must maintain communication with Transport Canada and provide the following as requested:

1. Acknowledgment of receipt of the sample of tires or group of samples at test locations.
2. Operating laboratory test procedures.
3. Technical discussions/consultations relating to tire testing relevant to this test program.
4. Access to test sites by Transport Canada employees (site visits).
5. The Contractor must provide meeting facilities at the Contractors test site if the Contractor or Transport Canada requests convocations.

4. Trade Agreements

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

• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA);
• Canada-Columbia Free Trade Agreement (CCoFTA);
• Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement (CHFTA);
• Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA);
• Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement (CPaFTA);
• Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA); and
• Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)
• Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
• Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
• Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement - Agreement on Trade Continuity (Canada-UK TCA)
• Canada–Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA)
• World Trade Organization–Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)

5. Justification for Pre-Identified Supplier

No suppliers satisfied the conditions for participation.

Smithers Rapra has access to multiple test sites in Texas, Ohio and Michigan to perform winter and non-winter testing within a fiscal year.

Smithers Rapra is uniquely knowledgeable and have worked with various governmental agencies such as NHTSA & the California Energy Commission for their initiatives as well.

Smither Rapra has competitively won on contract T8080-180281 for professional services in the past with TC.

6. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

Absence of competition for technical reasons.

7. Contract Period

The proposed contract period will be from date of award of contract to March 31, 2025.

8. Estimated Cost

The estimated maximum value of the proposed contract is $300,000 CAD including applicable taxes.

Testing FY22-23

2022-23

 $100,000.00

Testing FY23-24

2023-24

 $100,000.00

Testing FY24-25

2024-25

 $100,000.00

9. Name and Address of the Proposed Contractor

Smithers Rapra

425 W. Market St

Akron, OH 44303

United States

10. Suppliers’ Right to Submit a Statement of Capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services/goods described herein, may submit a Statement of Capabilities in writing, preferably by e-mail, 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.

Responses received on or before the closing date will be considered solely for the purpose of deciding whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Information provided will be used by the Crown for technical evaluation purposes only and is not to be construed as a competitive solicitation. Your written response must provide sufficient evidence (e.g. specifications, technical data, drawings, or any other proof) that clearly demonstrates that your product or service is capable of fulfilling this requirement.

Suppliers that have submitted a response will be notified in writing of TC’s decision to continue with the non-competitive procurement or to compete for the requirement

11. Closing Date

The closing date for a submission of a Statement of Capabilities is November 15, 2022 at 14:00 Central Standard Time.

12. Contact

Anthony Senauth

A/Procurement Specialist

Transport Canada

Email: anthony.senauth@tc.gc.ca