CORCAN - Computer Skills Training Program

Advanced Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

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:

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has a requirement for a distributor of testing certifications for the courses listed under 1.1 Objectives. The certifications is a comprehensive program that meets CORCAN’s objectives to fully prepare offenders on the certification exams.

1.1 Objectives:

CORCAN has a requirement for certified software certification courses for:

• IC3 – Intermediate Computer Certification program

• MOS – Microsoft Specialist Program for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

• Autodesk Certifications - a commercial computer-aided design and drafting software application

• Adobe Certifications

• Intuit - a business/financial software designed for use by individuals and small businesses

The initiative will provide offenders with sufficient Internet and certification skills to enter current job markets or begin higher education programs.

1.2 Tasks:

The Contractor must provide the following:

1. Course materials designed for learning computer and Internet basics based on Windows, Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer platforms for IC3, MOS, Autodesk, Adobe and Intuit software programs;
2. Software training and maintenance support for the balance of the contract
3. Licenses for installation on stand alone and local wide area networks in 10 operation sites in Ontario, Prairies and Quebec region (see Location of Work);
4. Access to software to support the training of offenders on the following: PDF license of book based curriculum, benchmark and assessment of GMetrix (digital practice test) and certification exams for all certification programs and all levels;
5. Appropriate learning materials; exams and other reading supplements for certification; and
6. Benchmark pre-test and post-test tools to support the training of offenders, for all requested software applications and program delivery formats listed above..

1.3 Expected results:

• To provide offenders with sufficient internet and certification skills to enter the current job markets, or begin a higher education program;
• To provide offenders with a working knowledge of computers and internet
• To prepare offenders for their certification program in MOS, IC3 and AutodeskCAD

1.4 Deliverables:

1.4.1 The Contractor must provide:

1. Access to software to support the training of offenders on the following: PDF license of book based curriculum, benchmark and assessment of GMetrix and certification exams for all certification programs;
2. Appropriate learning materials; exams and other reading supplements for certification;
3.  Course materials designed for learning computer and Internet basics that based on Windows or 10, Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer platforms.

All Deliverables including learning and course materials, exams and other reading supplements, must be in electronic format and provided in English.

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 install the licenses at seven sites in the Ontario region (Bath, Beaver Creek, Collins Bay, Grand Valley, Joyceville, Warkworth, and Millhaven), two sites in the Prairie region (Stony Mountain and Bowden) and one site in the Quebec region (Engineering Centre).

b. Travel

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

1.5.2 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 demonstrate a minimum of five (5) years experience within the last ten (10) years prior to the ACAN closing date in providing training for software certifications for Microsoft Specialist Program for Word, Excel and PowerPoint (MOS), Intermediate Computer Certification program (IC3) and AutoDesk CAD* courses.

*AutoDesk CAD is a commercial computer-aided design and drafting software application.

2. The Supplier must demonstrate a minimum of one (1) year experience in the last ten (10) years of prior to the ACAN closing date, in providing training and certifications for Microsoft Specialist Program for Word, Excel and PowerPoint (MOS), Intermediate Computer Certification Program (IC3) and AutoDesk CAD to offenders using a variety of formats including the following:

• Internet (through Virtual Private Network VPN);
• Learning Management System;
• Local or wide area networks , or both; and
• Standalone computers

3. The Supplier must demonstrate a minimum of five (5) years experience within the last ten (10) years prior to the ACAN closing date in providing licenses, training materials and certifications, in a electronic format for industry to industry standards for ALL of the following application software and programs :

• IC3 – Intermediate Computer Certification program
• MOS – Microsoft Specialist Program for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Autodesk Certifications
• Adobe Certifications
• Intuit*

*Intuit is a business/financial software designed for use by individuals and small businesses.

4. The Supplier must demonstrate a minimum of two (2) years experience within the last five (5) years prior to the ACAN closing date in providing benchmark pre-test* and post-test* tools to support the training of offenders, for all of the software applications and program delivery formats listed above.

*The Supplier must provide a copy of a digital practice test for each type of certification (IC3, MOS, Autodesk, Adobe and Intuit) as a preparation tool for the certification exam in their statement of capabilities.

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 Indigenous Business

This procurement is not subject to any set-asides for Indigenous 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 pre-identified supplier is the sole Canadian distributor of Certiport testing certifications for Microsoft Office Suite, IC3 and AutodeskCAD, as well as other courses. This Supplier has exclusive distribution rights provided to them by Certiport© (A Pearson Vue Company) and has also provided the benchmark pre-test and post-test tools to support training of offenders. The pre-identified supplier has designed and produced the course materials to train students to meet Certiport certifications standards. 

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 1 year, from April 1^st, 2023 to March 31, 2024 with an option to extend the contract for three (3) additional one (1) year periods.

11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $284,525.41 including taxes.

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: CCI Learning Solutions Inc.

Address: 180-8621 201 Street, Langley, BC, V2Y 0G9

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 Friday, February 3rd, 2023 at 2:00 PM EST.

15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Danielle Cameron

Manager/Team Leader

Telephone: (343) 542-9350

E-mail: danielle.cameron@csc-scc.gc.ca