Subscription Package - Procurement & Business advisory services, Coaching, training, and online network

1.0 ADVANCED CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE (ACAN) # 5X001-22-1007

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.

2.0 BACKGROUND

Government-wide policy requires that procurement and contracting practices result in openness, fairness and transparency in the spending of public funds. Federal procurement and contracting activities are governed by a complex set of policies, regulations, legislation, reporting requirements and other authorities.

As per the Treasury Board Directive on the Management of Procurement, the objective of these requirements for government departments is “that procurement of goods, services and construction obtains the necessary assets and services that support the delivery of programs and services to Canadians, while ensuring best value to the Crown”. Departments are required to ensure an effective framework of controls is in place to meet and implement these requirements.

The Procurement and Materiel Management (PMM) team within Courts Administration Service (CAS) organization is responsible for preparing the necessary documents to enter into a contract, and expected to provide timely advice and strategic guidance in all areas of contract administration. 

Significant challenges currently exist that are impacting the ability to provide timely and effective customer service to stakeholders. Some of these challenges include:

• Increased workload
• Training (lack of)
• Staffing within the public procurement sector
• Inadequate tools, processes, and procurement resources
• Poor Planning
• Policy updates

3.0 PURPOSE

The PMM team is seeking a service that would provide them subscription-based access to an online network of public sector procurement professionals, along with access to e-learning modules, procurement resources, best practices, and one-on-one support. 

In addition, through this subscription, the organization is seeking business advisory services to deepen our knowledge and strengthen our capabilities to increase efficiency and effectiveness within our departmental procurement practices.

4.0 CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT

Security requirements

The individual(s) offering professional services as part of this offering must hold a valid Secret clearance.

Essential service requirements

The contractor must offer the procurement team secure and custom access profiles to an online portal for a period of 12 months with options to renew. (up to 6 profiles).

Through the online portal, the contractor must offer a user centric virtual collaboration experience with the ability to access procurement related e-learning content and resources, participation in relevant forums, as well as communication capabilities with fellow procurement professionals from public sector organizations and members from the supplier community.

The contractor must offer procurement and business advisory services via a single source of knowledge, one-to-one counsel and personalized service. The procurement advisory services must be provided in both official languages and the subject matter expert(s) must have at least 10 years’ experience providing advisory services as part of Canadian federal government procurement processes.

Regarding the procurement advisory services, the contractor must offer operational and strategic assistance with procurement documents (ex: RFP, SOW, Evaluation Criteria, Standing Offer, Supply Arrangement, Annual Procurement Plan), provide training and mentoring, one-on-one coaching and in person and/or virtual procurement training sessions for groups up to 200 participants.

5.0 TRADE AGREEMENTS Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements:

World Trade Organization – Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO – AGP)

Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)

Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA)

Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCoFTA)

Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement (CPaFTA)

Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement (CHFTA)

Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA)

Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA)

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (Canada-UKTCA)

6.0 JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER

Business requirements

The contractor will provide secure and custom access profile(s) to an online portal for an initial period of one (1) year with options to renew for an additional two (2) years. The access will provide users with an online network of public sector procurement professionals, access to e-learning modules and webinars, discussion forums where members can exchange on various topics, access to procurement resources, webinar recordings, and live support to the procurement officers and supervisors. 

Key features and minimum requirements for the online portal include:

• Individual and secure access to members-only online portal
• Access to exclusive resources, templates, samples, training material and webinar recordings.
• Procurement and business advisory services
• Group discussions with procurement members and a Procurement Alliance of Canada(PAC) moderator
• PAC-facilitated info sessions with budget holders (bilingual)
• Access to PAC webinars and events
• One on one monthly coaching / advisory services with a senior procurement strategist
• Ad Hoc – Procurement and Business Advisory Services

Key expertise and resource requirements include:

The contractor must be able to demonstrate expertise in providing procurement consulting, training and advisory services within the Canadian federal government in both official languages (French and English) and its key subject matter experts must have been providing such services over a period of no less than ten (10) years.

Market research results

After extensive research on the market of current suppliers, we have identified only one supplier that meets the essential service and bilingual proficiency requirements set out above: Procurement Alliance of Canada Inc. We were unable to identify any other supplier that meets these requirements. As a result, to the best of our knowledge, there is currently no other supplier who can meet the essential service and bilingual proficiency requirements set out above.

7.0 GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS REGULATIONS EXCEPTION

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

8.0 PERIOD OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT

The proposed contract is for a period of one (1) year, from February 17th 2023 to February 16th 2024, with an irrevocable option to extend the period by up to two (2) additional periods of one (1) year each.

9.0 COST ESTIMATE OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT

The estimated value of the contract, including the two (2) additional one (1) year periods is $378,264.00.

($427,438.32, HST included).

10.0 NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER

Procurement Alliance of Canada Inc, 108-601 Bank street Ottawa, ON, K1S 3T4

11.0 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.

12.0 CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES:

Interested suppliers are given 15 calendar days to submit a Statement of Capabilities. The closing date for a submission of a Statement of Capabilities is therefore February 10^th, 2023 at 2:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST).

13.0 INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSION OF STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES:

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Traian Coconetu

Manager, Procurement and Materiel Management

Courts Administration Service

Email : traian.coconetu@cas-satj.gc.ca