M470 Scanning Probe Workstation - National Reseach Council, Quebec, Canada

Trade Agreement: CETA / WTO-AGP / NAFTA / CFTA / FTAs with Peru / Colombia / Panama / Korea
Tendering Procedures: Generally only one firm has been invited to bid
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Exclusive Rights
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address: 
Les Solutions SnowHouse inc.
66 Montee du Bois-Franc
Lac-Beauport Quebec
Canada
G3B1Y5
Nature of Requirements: 

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
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), on behalf of its client, National Research Council Canada (NRC), Saguenay site, Quebec, Canada, wishes to purchase a M470 scanning probe workstation.

lndeed, it is well accepted by the industry that upcoming major breakthroughs in corrosion control will require a deeper understanding of the materials behavior at the microscale level. In the electrochemistry field, the scanning probe electrochemical system represents the equivalent to SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) & TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) instruments in metallurgy. Therefore, this instrument will reinforce the support to clients by contributing to:
(1) formulation of corrosion-resistant aluminum alloys, by measuring the activity at critical precipitates and phases,
(2) corrosion control of weldments and riveted assemblies, through a detailed mapping of localized corrosion potentials and currents as function of assembling parameters and geometry,
(3) microscale numerical simulation of corrosion behavior, by recording polarization curves at the grain level,
(4) identify surface features responsible for filiform corrosion and/or the presence of corrosion products and hydrogen in metals using Kelvin probe,
(5) overcome resistance spot welding challenges and other defects related to conversion coatings, by enabling local impedance spectroscopy measurements,
(6) quantify the damage extent inflicted to coatings such as filiform corrosion and/or blisters by using non-contact optical profiling.

To do so, a combination of a variety of probe techniques as well as high spatial resolution and ultra-high current resolution is needed in order to unsure the versatility of the workstation and its application to cutting edge research from the study of real lite scale assemblies to the study of phenomenon at the grain level. 

The M470 scanning probe workstation from Bio-Logic Science Instruments SAS is the only workstation on the market fulfilling all the requirements specified in this notice. Notably the M470 scanning probe is the only workstation capable of accommodating all the techniques of interest (SECM, ac-SECM, ic-SECM, SVP,SKP, OSP, SOS, LEIS) with a positioning resolution of less than 25 nm on all three (3) axis and is sold with a bipotenstiostat capable of measuring currents as low as 80aA. Moreover, the ic-SECM module is protected by international patent applications.


3.  CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES (MINIMUM ESSENTIEL REQUIREMENTS)
Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that its product meets the following requirements:

3.1 Positioning and controller systems
3.1.1. The positioning and controller systems together allow a scan range greater than 100 mm in all three (3) axis with an axis resolution of 25 nm or smaller for all three axis.
3.1.2. The positioning and controller systems together allow a maximum scan speed greater than 8 mm/s.
3.1.3. The positioning and controller systems together allow mounting and controlling the following probes and modules: ultra-microelectrodes, SKP probes (Scanning Kelvin Probe), LEIS probes (Localised Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy), SVET probe (Scanning Vibrating Electrode Technique), scanning droplet module and non-contact optical profiling head.
3.1.4. A piezo module enable measurements in intermittent contact mode and allows a probe displacement in the Z axis over a range greater than 80 µm and a probe vibration range peak-to-peak from 20 nm to 1 µm and a positioning resolution of 1nm or smaller. The maximum frequency at which this peak-to-peak displacement is achievable is greater than 500Hz.
3.1.5. The positioning and controller systems allow vibration of the probe with a distance probe-surface of amplitude varying from 1 µm to 30 µm.
3.1.6. Intermittent contact measurements can be performed with standard commercialised SECM platinum ultra-microelectrodes.
3.1.7. The controller software allows the control of the workstation through macro language programming.
3.2 Probes
3.2.1. The scanning droplet module allows the flow of electrolyte through the head and its aperture diameter is equal to or smaller than 150 µm
3.2.2. The high resolution Kelvin Probe tungsten wire has a diameter equal to or smaller than 180 µm
3.2.3. Ultra-microelectrodes as small as 10 µm are available
3.3 Potenstiostat/Galvanostat/FRA
3.3.1. The potentiostat/galvanostat has two (2) channels (bipotentiostat).
3.3.2. Add-on options enable the measurement of extremely small currents with a resolution as small as 1 fA or smaller 
3.3.3. Add-on options enable Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy measurements within the frequency range of 1 mHz to 0.1 MHz


4.  APPLICABILITY OF THE TRADE AGREEMENTS TO THE PROCUREMENT
 This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements:
.1 Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
.2 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
.3 World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
.4 Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
 

5.  JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER
Company "Les Solutions SnowHouse inc." is the only authorised distributor of Bio-Logic Science Instrument SAS products in Canada.  Thus, according to the purchasing policies of Government Contracts, NRC proposes to award the contract to "Les Solutions SnowHouse inc.", that is, to our knowledge, the only company able to provide the required goods. 


6.    GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS REGULATIONS EXCEPTION
The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d): Only one person or firm is capable of performing the work.


7.  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:

.1 Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
Chapter Five - Government Procurement
Article 513: Limited Tendering
1. Subject to paragraphs 2 and 3, and provided that it does not use this provision for the purpose of avoiding competition among suppliers or in a manner that discriminates against suppliers of any other Party or protects its own suppliers, a procuring entity may use limited tendering in the following circumstances:
(b) if the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute goods or services exist for any of the following reasons:
(iii) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.

.2 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Part Four: Government Procurement - Chapter Ten Article 1016:
Limited Tendering Procedures: 2. An entity may use limited tendering procedures in the following circumstances and subject to the following conditions:  
(b) where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons, the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.

.3 World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
Article XIII Limited Tendering
1. Provided that it does not use this provision for the purpose of avoiding competition among suppliers or in a manner that discriminates against suppliers of any other Party or protects domestic suppliers, a procuring entity may use limited tendering and may choose not to apply Articles VII through IX, X (paragraphs 7 through 11), XI, XII, XIV and XV only under any of the following circumstances:
b. where the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute goods or services exist for any of the following reasons:
iii. due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.

.4 Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
Chapter nineteen: Government procurement
Article 19.12 - Limited tendering
1. Provided that it does not use this provision for the purpose of avoiding competition among suppliers or in a manner that discriminates against suppliers of the other Party or protects domestic suppliers, a procuring entity may use limited tendering and may choose not to apply Articles 19.6 through 19.8, paragraphs 7 through 11 of Article 19.9, and Articles 19.10, 19.11, 19.13 and 19.14 under any of the following circumstances:
(b) if the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute goods or services exist for any of the following reasons:
(iii)    due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.


8.      PROPOSED DELIVERY DATE
The goods must be delivered no later than February 28, 2018.


9.  COST ESTIMATE OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT
The estimated value of the contract is between 300,000$ and 400,000$.


10.      NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER
Les Solutions SnowHouse inc.
66 Montee du Bois-Franc
Lac-Beauport (Québec) G3B 1Y5 


11.      SUPPLIER ' 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.


12. CLOSING DATE FOR A SUBMISSION OF A STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES
The closing date and time for acceptation statements of capabilities is on October 10, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. eastern daylight time (EDT).


13.  INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSION OF STATEMENTS OF CAPABILITIES
Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to: 
Name: Marial Tremblay 
Title: Supply Specialist 

Address: Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) 
CFB Bagotville, P.O. Box 380 
Building 62, Room 112 
Alouette, Quebec, G0V 1A0 

Telephone: (418) 677-4000, Ext.:4159 
E-mail:  Marial.Tremblay@pwgsc.gc.ca
Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

You are hereby notified that the government intends to negotiate with one firm only as identified above. Should you have any questions concerning this requirement, contact the contracting officer identified above.

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a pre-identified contractor. 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 contracting authority may then proceed with the award.  However, should a Statement of Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full tendering process.

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services/goods described herein, 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.

The PWGSC file number, the contracting officer's name and the closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the envelope in block letters or, in the case of a facsimile transmission, on the covering page.

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.