Flow-Through Zooplankton Identification System - Burlington, Ontario

Trade Agreement: 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: 
Fluid Imaging Technologies, Inc.
200 Enterprise Drive
Scarborough Maine
United States
04074
Nature of Requirements: 

 Flow-Through Zooplankton Identification System - Burlington, Ontario

F2905-180027/A
Holt, Judy
Telephone No. - (613) 536-4995 (    )
Fax No. - (613) 545-8067 (    )

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.  Requirement
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (GLLFAS) section has a requirement for one (1) FlowCAM Macro flow-through microscope-camera system for the identification, density estimation and size measurement of zooplankton in the Great Lakes.  The system must be able to meet the mandatory technical specifications identified in item 3 and be used with either preserved or real-time pumped live samples from lake water on a vessel.
3.  Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services, or construction services described in this 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.

 MANDATORY TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
1. Must have use a flow-through peristaltic pump system at a minimum flow rate of 0.1L/min.
2. Must count particles down to 300 µm and up to 2 mm in size.
3. Must be capable of counting and sizing both samples preserved with 4% formalin and live-samples.
4. Must supply tubing to be compatible with the underway sampling system of the 38’ science vessel RV Cisco (4m of hosing). 
5. Must be capable of use in the cabin of the RV Cisco while underway at 4-5 knots (high humidity, instrument jostling).
6. Must include Windows 7 compatible software to automate the image-recognition identification of zooplankton groups and export to MS Excel or MatLAB.
7. Images of zooplankton must be stored for later analysis and QA/QC.
8. Must include training of zooplankton science personnel on the running of the system and software use.

4.  Applicability of the Trade Agreement(s) to the procurement

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

Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The FlowCam Macro is currently the only instrument that can microscopically count and size zooplankton from both preserved and live samples and while underway onboard ship. 

DFO GLLFAS food web research staff requires an automated system to identify, count and size zooplankton in the Great Lakes. More samples are taken than can be afforded to be identified through taxonomy contracts. The FlowCam Macro is capable of optically recognising zooplankton between 300 microns - several mm in size using its custom software. It works by pumping a water sample through a flow-cell which is continuously photographed by a microscope camera. Images are grouped and sized so they can be used for estimation of biomass. Since it works using a peristaltic flow-through system, the FlowCam Macro can be used with either preserved or real-time pumped live samples from lake water on a vessel. The new RV Cisco has a direct pumped underway sampling system that is used to record water quality measures. The water from this sampling can be pumped directly into the FlowCam Macro. DFO GLLFAS already has a traditional FlowCam, but it cannot identify zooplankton sized particles (it is designed for phytoplankton and protozoans), so together these two instruments will be able to identify the entire plankton community.

6.  Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s) 

The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) 

- "only one person is capable of performing the contract".
7.  Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons
The following exclusions and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the: 
Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) - Article 513.1 (b) (iii)
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - Article 1016.2 (b)
8.  Deliverables

FlowCAM Particle Analysis System

Period of proposed contract delivery date:  October 31, 2018

Estimated Value:    $ 75,091.35 CAD

9.  Pre-identified Supplier:

Fluid Imaging Technologies
200 Enterprise Drive
Scarborough, Maine 04074
USA


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.