Portable Photosynthesis System

Trade Agreement: 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: 
LI-COR, Inc.
PO Box 4425
Lincoln Nebraska
United States
68504
Nature of Requirements: 

Portable Photosynthesis System 

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 

The Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has a requirement for the purchase of a Portable Photosynthesis System for their facility in Harrow, Ontario. This system will allow AAFC to investigate effects of light and other environmental factors on gas exchange and photosynthetic efficiency, and plant stress to develop innovative lighting strategies and controlled environment production systems to improve energy efficiency, yield, quality and reduce carbon footprint in greenhouse and indoor vertical farming systems.

Equipment purchase will consist of the following:
1. Li-COR 6800F Portable Photosynthesis System with Fluorometer (LI-6800F)
2. 6800-13L Lighted Large Leaf/Conifer Chamber Package (Include the large light source with red, blue, green and white light, 6800-13L)
3. 6800-02P Small light source (Red & Blue light) and Aperture Chamber
4. 6800-19 Custom Chamber Adapter
5. 6800-820 Photosynthesis training (In person or on-line self-guided/virtual)
6. Standard 1-year warranty
7. Shipping and handling FOB Harrow, ON

3. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements) 

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that its product/equipment/system meets the following requirements: 

The Portable Photosynthesis System must be able to:
1. Analyze gas exchange and measure chlorophyll fluorescence in a single integrated unit/package.
2. Operate under harsh greenhouse temperature (0 to 50 °C).
3. Must include a multiphase flash fluorometer chamber for simultaneous measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence.
4. The fluorometer must be capable of saturating light pulses of up to 16,000 µmol m-2 s-1 and can provide red, blue and far-red light.
5. Must be able to measure small leaf areas (2cm x 3cm) and have a compatible light source that provides red and blue light.
6. Have a compatible large leaf chamber to measure a large leaf area (36 cm2).
7. Have a matching multiple-spectrum light source (can provide no less than 900 µmol m-2 s-1 intensity of light for each of the 4 light spectra - red, blue, green and white) - allowing us to measure gas exchange under different spectra of light (red, blue, green and white) in the same/compatible unit and to dynamically control each of light channels (red, blue, green, and white) with individual capabilities of no less than 900 µmol m-2 s-1.
8. Automatically control water vapour in the air stream independently of flow rates which is critical for precise measurement.
9. Adjust leaf chamber environment (light, temperature, CO2, or H2O) quickly to allow for fast measurements of a plant’s response to rapidly changing conditions.
10. Make measurements when chamber conditions are not at steady state to obtain CO2 response curves faster.
11. High light uniformity - ± 10% intensity variation across the measured leaf area.
12. Ability to control temperature to +/- 10°C of ambient air temperature.
13. Must be able to adjust chamber relative humidity between 0-90%.
14. Portable machine with a total weight of less than 10kg for easy use in greenhouses. 
15. Must be able to operate via rechargeable batteries.
16. Must be able to accept CO2 cartridges.

4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement 

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s): 
a. Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
b. Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier 

Company "Li-Cor Inc." is the only authorized distributor of their products and does not authorize value-added resellers  or distributors for their equipment in Canada.  Thus, according to the purchasing policies of Government Contracts, PSPC proposes to award the contract to "Li-Cor Inc.", that is, to our knowledge, the only company able to provide the required goods. 
 
6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s) 

The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) 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 exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the section of the trade agreement(s) specified:

- Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) / Article 513.1(b) (iii) 
- Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement / which defers to WTO-AGP Article XIII, para 1 (b) (iii)

8. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date 

a. The equipment must be delivered before 31 March 2022.

9. Cost estimate of the proposed contract 

a) The estimated value of the contract, is $71,000.00 USD (GST/HST extra). 

10. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier 

Li-Cor Inc.
4647 Superior St.,
Lincoln, Nebraska
68504, USA

11. 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 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 accepting statements of capabilities is December 16th, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. EST. 

13. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities 

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to: 

Name:  Mike Littlefield
Title:   Supply Specialist
Public Services and Procurement Canada
Acquisitions Branch
Address: 86 Clarence Street, 2nd Floor
  Kingston, Ontario, K7L 1X3
Telephone: (613) 449-4206
E-mail address: mike.littlefield@pwgsc-tpsgc.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.