Snow Making Machine

Trade Agreement: NAFTA/AIT/Canada FTAs with Peru/Colombia/Panama
Tendering Procedures: All interested suppliers may submit a bid
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Government Objectives Representing Best Interests/Value to Govt
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address: 
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
3090 Center Green DR
Boulder Colorado
United States
80301
Nature of Requirements: 



T8156-160126/A
Joseph, Marc
Telephone No. - (514) 496-3666 (    )
Fax No. - (514) 496-3822 (    )

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 Transport Canada has a requirement for the supply of a snow making machine to provide for testing anti and de-icing fluids at low air temperatures. 
The Technical specifications of the artificial snow generating system:
a. The shaving is accomplished with a 7.5 cm diameter drill bit (or potentially larger) rotating between 620 and 3100 rpm.
b. The drill bit is wider than the typically 6 cm diameter ice core. The ice core is fed with a horizontally oriented constant speed translator into the rotating drill bit. Ice shavings must be produced with a snow density less than 0.10 g/cm³. 
c. The snow density is measured by allowing the snow to build up on a test plate to about 1 cm, and then measuring the depth at various locations and weighing the mass. The size of the ice shavings should be between 0.5 and 10 mm in order to simulate natural snow.
d. The distance between the ice core and the test plates must be greater than 1.5 meters in order to achieve a more even snowfall distribution across the test plate. 
e. Icing intensity (snowfall rates) up to 50 g/dm2/hr can be generated controlling the speed of the ice core translator with a digitally controlled stepper motor.
f. During testing in previous years, a significant reduction in Hold Over Times (HOT) was observed when testing fluids under snow conditions at lower air temperatures (below -14 °C). The fluid holdover tables had to be modified to reflect the different performance. Many air carriers operate under snow conditions at low air temperatures and they have requested additional testing.  Some of the tests will be performed in a controlled environment using a snow making machine inside a laboratory cold chamber.
g. A user guide in English should be provided with the equipment. The contractor should provide assistance remotely when necessary. 
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 meets the following requirements: 

(See Technical specifications of the artificial snow generating system at point 2)
4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement 
This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s) 
o Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
o North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has been involved in aircraft de/anti-icing research for over 20 years with funding provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the U.S., NCAR has focused on developing a laboratory-based technique for testing aircraft de/anti-icing fluids in snowfall conditions. This research has produced two snow-generation systems that are used by APS Aviation and NCAR for the sole purpose of testing aircraft de/anti-icing fluids in a laboratory environment. These machines use a translator-style system to guide ice cores into an auger-style drill bit that shaves the ice, forming "snowflakes" of similar size-distribution as is found in nature. 
NCAR has continued to support and update the machines over the past 15 years, improving both their performance and accuracy. No other organization has developed this type of capability because of the focused use of the machine.
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 work".
 
7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons 

The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the 
o Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) - Article(s) 506.12b) et 506.12d)
o North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - Article(s) 1016.2 (b)

8. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date 
The product must be delivered as soon as possible or by the latest date of November 1st 2017.
9. Cost estimate of the proposed contract 
The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is between 50 000$ and 80 000$ (GST/HST extra)
10. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR); Research Application Laboratory (RAL); 3090 Center Green Drive, Boulder, CO - 80305
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: July 6th 2017 at 2 Pm
13. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities 
Marc JOSEPH
Senior Supply Officer 
Public Services and Procurement Canada
Place Bonaventure, 1st Floor
800 de la Gauchetière Street West, Suite 1110
Montreal (QC), H5A 1L6
 
By facsimile: (514) 496-3822
E-mail: marc.joseph@tpsgc-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.