Reversible Digital Research Microscope

Trade Agreement: Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
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: 
VWR INTERNATIONAL CO.
2360 Argentia Road
Mississauga Ontario
Canada
L5N5Z7
Nature of Requirements: 

Reversible Digital Research Microscope

39903-220804/A
Golab,  Lisa
Telephone No. - (343) 574-2636 

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 Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Plant and Seed Pathology Laboratory has a requirement for the supply of a Reversible (upright/inverted) Digital Research Microscope, including configured hardware and software, accessories and peripherals, cabling and components, and 1 year warranty including maintenance and support services. CFIA requires the Reversible (upright/inverted) Digital Research Microscope to perform quantitative digital microscopy of diagnostic samples using both upright and substage methodology for the critical identification of regulated plant pathogens
.
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 microscope meets the following requirements: 

1. Reversible (upright/inverted) Digital Research Microscope

- The microscope  must combine both upright and inverted functionality in one unit.

- The microscope must operate as an upright (compound) microscope with stage inserts for dual glass slide analysis and hemocytometer counts (brightfield, darkfield and fluorescence).

- The microscope must operate as an inverted microscope with stage inserts to accommodate 100mm Petri dishes for (inverted) direct observations (brightfield, darkfield and fluorescence).

- The microscope must fit on a standard single occupancy workstation and the microscope must not exceed 23in depth x 14in width x 19in height.

- The microscope must house a touchscreen tablet computer system with a high resolution screen (minimum of 5.6 million pixels with 264 pixels/inch) with a minimum size of 12 inches to simultaneously perform both direct microscopic observations and onscreen image analysis (length, area, cell count, image annotation and scale bar), and Z-stack, fluorescence microscopy. The touchscreen tablet computer system must have a minimum of both USB and Ethernet interconnectivity.

- The microscope’s touchscreen tablet computer system must have native software to control motorized components (turret and illumination), dual cameras, integrated image analysis software, fluorescence imaging, digital haze reduction and automated Z-stack software module. The touchscreen tablet computer system must work with either Microsoft Windows 10 or Apple IOS 15

- The microscope must have integrated dual cameras for both brightfield/darkfield microscopy 12MP complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) colour camera and fluorescence microscopy 5MP scientific complementary metal oxide semiconductor (sCMOS) monochrome camera.

- The microscope must have a LED based integrated lighting system with 1 transmitted light channel and a minimum of 4 epifluorescence light channels.

- The microscope must use research grade optics and have a turret that will accept a minimum of 6 objectives. The objectives must be designated as having extra-long working distance (ELWD) capability to provide working distance for thick sample preparations. The microscope must come installed with all of the following objectives:
    10X Achromat, ELWD
    20X Achromat, ELWD 
    40X Achromat, ELWD 
    60X Fluorite, ELWD 

- The microscope must be configured for fluorescence microscopy and must accept  a minimum of 4 LED light cubes in the following excitations ranges; UV, UV+violet, blue, violet+blue, and green and red.

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

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement: 

 - Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier 

The Revolve R4 Microscope is the only known microscope that meets all of the minimum essential requirements listed in Section 3 above.  Discover Echo is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of this microscope and owner of all related Intellectual Property.  Discover Echo has designated VWR International Co. as the exclusive reseller to fulfil this requirement.

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 work".

7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons 

The following exclusion and/or limited tendering reason is invoked under the section of the trade agreement specified: 

    Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) - Article 513.1(b)(iii)

8. Delivery Date 

All the deliverables should be delivered on or before March 31, 2022.

9.   Name and Address of the pre-identified supplier 
 
 VWR International Co.
 2360 Argentia Road
 Mississauga, ON, Canada, L5N 5Z7

10. 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.

11. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities 

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is February 1, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. EST

12. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities 
 
Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to: 

Lisa Golab
Supply Specialist
Public Services and Procurement Canada
Telephone: 343-574-2635
E-mail: lisa.golab@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.