General Service Respirator

Trade Agreement: NONE
Tendering Procedures: 
Attachment: None
Competitive Procurement Strategy: N/A - P&A/LOI Only
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirements: 
General Service Respirator

W8486-134968/B
Karen Anderson
E-mail - Karen.Anderson@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Telephone No. - (819) 994-1928
Fax No. - (819) 994-3287

1	Introduction

1.1	The Canadian Forces (CF) has a need for a Chemical,
Biological, Radiological and Nuclear 		(CBRN) respirator to
replace the one currently in service.

1.2	The Joint CBRN General Service Respirator (Joint CBRN GSR)
project intends to eventually 		procure Commercial of-the Shelf
(COTS), Military of-the shelf (MOTS) or modified 			COTS/MOTS
respirator systems through a competitive procurement process to
meet the CF 		need. 

1.3	The Joint CBRN GSR project intends to procure respirators to
equip Air, Land, and Maritime 		Forces, including specialist
units.

1.4	Each Joint CBRN GSR system will consist of a mask, two sets
of a filter system, a carrying bag 		and any accessories
required per an OEM's design, and any test equipment adaptors as
required.  		The project will examine concepts such as the
provision of a common respirator for specialist 		joint forces
and a specialized respirator system or adaptors for aircrew and
other specialized 		forces.

1.5	This Price and Availability (P&A) inquiry is to provide the
Joint CBRN GSR project team with 		accurate costing data,
performance data, production capacity and logistical support
data.

1.6	Industry is informed that certain referenced documents which
could be part of an eventual 		Request for Proposal (RFP) (such
as the client library of CBRN Warfare Agents) will identify
		classified performance and technical requirements based on
threat agents or references to NATO 		and Canadian classified
specifications. These referenced documents will be classified up
to and 		including SECRET. Interested suppliers will be required
to obtain and hold a valid Facilities 		Security Clearance (FSC)
and a valid Document Safeguarding Capability (DSC) issued by the
		Industrial Security Division (ISD) of Public Works and
Government Services Canada (PWGSC), 		at the SECRET level in
order to receive these classified documents. 

Note:   Potential suppliers will have to provide proof of
compliance with the FSC and DSC requirements prior to receiving
any classified documents.

1.7	Industry is advised that they are required to comply with
the International Traffic in Arms 		Regulations (ITAR) and
Controlled Technology Access Transfer (CTAT), and/or in-country
		equivalent. In addition, required Technical Assistance
Agreement (TAA) approvals must be 		obtained at the earliest
possible date to facilitate participation in the J CBRN GSR
Project.

1.8	This inquiry does not commit Canada to any future order. 
This P&A inquiry will not necessarily 		result in a procurement
action and contractors are not to earmark stock or production
facilities 		relative to the materiel itemized.

2	Description of Project Requirements

2.1	The Joint CBRN GSR project team has prepared the following
documents available upon 		request to the Contracting Authority
for P&A responses:
	a) 	Annex A: Joint CBRN GSR Statement of Work (SOW);
	b)	Appendix 1: Joint CBRN GSR System Requirements Specification
					(SRS) and Requirement Verification Matrix (RVM);
	c)	Appendix 2: Titles of Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL);
	d)	Appendix 3: Titles of Data Item Descriptions (DID)
	e)	Appendix 4: DND Office Software List
	f)	Appendix 5: Joint CBRN GSR Maintenance Concept
	g)	Appendix 6: Cost Estimates Worksheet

Note:  Appendices 2 through 5 are included as part of Annex A.

2.2	The documents are in MS Excel format. Annex A and Appendix 1
are to be used to indicate how 		each of the requirements
detailed therein are met. They have been formatted to allow P&A
		respondents to enter claimed performance values, comments,
answers and any other applicable 		information. Appendix 6 is to
be used to provide cost estimates. 

2.3	In the event that a RFP is issued, it will include the Bid
Evaluation Plan, which will include a 		Test and Evaluation
(T&E) plan. T&E will be conducted during the Bid Evaluation and
therefore 	bidders will be required to provide sample systems.
The intent of the T&E is to prove the OEM's 		claims of meeting
the performance requirements by the bidding systems.

2.4	Respondents are to be cautioned that the Joint CBRN GSR SOW
and SRS provided are draft 		only and will in all likelihood
evolve between now and, if materialized, the actual issuance of
a 		RFP. 

3	Information Requirements

3.1	All costs are to be shown in Canadian dollars.

3.2	Respondents are requested to provide their best cost
estimate of the work scoped in the SOW for 		the delivery of all
deliverables, including equipment, training service, integrated
logistics support 	service and data.

3.3	Respondents are requested to provide their best cost
estimate of equipment price escalations.

3.4	Respondents are requested to provide the cost estimates for
Contract Data Requirements List 		(CDRLs) and Deliverable Item
Descriptions (DIDs) based on their titles provided (Appendices 2
		and 3) and respondents' past experience with such
deliverables. The intent is to use products 		currently
available and the respondents' internal products that meet the
requested deliverables. 		The respondents shall mention in the
comment area if the deliverable is already available.

3.5	Respondents are requested to provide shipping costs, based
on shipping all equipment to 			Montreal, Quebec.

3.6	Potential bidders are encouraged to comment on exceptions to
the Joint CBRN GSR SRS.

3.7	If any SRS requirement, essential or desirable, is or can be
met, respondents are requested to 		indicate in the comment area
what evidence is, or will be available to prove that the
solution to 		be proposed will meet the CF requirements. 
Respondents are requested to provide details of the		evidences
already available or indicate when the evidence will be
available. Forms of evidence 		may be, but will not be limited
to, test results, evaluation results, and certificates. 

3.8	If any SOW or SRS requirement, essential or desirable,
cannot be met, a statement shall be made 		in the comment area
stating how and when the supplier can fix this deficiency,
propose an 		alternative solution or providing comments. The
answers provided by all respondents may be 		used to adjust the
expectation of the Technical Authority towards availability.

3.9	If the solution to be proposed meets performance
requirements not included in the draft SRS 		provided, the
respondents are encouraged to provide performance statements of
potential interest 		to the CF and details of evidences to prove
the performance claims.

3.10	If any SRS requirement is unclear from respondent's
perspective, the respondents are encouraged 	to request
clarification or recommend changes to the requirement statement
in the comment area.

3.11	Respondents are requested to state, in the comment area of
each SOW/SRS requirement, what 		the maximum
performance/capacity the supplier/product can meet, whether the
requirement is 		met or not. Performance/capacity must be
clearly written and include the unit of measure.

3.12	Respondents are requested to provide data and information
in accordance with paragraphs 3.6 		through 3.11. Submission of
this information will allow the Joint CBRN GSR project for a
		comprehensive picture of technical availability of COTS/MOTS
based respirator systems.  

3.13	Respondents are requested to provide the following
information about the original equipment	 	manufacturer:
	a)	evidence, in the form of previous contract references,
demonstrating experience and 			competence to manufacture,
repair, calibrate and otherwise support respirator equipment;
	b)	evidence, in the form of a detailed description, that
facilities exist to manufacture, repair, 		calibrate and
otherwise support the respirator equipment;
	c)	evidence, in the form of a detailed description, of the
quality assurance system to be used 		during repair, calibration
and manufacture of the respirator equipment; and
	d)	if major components are sourced from subsidiaries or other
manufacturers, the 				respondents should submit evidence
concerning these firms in accordance with 				paragraphs a)
through c) above.

3.14	Although it is not essential that respondents address the
above Information Requirements in their 		response to this P&A
inquiry, submission at this time will be appreciated. Submission
of this 		information may be a mandatory requirement in a
procurement event, such as RFP.  

3.15	Respondents are requested to advise if there are any
obstacles for the supplier to provide the 		respirator products
to Canada and elaborate details of the obstacles.

4	Government of Canada Responsibility

4.1	The Government of Canada shall not be bound by anything
stated in this P&A inquiry or any 		other documents provided
with the inquiry or documents provided by the Government of
Canada 		following corporations' requests for such documents.
Government of Canada reserves the right to 	change, at any time,
all or part of the project requirements as it considers
necessary, as the 		project progresses. 

4.2	Canada will not reimburse any respondent for expenses
incurred in responding to this P&A.

5	Confidentiality

5.1	Respondents should clearly mark any portions of their
response that they consider proprietary or 		confidential.
Canada and its consultants will treat those portions of the
responses as confidential 		to the extent permitted by the
Access to Information Act.

6	Request for Responses

6.1	Respondents are requested to provide all information in
response to this P&A inquiry no later 		than the date indicated
on MERX.

6.2	All responses to this P&A inquiry and all inquiries during
the posting period shall be directed 		to the Contracting
Authority.
Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

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

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.