Production of a Mould for Fabrication of Plastic Casings and Prototyping

Trade Agreement: NAFTA/AIT/Canada FTAs with Peru/Colombia/Panama
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: 
Precicor Inc
1325 Boulevard Lionel-Boulet
Varennes Quebec
Canada
J3X1P7
Nature of Requirements: 

Production of a Mould for Fabrication of Plastic Casings and Prototyping

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 inthe 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 Coast Guard (CCG) is mandated to ensure the safety ofmariners on Canada’s waterways. To achieve this, the CCG has implemented several aids to navigation systems, including lighted summer buoys and unlit winter spars. To reduce its operating costs, the CCG has commissioned a team to develop a Four-Season Lighted Navigation Buoy. Due to ice conditions, it is impossible to use a solar power system to run the navigational light installed at the top of the buoy. This makes a high-capacity primary battery the sole source of energy. The drawings of the battery are available upon request.

The battery consists mainlyof an alkaline cell battery pack and its casing. After testing various types of metal casing for this battery, the CCG decided that the battery casing would be made of polymer as certain metals react chemically with the acid produced by the battery's cells, producing hydrogen.

The CCG has a requirement for the supply of twenty (20) plastic casings and the option to purchase up to an additional three hundred fifty (350) plastic casings within two(2) years after contract award. These casings will be used as housings for CCG’s battery pack. The Contractor shall provide all services necessary to carry out the following tasks and quantities:

• Provide a work plan
• Provide the complete revised casing drawings (2D and 3D layout) to the CCG for approval
•Manufacture of one (1) mould using Injection technic
• Mechanical strength tests
• Seal tests (IP68 certification)
• Production of twenty (20) prototypes

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

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that its product meets the following requirements (Mandatory Requirements / Supplier’s document to be assessed:

Design and Solidity

• The supplier must designed a closure mechanism to seal the casing according to standard IP68 / Provide description and argument on the closing method or mechanism for the casing (welding, bolting pattern, seal ring, etc.).
• The casing can be reusable or not / Provide description andargument on design.
• The mould must be durable enough to produce at least 10,000 casings / Provide description and argument on design.
• The casing shall be strong enough to bear CCG battery pack weight (80 kg) / Provide description and argument on how the plastic casing design is strong enough to support this weight. Sufficient argument must be provided by the supplier to prove that he can meet this requirement.

Watertightness

• The final casing assembly shall allow to reach an IP68 certificationfor permanent immersion in water / Provide description and argument on how the final casing assembly shall allow to reach an IP68 certification for permanent immersion in water.

Ease of Assembly and Handling

• The plastic casing must be designed in order to facilitate the installation of CCG Battery pack (80 kg) / Provide description and argument on the insertion method of the battery pack inside the casing.
• The Plastic casing, including thebattery pack of 80 kg, must be manipulated safely and easily by two persons. Special features like hooks must be added to the casing to help handling manipulation. A lift or a crane shall be used as well to manipulate the casing / Provide description andargument on how the design meets the requirement. The plastic casing design must have special feature to prove that.

Material

• The material selected shall take into account the following contextual elements: the casing will be submerged inthe water to a depth of 10 meters for a 2 to 4 year timeframe; In use, water temperature will range between 0 and 15°C; The casing might be used in salt water; The casing might be subjected to strong impacts while in use in the buoys or while being handled; The casing might be exposed to UV rays for long periods (a few months). / Provide description and argument on the chosen material.

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

This procurement is subject to the following tradeagreement(s):

• Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

5. Set-aside under the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business

This procurement is not set-aside for an Aboriginal supplier in accordance withthe government Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business (PSAB).

6. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s)

This procurement is not subject to any Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.

7. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The projectteam must implement a plastic casing that meets all the CCG's requirements, and the criteria of watertightness and solidity are by far the most crucial. These casings will be immersed in water for at least two years, and they will be subject to relativelysevere environmental conditions (water temperature varying between 0 and 18°C, constant movement of the casing in the water, seaweed accumulation, etc.). In other words, CCG must choose the plastic casing with the lowest possible technical risk.

Thetechnical assessment of Precicor’s design indicates that it meets the CCG's requirements. The main findings of this assessment are:

• The fact that this casing is manufactured using injection moulding ensures consistent product quality, given theprecision of this manufacturing method;
• Watertightness is essential, and this design is the most suitable for the CCG's intended use; the casing's watertightness is ensured by a proven technique using an O-ring pressed into a groove with the exact dimensions and surface finish specified by the seal manufacturer, due to the precision of the injection moulding technique;
• The casing's watertight closure uses parts that are easy to maintain and acquire (standard bolts and O-ring);
• The numerous ribs across the entire body of the casing minimizes the chances of breakage if handled inappropriately;
• It is easier to insert cells into the casing because the casing opens along its entire length, which reduces assembly costs and time;
• With this assembly method, the cells can be removed from the casing without having to remove the connector's connection cable, meaning that the connector can be reused for subsequent cycles, resulting in an additional $70 in savings for each reused connector; 
• Themanufacturing process is rapid, and if an urgent need arises, a large quantity of casings can be obtained in a short period (250-500 casings/week).

8. 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".

9. 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:

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
AIT Article 506 12. b. where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons and the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no alternative or substitute exists;

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
NAFTA 1016: 2. (b) where, for works of art, or for reasons connected with the protection of patents, copyrights or other exclusive rights, or proprietary information or wherethereisan absence of competition for technical reasons, the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.

10. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Ownership of any Foreground Intellectual Property arising out of the proposed contract will belong to Canada.

11. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

When the contract is issued, the product must be delivered on December 1st, 2016.

12. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), ranges from $130,000.00 to $ 160,000.00 (applicable taxes extra).

13. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Precicor inc.
1325, rue Lionel-Boulet
Varennes QC Canada
J3X 1P7

14. Suppliers' right to submit astatement 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 identifiedin 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.

15. Closing date for a submission of astatement of capabilities

The closing date andtime for accepting statements of capabilities is August 24, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

16. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Jennifer MacNeil
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Acquisitions Branch
Electronics, Simulators and Defence Systems
11 Laurier Street, Phase III
Place du Portage, Hull, Quebec, K1A 0S5

Telephone:  (819) 420-1746
Facsimile: (819) 956-5650
E-mail address: jennifer.macneil@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.