Defence Enhanced Surveillance from Space Project (DESSP)

Trade Agreement: 
Tendering Procedures: All interested suppliers may submit a bid
Competitive Procurement Strategy: N/A - P&A/LOI Only
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirements: 

REVISION HISTORY

Amendment 011
This amendment serves to extend the RFI period to May 31, 2022.

Amendment 010
This amendment serves to extend the RFI period to January 31, 2022. 

Amendment 009
This amendment serves to publish the Summary of Feedback and Outcomes document, as well as a presentation from the 2021 Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) Conference (Attachment 002).

Amendment 008
This amendment serves to publish additional questions posed by vendors and answers provided by Canada; see Part 5, questions 52-55. It also serves to publish a briefing deck explaining Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy (Attachment 002).

Amendment 007
This amendment serves to extend the RFI period to November 30, 2021. While vendors were requested to submit feedback and recommendations by February 10, 2021, further responses to the DESSP RFI are welcome if interested vendors have not yet submitted one, or if new analysis has been completed. Canada cannot guarantee that information submitted beyond February 10, 2021 will be considered. Project updates will be published via this Notice as they become available. Future engagement activities may include additional requests for information, as well as seeking industry feedback on draft solicitation documents.

Amendment 006
This amendment serves to publish additional questions posed by vendors and answers provided by Canada.

Amendment 005
This amendment serves to publish additional questions posed by vendors and answers provided by Canada.

Amendment 004
This amendment serves to publish questions asked by vendors and answers provided by Canada, and to extend the RFI period to May 31, 2021. Responses are requested on or before February 10, 2021, via email to the Procurement Authority indicated below; timely responses are requested to support Canada’s decision making process. The RFI period is being extended to allow Canada the opportunity to pursue additional engagement activities as appropriate.

Amendment 003
This amendment serves to extend the RFI period to February 10, 2021. Responses are requested on or before February 10, 2021, via email to the Procurement Authority indicated below; timely responses are requested to support Canada’s decision making process.

Amendment 002
This amendment serves to publish questions asked by vendors and answers provided by Canada.

Amendment 001
This amendment serves to extend the RFI period to February 4, 2021. This initial consultation process provides industry the opportunity to provide feedback in the development of the project. Responses are requested on or before February 4, 2021, via email to the Procurement Authority indicated below; timely responses are requested to support Canada’s decision making process.

ENGAGEMENT OBJECTIVES

The Department of National Defence (DND) is engaging suppliers in support of the Defence Enhanced Surveillance from Space Project (DESSP), the planned replacement and upgrade to the DND capabilities currently provided by the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) and Polar Epsilon 2 (PE2) ground stations. This consultative engagement process is being used to provide suppliers with an early opportunity to assess and comment on the DESSP requirements, as well as to support Canada in the development and identification of key technical requirements, opportunities for economic leveraging, and procurement approaches.

BACKGROUND

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have a responsibility to defend Canada and North America, contribute to combined deterrence objectives, and maintain a robust capability to respond to a range of domestic and international emergencies. To support this mandate, DND/CAF has developed DESSP, the planned replacement and upgrade of the DND capabilities provided by RCM and the PE2 ground stations.

Canada’s national surveillance task is immense. With the world’s second largest landmass, the world’s longest coastline bordering on three oceans, a sparsely populated Arctic region and with the bulk of the Canadian population of 36 million located within 100 miles of our southern border, Canada faces a daunting challenge to carry out effective, timely and relevant Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations in a cost-effective manner. This unique geographic and demographic combination leads to space systems often being the only viable solution to address these challenges, as well as the primary means of informing and optimizing the use of other traditional air, land and maritime capabilities.   

Canada currently uses RCM to perform ISR operations. The constellation provides high-resolution radar imagery of the Earth to support arctic, maritime and land surveillance. DND has established two ground stations that provide ship detection reports by fusing the near-real-time Active Wide Area Surveillance (AWAS) radar picture with the Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. 

REQUIREMENTS

The scope of the project is expected to include space components, a ground station network, and data processing, exploitation and dissemination capabilities. Specific High Level Mandatory Requirements (HLMRs) are provided in the attached Solicitation document.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

In order to participate in this engagement process, suppliers must return a signed copy of the Rules of Engagement provided in the attached Solicitation document to the Procurement Authority indicated below. 

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 

Canada is requesting feedback and recommendations on a variety of topics; please refer to the attached Solicitation document for more details. Responses are requested on or before February 10, 2021, via email to the Procurement Authority indicated below.

Submission of a response to this RFI is not required in order to submit a response to any subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP).

ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS

One-on-one meetings between Canada and suppliers will be held the week of December 14, 2020 as well as the week of January 11, 2021. One-on-one meetings with representatives of Canada will be limited to 30 minutes in length. While background information related to participant experience and capabilities remains welcome, these brief discussions are intended to provide suppliers with the opportunity to ask questions about the requirement and the feedback being requested by Canada via this RFI. Suppliers wishing to pursue a one-on-one meeting must register with the Procurement Authority listed below by January 8, 2021.

A list of questions posed by participants and answers provided by Canada will be posted on buyandsell.gc.ca to ensure that all suppliers have equal access to information provided by Canada. Suppliers will not be made aware of the source of any questions or feedback, and commercially sensitive information will not be released. 

Suppliers must submit a signed copy of the Rules of Engagement to the Procurement Authority indicated below in order to participate in one-on-one meetings.

Participation in one-on-one meetings is not required in order to submit a response to the RFI or any subsequent RFP.

ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

Throughout the engagement, Canada will accept questions from suppliers; a list of questions posed by suppliers and answers provided by Canada will be posted on buyandsell.gc.ca to ensure that all suppliers have equal access to information provided by Canada. Suppliers will not be made aware of the source of any questions or feedback, and commercially sensitive information will not be released. 

Following the completion of the engagement activities, a Summary of Findings document, which will provide an overview of all engagement activities that took place, will be posted on buyandsell.gc.ca. 

Canada may pursue additional engagement activities as appropriate.

FAIRNESS MONITOR

Suppliers are advised that the services of a Fairness Monitor have been acquired in support of the DESSP engagement and procurement process stages. For information about the Fairness Monitoring Program, please visit: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/se-fm/index-eng.html

INDUSTRIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL BENEFITS

The Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy, including Value Proposition, may apply to this procurement. For more information about the ITB Policy, please visit: www.canada.ca/itb

ENGAGEMENT TIMELINES

One-on-One Meetings: Week of December 14, 2020, week of January 11, 2021
Submission of Supplier Responses: February 10, 2021
Release of Summary of Findings: Spring 2021

NOTES TO INTERESTED FIRMS

This engagement process is not a bid solicitation and a contract will not result from this process. Participation in this engagement process is not a condition or prerequisite for the participation in any subsequent engagement activities or solicitations. The issuance of this engagement process does not create an obligation for Canada to issue a solicitation, and does not bind Canada legally or otherwise, to enter into any agreement or to accept any suggestions from organizations. Canada reserves the right to accept or reject any or all comments received.

Respondents are advised that any information submitted to Canada in response to this engagement process may be used by Canada in the development of project documents and any subsequent solicitations. Suppliers should identify any submitted information that is to be considered as commercially sensitive, proprietary, third party or personal information.

There will be no short listing of firms for purposes of undertaking any future work as a result of this industry engagement. Similarly, participation in this industry engagement process is not a condition or prerequisite for participation in any RFP(s).

All enquiries and other communications related to this engagement process must be directed exclusively to the Procurement Authority.

Canada retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.

PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY

Enquiries related to this engagement process are to be made by e-mail to the Procurement Authority indicated below:

Ashley Byrnes
Public Services and Procurement Canada
ashley.byrnes@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
819-431-8071
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.