Radiometers

Trade Agreement: WTO-AGP/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: 
Radiometrics Corporation
2840 Wilderness Place, Unit G
Boulder Colorado
United States
80301
Nature of Requirements: 

Radiometers

K3D42-170407/A
Lopez, Maria
Telephone No. - (905) 615-2071 (    )
Fax No. - (905) 615-2060 (    )

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 Climate Research Division(CRD) of Environment and Climate Change Canada has a requirement for the supply of two dual polarized, single channel, passive microwave radiometers to be used for deriving information/products used to generate new knowledge on cold climate processes and cryosphere/climate interactions, which include developing and validating techniques to remotely estimate soil, snow, sea and lake ice parameters (soil moisture, soil freeze/thaw state, snow water equivalent, ice thickness/type) from passive microwave satellite, airborne, and surface based radiometer brightness temperatures. These derived parameters and raw brightness temperatures are also used as both data inputs and validation for radiative transfer models, global climate models and land surface dataassimilation schemes. 
One passive microwave unit must have a centre frequency of 19 GHz, while the other unit must have a centre frequency of 36.5 GHz. Each unit must come as a stand-alone system with an integrated radiometer receiver/antenna.

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 equipment meets the following requirements:
 
- Radiometers must each weigh less than 10 kg
- Radiometers must each have a dimension of less than 55 cm long x 23 cm wide x  23 cm high 
- Radiometers must be dual polarized - vertical and horizontal
- Have an effective radio frequency bandwidth of < 1 GHz
- Have a radiometer antenna -3 dB half-power beamwidth of 6 degrees or less 
- The antenna sidelobes must be less than -20 dB
- The minimum integration time must be at least 0.1 seconds, with ability to increase
- The radiometer sensitivity, single observation 1-second delta T must be less than 0.08 K
- The radiometer long-term stability must be better than 0.2 K drift / month
- The radiometer must include an onboard signal processor to control the radiometer state in-addition to collecting and processing the data with the ability to output the data via a serial port to communicate with a logger/data acquisition computer system
- The radiometer thermal control stability must +/- 0.05 °C of set-point
- The power requirements for each radiometer unit must be less than 150 W 
- The operating temperature range must be between -50 to +50 °C
- The operating ambient relative humidity range must be between 0-100%
- The minimum operating ambient air pressure must be at least 600 mb
- The radiometer units must utilize serial communication and output all recorded raw data values
- The radiometer must be fully weather-proof with appropriate seals/connectors
- The radiometers must be delivered with a portable external calibration target, compatible with both radiometers, with the hardware that allows the target to be mounted to the radiometer/antenna units while in the field.
- The units must come with a user manual providing adequate information to perform basic trouble-shooting and repair. The manual must includethe radiometer specifications, block diagrams, wiring diagrams and schematics.
4. Applicability of the trade agreements to the procurement
The procurement is subject to the following trade agreements:

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The radiometers will be installed on research aircraft and mobile snowmobile-based platforms, and can be expected to be exposed to rapid environmental temperature fluctuations in the order of more than 20 C, and will be exposed to both rain and snow. The radiometers will also be deployed for ground-based data collection, at unprotected research sites in cold, harsh weather environments typical of the Canadian Arctic. Radiometrics radiometers are lightweight and compact units that can be quickly installed/de-installed on small aircraft, snowmobile and tower-based platforms. It is essential that the radiometer units be easily handled, positioned and operated by a single person wearing full winter-weather protection (such as gloves, goggles, bulky winter outerwear). Radiometrics radiometers have a Mean-Time-Between-Failures (MTBF) of greater than 10,000 hours and have a proven track-record of operations in extreme Arctic conditions.

6. Government Contracting Regulations Exception

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:

- Agreement on Internal trade (AIT) - Articles 506.12 (b), “Where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons and the products or services can be supplied only by  a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.”
-World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP) - Article XV (b), “…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)- Article 1016 (b), “where, for works of art, or for reasons connected with the protection of patents, copyrights or other exclusive rights, or proprietary information or where there is an 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.”

8. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The system must be delivered on or before December 30, 2016.

9. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract is $350,000.00 (GST/HST extra).

10. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Radiometerics Corporation
4909 Nautilus Court North 
Suite 110
Boulder, Colorado
80301
USA

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 Sept 23, 2016.
13. Inquiries and submissions of statements of capabilities
Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Maria Lopez
Supply Team Leader
Public Works and Government Services Canada
33 City Centre Dr, Suite 480C
Mississauga, ON L5B 2N5

Telephone: 905-615-2071
Facsimile: 905-615-2060
E-mail: maria.lopez@pwgsc.gc.ca

Delivery Date: 30/12/2016

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.