Radar Video Processing Systems

Trade Agreement: WTO-AGP/NAFTA/AIT/Canada-Peru
FTA/Canada-Colombia FTA
Tendering Procedures: Generally only one firm has been invited
to bid
Attachment: None
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Interchangeable Parts
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address: 
Vaisala Inc.
194 S Taylor Avenue
Louisville Colorado
United States
80027
Nature of Requirements: 
Radar Video Processing Systems

K3D33-131048/A
Juan, Peggy
Telephone No. - (905) 615-2467 (    )
Fax No. - (905) 615-2060

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO SUPPLIERS

Government of Canada is moving its Government Electronic
Tendering Service from MERX to Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders on June
1, 2013

Starting June 1, 2013, federal government tenders (tender
notices and bid solicitation documents) will be published and
available free of charge on a Government of Canada Web site on
Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders.

The Government Electronic Tendering Service on
Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders will be the sole authoritative source
for Government of Canada tenders that are subject to trade
agreements or subject to departmental policies that require
public advertising of tenders.

Get more details in the Frequently Asked Questions section of
Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders. 

After June 1, 2013, all tenders and related documents and
amendments will be on Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders.  

On June 1, 2013, suppliers must go to Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders
to check for amendments to any tender opportunities that they
have been following on MERX prior to June 1.  

Bookmark Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders now to be ready for June 1!
_________________________________________________________________
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1. ACAN Explanation

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 Requirement

Environment Canada (EC) has a requirement for the supply of
quantity 15 Vaisala RVP900 Series IFDs (Intermediate Frequency
Digitizers) with Radar Video Signal Processors.  EC plans to
supply these RVP900 IFD and Radar Video Signal Processors as
Government Furnished Equipment and spare units in a future
requirement to add Dual Polarization capability to approximately
11 of the 28 Weather Radar sites operated by EC across Canada. 

These radar sites operate using a specific antenna design
suitable for Dual Polarization. Dual Polarization capability
permits weather radars to better detect hydro meteorological
events by using RF (Radio Frequency) signals transmitted and
detected in both vertical and horizontal planes, which after
processing provides a significant enhancement in both detection
and hydro meteor classification. 

The 28 Weather Radar sites form the Canadian National Doppler
Radar Network (referred to as "The Network" hereinafter) were
originally deployed between 1998 and 2004. The Network currently
consists of Single Polarization systems using the Vaisala
Incorporated RCP02 Radar Antenna Control Processor equipment,
the RVP7 IFD / Radar Video Data Processor equipment and the IRIS
(Interface Radar Information System) software for antenna
control, interaction and data processing. When The Network was
initially deployed, EC integrated a combination of
Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components with custom
fabricated interface boards and these Vaisala RCP02, RVP7 and
IRIS systems. The RCP02, RVP7 and IRIS also contain proprietary
embedded firmware that manipulates and controls the Weather
Radar COTS equipment and processes the response digitized data.
Environment Canada is currently deploying previously purchased
RVP 8 / RCP 8 equipment, replacing the obsolete RVP7 / RCP02
equipment.

3. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities

3.1 Minimum Essential Requirements

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement
of capabilities that its proposed equipment meets the following
requirements:

(The proprietary Vaisala equipment forms a significant portion
of the existing EC Weather Radar system. The Basic Block Diagram
of the EC Dual Pol Radar is available upon request to Peggy Juan
at peggy.juan@pwgsc.gc.ca)

	Supplier must demonstrate full compatibility and equivalence in
form, fit and function, specifically that their proposed
solution can fully replace the RVP900 series equipment
(comprised of the IFD 901 and RVP 902 Processor) while not
altering the functionality of  each item interconnected to their
solution as identified in the attached Basic Block Diagram of
the EC Dual Pol Radar.

	Supplier must provide evidence that their proposed solution was
recently commercially sold and deployed into a network, and they
can deliver equivalent product within 190 days of contract
award. 

	Supplier must demonstrate their proposed solution interfaced
electronically with and exchanged data signals with the existing
Vaisala RCP8 Antenna Control Processor, exchanged data signals
to the existing downstream off site Regional URP (Unified Radar
Processor), interfaced electronically with and exchanged data
signals with the existing IRIS Control Software, interfaced
electronically and passed appropriate Radar signals with
specific Radar hardware (the Low Noise Amplifiers, the Burst
Mixer, and AFC Control modules) and finally interfaced
electronically with and exchanged data signals with the EC
RadMon software operating on the Monitor PC. 

	Supplier must demonstrate their proposed solution offers and
matches exactly all data output formats and all processing
features of the RVP900. Any perspective supplier must also
demonstrate any and all calculated / processed outputs match the
RVP900 output if the same input was applied.  

Term definitions:

	"Recent" is defined as a commercial product sold within the
last 3 years.
	"Commercial" is defined as a product that is immediately
available for production and "on the market" for purchase for at
least one year. A supplier cannot offer a design and/or
fabrication service to develop a proposed system from a series
of specifications or offer to replicate a proposed system based
on the designs and/or results of a research institute, research
project or scientific investigation.
	"Network" is defined as 3 or more sites owned and operated by
the same organization equipped with the same configuration /
hardware fulfilling 24 hr / 7 days a week atmospheric monitoring
for the same client / stakeholder.
	"Fit" is defined as having the ability to be of the same
physical size and ability to interconnect with the other
required assemblies in the same manner. 
	"Form" is defined as having the equivalent shape, size, mass
(weight) and dimensions.
	"Function" is defined as performing in the same manner.     

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

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s):
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 identified supplier is Vaisala Inc., Louisville, Colorado,
USA. The original Network utilized the Vaisala IFD 7 with RVP 7
for Radar Data Processing and the RCP 02 for Antenna Control.
The RadMon software running on a site Monitor Computer was
designed to operate with the then equipment. 

The next generation of equipment (RVP 8 / RCP 8) was purchased
because it met fit, form and function. The RVP 8 and RCP 8 were
designed with backward compatibility with previous systems while
upgrading hardware and software. The RVP 8 / RCP 8 equipment is
currently being deployed within The Network. 

The RVP900 Series equipment is Vaisala Inc.'s next generation
hardware and software that is the commercial replacement for the
RVP 8 equipment only. Vaisala Inc. does not have a replacement
for the RCP 8 at this time and it is ECs desire not to replace
the RCP 8 or the IRIS control software. Vaisala Inc. is
continuing to develop the series of equipment while maintaining
compatibility with and the features of their previous products.
Vaisala Inc. retains specific intellectual property for software
and firmware within these products. To our knowledge, Vaisala
Inc. retains the rights for specific aspects of the embedded
operating software required for the RVP900 Series operation, and
they do not disclose. Customers are required to pay an annual
license fee for their use.
    
 Some of the features the RVP900 Series equipment offers include:
- Ingestion of angular positioning data in the vendor defined
format from the RCP 8.
- Commanding the RCP 8 in the vendor defined format to position
the antenna to specific locations and characteristics.
- Ingestion and distribution of setup, configuration, and data
control data in the vendor defined format from the IRIS Control
Software.
- Output radar data in the vendor defined format through the
IRIS Control Computer and onto the downstream URP Processor.
- Output status signals in the vendor defined format to identify
the operating conditions and state of the RVP900 Processor unit
for use by the RadMon / Monitor PC software.

In order to maintain compatibility while maintaining the usage
of the existing equipment, while also recognizing the
intellectual property the vendor retains and the existing
electronic / data interfaces The Network must retain, it was
deemed that Vaisala is the only vendor capable of meeting 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 contract; for patent or
copyright requirements, or technical compatibility factors and
technological expertise."

7. 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)  Articles 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."

World Trade Organization  Agreement on Government Procurement
(WTO-AGP)  Article XV, (b) "when, for works of art or for
reasons connected with protection of exclusive rights, such as
patents or copyrights, or in the absence of competition for
technical reasons, the products or services can be supplied only
by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or
substitute exists."; (d) "for additional deliveries by the
original supplier which are intended either as parts replacement
for existing supplies, or installations, or as the extension of
existing supplies, services, or installations where a change of
supplier would compel the entity to procure equipment or
services not meeting requirements of interchangeability with
already existing equipment or services."

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)  Articles 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 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."; (d) "for additional
deliveries by the original supplier that are intended either as
replacement parts or continuing services for existing supplies,
services or installations, or as the extension of existing
supplies, services or installations, where a change of supplier
would compel the entity to procure equipment or services not
meeting requirements of interchangeability with already existing
equipment or services, including software to the extent that the
initial procurement of the software was covered by this Chapter."

8. The delivery dates

One system must be delivered on or before September 1, 2013 and
the remaining fourteen (14) systems must be delivered on or
before December 15, 2013. 

9. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier:

Name: Vaisala Inc.
Address: 194 South Taylor Avenue, Louisville, Colorado, USA 80027

10. Supplier's 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. The closing date for a submission of a statement of
capabilities

The closing date and time accepting statements of capabilities
is June 18, 2013.

12. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Peggy Juan, Supply Team Leader
33 City Centre Drive  Suite 480C
Mississauga, Ontario L5B 2N5
Telephone: 905-615-2467
Facsimile: 905-615-2060
E-mail: peggy.juan@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.