Fibre Optic Cable

Trade Agreement: NONE
Tendering Procedures: Generally only one firm has been invited to bid
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Prototype Purchase
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address: 
Fibertech Optica
330 Gage Ave, Unit 1
Kitchener Ontario
Canada
N2M5C6
Nature of Requirements: 

Fibre Optic Cable

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 Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre (HAA), National Research Council of Canada (NRC), in Victoria, British Columbia has a requirement for a prototype bundle of optical fibers that incorporates several features that will facilitate the testing of a design to meet the requirements for highly multiplexed spectroscopy on large wide field telescopes. 

The deliverables include:

a. Qty 1: fibre optic cable, containing 19 individual fibres.
b. Weekly reports that illustrate progress and identify possible tradeoffs that might improve design choices.
c. A factory test report demonstrating that the science fibers in the prototype cable meet the requirements stated above, for at least one wavelength and at least one physical arrangement of the cable.
d. A suitable shipping container to safely transport the cable from Fibertech Optica Inc. (Kitchener, ON) to NRC-HAA (Victoria, BC).

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 system meets the following requirements: 

The prototype fiber optic bundle must meet the following requirements:

a. The bundle must contain 19 fibers of which at least four must be “science fibers” of core diameter 100 microns.  The four science fibers must be supplied by two different vendors and must meet the following additional requirements.
b. The total length of the cable must be approximately 30 m.  It shall be comprised of a 2 m input section with fibers contained in individual ferrules at the input, followed by a loop box allowing access to individual fibers and to relieve strain, a long cable section, another similar loop box, and a final 2 m section terminating in a slit block.  The slit block shall arrange the fibers into a linear array, spaced equally at distances of two fiber diameters.
c. The throughput of the candidate science fibers as a function of wavelength must meet or exceed the values shown in Appendix A for a 30 m length of fiber from 360 nm to 1.8 microns
d. The candidate science fibers must be able to accept an input beam of f/2, and the focal ratio degradation through the fiber must be less than 5%
e. The throughput of individual fibers must not vary by more than 1% regardless of orientation, bending and twisting of the cable under simulated operation on a telescope.

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

This procurement is exempt from the following trade agreement(s): 

o Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) 
o North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier 

Fibertech Optica Inc. is the only vendor that have demonstrated that they can meet the particular requirements that enable the high precision spectroscopy required by the science. The primary goal of this project is to extend a fiber cable for two objects simultaneously to cables that contain 19 fibers. These would form the basic sub unit of a design to meet the scientific requirement of a facility that will enable simultaneous observations through 4332 fibers.

The prototype cable shall conform to all physical dimensions and input and output specifications required by the overall project and enable full tests to be carried out in a simulated operational environment on the telescope by University of Victoria students that are partially supervised by NRC staff. 

6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception

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". 

7. Limited Tendering Reasons 

The following limited tendering reasons are invoked under the:

o Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) - Article 506.12 (h);
o North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - Article 1016.2 (e).

8. Ownership of Intellectual Property 

o Ownership of any Foreground Intellectual Property arising out of the proposed contract will vest in the Contractor.

9. Delivery Date

The prototype fiber optic bundle must be delivered to NRC-HAA (Victoria BC) within 22 weeks after contract award.  

10. Cost estimate of the proposed contract 

The estimated value of the contract is $36,960.00 GST/HST included. 

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

Fibertech Optica Inc.
330 Gage Ave, Unit 1
Kitchener, ON  Canada N2M 5C6

12. 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 mandatory requirements.

13. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities 

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is May 27, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. PDST. 

14. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities 

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to: 

Christine Cress 
Supply Officer  
Pacific Region, Acquisitions
Public Works and Government Services Canada
1230 Government Street, Suite 401   
Victoria, BC V8X 3X4
Email:  christine.cress@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca
Tel:   250-514-9294 
Fax:   250-363-3344

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.