Robotic Liquid Handler

Trade Agreement: CETA / WTO-AGP / NAFTA / CFTA / FTAs with Peru / Colombia / Panama / Korea
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: 
EPPENDORF CANADA LTD.
2810 Argentia Road
Unit #2
Mississauga Ontario
Canada
L5N8L2
Nature of Requirements: 

Robotic Liquid Handler

6D063-183403/A
Hall, Marlene
Telephone No. - (204) 230-0147 (    )
Fax No. - (204) 983-7796 (    )

Line 1, Robotic Liquid Handler

File No: 6D063-183403/A

Title: Robotic Liquid Handler
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), on behalf of Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), intends to negotiate with Eppendorf North America for the provision of a Robotic Liquid Handler.

Definition of Requirement
The Public Health Agency of Canada has a requirement for the supply, delivery, installation and training of one (1) Robotic Liquid Handler, with the option to purchase two (2) additional unit on or before March 31, 2021.

The robotic liquid handler required is an automation of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) library preparation.  The library preparation kits are sourced from Illumina Inc. In the division of Zoonotic Diseases, the need of high throughput NGS is inclining through work on projects with collaborators.

The Eppendorf epMotion 5075t with NGS accessory bundle is the only "Illumina Qualified" (i.e. Illumina’s analysis indicated that libraries prepared with these methods perform comparably to those prepared manually) for all 15 different types of library prep. It ensures reproducibility with reduced chance of error, as well as decrease of "hands-on" time and increase of "walk-away" time for technicians to perform other valuable tasks. Eppendorf Canada Ltd. is the only distributer of the liquid handling station Eppendorf epMotion 5075t with NGS accessory bundle.

Security Requirement
There is a security requirement associated with this requirement.

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

Performance / Criteria / Objectives / Specifications
1.  The system must be fully enclosed and must have a safety door with pausing of operation if the door is opened avoiding injury, preventing external (humidity, temperature) interference with the method, and avoiding nuclease contaminations. 

2.  The system must have clean cap including HEPA filter and UV light for decontamination.

3. The system must include a worktable with a minimum of 15 positions.

a. at least one of the 15 deck positions must include a thermo-mixing module. This module must be fully integrated in the worktable and controlled via the system’s software. It must combine 2D orbital shaking with heating and cooling technology and must be able to operate while simultaneously pipetting onto other worktable positions.
 i. Maximum payload is 1,000 grams
 ii. Mixing range 300 - 2,000 rpm
 iii. Temperature range: 4°C from room temperature to 95°C
 iv. Heating rate: 5°C/min.
 v. Cooling rate: 3°C/min.

b. At least another one of the 15 deck positions must incorporate a Peltier based thermal element for heating or cooling of samples and reagents. This unit must be completely integrated in the worktable and must be programmed directly from the operating software.
  i. Temperature: 0°c to 110°C
  ii. Heating: from 25°C to 95°C in 8 minutes (8.75°C/min.)
  iii. Cooling: from 25°C to 4°C in 5 minutes (4.2°C/min.)

4. The system must provide contact free detection by measuring the light reflection of surfaces of liquid levels, of dispensing tools and of system accessories, labwares, as well as tip size and quantity. This avoids the use of more expensive, electrically conductive tips.

5. The system must operate with liquid handling tools (pipettes) that offer a pipetting range of 0.2µl to 1000µl. The system must have options to pipet this range with either a single-channel tool or an 8-channel tool. At any given time, up to 4 dispensing tools must be available for use during a program (without user intervention).

6. The system must offer air displacement pipet tools, as this reduces maintenance and complications related to a liquid back-filled syringe system.

7. The system must be able to provide contact free dispensing of samples from the pipette tip into labware, reducing the possibility of cross-contamination as well as be able to allow exact position of the pipet tip relative to liquid meniscus or labware bottom during aspiration and dispensing. This is essential for magnetic bead-based washing steps of NGS library preparations.

8. The system must provide the following pipetting precision: Coefficient of variation (%) for small volumes < 2% and larger volumes < 0.5% relative to pipette size.

9. The system must provide a gripper arm to move labware to and from any position on the worktable. This would be used to move labware from Thermo-mixing element to a plate magnet during NGS library preparations methods.

10. The system must be an "open platform" system and be compatible with any commercially available NGS library preparation kit. Furthermore, any existing or future optimized protocol must be available free of charge and must be readily available to download without restriction for as long as the instrument will be in use.

11. The instrument must be able to perform the following Illumina certified kits (protocols for these kits are free and downloadable):
- Nextera XT DNA
- TruSight RNA Pan Cancer
- TruSight RNA Fusion Vendor
- TruSight HLA v2 Vendor
- TruSeq Custom Amplicon Low Input
- TruSight Tumor 15 Vendor
- TruSight Cancer/TruSight Enrichment Vendor
- Nextera Rapid Capture Custom Enrichment Vendor
- TruSeq Rapid Exome Vendor
- TruSeq RNA Access Vendor
- TruSeq Nano DNA Vendor
- TruSeq Stranded Total RNA Vendor
- TruSeq Stranded mRNA Vendor
- TruSeq DNA PCR-Free

12. Besides installation and training, the product manufacturer must provide free application support for the optimization of our selected NGS library preparation method. This free onsite support must include a minimum of 3 working days and be performed by a field application specialist.

Justification for Pre-identified Supplier
Eppendorf Canada Ltd. is the only known supplier that can provide a Robotic Liquid Handler with NGS accessory bundle that is compatible with the Illumina’s libraries prepared with these methods perform comparably to those prepared manually for all 14 different types of library prep.

Trade Agreements:
The following limited tendering reasons pertain to this requirement:

Government Contract Regulations, Part 1, Section 6(d) only one person is capable of performing the contract.

Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), Article 513-1(b)(v) to ensure compatibility with existing goods, or to maintain specialized goods that must be maintained by the manufacturer of those goods or its representatives.
 
North American Free Trade Agreement (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 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; 

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Article 19.12, 1(b) if the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute goods or services exist for any of the following reasons: (i) the requirements is for a work of art; (ii) the protection of patents, copyrights or other exclusive rights; or (iii) due to an absence of competition for technical reason

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;

DELIVERY 
All the deliverables must be received on or before March 31, 2019. This requirement includes an option to purchase one (1) additional unit on or before March 31, 2021.

FOB Destination to Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, R3H 1H2

PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER
Eppendorf Canada Ltd.
2810 Argentia Road, #2
Mississauga, ON. L5N 8L2

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.