Digital PCR System

Trade Agreement: 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: 
Bio-Rad Laboratories (Canada) Ltd.
1329 Meyerside Drive
Mississauga Ontario
Canada
L5T1C9
Nature of Requirements: 

Droplet Digital PCR System

01633-170824/A
Omerzo, Zeljka
Telephone No. - (204) 510-2597 
Fax No. - (204) 983-7796 

Line 1, Digital PCR System

1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to thesupplier 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 

Molecular genetics and genomics research at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) - Brandon involves a broad suite of activities.  Researchers apply genetic approaches using molecular tools, conduct transgenic studies, investigate plant development and physiology and characterize plant pathogens.  A common essential need in these research projects is to quantify nucleic acids with high precision, sensitivity, and specificity at a high throughput level.  These investigations often involve very limited amounts of nucleic acid samples, as from micro-dissected tissues.  The new emerging Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) technology offers a very robust system for absolute quantification of nucleic acids and is required to meet the research needs at AAFC-Brandon.

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:

1. ddPCR samples are amplified in a standard 96 well plate on a gradient enabled thermal cycler to allow for high sample throughput and gradient optimization of new assays.
2. The ddPCR Reader analyzes 32 samples/hour unattended, without manual intervention.
3. The ddPCR system is of a "benchtop" scale must read samples in standard 96-well format plates to enable incorporation into our existing workflows and use standard thermo cyclers already present at AAFC - Brandon. Existing workflows utilise a temperature gradient PCR step to optimise assay conditions and the requested new ddPCR system must be able to incorporate a temperature gradient PCR step.  The temperature gradient ability must NOT require any additional pipetting or liquid handling steps as these will introduce additional errors into the experiment.
4. The ddPCR system must analyze 96 unique samples in less than 5 hours, including the steps of 1) partitioning of sample assays into 12,000 to 20,000 reaction partitions, 2) PCR amplification and3) reading and scoring reaction partitions.  Note: This requirement is necessary in order to analyze multiple samples at once without introducing potential source of error by single tube analyses. Also, these features are needed to meet sample throughput requirements of the multiple users from several AAFC research programs as well as potential industrial partners at Brandon.
5. This ddPCR system should include droplet generator and droplet reader. The droplet reader MUST incorporate a 96-well auto-sampler so that unattended operation is possible to maximize sample throughput, and so that it can accommodate multiple users and/or plates per day.
6. The ddPCR system must produce 12,000 to 20,000 reaction partitions per sample for 96 unique samples in 30 minutes or less.
7. The ddPCR system that is compatible with DNA binding chemistries (e.g. Evagreen) as well as Hydrolysis probe chemistry using FAM and/or HEX dyes and  must detect fluorescence signals corresponding to those derived from VIC-, HEX-,Evagreen-, or FAM-labeled PCR probes.
8. The ddPCR system must distinguish between gene copy number variants of 11 vs. 10 and less using two or less sample assay reactions of one reaction well each (equivalent to one chamber or panel of areaction chip)with an input of nucleic acid template equivalent to 100 ng of plant or microbse' genomic DNA or less so as to minimise amount of nucleic acid sample size required per assay and cost of consumables. This ability must be achieved without the need for a preamplification step which can cause a significant measurement bias by distorting the abundance and relative presence of target nucleic acids. 
9. The ddPCR system must enable gene expression analysis and quantification of DNA copies with+/- 10% precision to meet the requirements of the multiple users from several research programs. The system must include gene expression module that can analyze and produce accurate gene expression levels in the sample. 
10. The ddPCR system must detect a specific genetic variant at a level as low as 0.001% abundance in a sample mixture that includes other genetic variants, and enable a linear quantification of this variant over four orders of magnitude of abundance of this variant in a complex mixture of nucleic acids. 
11. The ddPCR system must NOT require development of standard curves or need an external calibrator to estimate relative abundance of target nucleic acids, thereby minimizing the number of samples to be prepared and analyzed.  Rather, the instrument must generate digital data reflecting absolute quantification of target nucleic acid abundance. 
12. The digital PCR system must have a reaction partition volume of 1 nL or less. 
13. The relative expanded uncertainty of the ddPCR system from the data for 20,000 reaction partitions is required to be 5% or less to achieve the data precision required by the research programs. 
14. The ddPCR system must generate 12,000 to 20,000 reaction partitions from a 20 microlitre sample reaction volume.
15. TheddPCR system must NOT require use of specialized liquid handling equipment or robotic liquid handlers that would typically require specialized training and a dedicated technician to operate since the system will be used by numerous researchers from multiple programs.
16. The ddPCR system must generate and assay reaction partition in a manner that minimize the dead volume of the partition holder and reader to <25% starting reaction volume. 
17. The system must include all the needed software for operation and analysis.
18. The system can detect one copy of target sequence in a DNA sample. 
19. The system's software can perform and report various results such as absolute concentration, copy number variation and ratio analysis (for gene expression analysis).

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)
• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The QX200 ddPCR manufactured by Bio-Rad Laboratories (Canada) Ltd is the only known instrument meeting all specifications essential to the requirement as listed above.

6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

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 contract.

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) - Article 506 - 12 (b) where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons and the goods or services can be supplied only by aparticular supplier and no alternative or substitute exist.
• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - Article 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.

8. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

Theequipment must be delivered on or before February 28, 2017.

9. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Bio-Rad Laboratories (Canada) Ltd.
1329 Meyerside Drive
Mississauga Ontario
Canada
L5T1C9 

10. 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 personidentified 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. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities

Theclosing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is October 18, 2016.

12. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:
Zeljka Omerzo
Supply Officer
Public Works and GovernmentServices Canada
Procurement and Compensation Services
Suite 100-167 Lombard Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 0T6

Telephone:  (204) 510-2597
Facsimile:  (204) 983-7796
E-mail address: Zeljka.Omerzo@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

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 theclosing date of theACAN 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.

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.