Blood Tube Collection Processing

Trade Agreement: WTO-AGP/NAFTA/AIT/Canada FTAs with
Peru/Colombia/Panama
Tendering Procedures: 
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Exclusive Rights
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address: 
Battelle Memorial Institute
505 King Avenue
Columbus Ohio
United States
43201
Nature of Requirements: 
ADVANCE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE 

Statistics Canada has a requirement for blood collection tube
processing as specified under "Background" below. The purpose of
this Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) is to signal the
government's intention to award a Contract for these services to
preselected supplier:  Battelle Memorial Institute.  Before
awarding a Contract, the government would like to provide other
suppliers with the opportunity to demonstrate that they are
capable of satisfying the requirements set out in the ACAN, by
submitting a statement of capabilities during the 16 calendar
day posting period.

If other potential suppliers submit a statement of capabilities
during the 16 calendar day posting period that meet the
requirements set out in the ACAN, the government may proceed to
a full tendering process on either the government's electronic
tendering service or through traditional means, in order to
award the Contract. 

If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a
statement of capabilities meeting the requirements set out in
the ACAN, a Contract will be awarded to the preselected supplier.

Background

The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) collects its data
through personal interviews at two of Statistics Canada's mobile
clinics (virtual regional offices). Each mobile clinic is used
for collecting survey data for six weeks per location; the
mobile clinic is at each location for approximately 10 weeks: 
three weeks for set-up and calibration, six weeks of collection,
one week for tear-down. Only one mobile clinic is used at a time
and Statistics Canada personnel move from mobile clinic to
mobile clinic. As part of the content development for the fifth
and sixth collection cycle, there are measures of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) found in water and biological
specimens. A similar study is being conducted by a US
counterpart, the National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES) survey conducted by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). This aspect of the survey was
introduced to the CHMS for the third collection cycle which
began in January 2012.  A similar process will be required for
the fifth and sixth cycle which will begin in January 2016.

Objectives

The overall objective is to process 7,000 blood collection tubes
(ThermoFisher Scientific, Kendall monoject 5 mL, grey top) in
accordance with the CDC Protocol for Treatment of Vacutainers
for VOC Analysis ("the CDC protocol"), dated November 11, 2010. 
The CDC protocol will be provided to the Contractor within 10
calendar days of Contract award.  The Contractor must:
Process the Kendall blood collection tubes in accordance with
the CDC protocol in lots of ~400 tubes each three times a year
and one at award of the contract;
For each lot processed, send a single shipment of randomly
chosen Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) tubes to
Statistics Canada within one week of the 25th day of the heated
vacuum extraction;
Perform the final step of the CDC protocol, heated vacuum
extraction, for a minimum of 25 calendar days up to a maximum of
45 calendar days; and
Ship each completed lot to Statistics Canada no later than one
week after the maximum heated vacuum extraction period.

Tasks/Deliverables

The Contractor must use the following dedicated equipment
provided by Statistics Canada:  two vacuum ovens (0.02m?), two
scroll pumps (100 L/min, 0.05 Torr), extraction glassware (three
complete sets), heating mantles and specialized oven shelving. 

Statistics Canada will provide to the Contractor within 15
calendar days of Contract award, the unprocessed Kendall blood
collection tubes and the consumable items required to process
the 7,000 blood collection tubes (i.e., high purity solvents and
gases).

The Contractor must process and ship 7,000 tubes to Statistics
Canada, by batches of about 400 tubes three times a year and one
batch at the award of the contract, over the duration of the
Contract.  Kendall blood collection tubes must be processed in
accordance with the CDC protocol. The Contractor must not
determine the level of VOC contamination in the blood collection
tubes, either before or after they have been processed following
the CDC protocol. The Contractor must verify that an acceptable
vacuum has been established on a small subset, at least 2% of
the total number of tubes in the lot, of blood collection tubes
from each lot.

The Contractor must prepare an Interim Report that collates and
summarizes the progress made.

The Contractor must prepare a final report that collates and
summarizes the tube processing completed.

Applicability of the Trade Agreements to the Procurement 

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements:
the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization
Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP).

Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier 

The pre-identified supplier is the only supplier capable of
meeting the government's requirements, the pre-identified
supplier has exclusive permission to use the proprietary method
developed by the CDC to clean any VOC contamination from
commercial blood collection tubes. 

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 contract 
(http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-87-402/page-2
.html#h-6).	

Limited Tendering Reasons

The following limited tendering reasons are invoked under:

AIT - Article 506, paragraph 12(a) 
(http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ait-aci.nsf/eng/il00006.html#G).

NAFTA - Article 1016, paragraph 2(b)
(https://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/Home/Legal-Texts/North-American-
Free-Trade-Agreement?mvid=1&secid=a550e516-c181-49fc-9176-76db29b
2969b#A1016).

WTO-AGP - Article XV, paragraph 1(b)
(https://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/gpr-94_02_e.htm#artic
leXV).

Ownership of Intellectual Property 

Without affecting any existing intellectual property rights or
relating to information or data supplied by Canada for purposes
of the Contract, copyright in anything conceived, developed, or
produced as part of the Work under the Contract will belong to
the Contractor.  The Contractor grants to Canada a
non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, world-wide, fully-paid
and royalty-free license to exercise all rights comprised in the
copyright in the Material, for any government purposes.

Period of the Proposed Contract 

The proposed contract is for a period of four years from date of
Contract.
 
Name and Address of the Pre-identified Supplier 

Battelle Memorial Institute
505 King Avenue
Columbus, Ohio
43201
United States

Suppliers' Right to Submit a Statement of Capabilities 

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available
to provide the services described in the ACAN may submit a
statement of capabilities in writing by e-mail, as an attachment
in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF) 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.

Closing Date for a Submission of a Statement of Capabilities 

The closing date and time for accepting statements of
capabilities is October 16, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Time.

Inquiries and Submission of Statements of Capabilities 

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Diane Reynolds
Supply Specialist
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Acquisitions Branch
Professional Services Procurement Directorate
Place du Portage, Phase III, 10C1
11 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Quebec, K1A 0S5
Telephone:	819-956-1141
Facsimile:	819-956-9235
E-mail:		Diane.Reynolds@tpsgc-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.