Basic Information

Reference Number

0000245302

Issuing Organization

University of Ottawa

Owner Organization

University of Ottawa

Solicitation Type

RFP - Request for Proposal (Formal)

Solicitation Number

43096-3A-RFP

Title

BIOMOLECULAR SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE PROTEIN-NANOPARTIC

Source ID

PU.AC.ON.11752.C94742

Agreement Types

Broader Public Sector (BPS)

Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)

Details

Location

Canada, Ontario, Ottawa

Delivery Point

TBD

Purchase Type

Duration: TBD

Description

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

1. - Background Information

Since 1848 the University of Ottawa has been Canada’s university and the largest bilingual university in Canada. At the University of Ottawa, we understand our past and our desired future. The University of Ottawa is a major player in the cultural and economic development of the National Capital Region.

The University of Ottawa is one of Canada's leading research-intensive University. The University of Ottawa fosters excellence and success in research, whether the research is basic or applied, of intrinsic value or of commercial importance. The University of Ottawa considers itself to be Canada's university of the 21st Century by launching new initiatives in emerging areas, promoting collaboration within and across faculties, and providing the milieu in which creativity can flourish.

Further information regarding the University of Ottawa can be found on the Web site http://www.uottawa.ca/

We hereby invite your company (proponent) to partner with the University of Ottawa in this great project funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Research Fund by submitting an offer to this Request for Proposals and by including an in-kind contribution.

Please find attached the Request for Proposals documentation with specifications and the CFI guidelines pricing format to be completed and returned with your proposal.

1. - Statement of Requirements

The Unversity of Ottawa is pleased to invite qualified proponents to submit a proposal for proponents to submit for a Biomolecular surface plasmon resonance instrument to measure protein-nanoparticle interaction kinetics.

The instrument shall allow for the measurement of association and dissociation kinetics as well as binding thermodynamics for protein-particle, protein-protein, and protein-ligand interactions. An instrument with high flexibility in sample properties and heterogeneity is required. This instrument should support custom chip use for methodological development research.

General Description:

The project entails the purchase of a Surface Plasmon Resonance instrument for the characterization of protein-nanoparticle interactions. These may include diverse materials such as plastic and metal nanoparticles. It may also be used to characterize protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions. The instrument must also support the use of custom chips for methodological development.

The Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) system will be capable of measuring association and dissociation kinetics of proteins and other biomolecules to nanoparticles, proteins, and other ligands. This system should be compatible with a range of materials and particles, including solutions containing particulate matter.

The environment where the equipment will be placed is a regular lab at the University of Ottawa.

A separate document with clear answers to all statements in Appendix A and B is desirable.

Specifications listed in Appendix A – Technical Specifications Compliance Form of this RFP are the mandatory minimum requirements for the BIOMOLECULAR SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE PROTEIN-NANOPARTICLE INTERACTION KINETICS.

1. 1. Should any equipment included in a proposal be superseded by a newer model during the period between the award of contract and the delivery date, the successful Proponent will be required to inform the University of Ottawa of the new specifications, the newer model pricing will remain the same as what was offered in the RFP. At its sole discretion, the University of Ottawa may opt to make changes from the list of equipment by altering, adding, or deducting some equipment.

2: General Information and SUBMISSION Instructions
1. - Submission Instructions
  1. Proposals must be submitted exclusively through Merx EBS (Electronic Bid Submission). Each Proponent will submit only one (1) electronic copy of its proposal using Merx Electronic Bid Submission (EBS). The latest version submitted will supersede all others.

1. 1. Each Proponent is solely responsible for the delivery of submissions in the manner and time prescribed. The University is not responsible for computer malfunctions, uploading delays or technical difficulties using Merx EBS. Proponents should note that responses are not available to the University for viewing from Merx until after the submission deadline.

To submit a proposal electronically on MERX, Proponents must identify an Authorized Signer and have a MERX account password:

• Authorized Signer – this is the person within the organization who can legally bind the organization to the terms, conditions, articles and obligations of the proposal and any resulting contracts. This does not have to be the person who orders the initial tender documents, nor do they have to be subscribed to MERX. Your organization can only have one Authorized Signer.

Proponents will also be required to enter their MERX account password in order to upload electronic proposal documents. Please note that proposals will be time stamped with the time and date at the completion of the uploading process, not the beginning of the uploading process.

For any assistance or tutorial using the Merx Electronic Bid Submission process, please visit the Merx website: www.merx.com or by contacting them directly at 1-800-964-MERX (6379).

For the purpose of this procurement process, the University Contact shall be:

Ana Lopes
Procurement Officer, Research,
alopes@uottawa.ca

No other representative of the University shall be contacted regarding this Request for Proposal. The University accepts no responsibility for, and the Proponent agrees not to rely upon, any verbal or written statements or representation from any other person employed by the University. Failure to follow this clause shall result in the disqualification of the Proponent.

1. 1. Proposals will only be accepted up to the date and time listed in section 2.2.

1. 1. Questions and clarifications regarding this RFP must be submitted through Merx using the Question-and-Answer Module, up to the time and date listed in section 2.2. No unsolicited calls, communication or visits will be allowed during the RFP process. Any Proponent who does not conform will be disqualified.

1. 1. Proponents submitting proposals for this RFP must adhere to the terms and conditions of this RFP. Any suggested deviations or changes must be submitted during the Question period of the RFP process (see section 2.2) and will be addressed by the University via addenda. Any deviations or changes not submitted during the question period will not be considered during this RFP process.

1. 1. Proposal documents must be filled out in accordance with the requirements of this RFP document and addenda (if any).

1. 1. Proposals shall be signed by an authorized signatory of the Proponent. If the Proponent is an incorporated company, the corporate seal of the Proponent shall be affixed or a certified true copy of a resolution of the corporation naming the person(s) concerned as authorized to sign agreements on behalf of the corporation shall be attached to the proposal.

1. 1. Proponents who are sole proprietorships or partners shall sign their proposal in such a way as to irrevocably bind the Proponent in an authorized manner.

1. 1. While the University of Ottawa will not consider more than one proposal from a Proponent under the same or different names, the University of Ottawa may consider, in addition to the original proposal, alternative proposals submitted within the same proposal package providing such are clearly marked as alternatives.

1. - Timetable

Proponents shall submit their proposals according to the following timetable and instructions.

Planned EventEnd Date
Posting of RFP on MERX April 14, 2023
Deadline for Submission of QuestionsApril 21, 2023, at 3:00:00 PM LOCAL TIME
Submission Deadline for ProposalsApril 28, 2023, at 3:00:00 PM LOCAL TIME
The University reserves the to change the above-mentioned dates at its sole discretion.

1. - Proposals Submitted Only In Prescribed Manner

1. 1. The Proponent’s proposal must be submitted in the following manner:

1. 1. The Proponents must submit their proposal using Merx EBS no later than the time and date stated in section 2.2 – Timetable. No other forms of delivery will be accepted by the University.

Dates

Publication

2023/04/14 08:01:35 AM EDT

Bid Intent

Not Available

Question Acceptance Deadline

2023/04/21 03:00:00 PM EDT

Questions are submitted online

Yes

Closing Date

2023/04/28 03:00:00 PM EDT

Contact Information

Ana Lopes

613-562-5800 ext. 2312

alopes@uottawa.ca

Buyer Preferences, Guidelines & Requirements

General Requirements

- Installation Required

- Insurance Required

- Training Required

- Warranty Information Required

Bid Submission Process

Bid Submission Type

Electronic Bid Submission

Pricing

In attached document

Bid Documents List

Item Name	Description	Mandatory	Limited to 1 file
Attachment # 1	Technical/Qualitative Proposal	Yes	No
Attachment # 2	Financial Proposal	Yes	No
No entries

Additional Bidding Instructions

The proposals must be complete and submitted in the prescribed format with the following information:

1. 1. The Proponent must provide two (2) separate attachments (files) containing the Proponent’s proposal labelled in the following manner:

Attachment #1 Technical/Qualitative Proposal: 43096-3A-RFP-Insert Company Name
Attachment #2 Financial Proposal: 43096-3A-RFP-Insert Company Name

1. 1. Attachment #1 – Technical/Qualitative Proposal must include the following mandatory documents:

Appendix A (Technical Specifications Compliance)
Appendix B (Rated Criteria)
Appendix C (Equipment, Utility, and Environmental Requirements) and all the referenced associated documents
Appendix D (Supplemental Information)
Appendix E (Reference Consent Form)
Appendix F (Submission Declaration Form)
Appendix I (Proponent’s Checklist Form)
All supporting technical documentation for the proposal
Detailed quotation without pricing
Bottom of every page of RFP initialled

1. 1. Attachment #2 – Financial Proposal must include the following mandatory documents:

Appendix G (Pricing Structure Form)
Appendix H (Price Schedule Form)
Detailed quotation with pricing

1: evaluation process

1. - Stages of Evaluation

1. 1. The University will conduct the evaluation of proposals in the following three (3) stages:

1. 1. 1. Stage I (one) - Mandatory Requirements

Stage I (one) will consist of a review of the proposals to determine compliance with all of the mandatory requirements. Proposals that fail to satisfy the technical and the mandatory proposal content requirements will not be considered for the next evaluation stage. The following Mandatory documents must be included with the Proponent’s Proposal:

Technical Specifications Compliance (Appendix A) - Attachment #1

Proponent must complete the Technical Specifications Compliance form (Appendix A) and include it with their proposal. A separate document with clear answers to all statements in Appendix A is desirable.
Proponents are required to indicate that the equipment proposed is either compliant (Yes), or non-compliant (No) with each of the technical specifications listed by filling out the table provided, providing a detailed description of how the equipment satisfies the specifications, and indicate the page reference number where information is found in the proposal.

Rated Criteria (Appendix B) - Attachment #1

Proponent must complete the Rated Criteria form (Appendix B) and include it with its proposal.

Equipment, Utility, and Environmental Requirements (Appendix C) – Attachment #1

Proponent must fill out the Equipment, Utility, and Environmental Requirements form (Appendix C) and include all the requirements described on this form with its proposal.

Supplemental Information (Appendix D) – Attachment #1

Proponent must fill out the Supplemental Information form (Appendix D) and included it with its proposal.

Reference Consent Form (Appendix E) – Attachment #1

Proponent is required to provide three (3) references from clients who have obtained comparable goods or services to those requested in the RFP in the last five (5) years. Each Proponent must complete the Reference Form (Appendix E) and include it in its proposal.

Submission Declaration Form (Appendix F) – Attachment #1

Proponent must include a Submission Declaration Form (Appendix F) completed and signed by an authorized Proponent representative.

Pricing Structure Form (Appendix G) – Attachment #2

Proponent is required to complete the Pricing Structure form (Appendix G) with signature of an authorized representative of the Proponent.

Price Schedule Form (Appendix H) – Attachment #2

Proponent is required to fill out the Pricing Schedule form (Appendix H) and include all the requirements described on this form with its proposal. The options are not mandatory requirements for this proposal submission.

Proponent’s Checklist (Appendix I) – Attachment #1

Proponents are required to ensure that all the elements on the proponent’s checklist are included in their proposal by initialing where appropriate. The initialed checklist should be part of your proposal.

1. 1. 1. Stage II (two) - Rated Criteria

Stage II (two) will consist of scoring the proposals based on the rated criteria listed in Appendix B – Rated Criteria; the Proponent must demonstrate a specific level of ability in meeting the criteria listed therein. A separate document with clear answers to all statements in Appendix B is desirable.

1. 1. 1. Stage III (three) - Financial Evaluation

Stage III (three) will consist of scoring the pricing as per section 7.3.2. B).

1. - Tie Score

In the event that two or more Proponents obtain an identical proposal score, the selected Proponent shall be determined by way of a coin toss.

1. - Evaluation

1. 1. The University of Ottawa intends to award a contract to the Proponent who offers the proposal with the best value to the University of Ottawa. However, the University of Ottawa is under no obligation to award any contract in whole or in part and the University of Ottawa reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel this RFP process at any time before or after the submission date of this RFP without providing reasons for such cancellation. The lowest proposal may not necessarily be retained.

1. 1. All proposals will be evaluated upon the following criteria:

Rated Evaluation CriteriaAssigned Value
Minimum Mandatory Requirements Pass/Fail
Technical Specifications / Service70%
Price 30%
Total Cumulative Score of Evaluation100%

Technical Specifications / Service (70%):

The higher percentage will consist of a scoring, by the University, of each eligible proposal based on the rated requirements, and their maximum point and weight allocations, as described in the Appendix B – Rated Criteria.
Proponents are required to provide with their proposal complete and comprehensive documentation.

Price (30%):

The higher percentage will be allocated to the proposal that provides the lowest price.
The pricing schedule must be clear, detailed, and complete including the process for warranties and service.
Proponents should quote a range of possible options/add-ons, if applicable
Pricing will be scored based on a relative pricing formula using the costs provided by each proponent.

Each Proponent will receive a percentage of the total possible points allocated to price for the particular category it has bid on by dividing that Proponent’s price for that category by the lowest bid price in that category.

For example, “(30 x (lowest bid price / Proponent’s bid price), And so on, for each proposal”.

References:

Proponents are requested to supply at least three (3) references where similar goods and services have been provided including contact names, titles, telephone numbers and email address. This information should include a description and the date of the goods and services provided to the client. In the event that you have done or have been doing business with the University of Ottawa in the past five (5) years, you must include the University of Ottawa as one of your three (3) references. References must include one (1) from a higher education institution and two (2) from other similar environments to whom the Proponent has supplied the goods and services within the past five (5) years, preferably in Ontario Canada.
The Proponent authorizes the University to contact the persons or organizations listed for the purpose of obtaining reference information. The University may, at its own discretion visit the references.
Proponents are also advised that if the University chooses to contact a Proponent’s reference(s), the information and feedback obtained could impact the Proponent’s evaluation scores.
The Proponent shall co-operate with the University in its attempts to verify any such statement or claim.
1. - Award of Contract

Any award made by the university of Ottawa shall be published on Merx and shall be subject to the availability of funding at the time of award (if any).

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