- 4: evaluation process
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- - Stages of Evaluation
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- The University will conduct the evaluation of proposals in the following three (3) stages:
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Stage III (three) - Financial Evaluation
Stage III (three) will consist of scoring the pricing as per section 7.3.2. B).
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- - 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.
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- - Evaluation
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- 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.
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- All proposals will be evaluated upon the following criteria:
Rated Evaluation CriteriaAssigned Value
Minimum Mandatory Requirements
Pass/Fail
Technical Specifications / Service
70%
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.
- - 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).
APPENDIX A - technical specification complianceHigh-Resolution 2p-Light sheet microscope for large biological samples
1 - All components shall include the appropriate hardware and software that are required to meet the listed specifications. If this is not included, the cost for the hardware and software must be included with in your Proposal.
2 - Proponents are required to indicate that their proposal is compliant: Yes; or non-compliant (No) with justification. As per the Technical Specifications and the Statement of Requirements, by filling out the table below where appropriate.
3 - All detailed data, measurements, graphs etc. must be provided with your Proposal in order to justify that they meet or exceed the minimum technical specifications.
4 - In the event a Proponent is not compliant with one (1) or more technical specifications, the justification provided by the Proponent must clearly demonstrate it is equivalent or superior to the minimum requirements and must be approved and accepted by the evaluation team in order to be compliant.
5- Proponents that do not meet the minimum requirements establish in this Request for Proposal may be eliminated, at the sole discretion of the University.
6- A separate document with clear responses to all statements in Appendix A (Vendor Justification section) is highly desirable.
Minimum Mandatory Requirements:
No.DescriptionCompliant
(Yes / No)Vendor Justification including page #s and sections in your literature.
1.Sample handling and size
1.1The sample holder must accommodate different types of samples: zebrafish, C. elegans, full rat brain, full mouse, and rat thorax.
1.2The sample holder must be able to accommodate sample up to 5cmx3cmx6cm
1.3The sample holder must be motorized to allow automatic imaging
1.4The sample holder and the objectives must be compatible with different mounting/incubation solutions: aqueous, solvent based or hydrogel.
2[Light Sheet microscope]
2.1The light sheet must be created by a two photon (2P) laser
2.2The 2P Light Sheet must be able to image at least 2 colors simultaneously.
2.3The 2P lasers must emit at least until 1500 nm or higher.
2.4The lateral resolution must be smaller than 700 nm and the axial resolution must be smaller than 2 mm.
2.5The microscope must be able to automatically image samples as large as 5cmx3cmx6cm
2.6The microscope must be outfitted with an imaging objective with a minimum working distance of 16 mm and a numerical aperture of at least 0.4.
2.7The microscope must be outfitted with an excitation objective (creating the light sheet) with a minimum working distance of 25 mm and a numerical aperture of at
least 0.4.
2.8The Field of View of the image must be greater than 1 mm.
2.9The acquisition must be performed by an sCMOS camera with a Quantum efficiency higher than 70%
3Acquisition Software and workstation
3.1The Acquisition software must store the metadata with the corresponding acquired image (either with the image or saved on the side under the form of an operational file)
3.2The acquisition software must be able to control the hardware
3.3The acquisition software must be able to perform automatic tiling through the control of the motorized sample holder and image through the entire volume
3.4The acquisition software must generate images that are DIRECTLY usable by following 3D rendering softwares: Imaris, Arivis, Aivia and Vesselucida 360.
3.5The computer that will control the microscope must have a 10Gb port (suitable for RJ45 copper-based high-speed network )
3.6The 2P-lighsheet must be sold with the appropriate air table to insure the stability of the image acquisition.
3.7The 2-photon microscope and associated laser equipment shall be air cooled and reject heat to the surrounding environment. The entire system shall not be required to be connected to the facility's process chilled water network"
4.Warranty/CSA/Installation and Training/Patent
4.1Must include a minimum of 2-year service contract (1-year standard manufacturer’s warranty + 1 additional year ).
4.2The warranty must include a yearly preventive maintenance visit for the 2P microscope AND the 2P lasers.
4.3The systems must be CSA compliant
4.4Installation and training must be included
4.5Online support must be within 48h after the service request is received, on-site support must be within a week (maximum 5 business days) after service request is received.
APPENDIX B - rated criteria
The Proponent should use Appendix B – Rated Criteria, to respond to the rated criteria that will be evaluated by the University. All Proponents should refer to and review the applicable sections in the RFP before responding. A separate document with clear responses to all statements in Appendix B is highly desirable.
No.DescriptionWeightSupporting Page Number
1.0Performance and Robustness25
1.0Performance and Robustness
1.1Describe the general ability of the system to demonstrate robustness and quality: 1-Proponent needs to provide the parameters of a “regular” usage of the 2P-lighsheet that allow the software to be fully operational (without triggering a crash of the software). . 2-Proponents should provide information of the time required for a command to be placed (how long does it take for software to trigger an action and the execution of this action). 3-Proponentsis encourage to share the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) of the instrument (hardware + software issues combined).
1.2Proponents should explain how the 2P-lighsheet is suitable for multi-users and can be part of a light microscopy core facility. Proponents are encouraged to provide example(s) of core facility/ multi-users platform where the instrument has been installed (with contact information). See Appendix E
1.3Describe how the data are saved (GPU based acquisition and processing, stream saving, post-acquisition, on a SSD, a server array, what type of files are generated etc…) and how fast?
1.4The 2P lighsheet should come with a storage solution of a minimum of 80TB, if storage solution is independent of the operational computer, both workstations should communicate by optic fiber at a speed of 10 to 100GB/s. Provide details on the size of storage and if on the same or different computer than the computer controlling the microscope.
2.0Operations 50
2.1Describe the user friendliness of placing the following samples in the dedicated place to be imaged: mouse brain, C.
elegans embryo, cleared rat heart, a mouse leg, embedded organoids.
2.2Describe the acquisition workflow (include the exposure time of single images and the total acquisition time for an average adult mouse brain).
2.3Describe the 2P laser alignment and how often it needs to be done.
2.4Describe how many colors can be imaged (simultaneously and sequentially).
2.5Describe the maximum size of the samples that can be imaged.
3.0Acquisition50
3.1Describe the transmissibility efficiency of the light path and how the fluorescence signal is detected (camera based, what type of camera, Quantum efficiency,…)
3.2Describe the optical resolution of the system. If different objectives can be used and will affect the pixel size, please list all the possibilities with the corresponding efficient pixel size, the working distance and numerical aperture A description of the lightsheet (width, length etc..) should be included.
3.3Describe the size of the field of view.
3.4Describe the 2P lasers (wavelength range(s), making company).
3.5Describe how the localization of the sample is facilitated before imaging in order to find the sample easily.
4.0Support and Maintenance Contract20
4.1Describe the response time and the different levels of support (on site vs online) when there is an urgent vs non urgent service request, and quality of technical Support
4.2Describe the expected delivery time of the system from ARO (receipt of Order) given the current conditions.
4.3Describe what is included in the warranty (i.e. preventative maintenance, cost of parts, repairs, replacements, travels, shipping, technical support, software upgrades, etc).
Total145
APPENDIX C - equipment, utility and environmental requirements
In order to make our review of the product specifications more efficient, we would like to see the physical operation specification; please also include a brochure or documents to the specification for these items.
Please complete the following requested information:
Instructions: For each Equipment Type, please complete the applicable areas of this form and return with your proposal. Indicate units of measure if not stipulated.
Generic Name:
Manufacturer:
Supplier (if different from Manufacturer):
Equipment Model Number:
Quote #:
Date:
Sales Representative: Technical Support Representative (if different)
_________________________________________ ________________________________________
Company Name Company Name
_________________________________________ ________________________________________
Name Name
_________________________________________ ________________________________________
Phone Number Phone Number
_________________________________________ ________________________________________
E-Mail E-Mail
Provide the following applicable documentation (note: sales brochure only is not acceptable):
- Equipment Specification Sheet
- Shop Drawings
- Electrical, Mechanical and Controls Schematics / Single Lines
- Site preparation check list
- Operating manual (if applicable)
- Website link to equipment
- Dimensions (include units):
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- Overall (H x D x W)
- Required Circulation Space – i.e., for servicing
- Load/Weight
- Electrical and Power Requirements:
Provide equipment power consumption:
FLA (Full Load Amps)
kVA (Range)
Is the equipment mentioned above provided with a NEMA 5-15P connection? Yes No
If no, please provide information below. (Note: frequency is 60 Hz) Voltage:120V-1P208V-1P208V-3P347V-1P
600V-1P600V-3POther (Please Specify): _________
Does the equipment require direct (hard wire) connection? Yes No
Amperage:
MOP
MCA
Note: The stated voltage can vary by +/- 10%. Is this an issue for the equipment? Yes No
- Mechanical Requirements:
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- Cooling requirements: is the equipment Water Cooled Air Cooled
Other (e.g., Helium, please specify): _______________________
Where water-cooled system is required, provide heat load dissipated into room, and into water system, conditions such as but not limited to temperatures, flow rates, pressures, and water quality. Note: Heat Dissipation does not equal Input Power. Once pass-through water to drain is not acceptable.
Where the equipment does not require water-cooled system, provide heat dissipation from equipment. Note: Heat Dissipation does not equal Input Power.
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- Ventilation – i.e., special exhaust requirements and/or air changes for dust, odors, high heat output.
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- Plumbing – i.e., cold, hot, r/o and/or distilled water, soil traps, steam. Provide condition such as, but not limited to temperature, flow rates, pressures, water quality.
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- Gas – i.e., base building or non-base building, type of gas (natural, etc.), tanks (include size of tanks), Provide condition such as, but not limited to flow rates, pressures, gas quality. Advise if the required vacuum exceeds 22inch. Hg. Advise if a gas manifold system is required.
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- Pressurized air requirements: Provide pressure and quality requirement (i.e., Percentage of dryness, oiless, etc.)
Note: The University of Ottawa has a standard 90 psi compressed air supply pressure. If an air pressure of more than 90 psi is required, the supplier must advise and provide the equipment to increase the air pressure as needed and add it to the quotation, if applicable.
- Required Ambient Temperature (if applicable)
- Required Relative Humidity (if applicable)
- Does the equipment need to function in a clean room environment, and if so; what classification (10,000 – 100,000 for example).
- Controls: Does the equipment have means to connect to Building Automation System? If so, identify gateway (i.e., BACnet, dry contacts, etc.).
- Data and/or phone jack required: Yes No
- Vibration Concerns (if applicable)
- Other required special services
- Site Set Up: Will equipment be dropped off at loading dock, or is the supplier required to deliver equipment to installed location, and complete installation? If so, provide description of what supplier is expected to install, and what contractor must provide, to ensure site is prepared for the installation.
- The University of Ottawa adheres to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards for all electrical components. Please confirm if your equipment is CSA compliant or equivalent (specify equivalent).
- If applicable, please identify if any of the following are contained within the equipment you are quoting x-rays, lasers Class IIIB or higher, anything potentially dangerous i.e. mercury, radioactive materials, etc.
APPENDIX D - supplemental information
Proponents must complete the following fill-in sections which will provide the University with useful supplemental information related to the proposed equipment.
1. Service
Please indicate the address of the closest authorized service provider:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Indicate the address of the closest parts depot that stocks full spare kits for the equipment proposed in this document:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. Preventative Maintenance Schedule
Please state the frequency and duration of the preventive maintenance program specified for the quoted system:
Frequency: ________________ per year
Duration: ________________Hours per session
3. Warranty
Proponents shall state the warranty period and the hourly rate for travel time, repair time and materials for anything not covered under, during or after the included warranty period. Please indicate the current service charges per hour if no service contract is in place after the warranty period:
4. Equipment experience
Please provide the number of units (the same model that is being offered in the proposal) that your company has sold in the past and provide feedback as to any complications or any recalls that have been issued with this product.
Units sold in the past 5 years: ___________________________
Of units sold, provide details on recalls, complaints, issues, etc. ___________________________
5. Invoicing
Should the Proponent offer different terms of payment than those described at Part 6 – Pricing Schedule, complete the following:
Rebate ___________% for ________ days early payment.
If the invoicing is made under a different company name, please complete the space provided below. This will help accelerate payment.
Name: ___________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________
APPENDIX E - Reference Consent Form
Note to Proponents: Reference Consent Form must be completed and accompany your proposal. Failure to do so shall result in the disqualification of your proposal. Pursuant to Section 39 (1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I / we, __________________________, include in our proposal three (3) references. One (1) from a Higher Education Institution and two (2) from other public institutions to whom I / we have 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 below for the purpose of obtaining reference information. The University, at their own discretion may visit the references. If 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 (1) of your three (3) references.
Reference # 1Company name:
Company address:
Contact name:
Contact telephone number:
Contact email address:
Date work undertaken:From: To:
Nature of services:
Reference # 2Company name:
Company address:
Contact name:
Contact telephone number:
Contact email address:
Date work undertaken:From: To:
Nature of services:
Reference # 3 Company name:
Company address:
Contact name:
Contact telephone number:
Contact email address:
Date work undertaken:From: To:
Nature of services:
APPENDIX F - submission DECLARATION Form
- Respondent Information
Please fill out the following form, and name one person to be the contact for this RFP response and for any clarifications or amendments that might be necessary.Full legal name of Proponent:
Any other relevant name under which the Proponent carries on business:
Street address:
City, Province/State:
Postal Code/Zip Code:
Phone number:
Company website (if any):
RFP contact person and title:
RFP contact phone:
RFP contact e-mail:
- Acknowledgement of Terms of Reference and Governing Law
The Proponent acknowledges that this RFP process will be governed by the specific terms and conditions set out in this RFP, and that, among other things, the terms and conditions confirm that this procurement process does not constitute a formal legally binding process, and that there will be no legal relationship or obligations created until the University accepts the Proponent’s offer in writing. The Proponent acknowledges having read and being in agreement with the University of Ottawa’s Form of Agreement (Appendix J).
- Ability to Provide Deliverables
The Proponent has carefully examined this RFP and has a clear and comprehensive knowledge of the goods and services required. The Proponent represents and warrants its ability to provide the goods and services in accordance with the requirements of the RFP for the pricing set out below and has provided a list of any sub-contractors to be used to complete the proposed contract.
- Non-binding Price Estimates
The Proponent confirms that the pricing information provided is accurate. The Proponent acknowledges that any inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete information, including withdrawn or altered pricing, could adversely impact the acceptance of its quotation or its eligibility for future work.
The Proponent acknowledges that the pricing includes all applicable duties and taxes except HST, which shall be itemized separately, all labour and material costs, all travel and carriage costs, all insurance costs, all costs of delivery to the University, all costs of installation and set-up, including any pre-delivery inspection charges and all other overhead, including any fees or other charges required by law.
- Addenda
The Proponent is deemed to have read and accepted all addenda issued by the University. The onus remains on Proponents to make any necessary amendments to their proposal based on the addenda. The Proponent is requested to confirm that it has received all addenda by listing the addenda numbers or, if no addenda were issued, by writing the word “None” on the following line: ____________________________. Proponents who fail to complete this section will be deemed to have received all posted addenda.
- Conflict of Interest
Prior to completing this portion of the form of offer, Proponents shall refer to the following definition of Conflict of Interest:
“Conflict of Interest” includes, but is not limited to, any situation or circumstance where;
- in relation to the RFP process, the Proponent has an unfair advantage or engages in conduct, directly or indirectly, that may give it an unfair advantage, including but not limited to (i) having, or having access to, information in the preparation of its quotation that is confidential and not available to other respondents, (ii) communicating with any person with a view to influencing preferred treatment in the RFP process, or (iii) engaging in conduct that compromises, or could be seen to compromise, the integrity of the open and competitive RFP process and render that process non-competitive and unfair; or
- in relation to the performance of its contractual obligations contemplated in the contract that is the subject of this procurement, the Proponent’s other commitments, relationships, or financial interests (i) could, or could be seen to, exercise an improper influence over the objective, unbiased and impartial exercise of its independent judgment, or (ii) could, or could be seen to, compromise, impair or be incompatible with the effective performance of its contractual obligations.
If the box below is left blank, the Proponent will be deemed to declare that (a) there was no Conflict of Interest in preparing its quotation; and (b) there is no foreseeable Conflict of Interest in performing the contractual obligations contemplated in the RFP.
Otherwise, if the statement below applies, check the box.
- The Proponent declares that there is an actual or potential Conflict of Interest relating to the preparation of its quotation, and/or the Proponent foresees an actual or potential Conflict of Interest in performing the contractual obligations contemplated in the RFP.
If the Proponent declares an actual or potential Conflict of Interest by marking the box above, the Proponent must set out below details of the actual or potential Conflict of Interest:
The following individuals, as employees, advisers, or in any other capacity (a) participated in the preparation of our quotation;
AND (b) were employees of the University and have ceased that employment within twelve (12) months prior to the submission deadline:
Name of Individual:
Job Classification:
Department:
Last Date of Employment with the University:
Name of Last Supervisor with the University:
Brief Description of Individual’s Job Functions:
Brief Description of Nature of Individual’s Participation in the Preparation of the Submission:
(Repeat above for each identified individual)
The Proponent agrees that, upon request, the Proponent shall provide the University with additional information from each individual identified above in the form prescribed by the University.
- Confidential Information of Proponent
Each Proponent shall identify any information in its proposal, or any accompanying documentation supplied in confidence for which confidentiality is to be maintained by the University. The confidentiality of such information will be maintained by the University, except as otherwise required by law or by order of a court or tribunal. Proponents are advised that their proposals will, as necessary, be disclosed on a confidential basis, to the University’s advisers retained for the purpose of evaluating or participating in the evaluation of their proposals. If a Proponent has any questions about the collection and use of personal information pursuant to this RFP, questions are to be submitted to the University Contact.
__________________________________________
Signature of Witness
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Name and Title of Witness
I have authority to bind the Proponent
__________________________________________
Date:
