UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO - NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT: #21-072
International survey panels – longitudinal study
The University of Waterloo (UW) intends to award a contract for the continuation of services supporting international survey panels on cannabis usage, to AC Nielsen Company of Canada, of Markham, Ontario, as outlined below.
This is an advanced Notice indicating to the supplier community that UW intends to award a contract for these services to a pre-identified supplier. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date of this notice, a challenge with a suitable plan for an alternate approach, the competitive requirements of the University are considered to have been met. Following notification to any suppliers not successful in demonstrating an approach that is in the best interests of the University, the contract will then be awarded to the pre-identified supplier.
Overview
The University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health is engaged in a longitudinal study that conducts on-line surveys for the Cannabis Legalization Global Tracker Project. The services being purchased from Nielsen include sample and data collection, survey hosting and SPSS data file delivery; data collection is conducted online using a proprietary panel, in addition to trusted partner panels, to reach the target audience.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Nielsen will conduct online surveys with Residents of US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand:
• Total target sample of 63,000 respondents with a split of Canada n=20,000; US n=39,000, Australia n =2,000 and New Zealand n=2,000.
• Age and Region and Ethnicity (Māori) quotas are to be “Soft Quotas”. No other quotas will be in place. • Track Māori with their incidence in the NZ general population.
Deliverables are:
- Interim Dataset (weekly) to recruit for the follow up wave
- Number of invitations sent, by country, new/returning
- Final dispositions of all surveys accessed (provision of an “All Data” file to enable us to determine, or clear count of all)
- Linking variables with previous surveys to be provided
The budget for this wave of services is approximately $400,000 (not including HST).
PROPOSED SOLUTION:
In order to continue the work done to date, and without interruption, the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health research team has requested a continuation of services from Nielsen to preserve the integrity of the longitudinal research.
SINGLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION:
Nielsen is the only company that is able to provide the necessary samples in terms of the number of respondents in each of the countries and the ability to recontact participants in previous cannabis surveys. By using Nielsen for the ongoing surveys, we are able to compare estimates from 2021 to previous years using the same sample and methodology. This would not be possible if we changed to a different survey agency using different commercial panels of respondents.
Process
Agencies who wish to challenge the award of this work may, in writing, detail their reasons, including their suggested alternate approach, to the attention of the contact person identified below, on or before the closing date of this Notice.
Date of issue: Friday, August 13, 2021
Closing Date: Monday, August 30, at 2:30 P.M. Eastern Time
Contact:
Christine Wagner, CPPB, CSCP – Procurement Specialist, Research
Procurement and Contract Services
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
Ph: 519-888-4567 ext. 32074
Email – cpwagner@uwaterloo.ca, or, procure@uwaterloo.ca
