SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENT
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) seeks to establish a pool of suppliers who have experience in conducting and implementing a Digital Automated Accessibility Testing Solution (DAATS) that will help users identify and remove accessibility defects and barriers on their digital environments. Suppliers will participate in a three-step procurement process for an enterprise-wide DAATS for the CRA, as described in Annex B Statement of Work.
Suppliers are invited to pre-qualify in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) in order to become “Qualified Respondents” for any later phases of the procurement process. Only Qualified Respondents will be permitted to bid on any subsequent solicitation issued as part of the procurement process.
The CRA reserves the right to cancel any of the preliminary requirements included as part of the Project at any time during the ITQ phase or any other phase of the procurement process. Given that the ITQ process may be partially or completely cancelled by Canada, it may not result in any of the subsequent procurement processes described in this solicitation. Suppliers who submit a response can choose not to bid on any subsequent solicitation.
PERIOD OF CONTRACT
The anticipated period of Contract(s) will be for three years, with three (3) irrevocable options to extend the Contract period. Each option is for up to a twelve (12) month period.
The CRA anticipates the contract will include options for additional goods and services that cannot be defined at the time of contract award.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND BASIS OF QUALIFICATION
A. General Evaluation Procedures
An evaluation team composed of representatives of the CRA will evaluate the ITQ Responses. The CRA may hire any independent consultant, or use any Government resources, to evaluate any ITQ Response. Not all members of the evaluation team will necessarily participate in all aspects of the evaluation.
Each Response will be reviewed to determine whether it meets the mandatory requirements of the ITQ as described in Annex C MANDATORY CRITERIA EVALUATION. Responses that do not comply with each and every mandatory requirement will be declared non-responsive and be disqualified.
In addition to any other time periods established in the ITQ:
Requests for Clarifications: If the CRA seeks clarification or verification from the Respondent about its response, including certifications, the Respondent will have 2 Full Government Word Days (FGWDs) (or a longer period if specified in writing by the Contracting Authority) to provide the necessary information to the CRA. Failure to meet this deadline will result in the response being declared non-responsive.
Extension of Time: If additional time is required by the Respondent, an extension may be granted at the sole discretion of the Contracting Authority.
B. Project Reference Check Process
The CRA will contact the Primary reference or, when applicable, the Backup reference, in order to validate the accuracy of any information within the Project References. The CRA may conduct any Project Reference validation check in writing by e-mail by sending to the reference a copy of the Project Reference provided by the Respondent. The CRA will email (cc) the Respondent’s contact when an e-mail is sent out for Project Reference validation checks.
The CRA must receive the reference’s confirmation of the validity of the information within the Project References within 5 FGWDs from the date of the request by the Contracting Authority. If the CRA does not receive confirmation within 5 FGWDs from either the Primary or Backup reference that the information within the Project Reference is accurate (or that any inaccuracies are not material to whether or not the project meets the mandatory requirements), that Respondent’s Project
Reference will not be considered in the evaluation. The CRA may also contact a Primary or Backup reference for clarification purposes.
If during a Response validation by the CRA it becomes apparent that the address, telephone number, or email address for any of the references is incorrect or missing, the Respondent will be permitted to provide the correct address, telephone number, or email address within 1 FGWD of a request. If the named individual for the Primary reference is unavailable because they are on leave, or no longer working for that organization, the CRA will contact the Backup reference from the same customer organization.
C. Basis for Qualification
A Respondent whose response to the ITQ has been declared responsive will be a Qualified Respondent and proceed to the Review and Refine Requirements (RRR) phase. A formal notification by the Contracting Authority will be issued.
The CRA reserves the right to re-evaluate any aspect of the qualification of any Qualified Respondent at any time during the solicitation process. For example, if a particular security clearance is a requirement of this ITQ and the Respondent’s security clearance changes or lapses, so that the Respondent no longer meets the requirements of this ITQ, Canada may disqualify that Qualified Respondent. Similarly, if new information comes to the attention of Canada that calls into question any of the Qualified Respondent’s qualifications under this ITQ, Canada may re-evaluate that Qualified Respondent. If Canada re-evaluates the qualification of any Qualified Respondent, Canada may request further information and, if the Qualified Respondent fails to provide it within 5 working days (or a longer period provided by the Contracting Authority), Canada may disqualify the Qualified Respondent
Unsuccessful Respondents will not be given another opportunity to participate or be re-evaluated for the subsequent phases of the procurement process, unless Canada determines in its sole discretion to conduct a second qualification round.
All Respondents will be notified in writing regarding whether or not they have qualified.
COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT
To ensure the integrity of this process, enquiries and other communications regarding the solicitation must be directed ONLY to the following:
Mark S. Gordon
Tel: 613-863-4717
E-mail: Mark.Gordon@cra-arc.gc.ca
Offers must be submitted in either English or French.
Offers must be received on or before 2:00PM EDT ,
February 9, 2023.
The Crown reserves the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.
