23-58072 Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation System and Detectors
PART 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 Security Requirements
There is no security requirement associated with the requirement.
1.2 Statement of Requirement
To provide one (1) Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation System and Detectors in accordance with the detailed Statement of Requirement attached as Annex A.
1.3 Debriefings
Bidders may request a debriefing on the results of the bid solicitation process. Bidders should make the request to the Contracting Authority within 15 working days from receipt of the results of the bid solicitation process. The debriefing may be in writing, by telephone or in person.
PART 2 - BIDDER INSTRUCTIONS
2.1 Standard Instructions, Clauses and Conditions
You are invited to submit one electronic Technical Proposal and one electronic Financial Proposal in two separate attachments to fulfil the following requirement forming part of this Request for Proposal. One attachment must be clearly marked ‘Technical Proposal’ and the other attachment must be marked ‘Financial Proposal’. All financial information must be fully contained in the Financial Proposal, and only in the Financial Proposal. Vendors who provide financial information in the technical proposal will be disqualified. All proposals should include the front page of this RFP duly completed.
2010A (2022-12-01), General Conditions - Goods (Medium Complexity), apply to and form part of the Contract.
Bidders who submit a bid agree to be bound by the instructions, clauses and conditions of the bid solicitation and accept the clauses and conditions of the resulting contract.
Proposals submitted must be valid for not less than sixty (60) calendar days from the closing date of the RFP.
2.1.1 It is the Bidder's responsibility to:
(a) return a signed copy of the bid solicitation, duly completed, IN THE FORMAT REQUESTED;
(b) direct its bid ONLY to the Bid Receiving address specified;
(c) ensure that the Bidder's name, the bid solicitation reference number, and bid solicitation closing date and time are clearly visible;
(d) provide a comprehensive and sufficiently detailed bid, including all requested pricing details, that will permit a complete evaluation in accordance with the criteria set out in the bid solicitation.
Timely and correct delivery of bids to the specified bid delivery address is the sole responsibility of the Bidder. The National Research Council Canada (NRC) will not assume or have transferred to it those responsibilities. All risks and consequences of incorrect delivery of bids are the responsibility of the Bidder.
2.1.2 Bids may be accepted in whole or in part. The lowest or any bid will not necessarily be accepted. In the case of error in the extension of prices, the unit price will govern. NRC may enter into contract without negotiation.
2.1.3 Bidders who submit a bid agree to be bound by the instructions, clauses and conditions of the bid solicitation and accept the terms and conditions of the resulting contract.
2.1.4 Bids will remain open for acceptance for a period of not less than sixty (60) days from the closing date of the bid solicitation, unless otherwise indicated by NRC in such bid solicitation.
2.1.5 While NRC may enter into contract without negotiation, Canada reserves the right to negotiate with bidders on any procurement.
2.1.6 Notwithstanding the bid validity period stipulated in this solicitation, Canada reserves the right to seek an extension from all responsive bidders, within a minimum of three (3) days prior to the end of such period. Bidders shall have the option to either accept or reject the extension.
2.1.7 If the extension referred to above is accepted, in writing, by all those who submitted responsive bids, then Canada shall continue immediately with the evaluation of the bids and its approval processes.
2.1.8 If the extension referred to above is not accepted, in writing, by all those who submitted responsive bids then Canada shall, at its sole discretion: either continue to evaluate the responsive bids of those who have accepted the extension and seek the necessary approvals; or cancel the solicitation; or cancel and reissue the solicitation.
2.2 Late Bids
All risks and consequences of incorrect delivery of electronic bids are the responsibility of the Bidder. The National Research Council Canada will not be responsible for late bids received at destination after the closing date and time, even if it was submitted before. Electronic bids received after the indicated closing time based on NRC servers’ received time will be irrevocably rejected. Bidders are urged to send their proposal in sufficient time, in advance of the closing time to reduce any technical issues. The National Research Council Canada will not be held responsible for bids sent before closing time but received by the NRC servers after the closing time.
2.3 Submission of Bids
Technical and Financial Proposals must be received electronically no later than 14:00 EST (NRC's Server Time), November 24, 2023 to the following NRC email address:
NRC.BidReceiving-ReceptiondesSoumissions.CNRC@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
The NRC has restrictions on incoming e-mail messages. The maximum e-mail message size including all file attachments must not exceed 10MB. Zip files or links to bid documents will not be accepted. Incoming e-mail messages exceeding the maximum file size and/or containing zip file attachments will be blocked from entering the NRC e-mail system. A bid transmitted by e-mail that gets blocked by the NRC e-mail system will be considered not received.
Proposals must not be sent directly to the Contracting Authority or the Project Authority.
All submitted proposals become the property NRC.
2.4 Enquiries - Bid Solicitation
All enquiries must be submitted in writing to the Contracting Authority no later than 5 calendar days before the bid closing date. Enquiries received after that time may not be answered.
Contracting Authority, Procurement Services
National Research Council Canada
Katie.Homuth@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
To ensure the equality of information among Bidders, responses to general enquiries will be made available to all bidders unless such publications would reveal proprietary information. The bidder who initiates the question will not be identified. Technical questions that are considered proprietary by the bidder must be clearly identified. NRC will respond individually to the bidder if it considers the questions proprietary. If NRC does not consider the question proprietary, the bidder submitting it will be allowed to withdraw the question, or have the question and answer made available through the Open Bidding System (OBS) to all bidders.
Bidders who attempt to obtain information regarding any aspect of this RFP during the solicitation period through any NRC contacts other than the Contracting Authority identified herein, may be disqualified (for that reason alone).
It is the responsibility of the Bidder to obtain clarification of the requirement contained herein, if necessary, prior to submitting its proposal. The Bidder must have written confirmation from the Contracting Authority for any changes, alterations, etc., concerning this RFP.
Bidders should reference as accurately as possible the numbered item of the bid solicitation to which the enquiry relates. Care should be taken by Bidders to explain each question in sufficient detail in order to enable Canada to provide an accurate answer. Technical enquiries that are of a proprietary nature must be clearly marked "proprietary" at each relevant item. Items identified as "proprietary" will be treated as such except where Canada determines that the enquiry is not of a proprietary nature. Canada may edit the question(s) or may request that the Bidder do so, so that the proprietary nature of the question(s) is eliminated, and the enquiry can be answered to all Bidders. Enquiries not submitted in a form that can be distributed to all Bidders may not be answered by Canada.
2.5 Applicable Laws
Any resulting contract must be interpreted and governed, and the relations between the parties determined, by the laws in force in Ontario.
Bidders may, at their discretion, substitute the applicable laws of a Canadian province or territory of their choice without affecting the validity of their bid, by deleting the name of the Canadian province or territory specified and inserting the name of the Canadian province or territory of their choice. If no change is made, it acknowledges that the applicable laws specified are acceptable to the Bidders.
2.6 Bid Challenge and Recourse Mechanisms
If you have any concerns relating to the procurement process, please refer to the Recourse Mechanisms page on the Buyandsell.gc.ca website. Please note that there are strict deadlines for filing complaints with the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) or the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO). Suppliers should therefore act quickly when they want to challenge any aspect of the procurement process.
https://buyandsell.gc.ca/for-businesses/selling-to-the-government-of-canada/bid-follow-up/bid-challenge-and-recourse-mechanisms
https://opo-boa.gc.ca/plaintesurvol-complaintoverview-eng.html
PART 3 - BID PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
3.1 Bid Preparation Instructions
Canada requests that the Bidder submits its bid in separate attachment sections (when applicable) as follows:
Section I: Technical Bid
Section II: Financial Bid
There shall be no payment by the National Research Council for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals in response to this request. No payment shall be made for costs incurred for clarification(s) and/or demonstration(s) that may be required by NRC. The National Research Council reserves the right to reject any or all proposals submitted, or to accept any proposal in whole or in part without negotiation. A contract will not necessarily be issued as a result of this competition. NRC reserves the right to amend, cancel or reissue this requirement at any time.
In April 2006, Canada issued a policy directing federal departments and agencies to take the necessary steps to incorporate environmental considerations into the procurement process Policy on Green Procurement (https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=32573). To assist Canada in reaching its objectives, bidders should:
1) Include all environmental certification(s) relevant to your organization (e.g., ISO 14001, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Carbon Disclosure Project, etc.)
2) Include all environmental certification(s) or Environmental Product Declaration(s) (EPD) specific to your product/service (e.g., Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), ENERGYSTAR, etc.)
Canada is committed to greening its supply chain. Environmentally preferable goods and services are those that have a lesser or reduced impact on the environment over the life cycle of the good or service, when compared with competing goods or services serving the same purpose. Environmental performance considerations include, among other things: the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and air contaminants; improved energy and water efficiency; reduced waste and support reuse and recycling; the use of renewable resources; reduced hazardous waste; and reduced toxic and hazardous substances. In accordance with the Policy on Green Procurement, for this solicitation:
• Bidders are encouraged to offer or suggest green solutions whenever possible.
• Bidders are requested to provide all correspondence including (but not limited to) documents, reports and invoices in electronic format unless otherwise specified by the Contracting Authority or Project Authority, thereby reducing printed material.
• Bidders should recycle (shred) unneeded copies of non-classified/secure documents (taking into consideration the Security Requirements).
• Product components used in performing the services should be recyclable and/or reusable, whenever possible.
• Bidders are encouraged to offer goods and/or services certified to a reputable eco-label.
• Bidders should use equipment that has high energy efficiency or produces low air emissions.
• Bidders are encouraged to offer environmentally preferred products which supports a sustainable environment for nature and wildlife.
• Bidders are encouraged to offer environmentally preferred products which ensure the comfort and air quality of building occupants.
Bidders are encouraged to consult the following websites:
https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/ae-gp/index-eng.html
https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/ae-gp/rle-glr-eng.html
Section I: Technical Bid
In their technical bid, Bidders should explain and demonstrate how they propose to meet the requirements and how they will carry out the Work.
Section II: Financial Bid
Bidders must submit their financial bid in accordance with the Basis of Payment.
3.1.1 Electronic Payment of Invoices – Bid
Payments from the National Research Council Canada (NRC) are made by electronic payment. Direct deposit payments will be made in Canadian dollars and can only be deposited into Canadian bank accounts.
Only bank accounts outside of Canada are eligible to enroll as a Wire transfer payment method.
3.1.2 Exchange Rate Fluctuation
Bids will be evaluated in Canadian currency, therefore, for evaluation purposes, the exchange rate quoted by the Bank of Canada as being in effect on date of bid closing, shall be applied as the conversion factor for foreign currency. Prices quoted shall not be subject to, or conditional upon, fluctuations in commercial or other interest rates during either the evaluation or contract period.
Section III: Certifications
Bidders must submit the certifications and additional information required under Part 5.
PART 4 - EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND BASIS OF SELECTION
4.1 Evaluation Procedures
(a) Bids will be assessed in accordance with the entire requirement of the bid solicitation including Technical and Financial evaluation criteria.
(b) An evaluation team composed of representatives of Canada will evaluate the bids.
4.1.1 Technical Evaluation
Proposals will be assessed in accordance with the Mandatory Technical Criteria attached as Annex C Bidders shall provide a detailed response to each criterion. NRC reserves the right to verify any and all information provided by the bidder in their proposal.
4.1.2 Financial Evaluation
The Contractor must complete the pricing schedule provided in Annex B and include it as a separate attachment in the electronic bid submission.
The cost proposal must have sufficient structure to show how the total proposed cost was calculated. It should contain the following elements:
a) The number, classification and per diem and/or hourly rate for all assigned personnel. For each classification, the number of workdays should be defined.
b) The amount and explanation for other miscellaneous expenses that could be incurred.
c) Canada will not accept travel and living expenses that may need to be incurred by the Contractor for any relocation of resources required to satisfy its contractual obligations
Applicable Sales Tax: The GST, PST, QST or HST, whichever is applicable, shall be considered an applicable tax for the purposes of this RFP and extra to the price herein. The amount of applicable sales tax shall be disclosed and shown as a separate item.
4.2 Basis of Selection
Lowest evaluated price
A bid must comply with the requirements of the bid solicitation and meet all mandatory technical evaluation criteria to be declared responsive. The responsive bid with the lowest evaluated price will be recommended for award of a contract.
PART 5 – CERTIFICATIONS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Bidders must provide the required certifications and additional information to be awarded a contract.
The certifications provided by Bidders to Canada are subject to verification by Canada at all times. Unless specified otherwise, Canada will declare a bid non-responsive, or will declare a contractor in default if any certification made by the Bidder is found to be untrue whether made knowingly or unknowingly, during the bid evaluation period or during the contract period.
The Contracting Authority will have the right to ask for additional information to verify the Bidder’s certifications. Failure to comply and to cooperate with any request or requirement imposed by the Contracting Authority will render the bid non-responsive or constitute a default under the Contract.
5.1 Certifications Required with the Bid
Bidders must submit the following duly completed certifications as part of their bid.
5.1.1 Integrity Provisions - Declaration of Convicted Offences
In accordance with the Integrity Provisions of the Standard Instructions, all bidders must provide with their bid, if applicable, the declaration form available on the Forms for the Integrity Regime website (http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/ci-if/declaration-eng.html), to be given further consideration in the procurement process.
5.2 Certifications Precedent to Contract Award and Additional Information
The certifications and additional information listed below should be submitted with the bid but may be submitted afterwards. If any of these required certifications or additional information is not completed and submitted as requested, the Contracting Authority will inform the Bidder of a time frame within which to provide the information. Failure to provide the certifications or the additional information listed below within the time frame provided will render the bid non-responsive.
5.2.1 Integrity Provisions – Required Documentation
In accordance with the section titled Information to be provided when bidding, contracting or entering into a real property agreement of the Ineligibility and Suspension Policy (http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/ci-if/politique-policy-eng.html), the Bidder must provide the required documentation, as applicable, to be given further consideration in the procurement process.
In addition to all other information required in the procurement process, the Bidder must provide the following:
• Bidders who are incorporated, including those bidding as a joint venture, must provide a complete list of names of all individuals who are currently directors of the Bidder or, in the case of a private company, the owners of the company.
• Bidders bidding as sole proprietorship, as well as those bidding as a joint venture, must provide the name of the owner(s).
SURNAME GIVEN NAME(S) TITLE
PART 6 - RESULTING CONTRACT CLAUSES
The following clauses and conditions apply to and form part of any contract resulting from the bid solicitation.
6.1 Security Requirements
6.1.1 There is no security requirement applicable to the Contract.
6.2 Statement of Requirement
The Contractor must provide the items detailed under the "Statement of Requirement" at Annex A.
6.3 General Conditions
2010A (2022-12-01) General Conditions - Goods (Medium Complexity), apply to and form part of the Contract.
6.3.2 Supplemental General Conditions
4001 (2015-04-01) Hardware Purchase, Lease and Maintenance apply to and form part of the Contract.
4003 (2010-08-16) Licensed Software apply to and form part of the Contract.
6.3.3 Intellectual property infringement and royalties
1. The Contractor represents and warrants that, to the best of its knowledge, neither it nor Canada will infringe any third party's intellectual property rights in performing or using the Work, and that Canada will have no obligation to pay royalties of any kind to anyone in connection with the Work.
2. If anyone makes a claim against Canada or the Contractor concerning intellectual property infringement or royalties related to the Work, that Party agrees to notify the other Party in writing immediately. If anyone brings a claim against Canada, according to Department of Justice Act, R.S. 1985, c. J-2, the Attorney General of Canada must have the regulation and conduct of all litigation for or against Canada, but the Attorney General may request that the Contractor defend Canada against the claim. In either case, the Contractor agrees to participate fully in the defence and any settlement negotiations and to pay all costs, damages and legal costs incurred or payable as a result of the claim, including the amount of any settlement. Both Parties agree not to settle any claim unless the other Party first approves the settlement in writing.
3. The Contractor has no obligation regarding claims that were only made because:
a. Canada modified the Work or part of the Work without the Contractor's consent or used the Work or part of the Work without following a requirement of the Contract; or
b. Canada used the Work or part of the Work with a product that the Contractor did not supply under the Contract (unless that use is described in the Contract or the manufacturer's specifications or other documentation); or
c. the Contractor used equipment, drawings, specifications or other information supplied to the Contractor by Canada (or by someone authorized by Canada); or
d. the Contractor used a specific item of equipment or software that it obtained because of specific instructions from the Contracting Authority; however, this exception only applies if the Contractor has included the following language in its own contract with the supplier of that equipment or software: "[Supplier name] acknowledges that the purchased items will be used by the Government of Canada. If a third party claims that equipment or software supplied under this contract infringes any intellectual property right, [supplier name], if requested to do so by either [Contractor name] or Canada, will defend both [Contractor name] and Canada against that claim at its own expense and will pay all costs, damages and legal fees payable as a result of that infringement." Obtaining this protection from the supplier is the Contractor's responsibility and, if the Contractor does not do so, it will be responsible to Canada for the claim.
4. If anyone claims that, as a result of the Work, the Contractor or Canada is infringing its intellectual property rights, the Contractor must immediately do one of the following:
a. take whatever steps are necessary to allow Canada to continue to use the allegedly infringing part of the Work; or
b. modify or replace the Work to avoid intellectual property infringement, while ensuring that the Work continues to meet all the requirements of the Contract; or
c. take back the Work and refund any part of the Contract Price that Canada has already paid.
If the Contractor determines that none of these alternatives can reasonably be achieved, or if the Contractor fails to take any of these steps within a reasonable amount of time, Canada may choose either to require the Contractor to do (c), or to take whatever steps are necessary to acquire the rights to use the allegedly infringing part(s) of the Work itself, in which case the Contractor must reimburse Canada for all the costs it incurs to do so.
6.4 Term of Contract
6.4.1 Period of the Contract
The period of the Contract is from date of Contract to end of warranty period inclusive.
6.4.2 Delivery Date
All the deliverables must be received on or before March 29, 2024.
6.4.3 Delivery Points
Delivery of the requirement will be made to the following delivery point:
National Research Council Canada
Ottawa ON K1N 5A2
6.4.4 Delivery and Unloading
D0018C (2007-11-30), Delivery and Unloading
6.4.5 Shipping Terms and Instructions - Delivered At Place
Goods must be consigned and delivered to the destination specified in the Contract:
Incoterms® 2020 “DAP Delivered At Place” Ottawa ON K1N 5A2 Canada
NRC Customs contacts for any Customs and Transportation Logistics enquiries:
- Daniel Frampton: (613) 993-9113 / daniel.frampton@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
- Christian Latreille: (613) 993-2259 / christian.latreille@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
As part of NRC’s commitment to Greening Government Operations, the Contractor is encouraged to minimize, include recycled content, re-use, or reduce/eliminate toxics in packaging, when possible.
6.4.6 Packaging
The methods used for preservation and packaging must be in conformity with the Contractor’s normal standard for domestic shipment or, if necessary, with standards for overseas shipment as below deck cargo.
6.5 Authorities
6.5.1 Contracting Authority
The Contracting Authority for the Contract is:
Name: Katie Homuth
Title: Senior Contracting Officer
National Research Council Canada
Directorate: Finance and Procurement Services Branch
Address: 1200 Montreal Road, Bldg. M-58
Ottawa ON K1A 0R6
Telephone: 343-549-4539
E-mail address: Katie.Homuth@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
The Contracting Authority is responsible for the management of the Contract and any changes to the Contract must be authorized in writing by the Contracting Authority. The Contractor must not perform work in excess of or outside the scope of the Contract based on verbal or written requests or instructions from anybody other than the Contracting Authority.
6.5.2 Technical Authority
The Technical Authority for the Contract is: [to be inserted at contract award]
Name: _________
Title: _________
Organization: __________
Address: __________
Telephone: ___ ___ _______
E-mail address: ___________
The Technical Authority is the representative of the department or agency for whom the Work is being carried out under the Contract and is responsible for all matters concerning the technical content of the Work under the Contract. Technical matters may be discussed with the Technical Authority; however, the Technical Authority has no authority to authorize changes to the scope of the Work. Changes to the scope of the Work can only be made through a contract amendment issued by the Contracting Authority.
6.5.3 Contractor's Representative [to be inserted at contract award]
Name: _________
Title: _________
Address: __________
Telephone: ___ ___ _______
E-mail address: ___________
6.6 Payment
6.6.1 Basis of Payment
The Contractor will be paid for costs reasonably and properly incurred in the performance of the work under this Contract in accordance with the following:
In consideration of the Contractor satisfactorily completing all of its obligations under the Contract, the Contractor will be paid a Fixed Price as specified in Annex B for a cost of $ _________ (insert the amount at contract award). Customs duties are excluded and Applicable Taxes are extra.
Canada will not pay the Contractor for any design changes, modifications or interpretations of the Work, unless they have been approved, in writing, by the Contracting Authority before their incorporation into the Work.
6.6.2 Method of Payment
SACC Manual clause H1000C (2008-05-12), Single Payment
Canada will pay the Contractor upon completion and delivery of the Work in accordance with the payment provisions of the Contract if:
a. an accurate and complete invoice and any other documents required by the Contract have been submitted in accordance with the invoicing instructions provided in the Contract;
b. all such documents have been verified by Canada;
c. the Work delivered has been accepted by Canada.
6.6.3 SACC Manual Clauses
SACC Manual clause C2000C (2008-05-12), Taxes - Foreign-based Contractor
SACC Manual clause C2605C (2008-05-12), Canadian Customs Duties and Sales Tax - Foreign-based Contractor
6.6.4 Electronic Payment of Invoices – Contract
The Contractor accepts to be paid using any of the following Electronic Payment Instrument(s):
a. Direct Deposit (Domestic Only);
b. Wire Transfer (International Only);
6.7 Inspection and Acceptance
The Technical Authority is the Inspection Authority. All reports, deliverable items, documents, good and all services rendered under the Contract are subject to inspection by the Inspection Authority or representative. Should any report, document, good or service not be in accordance with the Statement of Requirement and to the satisfaction of the Inspection Authority, as submitted, the Inspection Authority will have the right to reject it or require its correction at the sole expense of the Contractor before recommending payment.
6.8 Invoicing Instructions
The Contractor must submit invoices in accordance with the section entitled "Invoice Submission" of the general conditions. Invoices cannot be submitted until all work identified in the invoice is completed.
Invoices must be sent to: nrc.invoice-facture.cnrc@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
PLEASE QUOTE CONTRACT NO. [to be inserted at contract award] ON ALL DOCUMENTATION AND INVOICES.
6.9 Certifications and Additional Information
6.9.1 Compliance
Unless specified otherwise, the continuous compliance with the certifications provided by the Contractor in its bid or precedent to contract award, and the ongoing cooperation in providing additional information are conditions of the Contract and failure to comply will constitute the Contractor in default. Certifications are subject to verification by Canada during the entire period of the Contract.
6.10 Applicable Laws
The Contract must be interpreted and governed, and the relations between the parties determined, by the laws in force in Ontario.
6.11 Priority of Documents
If there is a discrepancy between the wording of any documents that appear on the list, the wording of the document that first appears on the list has priority over the wording of any document that subsequently appears on the list.
(a) the Articles of Agreement;
(b) the supplemental general conditions 4001 (2015-04-01);
(c) the supplemental general conditions 4003 (2010-08-16);
(d) the general conditions 2010A (2022-12-01);
(e) ANNEX A, Statement of Requirement;
(f) ANNEX B, Basis of Payment
(g) the Contractor's bid dated _______ (insert date of bid)
6.12 SACC Manual Clauses
B1501C (2018-06-21) Electrical equipment
B7500C (2006-06-16) Excess Goods
G1005C (2016-01-28) Insurance – No Specific Requirements
6.13 Dispute Resolution
The Parties agree to make every reasonable effort, in good faith, to settle amicably all disputes or claims relating to the Contract, through negotiations between the Parties’ representatives authorized to settle. If the Parties do not reach a settlement within 25 working days after the dispute was initially raised to the other party in writing, either Party may contact the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO) to request dispute resolution/mediation services. OPO may be contacted by e-mail at boa.opo@boa- opo.gc.ca, by telephone at 1-866-734-5169, or by web at www.opo-boa.gc.ca. For more information on OPO’s services, please see the Procurement Ombudsman Regulations or visit the OPO website.
6.14 Non-Permanent Resident (Foreign Company)
The Contractor shall ensure that non-permanent residents intending to work in Canada on a temporary basis in fulfilment of the Contract, who are neither Canadian citizens nor United States nationals, receive all appropriate documents and instructions relating to Canadian immigration requirements and secure all required employment authorizations prior to their arrival at the Canadian port of entry. The Contractor shall ensure that United States nationals having such intentions receive all appropriate documents and instructions in that regard prior to their arrival at the Canadian port of entry. Such documents may be obtained at the appropriate Canadian Embassy/Consulate in the Contractor’s country. The Contractor shall be responsible for all costs incurred as a result of non-compliance with immigration requirements.
OR
6.14 Non-Permanent Resident (Canadian Company)
The Contractor is responsible for compliance with the immigration requirements applicable to non-permanent residents entering Canada to work on a temporary basis in fulfilment of the Contract. In some instances, the employment authorization necessary to enter Canada cannot be issued without prior approval of Human Resources Centre Canada (HRCC). HRCC should always be contacted as soon as the decision to bring in a non-permanent resident is made. The Contractor will be responsible for all costs incurred as a result of non-compliance with immigration requirements.
6.15 Government Smoking Policy
Where the performance of the work requires the presence of the Contractor’s personnel on government premises, the Contractor shall ensure that its personnel shall comply with the policy of the Government of Canada which prohibits smoking on any government premises.
6.16 Access to Government Facilities/Equipment
Access to the facilities and equipment necessary to the performance of the work shall be provided through arrangements to be made by the Technical Authority named herein. There will be however, no day-to-day supervision of the Contractor’s activities, nor control of the Contractor’s hours of work by the Technical Authority.
The Contractor undertakes and agrees to comply with all Standing Orders and Regulations in force on the site where the work is to be performed, relating to the safety of persons on the site or the protection of property against loss or damage from any and all causes including fires.
ANNEX A - STATEMENT OF REQUIREMENT
ASYMMETRIC FLOW FIELD-FLOW FRACTIONATION SYSTEM AND DETECTORS
The National Research Council Canada’s (NRC) Metrology Research Centre (METRO) has a requirement for an Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4) system, required quantity one (1) unit hereby known as “The AF4 System”. The AF4 System is for the analytical separation, analysis and fractionation of nanoparticles. The main analytes for The AF4 System at present are: 1) polymeric nanoparticles, i.e. nanoplastics and 2) lipid nanoparticles with the possibility to be applied to other aqueous analytes in the future.
1.0 REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONS:
1.1 The (AF4) System, required quantity: 1 unit
The Contractor MUST provide The AF4 System with the following components and their specifications as listed below:
Minimum Specifications
1.1.1 Field Flow Fractionation (FFF) system must:
• be capable of performing separations on particles in the range of 1 nm to 1 µm
• supports aqueous carrier liquids from pH 3 – 10
• allows for the control of flow rates of the sample injection, focusing stream, crossflow rate, and total flow
• allow for the splitting of outlet streams to reduce sample loss
• allow for temperature control of the channel in the 5°C to 40 °C range
• accept asymmetric flow FFF (AF4) and hollow fiber flow FFF (HF5) columns
• have Isocratic pump(s) capable of flow rates from 5 µL/min – 10 mL/min
• have a solvent degasser for removing oxygen and other dissolved gases
1.1.2 A Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS) detector must be equipped with:
• at least 18 detectors at unique angles in the 0? to 180? range
• the capability of measuring a radius of gyration in at least the 10 – 500 nm range
• a red laser (630 – 785 nm) with power adjustable from 2.5 – 50 mW
• an interface for online dynamic light scattering at a user selected angle
1.1.3 A Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) module must be interfaced with the MALS via a fiber connection allowing for DLS measurements on the same sample volume.
1.1.4 Must have an online Ultra Violet-Visible diode array detector with:
• a minimum 190 – 800 nm detection range
• 4 detection channels
• at least 1 nm wavelength accuracy and less than 1.5 nm spectral resolution
• A linearity of at least 2.5 AU
1.1.5 Must have an online Differential Refractive Index (DRI) detector with:
• Absolute refractive index range of 1.2 – 1.75 RIU
• dRI measurement range up to 500 µRIU or better
• noise level of 2.5 nRIU or better
1.1.6 Must have an autosampler capable of:
• injection volumes up to 1000 µL
• heating and cooling of samples between 5 °C to 40 °C
1.1.7 Must have a fraction collector which:
• is programmable to allow for collection of targeted peaks or elution times
• is capable of heating and cooling samples in the 5 °C to 40 °C range
1.1.8 Must have two (2) AF4 separation channels with a length of ~300 mm and a variable height in the range of 250 µm to 450 µm
• one of the channels must be capable of performing injection focusing step and allowing for splitting of outlet streams
• one of the channels must be capable of frit-inlet injection
1.1.9 Software must:
• control of The AF4 System, all modules, and detectors
• method development, optimisation and fractionation predictions
• data analysis for performing tasks such as calculating molecular weight, and absolute particle size
1.1.10 The AF4 System must be capable of being operated in a seated position, without requiring significant upper body strength.
1.2 ACCESSORIES
The Contractor must provide the following accessories for The AF4 System/Requirement 1.1:
Description (with minimum required specifications) Required quantity
1.2.1 Membranes for AF4 Channel: Poly(ether)sulfone, 10 kDa cutoff 10
1.2.2 Membranes for AF4 Channel: Regenerated cellulose, 10 kDa cutoff 10
1.2.3 HF5 analytical channel adapter 1
1.2.4 HF5 analytical channel, poly(ether)sulfone, 5 kDa cutoff 1
1.2.5 HF5 analytical channel, poly(ether)sulfone, 10 kDa cutoff 1
1.2.6 HF5 analytical channel, poly(ether)sulfone, 50 kDa cutoff 1
1.2.7 Tubing for interconnection of modules 1
1.3 Installation and Training
The Contractor must provide on-site installation and training on all system components provided by the Contractor for a minimum of three (3) NRC participants. Training must include:
• Basic setup and operation of instrument
• Overview of software and all available functions
• Maintenance of instrument
• Saving and export of data
1.4 Maintenance and Support
The Contractor must include a one (1) year warranty for parts, labor (except consumables) and technical support. The support must include:
• Coverage time: eight (8) hours/day
• Coverage period: five (5) days (Monday to Friday excluding statutory holidays)
• Response time: within 24 hours maximum
• Accessibility by telephone or email
2.0 DELIVERABLES
Number Requirement Reference Description of the Deliverables Quantity and Format
2.1 1.1 The AF4 System including all modules and detectors outlined in requirement 1.0 All components specified in 1.1
2.2 1.1.9 Software for instrument control and data analysis Provided on a pre-configured PC with an operating system of Windows 10 or newer, and license key(s) for at least five (5) additional installations of data analysis software
2.3 1.2 Accessories and consumables as described in 1.2 As detailed in section 1.2
2.4 1.3 On-site installation service and training minimum three (3) users In person
2.5 1.4 Maintenance and support during the warranty period Telephone, email, parts, service
3.0 LANGUAGE OF WORK
The language of all work and deliverables must be in English
ANNEX B - BASIS OF PAYMENT
Table 1: Initial Requirement: Goods
Item Product Number Description Number of Units Unit of Issue Firm Unit Price Extended Price (Number of Units X Firm Unit Price)
1 Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4) system per 1.1 and 1.2 of Annex A with one (1) year warranty 1 Each $ $
Total
(applicable taxes are extra, if applicable) $
Sum of Items
Table 2: Initial Requirement: Services
Item Product Number Description Number of Units or hours Unit of Issue Firm Unit Price or Rate Extended Price (Number of Units X Firm Unit Price or Rate)
1 On-site installation service and training, minimum three (3) users in English per 1.3 and 1.4 of Annex A Each $ $
Total
(applicable taxes are extra, if applicable) $
Sum of Items
Table 3: Total of the Requirement
Item Description Total
1 Table 1: Initial Requirement for Goods $
2 Table 2: Initial Requirement for Services $
Total
if applicable, taxes are extra $
ANNEX C - EVALUATION CRITERIA
The following items are the Mandatory Technical Evaluation Criteria which will be evaluated during the Bid Evaluation. In addition, the Contractor will be required to meet all of the Mandatory Technical Requirements for the duration of the Contract.
Bidders must demonstrate their compliance with all Technical Evaluation Criteria, by providing substantial information describing completely and in detail how each requirement is met or addressed. Simply repeating the statement contained in the bid solicitation is not sufficient.
ITEM
MANDATORY TECHNICAL CRITERIA (MTC) Bidders are requested to cross reference the MTCs in a concise format by using page, paragraph(s) & sub-paragraphs as applicable to their supporting technical documentation.
MTC 1. Must have a Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS) detector with a red laser (630 – 785 nm), power adjustable from 2.5 – 50 mW, and 18 or more detectors in the 0° to 180° range, which can measure a radius of gyration in the 10 – 500 nm range. Document Name: _______________________
Page Number: _________________________
MTC 2. Must have the Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) module interfaced with the MALS via a fiber connection, allowing for DLS measurements on the same sample volume and at a user selected angle. Document Name: _______________________
Page Number: _________________________
MTC 3. Must have an online UV-Visible diode array detector with a minimum 190 – 800 nm detection range and at least 1 nm wavelength accuracy, four detection channels and a linearity of at least 2.5 nRIU. Document Name: _______________________
Page Number: _________________________
MTC 4. Must have an online differential refractive index (dRI) detector with an absolute refractive index range of 1.2 – 1.75 RIU and noise level of 2.5 nRIU. Document Name: _______________________
Page Number: _________________________
MTC 5. Must have an autosampler and a programmable fraction collector, with heating and cooling samples in the (5-40) °C. Document Name: _______________________
Page Number: _________________________
MTC 6. Must have two (2) AF4 separation channels with variable heights in the range of 250 µm to 450 µm: one for performing injection and allowing for splitting of outlet streams; one for frit-inlet injection. Document Name: _______________________
Page Number: _________________________
MTC 7. Must have operating software able to control all modules and detectors, with capability to calculate molecular weight and absolute particle size. Document Name: _______________________
Page Number: _________________________
