Canoe Procurement Group of Canada, is posting the solicitation on behalf of CivicInfo BC, RMA, SARM, AMM, LAS, UMNB, NSFM, FPEIM, MNL, NWTAC, NAM and its current and potential Members and represented Associations and their Members, which includes all MASH/MUSH sectors, Provincial Governments, Federal Agencies, Crown Corporations, local Governmental and other not-for-profit organizations located in all provinces and territories in Canada including but not limited to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Yukon Territories and Nunavut. Request for Proposal ("RFP") to result in regional and/or national contract solutions under the rules and regulations of Canadian trade agreements (including Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) Chapter 5, Ontario-Quebec Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) Chapter 19, New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA), Atlantic Trade and Procurement Partnership (ATPP) as applicable).
Canoe/Sourcewell is requesting proposals for Technology Products and Services with Related Solutions to result in a national contracting solution for use by its members.
Members include thousands of governmental, higher education, K-12 education, not-for-profit, tribal government, and other public agencies located in Canada. A full copy of the Request for Proposals can be found on the Sourcewell Procurement Portal [https://proportal.sourcewell-mn.gov]. Only proposals submitted through the Sourcewell Procurement Portal will be considered. Proposals are due no later than December 19, 2023, at 4:30 p.m. Central Time, and late proposals will not be considered.
1. Sourcewell and Canoe are seeking proposals for Technology Products and Services with Related Solutions. Awards under this solicitation for Technology Products and Services with Related Solutions will be in three (3) categories. Proposers submitting a proposal in Category 1 as defined herein must include at least one solution in each of Categories 1, 2, and 3 within its singular proposal. For example, if a Proposer offers solutions within the scope of Category 1, 2 and 3 the Proposer should designate it is seeking an award in Category 1. Proposers seeking award in Category 2 and/or 3 as defined herein must include at least one solution offered within the scope of the desired Category.
Category 1: Technology Products and Services with Related Solutions, such as:
a. Computer hardware, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and related devices;
b. Networking, server, and data storage equipment, including servers, server appliances, racks and cabinets, data storage or data protection devices, and switching technology;
c. Peripherals, accessories, components, and options, including printers, scanners, monitors, audio visual, digital signage, virtual reality, Esports equipment, unified communication hardware, mobility hardware, cabling, modems, routers, switches, power management, and supplies;
d. Software related to the purchase of the equipment described in Section 1a. - c. above;
e. Configuration, software implementation, hardware installation, support, assessment, training, and asset lifecycle services related to the purchase of the equipment or software described in Section 1 a.- d. above; and
f. Security, cloud, network, data, IT asset lifecycle services, and solutions described in Categories 2 and 3 below.
Proposers responding to Category 1 must offer a complete electronic catalog system permitting Sourcewell and Sourcewell Participating Entities to make web-based purchases for solutions defined in Category 1. The catalog must be designed to populate with the Sourcewell and Sourcewell Participating Entities pricing offered by the proposer. Alternate forms of transaction (e.g., PO and invoice transactions) are a permissible ancillary service method.
Category 2: Security, Cloud, Network, and Data Services with Related Solutions, including, but not limited to:
a. Cybersecurity services, such as cyber risk assessments, program strategy and operations, zero trust, skills and training, penetration testing, threat and vulnerability management, content security, network visibility and endpoint detection, log aggregation and correlation, disaster response and recovery, and managed cybersecurity;
b. Physical security services, such as site assessment, upgrade planning and execution design, installation, integration, access control, video management, and managed physical security services;
c. Cloud, such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and strategy, design, migration, deployment, and managed cloud solutions;
d. Network, such as maintenance and monitoring, edge computing, SD-WAN and LAN, and data center networking;
e. Data, such as data modernization, data backup, data and document processing and storage, and assessment, validation, production, and management of AI and machine learning solutions; and
f. Related solutions, such as endpoint security products, network security technologies, identity and access management technologies, security analytics, data security products, IP video monitoring systems, intelligent controllers, mission control systems, electronic locks, network infrastructure, and server room technology.
Proposers may include related equipment, accessories, and technology to the extent that these solutions are ancillary or complementary to the services and solutions being proposed in Category 2 above.
The primary focus of Category 2 is on security, cloud, network, and data services. This category should NOT be construed to include:
a. Products or accessories-only solutions
b. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-only solutions
c. Staff Augmention
Category 3: IT Lifecycle Services, such as:
a. IT Asset Management Services, including hardware and software asset management, software as a service management, audit management, maturity assessments, sustainability solutions, and repair and maintenance;
b. IT datacenter decommissioning, including planning and valuation, data shredding, de-racking, de-cabling, de-powering, and packing; and,
c. IT Asset Disposal and Retirement Services, including secure data destruction, serialization, asset value recovery, recycling, remarketing, refurbishing, onsite collection, and ESG reporting.
Proposers may include related equipment, software, technology, accessories, and services to the extent that these solutions are ancillary or complementary to the services being proposed in Category 3 above.
2. This solicitation does not include those equipment, products, or services covered under categories included in contracts currently maintained by Sourcewell:
a. Communications Technology Consulting Services (RFP #072822) with the exception of those ancillary or complementary to Categories 1-3 above.
3. The term of any resulting contract(s) awarded by Sourcewell under this solicitation will be four years. Sourcewell and supplier may agree to up to three additional one-year extensions based on the best interests of Sourcewell and its Participating Entities. Sourcewell retains the right to consider additional extensions beyond seven years as required under exceptional circumstances.
4. A full copy of the Request for Proposals can be found on the Sourcewell Procurement Portal [https://proportal.sourcewell-mn.gov]. Only proposals submitted through the Sourcewell Procurement Portal will be considered. Proposer’s complete proposal must be submitted through the Sourcewell Procurement Portal no later than the date and time specified in the Solicitation Schedule. Any other form of proposal submission, whether electronic, paper, or otherwise, will not be considered by Sourcewell. Only complete proposals that are timely submitted through the Sourcewell Procurement Portal will be considered. Late proposals will not be considered. It is the Proposer’s sole responsibility to ensure that the proposal is received on time.
5. Following submission of proposals, negotiations may be permitted.
