INTRODUCTION:The purpose of this Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) is to signal the government’s intention to award a contract for these services to the University of Manitoba, Ultra Clean Trace Element Laboratory, Department of Environment and Geography, located at 537A Wallace Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2. Before awarding a Contract, however, the government would like to provide other suppliers with the opportunity to demonstrate that they are capable of satisfying the requirements set out in this Notice, by submitting a statement of capabilities during the ACAN posting period.If other potential suppliers submit a statement of capabilities during this ACAN posting period that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the government will proceed to a full tendering process on either GETS or through traditional means, in order to award the standing offer.If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a statement of capabilities meeting the requirements set out in the ACAN, a standing offer will be awarded to the pre-selected supplier.The aim is to ensure the safe examination and/or necropsy of whales or small cetaceans, or other marine animals, when deemed safe to do so, thus providing scientific information on marine species, with an emphasis on species currently listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), and informing mitigation measures for the protection of marine species. This project is also an opportunity to collect data safely, that may contribute to scientific studies to improve our understanding of these species.
