Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)
[25-58233]
- High Signal-to-Noise Darkfield Visible-Near-Infrared (VNIR) Hyperspectral Microscope
1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)
An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.
2. Definition of the Requirement
The National Research Council Canada (NRC) has a requirement for the supply of a high-signal-to-noise visible-near-infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral microscope system that meets defined technical and performance specifications to enable high-brightness imaging and spectroscopy for the characterization of quantum and nanomaterials.
Darkfield microscopy combined with hyperspectral spectroscopy is a critical analytical technique for NRC’s research and development activities in nano- and quantum materials. NRC-Metrology requires a high throughput hyperspectral microscope system capable of performing both optical imaging and spectral analysis of nanoscale and quantum structures with exceptional sensitivity and spectral fidelity.
The microscope shall operate in the visible and Near IR spectral range that overcomes low light limitations and provide bright high signal-to-noise ratio allowing for a high signal intensity of the spectral data in addition to providing imaging capability.
The system must have a hyperspectral camera integrated onto the microscope to allow for very rapid hyperspectral imaging and significantly improves sampling throughput, which is critical to NRC operations. The equipment must be able to screen for nanostructures with desirable spectral features to further analyze their optical response. Therefore, the high brightness and high throughput hyperspectral imaging and spectral analysis is essential part of our requirement.
3. Criteria for Assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)
Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a Statement of Capabilities (SoC) that its proposed equipment meets the following functional and performance requirements. Certain performance shall be supported by peer-reviewed publications where results can be validated by the NRC technical team.
1. Hyperspectral Microscope Configuration
The supplier must demonstrate that the proposed microscope system:
- Combines high- signal-to-noise darkfield optical imaging with integrated hyperspectral imaging capabilities across the visible to near-infrared (VNIR) spectral range (approximately 400-1000 nanometres (nm)).
- Support both transmission and reflectance imaging modes suitable for the characterization and spectral analysis of nanoscale samples.
2. Optical Microscope Performance
The supplier must demonstrate that the optical microscope component:
- Supports brightfield and darkfield illumination modes in both transmission and reflection configurations.
- Provides multiple objective lenses suitable for nanoscale imaging, with variable numerical apertures capable of resolving nanoparticles down to approximately ten (10) nanometers.
- Includes a motorized stage compatible with automated line-scan (push-broom) hyperspectral data acquisition, with positioning resolution of approximately 10 nanometers (nm) and optimal manual control via joystick or equivalent interface.
3. Illumination System
The supplier must demonstrate that the illumination system:
- Provides high numerical aperture darkfield illumination system capable of achieving high signal-to-noise optical contrast suitable for nanoparticle detection, approximately ten (10) times higher than conventional darkfield performance.
- Supports Koehler alignment or equivalent uniform illumination optimization allowing user-controlled optimization without degradation of illumination quality.
- Accepts broadband VNIR light sources (such as halogen or equivalent) for both optical observation and hyperspectral imaging.
4. Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrograph and Detector
The supplier must demonstrate that the hyperspectral imaging spectrograph and detector:
- Achieves spectral resolution of approximately two (2) nanometers (nm) or better across the 400 to 1000 nanometer (nm) range.
- Provide a detector with quantum efficiency (approximately 60% or greater) across the VNIR, including near-infrared enhancement capability.
- Utilize pixels of 7 micrometers or smaller (=7 micrometers) to enable high spatial resolution imaging.
- Support synchronized spectral acquisition with the microscope imaging field.
5. Hyperspectral Image Acquisition and Analysis Software
The supplier must demonstrate that the software system:
- Provides a fully integrated solution for hyperspectral image acquisition and perform spectral analysis with a unified graphical interface.
- Enable users to acquire hyperspectral image cubes directly from the microscope view.
- Supports nanoparticle or nanoscale feature analysis based on spectral characteristics including peak wavelength and spectral intensity.
- Allow users to query spectral data at both the pixel and region-of-interest level
- Apply instrument response correction and convert reflectance to absorbance automatically.
- Provides functionality to create, manage and apply spectral libraries for automated spectral mapping, and identification of spectral features based on user-defined wavelength criteria.
- Supports standard spectral smoothing and filtering methods across all pixels in the hyperspectral dataset.
4. Applicability of the Trade Agreement(s) to the Procurement
This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s)
- Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
- Revised World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
- Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
- Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)
- Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
- Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement
- Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement
- Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement
- Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA)
- Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (Canada-UK TCA)
- Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA)
5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
The National Research Council (NRC) Metrology Research Centre requires a high- signal-to-noise darkfield hyperspectral microscope system capable of nanoscale imaging and spectral analysis across the visible-to-near-infrared range.
Following a review of available technologies, CytoViva Inc. has been identified as the only supplier currently known to provide an integrated microscope system that meets all of NRC’s mandatory functional requirements, including:
- High- signal-to-noise darkfield imaging and spectroscopy performance validated in peer-reviewed publications for nanoparticle detection down to ten (10) nanometers;
- Integrated hyperspectral imaging and analysis software optimized for nanoscale materials characterization; and
- Proven deployment and performance in numerous nanomaterials research laboratories worldwide.
These combined functional capabilities are not currently available from other suppliers offering similar systems. Therefore, CytoViva Inc. is the pre-identified supplier capable of meeting NRC’s technical and research requirements for high-signal-to-noise VNIR hyperspectral microscopy.
6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)
The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) "only one person is capable of performing the work".
7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons
The following limited tendering provisions are invoked under the applicable trade agreements:
- CFTA – Article 513(1)(b)(iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.
- WTO AGP – Article XIII(1)(b)(iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.
- CETA – Article 19.12(b)(iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.
- CPTPP – Article 15.10(2)(b)(iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.
- Canada UK TCA: refers to CETA Article 19.12(b)(iii), due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.
These provisions allow limited tendering where no reasonable alternative or substitute goods or services exist and where competition is absent for technical reasons.
8. Period of the Proposed Contract or Delivery Date
NRC is expecting the equipment to be delivered within 75 days after the contract is awarded.
9. Name and Address of the Pre-Identified Supplier
CytoViva, Inc.
300 North Dean Road
Suite 5 - PMB 157
Auburn AL 36830
10. Suppliers' Right to Submit a Statement of Capabilities
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN may submit a Statement of Capabilities (SoC) in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The Statement of Capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.
11. Closing Date for a Submission of a Statement of Capabilities
The closing date and time for accepting Statements of Capabilities is January 9th 2026 2:00 p.m. ET.
12. Inquiries and Submission of Statements of Capabilities
Inquiries and Statements of Capabilities are to be directed to:
Jonathan Soles
Procurement Officer
E-mail: J••••••••@••••••••.••.ca
Phone : 343-548-9258
