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 all 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.
Definition of the requirement
To support ongoing wheel–rail interface research and testing activities, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) requires a portable, handheld digital wheel and rail profilometer capable of accurately capturing non-contact wheel and rail profile measurements in both field and laboratory environments. The system must be an industry-proven solution that enables efficient data collection, analysis, and comparison of wheel and rail profiles without the need for track jacking or wheel dismounting. This capability is required to support applied research, condition assessment, and performance evaluation of railway infrastructure and rolling stock, and to ensure that the NRC maintains its technical capacity in railway engineering research.
Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements). Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that its product/equipment/system (as appropriate) meets all the following requirements.
The Digital Wheel/Rail Profilometer System must meet or exceed all the following requirements:
General Requirements
- The device must be portable and handheld; suitable for field and shop use as intended for a single operator use.
- The device must be recognized as proven technology within the worldwide railway industry through previous successful use by railway operators or maintainers.
- The profilometer must be supplied as a complete kit including handheld measurement device, tablet with Microsoft Windows 11 operating system, batteries, charger, and carrying case.
Operational Requirements
- The device must operate on battery power for a minimum of 8 hours.
- The device must be operable within all weathers including temperature ranging from -20°C to +35°C and rain and snow with full visibility of both device and tablet in day and night conditions.
Measurement Capabilities
- The handheld measurement device must be capable for wheel and rail transverse profile measurements using a single all-in-one system.
- The wheel transverse profile measurement file must include the wheel surface from the back of the flange to the rim face; and associated dimensional parameters used for wear assessment (e.g., flange height, flange width, tread profile and related reference dimensions).
- The rail transverse profile measurement file must include the complete rail head to enable comparison against a reference rail profile to assess wear characteristics.
- The device must be compatible with passenger wheelsets with wheel diameters ranging from a minimum of 28” up to 42”.
- The device must be compatible with rail sections from tram rail through to a minimum of AREMA 141 lb/yd.
- The device must employ non-contact laser triangulation measurement technology.
- The device must be capable of operating without the need for track jacking or wheel dismounting.
Accuracy and Repeatability Requirements
- The system must achieve profile and dimensional measurement accuracy of ±0.1 millimetres or better and repeatability not worse than ±0.05 millimetres under standard shop conditions.
Software & Reporting Requirements
- The system must include software and analysis tools for data collection, visualization, comparison against predefined wear limits or templates.
- The system must include data export functionality in at least one of the following formats: CSV, PDF, DXF, or XML.
Delivery and Warranty
- The system must be delivered to the NRC’s designated location in Ottawa, ON, Canada prior to March 31, 2026.
- The system must include a standard one year manufacturer warranty covering parts, labour, and technical support and supply all required documentation including Owner’s, Operating, Maintenance, Training, and Warranty Manuals.
4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement
This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s):
o Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
