QCM-D Instrument

Trade Agreement: WTO-AGP/NAFTA/AIT/Canada FTAs with Peru/Colombia/Panama
Tendering Procedures: Generally only one firm has been invited to bid
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Exclusive Rights
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address:
Biolin Scientific Inc.
215 College Road
Suite 300
Paramus New Jersey
United States
07652
Nature of Requirements:

QCM-D Instrument
23295-160701/A

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

o The Department of Natural Resources Canada in Devon, AB has a requirement for the supply of 1 Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) complete system, including delivery, installation, and provision of on-site training and warranty provisions. The QCM-D must be suitable for measuring real-time interfacial interactions, physical and chemical phenomena. The system will be used as a research tool for studying the adsorption/desorption behaviours of various vapors, such as water, light alkanes, such as pentane, hexane, cyclopentane, etc. on solid particles, such as sand, quartz, clays, etc.

3. 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 the following requirements:

(a) QCM-D System:

• Four channel, temperature controlled measurement chamber with four flow cells capable of integrating with different types of flow cells and sensor holder accessories that allow for different types of experiments suchassimultaneous gas adsorption, electrochemistry, ellipsometry, etc.
• Electronics unit for controlling a four channel measurement chamber
• Operation temperature range of 4 to 150 degrees C with a tolerance of +/- 0.02 degrees C;
• Four channel peristaltic pump capable of pumping liquids at up to 1 ml/min
• Monitors in real-time (up to 200 datapoints/second) the fundamental (at 5 MHz) resonance frequency of an oscillating piezoelectric quartz crystal sensor as well as the 3rd (at 15 MHz), 5th (at 25 MHz), 7th (at 35 MHz), 9th (at 45 MHz), 11th (at MHz), and 13th (at 65 MHz) higher order harmonics of the fundamental frequency;
• Monitors in real-time (up to 200 datapoints/second) the dissipation of an oscillating piezoelectric quartz crystal sensor for the fundamental frequency as well as the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th higher order harmonics of the fundamental frequency;
• The instrument must have mass change sensitivity/resolution of at least 1 ng (nanogram)
• Capable of measuring interactions on various sensor surfaces including basic elements (gold, cobalt, aluminum), oxides (silicon dioxide, almuninum oxide, zirconium oxide), nitrides (silicon nitride), carbides, and polymers (polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate);
• The instrument must be CSA approved;

(b) Data Collection and Analysis System

• Capable of exporting data to standard data file types (.txt or .xls)

(c) System Installation and Training

• Instrument training (on or off-site sponsored)
• The system must include pre-installation site specifications to ensure site-readiness for installation.

(d) Service and Support

• one year warranty on all parts/maintenance agreement on all components;
• On-site service technicians must be available within 2 business daysof a service request.
• Telephone support service calls must be responded to within one business day.

4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s):
Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

Biolin Scientific Inc. is the sole manufacturer ofthepatented QCM-D technology and the Q-Sense instrument. For this reason, it is proposed to negotiate this requirement with Biolin Scientific Inc.

6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is 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 exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the:

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) - Article 506:
12. (b) where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons and the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no alternative or substitute exists;

World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP) - Article XV:
1.(b) when, for works of art, or for reasons connected with protection of exclusive rights, such as patents or copyrights, or in the absence of competition for technical reasons, the products or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - Article 1016:
2. (b) Where, for works of art, or for reasons connected with the protection of patents copyrights or other exclusive rights, or proprietary information or where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons, the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.

8. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Not applicable

9. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

Delivery is required by March 31, 2016.

10. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $195,000.00 - $215,000.00 (GST/HST extra).

11. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Biolin Scientific Inc.
215 College Road
Paramus, NJ

12. 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 in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on orbefore the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

13. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is 2:00pm CT January 4, 2016.

14. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Teresa Olson, Supply Specialist
100-167 Lombard Ave.
Winnipeg, MB
Telephone: 204-230-4558
Facsimile: 204-983-7796
E-mail: t••••••••@•••••.••.ca

Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

You are hereby notified that the government intends to negotiate with one firm only as identified above. Should you have any questions concerning this requirement, contact the contracting officer identified above.

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contracting authority may then proceed with the award. However, should a Statement of Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full tendering process.

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services/goods described herein, may submit a statement of capabilities 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.

The PWGSC file number, the contracting officer's name and the closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the envelope in block letters or, in the case of a facsimile transmission, on the covering page.

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.