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.

Definition of the requirement

The Department of Library and Archives Canada has a requirement for he work described herein is being done to support the audiovisual digitization activities undertaken by Digital Operations and Preservation Branch, LAC. Without these services, there would be no conservation copying of historically significant audio and video recordings held on reel-to-reel, DAT, SVHS and disc formats. The digitization of these formats requires the use of well-maintained, specially modified equipment that has not been in production for over 15 years nor supported by any manufacturer in the last 10 years.

The required services include the repair of Studer reel to reel reproducers, Panasonic Professional DAT recorders, Otari cassette players, SVHS machines and archival turntables. Specifically this includes:

• 15 Studer A810 reel to reel reproducers (serial numbers: 5785, 7152, 7154, 7815, 4555, 5383, 5302, 5307, 3517, 7149, 5944, 3261, 6629, 6006, 6104)
• 4 Studer A807 reel to reel reproducers (serial numbers: 2518, 4090, 4133, 12029)
• 3 Studer A827 reel to reel reproducers (serial numbers: 1462, 1062, 1305)
• 3 Panasonic SV3700 Professional Digital Audio Decks (serial numbers: AAOI01921, AA4B16703, AA0K101222
• 3 Otari DAS-2C, high speed cassette tape players
• 3 JVC Professional SVHS playback decks (serial numbers: 800579, 801099,800659)
• 2 Simon Yorke Designs Professional Archival Turntables
• 1 Simon Yorke Designs Compact Archival Turntable
• 4 K&L Archival Professional Archival Turntables.
• Plus any Studer reel to reel reproducers, DAT machines, Otari machines, turntables and

  SVHS machines LAC acquires over the 3 years of this contract.

Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it meets the following requirements:

• Experience: Five years of experience in the last 15 years conducting professional installation, repair, modification and maintenance of legacy broadcast and industrial audio machinery.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the operation and maintenance of Studer reel to reel machines, Panasonic DAT machines, Otari cassette machines, JVC SVHS machines and Simon Yorke Designs Professional Archival Turntables.
  • Professional designation, accreditation, and/or certification:
    • A diploma/degree in related field (i.e. Electronics Engineering Technologist Diploma)
    • Certified factory training on Panasonic SV-3700 Professional DAT Playback decks.
    • Certified Industrial/Professional training on JVC SVHS playback machines.

Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement

• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
• Canada-Chili Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s) :

Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The proposed supplier has unique experience in the construction, repair and modification of reel to reel, DAT, cassette, SVHS and archival turntable equipment. The proposed supplier has proven unique expertise and skills in the manufacture of replacement parts for obsolete audio equipment, the manufacture of precision equipment within exacting standards required for legacy analogue and digital audio playback, demonstrated knowledge of audio electronics as related to magnetic tape playback, amplification and turntables, demonstrated knowledge of the custom, equipment modifications required as related to playback speed, playback equalization, alignment and calibration, skills in the construction of custom equipment for obsolete tape and grooved media formats, and in problem solving solutions to archival audio equipment.

Consequently, the department has invoked exception (d) of the Government Contracts Regulations - only one firm is capable of performing the Contract. 

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".

Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The proposed contract is for a period of three (3) years with the possibility of two (2) one year extension period, from April 1^st, 2020 to March 31, 2023.

Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $125,000.00 (GST/QST extra).

Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Brian Carmichael

B & L Electronics

22 Lachaine Street

Embrun, ON K0A 1W0

Phone: 613-518-6944

Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services described in the ACAN 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.

Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities
The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is April 1, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Anne-Marie Aubry

Senior Contracting Officer

Financial Services and Procurement Branch

Library and Archives Canada

550 de la Cité Boulevard

Gatineau, Québec K1A 0N4

Telephone: 613-716-2173

E-mail : [email protected]