Self-Propelled Plot Harvester - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Trade Agreement: CFTA / FTAs with Peru / Colombia / Panama / Korea 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: RCI Engineering 208 River Knoll Drive Mayville Wisconsin United States 53050 Nature of Requirements:

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 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Québec Research and Development Centre, has a requirement for the supply of a self-propelled plot harvester, model 36A Research Plot Harvester, from the manufacturer RCI Engineering in USA; including the supply of a tractor, model John Deere tractor 1585, on which the harvester will be installed. This harvester will improve safety during research plot harvesting operations. Its use will reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, as it only requires two operators who are safely located on the tractor. There will be no longer an operator in the field for weighing who handles heavy containers while working near the harvester, as is currently the case. With this harvester, the weighing step will be performed during the harvest using an integrated scale, which also will save time and reduce the risk of errors. Since it is operated by two people, instead of the five people currently required, its acquisition will also reduce labour costs. This harvester is very compact, its cutting height is very precise and it can be used with all the perennial species we work on?both grasses and legumes. It also has a lifespan of at least 25 years.

The acquisition of this harvester will reduce risks to the health and safety of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada workers during research plot field harvesting operations.

RCI Engineering is the only company that can provide this self-propelled harvester with an integrated scale to measure the fresh weight of the crop, and that can weigh and chop a sub-sample to determine the percentage of dry matter and for analysis. The harvester will be configured to be used with John Deere 1585 tractor.

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:

3.1 The harvester must consist of a tractor with a front harvester as well as a system for propelling samples through a duct to the scale and the storage hopper for samples and biomass located at the rear.

3.2 The harvesting unit must be installed on a John Deere 1585 tractor with mechanical drive system and closed cab. The John Deere 1585 tractor has a liquid-cooled 38-hp diesel engine. The tractor has swivel guide wheels.

3.3 The front harvester cutting flail must include at least 26 knives for a clean and precise cut.

3.4 The overall width must be 1.5 meters or less.

3.5 The harvester must be equipped with a recutter system for chopping sub-samples.

3.6 The harvester must be equipped with an integrated scale.

3.7 The harvester must be equipped with a sample blower and a sample storage hopper.

3.8 The sample hopper system must have a volume of 0.42 cubic meters (15 cubic feet) or more and equipped with a hydraulic door.

3.9 The scale must have a capacity of 113 kg or more and an accuracy of 0.05 kg or better.

3.10 The cutting height must be adjustable between 1.3 and 15 cm.

3.11 Complete training of one day of 7.5 hours must be provided (ideally in French, although English is acceptable) at the Québec Research and Development Centre in person or online to no more than 4 users. The training must include, but is not limited to, the maintenance, use and operation of the devices. Training shall begin after a notice of three weeks by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

3.12 A user and maintenance manual must be provided with the equipment (ideally in French, although English is acceptable) with 1 hard copy and an electronic version. A parts list that includes consumables and accessories must be provided.

4. APPLICABILITY OF THE TRADE AGREEMENTS TO THE PROCUREMENT This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements: - Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA); and - Canada’s bilateral agreements with Korea, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, and Peru.

5. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER The self-propelled plot harvester, model 36A Research Plot Harvester, from the manufacturer RCI Engineering in USA, is the only known product that meets all of the technical specifications described in this ACAN.

The company " RCI Engineering " is the manufacturer of the harvester. Thus, in accordance with the purchasing policies of Government Contracts, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada proposes to award the contract to " RCI Engineering ", which is, to our knowledge, the only company that is able to fulfill our needs and whose product meets all of the evaluation criteria.

6. GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS REGULATIONS EXCEPTION The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d): Only one person or firm 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 section of the trade agreement(s) specified:

1. Limited tendering may only be used in specific circumstances. Where more than one trade agreement applies, an appropriate limited tendering justification must be found in the limited tendering provision of each agreement. b. Where the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute goods or services exist for the following reason: iii. due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.

All of following Canada’s free trade agreements allow for limited tendering: - Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA): Article 513, para 1. b. iii.; - Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement: which defers to WTO-AGP Article XIII, para 1. b. iii.; - Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement: Article Kbis-09, para 1. b.; - Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Article 1409 para 1. b. iii.; - Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement: Article 17.11 para 2 (b) (iii); - Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement: Article 16.10 para 1. b. iii.; and - Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement: Article 1409, para 1. (b) (iii).

8. PROPOSED DELIVERY DATE All the deliverables must be received within a period of sixteen (16) weeks after the contract is awarded.

9. COST ESTIMATE OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT The estimated value of the contract is between $100.000 to $200,000 CDN, taxes not included.

10. NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER RCI Engineering 208 River Knoll Drive Mayville WI 53050 United States

11. SUPPLIER ' 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 or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

12. CLOSING DATE FOR A SUBMISSION OF A STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES The closing date and time for acceptation statements of capabilities is on February 1, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. eastern standard time (EST).

13. INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSION OF STATEMENTS OF CAPABILITIES Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to: Name: Marial Tremblay Title: Supply Specialist Telephone: 581-309-8387 E-mail: Marial.Tremblay@pwgsc.gc.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.