DESKTOP SUPPORT KNOWLEDGE BASE

Trade Agreement: WTO-AGP/NAFTA/AIT/Canada FTAs with Peru/Colombia/Panama Tendering Procedures: All interested suppliers may submit a bid Attachment: None Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Exclusive Rights Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No Vendor Name and Address: Advanced Chippewa Technologies Inc. 802 Nesbitt Place Ottawa Ontario Canada K2C0K1 Nature of Requirements:

T8086-142063/A Quenville, Elizabeth Telephone No. - (613) 937-2727 Fax No. - (819) 953-3703

ADVANCED CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE (ACAN) DESKTOP SUPPORT KNOWLEDGE BASE

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

Transport Canada has a requirement for an established knowledge base to provide desktop computer support. The requirement is for access to questions and answers about desktop and internet applications, as well as hardware-related questions focused on personal computers (PCs), iPad, iPhones and tablet technologies.

Transport Canada requires a knowledge base that will integrate with the departmental standard service manager software, HP Service Manager. The knowledge base access is required for Service Desk Support Technicians and Local Area Network (LAN) Administrators nationally and in both official languages.

The requirement is for the procurement of a desktop support knowledge base for a one-year period with options to extend the product and support services for three additional one-year terms.

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 solution meets the following requirements:

Technical Requirements

1. The knowledge base must provide support for 200+ Desktop Common off the Shelf (COTS) applications and computing devices, including the following, at a minimum: o MS Windows 7 o MS Office 2007 o MS Office 2010 o MS Office 2013 o MS Active Directory o MS Access 2007/2010/2003/,XP & 2000 o MS Excel 2007/2010 o MS Exchange Server 2010 o MS PowerPoint 2007/2010 o MS Project 2007/2010 o MS Visio 2007/2010 o MS Word 2007/2010 o iPad Operating System o Win XP o Win 7 o Win 8 o McAfee Total Protection o Internet Explorer 4,5,6,7,8 & 9 o Citrix Online o NetMeeting o MS Outlook 2007/2010 o Blackberry (all versions) o iPad o iPhone o PDA o Printers o Scanners o Adobe Acrobat 9/10 o Adobe Acrobat Reader 9/10

2. The knowledge base must provide support for multiple versions of COTS software. 3. The knowledge base must provide support solutions for iPhones, iPads, Tablets and BlackBerrys. 4. The knowledge base must contain step-by-step solutions to problems with software and Internet applications, operating systems, smart phones and tablets.

5. The knowledge base must provide detailed instructions for resolving 'Error Messages,' 'How to ...topics and Problems or Symptoms that do not generate an error message.

6. The knowledge base must provide Solutions which are short, concise, save time and are vetted.

7. The knowledge base must be 'Host System' Vendor Program Certified.

8. The knowledge base must be Knowledge Centered Support (KCS) compliant.

9. The knowledge base must be Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) compliant. 10. The knowledge base must serve a 'Just in Time Training' (JITT) function for both technical support analysts and self-service users.

11. The knowledge base must include the capability to submit any unanswered common questions for titles licensed by Transport Canada for development, publication and inclusion in the knowledge base.

12. The knowledge base must include the capability to direct the vendor to develop solutions for upcoming Transport Canada COTS applications.

13. The knowledge base must import vendor support solutions into HP Service Manager and utilize HP Service Manager's platform.

14. The knowledge base must include the capability for Transport Canada to select which vendor 'Titles' to import in accordance with support requirements.

15. The knowledge base must provide over 50,000 COTS support solutions from which to select to meet support requirements.

16. The knowledge base must import solutions into pre-existing HP templates to eliminate the need for retraining of users.

17. The knowledge base must not conflict with or overwrite Transport Canada's own internal proprietary documents.

18. The knowledge base must be able to be integrated with and used on Transport Canada's self-service portal in HP Service Manager.

19. The knowledge base must be integrated with and optimized for HP Service Manager's search engine.

20. The knowledge base must integrate with HP Service Manager's ticketing system.

21. The knowledge base must integrate with HP Service Manager's feedback system.

22. The knowledge base must operate with HP Service Manager's 'Search within results' feature.

23. The knowledge base must allow vendor Support Solutions Licenses to be portable to other mutually agreed upon host platforms in the future.

24. The knowledge base must provide licensing that allows Transport Canada to add localized information to individual vendor solutions and republish.

25. The knowledge base must allow Transport Canada to adapt or use all or part of the solution as the basis for writing new proprietary internal solutions.

26. The knowledge base must provide maintenance and a steady flow of new vendor support solutions over the life of the licenses.

4. Security Requirements

There is no security requirement associated to this procurement. 5. Applicability of the trade agreements to the procurement

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)

6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

Advanced Chippewa Technologies Inc. (operating as ACT Inc.) is the only known supplier of a desktop support knowledge base software solution that is available in both official languages (English and French) and meets all of the requirements listed in Section 3, above.

7. Government Contracts Regulations Exception

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".

8. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

The following exclusions and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the section of the trade agreements specified:

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) - Article 506 paragraph 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"

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"

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"

9. Set-aside under the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business

This procurement is set-aside for an Aboriginal supplier in accordance with the government's Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business (PSAB). Therefore, only suppliers who meet the definition of an Aboriginal business, as defined in the PSAB, may submit a statement of capabilities.

10. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Ownership of any Foreground Intellectual Property arising out of the proposed contract will vest in the Contractor.

11. Period of the Proposed Contract and Deliverables

The proposed Contract is for a period of 1 year from date of Contract Award.

The proposed Contract includes options to extend the contract period for up to an additional three one-year periods.

The Contractor will be required to deliver a Desktop Support Knowledge Base Software Solution meeting all of the requirements listed in Section 3 above, including associated Maintenance and Support Services.

12. Cost estimate of the proposed contract The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $66,511.80 (GST/HST extra).

13. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Advanced Chippewa Technologies Inc. 84 Valley Ridge Ottawa, Ontario K2E7W3 Canada Operating as: ACT inc

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

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

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is Monday, September 15, 2014 at 2:00pm EDT.

16. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to

Elizabeth Quenville Software and Shared Systems Procurement Directorate Public Works and Government Services Canada Place du Portage III, 4C1 11 rue Laurier, Gatineau (Québec)  K1A 0S5

Telephone: (613) 937-2727 Facsimile: (819) 953-3703 E-mail: elizabeth.quenville@tpsgc-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.