Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)
ACAN 23-58052 High-Performance Tunable Laser System
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
The National Research Council Canada has a requirement for the supply of one specific high-performance tunable laser system, to match the only other 1310 nm tunable laser in the AEP Photonics facility. The current 1310 nm tunable laser module is approximately 20 years old and nearing its end-of-life. The Small Teams Ideation fund project on Quantum Photonic Integrated Circuits as well as other internal projects have a growing need to characterize devices at this wavelength range. A second 1310 nm tunable laser will increase our testing capacity, and more importantly prevent our research from being halted if the current tunable laser fails.
Therefore, NRC must purchase another compatible system to match the mainframes already in place in our various test stations and to allow interchangeability between the different mainframes. The required laser system must meet all of the mandatory technical requirements and include all of the following components:
• 81606A-113 tunable laser source (module)
• 8164B lightwave measurement system (mainframe)
• 81000NI FC connector interface
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 tunable laser system operates at all times in accordance with the following mandatory technical requirements.
The laser must have:
• a tuning range of 1240-1380 nm
• a maximum sweep speed of 200 nm/s
• a peak output power of +13 dBm, and at least +5 dBm over the full range
• a linewidth below 10 kHz
• a signal to SSE ratio better than 80 dB/nm
• an absolute wavelength accuracy of ± 1.5 pm in continuous sweep mode
• a wavelength repeatability of ± 0.3 pm in continuous sweep mode
The test stations in the Photonics facility are based on Keysight lightwave measurement systems. These mainframes can simultaneously sweep wavelengths and measure power when used in conjunction with Keysight laser and detector modules. Only Keysight tunable laser modules will function in our measurement systems. A model from another manufacturer would require writing new data acquisition software and adapting the current test stations. This would result in weeks of labor hours and equipment downtime, during which the test station is not being utilized to characterize devices. A Keysight tunable laser system will be operational on arrival and the laser module will be interchangeable between different mainframes.
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)
o Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)
o Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCOFTA)
o Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement (CHFTA)
o Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA)
o Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement (CPAFTA)
5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
Keysight is the only supplier that can provide a tunable laser with the high-performance specifications that we require. The 81606A laser module features high power above +13 dBm as well as low noise with a signal to SSE ratio better than 80 dB/nm. The absolute wavelength accuracy of 1.5 pm and wavelength repeatability of 0.3 pm are best-in-class and necessary for us to characterize multiple devices with repeated scans. This particular model (option 113) has a large bandwidth of 1240-1380 nm, and a fast sweep speed up to 200 nm/s which is important to increase our testing efficiency.
A Keysight laser system will be compatible with the other systems already in place in our various test stations. It will be operational on arrival and the laser module will be interchangeable between different mainframes.
6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception
The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under:
• Subsection 6(d) - only one firm is capable of performing the contract
7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons
The following exclusions and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the:
a. Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) – Article 513.1(b)(iii) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons; 513.1(b)(v) to ensure compatibility with existing goods by the manufacturer of those goods; 513(b)(vi) work is to be performed on property by a contractor according to provisions of a warranty or guarantee held in respect of the property or the original work; 513(c)(i) cannot be made for economic or technical reasons such as requirements of interchangeability or interoperability with existing equipment, software, services, or installations procured under the initial procurement; 513(c)(ii) would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of costs for the procuring entity;
b. Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) – Article Kbis-09: Tendering Procedures, para1:Limited Tendering (b),(c);
c. Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCOFTA) – Article 1409.1(b)(iii) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons; Article1409 (c)(i)(ii);
d. Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement (CHFTA) – Article17.11 Limited Tendering (b)(iii) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons; Article 17.11(c)
e. Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) – referencing the WTO Protocol Amending the GPA, Article XIII (1)(b)(iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons; Article XIII, Limited Tendering (c)(i)(ii);
f. Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement (CPAFTA) – Article 16.10(1)(b)(iii) because of the absence of competition for technical reasons; Article16.10 (c)(i)(ii).
8. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date
o The equipment must be delivered before March 29, 2024
9. The estimated value of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract including one (1) year maintenance and support is $158,000 CAD (GST/HST extra).
10. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier:
Keysight Technologies Canada Inc.
6535 Millcreek Drive, Unit 42
Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 2M2 Canada
11. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods 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 accepting statements of capabilities is August 17, 2023 at 2pm EDT (estimate)
13. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities must be sent to:
Name : Katie Homuth
Title : Senior Contracting Officer
Email : Katie.Homuth@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
