Request For Information NON-COMBATANT CLASSIFICATION SOCIETY

Trade Agreement: NONE
Tendering Procedures: Suppliers on permanent list or able to
meet qualification requirements
Competitive Procurement Strategy: N/A - P&A/LOI Only
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirements: 
Request for Information for Non-Combatant Class Society (NCCS)
Services for the Royal Canadian Navy

1.	Introduction

1.1	The Department of National Defence (DND) has the requirement
to establish and maintain standards that assure DND's
non-combatant vessels (hereinafter referred to as vessels) are
fit for purpose, safe to operate and compliant with standards to
protect the environment.  To establish and maintain the safety
of the vessels, DND is seeking to engage the services of a
Classification Society.  The key deliverables of the contract
will be: 

a.	Identification of appropriate standards applicable to DND's
vessels, class those vessels and then provide support to DND to
keep the vessels in class, or to class as appropriate; and

b.	 To provide subject matter expertise on standards applicable
to the vessels in support of DND requirements. 

1.2	This Request for Information (RFI) is an opportunity for
Canada to determine supplier interest for this requirement and
for suppliers to comment on the proposed requirement.  Suppliers
may be invited to a one-on-one session following their review of
draft documentation related to the requirement; the one-on-ones
will be held after RFI closing.  The main objective is for
Canada to seek industry input on the proposed technical,
management and contracting approach to assist in: 

a.	Determining whether to proceed with the contract requirements
and procurement strategy as planned; 

b.	Refining the procurement strategy, project structure,
timelines, requirements definition and other aspects of the
requirement; 

c.	Becoming a more informed buyer with an enhanced understanding
of industry service offerings; and 

d.	Assessing potential alternative support solution concepts for
NCCS that would meet its requirement. (e.g. continuous audit
program) 


2.	Important Note to Interested Respondents

2.1	Respondents should note that this RFI is not a pre-selection
process. There will be no short listing of firms for purposes of
undertaking any future works, as a result of this RFI.
Similarly, participation in this process is not a condition or
prerequisite for participation in an eventual Request for
Proposal (RFP).  This RFI is neither a Call for Tenders, nor an
RFP, and no agreement or contract will be entered into with any
contractor, based on responses to this RFI. The issuance of this
RFI is not to be considered in any way as a commitment by
Canada, or as authority for the respondent to undertake any work
which could be charged to Canada, nor is this RFI to be
considered a commitment to issue eventual RFPs or award eventual
contracts in relation to this project. Canada shall not be bound
by anything stated in this RFI. Canada reserves the right to
change all or any parts of this RFI as deemed necessary. 

3.	Confidentiality

3.1	Potential respondents are advised that any information
submitted to Canada in response to this RFI may be used by
Canada in the development of a subsequent competitive RFP. As
such, respondents responding to this RFI should identify any
submitted information that is to be considered as either company
confidential or proprietary. This information will then be
treated as Protected B. 

3.2	No payment will be made for costs incurred in the
preparation and submission of any information in response to the
RFI. Costs associated with preparing and submitting information,
as well as any costs incurred by the supplier associated with
the evaluation of the information, is the sole responsibility of
the supplier.  

4.	Background

4.1	DND vessels are exempt from the Canada Shipping Act (CSA
2001) however DND is mandated to self-regulate the safety of its
vessels.  To meet this mandate, Canada has developed a Naval
Materiel Regulatory (NMR) framework based on the Allied Naval
Engineering Publication 77 (Naval Ship Code) (ANEP 77(NSC)).  
The NSC was developed and is maintained by the International
Naval Safety Association (INSA) and is the naval equivalent to
Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requirements for commercial
fleets.  Naval Classification using the NSC goal based approach
demonstrates due diligence and ensures that naval and DND
personnel going to sea are afforded a similar level of safety as
their commercial colleagues.  

4.2	It is important to note that while there are similarities
between the commercial and naval approaches, they cannot be the
same, as warships operate differently from commercial ships. 
Two simple examples of this are that: DND vessels can be
required to weather storms if their assigned mission dictates,
while commercial ships will avoid storms in order to avoid
possible damage or lost cargo; and some DND vessels are manned
with large military crews, which enable navies to fight fires
and damage to the ship in order to continue operations while
commercial practices enable the safe abandonment of the ship in
a fire or damage scenario.  

4.3	Canada's fleets of ships currently deemed to be
non-combatants by the Naval Materiel Regulatory Authority (NMRA)
are described in Table 1 below.

 


Vessel	Comments
Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship - AOPS	Currently under design and
build at Irving Shipbuilding Inc. 
Joint Support Ship	Currently under Design and Build in Vancouver
Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.  
Kingston Class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels	In-Service with
DND (12 Vessels)
Auxiliary Training Vessels -ORCA Class	In-Service with DND (8
Vessels)
Auxiliary Vessels - Tugs	In-Service with DND (12 Vessels)
Auxiliary Vessels - Tenders	In-Service with DND (9-10 Vessels)
Auxiliary Vessels - Barges	In-Service with DND (24-29  Vessels)
Future Non-Combatants	TBD
Table 1 - List of NCCS Vessels

4.4	Work will be categorized as follows: 

a.	Services to support the NMRA.  Activities may include but not
be limited to the development and maintenance of a flag state
requirements (standards plan) file for each vessel class,
competency development, advice and research, and NMR framework
support; 

b.	Services to Support the Directorate Maritime Engineering
Programme Management - Minor War Vessels and Auxiliaries (DMEPM
(MWVA)).  Activities may include but not be limited to
acceptance into naval class (advice, plan appraisal and vessel
surveys), maintenance in-class (advice and vessel surveys),
specialist support and advice; and 

c.	Work to support Major Capital Projects for future
non-combatant fleets.  Activities may include but not be limited
to advice and classification services in the concept, design and
build phases, plan appraisals and type approval services. 

5.	Participation Criteria

5.1	To participate in this RFI process, interested respondents
must demonstrate that they meet the following requirements.  The
respondent must: 

a.	Be a current member of the INSA; 

b.	Be a Recognized Organization under Transport Canada's
Delegated Statutory Inspection Program; and

c.	Be from a NATO or allied country.
 

5.2	This requirement is subject to the Controlled Goods Program,
and may be subject to the Defence Procurement Strategy requiring
suppliers to make Industrial and Technological Benefits and
Value Proposition commitments. 


6.	RFI Process

6.1	Respondents must submit the following information to assess
that they meet the above criteria: 

a.	A certificate or letter from INSA demonstrating current
member status;
b.	Certification or copy of the delegated statutory authority
status with Transport Canada; and
c.	Proof of the respondent's parent organization's country of
establishment. 


6.2	The response must also identify/include:

1.	the title and number and closing date of the RFI;
2.	the name, title, address and telephone number of the
respondent;
3.	the name, title and telephone number of the respondent's
contact; and
4.	the date of RFI information submission.
 
6.3	To be included in this opportunity, respondents must submit
the information to the Contracting Authority at article 8 by the
deadline indicated at article 7.  

6.4	Thereafter, respondents meeting the criteria above may
receive draft documentation related to this requirement and an
invitation to an industry day where briefings and feedback
sessions will be scheduled by the Contracting Authority. 

6.5	It is anticipated that representatives from the Department
of National Defence, Industry Canada and Public Works and
Government Services Canada will be available during the
one-on-ones and at Industry day to answer questions and gather
information.  All other contact regarding this RFI, subsequent
shared information and meetings must be directed through the
Contracting Authority.

6.6	Respondents may receive communications from the Contracting
Authority on an on-going basis up to and until a
pre-qualification or solicitation process is issued, as
applicable.




7.	Deadline for Submission of Responses to the RFI

7.1	PWGSC invites interested parties to submit their responses
to the Contracting Authority on or before 14:00 EDT 4 September
2015.  

7.2	At Canada's sole discretion, responses received after the
deadline may or may not be considered.


8.	Submission of Responses to the RFI

8.1	Interested parties may submit their response by email to the
Contracting Authority, Ms. Angela Cowie
Angela.Cowie@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca  or by mail at: 

Public Works and Government Services Canada
Marine Sector 
11 Laurier Street
Place du Portage, Phase III, 6C2-32
Gatineau, Québec    K1A 0S5

8.2	Or by fax at:

819-956-0897


9.	Language

9.1	Communication may be in either official language of Canada,
in English or French.


Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

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

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.