Investigation of optical signals

Trade Agreement: LCSA/AIT
Tendering Procedures: The bidder must supply Canadian goods and/or services
Competitive Procurement Strategy: 
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirements: 

W7701-176189/A
Fournier, Annie
Telephone No. - (418) 649-2775 
Fax No. - (418) 648-2209 


(a) Title 

Investigation of optical signal related to biological and chemical materials

(b) Description of Work

Study the phenomenology of the optical and infrared signals from chemical and biological material; process and analyze these signals from acquired data set during either field trial, including aerial, or laboratory data acquisition campaign.  To accomplish this objective, it will be necessary to: develop and/or modify mechanical equipment or components for interfacing or integrating to other systems, develop and modify software tools and provide support to airborne operations.

Context/Background

Biological material emits fluorescence once excited by Ultra-violet (UV) light following the presence of fluorophore. In particular, when using a laser source, biological samples generate visible light and this technique is called laser induced fluorescence (LIF). A team at Defence Research and Development (R&D) Canada - Valcartier has developed a strong expertise in biological threat detection using this type of technique. 

Stand-off Integrated Bioaerosol Active Hyperspectral Detection (SINBAHD), a staring Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) based bioaerosol sensor has been developed in 1999-2002 and it demonstrated the capability of using spectrometric UV LIF coupled with intensified range-gated camera to detect and characterize bioaerosols from a standoff position. SINBAHD is no longer in operation.

The BioSense project, which began in 2005, intended to merge SINBAHD technology with a geo-referenced near-infrared (NIR) lidar cloud mapper. The objective of Biosense is to demonstrate that this technology can be used to map, track, and classify bioaerosol threats from multi-kilometre distances with detection and false alarm rates compatible with CF operational requirements. The classification algorithms rely on the availability of a signature database: a library. This library includes spectral UV- LIF signature previously collected by either the same sensor during well-controlled measurement or a different sensor combined with a proper calibration procedure. BioSense is owned by Defence R&D Canada - Valcartier
and still in operation.

A laboratory Benchtop Bioaerosol Chamber version 2 (BBC2) has been developed to characterize fluorescent aerosols under controlled environmental conditions. The chamber objectives are to confirm the results obtained with the field LIDAR systemsand to collect signatures of various fluorescing aerosols to populate the library at reduced logistic load and costs. The BBC2 is owned by Defence R&D Canada - Valcartier and still in operation.

SR-Biospectra, a compact short-range spectrometric LIDARsystem based on UV-LIF was developed (2007-2009) and demonstrated the capability of efficiently detecting and classifying various type of biological agent simulant. DND has one SR-Biospectra unit but the IP is owned by INO, a private industry.  Work related to SR-BioSpectra will be limited to data processing.

Various other systems could also be used to collect optical signal from biological materials such as the multiple-field-of-view (MFOV) lidar, the Laser Cloud Mapper (LCM), or a surface biological detection sensor (BioSweeper) to name a few, all currently owned by Defence R&D Canada - Valcartier.

Chemical samples in the form of gas or solids can absorb visible and infrared radiation when illuminated by an energetic source (for example: sun,laser) or they can emit energy passively due to their temperature. Chemical samples absorb and emit at characteristic wavelengths that may be detected using laboratory, ground-based and airborne spectral and hyperspectral sensors in the laboratory or field. These sensors cover the region from 0.4 to 15 microns of the electromagnetic spectrum.  A team at Defence R&D Canada - Valcartier has developed a strong expertise in chemical detection and identification using these types of sensors and exploitationalgorithms. For laboratory and ground-based measurements, data processing is needed to extract a calibrated signature from a raw signal acquired with a given sensor. Such calibrated signals can be used in data exploitation algorithms to detect and identifychemical substances from airborne imagery.

(c) Client Department

The organization for which the services are to be rendered is Defence Research and Development Canada - Valcartier (DRDC - Valcartier).

(d) Period of the Contract

The periodof the Contract is from the date of contract award to March 31, 2022.

(e) Important Information

i. Defence Research and Development Canada - Valcartier has determined that any intellectual property rights arising from the performance of the Work underthe resulting contract will belong to Canada.

ii. Bidders must provide a list of names, or other related information as needed, pursuant to section 01 of Standard Instructions 2003.

iii. For services requirements, Bidders in receipt of a pension or alump sum payment must provide the required information as detailed in article 3 of Part 2 of the bid solicitation.

iv. The requirement is limited to Canadian goods and/or services.

v. The requirement is subject to the provisions of the Agreement onInternal Trade (AIT).

vi. There is a security requirement associated with this requirement.  For additional information, consult Part 6 - Security, Financial and Other Requirements, and Part 7 - Resulting Contract Clauses.  Bidders should consultthe"Security Requirements for PWGSC Bid Solicitations - Instructions for Bidders" (http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/lc-pl/lc-pl-eng.html#a31)  document on the Departmental Standard Procurement Documents website.

vii. This procurement is subject to theControlled Goods Program.

viii. The work will be carried out entirely on an "as and when requested basis" using a Task Authorization (TA).

The estimated amount of available funding for this Contract is $1,735,000.00, Applicable Taxes extra. 

A contract with Task Authorizations (TAs) is a method of supply for services under which all of the work or a portion of the work will be performed on an "as and when requested basis". Under contracts with TAs, the work to be carried out can be definedbut the exact nature and timeframes of the required services, activities and deliverables will only be known as and when the service(s) will be required during the period of the contract. A TA is a structured administrative tool enabling the Crown to authorizework by a contractor on an "as and when requested" basis in accordance with the conditions of the contract. TAs are not individual contracts.


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

Documents may besubmittedineither official language of Canada.

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.