The Department of National Defence (DND) requires new methods/processes to identify/detect corrosion and the development of proactive corrosion control measures.
Sponsoring Department: Department of National Defence (DND)
Funding Mechanism: Contract
Opening date: May 31, 2018
Closing date: August 23, 2018, 14:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Please refer to the tender notice for this challenge on Buy and Sell
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Challenge
Problem statement
The process of corrosion shortens the operational life of Canada's naval platforms which then raises the costs of investing, acquiring, operating, and maintaining these same platforms. The Department of National Defence (DND) is seeking novel concepts, technologies, and systems leading to a capability for the early detection of corrosion in naval platforms and enhanced proactive corrosion control measures.
Desired outcomes & considerations
The emphasis of this challenge is for early detection of corrosion in remote or difficult to reach places and under tiled or coated surfaces is desired. This may include detection techniques that can directly detect the location and extent of corrosion under tiles and coated surfaces, and/or detection techniques that could directly detect the corrosion rate or detect the environment leading to severe corrosion. Of interest, also are tools that can predict the location and severity of corrosion over time in platforms, and advanced corrosion control measures.
The areas of employment include the hull structures of both submarine and surface ships including internal hull plating and support structure in the bilges, seawater handling systems and deck plating.
Desired outcomes include: A Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) fleet that applies a holistic approach to addressing platform corrosion in order to improve the availability and to extend the operational life of naval platforms.
Topic areas of interest include (but are not exclusive to): Corrosion protection measures, designs that prevent corrosion, and corrosion detection methods; development of numerical tools that can predict corrosion location and severity over time for specific platform designs; and prevention, maintenance and repair strategies.
Consideration should be given to links between engineering solutions, research and development (e.g. in new materials), and innovative (and maybe integrated) approaches for detection, monitoring, prevention and control of corrosion.
Background & context
RCN operates a fleet of ships and submarines to deliver on missions that result in exposure of their platforms to challenging environments. Due to the significant investment in acquiring, operating, and maintaining these platforms, the RCN has an interest in addressing corrosion issues in order to improve the availability and to extend the operational life of the naval platforms. This requires advanced tools for early detection of corrosion in the platform structures, and proactive corrosion control and maintenance strategies.
Maximum value and travel
Maximum contract value
Multiple contracts could result from this Challenge.
The maximum funding available for any Phase 1 Contract resulting from this Challenge is $200,000.00 CAD (plus tax) including shipping, travel and living expenses, as applicable.
The maximum funding available for any Phase 2 Contract resulting from this Challenge is $1,000,000.00 CAD (plus tax) including shipping, travel and living expenses, as applicable. Only eligible businesses that have completed Phase 1 could be considered for Phase 2.
This disclosure is made in good faith and does not commit Canada to contract for the total approximate funding.
Travel: No travel anticipated.
Eligibility
Solution proposals can only be submitted by a small business that meets all of the following criteria:
- for profit
- incorporated in Canada (federally or provincially)
- 499 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employeesFootnote *
- research and development activities that take place in Canada
- 50% or more of its annual wages, salaries and fees are currently paid to employees and contractors who spend the majority of their time working in CanadaFootnote *
- 50% or more of its FTE employees have Canada as their ordinary place of workFootnote *
- 50% or more of its senior executives (Vice President and above) have Canada as their principal residenceFootnote *
Application guide
All federal departments and agencies that issue ISC challenges, regardless of whether they use a grant or a contract as the financial instrument to support research and development (R&D) in Phases 1 and 2, will assess proposals and bids from small businesses based on standard questions. The online application and bid submission system will contain these standard questions and provide guidance on the length of responses.
Assessment process
Once a complete application or bid is submitted, it will be sent to the department and agency that issued the challenge as well as to the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) for assessment. It is the prerogative of the challenge sponsoring department or agency to decide which businesses will receive funding for Phase 1. All businesses that submit an application or bid will receive feedback.
In advance of accepting applications and bids from eligible businesses, the following is meant to provide guidance to businesses on what could be asked as part of the application and bid submission process. The information below may be used to evaluate proposals and is subject to change.
Innovation
- Please be prepared to identify the starting technology readiness level (TRL) of the solution and the anticipated TRL at the completion of Phase 1. Reminder, Phase 1 is meant for solutions in the TRL range from 1 to 4.
- Be prepared to describe the novelty of your solution and how it advances the state-of-the-art over existing technologies, including competing solutions. Include in your description the scientific and technological basis upon which your solution is proposed.
- Be prepared to identify what are the key scientific and technical risks facing your solution and how those risks would be addressed in Phase 1.
Benefits to Canada
- Please be prepared to provide a brief description of your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem identified by the department or agency that issued the challenge statement.
- Be prepared to describe the benefits to Canada that could result from the successful development of your solution, with a focus on three types of benefits: Economic Benefits, Innovation Benefits, Public Benefits.
Economic Benefits: Consider the proposed solution's potential impact on the growth of your firm but other firms in Canada more broadly. This could include the development of new clusters and supply chains. Consideration should be given to the number of jobs created, number of high-paying jobs, project-related revenue growth, etc.
Innovation Benefits: Consider the proposed solution's expected contribution towards the enhancement or development of new industrial or technological innovation within your firm. For example, potential spillover benefits, creation of intellectual property, impact on productivity of the new technology, etc.
Public Benefits: Consider the proposed solution's expected contribution to the broader Canadian public, including but not limited to inclusive business and hiring practices (e.g., gender balance), investment in skills and training and the environment.
Management and technological capability
- Please be prepared to identify the work plan for Phase 1 including key milestones and activities anticipated, the total time foreseen to complete Phase 1 (not more than 6 months), resources required to complete the project and the key success criteria.
- Be prepared to identify the potential project risks (e.g., financial, project management, human resources, etc.) to the successful development of the solution and how those risks would be managed in Phase 1.
- Be prepared to provide a brief description of the project implementation team including specific members, partners, their roles and responsibilities, and how their expertise is relevant to the project. The team members must include a Project lead.
- Be prepared to describe what your business is doing to encourage greater inclusivity in its innovation activities. One of the objectives of the program is to encourage greater participation of under-represented groups (e.g., women, Indigenous people, youth, persons with disabilities, visible minorities) in the innovation economy.
Financial capability
- Please be prepared to provide a financial proposal for R&D in Phase 1. Be sure to check the details of each challenge posting which will indicate the maximum funding available for Phase 1 as well as any eligible or ineligible costs.
- In addition, please be prepared to provide information on funding received from other orders of government (i.e., federal, provincial and municipal) for the same work being proposed in your application or submission.
- Please be prepared to describe the financial controls and oversight that your business has in place to manage public funds if selected to proceed into Phase 1.
Commercialization
- Please be prepared to describe how you envision the commercialization of your solution and how potential risks or barriers to further commercialization would be mitigated.
Evaluation Criteria
The official source of the Evaluation Criteria for this challenge is the Government Electronic Tendering System (Buy and Sell) (https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/tender-notice/PW-18-00816551 Attachment 1)
In the event of a discrepancy between the information below and the information published on Buy and Sell, Buy and Sell will take precedence.
Question | Mandatory/ Point Rated | Criteria | Assessment | Pass/Fail or Points Range | Minimum Pass Mark |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 (a) | Mandatory | The Applicant/Bidder demonstrates that the proposed solution is starting between Technology Readiness Level 1 and 4 (inclusive). | Pass: The Applicant/Bidder has demonstrated that the proposed solution is starting between TRLs 1 and 4 (inclusive), and provides justification by explaining what kind of research and development (R&D) has taken place to bring the solution to the stated TRL. Fail: The Applicant/Bidder has not provided sufficient evidence that the TRL is between 1 to 4 (inclusive) including:
|
Pass/Fail | Pass |
1 (b) | Point Rated | The degree to which the Applicant/Bidder has demonstrated that the proposed solution advances the state-of-the-art over existing technologies, including available competing solutions, and provides a description of the scientific and technological basis of the solution. |
|
0-8 | 4 |
1 (c) | Point Rated | The degree to which the Applicant/Bidder has demonstrated that the proposed solution can solve the problem identified in the challenge. |
|
0-8 | 4 |
1 (d) | Point Rated | The Applicant/Bidder identifies scientific and technical risks facing their solution and explains how those risks would be addressed in Phase 1. |
|
0-8 | N/A |
Question | Mandatory/ Point Rated | Criteria | Assessment | Pass/Fail or Points Range | Minimum Pass Mark |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | Points Rated | The proposed solution describes the benefits that could result from the successful development of the solution using the following 3 categories (Economic Benefits, Innovation Benefits, Public Benefits | The Applicant/Bidder identifies the benefits to Canada citing 3 categories of below (Innovation, Economic and Public).
|
9 | N/A |
Question | Mandatory/ Point Rated | Criteria | Assessment | Pass/Fail or Points Range | Minimum Pass Mark |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 (a) | Point Rated | The Applicant/Bidder provides a project plan for Phase 1 that includes key milestones and activities, estimated time to complete the milestones and associated success criteria. |
|
0-8 | N/A |
3 (b) | Point Rated | The Applicant/Bidder describes the potential project management risks to the successful development of the solution and how will they be managed in Phase 1. |
|
0-8 | N/A |
3 (c) | Point Rated | The Applicant/Bidder identifies roles, responsibilities and expertise in the project implementation team that will develop the solution in Phase 1. |
|
0-8 | N/A |
3 (d) | Point Rated | The Applicant/Bidder identifies how it is including members of under-represented groups (e.g., women, Indigenous people, visible minorities) in its efforts to innovate. |
|
0-3 | N/A |
Question | Mandatory/ Point Rated | Criteria | Assessment | Pass/Fail or Points Range | Minimum Pass Mark |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 (a) | Point Rated | The degree to which the Applicant/Bidder has identified a realistic financial proposal to advance the proposed solution in Phase 1. |
|
0-4 | N/A |
4 (b) | Point Rated | The degree to which the Applicant/Bidder has indicated financial controls and oversight to manage public funds in Phase 1. |
|
0-4 | N/A |
Question | Mandatory/ Point Rated | Criteria | Assessment | Pass/Fail or Points Range | Minimum Pass Mark |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 (a) | Point Rated | The degree to which the Applicant/Bidder has thought beyond the work in Phase 1 and advancing the solution in Phase 2. |
|
0 - 8 | N/A |
5 (b) | Point Rated | The degree to which the Applicant/Bidder has identified target market, risks and barriers to commercialization following Phase 2. |
|
0 - 4 | N/A |
- Minimum pass mark
- 40
- Total available points
- 80
Questions and answers
Please visit Buy and Sell for all Questions and Answers related to this challenge.
Please visit Buy and Sell for all Questions and Answers related to the Call for Proposals.
If you have a question about a challenge, please send it to ISED-ISDE@canada.ca.
You can also consult the Frequently asked questions about the Innovation Solutions Program.
A glossary is also available.