The next step in the Canadian government’s procurement for a contract to manage Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s nuclear laboratories began late last week, as Natural Resources Canada put out a Request for Response Evaluation on the government’s Government Electronic Tendering Service. The RFRE is aimed at suppliers who are interested in participating in the evaluation process of the procurement, and if found to be a qualified candidate, move on to the next stages in the process including the Request for Proposal and Contract Finalization stage. “This is a significant step forward in implementing our plan to engage a private-sector partner in managing the Nuclear Laboratories,” Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver said in a statement. “We are working to bring private-sector rigor and efficiencies to all aspects of the Nuclear Laboratories. The goal remains to put in place the conditions for Canada’s nuclear industry to succeed, while reducing cost and risk for Canadian taxpayers over time.”
The Canadian government had planned to issue the RFRE last fall, but after discussions with potential bidders, it decided to push the RFRE back. The scope of work for the new contract will include all AECL-owned sites, including the Chalk River Laboratories, the Whiteshell Laboratories, the three prototype reactor sites and the Laprade heavy water storage site. The winning contractor would operate the site in the Government-owned Contractor-operated (GoCo) model. Respondents have three in-take dates to submit the proposal by: April 7, May 23, and Aug. 6.
