Less than a week after ISED Minister François-Philippe Champagne participated in his first official public event with the Canadian Space Agency, the expected Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program Lunar Rover Phase A tender has been released.
The procurement notice, available below to read online, provides the following summary:
The objective of the LRM Phase A will be to demonstrate and confirm the feasibility, value and benefits of the proposed rover and instruments suite for validating technology and conduct opportunistic science on the Moon, and to demonstrate the validity of the mission requirements as well as the development of the system requirements and concept designs for the rover and its instrument suite. The LRM will include at least two science instruments: one from Canada and one from the United States of America (U.S.).
At the end of Phase A, the CSA expects to have all the technical and programmatic information necessary to assess the potential of the proposed rover and instruments suite to contribute to the objectives of the LEAP mission.
The period of the contract(s) for the Phase A initiative will be from date of contract award up to eight (8) months after contract award.
The procurement process for the LEAP – Lunar Rover Mission initiative is planned to be conducted in two phases. This RFP is Phase 1 in the procurement process and is for the Phase A initiative. The participation in the subsequent Phase 2 RFP of the procurement process is for the Phases B, C and D initiative. Only the successful Bidder(s) from the Phase A bid solicitation will be eligible to participate in the subsequent Phase 2 RFP process conducted by PWGSC as described in this bid solicitation.
There will be up to two contracts awarded with a maximum funding of $1.8 million. Two of the companies that will in all likelihood apply include MDA and Canadensys.
The funding note contains the following additional informattion:
The Phase A contract is for the development of the system requirements and concept designs for the rover and its Canadian instrument suite, and includes the Work related to the integration of the U.S. scientific instrument described as optional goods and/or optional services that will be required to support the portion of the Work to be strictly completed by the proposed U.S. scientific instrument(s) provider as specified in the Bidders bid. The portion of the Work to be strictly completed by the proposed U.S. scientific instrument(s) provider as specified in the Bidders bid will be put under contract and funded directly by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As such, that cost is excluded from the maximum funding specified above. In the event that the total maximum funding available of $3,600,00.00 (Applicable Taxes extra) for two contracts is not exceeded, an additional contract(s) may be awarded as specified in Part 4 – Evaluation Procedures and Basis of Selection of this bid solicitation. The planned budget for the NASA U.S. scientific instrument(s) is $5,000,000.00 US Dollars (USD) for Phases A, B, C and D. This disclosure does not commit NASA to pay the maximum funding available.
