AVITI24 upgrade

The National Research Council of Canada is procuring the AVITI24 upgrade system from Element Biosciences Inc. under a sole-source Advance Contract Award Notice, justified by the technical exclusivity of the product as outlined in Government Contracts Regulations Article 6(d). The upgrade is designed to enhance the existing AVITI sequencing platform with a 50% increase in sequencing output while maintaining current workflows and consumables, and integrates in situ multiomics capabilities that enable simultaneous, spatially resolved detection of RNA, proteins, and morphological markers within intact tissue architecture. The system must support a random-access dual flow cell design, deliver sequencing data with Q30 scores exceeding 85%, accommodate 75 bp, 150 bp, and 300 bp read lengths, and operate in 1-well, 12-well, and 48-well formats with subcellular spatial resolution under 250 nm. It must also provide onboard automation for multiomic profiling requiring less than one hour of off-instrument preparation and demonstrate high sensitivity and dynamic range capable of detecting thousands of RNA and protein counts per cell across diverse sample types including cell lines, primary cells, and tissues. The contract value is fixed at $122,000 CAD, with the delivery and installation deadline set for July 31, 2026, at an NRC facility in Ontario, excluding the National Capital Region. On-site installation and training by the contractor are mandatory deliverables, and no alternatives or competitive bids are permitted under the procurement exception cited. The procurement process required potential suppliers to submit a statement of capabilities by May 29, 2026, via email to the contracting authority, Frédérik Beauchamp, to demonstrate compliance with all mandatory technical criteria, which are evaluated as binary pass/fail conditions without weighting or trade-off analysis. Although the contract includes reference to potential option(s), no specific terms, pricing, or durations for options are detailed. International trade agreement exceptions under CFTA, CCFTA, and several other bilateral agreements are invoked to support the non-competitive award due to the absence of technical alternatives in the market. No packaging, marking, invoicing, payment, accounting, or security clearance requirements are specified, and no representations, certifications, or socioeconomic status disclosures are required from the supplier. The system must be accepted at the NRC facility in Ontario upon successful installation and verification against all performance criteria, with the contractor bearing full responsibility for meeting every defined technical