Helium Recovery, Purification and Liquification Plant

The National Research Council of Canada is seeking a turnkey automated low-maintenance near-closed cycle helium recovery, purification, and liquefaction system designed to capture helium from the boil-off and fill operations of six superconducting NMR magnets—five operating at 4 Kelvin and one ultrahigh-field 2 Kelvin pumped magnet. The system must fit within a spatial constraint of 14 feet in width, 16 feet in length, and 9 feet in height, with a minimum overall helium recovery efficiency of 95 percent. It must include a high-capacity, air-cooled helium compressor capable of capturing at least 25 liters per hour, a liquid-nitrogen-cooled purifier with a removable and serviceable cold trap, and a liquefier system with a daily capacity of at least 20 liters of liquid helium and a 250-liter mother dewar. The transport dewar must be constructed entirely of stainless steel, hold 250 liters, maintain an evaporation rate of less than 1 percent per day, operate at 10 psig, and include an integrated level sensor. All components must integrate with existing 2-inch diameter, oilless copper piping. The system must be delivered and installed at 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, under DAP Incoterms® 2020, with all deliverables received no later than December 18, 2026. The contract is restricted to Canadian Suppliers or Suppliers of an Applicable Trading Partner and is subject to the Policy on Prioritizing Canadian Suppliers and Canadian Content in Strategic Federal Procurements. The procurement follows a lowest-price technically acceptable (LPTA) evaluation model, where offers must satisfy all mandatory requirements as identified by “must” or “mandatory” language in the solicitation to be considered compliant. Non-compliant offers are automatically disqualified, and the award will be made to the lowest-priced compliant offer. The contract duration extends from award to one year after acceptance, and the Contractor must submit financial and technical proposals as separate, clearly labeled attachments via email to the designated NRC address, with a maximum file size of 10 MB; zip files and external links are prohibited. Offerors must provide signed certifications confirming their eligibility, compliance with the Ineligibility and Suspension Policy, and agreement to abide by all contract terms. Financial proposals must include a detailed cost breakdown covering labor, materials, overhead, transportation, and profit, with taxes separated, supported by invoices or