Advance Contract Award Notice 1. Definition of ACAN An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) is a public notice informing suppliers that Canada intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, and invites other suppliers to express their interest by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no other supplier submits a statement of capabilities demonstrating how they meet the set requirements in the ACAN by the closing date stated in the ACAN, the buyer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier. 2. Purpose of the ACAN The purpose of this Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) is to notify industry that Canada intends to award a contract for the supply and delivery of ten (10) RFSoC development boards in support of DRDC Radar Electronic Warfare research and development activities. 3. Requirement description The Department of National Defence (DND), through Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), has a requirement for the supply and delivery of ten (10) Radio Frequency System on a Chip (RFSoC) development boards to support research, development, and experimental activities related to Radar Electronic Warfare systems. The RFSoC boards will be used to develop and evaluate advanced signal processing techniques intended for next-generation radar electronic warfare applications, including experimental systems that require high-performance processing capabilities in a compact form factor compatible with unmanned platforms. The required RFSoC development boards must provide integrated high-speed analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion capabilities, FPGA-based processing resources, high-speed networking interfaces, precision clocking architecture, and expansion capabilities necessary to support current and future research activities. The requirement includes compatibility with existing Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) systems and software, as well as a reduced form factor to support future drone-related research. 4. Evaluation Criteria for assessment of Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements) Any interested supplier must demonstrate, through a Statement of Capabilities and supporting technical documentation, that the proposed product meets the following requirements: # Requirement Mandatory Specification 4.1 Number of internal ADCs Minimum 4 4.2 Number of internal DACs Minimum 2 4.3 ADC/DAC sampling rate Minimum 5 GSPS per channel 4.4 Balun frequency range 10 MHz to 10 GHz 4.5 ADC/DAC connector types SMA, 3.5 mm, or 2.92 mm connectors acceptable 4.6 RFSoC device Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC XCZU48DR 4.7 Internal clock reference Minimum 1 4.8 External clock reference input Minimum 1 4.9 DDR4 RAM (PL, 64-bit) Minimum 4 GB 4.10 DDR4 RAM (PS, 64-bit) Minimum 4 GB 4.11 USB ports Minimum 2 (at least 1 USB 3.0) 4.12 USB port for JTAG and console UART Minimum 1 4.13 PMOD ports Minimum 2 standard 12-pin PMOD ports 4.14 1000 Mbps Ethernet Minimum 1 4.15 SD card slot for booting firmware Minimum 1 4.16 100G Ethernet MAC/PCS w/RS-FEC (QSFP28) Minimum 1 4.17 Physical dimensions Maximum 200 mm × 200 mm × 60 mm 4.18 Board architecture Single PCB (no daughter or carrier cards permitted) 4.19 Power supply – Board Power dc 12 VDC 4.20 Clock configuration Must include LMK04828 and LMX2594 timing for ADC/DAC reference and direct sampling clock with Lock status LEDs 4.21 LED character display Minimum 2-line × 16-character display 4.22 Mini Display Port connection Minimum 1 4.23 Boot status indicators Minimum 2 FPGA boot status LEDs: One for PL initialized and one for PL configuration complete 4.24 Expansion ports capability Minimum 1 SYZYGY standard port or FMC port 4.25 General purpose LEDS, Push Buttons and Switches - User interface Minimum 4 of each - 4 LEDs, 4 push buttons, 4 switches 4.26 Power status indicators One per voltage rail 4.27 PPS input Minimum 1 The Statement of Capabilities must: a. Clearly demonstrate how the proposed product complies with each Minimum Essential Requirement; b. Include sufficient supporting technical documentation (e.g., technical specifications, manufacturer datasheets, brochures, drawings, or other relevant documentation) to substantiate compliance; c. Demonstrate the supplier’s capability to meet the contract period and delivery requirements identified in Section 12 of this Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN); d. Address the requirements in the same order as presented in Section 4 and clearly identify where supporting evidence can be found. For ease of assessment, suppliers should reference the specific page, paragraph, section, or attachment where compliance with each requirement is demonstrated. Failure to demonstrate compliance with all Minimum Essential Requirements, including the ability to meet the contract period and delivery requirements specified in Section 12, will result in the Statement of Capabilities being declared non-responsive. 5. Trade agreement applicability This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement: The Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). 6. Set-aside indications Not Applicable. 7. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s) Not Applicable. 8. Justification for Pre-Identified Supplier RealDigital is the only known supplier identified as capable of providing an RFSoC development board that meets all of the mandatory technical requirements identified in this requirement including the Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC XCZU48DR architecture, minimum ADC/DAC performance requirements, single-PCB design, compact form factor, and required interfaces and expansion capabilities. No alternative products have been identified through market research that demonstrably meet all mandatory requirements. 9. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s). The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) - "only one person is capable of performing the work". 10. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons The following exclusion and or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the following trade agreement: • Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). Exceptions: Chapter 5, Article 513, Section 1, sub-section (b), (c) and (d). 11. Intellectual Property Ownership Not Applicable. 12. Contract period and delivery dates The product must be delivered within fours months of contract award date. 13. Cost estimate of the proposed contract The estimated value of the contract is USD $55,625.00. 14. Supplier information Real Digital, LLC 655 SW James Place Pullman, WA 99163 US 15. Response procedure Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements. 16. Closing date and time The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is August 25, 2026 at 14:00 EST. 17. Contact information Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to: Camila Melo Procurement Officer Department of National Defence 101 Colonel By Drive Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K2 DSvcsC4Contracting-DCSvcs4Contrats@forces.gc.ca
