Specialized Professional Advisory Services for Cospas-Sarsat Programme

The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness has awarded a sole-source contract to Allan & MacPhail Consultants Limited, specifically to Mr. Peter Allan, for specialized professional advisory services supporting Canada’s leadership in the international COSPAS-SARSAT Programme. The contract, valued at $653,925 for a two-year base period with an option to extend for one additional year, is justified under subsection 6(d) of the Government Contracts Regulations due to the unique and irreplaceable expertise of the individual contractor, who possesses unmatched experience in COSPAS-SARSAT affairs, international negotiation, and satellite-based search and rescue systems. The contractor will provide strategic, technical, and governance support to Canada’s Permanent Representative, including the preparation of delegation instructions, drafting and analysis of technical papers, real-time advisory support during international meetings, chairing working groups, and contributing to negotiations aimed at modernizing the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme Agreement. Key areas of expertise required include MEOSAR, Second Generation Beacons, Return Link Service, and ICAO Autonomous Distress Tracking, with performance expected primarily in the National Capital Region of Canada, though international travel for meetings is inherent to the role. The contractor must be a Canadian citizen with a valid passport and eligible for a Government of Canada security clearance, and no intellectual property is anticipated to result from the work. The evaluation for award was based exclusively on minimum essential requirements in international program experience, COSPAS-SARSAT-specific expertise, international negotiation involvement, and educational suitability, with no weighting or cost evaluation applied—confirmation that selection was driven solely by technical merit and unique capability. No line-item pricing, clause alternates, or standardized FAR provisions were specified, and the procurement was issued as an Advance Contract Award Notice with no competitive solicitation process. Submission of the capability statement required physical delivery by mail, with no electronic or alternative formats accepted. The contract includes an optional six-month transition period not included in the estimated value, and no subcontracting, organizational conflict of interest provisions, or packaging and marking requirements were outlined, consistent with the purely advisory, non-deliverable nature of the services. Payment, invoicing, and accounting information were not specified, and no Contracting Officer’s Representative was named at the time of award, with oversight remaining under the sole POC, Mathieu Lemieux, Senior Acquisitions Advisor.