Temperature-controlled (“cold”) storage, transport, and distribution of vaccines

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is seeking industry input through a Request for Information to assess capabilities for providing temperature-controlled storage, transportation, and distribution of livestock vaccines critical to national animal disease control efforts, particularly for foot and mouth disease vaccines under its newly established Vaccine Bank. The infrastructure must support the handling of up to 22 pallets measuring 60" x 47" x 62", with strict requirements for air circulation—prohibiting direct stacking of packages or placement against walls—and must maintain a consistent temperature range of 2°C to 7°C during transport, in alignment with Section 130.1 of the Health of Animals Regulations. Facilities must be located near at least one international Canadian airport and be ready to support rapid deployment to any location within Canada upon outbreak notification, with the ability to immediately identify, segregate, and report any damaged, expired, or invalid vaccines within 24 hours of discovery. All operations are subject to inspection by the Canadian Centre for Veterinary Biologics or the CFIA with minimal notice, and contractors are expected to adhere to recognized quality assurance and biosafety protocols for all phases of vaccine handling. The solicitation, numbered 2026-00511 and posted on May 20, 2026, with a response deadline of June 20, 2026, is strictly an information-gathering exercise and not a formal procurement or competition for contract award. Respondents are asked to provide feedback on preferred contract models—specifically “Stand-By” versus “Just-in-Time”—and their preferred remuneration structure, but no pricing, line items, or award criteria are currently established. The Government of Canada emphasizes transparency by noting that any proprietary, third-party, or personal information submitted may be subject to disclosure under the Access to Information Act. Participation is voluntary, not obligatory for future bidding, and no reimbursement will be provided for response preparation costs. Additionally, federal contracting policy mandates a minimum of 5% of contract value be directed to Indigenous businesses, and responses may be submitted in either English or French, provided they include complete contact information and clearly state any assumptions made. The NAICS code for this activity is 493120, and the contracting authority is Peter Vinh, with all submissions required via email.