To drill core wells in the Lower Grand River watershed, southern Ontario

The Geological Survey of Canada, under Natural Resources Canada, is soliciting bids to conduct hydrogeological characterization through core drilling in the lower Grand River watershed in southern Ontario, covering approximately 2000 km². The project requires drilling up to seven boreholes—four initially with the option to add three more—depending on field results and budget, which will then be converted into environmental monitoring wells. Wells will be constructed either as a combination of PQ overburden and HQ bedrock cores or solely as HQ bedrock cores, with target depths of approximately 50 meters and potential extension to 65 meters for two wells if funding permits. Drilling must begin in the third week of September 2026 and be completed within 35 days or less, with all work conducted during daylight hours and not exceeding ten hours per day. Equipment must include track- or truck-mounted rigs in near-new condition, equipped with PQ and HQ core barrel systems capable of continuous coring at 1.5-meter intervals, meeting strict environmental standards to prevent effluent discharge into waterways or sensitive lands. The contractor must comply with all applicable legislation including the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, and demonstrate rigorous safety procedures in the field. All bids must satisfy mandatory technical pass/fail criteria including possession of a valid Well Contractor License, submission of names and credentials of a primary and alternate driller with Class 1 Well Technician Licenses, and proof of at least three overburden coring projects within the last eight years with ≥75 meter depth and ≥90% core recovery in at least one, along with demonstrated bedrock coring experience. Proposals must be submitted in four distinct sections—technical, financial, mandatory forms, and additional information—with full compliance to the Ineligibility and Suspension Policy and integrity verification requirements, including a List of Names and completed Declaration Form. Financial offers must be in Canadian funds, all-inclusive unit firm prices excluding taxes, submitted via Rate Bid forms, and evaluated based on the lowest compliant price. Invoicing must be emailed as a PDF to a specified government address and include detailed financial codes, contract numbers, and client references, with payment terms of 30 days upon receipt of a compliant invoice; non-resident contractors are subject to a 15% withholding tax unless a valid CRA waiver is provided. The contractor is responsible for mobilization and demobilization at no additional cost to Canada, must maintain accounting records in machine-readable format for seven years after final payment