GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPONENTS

The District School Board of Niagara (hereafter referred to as the DSBN) hereby invites submissions for Asbestos & Mould Remediation Services for the period beginning January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2028. Only the approved pre-qualified Asbestos Abatement and Mould Remediation Contractors will be eligible to submit bids in accordance with the various Capital projects.

This pre-qualification applies to various projects which may be bid directly to the DSBN by Asbestos Contractors as well as work to be tendered to General Contractors as Sub-Contractors.

Respondent(s) who have previously been qualified to provide the services as described herein, or who are currently performing work for the DSBN must also respond to this request to be considered for future work assignment.

Asbestos Abatement and Mould Remediation Contractors will be pre-qualified under two different categories based on project value:

Category A - For small Maintenance Projects less than or equal to $100,000 on a time and materials basis.

Category B- For projects estimated between $100,001 to $500,000 for Capital Projects.

The DSBN intends to select approximately 5 Contractors for Category A and approximately 5 Contractors for Category B, with the understanding that the numbers for Category A & B may be adjusted at the DSBN’s discretion. 

The DSBN shall pre-qualify Asbestos Abatement and Mould Remediation Contractors for one or both categories based on the Contractor’s relevant experience and their references provided. Each Category is reviewed and selected individually.

For Category A projects, the DSBN reserves the right to assign work orders to Contractors on the basis of “best fit” as determined by DSBN at DSBN’s sole discretion based on any criteria DSBN determines to be applicable to the particular project, which may include any of the following: type and/or level of expertise and services required, hourly rates, markup percentage, vendor availability in regards to response time and/or schedule, past experience performing similar work, or any other criteria DSBN considers relevant in terms of selecting a Contractor best suited to perform the work.

For Category B projects, subsequent Request for Quotes or Tenders will be issued as work arises.

Mandatory Requirements:

All employees providing Asbestos & Mould Remediation Services at DSBN sites must be trained at the time of submission as per Ontario Regulation 278/05 in:

1. General Asbestos Awareness Training

2. Asbestos Abatement Worker Certification

3. Asbestos Abatement Supervisor Certification

4. Hazard Awareness Training

Services rendered are to be performed solely by the Proponent and the bidder agrees that no subcontractors will be used to perform any services within this contract.

SCOPE OF WORK

The following are representative of the services which may be required but not limited to: 

• Set-up of type 2 ceiling entries

• Type 1, 2 or 3 asbestos abatement 

• Type 2 glovebag removal

• Type 2 encapsulation/ repair

• Mould remediation

• Lead pain abatement projects

• Pest remediation (such as bat guano, mice feces)

This is not an all-inclusive list. Other types of repairs and services may be required.

The Contractor shall be required to move all furniture and objects to a predetermined location before and after asbestos abatement and cover any and all items that are not subject to this work, for the duration of the abatement process. 

The Contractor may be held responsible for any additional cleaning and/or remediation activities that are required, or suggested by a third-party consultant, if results of clearance testing conducted following any remediation activities are not satisfactory to the DSBN, or do not meet levels stipulated within Ontario Regulation 278/05.

All work shall be performed according to the professional standards of the industry and to the complete satisfaction of the DSBN.

The bidder is required to verify prior to pricing projects that all specified items will be available in time for installation to ensure orderly and timely progress of the work.

The DSBN Facility Representative shall approve the use of any materials other than those specified by the DSBN.  The Contractor may present alternatives and options to the DSBN for approval.

In some cases, the DSBN may supply the materials to be used by the Contractor and in these circumstances no markup shall apply to these materials.

The DSBN reserves the right to obtain quotes from multiple pre-qualified Contractors for items, at our discretion, although we are not required to do so and may proceed with a pre-qualified Contractor without further quotes.

Where projects or work differs significantly from the scope of work as described herein, the DSBN reserves the right to utilize a different process and different Contractors.

The Contractor may be required from time to time to provide a quote for work required which may not result in the work being awarded.  The Contractor shall not invoice the DSBN for this service.

Category A- For Small Maintenance Projects less than or equal to $100,000 on a time and material basis.

Objective: To prequalify up to five (5) Asbestos Contractors for the DSBN Maintenance Division that can perform routine day-to-day maintenance. Work will be assigned through the DSBN work order system – eBASE (an online computerized management software). A typical work order will be one-four hours in length and any one Contractor may be expected to receive between zero – five work orders a month. 

Work orders are assigned digitally to Contractors. Contractors will view work orders digitally and participate in online discussion as required, as prompted by the Maintenance Division (typically soliciting updates re: timelines). Discussion comments are viewable through eBASE and emails are sent to the contractor when discussion is created or responded to. See Appendix B DSBN Contractor Onboarding Guide (eBASE Instructions) for reference.

Bidders will be evaluated on their response as it relates to capability for monitoring and participating in online discussion for work orders, however it is a Contract requirement for Category A that prequalified Contractors utilize the eBase system. 

Most of the work will be $10,000 or less per job for small type 2 debris clean up or mould abatement as required.

The DSBN reserves the right to assign work orders to Contractors on the basis of “best fit” as determined by DSBN at DSBN’s sole discretion based on any criteria DSBN determines to be applicable to the particular project, which may include any of the following: type and/or level of expertise and services required, hourly rates, markup percentage, vendor availability in regards to response time and/or schedule, past experience performing similar work, or any other criteria DSBN considers relevant in terms of selecting a Contractor best suited to perform the work.

If and when the situation arises – Contractors from this list may be asked to provide services above and beyond the typical work order assignment expectations.

The DSBN requires confirmation of initial request for service within 1 working day and on-site review of work, confirmation of schedule and estimate within 3 working days. 

The Contractor will be responding primarily to requests concerning maintenance and emergency repair work. The DSBN’s expectation is for all Contractors to:

• Respond to emergency situations as they occur

• Service shall be made available to the DSBN 365 days per year, 24 hours per day. 

• Billable time will be based on hourly rates submitted.

Note: Most work will be performed during after hours. Work during regular hours can only be done in the summer, March break and winter break.

Category B- For projects estimated between $100,001 to $500,000 for Capital Projects.

Objective: To prequalify approximately five (5) Asbestos Contractors for Capital Projects, with the understanding that this number may be adjusted at the DSBN’s discretion. Subsequent Request for Quotes or Tenders will be issued as work arises.

BACKGROUND

The DSBN is a supportive, innovative community that is focused on doing what’s best for kids, and helps every student achieve success. We proudly serve over 40,000 students across almost 100 elementary and secondary schools in Niagara, located between Lake Erie in the South and Lake Ontario to the North. 

We believe that every individual involved with our system -- from students, staff, and volunteers to trustees, families, and community partners -- has an important contribution to make to the learning, growth, and well-being of DSBN students. Students are at the heart of everything we do, and this commitment is ubiquitous throughout our system and is encapsulated by our Vision, Learning and Growing Together. 

The DSBN complies with the Broader Public Sector Directives (as directed by the Province of Ontario); and applicable trade agreements such as Ontario-Quebec Trade and Cooperation Agreement, Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA) and Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA).