The District School Board of Niagara (hereafter referred to as the DSBN) hereby invites submissions for HVAC Systems Maintenance & Repairs at DSBN facilities and HVAC Parts & Supplies for pickup or delivery on an as needed basis for a three-year period beginning November 1, 2023 and ending October 31, 2026. 

Consideration will be given to renew the contract for 3 separate one-year periods ending October 31, 2029. The DSBN will be pre-qualifying multiple suppliers.

Contractors/Suppliers will be pre-qualified under two (2) different categories based on scope of work: 

Category A- HVAC Systems Maintenance & Repairs

Category B- HVAC Parts & Supplies

The DSBN shall pre-qualify Contractors/vendors for one or both categories based on the relevant experience, references provided and mandatory requirements.

Contractors/Suppliers that do not meet the original submission deadline are still eligible and encouraged to submit a proposal.  Suppliers may submit a Pre-qualification proposal at any time throughout the duration of the contract.  Additional Contractors/Supplier(s) will be added to the list as they are received and reviewed by DSBN staff. 

Proponents(s) who have previously been qualified to provide the services as described herein under this Contract number do not need to respond to further postings of this same Contract number.

DSBN is currently in contracts for the following services:

Contract 21016- HVAC Systems Maintenance & Repairs expiring October 31, 2023.

Contract 21108- HVAC Parts & Supplies expiring May 31, 2024.

DSBN will incorporate the scope of work from Contracts 21016 and 21108 into this contract (24017 HVAC Systems Maintenance, Repairs, Parts & Supplies) upon the expiry of Contracts 21016 and 21108.

Proponent(s) who have previously been qualified to provide the services for Contracts 21016 and 21108 or who are currently performing work for the DSBN must respond to this Contract 24017 HVAC Systems Maintenance, Repairs, Parts & Supplies to be considered for future work assignment once contracts 21016 and 21108 expire as well as the work described for this Contract 24017.

Category A

Objective:

To prequalify Contractors to provide HVAC Systems Maintenance and Repairs at various DSBN facilities.

The Scope of Work for Contract 21016 HVAC Systems Maintenance & Repairs which will be incorporated into 24017 HVAC Systems Maintenance, Repairs, Parts & Supplies effective November 1, 2023 will include but not be limited to:

• Refrigeration maintenance and repairs
• Repairs to valves and hydronic heating lines
• Sheet metal revisions or extensions
• Air conditioning maintenance and repairs
• HVAC equipment maintenance and repairs
• Boiler maintenance, repairs and cleaning
• Building controls maintenance, repairs and programming

This is not an all-inclusive list.  Other types of repairs and services or equipment may be required. Subject to manufacturer discontinuation of product, DSBN reserves the right to add additional equipment to the list of standard equipment at its sole discretion. 

The DSBN reserves the right to assign projects on the basis of “best fit” as determined 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.

The average work order assigned under this contract will be for small maintenance and repair work – typically less than a day’s worth of labour – although larger jobs (multiple days of labour) will be occasionally required and assigned.

The Contractor will be responding primarily to requests for general maintenance and service. The DSBN’s expectation is for contractors to: 

• Respond to general service requests within 24 hours.
• Provide a timeline of completion within one week.
• Complete and invoice service requests within 30 calendar days of receiving.
• Billable time will be based on hourly rates submitted

All work shall be performed according to the standards of the applicable trades and to the complete satisfaction of the DSBN.

The Contractor 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 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 unless it is assigned purely for assessment purposes.

Category B

Objective:

To request competitive proposals and establish Suppliers of Record for pickup or delivery of HVAC Parts and Supplies.

Depending on order turnaround requirements and availability, orders may be picked up at a Supplier’s storefront near the geographical boundaries of the Niagara Region with suitable proximity to DSBN operating locations or may be ordered via purchase or blanket contract order for delivery. 

The Scope of Work for Contract 21108 HVAC Parts & Supplies for pick up, which will be incorporated into 24017 HVAC Systems Maintenance, Repairs, Parts & Supplies effective June 1, 2024 will include but not be limited to:

• Actuators
• Thermostats
• Fan Motors
• Belts
• Freeze Controls
• Pressure Switches
• Relief Valves
• Regulators
• Pilot Assemblies

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

The DSBN reserves the right to parts and supplies on the basis of “best fit” of discount, availability, fees, Storefront proximity to DSBN (where pick up is required) or any other criteria as determined by the DSBN at its sole discretion. For higher dollar value purchases, pre-qualified Suppliers may be given the opportunity to provide quotes.

The DSBN reserves the right to obtain quotes from multiple pre-qualified Suppliers for items, at our discretion, although we are not required to do so and may proceed with a pre-qualified Supplier providing th highest minimum discount percentage without further quotes.

There is no guarantee that any items will be purchased.

The DSBN serves 12 Municipalities in the Niagara Region from Fort Erie to Grimsby, including 79 Elementary and 16 Secondary schools with an enrollment of approximately 36,000 students.  In addition, there are other administrative centres throughout the geographical area, including the Education Centre and a Service Centre.

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).