AB-2025-06766 - QuantStudio Absolute Q Digital PCR System

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) is hereby giving notice of its intention to engage ThermoFisher Scientific to provide a QuantStudio Absolute Q Digital (PCR) system for the NAIT Applied Research , Indigenous Community-Led Environmental Monitoring program.

As per the guidelines of the Canada-Wide Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA), NAIT has chosen not to tender the contemplated contract for the following reasons:

1. Unique microfluidic array plate (MAP) technology which eliminates the need for physical. displacement or fluidic shearing methods to split samples into microchambers and reduces reagent waste.
2. Optical multiplexing of up to four optical channels (five using ROX for reference) to test for and detect four different targets.
3. Up to 95% of each input sample is tested.
4. Five logs of dynamic range.
5. Sixteen dPCR reaction units.
6. 20,480 microchambers per reaction.
7. Single-Instrument Digital PCR System.
8. System includes security, audit and e-signature features to assist with compliance.
9. Instrument factory dye calibration.
10. Can analyze up to 16 samples simultaneously.
11. Instrument includes high powered LED sources.
12. Includes instrument software designed to analyze the fluorescence data for the applications of absolute quantification and CNV analysis. 13. Can complete up to 40 cycles of digital PCR using a fluorogenic 5’ nuclease assay in a digital PCR plate in under 90 minutes.
14. Has filter sets to image 5 distinct colour channels, with 4 available.
15. Ability to detect down to 0.1% mutant allele frequency with a background of at least 10,000 copies of wild type target.

Vendors wishing to object to this decision should email or hand deliver a letter of objection by 11:00 A.M. Alberta Time on November 18, 2025. The email or letter should outline specific reasons for their objections and clearly demonstrate their ability to offer the equivalent or better services. These will be the key criteria with regard to the consideration of the Vendor’s objection. Only a receipt of a substantiated challenge may result in the commencement of a competitive process. All decisions will be at the sole discretion of NAIT and will be final.