Requester:                              Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (“AAFC”)

Available Rights:                 For the licensed right to produce and market Stevia rebaudiana cultivars, seed and/or product. The nature of the license (i.e. sole or non-exclusive), territory and field of use being sought.

Variety Description:            Three Stevia rebaudiana cultivars (GII Bulk, GI Sib and GVII Bulk) with >80% of total glycosides consisting of rebaudioside A and reproduced by seed, which was at AAFC, Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre in London, Ontario. 

Breeder Seed Availability:   20,000 seeds of each cultivar will be made available on execution of a License.

Proposal:                              The RFP is comprised of

                                                            (1)        This Notice of RFP;

                                                            (2)        Guidelines for Submitting Proposals; and

                                                            (3)        Variety Description.

                                                The successful respondents to the Request for Proposals (RFP) will be determined by the overall best economic value to Canada as adjudged by the criteria identified in article 10 – Evaluation Criteria of the document entitled “Guidelines for Submitting Proposals”.

                                                AAFC reserves the right to negotiate with any proponent and to modify that proposal without notifying or offering the same terms and conditions to the other proponents. This is not a tender.

AAFC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.

Deadline:                               Proposals must be received at the specified address by not later than 4:00 pm DST on Friday, August 11, 2006. If proposals are sent by facsimile to meet this time limit, hard copy originals must be received by 4:00 pm DST on Thursday, August 17, 2006 to be considered.   Proposals must be marked “Protected - Business Information”.

Address for

Submissions:                         Sandy Hushagen

Commercialization Officer

                                                Office of Intellectual Property

                                                Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

                                                1391 Sandford St.

                                                London, ON   N5V 4T3

Contacts:                               Any inquiries on the RFP process should be directed to:

Sandy Hushagen, Commercialization Officer

                                                Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization

                                                Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

                                                1391 Sandford St.

                                                London, ON   N5V 4T3

                                                Fax: (519) 457-3997

E-mail: hushagens@agr.gc.ca

                                                Any inquiries for technical information on varieties should be directed to:

Dr. Jim Brandle                                                                    

                                                Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

                                                1391 Sandford St.

                                                London, ON   N5V 4T3

                                                Fax: (519) 457-3997  

E-Mail: brandleje@agr.gc.ca

All inquiries MUST be in writing. All replies shall be made in writing.  AAFC shall not be liable for damages suffered by a proponent who acts upon an oral representation or an oral reply from AAFC.

Responses to general inquiries will be made available to all proponents, unless such publication would reveal proprietary information.        

                                                                 AAFC encourages small and medium enterprises (SME's) to submit proposals under this process.

Additional information is posted on NPIcenter's Business Information and Technology Exchange : http://www.npicommunity.com/Exchange/tabid/63/Default.aspx