040ADV-24-R-0033 Security Paper Sources Sought Cylinder Mould Paper RFI Final 04 02 24.pdf

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE (GPO)

KEEPING AMERICA INFORMED

RFI No. 040ADV-24-R-0033

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Subject: Request for Information (RFI) and Vendors selection

Project Name: Security Printing Substrate – Cylinder Mould Watermark Paper

Date of Issuance: April 2, 2024

Questions are due: April 15, 2024, 17:00 EST

Closing Date/Time: May 17, 2024, 17:00 EST

Subject: Request for Information (RFI) No. 040ADV-24-R-0033

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE AVAILABLE.

| Security Printing Substrate – Cylinder Mould Watermark Paper |

A. The purpose of this RFI is to:

1. Request information from the vendors with considerable experience in manufacturing the Security Printing Substrate – Cylinder Mould Watermark Paper. GPO is seeking market industry solutions for creating and manufacturing the Security Printing Substrate – Cylinder Mould Watermark Paper.

2. Identify vendors capable of designing and manufacturing Security Printing Substrate – Cylinder Mould Watermark Paper.

B. Timeline and processes:

1. RFI is posted for responses April 2, 2024 and responses will be received on May 17, 2024.

2. Questions are due on April 15, 2024, 17:00 EST.

3. GPO will review and evaluate responses and vendors will be invited to respond to the upcoming

RFP.

4. RFP issuance: GPO projects that the RFP will be issued in 2025. GPO expects the award to be made in early 2026. GPO anticipates one single source IDIQ contract award with the Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) Delivery Orders consistent with the Materials Management Acquisition Regulation (MMAR) 16.504 issued based on this RFP.

C. RFI requested information:

This is a Request for Information (RFI), identification of the vendors’ capabilities, and evaluation of submissions. Responses to this RFI will be used to determine industry’s capabilities for the upcoming

RFP.

The following information is provided to assist the US Government Publishing Office (GPO) in conducting market research from the security manufacturing industry to identify if there are interested parties that have the capability to produce and deliver a security paper incorporating cylinder mould watermarks, which will be used to produce a group of high security documents for use by various USG Agencies.

The US GPO is looking to identify qualified vendors which have the capability to engineer, manufacture, secure and deliver security paper that will be used in the manufacture of high security documents and documents of value as determined and required by agencies of the US Government.

Interested vendors are advised to seek clarifications/questions to this RFI by email to lash@gpo.gov by April 15, 2024. GPO will not respond to any clarifications submitted after this date and time. All request for clarifications shall be official and in writing and submitted to the email identified above.

These substrates may be used in printing systems such as:

Offset (wet offset, waterless, UV cure, absorption drying, oxidization curing), Intaglio (oxidization curing and UV curing), Screen (oxidization curing and UV curing), Flexography and Letterpress.

These papers may also be used in personalization systems to include retransfer, inkjet (absorption and UV cure), laser, rubber stamp and handwritten. For each sample or substrate, provide in the accompanying documentation and proposal information regarding which personalization/imprinting method is most appropriate for use.

All vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (“SAM”) database www.sam.gov.

Any comments provided in the vendors’ responses may or may not be included in a formal solicitation.

The Government will not release any information marked with a proprietary legend received in response to this RFI to any firms, agencies, or companies outside the Government without written permission in accordance with the legend. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

This RFI in no way obligates GPO to award a future contract, nor does it commit GPO to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of a submission.

Proprietary data and information: All items that are confidential to business, or contain trade secrets, proprietary, or personnel information must be clearly marked in the RFI’s responses.

Respondents who include in their response data they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, shall mark the title page with the following legend:

“This submission includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used or disclosed—in whole or in part—for any purpose other than to evaluate this response.

This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to the restriction is contained in sheets (insert numbers or other identification of sheets); and mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend:

Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal or quotation.”

The Government assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may use or disclose the data for any purpose. Unless restricted, information submitted in response to this request may become mailto:lash@gpo.gov http://www.sam.gov/ subject to disclosure to the public pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C.

551).

D. Submission Instructions:

I. Cover Letter up to 5 pages

II. Corporate Capability and Experience up to 10 pages III. Technical response up to 90 pages

Note: Cover letter and the dividers are not included in the page count.

I. Cover Letter:

The Cover Letter must be presented on an official organizational letterhead and signed by a person who has signatory authority for the organization. The cover letter must be in Adobe PDF format.

The cover letter shall include the following:

1. RFP Name and Number

2. Name of the Offeror

3. Offeror Address

4. Tax Identification Number

5. UEI Number

6. Date of submission

7. Name of any teaming members/subcontractors/partnerships

8. Names, titles, and telephone numbers of persons authorized to negotiate on the offeror’s behalf with the Government in connection with this solicitation.

9. Name, title and signature of person authorized to sign the proposal. Proposals signed by an agent must be accompanied by evidence of that agent’s authority, unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.

II. Corporate Capability and Experience:

The responses shall demonstrate vendor’s ability and capacity to develop, test, manufacture (including contingency plans), and deliver the Cylinder Mould Watermark Paper.

The response must describe the offerors’ understanding of the Security Printing Substrate – Cylinder Mould Watermark Paper, including:

1. Capacity and fulfillment approach in Security Printing Substrate – Cylinder Mould Watermark Paper

2. Maintaining inventory on hand to address potential shortage of supplies

3. Appropriate Shipping method to achieve secure transportation of equipment to two designated addresses in Washington, DC and Stennis, MS.

III. Technical Response:

The submitted response must answer all the points outlined in the capabilities section and responses shall not exceed 90 pages with no minimum limit, numbered bottom right, 11pt Calibri font on A4 format with one-inch margins. Respondents should also include a matrix that maps their capabilities requirements to sections of the RFI. Please also list company points of contacts. All RFI responses should be clearly marked with the vendor's name, main point of contact as well as the RFI number and title.

The US GPO requires 5 hardcopies in a 3-ringed or 4-ringed binder. Each Binder should have a USB drive in the front pocket that contains an electronic copy of the RFI response. The USB drives must be labeled with the Offeror’s name and RFI number and title.

Samples demonstrating the discussed features and inclusions listed in the requirements below should accompany the descriptive literature.

All responses to this RFI should be submitted by email to: Nataliya Holl at nholl@gpo.gov and Lainey Ash at lash@gpo.gov by the response due date specified above. No telephone calls will be accepted.

In addition to the emailed responses, 5 hardcopies in a 3-ringed binder or 4-ringed binder, and USB samples are required and shall be mailed via FEDEX/UPS and submitted by the closing date and time:

U.S. Government Publishing Office

Acquisition Services

Att.: Contracting Officer Nataliya Holl

Solicitation No. 040ADV-24-R-0033

Room A530, Stop: ASD

732 North Capitol Street, NW

Washington, DC 20401

Thank you so much for your submission. We appreciate your interest in the GPO’s opportunities.

Sincerely, Nataliya Holl

Supervisory Contracting Officer mailto:nholl@gpo.gov mailto:lash@gpo.gov

The below desired process capabilities are understood that all of them may not be possible in all configurations of substrates.

CAPABILITIES

Paper Furnish

1. Paper making capability that includes 0% to 100% cotton furnish. Wood pulp furnish is appropriate.

2. Description of recommended or typical furnish blend is requested.

3. Capability to produce all papers with no reaction to longwave and shortwave UV light.

4. Capability to add Chemically Reactive stains that once the paper is produced will produce an obvious measurable reaction to solvents.

Paper Weight

1. 80 to 300 grams per square meter

Watermarks

1. Capability to produce highly detailed Cylinder Mould watermark imagery

2. Capability to produce high contrast watermark imagery

3. Capability to produce paper that has a consistent watermark repeatability

4. Please provide physical samples in response to demonstrate the quality and type of watermark elements.

Embedded Threads

1. Capability to design and engineer embedded security threads of a variety of widths

2. Capability to embed security threads in paper which are not easily removed from the paper

3. Capability to embed a security thread in a windowed manner or full surface mount

4. Full description of the thread security features available for inclusion in the paper (ie, demetalized images, uv features, holography, windowed placement)

Inclusions

1. Capability to include in the paper furnish forensically identifiable fibers, both white light visible and UV visible

2. Capability to include customer specified fibers from third party manufacturers.

3. Description of fiber features and make up which are currently available.

4. Please make sure and detail full range of capability for fiber design and construction including Level 1 to 3 features.

5. Innovative security features and/or innovative solutions for inclusions: GPO is looking for innovative solutions that will provide the paper with the enhanced security features. The prime paper production companies are encouraged to seek innovative technology solutions with trusted security partners and subcontractors.

Volume

1. Capability to manufacture and maintain engineering stats for up to 20 different types of paper in a variety of sizes from 17x22 up to 25x35

2. Capability to produce volumes ranging from 50,000 sheets to 10,000,000 per different type of paper.

Label Stock

1. Ability to convert base security stock into a permanent once applied pressure sensitive label stock.

Security

1. Capability to manufacture and store paper in a secure facility with employees that can meet rigorous security requirements.

2. Please Note if manufacturing location is ISO 14298 certified or has a current GPO and/or DOS Diplomatic Security Audit completed.

Shipping

1. Capability to secure ship paper to a variety of locations in the continental US.

2. Provide details on material supply chain and geographic source origins as well as manufacturing.

Partnering and subcontracting

Vendors are encouraged to partner with the companies that provide innovative solutions and identify these companies and their capabilities in the submission.

Supply Chain

1. Provide a detailed supply chain diagram describing the following.

a. Raw Material sources and location, including any other vendors/partners

b. Manufacturing sources and locations, including any other vendors/partners

c. Finishing and shipping process, including any other vendors/partners

End of RFI No. 040ADV-24-R-0033