RFI Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards final 03 04 24.pdf

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE (GPO)

KEEPING AMERICA INFORMED

RFI No. 040ADV-24-R-0032

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Subject: Request for Information (RFI)

Project Name: Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards

Date of Issuance: March 4, 2024

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

Closing Date/Time: April 5, 2024, 5:00 pm EST

Subject: Request for Information (RFI) No. 040ADV-24-R-0032

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

| Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards |

A. The purpose of this RFI is to:

1. Request information from the vendors with considerable experience in creating and manufacturing the Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards. GPO is seeking market industry solutions for creating and manufacturing the Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards;

2. Identify vendors capable of designing and manufacturing Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards.

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

B. Timeline:

• The RFI is posted on March 4, 2024 and the responses due on April 5, 2024.

• Questions are due on March 15, 2024 17:00 EST and responses will be provided no later than March 20, 2024.

• GPO will review and collaborate on all responses.

• The RFP for the Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards is planned to be issued in the future.

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’s Specific Requirements:

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does not constitute an Invitation for Bid (IFB), a Request for Proposal (RFP), or a Request for Quote (RFQ).

GPO is interested to learn what market solutions currently exist or can be created for the Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards. Interested vendors are advised to seek clarifications/questions to this RFI by email to lash@gpo.gov by March 15, 2024. GPO will not respond to any clarifications submitted after this date and time. All requests for clarifications shall be official and in writing and submitted to the email identified above. GPO will issue the responses to questions no later than March 20th.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. GPO is not seeking quotations, bids or proposals, and will not accept bids or proposals if submitted.

RFI’s responses provided may or may not be used for developing the RFP, and some responses may be included in a formal solicitation’s text. 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.

Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation document, if any is issued by GPO.

All costs associated with responding to this RFI are solely the responsibility of the vendor; the GPO will not be responsible for any costs incurred in response to this RFI.

All RFI responses shall be submitted via email to Ms. Lainey Ash at lash@gpo.gov and Ms. Nataliya Holl at nholl@gpo.gov. Please see the printed and samples submission FedEx information below.

The following information is provided to assist the US Government Publishing Office (GPO) in conducting market research from the security manufacturing industry to identify the interested vendors that have the capability to produce and deliver an ID-1 card in a ISO compliant Dual Interface construction with all components made from polycarbonate, which will be used to produce a group of high security documents for use by various USG Agencies.

These cards may be used in personalization systems that may utilize the following personalization methods and strategies.

1. Laser Mark Engraving - Black

2. Laser Mark Engraving – Clear tactile

3. Laser Mark Engraving – Black tactile

4. Laser Perforation

5. UV Cure Inkjet

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 mailto:lash@gpo.gov mailto:lash@gpo.gov mailto:nholl@gpo.gov 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 subject to disclosure to the public pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C.

551).

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.

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

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 Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards.

The response must describe the offerors’ understanding of the development and manufacturing the Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards, including:

1. Capacity and fulfillment approach in Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards

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 should be no more than 90 pages and contain no marketing material, numbered bottom right, 11pt Calibri font on A4 format with on-inch margins. Respondents should also include a matrix that maps their capabilities requirements to sections of the RFI.

The US GPO requires 5 hardcopies in a 3-ringed binder of the RFI’s responses in addition to email submissions. 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 tittle.

One hundred (100) sample cards should accompany the descriptive literature. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

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

at the time of the RFI’s submissions.

In addition, responses (5 hardcopies in a 3-ringed binder, USB and the One hundred (100) sample cards) in reference to this RFI shall be submitted to by the closing date and time:

Via FEDEX/UPS to:

U.S. Government Publishing Office

Acquisition Services

Att.: Contracting Officer Nataliya Holl

Solicitation No. 040ADV-24-R-0032

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

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

CAPABILITIES

Dual Interface Polycarbonate Cards

1. Cards should be constructed of polycarbonate including any inlay and prelaminated layers

2. Appropriate layers should be able to be printed (offset, flexo, screen, etc) in order to incorporate high security design.

3. Cards should be compliant with ANSI 322 and ANSI 440 durability requirements

4. Provide example third party lab testing and certifications if available.

5. GPO is looking for innovative solutions that will provide the cards with the enhanced security features.

Chips and Applets

1. Describe capability to supply or work with a partner to encode applets on to the chip

a. Specifically, TWIC Applets and PIV Applets

Card Construction

1. Describe method of construction

a. Attention should be given to constructions using no added adhesives and focusing on leveraging polycarbonate's ability to self-bond under appropriate lamination conditions.

2. Describe ability to incorporate third party supplied (USG Identified) OVD Features

3. Describe capability to incorporate static tactile features through lamination plates or belts

Card Marking

1. Describe the capability to mark and serialize card bodies with a variety of information

2. GPO is looking for innovative solutions for cards manufacturing

Manifest Creation and Delivery

1. Describe capability to provide an XML manifest of card deliveries including individual card, batch and configuration information.

Security Printing

1. Describe security printing capabilities available

a. Offset Capabilities

b. Screen Printing

c. Flexography, if available

d. Digital, if available

Facility Security

1. Capability to manufacture and store cards 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.

It is expected that a single vendor maybe not be able to produce a complete card build including applet development and encoding.

Supply Chain

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

a. Raw Material sources and location, including any vendor or partners

b. Manufacturing sources and locations, including any vendor or partners

c. Finishing and shipping process, including any vendors or partners

End of RFI No.040ADV-24-R-0032