040ADV-25-R-0040 Hinge material RFI.pdf

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE (GPO)

AMERICA INFORMED

RFI No. 040ADV-25-R-0040

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Subject: Request for Information (RFI)

Project Name: RFI for Passport-style Book Hinge Material

Date of Issuance: September 17, 2025

Questions Due: September 24, 2025, 17:00 EDT

Closing Date/Time: October 8, 2025, 17:00 EDT

Subject: Request for Information (RFI) No. 040ADV-25-R-0040

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

| Passport-style Book Hinge Material |

A. The purpose of this RFI is to:

1. Request information from the vendors with considerable experience in manufacturing Passport-style Book Hinge Material. The US Government Publishing Office (GPO) is seeking industry solutions for creating and manufacturing the Passport-style Book Hinge Material.

2. Identify vendors capable of designing and manufacturing Passport-style Book Hinge Material.

B. Timeline and Process:

1. RFI is posted for responses on September 17, 2025 and responses will be received no later than October 8, 2025, 17:00 EDT.

2. Questions are due no later than September 24, 2025, 17:00 EDT.

3. GPO will review and evaluate.

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

C. Requested Information:

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

The following information is requested to assist the GPO in conducting market research within the security manufacturing industry to identify if there are interested parties that have the capability to produce and deliver a Passport-style Book Hinge Material, which will be used to produce a group of high security documents.

The GPO is looking to identify qualified vendors that have the capability to engineer, manufacture, secure, and deliver Passport-style Book Hinge Material that will be used in the manufacture of high security documents and documents of value.

Interested vendors are advised to seek clarifications/questions to this RFI by email to lash@gpo.gov and nholl@gpo.gov no later than September 24, 2025, 17:00 EDT. GPO will not respond to any clarifications/questions submitted after this date and time. All requests for clarifications/questions shall be in writing and submitted to the email identified above.

The Passport-style Book Hinge Material will be used in US Passport production and other products.

All vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database www.sam.gov at the time of submitting formal proposals in response to the RFI.

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, to include optional samples, 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 response to this RFI, including optional samples.

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

Respondents who include in their response any 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 RFI may become 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 50 pages

Note: Dividers are not included in the page count.

mailto:lash@gpo.gov mailto:nholl@gpo.gov http://www.sam.gov/

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. RFI Name and Number

2. Name of the Organization

3. Organization Address

4. Tax Identification Number

5. UEI Number

6. Date of submission

7. Name of any teaming members/subcontractors/partnerships (if applicable)

8. Names, titles, and telephone numbers of persons authorized in connection with this RFI.

9. Name, title and signature of person authorized to sign the submission. Submissions 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 the vendor’s ability and capacity to develop, test, manufacture (including contingency plans and timeline for full production, and the list of needed production equipment available and projected to be purchased), and deliver the Passport-style Book Hinge Material.

The response must describe the respondents’ understanding of the Passport-style Book Hinge Material, including:

1. Capacity and fulfillment approach for producing and delivering the Passport-style Book Hinge Material.

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

3. Appropriate shipping method to achieve secure transportation of raw materials to two designated addresses in Washington, DC and Stennis, MS.

4. Tariff implications in the event that the materials are produced outside of the US.

III. Technical Response:

The submitted response must answer all the points outlined in the Components and Manufacturing Capabilities section below and responses shall not exceed 50 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.

Optional Submission: If the vendor has hinge material samples to share with GPO, demonstrating the discussed features listed in the requirements below, the vendor shall send the samples package together with 3 hardcopies of responses 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 Respondent’s name and RFI number and title. Companies that will elect to submit samples must also submit the electronic RFI response described below.

In addition to the emailed responses, 3 hardcopies in a 3-ringed binder or 4-ringed binder, and USB samples are required and shall be mailed via FEDEX/UPS and received no later the closing date and time:

U.S. Government Publishing Office Agency Acquisitions Att.: Contracting Officer Nataliya Holl RFI No. 040ADV-25-R-0040 Room A530, Stop: Agency Acquisitions 732 North Capitol Street, NW Washington, DC 20401

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

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

Passport-style Book Hinge Material

The production of hinge materials for is a highly specialized process that demands precision, durability, and security. The hinge is a component which is incorporated through lamination into the structure of a polycarbonate datapage. The completed polycarbonate datapage is then combined with the passport through the process of stitching through the hinge along with the paper pages of the passport. The passport’s hinge is a vital component that ensures the passport opens and closes smoothly while maintaining the structural integrity and tamper-resistance of the document. GPO is seeking a solution which outlines the essential raw materials, detailed manufacturing processes, and the advanced machinery required to produce high-quality Passport-style Book Hinge Materials that meet stringent US Government standards.

Producing Passport-style Book Hinge Materials is a complex, multi-step process that requires a careful selection of raw materials, advanced manufacturing techniques, and precise machinery. The combination of flexible polymer substrates, strong adhesives, reinforcement layers, and protective coatings ensures that the hinge is durable, secure, and capable of withstanding frequent use.

Incorporating security features further enhances the US passports and other secure documents’ resistance to tampering and counterfeiting.

By implementing a comprehensive solution, manufacturers can produce passport hinges that meet the highest standards of quality and security, supporting the integrity and longevity of US passports. This approach not only ensures compliance with government requirements but also contributes to the overall trust and reliability of the passport as a secure travel document.

COMPONENTS

Main Hinge Body

1. The main structure of the hinge shall be a fine woven polymer fabric which will ensure flexibility and strength as to securely fasten the datapage into the passport booklet.

Processing requirements

1. Hinge should be made and processed in such a way that once the final book is trimmed the edges of the woven fabric will not unravel and become loose.

2. Sonic welding of the edges to be cut is not an acceptable solution.

Specialty Inks

1. Hinge material shall be constructed in such a way to allow for printed images and features to be printed onto the surface of the hinge.

2. The hinge material should be able to be printed in up to 4 different colors allowing for a combination of visible and UV reactive invisible inks.

3. Ink shall not interfere with the lamination and bonding process during lamination with the polycarbonate structure.

Security Features

1. Security Features that can be incorporated on the hinge but not limited to or inclusive of the below:

a. Die cut windows in the hinge to allow for polycarbonate anchor bonding.

b. Multi color printing in macro and micro printing

c. Custom UV reactive colored threads (white or clear in White Light) incorporated during fabric weaving operation.

d. Embossing images on the hinge material.

MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES

Process and Quality Control

1. Describe existing or proposed process (manufacturing, storage and packaging) together with the intended quality control elements (strength testing, adhesion testing, visual inspection, etc.) to accommodate at least the 30 million books per year1.

2. Describe machinery and equipment currently available and needed to be procured with the procurement timeline

3. Identify when the full capacity manufacturing can be achieved (First Full volume Delivery in June 2027).

4. Please provide a notional timeline for development from beginning to end incorporating a custom woven material.

Volume

5. Capability to manufacture and maintain 30 million books worth of material a year

Security

1. Capability to manufacture and store hinge material 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.

Patents and Applicable Intellectual Property

1. Supply full documentation regarding any patents that are applicable to the hinge and its manufacture and integration into a passport.

Shipping

1. Capability to secure ship hinge material to Washington, DC and Stennis, MS in continental

US.

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

US Tariffs

1. Provide details on where the raw materials will be shipped from for the US tariffs impact.

Partnering and subcontracting

1. Vendors are encouraged to partner with the companies that provide innovative solutions and identify these companies and their capabilities in the submission. NOTE: Vendors must be able to meet the same security requirements as the prime vendor listed above in the Security Section.

Supply Chain

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

a. Raw Material sources and location, including any other vendors/partners (if applicable)

b. Manufacturing sources and locations, including any other vendors/partners (if applicable)

1 https://2021-2025.state.gov/record-breaking-achievements-in-u-s-passport-processing/ https://2021-2025.state.gov/record-breaking-achievements-in-u-s-passport-processing/

c. Finishing and shipping process, including any other vendors/partners (if applicable)

INNOVATION

Clearly identify proposed innovation to enhance the functionality, security, durability, and user experience of passport-style book hinges. These innovations address may address the following:

• how to specifically address evolving security threats;

• innovative materials ideas and its implementation timeline;

• improved manufacturing efficiency.

End of RFI No. 040ADV-25-R-0040