ACQ-26-0204 USPTO Patent Printing Assembly Mailing - PTAG 6.1.1 Sources Sought Notice.pdf

Patent Printing, Assembly, and Mailing (PPAM)

PTAG 6.1.1 Sources Sought Notice

Notice ID: ACQ-26-0204

September 11, 2025

Facilitated by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Procurement

Contents I. Introduction

II. Disclaimer

III. Background

IV. RFI Submission Instructions

V. Exhibits

I. Introduction

The Government intends utilizing the Alternative Competition Method in accordance with the Patent and Trademark Office Acquisition Guidelines (PTAG) 6.1.1 and the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act 35 U.S.C. 2(b)(4)(A).

This Sources Sought Notice is intended as preliminary market information gathering which the USPTO will use to determine which vendor(s) is/are the most likely to successfully meet the agency’s needs and are thereby eligible to participate in an alternative competition. As a result of this market research, the solicitation will only be issued to those qualified contractor(s) that are deemed most likely to successfully meet the agency’s requirement as stated below.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seeks to identify vendors capable of meeting the USPTO’s requirement for Patent Printing, Assembly, and Mailing (PPAM) as defined in Exhibit 01, PPAM Draft Statement of Work.

The Government will not utilize formal evaluation criteria for market research associated with PTAG

6.1.1. The Government will review responses to determine which vendors are most likely to successfully meet the agency’s requirements for PPAM.

II. Disclaimer

This Sources Sought Notice is NOT a solicitation and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quotation (RFQ), or a promise to issue an RFP or RFQ in the future. There is no USPTO commitment or implied agreement or understanding as a result of Government action or inaction taken in response to the RFI or the accompanying documents or attachments. The USPTO is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals. This Sources Sought Notice does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. The information provided in this notice is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. Telephone calls or emails requesting a solicitation will not be accepted or acknowledged.

Participation in this process is strictly voluntary. No entitlement to payment will arise as a result of the submission of a response to the notice or the response to any questions that the USPTO may ask as a result of the submission. The USPTO will not incur or reimburse any costs for the submission of responses or activities associated with the preparation or response to this notice, including responses to any follow-up information or action requested by the Government. Responders are advised that the USPTO is not liable for and will not pay for any information or direct, indirect, or administrative costs incurred in responding to this notice. The USPTO has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this notice may not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned but will be handled in accordance with applicable proprietary markings.

The USPTO reserves the right to conduct one-on-one market research sessions with any of the RFI respondent(s), if deemed necessary, but is not required to conduct individual sessions with all respondents.

III. Background

The USPTO is the federal agency responsible for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." The USPTO has an obligation to issue and publish patents per 35 U.S.C 2(a)(1). In accordance with 37 CFR 1.314 the USPTO must issue an applicant’s patent once the issue fee is paid unless it is withdrawn. This requirement for PPAM is in support of that requirement.

The USPTO has determined the applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 323111: Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books).

IV. Sources Sought Submission Instructions

• Questions regarding this sources sought notice are due no later than September 18, 2025 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time and shall be submitted via email to Latashia.Muse@uspto.gov and Nicholas.Sabellico@uspto.gov. The USPTO will respond to relevant questions and provide the consolidated Questions and Answers (Q&A) document as an amendment to this SAM.gov Sources Sought Notice.

• Responses are due no later than October 2, 2025 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time and shall be submitted via email to Latashia.Muse@uspto.gov and Nicholas.Sabellico@uspto.gov.

• Responses shall include all of the following:

(a) Company Name

(b) Company Address

(c) Company CAGE Code and System for Award Management (SAM) Unique Entity

Identifier (UEI) number (an active SAM registration is a requirement for contract awards)

(d) Primary Point of Contact Information

(e) Company small business status under NAICS 323111 and socio-economic category, if applicable (e.g., WOSB, SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, etc.). Please include “OTSB” if you are not a small business concern. If a respondent believes another NAICS may be more appropriate, please identify the NAICS code that most closely aligns and use this NAICS to define your small business size status.

(f) A capabilities document with sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability to successfully meet the agency’s needs as defined in Exhibit 01, PPAM Draft Statement of Work.

(g) Recent and relevant past performance examples of similar size and scope that demonstrate the ability to successfully meet the agency’s needs. A maximum of four examples may be provided; recent examples are within the last 5 years.

V. Exhibits

1. Exhibit 01 – PPAM Draft Statement of Work

a. Statement of Work Attachments

Attachment 01-Weekly Issue Print File (Example) Attachment 02-Drawing of Page Image Attachment 03-Sample PDF File-Utility Patent Cover Attachment 04-Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) mailto:Latashia.Muse@uspto.gov mailto:Nicholas.Sabellico@uspto.gov mailto:Latashia.Muse@uspto.gov mailto:Nicholas.Sabellico@uspto.gov