SOO_Overall_Development_Effort.docx

Sensitive But Unclassified

Procurement Sensitive

R&D Services for Ink Development

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

1.0 Scope of Work

The objective of this work is to put in place an Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract for a period of five (5) years with one or more contractors of security printing inks to advance the project goals of future currency designs. This project is designed to provide security features and characteristics for use by the Banknote Equipment Manufacturers (BEM), who are vital and important partners of the BEP in providing a consistent, reliable and highly secure banknote for use by the public.

The program office, the Office of Technology Development (OTD), Securities Features Division (SFD) of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has a requirement to procure R&D Services from a Contractor for ink development services. The Contractor must be an experienced security printing ink maker that can supply OTD/SFD with new inks products and formulations. In this requirement, the core team and contract COR will specify the requirements desired in a new ink product for testing for the Contractor to produce a specific quantity of ink for testing mainly in A100M on the Heidelberg Offset Press and the Intaglio Test Press (ITP). These requirements will be specifications related to both the new ink’s physical, chemical and spectral characteristics. These new R&D inks will not be available under the current ink supply contract.

2.0 Referenced Documents

2.1 Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), to be signed on contract award

2.2 Test methods for light-fastness (ASTM G155, Table X3.1 Cycle 11) Comment by Author: Will the contractor have access to the documents? If so, how will they receive a copy? Comment by Author: These documents will be attached to the solicitation.

2.3 Chemical Resistance Test (BEP 93B-09.3-06)

2.4 Laundry Test (BEP 93B-09.3-05)

2.5 Crumple Test (BEP 93B-09.3-04)

2.6 Fineness of Grind (FOG) Determination (BEP 93B-09.1-29

2.7 Determination of Ink Viscosity and Yield Value (BEP 93B-09.1-31)

2.8 Ink Drying Time Assessment by BK Drying Recorder (BEP 93B-09.1-28)

2.9 EHS Requirements for Purchased Materials (BEP 75D-07.0-05)

Single copies of BEP documents are available from the Contracting Officer; Bureau of Engraving and Printing; Office of Procurement; 14th and C Streets, SW; Washington, DC 20228.

3.0 Contractor Tasks/Requirements

The Contractor shall perform ink technology development and formulation for the BEP regarding development of modified and novel security printing inks for use by the Office of Technology Development/Security Features Division. These printing inks shall be primarily dry offset (flexographic) and intaglio printing inks. The Contractor shall develop and deliver a specified quantity of ink materials, along with Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and Technical Data Sheets, if available, to the BEPCOR. The development work will be implemented using the IDIQ method of individual Task Orders to specify the detailed needs and requirements of the BEP for various ink formulations which shall address the needs of the US Currency Program (USCP). Comment by Author: The COR?

The contract shall provide for a potential down selection of materials and future logical follow-on contracts for specific materials developed through this contract medium.

3.1 Contractor Requirements Comment by Author: Does BEP have a requirement regarding the type of containers they want the inks in?

3.1.1 The Contractor shall have an established business of supplying industrial scale production security-based inks in the following security printing markets, with the following priority of importance:

3.1.1.1 Banknote printing (highest priority)

3.1.1.2 Other Government printing documents, e.g. passports

3.1.1.3 Private sector security printing, e.g., Track-and-Trace, barcoding

3.1.2 Contractor shall provide both Intaglio and Dry Offset (Flexographic) printing inks of any desired color that shall be compatible with BEP printing equipment, especially the Heidelberg Offset Printing Press and Intaglio Test Press (ITP) in area A100M. See Section 3.3 below.

3.1.3 Typical quantities of individual ink samples required will be one (1) kilogram (approx. 2 pounds) up to about forty-five (45) kilograms (approx. 100 pounds), if required. Options will exist for a single purchase of an even larger quantity, if needed by the Government. The Task Order will specify exact quantity requirements.

3.1.4 Within the period of performance of the contract, The Government may request experimental quantities of other types of printing inks, for example, but not limited to, rotary screen, optically variable and letterpress printing inks.

3.2 Material Supply Requirements

3.2.1 Materials delivered shall be in the form of printing inks immediately ready for use on BEP presses.

3.2.2 Materials shall be expected to satisfy the requirements of the BEP regarding durability testing as described by the test methods in Referenced Documents 2.0.

3.2.3 Contractor shall supply the required Safety Data Sheet (SDS), in electronic form to the COR, five (5) business days prior to delivery of the material. Comment by Author: To whom? The COR? CO?

3.2.4 Contractor shall supply three (3) Prufbau prints or equivalent, of minimum forty (40) square centimeters of ink coverage, for each sample of ink. The strips shall include a blank area of minimally 2 square centimeters as a paper reference region.

3.2.5 Contractor shall supply the required technical data as specified in the Task Order for the material five (5) business days prior to delivery of the material to the COR. Technical data may include any ink specification testing results, analytical chemistry test results or physical property testing as required by the Task Order, e.g., LAB Color Space Parameters, UV/VIS/NIR absorption – reflection spectral data. Comment by Author: To whom? The COR? CO?

3.2.6 Contractor shall supply the BEP with the required quantity of material as specified in the Task Order.

3.2.7 Containers may be metal cans or plastic pails at vendor discretion, appropriate to the size of the request and to guarantee integrity of the contents, but not to exceed 20 lbs in each container. Each can/pail of ink shall have a thin, high-strength, clear, and colorless, oxygen-impermeable plastic sheet completely covering the top surface of the ink. The top liner shall be compatible with the ink and minimize or prevent the ink from polymerizing and forming skin.

3.2.8 Any technical discrepancies from the Task Order shall be clearly noted and specified by the Contractor in writing to the Contract Officer’s Representative (COR).

3.3 SPECIFICATION OF NEEDS

3.3.1 The Contractor shall respond in writing to the BEP Task Order within thirty (30) days after issuance.

3.3.2 When applicable, the Contractor shall receive Government Furnished Materials (GFM) for formulation into an ink product or products as specified by the Task Order. GFM may be in the form of dry powders or flushes (solid dispersion in ink varnish). Proper security and safety requirements shall be met prior to the Contractor working with a GFM.

3.3.3 Typical ranges of BEP dry offset ink properties are:

Viscosity: 4.2 – 7.5 Pa*s Max Tack: 140-210 Tack units FOG: No more than three (3) scratches, 10 mm or longer, at or above the 10 μm channel depth

3.3.4 Typical ranges of BEP intaglio ink properties are:

Viscosity: 2.6 – 7.0 Pa*s Full Range (Typical 3 – 6 Pa*s) Max Tack: 250 – 320 Tack Units Drying Time: ≤ 24 hours FOG: No more than three (3) scratches, 10 mm or longer, at or above the 25 μm channel depth

3.3.5 The Contractor shall provide the BEP with absorption/reflectance spectral data for each ink submission in the relevant spectral range appropriate for understanding the functionality of the material. Requirements will be specified in the task orders.

3.3.6 The BEP is especially interested in materials and/or inks which exhibit characteristics useful to machine-readability (MR) for the BEM industry, as well as useful as higher level security features. Materials should address some or all of the following characteristics:

3.3.6.1 Infrared characteristics imparted by the material to the ink. Infrared is defined in this document as 660 – 1100 nm.

3.3.6.2 Additional MR capabilities of interest. These should include:

3.3.6.2.1 Magnetic properties, both soft and hard

3.3.6.2.2 Infrared spectral variability, Infrared transparency and Infrared opacity, as specified in the Task Order

3.3.6.2.3 Electrical properties, including but are not limited to, electrical conductance and/or electrical capacitance, if specified in the Task Order.

3.3.7 The Contractor shall address any durability issues known by the Contractor pertinent to the subject material. The Contractor shall submit in writing any known durability failures regarding the active material in the ink to the COR, but not the actual ink vehicle itself. Ultimately, the material will have to pass all BEP durability testing. BEP test methods will be provided upon request in writing. Comment by Author: To whom?

4.0 HEALTH AND SAFETY

4.1 The contractor shall supply to BEP, the SDS of all chemicals that are shipped to BEP for review and approval by OEHS prior to shipment of all materials to BEP.

4.2 All SDSs shall be submitted to the COR at least ten (10) working days prior to shipment of all materials in order for OEHS to have sufficient time to review and approve the materials for shipment and use at BEP.

4.3 BEP retains the right to reject any material which OEHS deems to have any adverse health effect upon its employees. In addition, all chemicals supplied by the contractor shall meet the requirements of referenced document 2.8 above.

November 1, 2015