bid_2896_24.pdf

Bidder Initials_______

Date___________

NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

DIVISION OF PROCUREMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES

REQUEST FOR BID FOR REFLECTIVE SHEETING LICENSE PLATES

2896-24

DUE DATE: 5/16/2024 9:00:00 AM (EASTERN TIME)

1. PURPOSE:

1.1. The purpose of this bid invitation is to establish a contract for supply and delivery of Reflective Sheeting License Plates to the State of New Hampshire with product list and requirements indicated in the SCOPE OF WORK and OFFER sections of this bid invitation, in accordance with the requirements of this bid invitation and any resulting contract.

2. INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDOR:

2.1. Read the entire bid invitation prior to filling it out. Complete the pricing information in the “Offer” section (detailed information on how to fill out the pricing information can be found in the “Offer” section); complete the “Vendor Contact Information” section; and finally, fill out, and sign the bid transmittal letter.

3. BID SUBMITTAL:

3.1. All bids shall be submitted on this form (or an exact copy), shall be typed or clearly printed in ink, and shall be received on or before the date and time specified on paragraph 7 of this bid under “Bid Closing”. Interested parties may submit a bid to the State of New Hampshire Bureau of Purchase and Property by email to NH.Purchasing@DAS.NH.Gov. All bids shall be clearly marked with bid number, date due and purchasing agent’s name.

3.2. IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES EMAILING YOUR BID OR YOU WISH TO VERIFY THAT YOUR

BID RESPONSE HAS BEEN RECEIVED, PLEASE CALL (603) 271-2201.

4. BID INQUIRIES:

4.1. Any questions, clarifications, and/or requested changes shall be submitted by an individual authorized to commit their organization to the Terms and Conditions of this bid and shall be received in writing at the Bureau of Purchase and Property no later than 4:00 PM on the date listed in the timeline below. Questions shall not be submitted to anyone other than the Purchasing Agent or his/her representative. Bidders that submit questions verbally or in writing to any other State entity or State personnel shall be found in violation of this part and may be found non-compliant.

4.2. Questions shall be submitted by email to Claudia Roy at Claudia.I.Roy@DAS.NH.Gov.

4.3. Submissions shall clearly identify the bid Number, the Vendor’s name and address and the name of the person submitting the question.

5. BID DUE DATE:

5.1. All bid submissions shall be received at the Bureau of Purchase and Property no later than the date and time shown on the transmittal letter of this bid. Submissions received after the date and time specified shall be marked as “Late” and shall not be considered in the evaluation process.

5.2. All offers shall remain valid for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days from the bid due date. A vendor’s disclosure or distribution of bids other than to DAS, Bureau of Purchase and Property may be grounds for disqualification.

6. ADDENDA:

6.1. In the event it becomes necessary to add to or revise any part of this bid prior to the scheduled submittal date, the NH

Bureau of Purchase and Property shall post on our web site any Addenda. Before your submission and periodically prior to the RFB closing, Vendors are required to check the site for any addenda or other materials that may have been issued affecting the bid. The web site address is: https://apps.das.nh.gov/bidscontracts/bids.aspx.

7. TIMELINE:

7.1. The timeline below is provided as a general guideline and is subject to change. Unless stated otherwise, consider the dates below a “no later than” date.

Bid Solicitation distributed on or by: 4/30/2024 Last day for questions, clarifications, and/or requested changes to bid:

5/9/2024 9:00 AM

Bid Closing (Eastern Time): 5/16/2024 9:00:00 AM

8. TERMS OF SUBMISSION:

8.1. All material received in response to this bid shall become the property of the State and shall not be returned to the Vendor.

Regardless of the Vendors selected, the State reserves the right to use any information presented in a bid response. The content of each Vendor’s bid shall become public information once a contract(s) has been awarded.

8.2. A responding bid that has been completed and signed by your representative shall constitute your company’s acceptance of all State of New Hampshire terms and conditions and shall legally obligate your company to these terms and conditions.

8.3. A signed response further signifies that from the time the bid is published (bid solicitation date and time) until a contract is awarded, no bidder shall offer or give, directly or indirectly, any gift, expense reimbursement, or honorarium, as defined by RSA 15-B, to any elected official, public official, public employee, constitutional official, or family member of any such official or employee who shall select, evaluate, or award the RFB.

mailto:NH.Purchasing@DAS.NH.Gov https://apps.das.nh.gov/bidscontracts/bids.aspx

8.4. Furthermore, a signed response signifies that any terms and/or conditions that may be or have been submitted by the Vendor are specifically null and void and are not a part of this bid invitation or any awarded purchase order, even if said terms and/or conditions contain language to the contrary.

8.5. The form P-37 Contract attached hereto shall be part of this bid and the basis for the contract(s). The successful Vendor and the State, following notification, shall promptly execute this contract form, which is to be completed by incorporating the service requirements and price conditions established by the vendor’s offer.

8.6. CHAPTER ADM 600 PROCUREMENT AND PROPERTY RULES APPLY TO AND ARE MADE A PART HEREOF.

8.7. Complete bids shall be filled out on the original documents and format that are a part of this bid invitation. Vendors may submit additional paperwork with pricing, but all pricing shall be on the documents provided with this bid invitation and in the State’s format.

9. CONTRACT TERM:

9.1. The term of the contract shall commence November 1, 2024, or upon execution by the Commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, whichever is later (the “effective date”) and shall continue thereafter for a period of approximately five (5) years.

9.2. The contract may be extended for up to an additional four (4) years thereafter under the same terms, conditions, and pricing structure upon the mutual agreement between the successful Vendor and the State with the approval of the Commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services.

10. CONTRACT AWARD:

10.1. The award shall be made to the Vendor meeting the criteria established in this RFB. THE AWARD WILL BE BASED

ON THE TOTAL OF THE LESS THAN AND GREATER THAN PRICE PER SQ FT FOR 12-1/16" X 300 YARD LICENSE PLATE SHEETING providing the lowest cost in total. The State reserves the right to reject any or all bids or any part thereof and add/delete items/locations to the contract. All award(s) shall be, in the form of a State of New Hampshire Contract.

10.2. Successful Vendor shall not be allowed to require any other type of order, nor shall the successful Vendor be allowed to require the filling out or signing of any other document by State of New Hampshire personnel.

11. NOTIFICATION AND AWARD OF CONTRACT(S):

11.1. Bid results shall not be given by telephone. For Vendors wishing to attend the bid closing, the names of the vendors submitting responses and pricing shall be made public. Other specific response information shall not be given out. Bid results shall be made public after final approval of the contract(s).

11.2. Bid results may also be viewed on our website at https://apps.das.nh.gov/bidscontracts/bids.aspx.

11.3. For Vendors wishing to attend the bid closing: Names of the Vendors submitting responses and pricing shall be made public. In lieu of in person public bid openings the State shall conduct openings via electronic means until further notice.

12. LIABILITY:

12.1. The State shall not be held liable for any costs incurred by Vendors in the preparation of bids or for work performed prior to contract issuance.

13. PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF BID OR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS:

13.1. Generally, the full contents of any proposal (including all materials submitted in connection with it, such as attachments, exhibits, addenda, and vendor presentations) become public information upon completion of final contract or purchase order negotiations with the selected vendor. Certain information concerning proposals, including but not limited to scoring, is generally available to the public even before this time, in accordance with the provisions of NH RSA 21-G:37.

13.2. Confidential, commercial, or financial information may be exempt from public disclosure under RSA 91-A:5, IV. Any and all information contained in or connected to a bid or proposal that a Bidder considers confidential shall be clearly designated in the following manner:

13.3. If the Bidder considers any portion of a submission confidential, they shall provide a separate copy of the full and complete document, fully redacting those portions by blacking them out and shall note on the applicable page or pages of the document that the redacted portion or portions are “confidential.” Use of any other term or method, such as stating that a document or portion thereof is “proprietary”, “not for public use”, or “for client’s use only”, is not acceptable. In addition to providing an additional fully redacted copy of the bid submission to the person listed as the point of contact on Page one (1) of this document, the identified information considered to be confidential must be accompanied by a separate letter stating the rationale for each item designated as confidential. In other words, the letter must specifically state why and under what legal authority each redaction has been made. Submissions which do not conform to these instructions by failing to include a redacted copy (if required), by failing to include a letter specifying the rationale for each redaction, by failing to designate redactions in the manner required by these instructions, or by including redactions which are contrary to these instructions or operative law may be rejected by the State as not conforming to the requirements of the bid or proposal. Marking or designating an entire proposal, attachment, or section as confidential shall neither be accepted nor honored by the State. Marking an entire bid, proposal, attachment, or full sections thereof confidential without taking into consideration the public’s right to know shall neither be accepted nor honored by the State.

13.4. Notwithstanding any provision of this request for submission to the contrary, proposed pricing shall be subject to public disclosure REGARDLESS of whether or not marked as confidential.

13.5. If a request is made to the State by any person or entity to view or receive copies of any portion of a proposal, the State will assess what information it believes is subject to release; notify the Bidder that the request has been made; indicate what, if any, portions of the proposal or related material shall be released; and notify the Bidder of the date it plans to release the materials. To halt the release of information by the State, a Bidder must initiate and provide to the State, prior to the date specified in the notice, a court action in the Superior Court of the State of New Hampshire, at its sole expense, seeking to enjoin the release of the requested information.

13.6. By submitting a proposal, Bidders acknowledge and agree that:

13.6.1. The State may disclose any and all portions of the proposal or related materials which are not marked as confidential and/or which have not been specifically explained in the letter to the person identified as the point of contact for this RFP;

13.6.2. The State is not obligated to comply with a Bidder’s designations regarding confidentiality and must conduct an independent analysis to assess the confidentiality of the information submitted in your proposal; and

13.6.3. The State may, unless otherwise prohibited by court order, release the information on the date specified in the notice described above without any liability to a Bidder.

14. TERMINATION:

14.1. The State of New Hampshire shall have the right to terminate the contract at any time with a thirty (30) day written notice to the successful Vendor.

15. VENDOR CERTIFICATIONS:

15.1. All Vendors shall be duly registered with the NH Bureau of Purchase and Property as State of New Hampshire vendors.

All Vendors that are corporations, limited liability companies, or other limited liability business entities (this excludes sole proprietors and general partnerships) shall be duly registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State to conduct business in the State of New Hampshire.

15.2. STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE VENDOR APPLICATION: To be eligible for a contract award, a Vendor must have a completed Vendor Application Package on file with the NH Bureau of Purchase and Property. See the following website for information on obtaining and filing the required forms (no fee: https://DAS.NH.Gov/Purchasing.

15.3. NEW HAMPSHIRE SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION: To be eligible for a contract award, a Vendor that is a corporation, limited liability company, or other limited liability business entity (this excludes sole proprietors and general partnerships) must be registered to conduct business in the State of New Hampshire AND in good standing with the NH Secretary of State. Please visit the following website to find out more about the requirements for registration with the NH Secretary of State: https://sos.nh.gov/corporation-division/.

15.4. CONFIDENTIALITY & CRIMINAL RECORD: If Applicable, any employee or approved subcontractor of the Vendor who will be accessing or working with records of the State of New Hampshire shall be required to sign a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement and a Release of Criminal Record Authorization Form. These forms shall be returned to the designated State agency prior to commencing any work.

15.5. CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE: Prior to being awarded a contract the Vendor shall be required to submit proof of comprehensive general liability insurance coverage prior to performing any services for the State. The coverage shall insure against all claims of bodily injury, death, or property damage in amounts of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. Coverage shall also include State of New Hampshire workers’ compensation insurance to the extent required by RSA Chapter 281-A.

16. BID PRICES:

16.1. Bid prices shall remain firm for the entire contract period and shall be in US dollars and shall include delivery and all other costs required by this bid invitation. Special charges, surcharges (including credit card transaction fees), or fuel charges of any kind (by whatever name) may not be added on at any time. Any and all charges shall be built into your bid price at the time of the bid. Unless otherwise specified, prices shall be F.O.B. DESTINATION, (included in the price bid), which means delivered to a state agency's receiving dock or other designated point as specified in this contract or subsequent purchase orders without additional charge. Shipments shall be made in order to arrive at the destination at a satisfactory time for unloading during receiving hours.

16.2. Per Administrative Rule 606.01(e) “if there is a discrepancy between the unit price and the extension price in a response to an RFP, RFB or RFQ, the unit price shall be binding upon the vendor”.

16.3. Price decreases shall become effective immediately as they become effective to the general trade.

16.4. Updated Published Price List MUST be e-mailed to Claudia.I.Roy@DAS.NH.Gov.

https://das.nh.gov/Purchasing https://sos.nh.gov/corporation-division/

17. AUDITS AND ACCOUNTING:

17.1. The successful Vendor shall allow representatives of the State of New Hampshire to have complete access to all records for the purpose of determining compliance with the terms and conditions of this bid invitation and in determining the award and for monitoring any resulting contract.

17.2. At intervals during the contract term, and prior to the termination of the contract, the successful Vendor may be required to provide a complete and accurate accounting of all products and quantities ordered by each agency and institution and by political sub-divisions and authorized non-profit organizations.

18. ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE:

18.1. The Contractor shall assign a dedicated account representative and a backup in their absence who will be responsible for the daily administration of this Contract. The account representative shall be familiar with all Contract requirements to ensure compliance with the terms of the Contract. The account representative shall respond by phone or email to Client Agency inquiries within 24 hours of initial contact or the next business day if after normal business hours. The account representative’s responsibilities shall include but not be limited to:

18.1.1. Coordinate business review meeting(s) either virtually or on-site with the State held at a cadence requested by the State.

18.1.2. Provide recommended process and productivity improvements related to potential cost savings to the State for consideration quarterly.

18.1.3. Provide information and product offerings to bring the latest industry ideas and trends to the State as applicable.

18.1.4. Provide training on the use of the Contractor’s portal as needed with no charge to the State.

19. USAGE REPORTING:

19.1. The successful Vendor shall be required to submit a quarterly and annual usage report for analysis for each state agency or eligible participant. Reports are due no later than 30 days after each end of each calendar quarter to Claudia Roy at The Bureau of Procurement & Support Services and sent electronic to Claudia.I.Roy@DAS.NH.Gov. At a minimum, the Report shall include:

19.1.1. Contract Number

19.1.2. Utilizing Agency and Eligible Participant

19.1.3. Services/Products Purchased (showing the manufacturer, item, part number, and the final cost.)

19.1.4. Third-party sustainability certifications, environmental attributes, and documentation with respect to recycled content used in the manufacture, development and distribution process of goods and services sold. This report shall include but not be limited to:

19.1.4.1. Percentage of recycled materials contained within finished products

19.1.4.2. Percentage of waste recycled throughout the manufacturing process

19.1.4.3. Types and volume of packaging used for transport

19.1.4.4. Any associated material avoided and/or recycled as applicable under contract

19.1.4.5. A standardized reporting form will be provided after contract award

19.1.4.6. Green Certifications for each product sold

19.1.5. Total Cost of all Services/Products Purchased. Ability to sort by agency/eligible participant.

19.1.6. In Excel format

20. ESTABLISHMENT OF ACCOUNTS:

20.1. Each State of New Hampshire agency shall have its own individual customer account number. There may also be instances where divisions or bureaus within an agency will need their own individual customer account numbers. Should any State of New Hampshire agency place an order under the contract, the successful Vendor agrees to establish an account within three business days from the date the order is placed. However, there shall be no delay in any shipment;

the agency shall receive the items ordered in accordance with the delivery time required under this bid invitation, as if an account already exists for the agency.

21. ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS:

21.1. Political sub-divisions (counties, cities, towns, school districts, special district or precinct, or any other governmental organization), or any nonprofit agency under the provisions of section 501c of the federal internal revenue code, are eligible to participate under this contract whenever said sub-division or nonprofit agency so desires. These entities are autonomous and may participate at their sole discretion. In doing so, they are entitled to the prices established under the contract. However, they are solely responsible for their association with the successful Vendor. The State of New Hampshire assumes no liability between the successful Vendor and any of these entities.

22. PAYMENT:

22.1. Payments shall be made via ACH or Procurement Card (P-card = Credit Card) unless otherwise specified by the state of

New Hampshire. Use the following link to enroll with the State Treasury for ACH payments:

https://www.nh.gov/treasury/state-vendors/index.htm. Eligible participants shall negotiate their own payment methods with the successful Vendor.

https://www.nh.gov/treasury/state-vendors/index.htm

23. INVOICING:

23.1. Invoices shall be submitted to the corresponding State agency after completion of work/acceptance of delivery.

23.2. The Vendor shall track manufacturer discounts and/or rebates offered and provide a credit on the State’s next invoice. The

Vendor shall submit reports quarterly to Claudia Roy at Claudia.I.Roy@DAS.NH.Gov at the Bureau of Purchase and Property detailing manufacturer discounts and/or rebates paid out to the State.

24. TERMS OF PAYMENT:

24.1. Payment shall be made in full within thirty (30) days after receipt of the invoice and acceptance of the corresponding goods and/or services to the State’s satisfaction.

25. VENDOR RESPONSIBILITY:

25.1. The successful Vendor shall be solely responsible for meeting all terms and conditions specified in the bid, and any resulting contract. All State of New Hampshire bid invitations and addenda to such bid invitations are advertised on our website at: https://apps.das.nh.gov/bidscontracts/bids.aspx. It is a prospective Vendor’s responsibility to access our website to determine any bid invitation under which the Vendor desires to participate. It is also the Vendor’s responsibility to access our website for any posted addenda. The website is updated several times per day; it is the responsibility of the prospective Vendor to access the website frequently to ensure that no bidding opportunity or addendum is overlooked. It is the prospective Vendor’s responsibility to forward a signed copy of any addendum requiring the Vendor’s signature to the Bureau of Purchase and Property with the bid response.

25.2. In preparation of a bid response, the prospective Vendor shall:

25.2.1. Provide pricing information as indicated in the “Offer” section; and

25.2.2. Provide all other information required for the bid response (if applicable); and

25.2.3. Complete the “Vendor Contact Information” section; and

25.2.4. Complete the company information on the “Transmittal Letter” page, and sign under penalty of unsworn falsification in the space provided on that page.

25.3. It is the responsibility of the Vendor to maintain this any awarded contract and New Hampshire Vendor Registration with up to date contact information. Contract specific contact information (Sales contact, Contractor contract manager, etc.)

shall be sent to the State’s Contracting Office listed in Box 1.9 of Form P-37. Additionally, all updates i.e., telephone numbers, contact names, email addresses, W9, tax identification numbers are required to be current through a formal electronic submission to the Bureau of Purchase and Property at:

https://www.das.nh.gov/purchasing/vendorresources.aspx.

26. IF AWARDED A CONTRACT:

26.1. The successful Vendor shall complete the following sections if awarded a contract of the Agreement State of New

Hampshire Form #P-37 see Appendix A (sample):

Section 1.3 Contractor Name Section 1.4 Contractor Address Section 1.11 Contractor Signature Section 1.12 Name & Title of Contractor Signatory (if Vendor is not a sole proprietor)

26.1.1. Provide certificate of insurance indicating the coverage amounts required by Section 14 of the Form Number P- 37.

26.1.2. Provide proof of sufficient workers’ compensation insurance coverage or evidence of exemption from RSA Chapter 81-A.

26.1.3. If the successful Vendor is a corporation, limited liability company, or other limited liability business entity, then provide a certificate of good standing issued by the NH Secretary of State or, for a newly incorporated, formed, or registered entity, a copy of the appropriate registration document certified by the NH Secretary of State.

27. SPECIFICATION COMPLIANCE:

27.1. Vendor's offer shall meet or exceed the required specifications as written. The State of New Hampshire shall be the sole determining factor of what meets or exceeds the required specifications.

27.2. Unless otherwise specified by the Bureau of Purchase and Property in this bid invitation document, all equipment/items offered by the Vendor shall be new (and of the current model year, if applicable); shall not be used, rebuilt, refurbished;

shall not have been used as demonstration equipment, and shall not have been placed anywhere for evaluation purposes.

27.3. The manufacturers and/or product numbers indicated are the only ones that are acceptable under this section.

28. SPECIFICATIONS:

28.1. Complete specifications required are detailed in the SCOPE OF WORK section of this bid invitation. In responding to the bid invitation, the prospective Vendor shall address all requirements for information as outlined herein.

29. SCOPE OF WORK:

https://www.das.nh.gov/purchasing/vendorresources.aspx

29.1. Make deliveries in accordance with the delivery days and timeframes set forth herein, except on holidays or at other times when the State is closed, including, but not limited to, inclement weather. All references to the time of day are Eastern Time (ET).

29.2. Delivery shall be made as ordered and in accordance with the terms specified herein. Unless otherwise specified by the State in writing, delivery shall be to a loading dock or receiving platform. The Contractor or Contractor’s shipping designee shall be responsible for removal of product from the carrier and placement on the State loading dock or receiving platform. The State receiving personnel are not required to assist in this process. Reasonable compliance with delivery terms shall be final and binding and the burden of proof of proper receipt of the order shall rest with the Contractor.

29.3. Label, package and palletize all orders in accordance with industry standard to ensure safe handling and proper and timely delivery.

29.4. SECTION I - GENERAL

29.4.1. These specifications shall cover the materials, performance characteristics, quality, and testing of retroreflective sheeting and support services necessary to produce finished license plates.

29.4.2. DESCRIPTION:

29.4.3. The retroreflective license plate shall consist of retroreflective (hereinafter referred to as “reflective” only) sheeting laminated to a specified aluminum substrate that is then embossed and message roll coated according to the sheeting manufacturer’s recommendations.

29.4.4. The reflective sheeting shall consist of lens elements enclosed within a transparent resin and shall have a pre-coated pressure sensitive adhesive backing protected by a removable liner. The pre-printed design, in the reflective sheeting, shall be buried below the sheeting surface to insure reliable long-term durability.

29.4.5. The reflective sheeting, when applied to the license plate substrate and blanked to finished size, shall contain at the discretion of the Director of Motor Vehicles:

29.4.5.1. Identifying marks for purposes of on-vehicle traceability, warranty enforcement and anti-counterfeiting in accordance with these specifications. The warranty marks shall be buried below the sheeting surface for durability and shall incorporate the manufacturer’s production run number that designates the source of manufacture, year of manufacture, and specific lot from which the material was supplied. The warranty marks shall not interfere or detract from the graphic design or reduce sheeting brightness and shall be durable for the service life of the license plate.

29.4.5.2. Prospective bidders shall demonstrate their capability to provide these security devices.

29.4.6. Pre-printed reflective sheeting shall conform to the design, colors and sheeting type as approved by the state and reflective sheeting manufacturer. When using white background sheeting, all graphic inks shall be transparent to facilitate the same daytime/nighttime appearances.

29.5. In addition to a square foot price for pre-printed reflective sheeting, each bidder shall include pricing of unprinted white reflective sheeting (annual and multi-year) and any colored sheeting offered. The specifications contained herein shall apply to all standard size plate classifications and are inclusive of all special category plates issued by the State wherein reflective material is requested.

29.6. QUALIFICATIONS

29.6.1. Before any bid is considered, the bidder shall meet the following criteria:

29.6.1.1. To assure high quality license plate performance, durability and service, the successful sheeting supplier shall provide the State with proof of successful L/P manufacturing in other states. The successful bidder shall:

29.6.1.2. Show evidence of successful manufacture and application of preprinted license plate sheetings, thinners, and roll coat inks as parts of a totally integrated license plate system.

29.6.1.3. Provide state-of-the-art, operational application equipment at no charge, as a fundamental component of a totally integrated license plate system. The successful bidder shall show manufacturing experience in other states.

29.6.1.4. The sheeting supplier shall provide a list of equipment and flow diagrams.

29.6.1.5. Provide list and qualifications of experienced, full-time graphic design, customer service, technical service and sales service personnel.

29.6.1.6. Provide expert equipment installation service and on-site technical service within 48 hours at no charge;

provide immediate toll-free call-in technical service.

29.6.1.7. Provide next day delivery of stocked equipment parts; provide the State with detailed list.

29.6.1.8. Ship sheeting rolls via “bulk-pack” configuration per layer for ease of handling in the tag shop.

29.6.1.9. Conform to all performance requirements of this specification as specified in Section II and as tested by the

State designated testing lab.

29.6.2. The bidder will provide all necessary samples for the agency or their designated testing facility to certify the material compliance with these specifications. At the request of the agency, the bidder may also be required to compensate the agency or their testing agents for the cost of any material testing.

29.6.3. A corporate officer shall certify that all license plate sheetings and roll coat inks purchased by the State are covered by the sheeting manufacturer ISO 9001 Registration.

29.6.4. The bidder shall submit technical data exhibiting characteristics of all materials proposed. Information submitted shall include detailed processing conditions for each phase of license plate manufacture. Such information shall also include times and temperatures required for curing roll coat pastes used in the production of completed license plates.

29.6.5. Bidders failing to conform to any of these qualification requirements may be disqualified.

29.7. PERIODIC EVALUATION:

29.7.1. The State reserves the right to periodically evaluate the performance of materials. Samples for periodic evaluation of performance will be selected at random from materials submitted on State purchase orders. Failure of materials to comply with the requirements of this specification shall be cause for removal.

29.8. TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS

29.8.1. The existing sheeting supplier may, with agreement of the State, incorporate technological improvements that better optimize the license plate production process and/or license plate performance. This may include any automated license plate production systems as approved by the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles.

29.9. SECTION II - PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

29.9.1. LICENSE PLATE SHEETING

29.9.1.1. Substrate

29.9.1.1.1. The sheeting shall be laminated to properly conversion coated aluminum substrate recommended by the sheeting manufacturer.

29.9.1.2. Diffuse Daytime Color

29.9.1.2.1. Through instrumental color testing, the diffuse daytime color of the reflective sheeting shall conform to color requirements as determined spectrophotometrically in accordance with ASTM E-1164 and E-1349, utilizing either 45/0 or 0/45 degree illumination/viewing conditions as described in E-1164 and E-1349 for retroreflective materials. Chromaticity and the Luminance Factor based on CIE tristimulus values for the 2° observer and illuminant D65 shall be calculated in accordance with ASTM E-308.

29.9.1.2.2. The color specification limits for white license plate sheeting are listed on the following chart.

COLOR SPECIFICATION

Chromaticity Coordinates

Pairs White Corner

Points Luminance Factor

X Y Y% 1 0.303 0.287

42 min.

2 0.368 0.353 3 0.34 0.38 4 0.274 0.316

29.9.2. Adhesive and Protective Liner:

29.9.2.1. The precoated adhesive shall form a durable bond to flat conversion coated license plate surfaces as recommended by the reflective sheeting manufacturer.

29.9.2.2. The protective liner attached to the adhesive shall be removable by peeling without soaking in water or other solvents and shall be easily removed after accelerated storage for four hours at 150°F (66°C) under weight of 2.5 lbs. per square inch (1.14KG per 6.45 sq. cm).

29.9.3. Roll Coating

29.9.3.1. The reflective sheeting shall be roll coated and compatible with transparent and opaque colors manufactured by the sheeting manufacturer.

29.9.3.2. The sheeting supplier shall supply roll coat inks that meet State and Federal VOC regulations.

29.9.3.3. The roll coat ink shall be durable for the service life of the license plate and shall not fade, crack or peel from the surface of the license plate.

29.9.4. Inventory Control

29.9.4.1. To assist the license plate tag shop with inventory control problems, the sheeting supplier shall mark the sheeting with an integral, directional image that incorporates the lot number so that the tag shop can employ first in/first out principles.

29.9.5. FINISHED LICENSE PLATES

29.9.5.1. Test panels shall be prepared in accordance with Section III, Para. A.

29.9.5.2. Retroreflective Characteristics

29.9.5.2.1. The coefficient of retroreflection for the sheeting shall be measured on flat, clean, finished license plate test panels prepared per III.A and shall have the following minimum values at 0.2° observation angle, expressed as candlepower per foot-candle per square foot (candelas per lux per square meter) of material. Measurements shall be conducted in accordance with ASTM E-810, “Standard Test Method for Coefficient of Retroreflection of Retroreflective Sheeting”. Measurements on reflective sheeting with a preprinted graphic design shall be taken in an unprinted sheeting area.

Color Entrance Angle -4 40

White 50 16 Yellow 25 10 Orange 25 10 Lemon-Yellow 25 10 Gold 25 10 Green 18 7 Blue 18 7 Red 9 3

29.9.6. Resistance to Accelerated Weathering.

29.9.6.1. The sheeting shall be weather resistant and show no appreciable discoloration, crazing, cracking, blistering, lifting or dimensional change and the surface shall continue to be essentially smooth to provide direct application of validation stickers, determined after the following accelerated weathering tests:

29.9.6.2. Laboratory testing – 2,000 hours in Xenon arc weatherometer using ASTM G 155 -Type BH, Method A.

Samples shall maintain 70% of retroreflective table values shown in II, B. 1.

29.9.6.3. Outdoor accelerated testing – Samples shall be placed in a 24-month unprotected outdoor exposure, facing the equator and inclined 45 degrees from the vertical. Retroreflective measurements, taken after cleaning, shall result in 70% or more retention of the table values shown in II, B. 1.

29.9.7. Rainfall Performance

29.9.7.1. The Coefficient of Retroreflection of the same finished license plate test panels, measured on the same flat area of the test panels, totally wet by rain, shall not be less than 90 percent of the values specified above. The photometric performance during rainfall shall be determined as follows:

29.9.7.1.1. Test set-up for rainfall performance:

29.9.7.2. Place the test panel in an upright position 6 inches (15.2 cm) below and 4 inches (10.1 cm) in front of the nozzle as shown below:

29.9.7.3. Apply sufficient water pressure so that the upper surface of the spray envelope strikes the top of the panel.

29.9.7.4. With water falling on the panel, measure the coefficient of retroreflection. Wet performance measurements shall be conducted at 0.2° observation and -4° entrance angles in accordance with ASTM E-810.

29.9.8. Daytime/Nighttime Color

29.9.8.1. To assist in positive daytime/nighttime identification of license plates, the color of the reflective background of the sheeting, including any pre-printed design, shall be similar in daylight and by illumination at night.

29.9.9. Flexibility – Embossing

29.9.9.1. The sheeting shall, when correctly applied to treated aluminum, conform to the minimum/maximum tolerances for embossing and/or debossing dies as used by the manufacturing facility that supplies finished plates to the state and as recommended by the sheeting manufacturer.

29.9.9.2. Finished, embossed license plates shall show no appreciable wrinkling, cracking, or squirming at or around embossed/debossed areas.

29.9.10. Cleanability

29.9.10.1. Finished license plates, manufactured in accordance with the recommendations of the reflective sheeting manufacturer, shall be easily cleansed of normal dirt accumulation by washing with water and mild detergent. A test panel shall be sprayed with water-suspended soils collected from the underside of vehicle fenders, mixed with water in the proportion of five pounds (2.27 kg) of soil to one gallon (3.78 liters) of water, and poured through a paint strainer.

29.9.10.2. The mixture shall then be sprayed onto the panel while particles are in suspension. After the panel is thoroughly dry, it shall be cleaned by washing with a mixture of water and mild detergent, rinsed with clean water and wiped dry for examination. The panel shall show no appreciable difference when compared to a new clean panel.

29.9.11. Solvent Resistance

29.9.11.1. License plate panels prepared per III.A shall be sufficiently solvent resistant to withstand exposure to mineral spirits, turpentine, toluene, xylene, and methyl alcohol without dissolving, wrinkling, puckering, blistering or edge lifting.

29.9.11.2. Test panels shall be 1” x 6” strips cut from license plate blanks. Strips of the license plate shall be immersed in a container with 4 inches of each solvent separately, at room temperature. Solvents and immersion time shall be as follows:

29.9.11.2.1. Mineral spirits and turpentine - immersed for 10 minutes.

29.9.11.2.2. Toluene, xylene and methyl alcohol - immersed for 1 minute.

29.9.11.3. At the end of the immersion time remove the samples from the containers and allow to dry before examining for any wrinkling, puckering, blistering, edge lifting or dissolving of the sheeting and adhesive.

Failure of samples shall be cause for rejections.

29.9.12. Gasoline Resistance

29.9.12.1. Finished license plates shall be sufficiently gasoline resistant to withstand exposure to gasoline when tested as follows.

29.9.12.2. Test panels shall be immersed in a commercially available unleaded gasoline for a period of one minute.

After removal from the gasoline the test panels will be air-dried. The test panels shall show no evidence of dulling, whitening, softening, puckering, blistering, crinkling, or dissolving of the exterior film, inks, or adhesive, or separation from the aluminum substrate.

29.10. SECTION III - TEST PANELS AND QUALITY CONFORMANCE

29.10.1. Finished license plate test panels 6” x 12” (15.2cm x 30.5cm) must be provided for testing and evaluation within ten (10) calendar days if required by the state, and shall be produced of the same materials, on the same equipment and by the same general processes of substrate preparation, laminating, embossing or debossing, roll coating and oven drying as the production plates, in accordance with the sheeting manufacturer’s recommendations. Note the following test panel exceptions for II. B. (1, 6, 8, 9) testing.

29.10.2. Special test panels for photometric, cold weather resistance and solvent resistance testing shall be produced as above, except that they shall not be embossed (for ease of testing) and they shall not be roll coated. These test panels must be cured for a minimum of 25 minutes at 190-260°F (to simulate oven drying) and must be conditioned for at least 24 hours at 72° ± 4°F (22° ± 2°C) and 50% ± 2% R.H. prior to testing.

29.10.3. QUALITY CONFORMANCE

29.10.3.1. Failure of the reflective sheeting to meet any requirement specified herein shall be cause for refusal to accept materials until evidence has been provided by the manufacturer that corrective action has been taken to eliminate deficiencies.

29.11. SECTION IV - PERFORMANCE LIFE & WARRANTIES

29.11.1. PERFORMANCE LIFE

29.11.1.1. Reflective sheeting applied and processed into finished license plates according to the sheeting manufacturer’s instruction shall be considered to perform effectively for the service life specified (excluding those plates showing mechanical damage) if:

29.11.1.1.1. The plates show no fading, cracking, blistering or peeling which will significantly impair the intended visibility or legibility of the plate, and if

29.11.1.1.2. The clean rear plate retains at least 9 candlepower per foot-candle per plate (.84 candelas per lux per plate) for the length of the intended issue being bid. (up to a period of 5 years). 1

29.11.2. Measurements shall be conducted at 0.2° observation angle and -4° entrance angle. Coefficient of Luminous Intensity shall be measured using the test method outlined in ASTM E-810 except that the coefficient of luminous intensity shall be determined in accordance with ASTM E-808-01 Para. 3.2.2 and ASTM E-809-02 Para. 12.3. Note: Reflective license plates with a graphic preprinted design may not meet this requirement as large graphic printed areas may affect the reflectivity levels of the finished license plates.

29.12. SECTION V - SUPPORT SERVICES

29.12.1. PLATE DESIGN SERVICE

29.12.1.1. The reflective sheeting supplier shall, without additional cost, maintain a full-time professional design service to assist the state in creating a license plate of high legibility, recognition and desired aesthetics. The design will become the property of the State of New Hampshire.

29.12.1.2. Consistency of printing and roll coat inks must be maintained throughout the contract period. The supplie must provide for and maintain an exact color to existing and/or selected designs by the State. The sheeting supplier shall be required to furnish sheeting based on the current license plate design/format or any approved State design. Failure to maintain colors in accordance with this section will be cause for contract cancellation.

29.12.1.3. Special-plate-category designs shall be provided in standard roll form so that they can be manufactured into finished plates by the same process and on the same machinery as used for the basic design(s) covered by this contract. The successful bidder must be able to provide these designs in quantities as limited as one 300-ft. roll of material.

29.12.1.4. The state reserves the right to redesign any or all of the plates required under these specifications during any resulting contract period.

29.12.2. TECHNICAL SERVICE

29.12.2.1. License Plate Materials and Manufacturing Equipment

29.12.2.1.1. The reflective sheeting supplier shall, without additional cost, provide the license plate manufacturing shop with expert technical service and product information. A list of expert technical service personnel, their qualifications and experience must be provided.

29.12.2.1.2. On-site technical service shall, without additional cost, be available within 48 hours of notification by the manufacturing shop of production difficulties.

29.12.3. EQUIPMENT

29.12.3.1. The reflective sheeting supplier shall provide the necessary operational equipment for the intended contract period to laminate unprinted or pre-printed sheeting to the substrate inclusive of, but not limited to, the graphic reflective sheeting applicator including stretch control mechanism, and corresponding registry feed controls. The equipment may be used/refurbished (operational) or new.

29.12.3.2. Successful supplier shall install application and registry equipment at the License plate manufacturing location, and provide reflective sheeting for production in order to demonstrate over a period of 7 days that the equipment meets these specifications. The sheeting supplier shall cover costs during this 7-day period. This shall include reimbursement to the State of New Hampshire for all aluminum used in this testing, compensation for any labor dedicated by New Hampshire Correctional Industries employees for this trial period and will be liable for any damage to other State of New Hampshire equipment.

OR

29.12.3.3. The demonstration may be accomplished by taking agency personnel to view a system currently in operation or it may require setting up a system temporarily at the agency location. All expenses shall be paid by the vendor.

29.12.3.4. All required training shall be completed and equipment installed and operational within forty-five (45) days of notice of award of contract. Installation and training shall be acceptable upon consistently running the required line(s) at representative speeds not to exceed 100 strokes per minute with a rejection rate of 2% or less.

The acceptability of the blanks shall be determined by the issuing agency in conjunction with the license plate plant management.

29.12.3.5. The sheeting supplier shall provide a list of available stocked parts to the license plate manufacturing shop.

In event of equipment failure the sheeting supplier shall ship stocked replacement parts by express carrier within the next day

29.12.3.6. The successful sheeting supplier will reimburse the cost of any waste materials, including metal and sheeting generated because of installation and testing of application and registry equipment to the state. Any salary costs generated because the successful bidder requested to work during other than the normal scheduled work hours of the license plate plant employees will be borne by the vendor.

29.12.3.7. Upon expiration of the existing contract, the existing sheeting supplier’s equipment shall be removed within thirty (30) days unless an extension of the sheeting contract has been negotiated with the sheeting supplier.

29.12.3.8. The successful sheeting supplier shall provide Preventative Maintenance to all equipment used in the process of applying sheeting and creating the license plates.

29.12.3.9. The successful sheeting supplier shall provide emergency repair services for all equipment used in the process of applying sheeting and creating license plates. One phone number shall be supplied for contact and response time shall be within 4 hours of the initial call.

29.12.3.9.1. Contact Information: ____________________________________________________________

29.13. SECTION VI - PACKAGING AND SHIPPING

29.13.1. To ensure easy access and proper inventory control, the reflective sheeting shall be shipped in bulk packages. To prevent roll damage, each pallet of bulk packages shall be designed to prevent double stacking by the shipper.

Production run sequence numbers shall be affixed to the outside of each shipping package that corresponds to the materials contained therein. Each roll shall be additionally designated by a core identifier stamped or affixed with a permanent label to the inside of each roll core. A shipping or packaging list shall be affixed to one box on a pallet identifying all production runs contained within the shipment.

29.14. SECTION VII - DELIVERY SCHEDULE

29.14.1. All deliveries shall be provided F.O.B. to the State of New Hampshire’s designated point of delivery. The first expected delivery of reflective sheeting shall be no later than forty-five (45) days following official notification of contract award, initial order and receipt of State approved artwork. All subsequent orders shall be F.O.B. destination with expected delivery within thirty (30) days after receipt of order.

29.15. SECTION VIII - ACCOUNTABILITY

29.15.1. The manufacturer shall be accountable for all sheeting from the place of manufacture to the point of delivery. All over-run materials remaining in the manufacturer’s possession after discontinuation of any design or the contract’s cancellation, shall be destroyed and used for no other purpose.

29.16. SECTION IX - PROCESSING

29.16.1. The reflective sheeting processing shall be in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer. All processing procedures for reflective material, thinners, solvents and inks must be exact at the vendor’s expense, with equipment and procedures currently employed by the State.

29.16.2. The sheeting manufacturer shall periodically properly remove all waste, thinners, and roll coat inks. In addition, the sheeting vendor shall remove wastes from other consumables used in the production of license plate.

29.16.3. The Contractor will be required to deliver, free of charge, all clear coatings, thinners and inks on an “as needed” basis. Delivery in the amounts required must be completed within fifteen (15) days after receipt of order.

29.16.4. The contract shall be for projected volumes, which are estimates only. The contract shall be for actual amounts ordered during the selected contract production period. Delivery schedules and quantities must be coordinated with the state’s designated manufacturer.

Color Specification Chromaticity Coordinate

Color Corner x

Points y

Luminance Factor Y%

1 White

.303 .368 .340 .274

.287

.353

.380

.316

42 Min.

2 Yellow

.498

.557

.479

.438

.412

.442

.520

.472

28-38

3 Orange

.505

.550

.600

.478

.354

.412

.360

.385

14-24

4…