ESBD_393728_1738617762293_Pre Solicitation Draft Specifications.pdf

1/2025 Pre-Solicitation Meeting for Pre-Sort (Barcode) Mail Services Page A1

TEXAS COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

STATEWIDE PROCUREMENT DIVISION

Pre-Solicitation Meeting for Pre-Sort (Barcode) Mail Services

THIS IS A GENERAL INVITATION TO THE VENDOR COMMUNITY TO ATTEND A PRE-

SOLICITATION MEETING. INFORMATION OBTAINED MAY BE USED IN A

POTENTIAL FUTURE SOLICITATION FOR PRE-SORT (BARCODE) MAIL SERVICES.

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Table of Contents

A.1 GENERAL LINE ITEMS

A.2 CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES

A.2.1 POSTAGE

A.2.2 REPORTING

A.3 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL, VEHICLES, AND EQUIPMENT

A.3.1 CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

A.3.2 PERSONNEL SCREENING

A.3.3 VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT

A.4 SCOPE OF WORK

A.4.1 SCOPE OF WORK

A.4.2 MAIL PIECES

A.4.3 PRE-SORT (BARCODE) MAIL SERVICES REQUIREMENTS

A.4.4 MAIL PICK UP

A.4.5 PICK UP RECEIPT

A.4.6 MAIL PROCESSING

A.4.7 DELIVERY TO USPS (SAME DAY OR NEXT DAY)

A.4.8 CHANGE OF ADDRESS PROCESSING

A.4.9 SHORT PAID MAIL

A.4.10 NON-ELIGIBLE MAIL

A.4.11 QUALITY CONTROL PLAN

A.4.12 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

A.4.13 CONTRACTOR FACILITY LOCATIONS

A.4.14 DISASTER RECOVERY

A.4.15 PRE-PRODUCTION SAMPLE RUN - POST AWARD

A.4.16 CONDITION OF PRODUCTS

A.4.17 QUANTITIES

A.5 CONTINGENCY SERVICES FOR CUSTOMERS

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A.1 GENERAL LINE ITEMS

Line 1: Letter, First Class, AADC, Automation, Fee, and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

d) Estimated quantity: 2,395,746 pieces

e) Statewide pick up

Line 2: Letter, First Class, 5-Digit, Automation, Fee, and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 3: Letter, Mixed AADC, Automation, Fee, and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 4: Letter, First Class, AADC, Non-Automation, Fee, and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 5: Letter, First Class, 5-digit, Non-Automation, Fee, and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 6: Letter, First Class, Mixed AADC, Non-Automation, Fee, and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

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Line 7: Letter, First Class, 3-digit, Non-Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 8: Flats, First Class, AADC, Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

d) Estimated quantity: 100,546 pieces

Line 9: Flats, First Class, 5-Digit, Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 10: Flats, Mixed AADC, Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 11: Flats, First Class, AADC, Non-Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 12: Flats, First Class, 5-digit, Non-Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 13: Flats, First Class, Mixed AADC, Non-Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

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c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

d) Estimated quantity: 100,546 pieces

e) Statewide pick up

Line 14: Flats, First Class, 3-digit, Non-Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

Line 15: Postcards, First Class, AADC, Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

d) Estimated quantity: 53,204 pieces

Line 16: Postcards, First Class, AADC, Non-Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

d) Estimated quantity: 53,204 pieces

Line 17: Marketing Mail, (Formerly Standard Mail), AADC, Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on

1-ounce pieces of mail.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

d) Estimated quantity: 1 piece

Line 18: Marketing Mail, (Formerly Standard Mail), AADC, Non-Automation, Fee and Rates to be based on 1-ounce pieces of mail.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Same Day Service Fees

c) Contractor Discounted Postage Rate Next Day Service Fees

d) Estimated quantity: 1 piece

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Line 19: Letter, Contingency Metering Services Fee.

a) Contractor Service Fees

b) Estimated quantity: 1 piece

c) Statewide pick up

Line 20: Flat, Contingency Metering Services Fee.

Line 21: Certified Mail, Contingency Metering Services Fee.

Line 22: Postcard, Contingency Metering Services Fee.

Line 23: Short Paid Mail Processing Fee.

Line 24: Change of Address Processing Fee.

A.2 CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES

A.2.1 Postage

(1) Customers mail must contain an agency meter, precancelled stamp or permit imprint.

(2) Customer must check that all mail does not have a Stale Meter Date or meter imprints that are illegible.

(3) Customer must execute all forms required by the Contractor and USPS, within five (5) business days.

A.2.2 Reporting

(1) Customer must provide Contractor with a daily collection and processing report. At a minimum, the report must include a count of the total number of pieces, trays and/or tubs to be processed for each of the following mail classifications:

a) Domestic First-Class Mail

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b) International Mail

c) Domestic Marketing Mail

(2) Contractor may require additional collection information and shall coordinate with each Customer.

A.3 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL, VEHICLES, AND EQUIPMENT

A.3.1 Customer Service Representative

(1) Contractor must dedicate a Customer Service Representative (CSR) to the Contract.

(2) The CSR must address all customer contract issues, and requests sent by CPA Statewide

Contract Management (SCM), within four (4) business hours.

(3) The CSR must be available during customers operation hours.

(4) The CSR must have the authority and ability to address and correct any issues related to the implementation and operation of the Contract.

(5) Contractor should notify the SCM in writing fifteen (15) business days before a new CSR is assigned to the Contract, as feasible.

A.3.2 Personnel Screening

(1) Contractor’s personnel must be screened, pass background checks, drug tests, and all applicable United States Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements.

(2) The Contractor must promptly remove any personnel from Contract if they do not meet the required background checks, drug test, or applicable DOT requirements for the job.

A.3.3 Vehicles and Equipment

(1) Contractor must be able to provide all vehicles for transportation, except vehicles provided by USPS.

(2) Contractor must be able to provide the facilities to provide all services identified in this

RFP.

(3) The facilities must have all equipment and supplies in place for processing the services.

(4) The equipment provided in the facilities must be certified in accordance with USPS rules and regulations.

A.4 SCOPE OF WORK

A.4.1 Scope of Work

All requirements in this Section are mandatory. Awarded Respondent must be prepared to provide services to all Customers under the Contract by the Contract begin date.

The Respondent shall demonstrate that it is:

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(1) A company or an individual (and whose partners or principals or both) have a minimum of 10 years of experience providing pre-sort (barcode) mail services to Federal or State government agencies of major US cities or counties.

(2) A company or an individual (and whose partners or principals or both) have not filed for bankruptcy within the last eight (8) years.

A.4.2 Mail Pieces

As defined by the current USPS Domestic Mail Manual (DMM).

(1) Flats

(2) Letters

(3) Postcards

(4) Folded Self -Mailers

A.4.3 Pre-sort (Barcode) Mail Services Requirements

(1) Services must meet USPS requirements, and include, but are not limited to:

a) Transporting mail to the Postal Office.

b) Mail Certification by using Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS).

c) Contractor must use equipment that carries the certification of Multi-line Optical

Character Reader Accuracy Support System (MASS) and ensures the hardware and software’s ability to perform accurate address matching and barcoding of the mail.

d) Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB), Contractor shall apply and/or read customers pre applied full service IMB per USPS rules and regulations.

e) Marking, combining, co-mingling, presorting, packaging, traying, sleeving, banding, sacking, labeling packages, and postal containers.

f) Generating USPS documentation.

g) Maximizing destination entry discounts.

h) Performing move updates for all classes of Customer’s metered and permit imprint

(printed indicia) mail, to achieve the finest depth of sortation and greatest postal discount possible.

i) Contractor must combine each Customer’s mail with mail from other customers to obtain the greatest postal discounts possible.

(2) Types of Mail for Presort Services:

Customers may present various types of Mail to the Contractor including, but not limited to:

a) Automation compatible mail including self-mailers, booklets, postcards, heavy letter mail, reply cards, and envelopes.

b) Zip Sequenced automation compatible mail– assembled by Customer in zip code order.

c) Non-Zip Sequenced automation compatible mail.

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d) Pre-barcoded (IMB) automation compatible mail.

e) Mail pieces that bear an address barcode either in the address block or optical character reader (OCR) read area or in the case of flat mail that is pre-barcoded in accordance with the DMM.

f) Non-Pre-barcoded Automation compatible mail.

(3) Intelligent Mail Barcode

(4) Non-Automation Mail

A.4.4 Mail Pick Up

(1) Contractor must pick up mail daily, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or as coordinated with Customers to meet their frequency and time.

(2) If a pickup delay is foreseen, Contractor must give prompt written notice to Customer and continuously update Customer of the delay status.

(3) Contractor must provide Customers with adequate receptacles according to their needs for preparing Mail for pick up.

(4) Customers that fail to generate the minimum volumes may deliver their mail to the Contractor or to another Customer for pick up by Contractor.

a) Mail Pieces Per Customer/location minimum are 1,500 pieces per day.

b) Contractor and Customers may mutually agree to lower limits.

A.4.5 Pick up Receipt

(1) The Contractor must sign a receipt indicating the pickup time, date, the number of pieces of mail, number of trays and/or tubs of mail and type of mail consigned for each Customer.

(2) If the Contractor picks up more than one Customer’s mail at one location, the Contractor must generate and sign a separate transmittal receipt for each Customer.

(3) The Contractor must report in writing any discrepancies greater than 5% between the signed receipt and the actual processing totals to the Customer’s designated contact person on the next business day.

(4) All costs associated with the pickup and dispatch of mail are responsibility of the Contractor.

A.4.6 Mail Processing

(1) Contractor must process all mail same day or next day as required by the Customer.

(2) Machine rejected mail must be processed, at a maximum, by the next business day, after mail rejection.

(3) Contractor and Customer must perform a preliminary review of all mail at the time of pick up to ensure that it contains meter impressions that meet USPS standards.

(4) Contractor must further examine mail at delivery to contractor’s facilities.

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(5) The Contractor must not accept mail with Stale Meter Dates (date on a postage meter postmark that is other than the date the mail is deposited with a USPS facility) or meter imprints that are illegible.

A.4.7 Delivery To USPS (Same Day or Next Day)

(1) USPS Delivery:

a) Contractor must deposit Mail on the same day as the postage meter date to meet all

USPS meter deposit guidelines except for machine rejected mail.

b) Contractor must present all Mail to USPS no later than the current deadline in the

USPS operation plans, as set forth by the USPS Bulk Mail Entry Unit.

(2) Delivery Service Requested by Customer:

a) Contractor must follow each Customer’s designated same-day and next-day service requirements.

b) Same Day: The contractor must deliver all mail to USPS on the same business day that the Contractor picks up the mail from Customer.

c) Next Day:

i. Contractor must deliver all mail to USPS on the following business day.

ii. The Contractor must deliver all mail to USPS on the following day picked up on a Friday or the day before a USPS holiday if the customer requires next day services.

d) The Contractor and Customer may mutually agree to a different arrangement for a particular mailing.

A.4.8 Change of Address Processing

(1) Respondent must have the ability to provide FASTforward, similar services, or mail forwarding information that meet USPS specifications in accordance with the DMM for use.

(2) A USPS-licensed Multi-line Optical Character Reader (MLOCR) system that updates addresses by identifying names and addresses for which current change-of-address orders are on file.

(3) Contractor must use the National Change of Address (NCOA) secure database to process and update their mailing lists prior to sending out mailings for a fee.

(4) FASTforward cost must be provided in fees for services of this Contract.

A.4.9 Short Paid Mail

(1) Contractor must not tender Short Paid Mail to the USPS.

(2) Contractor must immediately contact the Customer upon identification of Short Paid Mail.

(3) Customer must communicate one of the following actions to the Contractor:

a) Customer may request the Short-Paid Mail be returned at the next mail pick up;

b) Customer may pick up the Short-Paid Mail; or

c) Customer may request the Contractor to Re-meter the mail as appropriate and add to

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A.4.10 Non-Eligible Mail

(1) Non-eligible mail, is mail that cannot be accepted by USPS or does not meet USPS automation standards.

(2) The Contractor must immediately notify the Customer by telephone or e-mail if fifty (50) pieces or more of Non-eligible Mail are included in a single pick up.

(3) Contractor must return all Non-eligible Mail to the original pick-up location for each Customer during the next day’s first pick up.

(4) Customers may pick up Non-eligible Mail at the Contractor’s location immediately upon receipt of such notification.

(5) Customer may authorize the Contractor to process the mail at their direction.

A.4.11 Quality Control Plan

Contractors must have a current quality control plan in place for all services as described in this RFP.

Contractor must provide if requested, a current quality control plan for all services as described in this

RFP.

A.4.12 Security Requirements

(1) Contractors must guarantee the security of all mail and the transported mail will be in an enclosed and secured vehicle.

(2) The Contractor must insure against damage, loss, or theft of mail while Contractor is providing services pursuant to the Contract.

(3) The Contractor must maintain proper control of mail to prevent access by unauthorized individuals.

(4) The Contractor must maintain a secured facility.

(5) Contractor must report any damage, loss, or theft of Customer Mail to the designated contact person for each Customer no later than four (4) hours following Contractor’s discovery of such damage, loss, or theft.

A.4.13 Contractor Facility Locations

Respondent must designate the location or locations it intends to utilize to fulfill the Contract in its Response. Contractor must notify SCM of any planned change in location used to fulfill the contract, within 30 days prior to the change taking effect, or as soon as practical in the event of a Force Majeure.

Contractor must perform all services at a location or locations that ensure they meet:

(1) Customers pick up requirements; and,

(2) Customers’ same-day and next-day service requirements.

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A.4.14 Disaster Recovery

Contractor shall have a demonstrated and practiced disaster recovery plan to continue operations and restore normal operations in the event they experience a disaster (e.g., a fire or flood at the facility that provides services under this Contract).

A.4.15 Pre-Production Sample Run - Post Award

The CPA may request the Contractor to make a “sample run” after award of the contract, but before initial pick-up. The sample run will allow the Customer and Contractor to determine what needs to be corrected to insure speedily, efficient run times. CPA will provide further sample run information after the contract award, if requested. The cost of providing the pre-production sample run will be the responsibility of the Contractor.

A.4.16 Condition of Products

Proposed and delivered products must be new, unused, the latest model in current production, and in first class condition, including containers suitable for shipment and storage, unless otherwise specified in the solicitation. Used, shopworn, demonstrator, prototype, remanufactured, reconditioned, or discontinued models are not acceptable.

A.4.17 Quantities

CPA does not guarantee a specific volume to be purchased throughout the term of the Contract. No minimum compensation to the Contractor is guaranteed.

Quantities indicated for each item in the Mandatory Price Sheet are estimates only and are based upon previous usage for a four-year period, if available, along with other data. These estimates should not be construed as a minimum or a maximum quantity that Customers may order.

A.5 CONTINGENCY SERVICES FOR CUSTOMERS

During the term of the Contract, Customer(s) may temporarily lose the ability to meter or permit imprint mail.

Contractor should include in its proposal a Contingency Services Plan that explains how the Contractor will provide contingency meter services for Customers following the procedures outlined below:

(1) At the request of the Customer, the Contractor will pick up mail.

(2) The Customer will provide:

a) The Total number of trays and or tubs with the following:

i. Domestic mail: count for each type of mail, letter, letters, flats, postcards, or certified mail.

ii. International mail: count for each for each type of mail, letters, flats, postcards, or certified mail.

b) The metering and permit imprint services required for each type.

c) Delivery Requirements to USPS: same business day or next business day.

(3) The Contractor shall meter or permit imprint the mail per the guidance provided by the Customer.

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(4) The Contractor will take the mail to USPS for processing.

(5) Invoice will include the following for Contingency Services:

a) The invoice may include, as an attachment, a detailed report to identify each type of mail, the counts for each type and the applicable postage.

b) Postage Costs (actual).

c) Meter or Permit Imprint Fee per piece.

(6) No additional service fees may be assessed to the Customer.

A.5 Contingency Services For Customers