IFB- ROAD AND BRIDGE REG RECEIPT 2025 FINAL.pdf

IFB # 2025-02A

PRINT ON DEMAND ROAD AND BRIDGE REGISTRATION

RECEIPT WITH ATTACHED DECAL

Issue Date: 3/05/2025

Closing Location Mississippi Department of Revenue

500 Clinton Center Drive Clinton, MS 39056

BID Coordinator

Nyla Kendrick, Procurement Officer Telephone: (601) 923-7680

Fax: (601) 923-7658 E-mail: nyla.kendrick@dor.ms.gov

Closing Date and Time

Bids must be received by April 10, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (CST) mailto:nyla.kendrick@dor.ms.gov

IFB _ Print on Demand Road and Bridge Registration Receipt with Attached Decal

Table of Contents

Section I – General

1.0 Scope of Services

2.0 Procurement Timeline

3.0 General Terms of Contract

4.0 Eligibility Requirements

4.1 Qualifications of Bidder

4.2 References

4.3 Business Longevity

4.4 Registration with the Secretary of State

4.5 Bid (Surety) Bond

4.6 Performance Bond

4.7 Liquidation Damages

4.8 Set Off

5.0 Procurement Methodology

5.1 Approach

5.2 Rules of Procurement

5.3 Procedure for Answering Questions

5.4 Bid Amendment or Withdrawal

5.5 Late Submissions

5.6 Negotiation Rights

5.7 Amendments to the Invitation for Bid

5.8 Opening Procedures

5.9 Competitive Negotiation

5.10 Bid Evaluation

5.11 Award Notice

5.12 Incurring Costs

5.13 Right to Protest

5.14 Post-Award Vendor Debriefing

5.15 Bid Ownership

5.16 Partial Bids Prohibited

5.17 Exceptions and Deviations

5.18 Compensation of Services

5.19 Conflict of Interest

5.20 Contract

5.21 Office Closure Statement

6.0 Submission Procedures

6.1 Procedures for Submitting Bids

6.2 Submission Format

Section II – Print on Demand

A. Printing Technology

B. Print Server System

C. Print Server Application

D. Solution Management

E. Form Requirement

F. Key Contact Person

G. Solution Deployment

H. Training

I. Pilot County Implementation

J. Help Desk

K. Inventory

L. Field Service

M. Disaster Planning

Section III – Validation Decals

A. Description

B. Prequalification

C. Retroreflective Characteristics

D. Adhesive and Protective Liner

E. Validation Sticker Requirements

F. Diffuse Daytime Color

G. Directional Security Marks

H. Cleanability

I. Wet Abrasion Resistance

J. Performance Life

K. General and Dimensional Requirements

L. Packaging and Delivery

Section IV – Validation Decal Fabrication Requirements – Centrally Issued by the Department of Revenue

A. Design, Color, and Size

B. Serial Number

C. Proofs

D. Processability

E. Production Equipment

F. Quantities and Deliveries

Appendix A Validation Sheeting Retroreflective Characteristics

Appendix B Color Specification

Appendix C Testing of Thermal Transfer Printed Validation Decals

Appendix D Number of Clerks in each County Office

Appendix E Number of County Registrations

Appendix F Terms and Conditions

Appendix G Bid Package

Attachment A – Bid Cover Sheet

Attachment B – Certification

Attachment C – Bid Form – Print on Demand

Attachment D – References

Attachment E – Reference Score Sheet # 1

Attachment F – Reference Score Sheet # 2

Attachment G – Acknowledgement of Amendments

Attachment H – Secretary of State Acknowledgement

Attachment I – Conflict of Interest

MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

INVITATION FOR BID

PRINT ON DEMAND ROAD AND BRIDGE REGISTRATION

RECEIPT WITH ATTACHED DECAL

Section I – General

1.0 Scope of Services

The Department of Revenue (referred to as “DOR” or “Department”) is hereby requesting bids for a turnkey solution for producing vehicle registration forms with validation stickers at each of the Tax Collector’s offices throughout the State. These forms with validation stickers are expected to print at the time of sale to taxpayers. This system is designed to eliminate the requirements for maintaining large quantities of pre-printed validation stickers and separate road and bridge registration receipt forms.

The system must have security features to allow easy authentication of validation stickers issued. The validation sticker portion of the form should be blank until the time of printing and issuance. The system must address inventory control, distribution, and auditing.

Ongoing maintenance and support of the system must be supplied by the Bidder during the entire term of the contract at no added cost to the Department.

Bidder shall be responsible for integrating the system within the Department’s computer and network infrastructure currently in place for issuing registration receipt forms with validation stickers. Bidder shall provide all requirements necessary to ensure that Print of Demand will successfully integrate with the Department’s infrastructure.

It is the responsibility of the prospective bidder to review all information contained within this Invitation and accompanying attachments. Notifications must be sent to the Department if a vendor believes the information contained in this Invitation is devised in such a manner that would restrict competition.

2.0 Procurement Timeline

It is our intent to follow the schedule below in the execution of this invitation for bid;

however, DOR reserves the right to amend and/or change the below schedule of events, as it deems necessary.

A. Invitation for Bid Issue Date: March 5, 2025; 9:00 AM CST

B. First Publication: March 5, 2025, and March 6, 2025

C. Second Publication: March 12, 2025, and March 13, 2025

D. Third Publication: March 19, 2025, and March 20, 2025

E. Deadline for Submission of Questions: March 27, 2025; 5:00 PM CST

F. Deadline for Posting of Answers: April 3, 2025; 5:00 PM CST

G. Bid Packet Submission Deadline: April 10, 2025; 12:00 PM CST

H. Bid Opening: April 10, 2025; 2:00 PM CST

I. Projected Award Notification: April 17, 2025

J. Debriefing Request Date: April 22, 2025

K. Protest Deadline: April 24, 2025

L. Projected Award Date: May 1, 2025

M. Projected Start Date: August 1, 2025

3.0 General Terms of Contract

The term of this agreement shall be for sixty (60) months and shall commence on August 1, 2025, and end on July 31, 2030. Vendor may request an increase to the price only due to a documented increase in costs. Such an adjustment to the price will be granted or denied solely at the discretion of the Mississippi License Tag Commission (referred to as “LTC”).

All orders received by the vendor shall be filled in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. The procedure for contract extension shall be as follows: If service and quality have been acceptable during the initial contract period, the Department will issue a letter sixty (60) days prior to the end of the initial contract period in which the Department will ask the awarded vendor to indicate their desire to extend the contract for an additional year. If the vendor wishes to renew the contract, the Mississippi License Tag Commission will then determine if a renewal would be in the best interest of the Department. If both parties agree to the renewal, the contract will then be in force for an additional year.

The contract will be in force for the decal year 2025. Delivery of the initial order must be made by August 1, 2025. Additional forms must be furnished at any time during the decal year.

4.0 Eligibility Requirements

4.1 Qualifications of Bidder

The bidder may be required before the award of any contract to show to the complete satisfaction of DOR that it has the necessary facilities, ability and financial resources to provide the service specified therein in a satisfactory manner. The bidder shall be required to give past history and references in order to satisfy DOR in regard to the bidder’s qualifications. DOR may make reasonable investigations deemed necessary and proper to determine the ability of the bidder to perform the work, and the bidder shall furnish to DOR all information for this purpose that may be requested. DOR reserves the right to reject any bid if the evidence submitted by, or investigation of, the bidder fails to satisfy DOR that the bidder properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to complete the work described therein. Evaluation of bidder’s qualifications shall include:

(1) The ability, capacity, skill and financial resources to perform the work or provide the service required.

(2) The ability of the bidder to perform the work or provide the service promptly or within the time specified, without delay or interference.

(3) The character, integrity, reputation, experience and efficiency of the bidder.

(4) The quality of performance on previous contracts or services.

(5) The bidder must have a minimum score of twelve (12) to be found responsive.

4.2 References

A corporate officer of the license plate manufacturer shall certify in writing that the bidding company is currently providing similar license plate manufacturing and related distribution services to other jurisdiction(s) that are similar in scope to those required herein.

Four (4) separate jurisdictional references (name, jurisdiction, title, phone number, email address) should accompany the bid submission.

DOR will contact these clients as references to evaluate the quality of the commodity.

Reference information must be provided as part of the packet submitted for consideration.

Although DOR requires the provision of a minimum of four (4) reference, the bidder may submit as many references as desired. References will be contacted in order listed until a minimum of two (2) references have been interviewed. Bidders are encouraged to submit additional references to ensure that at least two references are available for interview. It is the responsibility of the bidder to verify before submitting their bid that contact information is correct and current for each reference. DOR will not seek to correct erroneous contact information or track down references.

DOR staff must be able to contact two (2) references for a bid to be found responsive. In addition, the bidder must have a minimum score of six (6) on the Reference Score Sheet in Attachment E and F from the reference interviews by DOR with two (2) references, for a total minimum score of twelve (12).

4.3 Business Longevity

Each bidder must have been in business a minimum of five (5) years and provided plates to another state in the US during that time at a rate of at least 900,000 plates per year for at least one year prior to submission of its bid. Business expertise information must be provided on Attachment A, as part of the bid package submitted for consideration.

4.4 Registration with Mississippi Secretary of State

By submitting a bid, the bidder certifies it is registered to do business with the State of Mississippi through the Secretary of State or, if not already registered, that it will do so within seven (7) business days of being notified by DOR that it has been awarded the contract.

4.5 Bid Surety Bond

A bid (surety) bond of $2,500, or 10% of bid, whichever is greater, must accompany each bid and should be made payable to the State of Mississippi. Bid Bonds shall be returned to unsuccessful bidders immediately after the successful bidder is announced. On failure of the successful bidder to enter contract and Performance Bond as provided by Statute, the Bid Bond shall be forfeited to the State of Mississippi. As soon as the Performance Bond is approved, the Bid Bond will be returned to the successful bidder.

4.6 Performance Bond

The successful bidder shall submit to the State of Mississippi a Performance Bond in the amount of the total initial Purchase Order prior to the final award of the contract. The bond shall be made payable to the State of Mississippi by an authorized surety company, conditioned that the bidder will make deliveries within the times stated and in strict accordance with the provisions of the contract. The bond shall also contain the following provisions concerning liquidation damages to which the company issuing shall bind itself.

1. For failure to deliver the registration forms with decals, equipment, and supplies necessary to produce the stickers by or on August 1, 2025, where such failure is not caused by strike or any other delay beyond the reasonable control of the vendor, the State of Mississippi will be damaged in the amount of $1,000.00 per day for each and every day after August 1, 2025, until all materials are delivered to the Department and all county offices.

2. For failure to deliver any additional registration forms with decals by the date specified (45 days after purchase order) where such failure is not caused by strike or any other delay beyond the reasonable control of the vendor, the State of Mississippi will be damaged in the amount of $1,000.00 per day for each and every day after the date specified for delivery until all additional forms are delivered to the Department and/or all county offices.

4.7 Liquidation Damages

In case of a breach by the vendor as to delivery of the registration forms with decals, equipment, or supplies necessary for the production of the stickers by August 1, 2025, the vendor will agree to pay the State of Mississippi, as liquidation damages, the amount of $1,000.00 per day for each and every day after August 1, 2025, until the registration form with decal, equipment, and supplies necessary to produce the forms are delivered to the Department and all county offices. The Department will accrue damages regardless of whether the Mississippi License Tag Commission permits the vendor to continue to produce and deliver the registration forms with decals after the vendor’s breach in failing to deliver said decals from another source.

4.8 Set Off

The State of Mississippi shall be allowed to deduct and retain out of the money which may become due to the vendor, the amount of any damages incurred by the State of Mississippi from the action or inaction of the vendor, including, but not limited to, the liquidated damages indicated above.

5.0 Procurement Methodology

5.1 Approach

It is understood that all bids are submitted on the basis of complying with the provisions, terms and specifications set herein, provided that you can do so under the various government rulings and directives now in effect or which may be issued during the period of the contract.

DOR reserves the right to waive minor technicalities on bid forms and specifications that can be waived or corrected without prejudice to other bidders when it is in the best interest of DOR.

The Mississippi License Tag Commission reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Bids submitted must be for the total number listed in the specifications. No bids for any part of the total will be accepted.

The bidder understands that the Department of Revenue is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy that prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, age, national origin, physical handicap, disability or any other consideration. The bidder will strictly adhere to this policy in its employment practices and provision of services.

5.2 Rule of Procurement

All formal bids shall be binding for a minimum of forty-five (45) days after opening. If a bid is withdrawn after opening, the vendor will be removed from the list of eligible bidders for a period of six (6) months.

5.3 Procedure for Answering Questions

A. All questions concerning this Invitation for Bid or the bid process must be submitted by 5:00 p.m., on 3/27/2025 to:

BidQuestions@dor.ms.gov

B. Questions and request for clarification must be submitted via email during normal business hours by the deadline reflected in Section 2.0, Procurement Timeline. Questions after this time will not be considered.

C. All questions and answers shall be treated as amendments to the IFB. See section 5.7 below. Therefore, all questions received by DOR in a timely manner will be answered and issued in the form of amendments to each vendor that received the IFB. Additionally, the questions and answers will be published on the DOR website (www.dor.ms.gov) in a manner that all bidders will be able to see that any correspondence or communications are properly received.

D. It shall be incumbent upon all bidders to understand the provisions of the scope of services and to obtain clarification by the time reflected in Section 2.0, Procurement Timeline. Bidders are responsible for following up to see that any correspondence or communications are properly received.

E. DOR will not be bound by any verbal or written information that is not contained within this IFB unless formally noticed and issued by:

Nyla Kendrick, Procurement Officer Email: nyla.kendrick@dor.ms.gov

5.4 Bid Amendment or Withdrawal

No bids shall be modified after the specified time for the opening. If a bid is withdrawn after opening, the bidder will be removed from the list of eligible for a period of six (6) months. A bidder may withdraw a bid prior to the time set for the opening by simply mailto:BidQuestions@dor.ms.gov http://www.dor.ms.gov/ mailto:nyla.kendrick@dor.ms.gov making a request in writing to DOR; no explanation is required. No partial withdrawals are permitted; only complete withdrawals are permitted.

5.5 Late Submission

No late bids, modifications or withdrawals will be considered unless receipt would have been timely but for the action or inaction of DOR personnel directly involved with the procurement activity. Late bids or responses shall remain sealed and be maintained as part of the procurement file

5.6 Negotiation Rights

Discussions may be conducted with bidders who submit bids determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award, but bids may be accepted without such discussions.

5.7 Amendments to the Invitation for Bid

Amendments to the IFB will be identified as such. Amendments will reference the portions of the IFB that it amends. Amendments will be sent to all prospective bidders that received an IFB. Each vendor shall acknowledge receipt of amendments by completing and signing the Acknowledgement of Amendments form included in Attachment G hereto. The Bid Coordinator of DOR will post the Amendment by number on DOR website www.dor.ms.gov in a manner all bidders will be able to view. Respondents shall rely only on communication from the Bid Coordinator of DOR in submitting bids and obtaining amendments. The DOR’s Purchasing Division shall not be bound by any oral communications; bidders who rely upon any oral communications regarding the bid do so at their own risk.

Additionally, each bidder shall complete Attachment G, Acknowledgements of Amendments, and include it as part of its bid packet.

5.8 Opening Procedures

Bid openings shall be open to the public and shall be made in the presence of a member of the Mississippi License Tag Commission. However, they will serve only to open bids. No discussion will be entered into with any vendor/bidder as to the quality or provisions of the specifications, and no award will be made either stated or implied at the bid opening.

Although all bidders are invited and encouraged to attend the bid-opening meeting, the bids will be considered to be in the evaluation process and will not be available for review by the bidders. Questions will not be answered as a result of telephone inquiries.

5.9 Competitive Negotiation

The bid method to be used is that of competitive negotiations from which DOR is seeking the best combination of price, experience and quality of service. Discussions may be conducted with bidders who submit bids determined to be reasonably susceptible of being http://www.dor.ms.gov/ selected for award. Likewise, DOR also reserves the right to accept any bid as submitted for contract award, without substantive negotiation of offered terms, services or prices. For these reasons, all parties are advised to bid their most favorable terms initially.

5.10 Bid Evaluation

Contracts and purchases will be made or entered into with the responsive bidder who submits the lowest price and meets all specifications. Factors to be considered in determining the lowest, responsive bidder include:

• Price

• Conformity

• Reference response

• Qualified to contract with the State of Mississippi

5.11 Award Notice

The projected award, if made, will be by the Department within seven (7) days after the bid opening. After the Department makes the award, official notification will be sent to all participating vendors. This information will only be released in written form. The Department will not respond to telephone calls requesting the information.

5.12 Incurring Costs

Actions taken by a bidder before the receipt of the official notification will be at the bidder’s own risk, and the Department of Revenue will not be responsible for such actions.

5.13 Right to Protest

Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, or contractor who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award of a contract may protest to the Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Revenue. The protest shall be submitted in writing seven (7) days after notification is received. The written protest letter shall contain an explanation of the basis of the protest. A protest is considered submitted when received by the Bid Coordinator or Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Revenue. To expedite the handling of the protest, the envelope should be labeled “PROTEST.” A protest filed after normal business hours on the seventh day will not be considered.

5.14 Post-Award Vendor Debriefing

A respondent, successful or unsuccessful, may request a post-award debriefing, in writing, by U.S. mail or electronic submission. The written request must be received by the Bid Coordinator of DOR within three (3) business days of notification of the contract awards.

A Post-Award Debriefing is a meeting and not a hearing; therefore, legal representation is not required. If a respondent prefers to have legal representation present, the respondent must notify the Bid Coordinator of the DOR in writing and identify it attorney by name, address and telephone number.

5.15 Bid Ownership

All bids become DOR property. Bids will be made available for inspection only after award of the contract. For this reason, proprietary material should be clearly labeled as such. The classification of an entire bid as proprietary or trade secret is not acceptable and may result in rejection of the bid. Request to review proprietary information will be handled in accordance with state law and applicable procedures. All disclosures of bid information to interested parties will be made in compliance with DOR policies and procedures established in accordance with Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 defined in Section 26-61-1 et seq., of the Mississippi Code and exceptions found in Section 25-61- 9 and 79- 23-1.

5.16 Partial Bids Prohibited

A corporate officer of the license plate manufacturer shall certify in writing that, at the time of the bid submission, the manufacturer’s facility is currently capable of producing 100% of the annual and/or re-issue Mississippi production as stated in this specification.

Bids submitted must be for the total number of license tags as listed in the specifications.

Bids submitted must be all or none. Bids will not be accepted for any part of the total.

5.17 Exceptions and Deviations

Bidders taking exception to any part or section of the solicitation shall indicate such exceptions on the bid form and shall fully describe said exception. Failure to indicate any exception will be interpreted as the bidder’s intent to comply fully with the requirements as written. Conditional or qualified bidders, unless specifically allowed, shall be subject to rejection in whole or in part

5.18 Compensation of Services

Compensation for services will be in the form of a fixed price agreement.

5.19 Conflict of Interest

All bids must be accompanied by a statement disclosing (1) any involvement, financial or otherwise, that an employee, officer, or agent of DOR may have in the proposing organization, and (2) any involvement, financial or otherwise, that any employee, officer of any other governmental agency may have in the proposing organization. Disclosure statement form included in Attachment I.

5.20 Contract

Awards will not be final until DOR and the bidder have negotiated and executed a written contractual agreement and this agreement is approved by the Mississippi License Tag Commission. If a contract is awarded, the selected bidder will be required to comply with the terms and conditions, in Appendix A, that will be a part of the contract.

5.21 Office Closure Statement

If the agency is closed for any reason, including but not limited to: acts of God, strikes, lockouts, riots, acts of war, epidemics, governmental regulations superimposed after the fact, fire, earthquakes, floods or other natural disasters (the “Force Majeure Events”), which closure prevents the opening of bids at the advertised date and time, all bids received shall be opened on the next business day that the agency shall be open and at the previously advertised time. The new date and time of the bid opening, as determined in accordance with this paragraph, shall not be advertised, and all bidders, upon submission of a bid, shall be deemed to have knowledge of and shall have agreed to the provisions of this paragraph.

Bids shall be received by the agency until the new date and time of the bid opening as set forth herein. The agency shall not be held responsible for the receipt of any bids for which the delivery was attempted and failed due to the closure of the agency as a result of a Force Majeure Event. Each bidder shall be required to ensure the delivery and receipt of its bid by the agency prior to the new date and time of the bid opening.

6.0 Submission Procedures

6.1 Procedures for Submitting Bid

A. Bids must be written and formatted based on the forms furnished by DOR, or they may not be considered. Letters will not be considered a part of the bid packet. Facsimile transmissions will not be accepted. Failure to submit a bid in the manner specified will be considered cause for rejection of bid.

B. Bids should be typed and single-sided; not handwritten. Failure to submit a bid in the manner specified will be considered cause for rejection of the bid. The bid shall be signed by a company official with authorization to bind vendor to its provisions and submitted in a sealed envelope or package to 500 Clinton Center Dr. Clinton, MS 39056 no later than April 10, 2025.

C. Unless submitted in the Mississippi Accountability System Government

Information and Collaboration (MAGIC) system, a packet must be delivered by the time indicated for submission in Section 2.0 of the Procurement Time Line.

It must be labeled as noted in (E.) below. If submitted in MAGIC, documents must be signed and scanned in as an attachment.

D. DOR reserves the right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether to reject with exceptions, modifications or additions within the parameters set by this IFB, including specifications, as nonresponsive.

E. Sealed bids should be hand delivered (strongly encouraged) or mailed and labeled as follows:

Mississippi Department of Revenue Attention: Nyla Kendrick Bid # 2025-02A 500 Clinton Center Dr.

Clinton, MS 39056

SEALED BID – DO NOT OPEN

F. The parties submitting bids are responsible for ensuring they are delivered by the required time assuming all risk of delivery. DOR will not be responsible for mail delays or lost mail. Delays due to system downtime or weather will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and the bidder should notify DOR Bid Coordinator of such occurrences. Bids and modifications or corrections thereof received after the closing time specified will not be considered. Any bids or responses received subsequent to the specified closing date and time shall remain sealed and be maintained as part of the procurement file.

6.2 Submission Format

The bid package must be sealed and must contain the following:

A. Attachment A – Bid Cover Sheet

B. Attachment B – Certification to Sign on Behalf of the Company

C. Attachment C – Bid Form # 1 – Print on Demand Road and Bridge Registration Receipt with Attached Decal

D. Attachment D - References

E. Attachment E – Reference Score Sheet # 1 – Return with packet unsigned

F. Attachment F – Reference Score Sheet # 2 – Return with packet unsigned

G. Attachment G – Acknowledgement of Amendments

H. Attachment H – Secretary of State Acknowledgement

I. Attachment I – Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

Section II – Print on Demand

The terms “registration forms”, “forms” and “forms with decals” are used interchangeable in these specifications and all terms will designate all serialized, month, blank and sample registration forms with decals.

A. Printing Technology

1. Thermal transfer printing technology must be used to ensure print durability and retention.

2. All printers necessary to allow print on demand capabilities for all Tax Collectors offices and the Department must be included.

3. Describe in detail the proposed quantity and logistics of thermal transfer printers to be deployed in the Tax Collectors offices and the Department.

4. Proposal should describe all necessary connectivity requirements in the Tax Collectors offices.

5. Proposed printers must be able to print bar codes on demand.

6. Proposed printers must print at a minimum of three inches per second.

7. All necessary printers, spare printers, and replacement printers for the term of the contract must be supplied.

8. Maintenance and support of all deployed printers is expected during the term of the contract.

B. Print Server System

1. The Department desires a centralized system to manage the print requests and printers throughout the State. Describe how the proposed solution will accomplish this.

2. Print on Demand must integrate with the current Department system.

3. Maintenance, support and all fees associated with the Print on Demand system shall be provided throughout the term of the contract.

4. Describe in detail all requirements necessary to interface the proposed solution with the Department system.

5. It is necessary to be in strict compliance at all times with the security standards set forth by the Department policy. This shall include security items such as data, transmission, storage, and physical security.

6. All necessary updates for Print on Demand shall be maintained and kept current.

Describe proposed methodology to satisfy this requirement.

7. There is a minimum monthly fee of $500 payable to Information Technology Services (ITS) for the housing of the servers. This fee shall be paid by the vendor.

C. Print Server Application

1. All applications necessary to integrate Print on Demand with the existing Department applications shall be provided to the Department at no additional cost.

2. Details to the applications necessary for Print on Demand shall be provided.

3. All applications provided or developed shall be compliant with common industry standards and provide details of compliance.

4. All proposed applications must be introduced in a centralized environment. The Department does not desire the installation and support of applications installed at Tax Collector offices throughout the State.

5. Describe the support and maintenance of applications to be installed with the proposed solution.

D. Solution Management

1. Reporting capabilities shall be provided with the proposed solution. The following reports are required:

a. Transaction volumes by day and by user-definable time periods.

b. Transaction volumes by office.

c. Transaction reprint volumes by day and by user-definable time periods.

d. Transaction reprint volumes by office.

e. Inventory levels by office.

f. Service call and support incident reporting by month.

g. System status reporting.

2. Audit capabilities shall be provided with the proposed solution. The following minimum audit components are required:

a. Inventory level discrepancies.

b. Transaction accountability. The Department and County offices expect to be able to determine transaction detail by time, date, office, and user.

c. Reprint accountability. The Department and County offices expect to be able to determine reprint detail by time, date, office, quantity, and user.

d. The Department expects real-time alerts of reprint activity. Details shall be provided as to how this requirement will be satisfied.

3. User access control must be employed on all report and audit functions provided.

4. The proposed solution shall describe in detail how it will be managed on a day-to-day basis.

5. The service and support of proposed solution shall be described in detail.

E. Form Requirements

1. Registration document material must be designed for thermal transfer printing.

2. Registration documents shall be on virgin or recycled paper.

3. Validation stickers must be affixed to document material prior to printing.

4. The Department shall have the option of one or two decals affixed to the registration form.

5. Validation stickers must be affixed to registration document within a 1/32” tolerance with regard to placement on document.

6. Validation stickers must be easily removed and documents must be preprinted with instructions as to proper removal of validation sticker.

7. Registration documents must have front and back printing with verbiage specified by Department.

8. The dimensions of the registration document shall be 8 ½ by 4 inches long.

9. Reverse side printing color shall be specified by the Department.

10. Registration documents are to be packaged in quantities of 500 documents per box.

11. Packaging of registration documents shall be as follows:

a. Documents must be protected within packaging by plastic and desiccant bags.

b. All packaging boxes must be double wall for strength.

c. Packaging must not include cardboard or any other hard material for fillers.

d. If packages are shipped on pallets; stack height of boxes is to be limited to four and must be shipped with sticker material in vertical position to lessen chances of blocking due to weight and pressure.

12. Bidder shall be responsible for maintaining inventory levels at each County office and the Department locations.

13. Bidder shall be responsible for distribution and shipping of documents to each County office and the Department locations.

14. A 90 day supply of registration documents shall be maintained at each location.

15. Registration documents shall be provided with perforations for specific use applications as follows:

a. Print on demand – Hand perforation cuts to ties per form .051 cut X .032

16. Engineering drawings of proposed document formats for print on demand applications must be provided.

F. Key Contact Person

1. The Bidder shall designate a contact person to be assigned to the Department.

2. The Bidder shall provide progress milestones for the proposed solution in detail.

3. The Bidder shall describe project management change control process.

4. The Bidder shall provide a proposed Work Plan with this response.

G. Solution Deployment

1. An Installation Plan shall be provided within 30 days of contract award.

2. A Deployment Plan shall be provided within 30 days of contract award.

3. All installation services and personnel shall be provided at no additional cost to the

4. All deployment services and personnel shall be provided at no additional cost to the

H. Training

1. A comprehensive Training Plan shall be provided within 60 days of contract award.

2. Training manuals shall be provided to each Tax Collector office. Manuals shall include but not be limited to:

a. Frequently asked questions

b. Inventory control

b. Replacement of forms

c. Basic printer operation

d. Support procedures

3. Ongoing training throughout the term of the contract shall be provided as deemed necessary.

I. Pilot County Implementation

Pilot Counties will be the county offices that will start Print on Demand three (3) months prior to the full Implementation. There will be fifteen (15) Pilot Counties. The purpose of the Pilot Counties is to:

a. Verify that the Print on Demand solution operates as designed

b. Gain feedback for general rollout

c. Gain an understanding of the terminal’s functionality

d. Know what to expect when a problem or issue arises

J. Help Desk

1. Help desk services shall be provided to the Department and each of the 104 Tax Collector offices. The explanation of Help Desk services shall include but not limited to:

a. Hours of Operation

b. Response time

c. Issue resolution procedures

d. Issue escalation procedures

2. Help desk performance reports shall be provided to the Department on a monthly basis.

3. A single toll free number shall be provided to the Department and all Tax Collector offices for help desk support.

4. Describe proposed service level agreements to include initial response time, on site response time, escalation procedures, and issue reporting.

K. Inventory

1. A 90-day supply of registration forms with validation stickers should be maintained at each Tax Collectors office and the Department.

2. The Bidder shall be responsible for all distribution and shipping costs.

3. Describe proposed methodology for maintaining and auditing consumption and waste of issued materials.

L. Field Service

1. Field service support personnel shall be provided in sufficient quantity to maintain compliance with service level agreements.

2. All field service personnel shall be professional, courteous, and of proper dress while interacting with Department or Tax Collector personnel.

3. All field service personnel shall be properly trained and properly prepared for service calls.

M. Disaster Planning

1. Details shall be provided for procedures utilized for disaster recovery with regard to the Print on Demand solution.

2. A disaster recovery plan shall be provided prior to implementation.

Section III – Validation Decals

A. Description

The retroreflective (hereafter referred to as “reflective”) sheeting shall consist of lens elements enclosed within a transparent resin and shall have either two pre-coated pressure sensitive adhesives separated by a liner or a single adhesive layer, depending on taxpayer requirements. The first layer assures maximum adhesion to the license plate, while the second layer, piggyback coated on the liner of the first adhesive, facilitates sheeting and card-stock processing through the manufacturer’s thermal transfer printing system.

The sheeting shall display protective security marks are extremely difficult to counterfeit.

These security marks shall facilitate visual verification of authenticity.

The reflective sheeting shall have a smooth weather resistant surface, which is receptive to durable thermal transfer resin colorants. The surface shall enable high quality thermal transfer imaging. The reflective stickers shall be processed according to the sheeting manufacturer’s recommendations.

B. Prequalification

Prospective bidders, who desire to prequalify materials governed by this specification, should submit technical data exhibiting characteristics and processing parameters of the sheeting, adhesives, thermal transfer printing colorants, and equipment systems for the production of completed validation stickers. If a review of the technical data indicates that the proposed materials and equipment comply with the requirements of this specification, the prospective bidder or supplier shall be so notified.

C. Retroreflective Characteristics

1. The unprinted reflective sheeting shall have the following minimum coefficients of Retro-reflection expressed as candlepower per foot candle per square foot of Material, (candelas per lux per square meter). Test samples shall be oriented as specified in the manufacturer’s instructions. The coefficient of retroreflection shall be measured in accordance with ASTM E-810, “Standard Test Method for Coefficient of Retro-reflection of Retro-reflective Sheeting,” except that only one reading shall be taken at each position; the sample shall not be rotated 90 degrees.

White Observation Angle 0.2° trance Angles -4° 50.0 40° 15.0

See Appendix I for Retroreflective Characteristics of other colors.

2. Rainfall Performance

a. The coefficient of retroreflection of the same sheeting, totally wet by rain, shall not be less than 90% of the above values. The photometric performance during rainfall shall be determined as follows:

1) Test set-up for rainfall performance:

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:

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

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.

D. Adhesive and Protective Liner

1. The first pre-coated pressure-sensitive adhesive shall form a durable, vandal resistant bond to clean, dry, properly painted or reflective sheeting license plate surfaces or sticker surfaces of the same material.

2. Adhesive No. 2, if required for a piggyback construction and applied to the backside of adhesive No. 1’s liner, shall hold retroreflective stickers on a temporary support liner prior to release and tipping onto cardstock.

3. The adhesive shall not exude from sheeting edges when processed into finished stickers so as to cause pieces to stick together during printing, handling or while packaged in shipment and distribution.

4. The protective liner of adhesive No. 1 shall be removed by peeling without soaking in water or other solvents and shall be easily removed after storage for four hours at 150 degrees F. (66 degrees C.) under a weight of 2.5 lbs. per sq. in. (0.17 kg/cm squared).

E. Validation Sticker Requirements

1. Sticker adhesion must be warranted to remain durable and last a minimum of 5 years under normal road conditions. During that 5-year period, the sticker must not:

a. Crack

b. Become brittle, flaky, discolored

c. Acquire a powdery surface

2. Printing on the sticker must have a 2-year service life if exposed to the following solvents:

a. Degreaser

b. Isopropyl Alcohol 92%

d. W at er

e. Windex

f. Ethanol

g. Brake Fluid

h. Gasoline

i. Fuel Oil

j. Diesel Fuel

k. Abrasive soap/ cleaning detergents

l. Kerosene

m. Steam

3. When stickers are applied to the vehicle license plate:

a. A minimum of 5 stickers should be able to be applied on top of each other.

b. Under normal service use, stickers must adhere to the surface of the license plate, for a minimum of 5 years without:

I. Fading ii.Disintegrating iii.Detaching from the license plate or a previous sticker to which it has been affixed

F. Diffuse Daytime Color

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.

Chromaticity Coordinate Corner Points

Color x y Luminance Factor Y (%)

White .303 .290 35 min.

.365 .354 .340 .378 .278 .316

See Appendix II for color specification requirements of other colors.

G. Directional Security Marks

The sheeting shall have protective directional security marks, which are an integral part of the sheeting, and which make unauthorized sticker reproduction extremely difficult.

The security marks shall be of a design mutually agreed upon by the Department and the sheeting manufacturer and shall meet the following additional requirements:

1. The security marks shall:

a. Be verifiable in diffuse daylight and by retroreflected light at night;

b. Not alter sheeting colors or reduce sheeting brightness below specified levels;

c. Not be removable by chemical or physical means from the sheeting or finished validation sticker, applied or unapplied, without irreparable damaged to the reflective system.

H. Cleanability

The sheeting processed into finished stickers and applied in accordance with the recommendations of the reflective sheeting manufacturer, shall be readily cleansed of normal dirt accumulation by washing with water and mild detergent.

The surface shall also be sufficiently solvent-resistant to permit cleaning with solvents commonly used to clean vehicle finishes. Accordingly, the surface printed colorant shall show no wear after exposure to 25 cycle rubs (one cycle equals one rub back and forth) with a “Q-tip” type cotton swab with gasoline, methyl alcohol, kerosene, mineral spirits, VM & P naphtha, 409 cleaner, window cleaners, and other common cleaners used to clean automotive paint finishes. See Appendix III for the test method.

I. Wet Abrasion Resistance

Finished stickers shall show good wet abrasion resistance after 1000 cycles of “Wet Scrub” testing. No appreciable wear shall be observed. See Appendix III for the test method.

J. Performance Life

Finished stickers including surface printed colorants shall remain clear and durable and shall provide a compatible surface for direct application of additional annual validation stickers of the same material.

K. General and Dimensional Requirements

The decal sheeting shall be furnished as individual stickers attached to a registration form.

L. Packaging and Delivery

All registration forms with reflective sheeting decals shall be packaged in accordance with accepted commercial standards.

Section IV – Validation Decal Fabrication Requirements – Centrally Issued Decals by Department of Revenue

A. Design, Color and Size

1. The design of retroreflective stickers shall be a duplicate of the sketch approved by the Mississippi License Tag Commission. The color of the validation stickers shall be as indicated by the chart below. The column labeled “Background” means the color of the background of the sticker and the column labeled “Year or Letters” means the color of the number or letters indicating the year or month of the sticker or, in the case of blank stickers, the color of the words “No Decal Required”.

Type of “2025” Sticker Year or Letters Background Passenger & Motorcycle Black White Other Trailers Black White Months Black White No Decal Required Black White Heavy Truck & Apportioned Black Yellow/Green

Type of “2026” Sticker Year or Letters Background Heavy Truck & Apportioned Black Yellow

Type of “2027” Sticker Year or Letters Background Heavy Truck & Apportioned Black White

2. The dimensions of all stickers, except motorcycle stickers, shall be one and one half (1 ½) inches by one (1) inch. All motorcycle validation stickers shall be one and three eighths (1 3/8) inches by seven eighths (7/8) inch in size.

3. “MISS” will be printed on the left side of each sticker in stacked letters going from top to bottom except on “County Number” and “No Decal Required” stickers.

4. The number which indicates the “month” on the month sticker will be a two (2) digit number “01”, “02”, “03”, … “12” and the numbers should be three fourths (3/4) inch in height. The number which indicates the “county number” on the county stickers will be a two (2) digit number “01”, “02”, “03”, … “82” and the numbers should be three fourths (3/4) inch in height. The number which indicates the “year” on the year stickers should be a two (2) digit number and the numbers should be three fourths (3/4) inch in height. All numbers should be in bold print. The year stickers will have the serialized sticker number printed at the bottom of the sticker below the number indicating the year. “No Decal Required” should be printed on two (2) lines with “No Decal” on the top line and “Required” on the second line both lines to cover the entire sticker.

5. Heavy Truck and Apportioned stickers will be on a three year repeating cycle.

B. Serial Number

The serial number on the various types of year validation stickers shall be printed in Black ink and is further described in the following chart. The column labeled Height of Serial Number means the actual height of the serial number on the decal. The column labeled Number of Digits in Serial Number means the number of characters within the serial number on the sticker. The Serial Numbers should be printed in bold print at the bottom of the sticker under the number indicating the sticker year. The stickers shall be numbered as shown on the attached sheets.

TYPE OF STICKERS HEIGHT OF

SERIAL NUMBER

NUMBER OF DIGITS

IN SERIAL NUMBER

“2026” Passenger 1/8 Inch up to 8 Other Trailers 1/8 Inch up to 8 Motorcycles 1/8 Inch up to 6 Motorcycle Trailers 1/8 Inch up to 6 Heavy Truck 1/8 Inch up to 8 Apportioned

C. Proofs

1/8 Inch up to 8

Five (5) proofs of each serialized design and color, five (5) proofs of blank stickers, and five (5) proofs of month and county stickers shall be furnished to the Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Service, at mailing address P.O. Box 1140, Jackson, MS 39215 or physical address 500 Clinton Center Drive, Clinton, MS 39056, within ten (10) working days after receipt of purchase order. The colors on the proofs do not have to correspond with the colors required for the 2026 stickers.

D. Processability

The successful bidder shall furnish a matched component system inclusive of all sheetings, adhesives, thermal transfer colorants, and equipment needed to produce license plate validation stickers meeting the requirements of this application.

All components shall be compatible with all procedures and equipment used by the Department, to manufacture license plate validation stickers. Verification of compatibility will be required by the Department’s sticker manufacturing facility prior to initiating the production of validation stickers of each size and color specified; the components shall be submitted to the appropriate agency for visual examination and testing. Print quality of finished stickers shall meet commonly accepted industry standards to include machine-readable symbology, when required.

E. Production Equipment

The sticker sheeting manufacturer shall provide all equipment required on a bailment agreement to manufacture finished validation stickers to include the printer, printer control device, and printer/driver software.

The Department shall be responsible for development of the interface software between the printing equipment and the Department’s database(s).

The Department shall not utilize the thermal transfer printer for other non-reflective sticker printing without the expressed permission from the…