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Shipping, Packaging, Marking, and Inspection – Acceptance Guidance

Table of Contents

List of Tables Table 1. Addresses the Government Delivers To 5

Overview The purpose of this document is to set requirements for the packaging, shipping and delivery of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) compliant PPE. This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change with evolving policy and global supply chain impacts.

Packaging Requirements A. For the purpose of pricing, invoicing, and inventory management, the Contractor shall specify and use the following unit of measure: each (ex. “item”, “case”, “box”, etc.) Note: When using a unit of measurement other than each, a conversion factor to each must be included, i.e., a box of 50 could be represented as Box/50 each.

B. The Contractor shall package the product in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation to protect the product in shipping and in storage.

C. The Contractor shall clearly identify the quantity of units per case, and the quantity of cases per pallet on the proposal, invoice, and delivery documentation.

D. The Contractor shall clearly display a label which shall include the following information: manufacturer, model name/number, count, type, expiration date, and special storage requirements.

E. The Contractor shall mark cartons containing glass or breakable items appropriately (e.g., “fragile”, “this end up”, etc.).

F. For bulk packaging, the Contractor shall identify full pallet shipping dimensions, to include length, width, and height on each Order.

G. The Contractor must identify whether materials can be stacked for storage or shipment purposes (items must be marked if they cannot be stacked).

H. The Contractor shall clearly identify and specify product shelf life or relevant expiry date. All products delivered to GOVERNMENT shall have at least 85% of their useful life remaining.

I. All shipments must be bar coded. The bar code shall be 3 of 9 codes as per the current Federal Std. No. 123 and Military Standard, Mil-STD-1189. The 13-digit National Stock Number (NSN) for the specific item shall be marked below the bar code symbol, (example below)

7530-00-L05-0109 Product Name (under the bar code but not coded in the bar code)

a. NOTE: The bar code when scanned should read the 13-digit NSN ONLY. Nomenclature, hyphens, dashes, asterisks, etc. should not be included in the bar code reading. A brief item description can be included on the label below the bar code.

Shipping Requirements A. All products must be stacked and shrink-wrapped on a standard 42” X 40”, 4-way pallet stacked no more than 55” high.

B. The height of the loaded pallet shall be standard height and shall not exceed 55" from floor.

C. Multiple items shipped must not be commingled on the pallet (small shipments can share a pallet with like items on the same order but grouped together and the individual shipments identified within the shrink wrap).

D. The Contractor shall identify fully loaded pallet shipping weight.

E. Bulk palletized product shall be packaged and shipped using shrink wrap to protect and secure the contents. All pallet labelling must be applied on the outside of the shrink wrap.

F. For bulk labeling, the Contractor shall label each pallet clearly marked on four sides for easy visibility and markings that include the following: “GOVERNMENT”, GOVERNMENT full order number, make, model, expiration date and count (number of cases and quantity per case) G. All shipments shall be clearly marked with the GOVERNMENT full purchase order number visible on the packing/delivery ticket.

H. The Contractor shall provide Free On Board (F.O.B.) Destination shipping, Shipping to GOVERNMENT’s points of distribution is the sole responsibility of the Contractor.

I. The Contractor, or Contractor's carrier, shall notify the receiving facility's point of contact of all deliveries via written communications using email in order to ensure coordination of the delivery.

Delivery Requirements A. The Contractor should have the capability to make deliveries up to 2 times per week B. Deliveries shall be made to the Government (WAREHOUSE) located at 16071 Industrial Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (phone: 1-833-366-3644 and email: WAREHOUSE-CustomerService@od.nih.gov) between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 3:00 PM. Monday through Friday except Federal Government holidays and closings.

C. The Contractor shall have the ability to ship directly to Bethesda MD 20892 (phone: 301-496-2051) between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Monday through Friday except Federal Government holidays and closings.

D. The Contractor shall have the ability to drop ship to multiple strategically located GOVERNMENT hub facilities throughout the contiguous US including but not limited to Montgomery County, MD, Frederick and Baltimore (MD), Research Triangle Park (NC), RML (MT), Phoenix (AZ).

E. The Government will provide specific delivery addresses, point(s) of contact and quantities at the time of order.

F. The Government may identify special delivery instructions, to include, but not limited to "lift gate' and/or "inside delivery" at the time of order, for some or all delivery locations. The Contractor, or Contractor's carrier, must be prepared to handle the special delivery requirements indicated at no additional charge to the GOVERNMENT receiving location. In other cases, a width restriction is identified (by delivery location) to ensure the full pallet can be properly received.

G. The Contractor shall deliver items to designated GOVERNMENT location(s) no later than seven (7) calendar days after receipt of order, unless otherwise specified at time of order.

H. The Government may accept partial or staggered deliveries. The Contractor shall provide notification via written communication through email and receive written approval from the Contracting Officer and/or Contracting Officer's Representative for partial or staggered deliveries.

I. Staggered delivery conditions: When staggered delivery is required, a minimum of fifty (50) percent of the total order shall be delivered as part of the first partial delivery. The remaining materials shall be delivered no later than fourteen (14) calendar days following receipt of order.

J. Special delivery options: The Government reserves the right to require expedited delivery options on an as needed basis, including but not limited to the following:

a. Overnight/Expedited

Federal Standard Requirements All responsive offerors must follow shipment requirements, marked, labeled, and packaged in accordance with Federal Standard 123H (FED-STD-1) Inspection and Acceptance The Government reserves the right to inspect all products and deliveries in accordance with these requirements and as called for by the order.

The COR or the COR assigned designee shall review the products and deliveries within 3 business days of delivery. Prior to acceptance, the COR or COR assigned designee shall provide the Contractor with an email that provides documented reasons for non-acceptance. A Supply Discrepancy Report (SDR) will be prepared for each item not conforming to item description, quantity, condition, quality, packaging, or other provisions set forth in the order. The Contractor will be notified of the discrepancy and will be given 2 business days to correct any discrepancy or notify the COR of a proposed alternate corrective action plan, at no additional cost to the Government.

Should there be a problem regarding a delivery required by the terms and conditions of an order or these special provisions, the Contractor must contact the COR. Failure to comply with the order terms and conditions, or the WAREHOUSE special provisions may result in delays in receiving, acceptance and payment. In addition, recurring failure to comply may hinder future opportunities to provide supplies to the WAREHOUSE.

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