Sources Sought Notice_13ADFL26SSN0001_Multifunctional Printer Devices - Replacement_Disposal_Maintenance.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN)/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

MULTIFUNCTIONAL PRINTER DEVICES: REPLACEMENT, DISPOSAL AND MAINTENANCE

SSN/RFI No. 13ADFL26SSN0001

SOURCES SOUGHT/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Census Bureau (USCB) is conducting market research to identify qualified vendors capable of providing replacement, maintenance, and disposal services for multifunctional devices (MFDs) across six (6) regional offices located in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia.

The purpose of this effort is to acquire replacement multifunction printing devices that support mission-critical operations within each regional office. The USCB’s current fleet of multifunction devices is approaching end-of-life and requires modernization to improve operational efficiency, reliability, cybersecurity compliance, and document management capabilities.

The USCB seeks information regarding commercially available multifunction devices and related support services capable of providing high-speed monochrome and color printing, robust scanning and copying functionality, secure network connectivity, and long-term operational reliability suitable for high-volume office environments. The USCB is specifically interested in multifunction printing devices that provide efficient and dependable office printing and scanning capabilities without the added cost or complexity associated with production-level finishing features.

The anticipated requirement may include delivery, installation, configuration, testing, user transition support, preventative and corrective maintenance services, and the environmentally responsible removal and disposal of existing equipment at all six regional office locations.

As part of this market research effort, the USCB is also seeking estimated market pricing information for both direct purchase and leasing options. Vendors are encouraged to provide estimated pricing ranges for commercially available multifunction devices that meet the USCB’s requirements, including associated maintenance agreements, consumables support, service response times, and disposal services. For leasing options, vendors are encouraged to provide estimated monthly or annual lease pricing, typical lease terms, refresh cycle options, and any pricing considerations associated with managed print services or enterprise fleet management solutions. Pricing information obtained through this SSN/RFI will be used for budgeting, acquisition planning, and market analysis purposes only.

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation, request for proposal, or commitment by the USCB to issue a solicitation in the future. Responses to this notice will assist the USCB in determining the availability of qualified sources, appropriate acquisition strategies, small business participation, and current industry capabilities related to multifunction device solutions and associated support services.

Interested vendors are encouraged to provide information regarding their technical capabilities, relevant past performance, recommended equipment solutions, maintenance approaches, disposal procedures, estimated pricing structures, and any available contract vehicles applicable to this type of requirement.

The USCB strongly encourages responses from small business concerns and all applicable socioeconomic categories. However, no set-aside determination has been made at the time of this notice. The Government will use the results of this market research to assess industry capabilities and determine the most appropriate acquisition strategy, including any potential set-aside determination.

Capability statements shall be submitted electronically to the Contracting Officer’s email address identified in this notice no later than the response date and time specified herein.

No phone calls will be accepted and no questions will be answered in response to this

SSN/RFI.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT(S)

Functional Requirements The contractor shall provide devices that meet or exceed the following capabilities:

• High-Speed Printing:

o Sustained print speed of 70 pages per minute (ppm) for black and color under continuous operation.

o Support for sustained high-volume output without performance degradation.

• Multifunction Capability:

o Print, copy, scan, and color print functions are integrated into a single device.

o Automatic document feeder (ADF) with duplex scanning.

• Scanning Requirements:

o Minimum 600 dpi optical high-resolution scanning o Scan-to-email, scan-to-network folder, and scan-to-secure repository functionality.

• Color Printing:

o Office-grade color output suitable for operational documents and internal presentations.

o No production-level finishing (e.g., binding, booklet making) required.

Security Requirements Devices must comply with federal and organizational security standards, including:

Secure network connectivity (TLS 1.2 or higher).

CAC/PIV-enabled authentication or equivalent secure access control.

Encrypted hard drives and secure print release functionality.

Compliance with organizational cybersecurity policies and vulnerability management requirements.

Reliability and Durability

Devices must be designed for long-term, high-volume operational use.

Devices must support a recommended monthly volume of at least 40,000–80,000 pages per month appropriate for mission-critical workloads

Availability of replacement parts and consumables for at least five years.

All proposed devices must have a minimum of five years of manufacturer support remaining at time of award.

Removal, Disposal, Installation and Configuration The contractor shall:

Deliver and install devices at all six regional offices.

Integrate devices with existing network infrastructure.

Configure secure print, scanning workflows, and user authentication.

Remove and dispose of legacy devices in accordance with environmental and data sanitization requirements.

Training and Documentation

Provide user guides and quick-reference materials.

Provide remote or on-site orientation for key staff at each location.

Maintenance and Support Provide a minimum three-year warranty with on-site service.

Guaranteed response times for mission-critical outages (e.g., next-business-day service).

Supply management support (e.g., toner, drums, maintenance kits).

Deliverables Delivery and installation schedule for all six offices.

Configuration documentation and security compliance artifacts.

Warranty and maintenance plan.

Final acceptance report for each installed device.

SOURCES SOUGHT/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RESPONSE INFORMATION

Capability statements shall be organized in accordance with the questions and information structure contained in this notice to ensure responses are clear, concise, and easy to follow during the Government’s review process. Vendors are encouraged to address each item completely and in the order presented.

At a minimum, capability statements should include the following:

• Company Name

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

• CAGE Code

• Business Size and Socioeconomic Status (e.g., Small Business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB)

• Primary Point of Contact, including email address and phone number

• Description of company capabilities relevant to the requirement

• Relevant past performance or experience on similar efforts

• Available contract vehicles, if applicable

• North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes applicable to the requirement

Technical and requirement questions:

1. What device classes or product lines are commonly used in high-volume office environments that require printing, scanning, copying, and secure connectivity?

2. What supply chain considerations may impact lead times for fleet level device replacement?

3. What industry practices exist for ensuring secure network integration and continuous firmware/vulnerability management?

4. What authentication technologies do manufacturers commonly support (e.g., CAC/PIV equivalents, secure release methods)?

5. How does industry typically handle data sanitization and disposal of devices at end-of-life?

6. What best practices does industry follow to minimize operational downtime during multifunction printer replacement?

7. What lead times are typical for ordering, delivering, and installing multiple devices across geographically dispersed locations?

8. What pricing structures are commonly used for multifunction printing devices (e.g., lease, purchase, cost-per-copy, managed print services)?

9. How do vendors typically price delivery, installation, and removal services when multiple geographically dispersed locations are involved?

10. What contracting approaches or best practices does industry recommend ensuring consistency in device models, configurations, and security features across locations?

11. What are the most common risks associated with large scale multifunction printer replacement efforts (e.g., network configuration delays, supply chain shortages, security approvals)?

(End of SSN/RFI)