SP-21-0036 Certificates of Title - with Addendum~2.docx

Bid Solicitation Document Bid No. SP-21-0036

STATE OF ARKANSAS

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSFORMATION AND SHARED SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT

501 Woodlane St., Ste. 220 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1023

INVITATION FOR BID

BID SOLICITATION DOCUMENT

SOLICITATION INFORMATION

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Bid responses for this Invitation for Bid must be submitted through ARBuy, the State’s eProcurement system. It can be accessed at https://arbuy.arkansas.gov. Bids received after the submission deadline may be rejected as untimely. See section 1.2 for information regarding Live Bid Openings.

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT CONTACT INFORMATION

SECTION 1 – REQUIREMENTS

Do not provide responses to items in this section unless specifically and expressly required.

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This Invitation for Bid (IFB) is issued by the TSS Office of State Procurement (TSS OSP) for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration’s Office of Motor Vehicle to obtain pricing and a contract to manufacture, print, package, and deliver the State of Arkansas’s Certificates of Title (hereinafter referred to as “Titles”). Direct all questions, comments, or concerns you may have regarding this solicitation to the TSS Office of State Procurement, not the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration’s Office of Motor Vehicle.

A visual representation of this IFB’s written Requirements is provided as Attachment A: Current Arkansas Certificates of Title Images. Prospective Contractors are strongly encouraged to reference Attachment A to familiarize themselves with the Titles’ components such as the various border colors and designs, the backs of the Titles, required presswork and security features, and to better understand the IFB’s Requirements. Attachment A does not depict the gray shaded areas included in some fields on the backs of the Titles. The gray shaded areas may be seen on the hard copy Title samples received from TSS OSP upon Prospective Contractor’s request. See Current Title Requests)The images on Attachment A include the State’s four (4) categories of Titles in current circulation:

1. “Blue” Titles (Arkansas Certificate of Title for Motor Vehicles)

2. “Red” Titles (Arkansas Certificate of Title for Damaged Motor Vehicles)

3. “Brown” Titles (Arkansas Certificate of Title for Parts Only)

4. “Purple” Titles (Arkansas Certificate of Title for Boats)

1.2 LIVE BID OPENING

See instructions below to view the bid opening online.

Zoom Meeting Link: https://arkansasgov.zoom.us/j/84094626785?pwd=eXBTZ3lBT1dXSVYxQndHUk5mWkdJQT09 Meeting ID: 840 9462 6785 Meeting Password: 999999 Dial-In Information: 877 853 5257 US Toll-free 888 475 4499 US Toll-free

1.3 CLARIFICATION OF BID SOLICITATION

A. Submit any questions requesting clarification of information contained in this Solicitation via the solicitation posting in ARBuy by midnight, Central Time on or before April 29, 2021.

1. For each question submitted, Prospective Contractor should reference the specific solicitation item number to which the question refers.

2. Prospective Contractors’ written questions will be consolidated and answered by the State as deemed appropriate. The State’s consolidated written response is anticipated to be posted to the solicitation posting in ARBuy by the close of business on May 7, 2021. If Prospective Contractor questions are unclear or non-substantive in nature, the State may request clarification of a question(s) or decline to answer.

B. The Prospective Contractor should notify the TSS OSP buyer of any term, condition, etc., that precludes the Prospective Contractor from submitting a compliant, Responsive Bid. Prospective Contractors should note that it is the responsibility of the Prospective Contractor to seek resolution of all such issues, including those relating to the terms and conditions of the contract, prior to the submission of a bid.

C. Prospective Contractors may contact the TSS OSP buyer with non-substantive questions at any time prior to the bid opening.

D. An oral statement by TSS OSP will not be part of any contract resulting from this solicitation and may not reasonably be relied on by any Prospective Contractor as an aid to interpretation unless it is reduced to writing and expressly adopted by TSS OSP.

1.4 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms defined in Arkansas Procurement Law and used herein have the same definitions herein as specified therein.

A. The terms “Invitation For Bid”, “IFB,” “Bid Solicitation,” and “Solicitation” are used synonymously in this document

B. “Author’s Alteration” means a mark-up correction made by the State to a Title Proof that is the result of an error in the high-definition, portable document format (PDF) file images or other artwork and instructions the State provides to the Contractor, or a change the State’s wishes to make to the Title after the Contractor has printed the Title Proof. Author’s Alterations do not include Printer’s Errors.

C. “Bid Submission Requirement” means a task a Prospective Contractor must complete when submitting a bid response. These requirements will be distinguished by using the term “shall” or “must” in the requirement.

D. “Bleed” means a printed image extending beyond the trim edge of the sheet or page.

E. “Broken Serifs” means the broken short lines stemming from and at an angle to the upper and lower ends of the strokes of a letter.

F. “Business Day” means Monday through Friday of each week, exclusive of official State holidays. A list of Arkansas State Holidays can be found here: https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/news/state-holiday-calendar/

G. “Contractor” means a person who sells or contracts to sell commodities and/or services.

H. “Contract Administrator” means the person designated by the State of Arkansas, located in the Office of State Procurement, to manage the contract after award, ensure compliance with terms and conditions and Arkansas Law, evaluate and document a contract’s performance, and other contract administrative duties.

I. “Delivery Address” means a single, physical location (not a PO Box) to which an order is delivered but does not necessarily represent a single Delivery Point.

J. “Delivery Point” means one or more rooms, buildings, offices, areas, or other locations that are a functional part of a Delivery Address.

K. “Erasure Ink” means a type of security ink that rubs off when an attempt is made to erase printed information and also has an effect on the paper when an attempt is made to chemically or mechanically alter the paper, such as by color xerography and the application of solvents.

L. “Fluctuating Alignment” means changing frequently and uncertainly the proper positioning or state of adjustment of parts or print in relation to each other.

M. “Fourdrinier Watermark” means a translucent image created in paper on the paper making machine, with the use of a dandy roller and can be viewed from both sides of the paper when it is held up to light.

N. “Ghosting” means an unwanted faint image of a design in solid printing areas that is not intended to receive that portion of the image.

O. “Hairlines” means unwanted tiny or fine lines that appear in the final printed product.

P. “Hickey” means an unwanted spot or imperfection caused by debris on the printing plate, blanket, gravure cylinder, or other image-carrying surface.

Q. “Hollow Type” means the misdistribution of ink that appears as partially printed letters in type.

R. “Hot Spot” means unwanted weak ink coverage or visible dot gain caused by an air bubble or debris on the printing plate.

S. “Ink Drops” means inappropriate and unintended spots of ink throughout the printed document that are not supposed to be there.

T. “Inside Delivery” means delivery to a Delivery Address (with or without an accessible dock) whereby the delivery driver removes the product ordered from the truck and delivers the product to one or more Delivery Points.

U. “Misprints” means one or more mistakes or irregularities in the printed text of the Title.

V. “Mould Watermark” means a Watermark produced by a cylinder mould paper making process. Mould Watermarks are full of detail, extraordinarily clear, and demonstrate the full range of shading from light to dark in a three-dimensional impression.

W. “Overruns” means additional printed Titles over the quantity ordered.

X. “Precise Registration” means the intended alignment and placement of all aspects and elements of the printed Titles.

Y. “Printer’s Error” means a mark-up correction made by the State to a Title Proof that is a result of an error in design, printing, quality, or fold made by the Contractor as determined by the State. Printer’s Errors do not include Author’s Alterations.

Z. “Prospective Contractor” means a responsible bidder who submits a responsive bid in response to this solicitation.

AA. “Requirement” means a specification that a Contractor’s commodity must and/or service shall meet or exceed in the performance of its contractual duties under any contract awarded as a result of this IFB. These specifications will be distinguished by using the terms “shall” or “must” in the requirement.

AB. “Responsive Bid” means a bid submitted in response to this solicitation that conforms in all material respects to this IFB.

AC. “Roller Marks” means the unwanted transfer of ink from equipment to a Title.

AD. “Set-off Smudges” means the unwanted transfer of ink from one Title to another before the ink has set.

AE. “Spoilage” means one or more mistakes, irregularities, and/or accidents occurring during the Title manufacturing or printing process that causes damage to the Titles or causes the Titles to be out of compliance with the Requirements of this IFB.

AF. “State” means the State of Arkansas. When the term “State” is used herein to reference any obligation of the State under a contract that results from this solicitation, that obligation is limited to the State Department using such a contract.

AG. “Strikeover” means an act or instance of typing over a character typed in error without erasing it.

AH. “Thermochromic Ink” means temperature sensitive ink that has a reversible change in color upon exposure to different temperatures and chemical abrasion.

AI. “Title Proof” means a prestige quality sample of an Arkansas Certificate of Title supplied to the State by the Contractor in electronic format via email or FTP site that represents a near-exact model of how the finished Title will appear in all aspects possible.

AJ. “Underruns” means less Titles printed than the quantity ordered.

AK. “Varying Density” means variations in the degree of color or darkness in print or an image.

AL. “Virgin Paper” means paper that contains no recycled content.

AM. “Watermark” means a translucent design, pattern, or symbol that cannot be copied that is made into the paper during the manufacturing process and is best seen on the paper when the paper is held up to light.

1.5 BACKGROUND AND CURRENT DISTRIBUTION

A. Historically, approximately 1.1 million Titles have been purchased per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). “Blue” Titles (the State’s Certificates of Title for Motor Vehicles which have a blue border) have been the most frequently purchased Title.

B. Historically, the Office of Motor Vehicle has issued purchase orders 1-2 times per fiscal year in the quantities listed below. The Office of Motor Vehicle will issue purchase orders as needed, which may be more or less than the given estimates and frequencies.

1. 1,000,000 Blue Titles (Arkansas Certificates of Title for Motor Vehicles)

2. 60,000 Red Titles (Arkansas Certificates of Title for Damaged Vehicles)

3. 10,000 Brown Titles (Arkansas Certificates of Title for Parts Only)

4. 10,000 Purple Titles (Arkansas Certificates of Title for Boats)

C. Although the State of Arkansas has attempted to provide an accurate reflection of existing conditions, the State is providing estimates strictly as a courtesy to Prospective Contractors and are provided in good faith for bidding purposes. The Prospective Contractor shall not interpret the existing conditions and estimates provided in this IFB or on the Official Solicitation Price Sheet to be a guarantee of actual contract volume or conditions existing during the terms of a contract resulting from this IFB.

1.6 PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS

A. The Prospective Contractor shall have manufactured Certificates of Title to a minimum of three (3) jurisdictions similar in size and scope to this IFB.

B. At the time of bid submission, the Prospective Contractor shall have an open and operational facility with the capability to manufacture, print, package, and ship Arkansas’s Certificates of Title in accordance with the Requirements of this IFB and in the ordering quantities estimated.

1. The Prospective Contractor’s facility must have and must maintain throughout the contract terms, full and current ISO certification or State approved functional equivalent.

a. As requested during the terms of the resulting contract, the Contractor shall provide proof of ISO certification or approved equivalent to the Office of Motor Vehicle within the timeframe specified in the request.

C. At the time of bid submission, the Prospective Contractor shall have the technology available to send and receive order and shipment information via file transfer protocols (FTP) file interface.

D. In the event of a disaster, supply disruption, or other circumstance that renders the primary facility inoperable, the Prospective Contractor shall have access to least one (1) disaster recovery facility which must have the capability to manufacture, print, package, and ship the Titles required by this IFB.

1.7 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A. Unless otherwise specified in this IFB or requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle after award, the Contractor shall manufacture and print Titles in accordance with applicable State and federal laws, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) standards, and other standards specific to the industry.

B. Contractor shall keep and maintain manufacturing tools, equipment, and materials used to manufacture and print Titles in optimal working order.

C. The Contractor shall manufacture and print Titles using the most current artwork, images, and/or data provided by the Office of Motor Vehicle. The Contractor shall make updates to the Titles as requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle during the contract terms.

D. Contractor shall not impose restrictions on the ordering quantities or on the ordering frequency. The Contractor shall fill orders as specified by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

1.8 INITIAL CONTRACT YEAR SET UP

A. The Contractor shall participate in a conference call with the Office of Motor Vehicle within five (5) Business Days after contract award to allow both parties to make introductions, establish points of contact, discuss and finalize order and shipment schedules and deadlines for the initial year set up period, and to discuss other topics as determined necessary by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

1. The Office of Motor Vehicle will provide agency contact information after contract award.

2. Throughout the contract term(s), each shipment of Titles may have a different delivery schedule. If requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle, the Contractor shall adjust the order and shipment schedule finalized during the initial conference call and all other subsequent years’ order and shipment schedules finalized during the contract terms.

3. Unless otherwise requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle, the Contractor shall adhere to the finalized order and shipment schedule approved by the Office of Motor Vehicle during the conference call and all subsequent years’ finalized shipment schedules approved during the contract terms.

B. After award, the Office of Motor Vehicle will provide the Contractor with the production material (artwork, data, and/or files) needed to begin manufacturing and printing the State’s Titles.

1. Within five (5) Business Days of Contractor’s receipt of the initial production material after award, and receipt of the State’s updated production material issued thereafter if any, the Contractor shall inspect and decide as to the usability of the State’s production material. Problems encountered with production material must be reported immediately to the Office of Motor Vehicle. If the Contractor fails to comply with this Requirement, the State will reject as valid all claims the Contractor makes whereby unusable production material was the reason given for failing to meet the delivery schedule Requirements.

C. Within ten (10) Business Days of Contractor’s receipt of usable production material, the Contractor shall begin preparing the Title Proofs in accordance with the Requirements of the IFB including but not limited to the Title Proof Requirements (See Title Proof Requirements).

1.9 FACILITY SECURITY

A. At the time of bid submission, Contractor’s facility where the State’s Titles are manufactured and printed must comply with the security Requirements specified herein. The Contractor shall maintain compliance with the security Requirements throughout the contract terms.

B. Upon request from the Office of Motor Vehicle, the Contractor shall provide a detailed statement, which the Contractor shall sign, that outlines the security Requirements in place at the Contractor’s facility. As deemed necessary by the Office of Motor Vehicle, the Contractor shall provide other supplemental documentation requested (e.g. evidence of employee background checks performed) that verifies the security Requirements specified herein are maintained during the contract terms.

C. The Contractor’s facility must be equipped with a centralized alarm system which at minimum must monitor all entrance and exit doors.

D. The Contractor’s facility must be equipped with a television surveillance system which at minimum must monitor the facility’s entrance and exit doors, the facility’s perimeter, parking areas, manufacturing areas, and secured warehouse areas.

E. The Contractor shall have armed and uniformed security officers at the facility twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week, 365 days per year.

1. The Contractor’s armed and uniformed security officers shall monitor the centralized alarm system and the television surveillance system while on duty.

F. The Contractor shall have background checks and fingerprinting performed on all the Contractor’s facility employees.

G. The Contractor shall keep all doors used to enter the facility locked to prevent entrance by unauthorized persons.

1. All persons authorized to enter the facility must be restricted to and must remain in assigned or designated areas unless clearance has been obtained to enter restricted areas.

2. Entrance and exit doors designated as fire alarm doors must have a break alarm bell that provides alerts locally should the door be opened.

H. Contractor shall keep a daily log of all visitors to the facility’s office and manufacturing areas.

1. The Contractor shall keep each daily log on file at the facility for three (3) years from the date on the log. The State reserves the right to inspect the log at any time and if requested by the State, the Contractor shall provide the log for the State’s review.

I. Contractor shall provide a secured area or areas for pre-press, manufacturing, and the warehousing of security paper and finished Titles. Contractor shall keep the State’s materials in a secured area of the Contractor’s facility.

J. The Contractor shall provide Contractor’s employees with photo identification badges and shall require employees to wear the badges while on duty.

K. The Contractor shall provide all visitors to the facility with an identification badge and shall require visitors to wear the badge while on the premises.

1.10 TITLE SECURITY FEATURES AND PAPER REQUIREMENTS

A. The paper used to manufacture and print Titles must be:

1. White, 24# or 28#, Virgin paper

2. 100% wood pulp fiber without optical brighteners

3. Surfaced sized to accept writing and fine lithographic printing

4. 8 ½ in width by 11” in length

B. The paper used to manufacture and print Titles must contain the security features specified in this IFB.

1. Custom Watermarks

a. Titles must have a minimum of two (2) custom Watermarks per each manufactured Title.

b. Watermarks must be three dimensional and multi-tonal. The Mould Watermark and the Fourdrinier Watermark are both acceptable custom Watermarks.

2. Security Thread

a. Titles must include a micro-printed polyester security thread embedded in the paper.

b. The security thread must be continuously micro-printed with security text (verbiage optional) and must be an integral part of the paper used to manufacture and print Titles. The current verbiage microprinted on the security thread is “SECURE DOCUMENT” repeated in capital letters.

c. The security thread must be a line positioned down the right one-third (⅓) of the Title and must be readable with an Ultraviolet (UV) light.

3. Fluorescent Security Fibers

a. Titles must include fluorescent security fibers that allow for verification of a Title’s authenticity.

b. Fluorescent security fibers must be multi-colored and integrated into the pulp during the paper making process.

c. Fluorescent security fibers must contain threads that are visible in normal room lighting and threads that are only visible under black lighting.

4. Micro-Printed Line

a. Titles must include a micro-printed line located at the bottom right side of the Title, immediately above the words “COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE”. (See Attachment A: Current Arkansas Certificates of Title Images).

b. The micro-printed line must use a font size small enough (currently, approximately .008” high) to be unreadable to the naked eye but be clearly readable when magnified.

c. The microprinted line must contain the words “CERTIFICATE OF TITLE” in capital letters which must be repeated so that the micro-printed line reaches a total length of approximately 2 ½” inches.

5. Toner Retention Agent

a. Titles must include a toner retention agent.

b. The toner retention agent must bond toners to the paper surface and provide obvious visual evidence of abrasion, image placement, and image removal.

c. The toner retention agent must be on the front side of the Title only.

6. Full Chemical Sensitivity

a. To thwart and deter a Title’s falsification using chemical eradicators, Titles must include full chemical sensitization that must be visible on both sides of the printed Title.

b. Should a Title come into contact with washes, bleaches, and/or solvents or other chemicals, the full chemical sensitization must produce visible evidence of tampering.

7. Erasure Inks

a. Titles must include Erasure Inks and must be a fine line lithograph prismatic tint.

b. Without using special devices such as flashlights, the Erasure Ink must make apparent upon inspection all actual and attempted alterations made to a Title through chemical and mechanical means.

8. Thermochromic Ink

a. To make an original Title distinguishable from a counterfeit Title, an emblem of the State of Arkansas must be printed on the Title using Thermochromic Ink. The Thermochromic Ink must change color when heated by human touch and chemical abrasion.

b. The emblem must be located on the front of the Title, at the bottom left side. (See Attachment A: Current Arkansas Certificates of Title Images).

c. The emblem must be printed in bold with knockout from pantograph.

9. “VOID” Pantograph

a. Titles must include a security pantograph on the face of each Title that must cause the word “VOID” to appear and be continually exposed when an attempt is made to copy the Title, thereby providing evidence that the Title is a forgery and not an official and original Title.

10. As instructed by the Office of Motor Vehicle, the Contractor shall have the final design and style of the security features approved by the Office of Motor Vehicle prior to Title manufacture.

11. On the Official Solicitation Price Sheet, the Prospective Contractor shall indicate the custom security paper stock brand being bid and used to manufacture Titles under the resulting contract.

1.11 INK COLOR REQUIREMENTS

A. Titles must be printed using soybean oil ink.

1. On the Official Solicitation Price Sheet, the Prospective Contractor shall indicate the brand(s) of soybean oil ink to be used to print Titles under the resulting contract.

B. The Contractor shall maintain a compatible color match consistent with Arkansas’s current Certificates of Title (See Attachment A: Current Arkansas Certificates of Title Images and Current Title Requests) unless new Title designs or Title redesigns are requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle during the contract terms. (See New and Redesigned Titles).

C. Center (Body) of Titles – The colors currently used to print the center of the Titles are provided below. All inks utilized for printing the center of the Titles must be erasure sensitive and must have a blue/white fluorescent additive.

1. Blue Titles: Pantograph is Blue PMS 2965 / Yellow PMS 303 / Blue PMS 2965

2. Red Titles: Pantograph is Blue PMS 2965 / Red PMS 200 / Blue PMS 2965

3. Brown Titles: Pantograph is Mahogany PMS 597 / Violet PMS 242/Mahogany PMS 597.

4. Purple Titles: Pantograph is Blue SSJ / Burgundy PMS 188 / Blue SSJ.

D. Title Borders – The colors currently used to print the Title borders are provided below.

1. Blue Titles: PMS 2965

2. Red Titles: PMS 200

3. Brown Titles: PMS 497 (Mahogany)

4. Purple Titles: PMS 2597 E. The Contractor shall print the Title control numbers using red ink, PMS 185.

F. Unless otherwise specified herein, the ink color used to print the Titles’ text (composition) on the face of the Titles must correspond and match exactly to the ink color used to print the Titles’ colored border. (e.g. brown “STATE OF ARKANSAS” text on the Titles with a brown border, red “STATE OF ARKANSAS” text on the Titles with a red border, etc.)

G. The Contractor shall print the back of the Titles in black and red ink (PMS 185) on a white background.

H. On the back of the Titles, the Contractor shall provide gray shading in some of the data fields as instructed by the Office of Motor Vehicle. Attachment A does not effectively capture the gray shaded data fields included on the backs of the Titles. The Prospective Contractor may request a current Title sample to view the entire Title in current circulation, including the gray shaded areas not depicted on Attachment A. (See Current Title Samples).

1.12 TITLE CONTROL NUMBERS

A. The Contractor shall print a Title control number on each Title.

B. Title control numbers must utilize a sequential, alphanumeric numbering system, except for the Title control numbers printed on the Blue Titles, which must utilize a sequential, numeric only numbering system.

C. Title control numbers must be printed in PMS 185 red ink and positioned under the State of Arkansas emblem on the front left side of the Title.

D. Title control numbers must be approximately one eighth inch (1/8”) high and must be located on the face of each Title in the lower left corner.

E. Title control numbers must not contain Erasures, Strikeovers, or Misprints.

F. Contractor shall not omit or skip a Title control number from its sequential order and shall not duplicate a Title control number.

G. The Office of Motor Vehicle will notify the Contractor via email regarding an omitted or duplicated Title control number.

1. Upon receipt of the notification, the Contractor shall credit the State’s account for each omitted and duplicated Title control number. The credit must equal the initial amount charged for the Title whose Title control number was duplicated or omitted.

2. The Contractor shall apply the credit to the next order generated after the receipt of notification regarding the omitted or duplicated Title control number.

H. The Title control number must be clearly printed so that it may be easily read by the Office of Motor Vehicle personnel.

I. The Office of Motor Vehicle will supply the Contractor with the starting alphanumeric and numeric numbering for Titles on the first purchase order.

1.13 ADDITIONAL TITLE COMPOSITION AND PRESSWORK

A. Contractor shall provide for all composition on the Titles. (See Attachment A: Current Arkansas Certificates of Title Images.)

B. Titles must be printed front and back and must be one (1) part, single cut.

C. The Contractor shall print the Title borders on the front of the Title using a high-resolution engraved printing method produced from engraved artwork and in accordance with AAMVA recommendations.

D. The words “VOID IF ALTERED” using all capital letters must be in white and positioned at the bottom and center of all Titles, within the border design.

E. The words “CERTIFICATE OF TITLE” using all capital letters must be in white and positioned at the top and center of all Titles, within the border design.

F. The words “STATE OF ARKANSAS” using all capital letters must be printed on all Titles and positioned at the top center, directly below the border within the body of the Title.

G. The following statement (not using all capital letters) must be printed at the bottom right of Blue, Red, and Brown Titles, within the body of the Title:

“The Department of Finance and Administration, State of Arkansas, hereby certifies that the applicant named hereon is duly registered as the owner of the vehicle described above. From the statements of the owner and the records on file with this department the hereon described vehicle is subject to the liens enumerated hereon.”

“In Witness Whereof, I have affixed my hand and seal.”

H. The following statement (not using all capital letters) must be printed at the bottom right of Purple Titles, within the body of the Title:

“The Department of Finance and Administration, State of Arkansas, hereby certifies that the applicant named hereon is duly registered as the owner of the vessel described above. From the statements of the owner and the records on file with this department the hereon described vessel is subject to the liens enumerated hereon.”

“In Witness Whereof, I have affixed my hand and seal.”

I. On all Titles, the words “COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE” must be printed below the micro-printed line using all capital letters. (See Title Security Features and Paper Requirements).

J. Applicable to Brown Titles only, the words “PARTS ONLY NOT FOR REGISTRATION” must be printed four (4) times in bold within the body of the Title.

K. The Contractor shall print the back of the Titles using the language depicted in Attachment A or as otherwise required by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

L. The Contractor shall print Titles using the font type and size specified by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

1.14 QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

A. Finished Titles must be of excellent quality and must meet or exceed industry standards and the Requirements of this IFB.

B. Finished Titles must be free of press and production defects including but not limited to:

1. Roller Marks, Hickeys, Hot Spots, and Set-off Smudges.

2. Hairlines, Ghosting, Broken Serifs, Fluctuating Alignment.

3. Bleeds, Hollow Type, Varying Density, Ink Drops, and other spots or imperfections.

C. Finished titles must be accurately and evenly trimmed and free of jagged or torn edges.

D. The Contractor shall maintain consistency of printing quality throughout the contract terms.

1. Colors must not differ or fade from the beginning of the first Title through the last Title within the same order.

E. The Contractor shall provide Precise Registration and consistent ink coverage and density throughout the aggregate term of the resultant contract.

F. The Office of Motor Vehicle will reject orders with obvious press or production defects.

G. If the Office of Motor Vehicle determines the Requirements and standards of the Contract are not met, then in the State’s absolute and sole discretion, the Contractor may be offered an opportunity to reprint the Titles within a reasonable time. At the time any authorization for the reprint is given, the State will establish, in writing, a new delivery date which the Contractor shall meet to avoid assessment of damages for Quality and Timeliness as stated in Table A: Performance Standards.

1.15 STATE OWNED PRINTER COMPATIBILITY

A. For the purpose of mailing and printing vehicle specific Title information on-site at the State’s location, Titles must allow for consistently smooth and efficient operation (e.g. minimal occurrences of rips, jams, and other forms of damage to the Titles beyond what would be considered industry standard) on a variety of laser printers, photocopiers, and mailing equipment including but not limited to:

1. Pitney Bowes Inserter Models: R406 and R404

2. Baum Letter Folder Models: 714-88 and 714CE-94

3. IBM 2105, Lexmark TN632, Xerox Nuvera Printers

B. The Office of Motor Vehicle reserves the right to make changes to the printers and mailing equipment currently used as it deems necessary. The Office of Motor Vehicle will notify the Contractor of changes to printing and mailing equipment. If notified, the Contractor shall make all reasonably achievable adjustments to the manufacturing and printing process to ensure Titles maintain smooth and efficient operation with the new printers and mailing equipment.

C. Should the Titles be found to be incompatible with the State’s current printers or mailing equipment, as determined by the State in its absolute and sole discretion, the Contractor shall make adjustments to the manufacturing process as necessary to resume a consistently smooth and efficient operation to the State’s satisfaction.

1.16 BID SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT TITLE SAMPLES

A. Should a Prospective Contractor be one other than the current Contractor, then as a Bid Submission Requirement, Prospective Contractor shall submit three (3) 8 ½” wide by 11” long samples similar to the Titles required by this IFB, which the Prospective Contractor has previously manufactured and/or is currently manufacturing for three (3) separate jurisdictions similar in size and scope to the State of Arkansas. Although a Prospective Contractor must submit their bid response in ARBuy, the Title Samples must be provided in hard copy format to the Office of State Procurement to the following address on or before the Bid Opening date and time of June 3, 2021, 2:00 CDT.

Arkansas Department of Transformation and Shared Services Office of State Procurement ATTN: Jessica Lowder 501 Woodlane, Suite 220 Little Rock, AR 72201-1023

B. The Office of Motor Vehicle will examine the Title samples submitted by the lowest bidding Prospective Contractor for quality and security similar to that required by this IFB and for consistency with industry standards. The quality and security of Title samples must conform with generally accepted industry standards.

C. Should the examination performed reveal the Title samples fail to adhere to the industry standard for quality and security, the Prospective Contractor’s bid may be rejected.

D. Should the lowest bidding Prospective Contractor’s bid be rejected, the State will examine the samples submitted by the second lowest bidding Prospective Contractor. The Office of Motor Vehicle will continue this process until a lowest bidding, responsive Prospective Contractor has been determined.

1.17 CURRENT TITLE REQUESTS

A. To obtain a hard copy example of Arkansas’s Certificates of Title in current circulation, the Prospective Contractor shall make a request in writing to the TSS OSP buyer listed on page 1 of this IFB.

1. Email, fax, or hard copy deliveries of requests are acceptable.

2. Upon receipt of the request and necessary shipping information, the Prospective Contractor will be notified by email that the example Titles will ready for pickup by the selected shipping carrier within one (1) Business Day.

3. Shipment must be made through UPS or FedEx. The Prospective Contractor shall provide a FedEx pre-paid account number or a UPS shipping label to cover costs for these deliveries.

4. Once TSS OSP has notified the Prospective Contractor the shipment is ready, the Prospective Contractor shall notify UPS or FedEx the shipment is waiting for pick up at TSS OSP’s location. TSS OSP will not notify UPS or FedEx regarding the shipment pickup. All pickup notifications to the shipping carrier are the Prospective Contractor’s sole responsibility.

5. To request a hard copy example of Arkansas’s current Certificates of Title:

a. By mail: Office of State Procurement 501 Woodlane St. Ste 220 Little Rock, AR 72201 Attn: Jessica Lowder

b. By email: jessica.lowder@arkansas.gov

c. In the request, the Prospective Contractor shall provide:

i. Prospective Contractor’s name and physical shipping address (not a PO Box).

ii. Contact name, address, email, and phone number.

iii. Desired method of shipment: FedEx or UPS.

iv. Desired shipping time (standard, 2-day, overnight, etc.).

v. A pre-paid FedEx account number or UPS shipping label to cover the cost of shipping.

1.18 TEST SAMPLES

A. Applicable to the first order of a Title color (red, blue, brown, purple), and also applicable to any newly designed or redesigned Titles during the contract terms, the Contractor shall provide five hundred (500) test samples for each Title color ordered. Unless otherwise requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle, the Contractor shall only include the test samples with the first shipment of a Title color.

B. Test samples must not have Title control numbers.

C. The test samples must be packaged separately from the official Titles and must clearly indicate “Test Samples” on the shipping carton.

D. The test samples must have the word “SAMPLE” printed in red across the face of the Title.

E. The State reserves the right to order additional test samples during the contract terms. If requested, the Contractor shall provide the State with additional test samples.

1.19 TITLE PROOF REQUIREMENTS

A. The Contractor shall furnish Title Proofs to the Office of Motor Vehicle prior to manufacturing and printing the first order, and prior to manufacturing and printing orders applicable to new Title designs and redesigns, if any. The Contractor should submit a Title Proof to the Office of Motor Vehicle any time the probability of error exists. However, in all instances, the Contractor shall provide Title Proofs as requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

B. Within ten (10) Business Days of the Contractor’s receipt of the production material (file images, artwork, etc.), the Contractor shall provide Title Proofs in Portable Document Format (PDF) to the Office of Motor Vehicle via email or secure FTP site, whichever is requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle, for its review and approval.

1. The Office of Motor Vehicle will provide the Contractor with contact/email or FTP Site information after contract award.

C. The Office of Motor Vehicle will review and make note of any needed Author’s Alterations (notated with a “AA”) and/or Printer’s Errors (notated with a “PE”) in the margin of the Title Proofs alongside each correction.

D. Should the Office of Motor Vehicle require revisions, the Contractor shall make revisions as indicated by the “AA” and “PE” notations on the returned Title Proof.

E. Within five (5) Business Days of the Contractor’s receipt of the returned Title Proof, the Contractor shall deliver a revised Title Proof to the Office of Motor Vehicle via email or FTP site as requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

F. The Contractor shall repeat the process as required in this IFB until the Title Proof meets the Office of Motor Vehicle’s approval.

1. The Office of Motor Vehicle anticipates no more than two (2) rounds of proofing.

G. Once the Title Proofs have been approved, the Contractor shall begin manufacturing and printing the Titles in accordance with the Requirements of this IFB including but not limited to the delivery Requirements.

H. Should the Office of Motor Vehicle request a hard copy, digitally printed Title Proof, the Contractor shall print, package, and deliver the Title Proofs to the Office of Motor Vehicle in a manner and within a timeframe requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle. If requested, the Contractor shall mail hard copy Title Proofs to:

Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration Office of Motor Vehicle Attn: Amanda Nichols 1900 West 7th St.

Ragland Building, Room 2032 Little Rock, AR 72201

I. The Contractor shall provide for all transportation and delivery expenses incurred to provide the hard copy Title Proofs to the Office of Motor Vehicle.

J. The time the Title Proof is out of the Contractor’s hands for the State’s approval will not count against production time.

1.20 NEW AND REDESIGNED TITLES

A. Periodically throughout the contract term(s), the State may add new Title designs and/or may redesign Titles that are currently in production.

1. The new designs and redesigns will fall under the most appropriate existing Title category (blue, red, purple, brown) as mutually agreed upon between the State and the Contractor. The State reserves the right to have final determination of category placement.

2. The Contractor shall apply the same contract price to the new designs and redesigns as is applied to the Titles already included in the category.

B. Contractor shall provide and manufacture newly designed Titles and redesigned Titles as requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

C. The Office of Motor Vehicle will submit the newly designed or redesigned artwork and/or other production material to the Contractor via email. The Office of Motor Vehicle anticipates the draft production material submitted for new designs and redesigns may be rough. As necessary to achieve usable production material, the Contractor shall work with the Office of Motor Vehicle to finalize the artwork and other graphics for all new designs and redesigns.

D. Within ten (10) Business Days of finalizing the graphics and artwork with the Office of Motor Vehicle, the Contractor shall submit a digital artwork file, such as a .pdf file or other file approved by Motor Vehicle, to Motor Vehicle via email for review and approval.

1. Should the Office of Motor Vehicle not approve the digital artwork drawing, the Office of Motor Vehicle will notify the Contractor via email of any necessary changes.

2. The Contractor shall make changes to the digital artwork drawing as specified by the Office of Motor Vehicle and shall submit the amended digital artwork drawing to the Office of Motor Vehicle via email within five (5) Business Days of receipt of change notification.

3. The Contractor shall repeat this process until the digital artwork drawing meets the approval of the Office of Motor Vehicle.

E. Within seven (7) Business Days of receiving the final approval of the digital artwork drawing from the Office of Motor Vehicle, the Contractor shall manufacture and ship two (2) Title Proofs for each newly designed or redesigned Titles to the Office of Motor Vehicle via USPS/FedEx/UPS mail.

1. The Contractor shall follow the Title Proof process required by this IFB for all newly designed or redesigned Titles. (See Title Proofs).

2. The newly designed or redesigned Titles and Title Proofs must include the exact color combinations specified by the Office of Motor Vehicle and maintain all characteristics of the approved digital artwork drawings.

F. Once the new design or redesign Title Proofs have been approved, the Contractor shall begin manufacturing the Titles in accordance with the Requirements of this IFB including but not limited to delivery Requirements.

G. The Contractor shall follow the procedures for each newly designed or redesigned Title as required and specified herein, including but not limited to providing test samples, for any Title the Contractor has never manufactured for the State of Arkansas as determined necessary by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

1.21 OVERRUNS/UNDERRUNS

A. The Office of Motor Vehicle will allow for up to a one percent (1%) Overrun per order. The Contractor shall not invoice for Overruns exceeding one percent (1%) of the ordered quantity.

1. The Contractor’s pricing for Overruns shall not exceed 80% of each Title’s contracted price.

B. The Office of Motor Vehicle will allow for up to a one percent (1%) Underrun per order. The Contractor shall not charge for Underruns. The Contractor shall invoice for the full cost of the order as submitted by the Office of Motor Vehicle and shall then subtract the cost of the Underruns on the same invoice, as a separate line item, for all Underruns applicable to the purchase order.

1.22 CUSTOM SECURITY PAPER AND INK BRAND SUBSTITUTIONS

A. Substitutions made to the custom security paper stock and soybean oil ink brands to be utilized under a resulting contract as provided on the Prospective Contractor's Official Solicitation Price Sheet, or as provided in accordance with a previous substitution request approved after award, must be pre-approved in writing by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

B. Proposed substitutions to the custom security paper stock brand must offer the same or higher grade with same or better brightness level and the same or higher level of security than the custom security paper stock brand being substituted.

C. With each substitution request, the Contractor shall provide specification sheets supplied by the manufacturer or other evidence approved by the Office of Motor Vehicle for all custom security paper stock brand substitution requests made after award.

D. When requested, substitutions must be intended for the life of the contract.

E. Substitutions, if approved, must not increase contracted pricing.

1.23 PROPERTY RIGHTS

A. Upon expiration or termination of the resulting contract, the Contractor shall transfer property rights of all deliverables (intellectual and tangible) to the Office of Motor Vehicle and shall not hold ownership or an intellectual property claim to any deliverable associated with the State’s account, including but not limited to the following:

1. Artwork and other production material

2. Graphics

3. Patents

4. Trademarks

5. Logos

B. The Contractor shall maintain all data and deliverables associated with the State’s account and shall transfer all data and deliverables associated with the account to the Contract Administrator within sixty (60) calendar days of the expiration or termination date of the resulting contract and all data and deliverables shall become the exclusive property of the State.

C. The Contractor shall not utilize any portion of the data or deliverables for any other purpose outside of the performance of the resulting contract.

1.24 CERTIFICATE OF DESTRUCTION

A. By either incineration or shredding performed at the Contractor’s facility, the Contractor shall security destroy all Spoilage and Misprints produced under the State’s contract and located at the Contractor’s manufacturing facility.

B. Upon contract renewal each year or within a timeframe otherwise requested by the Office of Motor Vehicle, the Contractor shall provide the Office of Motor Vehicle with a certificate of destruction for those documents produced under a resulting contract and security destroyed in accordance with the Requirements of this IFB.

1.25 PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

A. The Contractor shall package Titles securely and take all reasonable precautions necessary to prevent damage during shipping.

1. The State will notify the Contractor via email regarding receipt of damaged Titles.

2. The Contractor shall credit the State’s account for each Title damaged during shipment.

B. Whenever ordering quantity permits, Contractor shall package Titles in fifty-pound (50 lb.) capacity corrugated cartons or other sized corrugated carton having an appropriate weight rating to securely hold 2,000 Titles.

1. Each carton must not exceed 50 lbs. unless otherwise authorized and approved by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

C. Whenever ordering quantity permits, the Contractor shall include five hundred (500) Titles in a bundle and four (4) bundles in a carton for a total of 2,000 Titles (4 bundles) per carton.

1. The Contractor shall not include more than 500 Titles in a single bundle unless otherwise authorized and approved by the Office of Motor Vehicle.

2. Each bundle must be shrink-wrapped inside the carton.

D. The Contractor shall place the Titles inside the bundles with the lowest Title control numbered at the top of the bundle and the highest Title control number at the bottom of the bundle. The Title control numbers must ascend from the top of the bundle when opened to the bottom of each bundle.

1. In like manner, the Contractor shall place the bundles in the cartons with the bundle containing the lowest Title control numbers at the top of the carton and the bundle containing the highest Title control numbers at the bottom of the carton. The Title control numbers must ascend from the top of the carton when opened to the bottom of each carton.

E. The Contractor shall include a packing slip in each box that clearly indicates the following information:

1. The packing slip number

2. The State-issued purchase order number(s)

3. The total number of Titles contained within the carton

4. The carton number of the shipment (i.e. Carton 1 of 10)

5. The range of the Title control numbers

6. The date of the shipment

F. The Contractor shall affix a human readable barcode shipping label to each carton that clearly indicates the following information:

1. The Office of Motor Vehicle’s shipping address, contact name, and phone number which the State will provide after contract award.

2. State-issued purchase order number(s)

3. The beginning and ending range of Title control numbers

4. Total number of Titles contained in the carton

5. Carton number of the shipment (i.e. Carton 1 of 10)

6. Date of Shipment and packing slip number

G. The Contractor shall affix a human readable…