Presolicitation Notice for Currency Paper

​​​​​​GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Background: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is a component of the U.S. Department of the Treasury that designs, engraves, and prints U.S. currency banknotes and other U.S. security products. U.S. currency banknote manufacturing occurs at BEP’s District of Columbia Currency Facility (DCF) located in Washington, DC and Western Currency Facility (WCF) located in Fort Worth, TX. BEP’s primary customer is the Federal Reserve Board (FRB).

Scope: The Contractor shall furnish all facilities, labor, materials, and all other resources necessary, except for those items specifically identified as material and equipment to be furnished by the Government (see Sections H.17 and H.18), to provide Type I, Type IV, Type V, and Type VI Distinctive Currency Papers (DCP) in accordance with the Specifications contained within Attachments A, B, C, D, I, X, and Y; and Type I, Type IV, Type V, and Type VI Non-Distinctive Banknote Paper (NDB) paper in accordance with the Specifications contained within Attachments E, F, G, and H; and in accordance with the terms and conditions herein and in Attachments K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, and R.

The scope of this contract shall include future additional specifications cognizable under the Changes clause of this contract, such as those necessary to incorporate potential accommodations to assist the blind and visually impaired in the denomination of currency; to incorporate security features ensuring continued counterfeit deterrence; to incorporate changes in the physical dimensions of the papers, and such paper that may be needed in support of BEP testing and evaluation needs.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS- TEST MATERIALS

Background: The BEP has an ongoing effort to conduct testing and evaluation in support of new equipment or production processes, changes to the format and content of U.S. currency, verification and validation of changes to raw materials or to security features, or to further enhance the security of U.S. Currency through the design and development of new banknotes. Therefore, the BEP has a requirement for distinctive currency test papers and non-distinctive test banknote papers.

Objective: The BEP's objective is to procure distinctive currency test papers and non- distinctive test banknote papers based for BEP testing and evaluation needs based on the established technical specifications and requirements for Distinctive Currency Papers and Non-Distinctive Banknote Papers in accordance with the Specifications contained within Attachments A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, X, and Y.

Scope: The Contractor shall furnish all facilities, labor, and materials to provide Distinctive Currency Test Papers and Non-Distinctive Test Banknote Papers in support of BEP testing and evaluation needs. All test paper to be supplied must be manufactured using the same raw materials, manufacturing processes, and physical properties as that used by the Contractor to manufacture the Distinctive Security Currency Paper and Non-Distinctive

Banknote Paper, including the use of Government-Furnished distinctive security materials, except for any raw materials or production processes identified in the resultant order. BEP shall provide at time of order, a description of the test materials required including any changes required between the established Distinctive Security Currency Paper and Non- Distinctive Banknote Paper specification requirements and that required to fulfill the test material requirement.

1. CONTE AMENDMENT

   1. Pursuant to the Conte Amendment at 31 U.S.C. § 5114, which governs the procurement of United States currency paper, that no contract for manufacture of currency paper shall be entered into “with any corporation or other entity owned or controlled by persons not citizens of the United States”. The Contractor shall as part of their proposal submission, self-certify compliance with the legislative provisions of the Conte Amendment. The Contractor shall, in addition to self-certification, affirm in their proposal submission notification to the Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer Representative if compliance with the legislative provisions of the Conte Amendment changes.

See attachments.