Request for Information for Overt Security Features

This is a Request for Information (RFI) (hereinafter Notice). This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, request for bids or quotations, nor, a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain knowledge and information for project planning purposes only. Respondents are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this Notice. All costs associated with responding to this Notice are solely at the responding parties' expense. Respondents are solely responsible for properly marking and clearly identifying any trade secrets and commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential contained within their response. The U.S. Government will neither be liable for nor suffer any consequential damages resulting from any commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential not properly marked and clearly identified. Information received in response to this Notice will be safeguarded and handled in accordance with applicable statutes, including the Freedom of Information Act and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) policy. Respondents may execute a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving & Printing (BEP) (see attached).

The U. S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), is interested in obtaining, testing, and evaluating technologies and/or materials with potential application in overt, visual authentication features on future generations of U. S. currency. Technologies offered should provide effective counterfeit deterrence against all types of threats including traditional printing as well as digital reproduction. Proposed counterfeit deterrent features may be incorporated into the banknote (inks, substrate) or applied to the note, and should not require the use of any external device for verification. An effective overt feature should be extremely difficult to simulate or duplicate, but should be easy to authenticate by the public under most lighting conditions. Technologies and/or materials submitted for consideration will be reviewed for inherent and relative effectiveness as a security feature, and may be further assessed for compatibility with design and production factors, durability, environmental acceptability, and other processing requirements. The Bureau will only consider technologies, materials, and detection systems for which at least laboratory feasibility has already been demonstrated (i.e. concept proven, lab prototypes or samples available).

SUBMISSIONS: Responses to the Notice shall include the following:
     a. General:
          1. Company Name
          2. Street Address, City, State, and Zip Code
          3. Point of Contact (POC) for both technical and non-technical questions along with their contact information.
     b. Specific Capability and Technical/Product Information: A discussion of the company's capability to supply various production materials. Technical/Product information (e.g. literature, documentation, etc.) for each type of production material for which the company is capable of supplying including on information on where the product will be manufactured.
    c. General budgetary cost and delivery information: Cost is a consideration; therefore, the BEP is interested in obtaining general budgetary cost and delivery information regarding the type of productions material for which the company is capable of supplying.
    d. Customer list: A reference list of customers currently using the type of production material for which the company is capable of supplying.

The BEP reserves the right to request additional information as well as to request material samples from companies responding to this Notice. Any material samples requested by the BEP and submitted by the company will be reviewed and evaluated for inherent and relative effectiveness as production materials in terms of meeting BEP requirements for such materials and may be further assessed by the BEP for compatibility with
design and production factors, durability, environmental acceptability, and other production/processing requirements. However, in these cases companies are cautioned that any such review evaluation, assessment and testing will be scheduled based on the availability of resources. In such instances, the BEP will only consider material samples, for which at least laboratory feasibility has already been demonstrated (i.e., means a proven concept, can provide a sample). The BEP reserves the right not to release submitted material evaluation results.

The point of contact for this Notice is:
Benjamin Demeter
Bureau of Engraving & Printing
Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
14th and C Streets, SW
Washington, D.C. 20228
Email: benjamin.demeter@bep.gov
Phone: (202) 874-3857

Brief responses to this Notice shall be sent via email to the point of contact listed above by no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

This Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. All costs associated with responding to this Notice are solely at the responding party's expense. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Further, the Government may contact the vendor for additional information regarding the information submitted as part of this market research effort. Any organization responding to this Notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed. Information provided will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for the potential requirement and may lead to the development of a solicitation.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract or agreement. The BEP will not be obligated to pursue any acquisition alternative as a result of this notice. Responses to the notice will not be returned. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation if one is issued.

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. If so, respondents are solely responsible for properly marking and identifying such information within their response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).