Money Orders Sources Sought

Description(s): The United States Postal Service (USPS) is seeking potential sources to manufacture Money Orders. In addition the Postal Service is interested in receiving feedback on current industry standards for security printing of money orders from paper, printing, and security related organizations. Introduction This a notice to find suppliers interested in participating in a forth coming Prequalification process for the manufacturing of USPS Money Orders. A potential RFP is scheduled for 2017. The information below provides a very brief description of the requirement. More detailed draft Statements of Work (SOW) will be attached to the Prequalification package and the final SOWs will be part of the RFP issued to pre-qualified suppliers. The Prequalification of Suppliers as well as the RFP source selection process will be conducted using the USPS eSourcing system, Emptoris eRFx module. In addition, the USPS is interested in receiving feedback from paper, printing, security, and technology industry specialists as related to Money Order technology and security printing of money orders. The USPS is open to any and all ideas surrounding advances in Money Order technology up to the point of fully redesigning our Money Order platform and introducing all new processes. Suppliers are encouraged to present information to the USPS on any part of the process they believe would be beneficial to the USPS. The USPS will be scheduling supplier workshops in December to gather current industry information as related to topics listed in the request for Information (RFI) section below. Strategy Key objectives of this solicitation are to reduce costs and increase efficiencies while enhancing the security around Money Orders for the USPS (internal), customers, and the banking industry. The USPS Money Order program can be maximized by leveraging supplier supply chain and manufacturing strategies with the latest technology around security printing of the Money Orders. USPS recognizes changes in the marketplace and wants to take advantage of state of the art technology and build in the opportunity to change our current strategy as superior processes can be beneficial to the USPS. Background The existing contract for Money Orders is currently ten years old. The resultant supplier from any award will be required to insert into the program current security printing enhancements that have taken place in the last ten years. New industry, technological, and security enhancements are critical to the success of the program. The USPS is open to new technologies such as print on demand and other technologies that we have not been introduced to yet and the USPS desires to take advantage of state of the art technology. Thus new ideas and current marketplace advances allow for an opportunity to change our current strategy based on the way the market is heading. Currently the supplier is responsible for the fabrication and printing of Money Orders in both regular and carbon paper formats. The combined annual requirement is for annually approximately 90 Million Money Orders in various formats. These Money Orders are manufactured in various standardized formats to meet USPS specifications. The Money Orders are distributed nationally to post offices and some Contract Postal Units and sold to USPS customers. The current requirement is for the Money Orders to be printed on unique, secure paper, using flexographic, gravure and offset processes. Suppliers manufacturing Money Orders have to comply with strict security requirements. Currently, Money Orders are shipped to the Topeka Material and Distribution Center in Topeka Kansas. Suppliers would be required to submit proposals Free On Board (FOB) Origin (O) and Destination (D). Suppliers shipping Money Order consumables have to comply with strict security requirements. Program Statistics The table below presents the past 12 month shipment data from Topeka Material and Distribution Center to our network of Post Offices and Contract Postal Units. The number of program shipments from the supplier would be greater because the Postal Service has a level of safety stock for contingency plans however the table provides all suppliers a baseline for the scope of the existing program. The purpose of providing these figures is to assist potential suppliers in sizing the business opportunity relative to their existing core business competencies, capabilities and capacities. The figures are approximate. Item Number Item Description Last 12 months shipments 7365090328300 MONEY ORDER, TRAINING, TYPE XV POS 34,000 7365090328400 MONEY ORDER, BAIT, TYPE IX 25,000 7365090328500 MONEY ORDER, INTERNATIONAL, TYPE V PMO 1,000 7365090328600 MONEY ORDER, DOMESTIC, TYPE I PMO 6,800,000 7365090328700 MONEY ORDER, INTERNATIONAL, TYPE XIV POS MP1 115,000 7365090328000 MONEY ORDER, TRAINING POS INTERNATIONAL TYPE XVI 5,000 7365090328100 MONEY ORDER, TRAINING PMO INTERNATIONAL TYPE III 0 7365090328800 MONEY ORDER, DOMESTIC, TYPE XII POS 84,000,000 90,980,000 RFI The Postal Service is interested in current industry technology and knowledge regarding the topics below. The Postal Service is also interested in discussing enhancements to its current Money Order program with paper, printing, security, and technology experts on the following topics: Paper Stock Paper Stock with security features (type, features within etc.) Printing Enhancement New printing process technology or ink(s) Printer requirements and abilities Current Ribbon Technology Security Enhancements Developing multiple types of Money Orders based on the dollar amount sold Security feature locations or new features such as New threads New watermarks Modifying the existing text or adding text for a new Money Orders Adding text such as an expiration date Moving existing security features Other new feature(s) Security Prevention Washing prevention measures Prevention of forged money orders used in Remote Scan Deposits Altered/Raised Multiple deposits of the same Money Order or Both Counterfeit Prevention of mimicry of current security features Altered /Raised Money Order presented for cashing Internal External Technology Real time interaction for verification of sold Money Orders Internal External Retail Sales System Retail Printers Printable and changeable feature(s) on Money Order with machine readability Process for updating current Money Order design/security features Money Orders-physical characteristics Note: Retail Sales System information available upon request as needed. Miscellaneous Current Ribbon Technology Current Bank Industry Requirements General Pre-Qualification and Solicitation Information The supplier must have the overall financial capacity to fully support and fulfill all anticipated requirements, including the full range of product types and volume demands. Supplier must have a distribution network capable of meeting USPS requirements according to the delivery and quality standards set forth in the Statement of Work (if FOB-D). Supplier must be able to adhere to all the Quality Assurance requirements provided, in order to monitor and measure contract performance. Supplier must have the overall capability to fully support all engineering research and development enhancements, and produce First Article Testing (FAT) samples, which address the advancements in the substrates, and additive elements that best meet USPS operating and security requirements. Interested parties must submit a Letter of Interest demonstrating the capacities and requirements above to the point of contact at the address below. Supplier Workshops As stated above, the Postal Service is interested in receiving feedback from paper, printing, security, and technology industry specialists as related to security printing of money orders. The USPS will be scheduling supplier workshops with suppliers in December to gather current industry information as related to topics listed in the Request for Information (RFI) section below. Suppliers interested in this opportunity or with advising the Postal Service on information in the RFI can be scheduled for a discussion with USPS Money Order Program Managers. Anticipated meetings are to be scheduled for early December 2017. Supplier Registration Emptoris is an eSourcing solution that automates, standardizes, and streamlines the sourcing of supplies, services, equipment, transportation, and facilities. All suppliers interested in doing business with the U.S. Postal Service must register in Emptoris. Suppliers can access the eRFx registration module at https://uspsesourcing.emptoris.com. Simply click on the "Register Supplier Organization" hyperlink, and follow the instructions and prompts to complete the registration process. You will need a DUNS (Dun & Bradstreet) number and NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) code to register in the USPS sourcing system. If you are interested in participating in the Money Order Prequalification of Suppliers or providing feedback on the topics listed below in the RFI section, please send an email message to carlos.a.vilches@usps.gov with the Subject Line: "Money Order Manufacturing Sources Sought Notice." Please include the following information in your email message: (1) Company Name; (2) Complete Mailing Address; (3) Point of Contact (POC); (4) Title of POC; (5) Telephone Number of POC; (6) email address of POC; and (7) Confirmation that you have registered in Emptoris. All expressions of interest and inquiries must be submitted by email.