Medicare and You 2027 (Spanish Area-Specific Handbooks)

Location: Federal
Posted: Apr 22, 2026
Due: Apr 28, 2026
Agency: U.S. Government Publishing Office
Type of Government: State & Local
Category:
  • T - Photographic, Mapping, Printing, and Publications Services
Publication URL: To access bid details, please log in.

Program/Jacket Number: 440-549
Title: Medicare and You 2027 (Spanish Area-Specific Handbooks)
Bid Opening Date: April 28, 2026
Contract Type: One-Time Bid
Scope: These specifications are for the Medicare and You 2027 (Spanish Area-Specific Handbooks) consisting of 11 items. The total requirement for this product is approximately 725,000 to 875,000 handbooks, requiring such operations as electronic prepress, printing, binding, packing, and distribution.
Files: 440549

Attachment Preview

Jacket 440-549 Page 1 of 38
Requisition 6-00041
Specifications by MRN
BID OPENING: Bids shall be opened virtually at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET), on April 28, 2026 at the U.S.
Government Publishing Office. All parties interested in attending the bid opening shall email bids@gpo.gov one
(1) hour prior to the bid opening date and time to request a Microsoft Teams live stream link. This must be a separate
email from the bid submission. The link will be emailed prior to the bid opening.
BID SUBMISSION: Bidders must email bids to bids@gpo.gov for this solicitation. No other method of bid
submission will be accepted at this time. The jacket number and bid opening date must be specified in the subject
line of the emailed bid submission. Bids received after the bid opening date and time specified above will not be
considered for award.
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
Government Publishing & Print Procurement
GENERAL TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND SPECIFICATIONS
For the Procurement of
Medicare and You 2027 (Spanish Area-Specific Handbooks)
as requisitioned from the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) by the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
BIDDERS, PLEASE NOTE: This product was previously procured under Jacket 432-304. The specifications
have been extensively revised from the previous procurement; therefore, all bidders are cautioned to familiarize
themselves with all provisions of these specifications before bidding, with particular attention to the following:
DATA SECURITY, Disposal of Electronic PII (page 5 of 38)
POSTAWARD PROJECT PLANS (page 8 of 38)
QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM (page 11 of 38)
PAYMENT (page 14 of 38)
QUANTITY (page 15 of 38)
GOVERNMENT TO FURNISH (page 16 of 38)
MAIL PREPARATION, Mail Processing (page 28 of 38)
SCHEDULE (page 31 of 38)
EXHIBIT 1 (follows the attachments at the end of these specifications)
Abstracts of previous procurement prices are available at: https://www.gpo.gov/how-to-work-with-us/vendors/one-
time-bid-pricing.
For any questions concerning these specifications, contact Mary Newton at mnewton@gpo.gov or (202) 512-2132.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
GPO CONTRACT TERMS ................................. 3 GOVERNMENT TO FURNISH ....................... 16
CONTRACTOR .................................................... 3 CONTRACTOR TO FURNISH ....................... 17
WORKING AND COMMUNICATING ELECTRONIC PREPRESS .............................. 17
WITH OTHER PLANTS AND PROOFS .............................................................. 17
SUBCONTRACTORS ..................................... 3 STOCK/PAPER ................................................. 19
QUALITY ASSURANCE LEVELS PRINTING .......................................................... 19
AND STANDARDS .......................................... 3 VARIABLE COMPUTERIZED IMAGING
DATA SECURITY ................................................ 4 (ADDRESSING FOR SELF-MAILERS) .... 20
Data Custodians .............................................. 4 MARGINS .......................................................... 20
Preaward/Postaward Surveys .......................... 4 BINDING ............................................................ 20
Personnel Security .......................................... 5 PRODUCTION REPORT DURING
Physical Security ............................................. 5 BINDING AND IMAGING PHASE ............ 20
Information Technology (IT) Security ............ 5 PRESS SHEET, CONTENT, BINDING, AND
Security Liaison(s) .......................................... 5 VARIABLE IMAGING INSPECTIONS .... 21
Disposal of Waste Materials ........................... 5 Cover Press Sheet Inspections ..................... 21
Disposal of Electronic PII ............................... 5 Content Inspections ...................................... 22
Incident Reporting Requirements ................... 5 Binding and Variable Imaging Inspections .. 22
Expiration of Data Use Agreement (DUA) ..... 6 Scheduling Inspections ................................. 22
Security Exhibit .............................................. 6 PRESS SHEETS, SIGNATURES,
LIQUIDATED DAMAGES .................................. 6 AND SAMPLES ............................................ 23
BUY AMERICAN ACT ....................................... 6 PACKING ........................................................... 24
PREAWARD SURVEY ........................................ 6 LABELING AND MARKING .......................... 24
PREAWARD PAPER SAMPLES ....................... 8 QUALITY ASSURANCE RANDOM
POSTAWARD PROJECT PLANS ..................... 8 COPIES (QARC) ........................................... 25
Security Plan ................................................... 8 DISTRIBUTION ................................................ 25
Personnel Plan ................................................. 9 MAIL PREPARATION ..................................... 27
Physical Security Plan ..................................... 9 Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb) .................... 28
Production Facilities Plan ............................... 9 Mail Processing ............................................ 28
Production Plan ............................................... 9 Mail Storage/Staging .................................... 28
On-Site Monitors Security/Safety Plan ......... 10 Mail Service Disruption Reports .................. 28
Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan ........ 10 Mailing Statements ...................................... 29
Quality Assurance Plan ................................. 10 Certificate of Conformance .......................... 30
Transportation Management Plan ................. 10 Return of Government Furnished Material .. 30
Sequential Numbering Plan .......................... 10 SCHEDULE ........................................................ 30
Disposal of Waste Material Plan ................... 11 UNDELIVERABLE/RETURNED COPIES .... 32
QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM ............. 11 GPO KEY PERSONNEL .................................. 32
MONITORING AND INSPECTION CMS KEY PERSONNEL .................................. 32
BY THE GOVERNMENT ............................ 11 DETERMINATION OF AWARD .................... 33
POSTAWARD CONFERENCE ........................ 12 SCHEDULE OF PRICES .................................. 35
WARRANTY ....................................................... 13 ALLOWABLE CHARGES ............................... 35
PRIVACY ACT NOTIFICATION .................... 13 TEXT AND COVER PRINTING
PRIVACY ACT ................................................... 13 LOCATIONS ................................................. 37
ADDITIONAL EMAILED BID SUBCONTRACTORS ....................................... 37
SUBMISSION PROVISIONS ....................... 14 SHIPPING LOCATIONS .................................. 37
PAYMENT .......................................................... 14 DISCOUNTS ...................................................... 38
TITLE .................................................................. 15 AMENDMENTS................................................. 38
QUANTITY ......................................................... 15 BID ACCEPTANCE PERIOD ......................... 38
NUMBER OF PAGES ........................................ 15 BIDDER'S NAME AND SIGNATURE ........... 38
TRIM SIZE .......................................................... 16

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GPO CONTRACT TERMS: Any contract which results from this Invitation for Bid will be subject to the
applicable provisions, clauses, and supplemental specifications of GPO Contract Terms (GPO Publication 310.2,
effective December 1, 1987 (Rev. 01-18)) and Quality Assurance Through Attributes Program for Printing and
Binding (GPO Publication 310.1, effective May 1979, (Rev. 09-19)).
GPO Contract Terms (GPO Publication 310.2) - https://www.gpo.gov/docs/default-source/forms-and-standards-
files-for-vendors/contractterms2018.pdf.
GPO QATAP (GPO Publication 310.1) - https://www.gpo.gov/docs/default-source/forms-and-standards-files-for-
vendors/qatap-rev-09-19.pdf.
CONTRACTOR: Throughout this document, the term "contractor" refers to the printing company that is awarded
the contract. The term "subcontractor" refers to any other company that is performing work on this contract as hired
by the contractor.
WORKING AND COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER PLANTS AND SUBCONTRACTORS: The
contractor may employ the services of outside subcontractors to print all of or a portion of the text pages only and
to perform all of or part of the non-printing requirements of this job. In addition, the contractor may utilize multiple
plants within their own company to complete the requirements of this job. In such situations, the contractor MUST
ensure that the subcontractors and additional plants have a copy of these specifications and meet all requirements
stated within this document, as applicable. (NOTE: The printing of all covers is a predominant function and
cannot be subcontracted; however, the contractor may utilize multiple plants within their own company to print
the covers.)
It is the contractor's responsibility to communicate with, and manage the work performed by, subcontractors and
other plants. The contractor is responsible for enforcing all contract requirements outsourced to a subcontractor.
If the contractor needs to add a subcontractor at any time after approval of the contractor's project plans (see
"POSTAWARD PROJECT PLANS" specified herein), the subcontractor must be approved by the Government
prior to production starting in that facility. The contractor must submit the subcontractor's information to the
Government for approval 24 hours prior to the start of production at that facility.
If the contractor needs to add another contractor production facility at any time after approval of the contractor's
project plans, the contractor must notify the Government 24 hours prior to production starting in that facility.
QUALITY ASSURANCE LEVELS AND STANDARDS: The following levels and standards shall apply to these
specifications:
Product Quality Levels for Text Pages:
(a) Printing Attributes - Level III.
(b) Finishing Attributes - Level II.
Product Quality Levels for Covers:
(a) Printing Attributes - Level II.
(b) Finishing Attributes - Level II.
Inspection Levels (from ANSI/ASQC Z1.4):
(a) Non-destructive Tests - General Inspection Level I.
(b) Destructive Tests - Special Inspection Level S-2.

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Specified Standards: The specified standards for the attributes requiring them shall be:
Attribute Standard
P-7. Type Quality and Uniformity O.K. Press Sheets (via On-Site Inspections)
P-8. Gradient and Halftone Match O.K. Press Sheets (via On-Site Inspections)
P-9. Solid and Screen Tint Color Match O.K. Press Sheets (via On-Site Inspections)
P-10. Process Color Match O.K. Press Sheets (via On-Site Inspections)
Special Instructions: In the event that inspection of press sheets is waived by the Government, the following listed
alternate standards (in order of precedence) shall become the Specified Standards:
P-7. O.K. Text Signatures/O.K. Cover Press Sheets/Average Type Dimension in Publication.
P-8. O.K. Cover Press Sheets/O.K. Proofs/Electronic Media.
P-9. O.K. Ink Drawdowns/Pantone Matching System.
P-10. O.K. Cover Press Sheets/O.K. Proofs.
NOTE: For more information regarding quality levels, see "PREAWARD SURVEY."
DATA SECURITY: These products contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Security of personally
identifiable information is a vital component of this contract. The contractor shall guarantee strict confidentiality,
integrity, and limited availability of all PII provided by the Government during the performance of this contract.
Disclosure of the information/data, in whole or in part, by the contractor can only be made in accordance with the
provisions in the Data Use Agreement (DUA). (Instructions for the DUA will be provided after award.)
It is the contractor's responsibility to properly safeguard PII from loss, theft, or inadvertent disclosure and to
immediately notify the Government of any loss/theft/inadvertent disclosure of personally identifiable information.
Personally identifiable information for the Medicare and You Handbook consists of a person's name and address.
The contractor shall not release or sell to any person any technical or other data received from the Government
under this contract; nor shall the contractor use the data for any purpose other than that for which it was provided
to the contractor under the terms of this contract. The contractor must guarantee that furnished PII will be used
only in the performance of this contract.
Proper control and handling must be maintained at all times to prevent any information or materials required to
produce the products ordered under these specifications from falling into unauthorized hands. All PII furnished by
the Government, or duplicates created by the contractor or their representatives, and any resultant printouts must be
kept accountable and under security to prevent their release to unauthorized persons. Unsecured
telecommunications, including the internet, to transmit PII is prohibited.
Data Custodians: If any PII is to be forwarded to additional contractor-owned locations or to subcontractor-owned
locations, all security requirements also apply to those locations (all parties involved). The contractor is responsible
for the actions of all locations. The contractor's project manager shall appoint up to two (2) Data Custodians at each
location and shall have them complete an Addendum to Data Use Agreement (instructions will be provided after
award). The contractor's project manager must fill out and submit completed forms electronically to CMS (per
instructions furnished by the Government) before any PII may be sent to that location.
Preaward/Postaward Surveys: At the Government's option, preaward or postaward surveys may be conducted to
review all data handling and production areas involved along with their specific functions and the
contractor's/subcontractor's personnel, production, security, and other requirements outlined in this contract and in
the contractor's Security Plan (see "POSTAWARD PROJECT PLANS" specified herein).

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Personnel Security: CMS will perform background investigations on two (2) contractor employees who will access
CMS' electronic mailbox. (See Exhibit 2 for more information.)
Physical Security: The contractor shall have a secure work area(s) for the processing and production of all CMS
PII in electronic and paper format. The work area(s) shall be accessible only to authorized employees, and all work
shall be monitored closely by contractor management while CMS PII is being processed and/or produced.
Information Technology (IT) Security: The contractor shall have a system in place to comply with the CMS
Security Clause (see Exhibit 2 for more information).
Security Liaison(s): The contractor must appoint one (1) or more Security Liaisons to handle issues regarding:
personnel, physical, and computer security; confidential issues that may arise at any point during the background
investigation process; and, to serve as a point of contact to the Government for security issues. The liaison's duties
will include attending the postaward conference; submitting a security plan (see "POSTAWARD PROJECT
PLANS, Security Plan" specified herein); discussing confidential security issues with CMS staff; submitting
background applications; and, resolving any issues of inaccurate or incomplete data supplied by background
investigation applicants. In the event CMS discovers sensitive information during the background investigation,
CMS Security may need to contact the background investigation applicant directly.
Disposal of Waste Material: Contractor must hold all waste material (useable surplus signatures, copies, etc., left
over after production) that does NOT contain PII in accordance with the schedule (see "SCHEDULE"), unless
otherwise specified. All waste material containing PII must be destroyed immediately.
All waste material containing PII must be destroyed in a manner that it is not possible to recreate the product or
identity of a beneficiary (i.e., burning, pulping, shredding, macerating, or other suitable means). If the contractor
selects shredding as a means of destruction, it must be a cross-cut shredder with a maximum size of 5/32 x 1-1/2"
cross-cut particles. Strip shredding is not acceptable.
Destruction of waste must occur inside the contractor's secure production facility, close to the point of
binding/imaging. Any waste material containing PII that is not shredded immediately must be covered at all times
while awaiting destruction. A cover must be placed over any bins with waste material containing PII when being
moved from one location to another within the contractor's facility. Sending intact waste containing PII to a
municipal incinerator, a recycler, or any other off-site processor is not acceptable and will be considered a data
breach.
Disposal of Electronic PII: Unless otherwise specified, the contractor must keep all furnished electronic files,
including those with PII, in accordance with the schedule (see "SCHEDULE"). Prior to destroying the electronic
files, the contractor must notify GPO for authorization to destroy. When authorized, all electronic files including
any files (parallel printout) deriving from the originally furnished file containing PII must be permanently destroyed
in accordance with Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014. CMS will maintain an
archive of furnished files.
Until authorized to destroy, contractor is responsible for keeping the electronic files containing PII secure as
specified herein.
CMS will maintain an archive of furnished files. Prior to destruction, contractor may be required to return the final
address files used for mailing (after NCOA/CASS) via password-protected email to Christine Crawford at
christine.crawford@cms.hhs.gov. Password must be sent in a separate email from the address file.
Incident Reporting Requirements: If there is a breach or a suspected breach of PII, the incident must be reported
to CMS within one (1) hour of discovery. Contractor to report breaches to the CMS IT Service Desk at (410) 786-
2580 or (800) 562-1963.

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Expiration of Data Use Agreement (DUA): Upon expiration of the DUA, the contractor will be required to confirm
destruction of all CMS data files and that no copies have been kept. Failure to certify file destruction may cause the
CMS Privacy Office to refuse to issue future DUAs and data with the contractor's company or to individuals listed
on the DUA. (Instructions for the destruction of CMS data files will be provided after award.)
Security Exhibit: Exhibit 2 (CMS Security Clause (May 2018)) contains security clauses, information, and forms.
(Exhibit 2 follows the Attachments at the end of these specifications.)
After award, all contractor management and employees involved in this contract will be instructed on how to apply
for access to CMS' electronic mailbox system. Instructions for filling out the security documentation and the Data
Use Agreement (DUA) will be provided after award. Submissions will be done electronically.
LIQUIDATED DAMAGES: "Medicare and You" is a Congressionally mandated publication: Balanced Budget
Act of 1997, section 4001, 1851 (d) (2) (A); and, Medicare, Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization
Act of 2003. Liquidated damages will apply and will be computed at the rate of two and one half percent (2.5%) of
the contract price for the total quantity ordered under these specifications for each workday the contractor is in
default of the shipping schedule(s); provided that the minimum amount of liquidated damages shall not be less than
$5.00 for the entire order and not more than $50,000.00 per day on the entire order, except the total damages
assessed against a contractor shall in no case exceed 50% of the total value of the entire order.
BUY AMERICAN ACT: Bidders must be in compliance with the Buy American Act. Additionally, in conjunction
with the preaward survey (see "PREAWARD SURVEY" specified herein), bidders must state the paper supplier(s)
that will be used in production of these handbooks. Refer to GPO Contract Terms (GPO Publication 310.2, Rev.
01-18).
PREAWARD SURVEY: In order to determine the responsibility of the prime contractor or any subcontractor, the
Government reserves the right to conduct an on-site preaward survey at the contractor's/subcontractor's facility(ies)
or to require other evidence of technical, production, managerial, financial, and similar abilities to perform, prior to
the award of a contract.
As part of the financial determination, the contractor in line for award shall be required to provide the following
financial documents:
1) Most recent profit and loss statement
2) Most recent balance sheet(s)
3) Statement of cash flows
4) Current official bank statement
5) Current lines of credit (with amounts available)
6) Letter of commitment from paper supplier(s)
7) Letter of commitment from any subcontractor(s)
NOTE: The letter of commitment from each paper supplier(s) must state what percentage of paper from each paper
supplier will be used in production of these handbooks. Additionally, the letters must state the location
(city/state/country) of the mill supplying the paper. (See "BUY AMERICAN ACT" specified herein.)
The documents will be reviewed to validate that adequate financial resources are available to perform the contract
requirements. Documents submitted will be kept confidential and used only for the determination of responsibility
by the Government. Failure to provide the requested information in the time specified by the Government may
result in the Contracting Officer not having adequate information to reach an affirmative determination of
responsibility.

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Additionally, each of the contractor's facilities that are proposed for the production of the Medicare and You
Handbooks must have the requisite Quality Level, in accordance with the specified Quality Assurance Levels and
Standards (see "QUALITY ASSURANCE LEVELS AND STANDARDS"). (NOTE: This requirement applies to
the prime contractor (for each of their plants producing on this contract) and all subcontractors.)
Due to the time-sensitive nature of this contract, any samples submitted for quality evaluation must be received at
GPO prior to the bid opening date (see "BID OPENING" specified on page 1).
If the submitted samples are determined to not meet the requisite quality level or are incomplete samples, the
contractor shall be deemed to have failed to comply with the applicable requirements of these specifications. Any
inability to meet the applicable requirements of these specifications is sufficient cause for a determination of non-
responsibility. The contractor will not be allowed to submit additional samples.
Additionally, the preaward survey will include a survey of each of the contractor's facilities that are proposed to be
used in the production of the Medicare and You Handbooks. A listing of all subcontractors involved will also be
reviewed.
PREAWARD PAPER SAMPLES: The Government does not anticipate testing paper samples; however, the
Government retains the right to request paper samples for testing if deemed necessary.
If required, at the Government's option, all bidders must have the required paper samples ready to submit at the
of the bid opening date (see "BID OPENING" specified on page 1). Contractor being considered for award will
be notified if paper testing is required and to submit their samples. Only the contractor being considered for award
will have their paper tested. The Government reserves the right waive the preaward paper samples.
The sample requirement is no less than 25 sheets each of the required text and cover stock, as specified under
"STOCK/PAPER." Each sheet is to be 8-1/2 x 11" in size.
All samples submitted by a paper mill(s) or a contractor must be labeled as to the JCP Code, paper weight, and
paper manufacturer/mill. Additionally, the package must clearly identify the jacket number and contractor on whose
behalf the paper samples are being submitted. Any package not properly identified/labeled and/or has less than
the specified 25 sheets will not be tested.
NOTE: Random paper samples received by a paper supplier/mill that does not identify the contractor on whose
behalf the samples are submitted WILL NOT BE TESTED OR RETURNED.
The contractor must notify their paper supplier(s)/mill(s) that the mill must submit separate paper samples for each
contractor. A paper mill cannot submit the same set of paper samples for multiple contractors.
Samples may be inspected and tested and must comply with the specifications as to kind and quality of materials.
NOTE: Due to the time-sensitive nature of this contract, preaward paper samples may be tested after award;
however, award of the contract prior to acceptance of the paper samples does not relieve the contractor of using
paper that is in accordance with the Government Paper Specifications Standards or in accordance with the paper
requirements specified under "STOCK/PAPER," as applicable. If tested after award, should the paper samples be
determined to be "not equal," the contractor may be allowed to submit additional samples.
If required, the preaward paper samples are to be submitted to: U.S. Government Publishing Office, Chief of
Testing and Technical Services, Attn: Lowell Brown, Loading Dock, Stop: QC, 44 H Street, NW, Washington, DC
20401. NOTE: All samples are to be delivered via overnight carrier. Samples are NOT to be sent through the
USPS.

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At time of delivery to GPO, contractor must notify Mary Newton at mnewton@gpo.gov, QCIMD@gpo.gov, AND
qcpp@gpo.gov. Email notification must include the jacket number, name of the contractor, paper
manufacturer/mill, shipper, and all tracking numbers.
If the paper samples are disapproved (or determined to be "not equal") by the Government, the Government, at its
option, may require the contractor to submit additional samples for inspection and test, in the time and under the
terms and conditions specified in the notice of rejection.
In the event the additional samples are disapproved by the Government, the contractor shall be deemed to have
failed to comply with the applicable requirements of these specifications for stock/paper, which may be reason for
a determination of non-responsibility (if tested before award) or a determination of a possible quality defect (if
tested after award).
Samples will not be returned to the contractor. No charges will be allowed for costs incurred for the preaward paper
samples.
POSTAWARD PROJECT PLANS: Within five (5) workdays of notification of contract award, the contractor
shall submit one (1) PDF copy of their project plans via email to the following email addresses:
Mary Newton at mnewton@gpo.gov
Christine Crawford at christine.crawford@cms.hhs.gov
Keith Williams at keith.williams@cms.hhs.gov
Brittany Hewitt at brittany.hewitt@cms.hhs.gov
Tina Grimm at tina.grimm@cms.hhs.gov
John Czumalowski at john.czumalowski@cms.hhs.gov
NOTE: Email must include jacket number and contractor name.
The proposed plans are subject to Government approval. The Government will review the project plans. If the
project plans are lacking large portions of information or are considered too vague for the Government to evaluate,
the plans may be rejected, and the contractor will be required to revise and resubmit the plans. If the Government
has questions, these questions will be forwarded to the contractor to be addressed either before or at the postaward
conference. After the postaward conference, the contractor may be required to resubmit revised project plans. If
required, the revised project plans must be submitted within three (3) workdays of notification of revisions.
Once approved, no changes to these plans may be made without written approval from the Contracting Officer.
The Government reserves the right to waive some or all of these plans.
The contractor must present a detailed Project Plan to include the following:
Security Plan: The contractor must have a formal, documented Security Plan that will ensure their compliance with
all of the security provisions of this contract and as referenced in the attached Exhibit 2. Particular attention should
be given to addressing compliance of the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014 and
the Privacy Act of 1974 as referenced in Exhibit 2, CMS Security Clause (May 2018) and as specified in this
contract. Minimum security requirements for FISMA compliance are defined by the Department of Commerce,
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)
Publication 200 "Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information Systems." This
document can be found on the internet at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips200/FIPS-200-final-march.pdf.
Release of PII by CMS does not constitute CMS' approval or acceptance of the Security Plan. At any time during
this contract, if CMS finds deficiencies in the contractor's Security Plan, CMS may require correction of the
deficiency.

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Personnel Plan: This plan must contain the following information for the contractor's Project Manager and
Alternate (Backup) Project Manager:
Name
Work address
Telephone numbers (office and cellular)
Fax number
Email address
Additionally, the personnel plan must identify one (1) main point of contact (POC) and one (1) designated backup
POC for all phases of the contract. The main POC and/or backup POC will be expected to attend all meetings,
inspections, conference calls, virtual MS Teams meetings, etc.
Physical Security Plan: This plan must provide details demonstrating how the contractor will provide security for
the processing and production of all CMS PII in accordance with "DATA SECURITY, Physical Security" as
specified herein.
Production Facilities Plan: The following information for all contractor and subcontractor production facilities
that will be used for this project shall be provided:
Company name
Plant name
Street address
Name of contact person
Number and type of presses, binding lines, and imaging lines that will be used to produce these handbooks
Contact person's telephone numbers (office and cellular)
Contact person's email address
Plant manager's name (for each shift)
Plant manager's telephone numbers (office and cellular)
Plant manager's email address
If the contractor needs to add another contractor production facility at any time after approval of the contractor's
project plans, the contractor must notify the Government 24 hours prior to production starting in that facility (see
"WORKING AND COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER PLANTS AND SUBCONTRACTORS" specified
herein).
If the contractor needs to add or change a piece of equipment other than what was specified in the project plans,
that piece of equipment must be approved prior to starting production on it.
If the contractor needs to add a subcontractor at any time after approval of the contractor's project plans, the
subcontractor must be approved by the Government prior to production starting in that facility. The contractor must
submit the subcontractor's information to the Government for approval 24 hours prior to production starting in that
facility (see "WORKING AND COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER PLANTS AND SUBCONTRACTORS"
specified herein).
Production Plan: This plan must include:
The projected commencement dates for cover printing, text printing, binding, and address imaging for each
production facility that will be producing these handbooks.
The daily quantity projections for cover printing, text printing, binding, and address imaging for each
production facility that will be producing these handbooks.

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On-Site Monitors Security/Safety Plan: This plan must include a description of the security/safety procedures that
the contractor has in place or will provide for all Government on-site monitors for each production facility, including
any outside areas, such as parking lots. At the Government's option, some or all of the monitoring and inspections
may be done virtually. However, the contractor must still provide their On-Site Monitors Security/Safety Plan with
the required information.
Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan: The failure to deliver the products required under this specification in a
timely manner would have an impact on the Congressional Mandate for delivery of the handbooks. Therefore, if
for any reason(s) (act(s) of God, labor disagreements, pandemic, national emergency, etc.) the contractor is unable
to perform at said locations for a period longer than two (2) workdays, contractor must have a backup plan for
producing the products required under this specification.
Plans for their contingency production must be prepared and submitted to the Contracting Officer as part of the
COOP Plan. These plans must include a detailed description with the location of the facility(ies) to be used,
equipment available at each facility, and a timetable for the start of production at each facility.
Plans must address how the contractor will handle large disruptions (pandemic, natural disaster, etc.) and small
disruptions (piece of equipment breaks down, facility loses power, etc.).
Part of the plan must also include the transportation (if applicable) of Government materials from one facility to
another.
COOP plans must address both the contractor's main facilities and their backup facilities. All terms and conditions
of this contract will apply to both the contractor's main facilities and backup facilities. Due to the time sensitive
nature of the handbooks produced on this contract, the contractor must maintain the original schedule set forth in
this contract.
Quality Assurance Plan: This plan must include, for each location, the names of all quality assurance personnel
and a detailed description of the number, type, and frequency of inspections that will be performed as well as the
records that will be maintained documenting these activities (see "QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM"
specified herein). The plan must also include samples of detailed quality checklists that will be used at each
identified type of inspection. Personnel responsible for performing these quality inspections will be required to sign
the checklist for their specific task, certifying that they have read and understand the required checklist. A copy of
the certified checklist must be posted at the site of the inspection for review and confirmation by the GPO monitor.
A sample of the intended 5,000th book parallel printout format must be submitted with the contractor's Project Plan
for review and approval.
Transportation Management Plan: This plan must describe the details of obtaining transportation services for the
drop-shipment of single copies to appropriate postal facilities and for delivery of bulk copies. This plan must show
how the transportation service providers are selected by the contractor's firm as the best value for the Government.
Plans must include the following information regarding the contractor's methods for:
Soliciting and reviewing bids for transportation services to ensure that the Government is receiving "best
value."
Evaluating reasonableness of cost/price.
Evaluating on-time delivery record.
Controlling transportation costs.
Sequential Numbering Plan: This plan must include sufficient detail to fulfill the contract requirements that there
are no duplicate, damaged, or missing pieces. Each piece must have a unique number within each state's quantity.
An explanation of the contractor's sequential numbering system is required to understand the required audit trail
for each and every piece.

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