VA 8-Point Denial Letter Mailers

Agency:	U.S. Government Publishing Office
State:	Federal
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	70 - General Purpose Information Technology Equipment (including software).
Posted:	Apr 23, 2024
Due:	May 8, 2024
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Program 3029-S

Specifications by MRN

Page 1 of 14

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

Northwest Region

GENERAL TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND SPECIFICATIONS

For the Procurement of

VA 8-Point Denial Letter Mailers

as requisitioned from the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) by the

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Single Award

TERM OF CONTRACT: The term of this contract is for the period beginning Date of Award and ending March 31,

2025, plus up to four (4) optional 12-month extension periods that may be added in accordance with the “OPTION TO

EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT” clause in SECTION 1 of this contract.

BID OPENING: Bids shall be publicly opened virtually at 1:00 P.M., prevailing Washington, D.C. time, on

May 8, 2024, at the Government Publishing Office. All parties interested in attending the bid opening shall

email bids@gpo.gov prior to bid opening date to request a Microsoft Teams live stream link. The link will be

emailed on the day of the bid opening.

BID SUBMISSION: Bidders must submit email bids to bids@gpo.gov for this solicitation. No other method of

bid submission will be accepted at this time. The program number and bid opening date must be specified in the

subject line of the emailed bid submission. Bids received after 1:00 P.M., prevailing Washington, D.C. time, on

the bid opening date specified above will not be considered for award.

ADDITIONAL EMAILED BID SUBMISSION PROVISIONS: The Government will not be responsible for any

failure attributable to the transmission or receipt of the emailed bid including, but not limited to, the following –

1. Illegibility of bid.

2. Emails over 75 MB may not be received by GPO due to size limitations for receiving emails.

3. The bidder’s email provider may have different size limitations for sending email; however, bidders are

advised not to exceed GPO’s stated limit.

4. When the email bid is received by GPO, it will remain unopened until the specified bid opening time.

Government personnel will not validate receipt of the emailed bid prior to bid opening. GPO will use the

prevailing time (specified as the local time zone) and the exact time that the email is received by GPO’s

email server as the official time stamp for bid receipt at the specified location.

THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM. THERE IS NO ABSTRACT AVAILABLE.

For information of a technical nature, contact infonorthwest@gpo.gov and fbuchko@gpo.gov .

VA 8-Point Denial Letter Mailers

3029-S (03/25)

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SECTION 1. - GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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 GPO Contract Terms, 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.

SUBCONTRACTING: Subcontracting is allowed for the printing and manufacturing of the envelope only. The

contractor is responsible for enforcing all contract requirements outsourced to a subcontractor.

QUALITY ASSURANCE LEVELS AND STANDARDS: The following levels and standards shall apply to these

specifications:

Product Quality Levels:

(a) Printing (page related) Attributes – Level III

(b) Finishing (item related) Attributes – Level III

Inspection Levels (from ANSI/ASQC Z1.4):

(a) Non-destructive Tests – General Inspection Level I.

(b) Destructive Tests – Special Inspection Level S-2.

Specified Standards: The specified standards for the attributes requiring them shall be:

Attribute

Specified Standard

P-7. Type Quality and Uniformity

O.K. Proofs/Average type dimension/

Electronic media/Furnished sample

OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT: The Government has the option to extend the term

of this contract for a period of 12 months by written notice to the contractor not later than 30 days before the contract

expires. If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this clause,

except, the total duration of the contract may not exceed five (5) years as a result of, and including, any extension(s)

added under this clause. Further extension may be negotiated under the “EXTENSION OF CONTRACT TERM”

clause. See also “ECONOMIC PRICE ADJUSTMENT” for authorized pricing adjustment(s).

EXTENSION OF CONTRACT TERM: At the request of the Government, the term of any contract resulting from

this solicitation may be extended for such period of time as may be mutually agreeable to the GPO and the contractor.

ECONOMIC PRICE ADJUSTMENT: The pricing under this contract shall be adjusted in accordance with this

clause, provided that in no event will any pricing adjustment be made that would exceed the maximum permissible

under any law in effect at the time of the adjustment. There will be no adjustment for orders placed during the first

period specified below. Pricing will thereafter be eligible for adjustment during the second and any succeeding

performance period(s). For each performance period after the first, a percentage figure will be calculated as described

below and that figure will be the economic price adjustment for that entire next period. Pricing adjustments under this

clause are not applicable to reimbursable postage or transportation costs, or to paper, if paper prices are subject to

adjustment by separate clause elsewhere in this contract.

VA 8-Point Denial Letter Mailers

3029-S (03/25)

Page 3 of 14

For the purpose of this clause, performance under this contract will be divided into successive periods. The first period

will extend from Date of Award to March 31, 2025, and the second and any succeeding period(s) will extend for 12

months from the end of the last preceding period, except that the length of the final period may vary. The first day of

the second and any succeeding period(s) will be the effective date of the economic price adjustment for that period.

Pricing adjustments in accordance with this clause will be based on changes in the seasonally adjusted “Consumer

Price Index For All Urban Consumers - Commodities Less Food” (Index) published monthly in the CPI Detailed

Report by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The economic price adjustment will be the percentage difference between Index averages as specified in this

paragraph. An index called the variable index will be calculated by averaging the monthly Indexes from the 12-month

interval ending three (3) months prior to the beginning of the period being considered for adjustment. This average is

then compared to the average of the monthly Indexes for the 12-month interval ending December 31, 2023, called the

base index. The percentage change (plus or minus) of the variable index from the base index will be the economic

price adjustment for the period being considered for adjustment.

The Government will notify the contractor by contract modification specifying the percentage increase or decrease to

be applied to invoices for orders placed during the period indicated. The contractor shall apply the percentage

increase or decrease against the total price of the invoice less reimbursable postage or transportation costs and

separately adjusted paper prices. Payment discounts shall be applied after the invoice price is adjusted.

WARNING: 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. The

contractor shall not retain or distribute, in any form, any part of the materials furnished by the Government which are

not consumed in the preparation of the work, or which are generated as a result of this contract.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, all extra copies, materials, waste, etc., must be destroyed. (See “SECURITY

CONTROL PLANS” and “DISPOSAL OF WASTE MATERIALS” for additional information.)

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 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 may be required to provide

one or more of the following financial documents:

1) Most recent profit and loss statement

2) Most recent balance sheet

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

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.

SECURITY CONTROL PLANS: The contractor shall maintain, in operation, an effective security system where

items by these specifications are produced and/or stored (awaiting distribution or disposal) to assure against theft

and/or the product falling into unauthorized hands.

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3029-S (03/25)

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The Government retains the right to conduct security reviews at any time during the term of the contract.

Within five (5) workdays of notification, the contractor shall present, in writing to the Contracting Officer, detailed

plans for the following activities. The workday after notification to submit will be the first day of the schedule.

The following proposed plans are subject to review and approval by the Government, and award will not be made

prior to approval of same. The Government reserves the right to waive some or all of these plans.

The security control plans must address in detail, at a minimum, the following –

 How all accountable materials will be handled throughout all phases of production.

 How the disposal of waste materials will be handled. (See “DISPOSAL OF WASTE MATERIALS.”)

 If applicable, list of subcontractor(s) and their specific function.

 How all applicable Government-mandated security/privacy/rules and regulations, as cited in this contract,

shall be adhered to by the contractor and/or subcontractor(s), as applicable.

DISPOSAL OF WASTE MATERIALS: The contractor is required to demonstrate how all waste materials used in

the production of sensitive VA records will be definitively destroyed (e.g., burning, pulping, shredding, macerating, or

other suitable similar means). Electronic records must be definitively destroyed in a manner that prevents

reconstruction. Definitively destroying the records means the material cannot be reassembled and used in an

inappropriate manner in violation of law and regulations. Sensitive records are records that are national security

classified or exempted from disclosure by statute, including the Privacy Act or regulation.

The contractor, at a minimum, must crosscut shred all documents into squares not to exceed 1/4”. All documents to be

destroyed cannot leave the security of the building and must be destroyed at contractor’s printing site. The contractor

must specify the method planned to dispose of the material. Subcontracting is not allowed.

POSTAWARD CONFERENCE: Unless waived by the Contracting Officer, the total requirements of the job as

indicated in these specifications will be reviewed by Government representatives with the contractor’s representatives

at the U.S. Government Publishing Office, Northwest Region, immediately after award. The postaward conference

will be held via teleconference.

Person(s) that the contractor deems necessary for the successful implementation of the contract must be in attendance.

ASSIGNMENT OF JACKETS, PURCHASE AND PRINT ORDERS: A GPO jacket number will be assigned and

a purchase order issued to the contractor to cover work performed. The purchase order will be supplemented by an

individual print order for each job placed with the contractor. The print order, when issued, will indicate the quantity

to be produced and any other information pertinent to the particular order.

ORDERING: Items to be furnished under the contract shall be ordered by the issuance of print orders by the

Government. Orders may be issued under the contract from Date of Award through March 31, 2025 plus for such

additional period(s) as the contract is extended. All print orders issued hereunder are subject to the terms and

conditions of the contract. The contract shall control in the event of conflict with any print order. A print order shall

be “issued” upon notification by the Government for purposes of the contract when it is electronically transmitted or

otherwise physically furnished to contractor in conformance with the schedule.

REQUIREMENTS: This is a requirements contract for the items and for the period specified herein.

Shipment/delivery of items or performance of work shall be made only as authorized by orders issued in accordance

with the clause entitled “ORDERING.” The quantities of items specified herein are estimates only and are not

purchased hereby. Except as may be otherwise provided in this contract, if the Government’s requirements for the

items set forth herein do not result in orders in the amounts or quantities described as “estimated,” it shall not

constitute the basis for an equitable price adjustment under this contract.

Except as otherwise provided in this contract, the Government shall order from the contractor all the items set forth

which are required to be purchased by the Government activity identified on page 1.

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3029-S (03/25)

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The Government shall not be required to purchase from the contractor, requirements in excess of the limit on total

orders under this contract, if any.

Orders issued during the effective period of this contract and not completed within that time shall be completed by the

contractor within the time specified in the order, and the rights and obligations of the contractor and the Government

respecting those orders shall be governed by the terms of this contract to the same extent as if completed during the

effective period of this contract.

If shipment/delivery of any quantity of an item covered by the contract is required by reason of urgency prior to the

earliest date that shipment/delivery may be specified under this contract, and if the contractor will not accept an order

providing for the accelerated shipment/delivery, the Government may procure this requirement from another source.

The Government may issue orders which provide for shipment/delivery to or performance at multiple destinations.

Subject to any limitations elsewhere in this contract, the contractor shall furnish to the Government all items set forth

herein which are called for by print orders issued in accordance with the “ORDERING” clause of this contract.

PRIVACY ACT NOTIFICATION: This procurement action requires the contractor to do one or more of the

following: design, develop, or operate a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function in

accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable

agency regulations. Violation of the Act may involve the imposition of criminal penalties as stated in 5 U.S.C. 552a

(i)(1) CRIMINAL PENALTIES. It is incumbent upon the contractor to inform its officers and employees of the

penalties for improper disclosure imposed by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, specifically, 5 U.S.C. 552a

(i)(1) CRIMINAL PENALTIES and m(1) GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS.

PRIVACY ACT

(a) The contractor agrees:

(1) to comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the rules and regulations issued pursuant to the Act in the design,

development, or operation of any system of records on individuals in order to accomplish an agency function

when the contract specifically identifies (i) the system or systems of records and (ii) the work to be performed

by the contractor in terms of any one or combination of the following: (A) design, (B) development, or (C)

operation;

(2) to include the solicitation notification contained in this contract in every solicitation and resulting subcontract

and in every subcontract awarded without a solicitation when the statement of work in the proposed

subcontract requires the design, development, or operation of a system of records on individuals to

accomplish an agency function; and

(2) to include this clause, including this paragraph (3), in all subcontracts awarded pursuant to this contract which

require the design, development, or operation of such a system of records.

(b) In the event of violations of the Act, a civil action may be brought against the agency involved where the violation

concerns the design, development, or operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency

function, and criminal penalties may be imposed upon the officers or employees of the agency where the violation

concerns the operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function. For purposes of

the Act when the contract is for the operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency

function, the contractor and any employee of the contractor is considered to be an employee of the agency.

(1) “Operation of a system of records” means performance of any of the activities associated with maintaining the

system of records including the collection, use, and dissemination of records.

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