Marketplace Notices

Agency:	U.S. Government Publishing Office
State:	Federal
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	N - Installation of Equipment
Posted:	Mar 15, 2024
Due:	Mar 29, 2024
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Program 3599-S

Specifications by LLP

Reviewed by MJS

TERM OF CONTRACT

U.S. Government Publishing Office

Northeast Region

General Terms, Conditions, and Specifications

for the procurement of

Marketplace Notices

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

DHHS/CMS – Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO)

Single Award

Page 1 of 53

The term of this contract includes an initial testing period and a production period.

INITIAL TESTING PERIOD

Beginning Date of Award through May 31, 2024

PRODUCTION PERIOD

Beginning June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2025, plus up to four optional 12-month extension period(s) (June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026 June

1, 2026 through May 31, 2027, June 1, 2027 through May 31, 2028, and June 1, 2028 through May 31, 2029) that may be added in accordance with

the “Option to Extend the Term of Contract” clause in Section 1 of this contract.

BID OPENING

Bids shall be publicly opened virtually at 11:00 a.m., prevailing eastern time on March 29, 2024. 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 e-mail bids to bids@gpo.gov for this solicitation. No other method of bid submission will be accepted at this time. The

company name, program number, and bid opening date must be specified in the subject line of the e-mailed bid submission. Bids received after bid

opening date and time specified above will not be considered for award.

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Formerly Program 2599-S. Bidders, please note, these specifications have been extensively revised; therefore, all bidders are cautioned to familiarize

themselves with all provisions of this contract before bidding. Special attention is directed to:

• Significant Revisions to:

o “Bid Opening” and “Bid Submission”, page 1

o “Security”, page 2

o “Additional E-Mailed Bid Submission Provisions”, page 11

o “Reporting”, pages 25 and 26

o “Schedule”, page 27

o “Section 5 – CMS Security Specifications”, pages 33 through 49.

• Increased Notice Volume, pages 13 to 15

• Added Secure Destruct and Informed Delivery Campaigns, pages 19 and 26

• Deleted Marketplace Open Enrollment Notice and Form 1095-A Initial Notice

• Additional, lesser changes are scattered throughout.

Abstract of bids for Program 2599-S available at https://www.gpo.gov/how-to-work-with-us/vendors/contract-pricing.

For information of a technical nature call Linda Price at (614) 488-4616, ext. 7 (No collect calls) or email lprice@gpo.gov.

Marketplace Notices

3599-S (05/25)

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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 Pub. 310.2, effective December 1, 1987 (Rev. 1-18)) and GPO

Contract Terms, Quality Assurance Through Attributes Program for Printing and Binding (GPO Pub. 310.1, effective May

1979 (Rev. 9-19)).

 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.

 More GPO Publications can be found at: https://www.gpo.gov/how-to-work-with-us/vendors/forms-and-

standards.

REGULATIONS GOVERNING PROCUREMENT

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) is an office in the legislative branch of the United States Government.

Accordingly, the Federal Acquisition Regulation is inapplicable to this, and all GPO procurements. However, the text of

certain provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, as contained in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), are

referenced in this solicitation. The offeror should note that only those provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation

which are specifically incorporated by reference into this solicitation are applicable.

SECURITY

The contractor awarded this contract will be in custody of Government owned material considered Personally Identifiable

Information (PII). See “Section 5. – CMS Security Specifications”, pages 33 through 49, for security clauses of this

contract:

• CMS Information Security (Oct 2020), page 33

• HIPPA Business Associate Clause (Oct 2014), pages 34 to 39

• CMS Security Clause (May 2018), pages 40 to 47

• Open Government Proactive Pre-Disclosure Notifications (Aug 2023), page 48

• Mandatory Contractor Training (July 2021), page 49

CMS Acceptable Risk Safeguards for TIBCO transmissions: Low Security Impact Level.

The Government may conduct on-site unannounced, randomized Security inspections at any time.

SUBCONTRACTING

The predominant production functions are downloading files, manipulating data from TIBCO files (data programming),

printing/imaging notices, inserting, preparation for mailing, and delivery to USPS. These items CANNOT be

subcontracted. Manufacturing and printing of envelopes are not considered part of the predominant production functions

and can be subcontracted. Bidder who must subcontract any of the predominant production functions may be declared

non-responsible.

QUALITY ASSURANCE LEVELS AND STANDARDS

The following levels and standards shall apply to these specifications:

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3599-S (05/25)

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Product Quality Levels:

(a) Printing (Page Related) Attributes -- Level III.

(b) Finishing (Item Related) Attributes -- Level III.

Inspection Levels (from ANSI/ASQC Z 1.4):

(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

P-7. Type Quality and Uniformity

Specified Standard

Proofs/Prior to Production Samples

and/or Production Inspections

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PLANS

The contractor will be required to furnish the following plans:

 Back-Up Facility Plan

 Material Handling and Inventory Control Plan

 Production Plan

 Quality Control Plan

 Mailing Plan

The Government reserves the right to waive some or all of the above listed plans. The contractor will be required to

submit the required plans to the Government within 2 workdays of request.

BACK-UP FACILITY PLAN

The contractor must have two or more owned and controlled facilities (primary and back-up) that have the capability to

perform all requirements of the contract. This clause is to allow for continuous production with back-up facilities if for

any reason(s) (act of God, labor disagreements, etc.) the primary production facility is unable to meet all the requirements

of the contract.

The back-up facilities, equipment, and personnel that have completed the required security documents must be available

to the Contracting Officer as part of the Pre-Award Survey.

The contractor to provide current equipment list, including capacity of printing/imaging and inserting equipment for both

primary and back-up facilities.

Failure to have a back-up facility will result in a non-responsible determination.

MATERIAL HANDLING AND INVENTORY CONTROL PLAN

Contractor required to explain in detail how the following materials will be handled at the primary and back-up facilities:

incoming raw materials; work-in-process materials; quality control inspection materials; USPS inspection materials; and

all outgoing materials cleared for USPS pickup/delivery.

PRODUCTION PLAN

The contractor shall present, in writing, to the Contracting Officer within two (2) workdays of being notified to do so by

the Contracting Officer or his/her representative, detailed plans for each of the following activities.

Marketplace Notices

3599-S (05/25)

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 Data Processing

 Printing/Imaging and Inserting

 Verification of Production and Mailing

The production plans are to include the equipment to be used during each phase of production. These plans are subject to

review and approval by the Government and award may not be made prior to approval of same.

Data Processing

Contractor may be required to submit plans describing the data processing workflow, including timeline, personnel, and

equipment required to complete all data processing.

Data Reconciliation

Contractor will be required to download notices, check for viability of files and their compatibility with Notice Format

Instructions. Contractor will also be required to run CASS and NCOA certifications.

Unique Identification Number

Contractor will be required to create unique identifying numbers (Contractor Furnished Unique ID) to track each notice

through entire production process, thereby providing 100% accountability. Before award, contractor will be required to

submit Contractor Furnished Unique Identification Number format to Contracting Officer for approval.

If required by the Government, the contractor will be required to create a test sample totaling 50 notices. This test must

have the Contractor Furnished Unique ID and must be produced on each of the notices. The contractor will generate a list

of the unique identifying numbers for each sample. As samples are pulled, their unique number will be marked off the

list. This enables the contractor to track which samples have been produced and pulled and what records have been

produced. Those samples, along with the unique numbers, are to be processed and mailed directly to HHS/CMS; 7500

Security Blvd., SL 12-18; Baltimore, MD 21244-1850; Attn: Mark Rydberg.

Printing/Imaging and Inserting

Contractor will be required to submit plans describing the printing/imaging production phase and inserting production

phase for both PDF Workflow and Data File Workflow, including timeline and personnel and equipment required to

complete all printing/imaging and inserting.

Verification of Production and Mailing

Contractor must have a tracking process (defined below) providing 100% accountability of production and mailing to

determine that the data from the original print file is in the correct envelope with the correct number of pages. Notices

requiring print regeneration must be reprinted from their original print image file with the original job ID and piece ID

remaining unchanged as each mail piece continues through the inserting life cycle. This process will repeat itself (since

subsequent reprint runs may yield damages) until all mail pieces from the original print run have been inserted and

accounted for.

Tracking Process

A method for generating a plurality of mail pieces including error detection and reprinting capabilities. The method

provides a mail handling process which tracks processing errors with the use of a first and second scan code which obtain

information regarding each mail piece, diverts mail pieces in response to error detection, transmits such errors to a

processor, and automatically generates a reconfigured print file to initiate reprints for the diverted mail pieces.

Marketplace Notices

3599-S (05/25)

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Tracking Reports

The contractor shall provide all tracking reports. Contractor must have all hardware, programming, and finalized reports

in place to meet this requirement before the start of live production. The Verification of Production and Mailing tracking

reports at the machine level are to provide 100% accountability to the files transmitted through TIBCO. In addition to the

machine level reports, other accountability reports are required as defined in “Section 2. – Specifications” under

“Reporting” on pages 25 and 26.

Final report layouts will be determined at the Post-Award Conference. The Government considers grounds for the

immediate default of this contract if the contractor, at any time, is unable to perform or found not complying with any part

of this requirement. Contractor is required to provide any requested reports within an hour of a request via email in MS

Word, MS Excel, PDF, CSV or other software as agreed upon at the Post-Award Conference.

All reports must be retained in electronic form for life of the contract and for 120 days from the date of final payment. All

reports must be made available to the Government for auditing of contractor performance upon request.

Notice integrity shall be defined as follows:

 Each notice shall include all pages (and only those pages) intended for the designated recipient as contained in the

print files received from CMS.

 The contractor’s printing process must have automated systems which can detect all sync errors, stop printing

when detected, and identify, remove, and reprint these notices.

Mailing integrity shall be defined as follows:

 All notices received from CMS for each file date were printed, inserted, and entered correctly into the United

States postal system or otherwise accounted for on the Master Report.

 The contractor is responsible for providing the automated inserted notice tracking/reporting systems and processes

required to validate that 100% of all notices received from CMS were printed, all pages for each notice are

accounted for, inserted, and mailed correctly or otherwise accounted for on the Master Report as described in

“Section 2. – Specifications” under “Reporting” on pages 25 and 26.

Automated System

The contractor’s inserting equipment must have automated systems that include notice coding and scanning technology

capable of uniquely identifying each notice and corresponding notice leaves within each individual file. Including:

(a) Entrance Scanning: A camera system must electronically track and scan all leaves of each mail piece as the

inserting equipment pulls them into the machine to ensure each mail piece was produced and inserted. If there is

any variance on a mail piece or if a mail piece is not verified that all leaves are present, that piece and the piece

prior to and immediately following must be diverted and sent back for reprint. All instances of variance must be

logged.

(b) Touch and Toss: All spoilage, diverted, mutilated, or mail pieces that are acted upon directly by a human hand

prior to sealing must be immediately recorded, discarded, properly destroyed, and automatically regenerated in a

new print file for reprint. Exception – Intentionally diverted pieces due to a requirement for a product, which

cannot be intelligently inserted and requires manual insertion such as a publication, can be sealed, re-scanned and

placed back into production. These must be programmed diverts and sent to a separate bin for processing to

ensure they are not mixed with other problem diverts and logged into the automated system as such.

This is the opportunity summary page. You are currently viewing an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation. For more information, please visit the Publication URL Web page.

Marketplace Notices

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