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U.S. Department of State

Barcode Asset Tags– Sources Sought

19AQMM23N0035

General:

This is a Sources Sought Notice Only. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. This Sources Sought Notice is issued for information and planning purposes only as part of U.S. Department of State (DOS) market research and does not constitute a solicitation. This requirement is covered under NAICS code 323111 Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books).

The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified Small Business GSA Federal Supply Schedule Holders to provide barcode asset tags that meets the DOS requirements (small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled veteran owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran owned small businesses; woman owned small businesses; and small disadvantaged businesses).

Introduction:

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Administration’s Office of Logistics Management (A/LM/PMP) is looking to procure asset tags from a leader in the design and manufacture of durable pre-printed bar code labels. The asset tags must be versatile enough for office and residential settings and durable enough to withstand exposure to different climates, including, but not limited to tropical, dessert, temperate, mountain, continental, and polar and tundra. In addition, the DOS requires that the vendor provide a dedicated person to manage this account, provide a quarterly report on all asset tags ordered and sent to overseas posts and domestic bureaus and have the ability to mail the Asset tags to the ordering customer regardless of location.

Specifications:

General Requirements:

• The vendor must be an active GSA schedule holder


• The vendor must be able to fulfill the needs and provide services under Product Service Code (PSC) 7690 and NAICS code 323111


• The vendor shall be able to track tag number usage to prevent duplication worldwide.


• The vendor shall be able to dynamically modify color strip usage based on a specific order when required and approved by the COR.


• The vendor shall be able to encode Color ID, tag number, and security key within the data matrix.


• The vendor shall encode data matrix information in the specified format: 000000/AB1234C/0000-0000-0000-0000.


• Color ID should equal one of the following (as needed):
  
  
  
  • 
    
    
    
    • White: FFFFFF
    
    
    • Black: 000000
    
    
    • Blue: 0000FF
    
    
    • Red: FF0000
    
    
    • Green: 008000
    
    
    • Yellow: FFFF00
    
    
    • Purple: 800080
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• The vendor shall only print asset tag numbers in the provided specified sequence.


• The vendor shall only print security keys as provided with their corresponding asset tag number.


• The asset tag material shall be a polyester plastic with protective (glossy) lamination.
  
  
  
  • The asset tag adhesive shall be standardized and able to accommodate multiple climates including, but not limited to tropical, dessert, temperate, mountain, continental, polar and tundra.
  
  
  
  


• The user shall be able to easily apply the asset tags to multiple surfaces with minimal preparation.


• The asset tags shall securely affix to all types of surfaces including, but not limited to wood, metal, plastic, rubber, fiberglass, glass, paper, fabrics, concrete.


• The vendor shall provide labels in rolls.

Fulfillment & Reporting:

• The vendor shall be able to work directly with the end customer on all issues regarding the order without A/LM/PMP/PM involvement.


• The vendor shall be able to work directly with the end customer for expedited orders.

Physical Properties (Specifications for the asset tag material)

• The shape of the asset tag shall be a square with rounded corners


• The size of the asset tag shall be 0.75 inch (height) x 0.75 inch (width).


• The asset tag shall be made of a white polyester material.


• The asset tag shall be subsurface printed for additional protection.


• The asset tag shall have a protective laminated layer.


• The asset tag shall be glossy and no more than 6 mil (0.006 inch) thick lamination.


• The thickness (measured by caliper) of the asset tag shall be 3-4 mil (0.003 inch-0.004 inch), including the material and laminate layer but excluding the adhesive layer.


• The adhesive layer used for the asset tags shall be a minimum of 2 mil (0.002 inch).

Tag Content (Specifications for the content to be printed on the asset tag)

• The asset tag shall contain a 2D machine-readable symbol (data matrix).


• The data matrix shall consume greater than ½ of the vertical space on the asset tag.


• The data matrix shall be encoded with the Color ID (when required and approved by the COR)/Tag Number/Security Key specific to the individual tag.


• The data matrix information shall be encoded in the specified format: 111111/AB1234C/0000-0000-0000-0000.


• The asset tag shall contain a "color stripe" which will consume the bottom 1/4 of the tag when required and approved by the COR.

• The color stripe options shall include WHITE, RED, BLACK, GREEN, BLUE, YELLOW, when required and approved by the COR.


• The tag number shall be printed on the tag.


• The tag number shall be printed within the color stripe.


• The color of the tag number shall be a contrasting color to that of the color stripe.


• The tag number shall follow this format: AA0000A.


• The tag number sequencing shall follow this format: AA0000A, AA0000B, AA0000C, etc. AA0001A, AA0001B, AA0001C, etc.


• The tag number shall exclude the following letters: I, O, Q, and Z.


• The tag number shall include 0-9 numbers.


• The vendor shall work with A/LM/PMP/PM to finalize the look, font, font sizing, and font style of the tag before mass manufacturing occurs. This includes prototype samples as requested to support the finalization process/decision.

SOURCES SOUGHT INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions:

1. All qualified GSA Federal Supply Schedule Holders (small business firms) with the capability to provide an asset tags as detailed in requirements; a comparison of the recommended product description/specifications with the DOS requirements

1. The qualified schedule holders shall present other applicable information that will benefit the acquisition of the asset tags, if applicable. (Ex. Capability Statements)

1. Cost or price information is not solicited and will not be reviewed.

1. All interested GSA Small Business Federal Supply Schedule Holders shall provide their current NAICS code, and Socio-Economic Business Size (small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled veteran owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran owned small businesses; woman owned small businesses; and small disadvantaged businesses).

1. Interested firms shall submit an electronic copy of their submission via email to Crystal Brooks at brookscc@state.gov and Jamell Johnson at johnsonjt@state.gov. The due date and time for submission of responses is 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) [May 12, 2023].


2. No phone calls related to this Sources Sought will be accepted. All correspondence shall be via email.


3. Firms responding to this Sources Sought shall be registered in the System for Award Management under NAICS code 3232111 Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books).

All responses must include the following information:

1. Company name.


2. Company address.


3. Company business size (Respond: “Small” or “Other Than Small”).


4. Unique Entity Identifier.


5. Point-of-contact name, telephone number, and email address.

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