Added: Apr 25, 2008 9:51 am
Security Laminate for Use in US Emergency Passport
Scope
The United States Government Printing Office (GPO) is seeking a vendor to provide security laminates that will be part of the US Emergency Passport system. This Request for Information (RFI) seeks information on the capabilities of security laminate producers in the areas of security feature creation, design, necessary form factor creation, testing and adjustment for use with predetermined materials and timely delivery and service.
Background
GPO is responsible for providing customer agencies with secure documents. The GPO will purchase annually a security laminate suitable for use in the US Emergency Passport system. The laminate will be applied over a data page label that has been manually affixed to page 2 in a 12 page booklet during a single pass through a booklet laminator. See Carrier Construction section below. Vendor shall provide any laminator temperature (upper or lower) limits.
The laminate will be applied to the emergency passport in a normal office setting. Creating a special environment for application is not possible. The application will be performed by an employee trained to handle normal office tasks. At most one hour of training will be allowed to teach such employees how to operate the equipment and apply the laminate.
After lamination, lamination must adhere to data page such that any removal attempt will be unequivocally evident.
After lamination, all optical features on data page must be clear and functional.
The laminate will be applied onto a cotton-fiber based security paper that will be printed with standard security offset inks.
Laminate backing and cover layers, if any, need to be manually removed.
Laminate shelf life in uncontrolled conditions must be three years minimum.
Quantity
The GPO will purchase annually an amount necessary to meet the US State Department needs. The approximate quantity of laminates will be 120,000. Vendor shall provide lead times needed to respond to increased quantities, up to 300,000 annually.
Response Criteria
Keeping GPO s and DOS s goals in mind please provide a response that will help us determine what viable technologies are available. There are several requirements that this project is attempting to meet.
Carrier Construction
The laminates should be delivered in a 3-Up format that is 7.5 x 16.5 . There will be a perforated fold/tear out line in the center running the 16.5 dimension. The carrier will be stitched into a 12 page booklet format. The laminates should be of passport size and be placed on the carrier at a 5.25 repeat.
Cost Estimate
Vendor shall be prepared to confidentially discuss cost estimates for provided laminates as described herein, including plant security, secure storage and shipment, warranty and any software licensing fees related.
Application Method
The application method will be by heat set passport booklet laminator. It will be necessary to provide a shim to provide the proper pressure as it travels through the laminator.
Durability
The laminate must have an un-applied shelf life of at least 5 years. After application the life cycle of the document is no longer than 2 years.
Security Features
There are several base security features that are required, these include solvent sensitivity, a controlled UV response, and the laminate must be highly frangible after application into the book.
In this response please define two level 1 overt security features, two level 2 security features, and two level 3 forensic level security features.
These aforementioned features are not being specified so that each respondent will have the opportunity to present their own document security strategy in this proposal.
Samples
If possible please submit representative samples that show each security feature you reference in prior areas of the proposal.
Alternate Proposal Considerations
If there is a laminate system that can be incorporated into a book system in a different manner as listed above, please forward those systems for consideration as well.
The existing laminate implementation is not a limiting factor. The only limiting factor is the equipment available in the field for personalization. This includes a color inkjet printer and a passport booklet laminator. No additional equipment should be required for field issuance in any alternate system proposal.
