National Certificate Automation Redesign (NCAR) Printer Replacement

This notice is issued solely for the purpose of conducting market research in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 and does not constitute an Invitation for Bids, Request for Proposal, or Request for Quotations. No solicitation is being issued at this time and the Government makes no assertion that a solicitation will be issued. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract, nor do they affect a potential offeror's ability to respond to any future synopsis/solicitation, which may or may not follow or restrict the U.S. Government's eventual acquisition approach. Additionally, the U.S. Government is not obligated to, and will not provide reimbursement for any information that may be submitted in response to this notice. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this request for information. Respondents will not be notified of any results derived from a review of the information provided; however, information gathered may be used for future technical and acquisition purposes. 

Background & Scope:

USCIS OIT has a requirement for replacement printers to use under the National Certificate Automation Redesign (NCAR) program for production of Naturalization Certificates. NCAR documents are secure and include a number of physical security attributes. One of those is that all NCAR printers must have identical physical characteristics in terms of the printing method. This printing method and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) pigmented ink create a forensic document signature that is recorded with the Custom Border Patrol (CBP) Forensic labs. This information is used for validating documents suspected of being fraudulent. It is possible that different printers in the same family will be able to meet this requirement, but it is not possible to use printers from multiple manufacturers or even normally from different printer families from the same manufacturer.

The objective of the NCAR Printer Replacement is to provide replacements for all existing NCAR printers and mechanism to provide additional printers as requirements increase. The NCAR printers are replaced every 5 years due to age and increased maintenance issues. This will be the 4th replacement of the NCAR printers. The intent is to create a procurement vehicle that will include a number of options:

• Base purchase of 5-10 units for use in USCIS labs for integration and testing
• An initial deployment of 300 printers to 100+ USCIS locations
• Ongoing purchase options over the next 4 year period of up to 25 additional printers per year
• Provisions may be included for the purchase of the required ink through the contract vehicle to insure forensic consistency

The primary purpose of this SS-RFI is to identify sources that currently have capabilities that can meet the technical requirements to deliver equipment with the following functional specifications:

• NCAR Color Certificate Printer:
  • The NCAR program requires a single forensically consistent printer to be used for all sites.

• Forensically secure printing method:
  • Printing must be shown to permanently penetrate or bond with the security paper.
  • The color must be permanent and withstand chemical and mechanical attempts to change or remove the printing. Removal that results in obvious damage to the document is considered successful.
  • All text must be printed using separate black ink, not a combination of colors.
  • Must have a high resistance to fading under long periods of exposure to sunlight.
  • Printing must not damage or obscure UV security features included in the certificate paper.
  • Proposed unit shall pass testing by a USCIS selected forensic laboratory.
• Pigment based ink printing method.
• Separate supplies per color.
• Support for USCIS custom produced paper – Paper is a secure media and samples cannot be provided outside of USCIS control.
  • ~28 Lb bond
  • Paper is green tinged with security background. Vendor shall work with the USCIS development program to identify any required adjustments in the printer color management
  • Paper includes raised printing
  • Paper includes a raised gold embossed seal
• Driver is required to provide adjustments horizontally and vertically to allow for small variations in the preprinted information.
• Minimum 500 sheet paper tray capacity.
• Minimum 28 ppm color print speed.
• Duty cycle of sustained use of minimum 3,000 pages per month with surges up to a minimum of 10,000 pages per month.
• Minimum USB 2.0 Interface.
• Minimum 3m USB interface cable, USB Type A on one end (for connection to the USCIS Workstation, notebook or docking station) and compatible with the proposed device on the other. Multiple connected cables may be proposed for the total length but must clearly identify how they interconnect. The ports on the proposed device and the connections on the cables must be clearly identified and able to be validate.
• Fully support paper after printing.
• Any supplies needed for preventive maintenance or cleaning shall be included with the device.
  • Average use of 2,000 certificates per month.
  • One year of supplies included with the initial delivery.
  • Replacement supplies for years 2-5 provided automatically (These may be provided with the printer, if they have a shelf life of at least 5 years).
• All ink shall have a minimum shelf life of 12 months.
• Initial supply of ink:
  • 1 Largest capacity black
  • 1 Largest capacity cyan
  • 1 Largest capacity magenta
  • 1 Largest capacity yellow
• 5Yr next day on site or advanced exchange warranty.

Information is requested detailing your company’s capabilities and experience delivering equipment that may meet these requirements and potential adjustments that may be made to the requirements.