Notice of intent to solicit and negotiate with only one source (Sole Source). No formal solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotes. However, prospective contractors who believe they can successfully quote after reading through the information provided in this notice must provide specific, detailed technical documentation to support such claims of abilities to provide high-security holographic laminate overlay, which is 100% identical in appearance, function, and anti-counterfeitting properties to the laminate currently in use by CBP/DHS and produced by OPSEC SECURITY, INC. The Government will review any submittals received in response to this notice prior to 4:00 pm Eastern Time on August 27, 2020. All documentation must be submitted via email. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred in the preparation of responses to this announcement. This is the only notice that will be issued for these items. A determination by the Government not to compete with this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. For questions concerning this Notice of Intent, please contact the Contracting Officer via email only at
[email protected]. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Acquisition, in support of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), proposes to enter into a contract on the basis of other than full and open competition to acquire specially designed and proprietary high-security holographic overlay credential laminate. CBP OPR intends to issue an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract consisting of a base year and four(4) option years for this high-security holographic overlay laminate. Delivery Orders will be issued as needed by DHS components for laminate to produce credentials for authorized employees as they are hired, promoted or change positions and to replace damaged and lost/stolen credentials for existing employees. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a) implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.302-1 entitled, "Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements". All DHS credentials produced and in current circulation (for both active and retired employee credentials) from the creation date of DHS and CBP are encased with these highly unique, proprietary, high-security, holographic overlay laminate pouch sets. DHS/CBP credential conversion from Legacy Agency credentials (i.e., U.S. Customs Service and Immigration & Naturalization Service) began in 2005 and continues for new and updated credential issuance to active DHS employees to current date. All DHS credentials must be 100% consistent in size, design, embedded security features, and technical specifications in order to maintain positive identity identification and authority authentication of the DHS credential bearer. There can be no differentiation in the visual appearance or feel of these credentials. OPSEC SECURITY, INC. of 1857 Colonial Village Lane, Lancaster, PA 17601 is the design holder and manufacturer of this one-of-a-kind type of DHS/CBP laminate. Under DHS direction, the U.S. Secret Service spent $30,000.00 in developing the specific security capabilities for these laminates with American Bank Note Holographic (ABNH). OpSec Security purchased ABNH and the rights for the laminates now belong to them. OpSec continues to make and stock the DHS laminate materials in Lancaster, PA. The plates and originations were made with condition that they remain property of the ABNH and its affiliates and those rights remain with OpSec Security. OpSec is the only Laminate manufacture who has access and rights to the designs which meet DHS High-Security laminate requirements. All credentials issued by DHS and its component agencies utilize this high-security laminate. An award to any other vendor would result in all DHS components being required to change to new credentials to maintain 100% consistency. This would require design and development costs, time delays, and create security vulnerabilities. All existing credentials would be required to be securely destroyed and new credentials issued in their place. This would create logistical, security, and administrative burdens, in addition to significant costs, that are not in the best interest of the Government. Replacement of all existing credentials, for CBP alone, would exceed $140,000.00. Should the laminate design change for CBP, then the other components under DHS would also be required to destroy all existing credentials before re-issuing all currently held credentials in order to maintain absolute consistency across the Department and all component agencies. The re-issue costs across all of DHS’ component agencies would create further increases in cost to the Government that are not in its best interest. OPSEC SECURITY, INC’s. high-security laminate contains DHS seals/insignia in their laminate design, which are protected under DHS branding requirements. If new laminates were designed and developed, there would also be a significant amount of time and effort required to clear other potential vendors to use DHS seals/insignia in their proposed designs and technical specifications. Based on the above, OpSec Security is uniquely qualified to provide the required products.