Next Generation (NextGen) Passport Personalization Printers Support

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs Office of Consular Systems and Technology Next Generation Passport Personalization Printers November 2023 Descriptions/Specifications/Work Statement PURPOSE OF PROCUREMENT The U.S. Department of State (DOS or State Department) Consular Affairs (CA) has personalized U.S. passport books since 1998 using color thermal ink-transfer printers. Currently, DOS personalizes electronic passports (e-passports) on passport book printers and has customized Next Generation (NextGen) Passport Personalization Printers as the new solution for printing passport books replacing the existing legacy passport book printers at all CA passport locations and labs. The specialized NextGen Passport Personalization Printers have been uniquely customized to the Department’s requirements of hardware, printer configuration, enhanced security features, steganography software, and software for image enhancement/ personalized masking enhancements for the new passport books. To enhance security, durability, and quality of future passport books, it is necessary for DOS to continue to provide and support systems with the NextGen Passport Personalization Printers. Personalization Printers support automated laser engraving on a polycarbonate data page, color printing on the endorsement page, embedded chip personalization consistent with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Document 9303 (Machine Readable Travel Documents) for travel documents, and inline automated quality inspection. Specialized Personalization Printer models will continue to include both High-Capacity and Low-Capacity Passport Personalization Printers with the option to acquire additional printers for the CA Enterprise Operations. The contractor shall provide support for laser engraving Personalization Printers at Domestic Passport Sites, of which the Office of Consular Systems and Technology (CA/CST) and Passport Services Directorate of the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA/PPT) may designate additional sites to meet public issuance demand during the contract period. The contractor shall provide printers that integrate into existing DOS technology environments based on an Interface Control Document (ICD). All Personalization Printers shall incorporate full compatibility with the ICD. BACKGROUND The mission of the Department is to shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere. The Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) is charged with protecting and assisting United States (U.S.) citizens abroad, issuing passports to U.S. citizens, and issuing immigrant and non-immigrant visas to foreign nationals according to the laws of the U.S. Government. The Office of Consular Systems and Technology (CST) is tasked with providing CA’s mission critical information technology (IT) resources to support 300+ Consular locations including approximately 230 overseas posts, 29 domestic Passport agencies, 2 domestic Visa processing centers, and an array of information, book/card print, passport centers, DOS annexes, and Contractor sites. CST supports approximately 10,000 worldwide clients, to include 1,200 CA customers at various locations in the National Capitol Region (NCR). Within CA/CST, the Service Delivery & Outreach Division (CA/CST/SDO) provides training, deployment, and communication services to all domestic and overseas consular operations, including passport agencies and visa centers which implement cross-cutting functions that have an enterprise-wide impact. The division is organized into two branches: the Deployment Branch and the Training Branch, and two teams: the Special Assistant Team and the Communications Team. Within CA/CST, the Service Operations Division (CA/CST/SO) provides service operations to ensure effective and efficient delivery of CST IT services – including availability, recoverability, incident and problem management, and proactive management of CA's IT infrastructure. The division is organized into four branches: the System Services & Operations Branch, the Service Desk Branch, and the Application & Database Services Branch and the System Services and Operations Branch. Within CA/CST, the Production Service Design & Development Division (PSDD) is responsible for developing and maintaining production application software, business intelligence and reporting tools, and web content that support the mission of CA. The division is organized into two branches: the Mission Production Services Branch and the Business Intelligence & Management Services Branch. Within CA/CST, the New Service Design and Development (NSDD) Division develops and supports application software for Consular users at overseas posts, domestic visa processing centers, headquarters, and for the American public domestically and abroad. The division is focused on the Consular Systems Modernization (CSM) Program to design and implement new technology solutions that align with business needs and advance the Bureau's technical capabilities. Within CA/CST, the Service Integration & Innovation (SII) Division is responsible for cross‑cutting initiatives aimed at standardizing and improving CA/CST by identifying new technologies to support CA's mission, developing appropriate security engineering standards for the enterprise, ensuring alignment of systems to business goals through enterprise architecture modernization, and identifying ways to improve CA/CST processes to ensure optimal delivery of services. Within CA/CST, the Service Transition (ST) Division performs cross-cutting services to hand-off IT solutions from delivery team to operation team; ensuring IT solutions meet our customers’ requirements, governance standards, and FISMA regulations. The division is organized into two branches: the Security Branch and the Quality M…