Program: 888-S

Title: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages

Agency: Department of Labor (DOL) Bureau of Statistics (BLS)

Term: Beginning July 01, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022

BASIS OF

ITEM No. DESCRIPTION AWARD UNIT RATE COST UNIT RATE COST UNIT RATE CI. PREPRESS:

System timework.............................per hour.............................. 10 150.00 1,500.00 85.00 850.00 150.00 

II. PRINTING/VARIABLE IMAGING, BINDING, CONSTRUCTION, 

ASSEMBLY, PACKING, AND DISTRIBUTION OF PACKAGES:

(a) Item 1: Letter - Version A (NVS/NCA)

Printing and imaging in two colors, face only, including binding..................................................per letter...........................................

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 3 400.00 1,200.00 600.00 1,800.00 1,100.00 

(2) Running Per 1,000 copies 957 38.20 36,557.40 100.00 95,700.00 60.00 

(b) Item 2: Letter - Version B (NVM):

Printing and imaging in two colors, face and back, including binding.........................................per letter..............................................

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 1 400.00 400.00 600.00 600.00 1,100.00 

(2) Running Per 1,000 copies 18 83.38 1,500.84 175.00 3,150.00 60.00 

(c) Item 3: Letter - Version C (MWR):

Printing and imaging in two colors, face only, including binding................................................per letter............................................

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 5 400.00 2,000.00 600.00 3,000.00 1,100.00 

(2) Running Per 1,000 copies 892 38.20 34,074.40 100.00 89,200.00 60.00 

(d) Item 4: Letter - Version D (Special Survey):

Printing and imaging in two colors, face only, including binding..............................................per letter..............................................

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 1 400.00 400.00 600.00 600.00 1,100.00 

(2) Running Per 1,000 copies 100 38.20 3,820.00 100.00 10,000.00 60.00 

(e) Item 5: Survey Form:

Printing and imaging in two colors, face and back, including binding...........................................per form............................................

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 9 400.00 3,600.00 600.00 5,400.00 1,100.00 

(2) Running Per 1,000 copies 332 46.74 15,517.68 175.00 58,100.00 121.00 

(f) Item 6: Form Additional Pages:

Printing in two colors and imaging in black, face and back, includingincluding binding..............................per page.............................

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 9 400.00 3,600.00 600.00 5,400.00 1,100.00 

(2) Running Per 1,000 copies 328 46.74 15,330.72 175.00 57,400.00 47.00 

(g) Item 7: Cover Letter:

Printing and imaging in two colors, face only, including binding..................................................per letter...........................................

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 9 400.00 3,600.00 600.00 5,400.00 75.00 (2) Running Per 1,000 copies 332 46.74 15,517.68 100.00 33,200.00 17.85 

(h) Item 8: No. 10 Mail-out Envelope with Double Windows:

Printing in black, face only, including cost of envelope....per envelope...

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 12 400.00 4,800.00 225.00 2,700.00 50.00 (2) Running Per 1,000 copies 2292 61.56 141,095.52 52.00 119,184.00 17.65 

(i) Item 9: 9 x 12" Mail-out Envelope with Double Windows:

Printing in black, face only, including cost of envelope....per envelope...

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 9 400.00 3,600.00 225.00 2,025.00 50.00 (2) Running Per 1,000 copies 7 360.00 2,520.00 170.00 1,190.00 190.00 

(j) Item 10: No. 9 Return Envelope:

Printing in black, face only, including cost of envelope....per envelope...

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 9 400.00 3,600.00 225.00 2,025.00 50.00 

(2) Running Per 1,000 copies 325 58.88 19,136.00 20.00 6,500.00 12.60 

(k) Item 11: 9 x 12" Return Envelope:

Printing in black, face only, including cost of envelope....per envelope...

(1) Makeready and/or Setup 8 400.00 3,200.00 225.00 1,800.00 50.00 (2) Running Per 1,000 copies 7 205.55 1,438.85 110.00 770.00 190.70 

Anaheim, CA Capitol Heights, MD Claysburg, PA 

ADVANTAGE MAILING LLC-ANAHEIM GRAY GRAPHICS NPC, INC.
Program: 888-S

Title: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages

Agency: Department of Labor (DOL) Bureau of Statistics (BLS)

Term: Beginning July 01, 2021, and ending June 30, 2022

BASIS OF

ITEM No. DESCRIPTION AWARD UNIT RATE COST UNIT RATE COST UNIT RATE C

Anaheim, CA Capitol Heights, MD Claysburg, PA 

ADVANTAGE MAILING LLC-ANAHEIM GRAY GRAPHICS NPC, INC.

III. PROCESSING RESPONSE FORMS:

(a) Categories 1 and 2 (including destruction costs)....per 1,000 forms..... 15 2,742.78 41,141.70 1,250.00 18,750.00 1,530.00 

(b) Categories 3........................per 1,000 forms.............................. 1 2,119.05 2,119.05 1,250.00 1,250.00 152.00 

IV. PACKING AND DISTRIBUTION OF BATCHED RESPONSES:

Packing and sealing shipping bags/containers............................................................per shipping bag/containers............................. 143 N/C 0.00 10.00 1,430.00 20.00 

CONTRACTOR TOTALS $361,269.84 $527,424.00 

DISCOUNT 0.50% $1,806.35 2.00% $10,548.48 0.25% 

DISCOUNTED TOTALS $359,463.49 $516,875.52 

AWARDED
Program 888-S Page 1 of 28 

Specifications by CDC 

Reviewed by MRN 

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 

Washington, DC 

GENERAL TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND SPECIFICATIONS 

For the Procurement of 

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages 

as requisitioned from the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) by the 

Department of Labor (DOL) 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 

Single Award 

TERM OF CONTRACT: The term of this contract is for the period beginning the July 1, 2021, and ending June 

30, 2022, plus up to four (4) optional 12-month extension periods that may be added by the "OPTION TO EXTEND 

THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT" clause in SECTION 1 of this contract. 

BID OPENING: Bid should be opened at 11: 00 a.m., prevailing Washington, DC Time, on May 3, 2021 at the 

Government Publishing Office, Washington, DC. (Due to the COVD-19 pandemic, this will NOT be a public bid 

opening.) 

BID SUBMISSION: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the physical office, Washington, DC, will NOT be open to 

the public. Based on this, bidders must submit email bids for this solicitation to: bidsapsdc@gpo.gov. No other 

method of bid submission will be accepted at this time. The program number and bid opening date must be specified 

in the subject line of the emailed bid submission. 

Bids received after 11:00 a.m. on the bid opening date specified above will not be considered for award. 

RESTRICTION ON LOCATION OF PRODUCTION FACILITIES: All production facilities used in the

manufacture of the product(s) ordered under this contract must be located within the continental United States. 

BIDDERS, PLEASE NOTE: These specifications have been extensively revised; therefore, all bidders are 

cautioned to familiarize themselves with all provisions of these specifications before bidding. 

Abstracts of contract prices are available at https://www.gpo.gov/how-to-work-with-us/vendors/contract-pricing. 

For information of a technical nature, contact Cecilia Dominguez Castro on (202) 512-0307 or at 

cdominguezcastro@gpo.gov. 
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages Page 2 of 28 

888-S (06/22) 

SECTION 1. - GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

GPO CONTRACT TERMS: Any contract which results from this Invitation for Bid will be subject to the 

applicable provisions, clauses, and supplemental specifications of GPO Contract Terms (GPO Publication 310.2, 

effective December 1, 1987 (Rev. 01-18)) and GPO Contract Terms, Quality Assurance through Attributes Program 

for Printing and Binding (GPO Pub. 310.1, effective May 1979 (Rev. 09-19)). 

GPO Contract Terms (GPO Publication 310.2) – https://www.gpo.gov/docs/default-source/forms-and-standardsfiles-for-vendors/contractterms2018.p 

GPO QATAP (GPO Publication 310.1) – https://www.gpo.gov/docs/default-source/forms-and-standards-files-forvendors/qatap-rev-09-19.pdf 

SUBCONTRACTING: The provisions of GPO Publication 310.2 are modified to permit the subcontracting for

the manufacturing of the envelopes. 

GPO IMPRINT REQUIREMENTS: The GPO imprint requirement, GPO Contract Terms, Supplemental 

Specification, No. 9 is waived. 

QUALITY ASSURANCE LEVELS AND STANDARDS: The following levels and standards shall apply to these 

specifications: 

Product Quality Levels: 

(a) Printing (page related) Attributes - Level III.

 (b) Finishing (item related) Attributes - Level III. 

Inspection Levels (from ANSI/ASQC Z1.4): 

 (a) Non-destructive Tests - General Inspection Level I. 

 (b) Destructive Tests - Special Inspection Level S - 2. 

Specified Standards: The specified standards for the attributes requiring them shall be: 

Attribute Specified Standard 

P-7. Type Quality and Uniformity O.K. proofs/Average type dimension/ 

Electronic media 

P-9. Solid and Screen Tint Match Pantone Matching System 

OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT: The Government has the option to extend the 

term of this contract for a period of 12 months by written notice to the contractor not later than 30 days before the 

contract expires. If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this 

clause, except, the total duration of the contract may not exceed five (5) years as a result of, and including, any 

extension added under this clause. Further extension may be negotiated under the “EXTENSION OF CONTRACT 

TERM” clause. See also “ECONOMIC PRICE ADJUSTMENT” for authorized pricing adjustments(s).

EXTENSION OF CONTRACT TERM: At the request of the Government, the term of any contract resulting 

from this solicitation may be extended for such period of time as may be mutually agreeable to the GPO and the 

contractor. 
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages Page 3 of 28 

888-S (06/22) 

ECONOMIC PRICE ADJUSTMENT: The pricing under this contract shall be adjusted in accordance with this 

clause, provided that in no event will any pricing adjustment be made that would exceed the maximum permissible 

under any law in effect at the time of the adjustment. There will be no adjustment for orders placed during the first 

period specified below. Pricing will thereafter be eligible for adjustment during the second and any succeeding 

performance period(s). For each performance period after the first, a percentage figure will be calculated as 

described below and that figure will be the economic price adjustment for that entire next period. Pricing 

adjustments under this clause are not applicable to reimbursable postage or transportation costs, or to paper, if paper 

prices are subject to adjustment by separate clause elsewhere in this contract. 

For the purpose of this clause, performance under this contract will be divided into successive periods. The first 

period will extend from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, and the second and any succeeding period(s) will extend for 

12 months from the end of the last preceding period, except that the length of the final period may vary. The first 

day of the second and any succeeding period(s) will be the effective date of the economic price adjustment for that 

period. 

Pricing adjustments in accordance with this clause will be based on changes in the seasonally adjusted “Consumer 

Price Index For All Urban Consumers - Commodities Less Food” (Index) published monthly in the CPI Detailed 

Report by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The economic price adjustment will be the percentage difference between Index averages as specified in this 

paragraph. An index called the variable index will be calculated by averaging the monthly Indexes from the 12-

month interval ending 3 months prior to the beginning of the period being considered for adjustment. This average 

is then compared to the average of the monthly Indexes for the 12-month interval ending March 31, 2021, called 

the base index. The percentage change (plus or minus) of the variable index from the base index will be the economic 

price adjustment for the period being considered for adjustment. 

The Government will notify the contractor by contract modification specifying the percentage increase or decrease 

to be applied to invoices for orders placed during the period indicated. The contractor shall apply the percentage 

increase or decrease against the total price of the invoice less reimbursable postage or transportation costs and 

separately adjusted paper prices. Payment discounts shall be applied after the invoice price is adjusted. 

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: The contractor shall comply with the terms included in the “Confidentiality and 

Security Requirements” (see Attachment 1); the “Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency 

Act” (see Attachment 2); and the “BLS Agent Agreement” (see Attachment 3). 

SECURITY WARNING: Proper control and handling must be maintained at all times to prevent any information 

or materials required to produce the product ordered under these specifications from falling into unauthorized hands. 

Unless otherwise indicated herein, all erroneous/extra copies produced by the contractor are to be destroyed beyond 

recognition by means of abrasive destruction, burning, shredding, or other method that guarantees complete 

protection against access. 

ON-SITE REPRESENTATIVES: On-site representative(s) may be stationed at the contractor’s facility to:

verify addresses; monitor the printing, inserting, mail processing, quality control, sample selections, and

inspections; and, monitor the packing and staging of the mail. These coordinators will not have contractual

authority and cannot make changes in the specifications or in contract terms, but will bring any and all defects

detected to the attention of the company Quality Control Officer. The coordinators must have full and unrestricted 

access to all production areas where work on this program is being performed. The contractor will be required to 

provide one (1) private office of not less than 150 square feet, furnished with one (1) desk, one (1) swivel arm chair, 

one (1) telephone, access to an internet connection, and a fax machine. The contractor will be reimbursed for any 

charges incurred for toll calls made by Government representatives upon presentation of voucher and verifiable

documentation. The contractor should be prepared to provide full access to the production areas where the

contract is being carried out. 
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages Page 4 of 28 

888-S (06/22) 

DATA RIGHTS: All data and materials furnished and/or used in the performance of this contract shall be the sole 

property of the Government. The contractor agrees not to assert rights or to establish any claim to such 

data/materials in whole or in part in any manner or form, or to authorize others to do so, without prior written 

consent of the Contracting Officer. 

DISPOSAL OF WASTE MATERIALS: The contractor is required to demonstrate how all waste materials used 

in the production of sensitive information will be definitely destroyed, i.e., burning, pulping, shredding, macerating, 

or other suitable similar means. Electronic records must be definitely destroyed in a manner that prevents 

reconstruction. Definitely destroying the records means the material cannot be reassembled and used in an 

inappropriate manner in violation of law and regulations. Sensitive records are records that are national security 

classified or exempted from disclosure by statute, including the Privacy Act or regulation. 

If the contractor selects shredding as a means of disposal, it is preferred that a cross-cut shredder be used. If a strip 

shredder is used, the strips must not exceed one-quarter inch. 

The contractor must provide the method planned to dispose of the materials. A Government representative may be 

required to be present for the disposal of waste materials. At Government’s option, contractor may be required to 

return all waste materials to the ordering agency. 

PREAWARD SURVEY: In order to determine the responsibility of the contractor, the Government reserves the 

right to conduct an on-site preaward survey at the contractor’s facility or to require other evidence of technical, 

production, managerial, financial, and similar abilities to perform, prior to the award of a contract. As part of the 

financial determination, the contractor in line for award may be required to provide one or more of the following 

financial documents: 

1) Most recent profit and loss statement 

2) Most recent balance sheet 

3) Statement of cash flows 

4) Current official bank statement 

5) Current lines of credit (with amounts available) 

6) Letter of commitment from paper supplier(s) 

The documents will be reviewed to validate that adequate financial resources are available to perform the contract 

requirements. Documents submitted will be kept confidential and used only for the determination of responsibility 

by the Government. Failure to provide the requested information in the time specified by the Government may 

result in the Contracting Officer not having adequate information to reach an affirmative determination of 

responsibility. The Preaward Survey will include a review of all contractor’s personnel involved, along with their 

specific functions. 

PREAWARD PRODUCTIONS PLANS: The contractor shall present, in writing, to the Contracting Officer 

within two (2) workdays of being notified to do so by the Contracting Officer or his/her representative, detailed 

plans for the following activities. The workday after notification to submit will be the first day of the schedule. 

THESE PROPOSED PLANS ARE SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY THE GOVERNMENT, AND 

AWARD WILL NOT BE MADE PRIOR TO APPROVAL OF THE SAME. THE GOVERNMENT RESERVES 

THE RIGHT TO WAIVE ANY OR ALL OF THESE PLANS. 

Option Years: For each option year that may be exercised, the contractor will be required to re-submit, in writing, 

the above plans detailing any changes and/or revisions that may have occurred. The contractor should be prepared 

to submit these plans to GPO within five (5) workdays of notification of the option year being exercised. 

If there are no changes/revisions, the contractor will be required to submit to the Contracting Officer a statement 

confirming that the current plans are still in effect. 
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages Page 5 of 28 

888-S (06/22) 

Quality Control Plan: The contractor shall provide and maintain, within their own organization, an independent 

quality assurance organization of sufficient size and expertise to monitor the operations performed, and inspect 

the products of each operation to a degree and extent that will ensure the Government’s quality assurance, 

inspection, and acceptance provisions herein are met. The contractor shall perform, or have performed the 

process controls, inspections, and tests required to substantiate that the products provided under this contract 

conform to the specifications and contract requirements. The contractor shall describe in detail their quality 

control/quality assurance and recovery plans describing how, when, and by whom the plans will be performed. 

These plans shall include a detailed explanation of both staff and management activities and responsibilities. 

The plans must provide for periodic samplings to be taken during the production run, and shall contain control

systems that will detect defective, missing, or mutilated pieces. The plans shall detail the actions to be taken by 

the contractor when defective, missing, or mutilated items are discovered. These actions must be consistent with 

the requirements found in GPO Contract Terms (GPO Publication 310.2, effective December 1, 1987, Rev. 01-

18). 

The plan shall monitor all aspects of the job, including material handling and mail flow, to assure that the 

production and delivery of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Packages meet specifications and 

Government requirements. This includes maintaining 100% accountability in the accuracy of imaging and mailing 

of all pieces throughout each run. The contractor must ensure that there are no missing or duplicate pieces. 

A recovery system will be required to ensure that all defective, missing, or mutilated pieces detected are

identified, reprinted, and replaced. The quality control plan must also include examples, and a detailed description 

of, all reports or logs the contractor will keep to document the quality control inspections performed on each run. 

Furthermore, the plan must include the names of all quality assurance officials and describe their duties in

relationship to the quality control plan. 

The Government may periodically verify that the contractor is complying with the approved quality control plan 

through on-site examinations and/or requesting copies of the contractor’s quality assurance records and quality 

assurance random copies. See “QUALITY CONTROL” in SECTION 2 of the contract. 

Mail Plan: This plan shall include sufficient detail as to how the contractor will comply with all applicable U.S. 

Postal Service (USPS) mailing requirements as listed in the USPS Domestic and International Mail Manuals in 

effect at the time of mailing and other USPS instructional material such as the Postal Bulletin. All outgoing and 

return mail will be mailed via a “Postage and Fees Paid” mailing indicia. The Government will be responsible for 

ALL USPS mailing costs. (NOTE: The shipping costs of returning materials to the States will be paid by the 

contractor and reimbursed by the Government.) (See “DISTRIBUTION” as specified in SECTION 2.) 

Material Handling and Inventory Control: This plan shall explain in detail how the following materials will be

handled: incoming raw materials; work-in-progress materials; quality control inspection materials; USPS

inspection materials; and all outgoing materials cleared for USPS pickup/delivery. 

Personnel Plans: This plan shall include a listing of all personnel who will be involved with this contract. For any 

new employees, the plan shall include the source of these employees and a description of the training programs 

the employee will be given to familiarize them with the requirements of this program. 

Production Plans: This plan shall include items such as a detailed listing of all production equipment and

equipment capacities to be utilized on this contract. If new equipment is to be utilized, documentation of the

source, delivery schedule, and installation dates are required. 

Information Technology Security Plans: The contractor must submit an Information Technology System

Security Plan as it relates to BLS data storage and data processing. The plan shall summarize the physical and 

logical protections in place at the designated printing location, including the audit mechanisms used to ensure the 

described are fully implemented. 
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages Page 6 of 28 

888-S (06/22) 

Security Control Plans: The contractor shall operate and maintain an effective security system whereby materials 

used to perform the contract are manufactured and/or stored (e.g., while awaiting to be processed, delivered, or 

disposed) so as to ensure against theft and/or the unauthorized possession of the materials. Contractor is cautioned 

that Government provided information/materials shall not be used for non-government business. Specifically, 

Government information shall not be used for the benefit of a third party. 

The contractor must provide a secure area(s) dedicated to the processing and storage of materials. Secure work areas 

must be under camera surveillance, with access limited to only those employees involved in the production of this 

contract. Signs must be posted that only assigned employees may enter. It is prohibited for cameras and cell phones 

to be in the work areas of the production. 

At least one supervisory employee must be permanently assigned to the secured areas to visually observe, at all 

times, the production of work and the destruction of any materials. 

The Government retains the right to conduct on-site security reviews at any time during the term of the contract. 

The Security Control Plans shall provide in detail, at a minimum: 

 How all accountable materials will be handled throughout all phases of production. 

 How all furnished data will be stored and protected. (see “DISPOSAL OF WASTE MATERIALS.”) 

 How the disposal of waste materials will be handled. 

 List of contractor’s employees involved and their specific function. 

 How all applicable Government-mandated security/privacy/rules and regulations, as cited in this contract, 

shall be adhered to by the contractor. 

Part of the Security Control Plan shall include a floor plan detailing the area(s) to be used, showing existing walls, 

equipment to be used, and the processing and storage locations. 

PREAWARD TEST: The contractor being considered for award will be required to demonstrate the ability to 

produce the items required in these specifications at the requisite quality level by completing a preaward test. The 

Government reserves the right to waive the preaward test if there is other evidence that, in the opinion of the 

Contracting Officer, indicates that the contractor being considered for award has the capability to successfully 

produce the items required. 

For the preaward test, the Government will furnish an electronic file (consisting of one (1) sample Survey Form 

(Exhibit E), one (1) sample Cover Letter (Exhibit G), and one (1) sample envelope) that are representative of the 

items to be furnished under these specifications. The Government will also furnish “dummy” variable data with the 

electronic files. Files will be sent via email. 

The prospective contractor must produce five (5) samples for each item in accordance with the requirements 

specified herein. Samples must be printed on the required stock for each item as specified herein. (NOTE: The 

Survey Form and Cover Letter must be imaged with the furnished “dummy” variable data in accordance with the 

requirements specified herein.) 

The test samples from this test will be used by the Government to evaluate the contractor’s capability to comply 

with the applicable requirements of these specifications and the contractor’s ability to maintain the requisite quality 

level throughout the term of the contract. Failure to produce the test samples in accordance with the requirements 

of this contract and at the requisite quality level may be reason for a determination of non-responsibility. 

The test samples must be delivered to: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Attn: QCEW Data 

Collection Branch, Room 4860, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20212-0001. 

NOTE: Contractor must notify MWR_Print@bls.gov and cdominguezcastro@gpo.gov the same day as delivery of 

the preaward samples. 
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages Page 7 of 28 

888-S (06/22) 

Contractor must submit preaward test samples within five (5) workdays of receipt of furnished test materials. 

If preaward test samples are disapproved by the Government, the contractor may be permitted, at the option of the 

Government, additional time to correct defects and/or submit revised test samples if so notified by the Contracting 

Officer. (The time allowed to provide additional test material may differ depending upon the nature of the defects 

noted and will be specified when notification is given.) 

In the event the revised preaward test samples are disapproved by the Government, the contractor shall be deemed 

to have failed to comply with the applicable requirements of these specifications and may be reason for a 

determination of non-responsibility. 

Failure to deliver the completed test samples within the stated time period may disqualify the contractor from further 

consideration for award. 

All operations necessary in the performance of this test shall be performed at the facilities and on the equipment in 

which the contract production will be performed. 

No charges will be allowed for costs incurred in the performance of this preaward test. 

POSTAWARD CONFERENCE: Unless waived by the Contracting Officer, the total requirements of the job as 

indicated in these specifications will be reviewed by Government representatives with the contractor’s 

representatives at the U.S. Government Publishing Office, Washington, DC, immediately after award. At 

Government’s option, this may be held via teleconference. 

NOTE: Person(s) that the contractor deems necessary for the successful implementation of the contract must be in 

attendance. 

PREPRODUCTION MEETING: The Government’s representatives may request preproduction meeting(s)

with the contractor’s representatives to be held at the contractor’s facility after award of the contract to review the

contractor’s production plan and to establish coordination of all operations. Attending this meeting will be

representatives from BLS. At Government’s option, this may be held via teleconference. 

NOTE: Person(s) that the contractor deems necessary for the successful implementation of the contract must be in 

attendance. 

Option Years: For each option year that may be exercised, the Government’s representatives may request a

meeting with the contractor’s representatives to be held at the contractor’s facility to discuss the requirements of

that contract year’s jobs. At Government’s option, this may be held via teleconference. 

ASSIGNMENT OF JACKETS, PURCHASE, AND PRINT ORDERS: A GPO jacket number will be assigned 

and a purchase order issued to the contractor to cover work performed. The purchase order will be supplemented 

by an individual print order for each job placed with the contractor. The print order, when issued, will indicate the 

quantity to be produced and any other information pertinent to the particular order. 

ORDERING: Items to be furnished under the contract shall be ordered by the issuance of print orders by the 

Government. Orders may be issued under the contract from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 plus for such 

additional period(s) as the contract is extended. All print orders issued hereunder are subject to the terms and 

conditions of the contract. The contract shall control in the event of conflict with any print order. A print order shall 

be “issued” upon notification by the Government for purposes of the contract when it is electronically transmitted 

or otherwise physically furnished to the contractor in conformance with the schedule. 
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages Page 8 of 28 

888-S (06/22) 

REQUIREMENTS: This is a requirements contract for the items and the period specified herein. Delivery of items 

or performance of work shall be made only as authorized by orders issued under the clause entitled "ORDERING." 

The quantities of items specified herein are estimates only, and are not purchased hereby. Except as may be 

otherwise provided in this contract, if the Government's requirements for the items set forth herein do not result in 

orders in the amounts or quantities described as "estimated," it shall not constitute the basis for an equitable price 

adjustment under this contract. 

Except as otherwise provided in this contract, the Government shall order from the contractor all the items set forth 

which are required to be purchased by the Government activity identified on page 1. 

The Government shall not be required to purchase from the contractor, requirements above the limit on total orders 

under this contract if any. 

Orders issued during the effective period of this contract and not completed within that time shall be completed by 

the contractor within the time specified in the order, and the rights and obligations of the contractor and the 

Government respecting those orders shall be governed by the terms of this contract to the same extent as if 

completed during the effective period of this contract. 

If shipment/delivery of any quantity of an item covered by the contract is required because of urgency prior to the 

earliest date that shipment/delivery may be specified under this contract, and if the contractor will not accept an 

order providing for the accelerated delivery, the Government may procure this requirement from another source. 

The Government may issue orders which provide for delivery to or performance at multiple destinations. 

Subject to any limitations elsewhere in this contract, the contractor shall furnish to the Government all items set 

forth herein which are called for by print orders issued under the "ORDERING" clause of this contract. 

PRIVACY ACT NOTIFICATION: This procurement action requires the contractor to do one or more of the 

following: design, develop, or operate a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function in 

accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable 

agency regulations. Violation of the Act may involve the imposition of criminal penalties as stated in 5 U.S.C. 552a 

(i)(1) CRIMINAL PENALTIES. It is incumbent upon the contractor to inform its officers and employees of the 

penalties for improper disclosure imposed by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, specifically, 5 U.S.C. 552a 

(i)(1) CRIMINAL PENALTIES and m(1) GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS. 

PRIVACY ACT 

(a) The contractor agrees: 

(1) To comply with the Privacy Act of l974 and the rules and regulations issued pursuant to the Act in the 

design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals in order to accomplish an 

agency function when the contract specifically identifies (i) the system or systems of records and (ii) 

the work to be performed by the contractor in terms of any one or combination of the following: (A) 

Design, (B) development, or (C) operation; 

(2) To include the solicitation notification contained in this contract in every solicitation and resulting 

subcontract and in every subcontract awarded without a solicitation when the statement of work in the 

proposed subcontract requires the design, development, or operation of a system of records on 

individuals to accomplish an agency function; and 

(3) To include this clause, including this paragraph (3), in all subcontracts awarded pursuant to this contract 

which require the design, development, or operation of such a system of records. 
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(b) In the event of violations of the Act, a civil action may be brought against the agency involved where the 

violation concerns the design, development, or operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an 

agency function, and criminal penalties may be imposed upon the officers or employees of the agency where the 

violation concerns the operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function. For 

purposes of the Act when the contract is for the operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an 

agency function, the contractor and any employee of the contractor is considered to be an employee of the agency. 

(c) The terms used in this clause have the following meanings: 

(1) "Operation of a system of records" means performance of any of the activities associated with 

maintaining the system of records including the collection, use, and dissemination of records. 

(2) "Record" means any item, collection or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained 

by an agency, including, but not limited to, his education, financial transactions, medical history, and 

criminal or employment history and that contains his name, or the identifying number, symbol, or other 

identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a finger or voice print or a photograph. 

(3) "System of records" on individuals means a group of any records under the control of any agency from 

which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, symbol, 

or other identifying particular assigned to the individual. 

ADDITIONAL EMAILED BID SUBMISSION PROVISIONS: The Government will not be responsible for any 

failure attributable to the transmission or receipt of the emailed bid including, but not limited to, the following – 

1. Illegibility of bid. 

2. Emails over 75 MB may not be received by GPO due to size limitations for receiving emails. 

3. The bidder’s email provider may have different size limitations for sending email; however, bidders are 

advised not to exceed GPO’s stated limit. 

4. When the email bid is received by GPO, it will remain unopened until the specified bid opening time. 

Government personnel will not validate receipt of the emailed bid before bid opening. GPO will use the 

prevailing time (specified as the local time zone) and the exact time that the email is received by GPO's 

email server as the official time stamp for bid receipt at the specified location. 

PAYMENT: Upon completion of each order, prior to submitting a billing invoice to GPO for payment, the 

contractor must submit an itemized billing invoice to the ordering agency for verification, approval, and signature. 

The contractor must email their billing invoice and all necessary documentation to MWR_Print@bls.gov and 

CARS202@bls.gov. 

After agency verification and approval, the contractor must submit the approved, signed billing invoice and all 

necessary documentation to the U.S. Government Publishing Office. 

Submitting invoices for payment via the GPO fax gateway (if no samples are required) utilizing the GPO barcode 

coversheet program application is the most efficient method of receiving payment. Instruction for using this method 

can be found at the following web address: 

http://winapps.access.gpo.gov/fms/vouchers/barcode/instructions.html. 

Invoices may also be mailed to: U.S. Government Publishing Office, Office of Financial Management, Attn: 

Comptroller, Stop: FMCE, Washington, DC 20401. 

For more information about the billing process refer to the General Information of the Office of Finance web page 

located at: https://www.gpo.gov/how-to-work-with-us/vendors/how-to-get-paid. 

All contractor billing invoices must be itemized under the line items in the "SCHEDULE OF PRICES." 
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SECTION 2. – SPECIFICATIONS 

SCOPE: These specifications cover the production of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Forms 

Packages consisting of either a letter or form with cover letter, return envelope, and mail-out envelope, requiring 

such operations as electronic prepress, printing variable imaging, binding, construction, assembling, packing, and 

distribution. Additionally, the contractor will also be responsible for processing the form responses. 

TITLE: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages. 

OVERVIEW: The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program utilizes a web system to collect data for 

the Annual Refiling Survey (ARS). One-page letters are mailed to respondents directing them to log into the 

appropriate, secure website to report data. The Annual Refiling Survey is a sample of about 1,300,000 

establishments located in the 50 States, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

The ARS survey is conducted annually between July through the following June. After the initial mailing, there 

will be follow-up mailings (approximately two to five mailings consisting of 1-page letters), as needed. Currently, 

a bulk of the mailing occurs in September with follow-up mailings occurring in December and March. 

The QCEW program is adding a Special Surveys on a template nearly identical to the ARS templates, with slightly 

modified static text. 

The QCEW program also collects employment and wages data for employers with multiple establishment locations 

reporting under the same Unemployment Insurance (UI) account number in a given state. The collection is done 

using the Multiple Worksite Report (MWR) Form. The MWR is conducted four times a year in conjunction with 

each calendar quarter. At the end of each quarter, there will be a mailing consisting of an MWR form, cover letter, 

additional form pages, if needed, and return envelope. After the initial form mailing, there will be one follow-up 

MWR form mailing each quarter, as needed. 

The completed MWR forms will be returned to the contractor. The forms must be “designed” such that Intelligent 

Character Recognition (ICR) software can read the employment and wages that are supplied by the respondents 

(see “CONTRACTOR TO FURNISH”). The contractor will scan the forms and create a data file with the 

employment and wages that were scanned via ICR software. The contractor will also supply PDF files with the 

scanned images of the forms. 

NOTE: Hereinafter, the term “States” will be all-inclusive referring to the States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 

and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

FREQUENCY OF ORDERS: 

ARS and Special Survey Mailings – Approximately 2 to 9 orders per year. 

MWR Mailings – Approximately 8 to 12 orders per year. 

NOTE: The Government anticipates issuing the first order for the ARS on or around August 1st of each contract 

year. The Government anticipates issuing the first order for the MWR on or around September 1st of each contract 

year. No set schedule has been determined for the Special Survey. 

The ARS, MWR, and Special Survey mailings may be ordered on the same print order requiring the same schedule. 
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NUMBER OF PAGES AND TRIM SIZES: 

ITEM NO. OF PAGES TRIM SIZE 

1. Letter – Version A (NVS/NCA) Face only (one leaf) 8-1/2 x 11” 

2. Letter – Version B (NVM) Face and back (one leaf) 8-1/2 x 11” 

3. Letter – Version C (MWR) Face only (one leaf) 8-1/2 x 11” 

4. Letter – Version D (Special Survey) Face only (one leaf) 8-1/2 x 11” 

5. Survey Form (MWR) Face and back (one leaf) 8-1/2 x 11” 

6. Form Additional Pages (MWR) Up to 10 pages (5 face and back leaves) 8-1/2 x 11” 

7. Form Cover Letter (MWR) Face only (one leaf) 8-1/2 x 11” 

8. No. 10 Mail-out Envelope Face only 4-1/8 x 9-1/2”, plus flap 

9. Mail-out Envelope Face only 9 x 12”, plus flap 

10. No. 9 Return Envelope Face only 3-7/8 x 8-7/8”, plus flap 

11. Return Envelope Face only 9 x 12”, plus flap 

NOTE: All envelopes (Items 8 through 11) print face only – after manufacturing. Items 8 and 9 have double 

windows. 

FORM NOTE: For Items 5 and 6, the form is “designed” to collect the employment and wages for a UI account 

number at the worksite level of the firm. For example, if a UI account has six (6) locations within a state, those six 

(6) locations will be listed on the form. The respondent will be responsible for noting the employment and wages 

for each location. 

The employment and wages boxes should be such that the contractor is able to scan the form and use the scanned 

responses to create a file containing the employment and wages of the respondents. NOTE: Responses may be 

handwritten. 

For UI accounts with up to six (6) worksites, the form will be one page with the worksites printed on the front and 

instructions printed on the back. Item 6 should be included for forms with more than six (6) worksites. All 1-page 

Letter Packages, Form A Packages, and the majority of the Form B Packages with inserts (up to and including five 

(5) leaves) will be mailed in a standard No. 10 mail-out envelope with double windows. Those UI accounts for 

Form B Packages with a large enough number of worksites to generate greater than five (5) leaves will be mailed 

using a flat 9 x 12” envelope with double windows. 

PACKAGE VARIATIONS: 

 Letter Packages Form A Packages Form B Packages 

 Item 1 through 4 (Letter) Item 5 (Survey Form) Item 5 (Survey Form) 

 Item 7 (Cover Letter) Item 7 (Cover Letter) 

 Item 6 (Additional Page(s)) 

 Item 8 (No. 10 Mail-out Envelope) Item 8 (No. 10 Mail-out Envelope) 1 to 5 leaves: Item 8 

 (No. 10 Mail-out Envelope) 

 Over 5 leaves: Item 9 

 (9 x 12” Mail-out Envelope) 

 Item 10 (No. 9 Return Envelope) 1 to 5 leaves: Item 10 

 (No. 9 Return Envelope) 

 Over 5 leaves: Item 11 

 (9 x 12” Return Envelope) 
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MAILING QUANTITY: 

Timing Letter Packages Form A Packages Form B Packages 

 July - September 450,000 80,000 20,000 

 October - December 250,000 80,000 20,000 

 January - March 100,000 80,000 20,000 

 April - June 50,000 80,000 20,000 

NOTE: The actual quantities may vary. Currently, all States participate in the ARS mailings and 47 states participate 

in the MWR mailings. As more States opt to participate in these mailings, quantities could increase in the option 

years, if exercised. 

The response rate will be tracked by BLS, and the contractor will be notified when goals have been met. When 

goals are met, the print and mail operations of the contract will be complete for the Refiling year. Surveys will 

continue to be received later in the fiscal year, processed by the contractor, and returned to the States. 

GOVERNMENT TO FURNISH: Electronic media will be furnished as follows: 

 Storage Media: Email, SFTP, or MFT 

Software: Adobe Acrobat 11.0 (or later), MS Excel, or CSV file. 

NOTE: All Government software upgrades (for specified applications) which may occur 

during the term of the contract, must be supported by the contractor. 

Fonts: All printer and screen fonts will be furnished/embedded, as applicable. 

Contractor is cautioned that furnished fonts are the property of the Government and/or 

its originator. All furnished fonts are to be eliminated from the contractor’s archive 

immediately after completion of the contract. 

 Additional 

 Information: Files will be furnished in native application and/or PDF format. 

An electronic file for the form templates will be furnished via email, SFTP or MFT once at the beginning of the 

contract to be held for reuse throughout the term of the contract. If the ordering agency makes changes to the form, 

they will furnish a new template to the contractor at that time. 

Updated production database files will be furnished via SFTP before each production of the mail-out. 

Furnish copies of the current forms being used (to be used as a guide). 

Special Data Files: State Office Information List; Letter Production File Format; Form Production File Format; 

Form Collected Data File Format; Form Print Rules; Form Processing Rules; and, Letter Print Rule will be furnished 

via SFTP. NOTE: These special date files are provided prior to the 1st mail-out and are necessary for form and 

letter production. Any updates to the files will be provided prior to the follow-up mail-outs. 

Naming conventions for all files will be furnished via SFTP. 

Identification markings such as register marks, commercial identification marks of any kind, etc., carried in the 

electronic files, must not print on finished product. 
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EXHIBITS: The facsimiles shown as Exhibits A through P are representative of the requirements which will be 

ordered under this contract. However, it cannot be guaranteed that future orders will correspond exactly to these 

exhibits. 

The Exhibits are as follows: 

Exhibit A: Letter – Version A (NVS/NCA) 

Exhibit B: Letter – Version B (NVM) 

Exhibit C: Letter – Version C (MWR) 

Exhibit D: Letter – Version D (Special Surveys) 

Exhibit E: Form (MWR) 

Exhibit F: Form Additional Pages (MWR) 

Exhibit G: Form Cover Letter (MWR) 

Exhibit H: State Office Information List (sample page – entire list to be furnished after contract award) 

Exhibit I: Letter Production File Format 

Exhibit J: Form Production File Format 

Exhibit K: Form Collected Data File Format 

Exhibit L: Form Print Rules 

Exhibit M: Form Processing Rules 

Exhibit N: Letter Print Rules 

Exhibit O: BLS Logo (to be furnished after contract award) 

Exhibit P: DOL Logo (to be furnished after contract award) 

CONTRACTOR TO FURNISH: All materials and operations, other than those listed under "GOVERNMENT 

TO FURNISH," necessary to produce the product(s) in accordance with these specifications. 

The contractor must be able to accept files electronically via a secure contractor-hosted SFTP or secure managed 

file transfer service (MFT). Appropriate log-on details and instructions for file uploads must be provided at time of 

award. The contractor SFTP or MFT must have a secure configuration baseline applied and must meet minimum 

federal security requirements for encryption. Upon contract completion, BLS data stored in SFTP directories or 

MFT systems must be deleted. 

The contractor is responsible for scanning the returned forms which may contain handwritten data (see 

“PROCESSING RESPONSES”). Contractor will need to create/use a form template that is compatible with the 

contractor’s particular ICR software and scanning equipment. 

ELECTRONIC PREPRESS: Prior to image processing, the contractor shall perform a basic check (preflight) of 

the furnished media and publishing files to assure correct output of the required reproduction image. Any errors, 

media damage, or data corruption that might interfere with proper file image processing must be reported to the 

individual listed on the print order. 

The contractor shall validate integrity and predictability of the listed software under “GOVERNMENT TO 

FURNISH” through preflight operations. Contractor is to check for potential problems in the following areas: fonts; 

missing links; ink colors; print settings; and, external plug-ins. The contractor shall notify the agency immediately 

by emailing: MWR_Print@bls.gov and CARS202@bls.gov, if there is damage to the electronic file, file corruption, 

difficulties in image processing, and errors discovered during the preflight operations. 

The contractor shall create or alter any necessary trapping, set proper screen angles and screen frequency, and define 

file output selection for the imaging device being utilized. Furnished files must be imaged as necessary to meet the 

assigned quality level. 

All halftones are to be 175-line screen or finer. 
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When required by the Government, the contractor shall make minor revisions to the electronic files, which may 

include color corrections to digital furnished images. It is anticipated that the Government will make all major 

revisions. 

Prior to making revisions, contractor shall copy the furnished files and make all changes to the copy. 

Upon completion of each print order, the contractor must furnish final production native application files (digital 

deliverables, which includes high resolution tiff scans) with the furnished material. The digital deliverables must 

be an exact representation of the final printed product and shall be returned on the same type of storage media as 

was originally furnished. The Government will not accept, as digital deliverables, PostScript files, Adobe Acrobat 

Portable Document Format (PDF) files, or any proprietary file formats other than those supplied, unless specified 

by the Government. The returned digital deliverable must be clearly labeled with Title, Jacket Number, Program 

Number 888-S and Print Order Number. The Government will accept PDF files as digital deliverables when 

furnished by the Government. 

PROOFS: The contractor must submit the required proofs of each item for each of the States participating in the 

QCEW at the time the order is issued (to be specified on the print order). 

Contractor to submit one “Press Quality” PDF soft proof (for content only) using the same Raster Image Processor 

(RIP) that will be used to produce the final printed product (MUST INCLUDE STATIC AND VARIABLE DATA). 

PDF proof will be evaluated for text flow, image position, and color breaks. Proof will not be used for color match. 

If any contractor’s errors are serious enough in the opinion of the Government to require revised proofs, the 

revised proofs are to be provided at no expense to the Government. No extra time can be allowed for this 

reproofing; such operations must be accomplished within the original production schedule allotted in the 

specifications. 

The Government reserves the right to make changes to all proofs. The Government may require one or more sets 

of revised proofs before rendering an “O.K. to Print.” 

Contractor must not print prior to the receipt of an “O.K. to Print.” 

STOCK/PAPER: The specifications of all paper furnished must be in accordance with those listed herein or listed 

for the corresponding JCP Code numbers in the “Government Paper Specification Standards No. 13” dated 

September 2019. 

Government Paper Specification Standards No. 13 – https://www.gpo.gov/docs/default-source/forms-andstandards-files-for-vendors/vol_13.pdf. 

All text paper used in each copy must be of a uniform shade. 

Items 1, 2, 3 and 4: White Bond, basis weight: 24 lbs. per 500 sheets, 17 x 22”, equal to JCP Code G10. 

Items 5 and 6: White Uncoated Text, basis weight: 50 lbs. per 500 sheets, 25 x 38”, equal to JCP Code A60. 

Item 7: White Writing, basis weight: 20 lbs. per 500 sheets, 17 x 22”, equal to JCP Code D10. 

Items 8, 9, 10 and 11: White Writing Envelope, basis weight: 24 lbs. per 500 sheets, 17 x 22”, equal to JCP Code

V20. 

PRINTING/VARIABLE IMAGING: The Government reserves the right to make changes to the format/text of 

the items produced on this contract at any time during the term of the contract. Any stockpiling is at the contractor’s 

own risk. 
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GPO imprint requirement is waived and must not print on final product. 

Digital printing is allowed for all variable imaging. All imaging shall have a minimum resolution of 720 x 720 dpi. 

For items that image in black plus one Pantone color, contractor must match the Pantone number as specified on 

the print order as closely as possible for the variable imaging. The Pantone color for the variable imaging will be 

the same Pantone as the static printing. 

For all offset printing, contractor must match Pantone number as specified on the print order. 

NOTE: Imaged addresses shall consist of three barcodes (two postal barcodes and one 3 of 9 barcode). 

Items 1 and 4: Print static text matter face only in black and one Pantone color. Printing consists of text and line 

matter. Image variable data face only in black and one Pantone color. Variable imaging consists of State Agency 

name, return mailing address and phone number, respondent mailing address, barcodes, and state-specific laws 

pertaining to the ARS, MWR, and Special Survey, as applicable. 

Item 2: Print static text matter on face in black and one Pantone color and on back in black only. Printing consists 

of text and line matter. Image variable data face only in black and one Pantone color. Variable imaging consists of 

State Agency name, return mailing address and phone number, respondent mailing address, barcodes, and statespecific laws pertaining to the ARS and MWR, as applicable. 

Item 3: Print static text matter face only in black and one Pantone color. Printing consists of text and line matter. 

Image variable data face only in black and one Pantone color. Variable Imaging consists of State Agency name, 

return mailing address and phone number, respondent mailing address, barcodes, and state-specific laws pertaining 

to the ARS and MWR. 

Item 5: Print static text matter face and back in black and one Pantone color. Printing consists of text and line 

matter. Image variable data face and back in black and one Pantone color. Variable imaging consists of text matter 

and barcodes. Forms must be printed such that the employment and wages can be scanned. 

Item 6: Print static text matter (on each leaf) face and back in black and one Pantone color. Printing consists of text 

and line matter. Image variable data face and back in black. Variable imaging consists of text matter and barcodes. 

Forms must be printed such that the employment and wages can be scanned. 

Item 7: Print static text matter face only in black and one Pantone color. Printing consists of text and line matter. 

Image variable data face only in black and one Pantone color. Variable imaging consists of date and text matter. 

Items 8 through 11: Envelopes print face only (after manufacture) in black. Printing consists of text and line matter. 

Printing shall be in accordance with the requirements for the style of envelope ordered. All printing shall comply 

with all applicable U.S. Postal Service regulations. The envelope shall accept printing without feathering or 

penetrating to the reverse side. (Inkjet printing is acceptable.) 

NOTE: The contractor shall print the agency’s name and contractor’s address as the mailing address on the returned 

envelopes (Item 10 and 11). 

MARGINS: 

Margins will be as indicated on the print order or furnished electronic media. 

BINDING:

 Items 1 through 7: Trim four sides. 
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CONSTRUCTION (Envelopes): 

Items 8 and 9: Envelope must be open side with high-cut side, diagonal, or center seams (at contractor’s option) 

and gummed, fold-over flap for sealing. Envelopes shall be sufficiently high cut so as to prevent the flap adhesive 

from contacting the envelope contents. The sealed seam(s) shall not adhere to the inside of the envelope. Flap depth 

is at the contractor’s option but must meet all USPS requirements. Envelopes shall be free from cuts, folds, tears, 

machine marks, foreign matter, dirt, ink smears and adhesive stains. 

Face of envelope to contain two die-cut windows: one mailing address window and one return address window. 

Size and location of both windows are at contractor’s option, but must allow for the viewing of the printed return 

and mailing addresses on Item 5 or 6, as applicable. 

Window is to be covered with a suitable, transparent, low-gloss poly-type material that must be clear of smudges, 

lines, and distortions. Poly-type material must be securely affixed to the inside of the envelope so as not to 

interfere with insertion of contents. Window material must meet the current U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) 

readability standards/requirements. 

Items 10 and 11: Envelopes must be open side with high-cut side, diagonal, or center seams (at contractor’s option) 

and gummed, fold-over flap for sealing. Envelopes shall be sufficiently high cut so as to prevent the flap adhesive 

from contacting the envelope contents. The sealed seam(s) shall not adhere to the inside of the envelope. Flap depth 

is at the contractor’s option but must meet all USPS requirements. Envelopes shall be free from cuts, folds, tears, 

machine marks, foreign matter, dirt, ink smears and adhesive stains. 

Flap Adhesive: All sealing flap adhesive shall be the water-activated type of such a consistency to prevent

premature sealing of the flap and curling of the envelope after drying. 

The adhesive on the sealing flaps of the envelopes shall have a minimum thickness of 0.0006 inch uniformly

applied. The flaps shall not stick to the body of the envelope, but shall be capable of being quickly and securely

sealed using finger tips after moistening the adhesive. 

ASSEMBLY: 

Letter Packages: Gather, as specified, Item 1, 2, 3, or 4, letter-fold with return/mailing addresses out, and insert 

into Item 8. 

Form A Packages: Gather Item 5 and Item 7 (with faces forward, nested together), and letter-fold with 

return/mailing addresses out. Insert folded Items 5 and 7, followed by Item 10, into Item 8. 

Form B Packages: 

 If Item 6 consists of 1 to 5 leaves: Gather Item 5, Item 6, and Item 7 (with all faces forward, nested together), 

and letter-fold. Insert folded Items 5, 6, and 7, followed by Item 10, into Item 8. 

 If Item 6 has greater than 5 leaves: Gather Item 5, Item 6, and Item 7 (with all faces forward), and insert 

(flat), followed by Item 11 (folded), into Item 9. 

Seal all mail-out envelopes. 

It is the contractor’s responsibility to assure that only the return address and business name and address on the form 

will be visible through the windows and that only one (1) each of the letter or survey form, cover letter, additional 

page(s), and appropriate return envelope (as applicable) are inserted into each appropriate mail-out envelope. 
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PACKING: When required, after batching the responses (see “PROCESSING RESPONSES”), the contractor is 

to pack the forms into suitable shipping bags or shipping containers. (If packing in shipping containers, contractor 

must pack containers not to exceed 45 pounds when fully packed.) 

Each batch of forms will have an identifier page with the State Name and Batch Number. 

LABELING AND MARKING: Contractor to download the “Labeling and Marking Specifications” form (GPO 

Form 905, Rev. 7-15) from www.gpo.gov, fill in appropriate blanks, and attach to shipping bags or shipping 

containers. Label must clearly show GPO program number, jacket number, and print order number. 

QUALITY CONTROL: The contractor shall perform quality checks on at least 1% of the mailings for each State. 

The quality checks shall verify that: 

 The proper survey form or letter was printed. This quality check is to verify that the survey form or letter is 

correct for the State; the name and physical address is in the proper location; the correct industry description 

is printed in its entirety; and the front and back of the form are printed clearly using the required font 

size, character/number bold, indentations, margins, and correct variable and non-variable text. 

 The correct number of worksites and worksite data are printed in full. The office use boxes contain all 

applicable data for each worksite. The totals box is printed on the correct page, based on the number of 

worksites. 

 The appropriate cover letter has been included. 

 The appropriate State information and “Mandatory Statement” (if applicable) have been printed. 

 The correct return envelope (Item 10 or 11) has been enclosed with the agency’s name and contractor’s 

address as the mailing address. 

 Only the mailing address is showing through the outgoing window of the mail-out envelope and only the 

return address is showing through the return window. 

 The contents of the packages are complete and include the correct letter, form, cover letter, additional 

page(s), and the return envelope, as applicable. 

 The barcodes on the letters and survey forms scan and correspond to the sample member’s State Code and 

Unemployment Insurance Account Number. 

 The appropriate BLS postal permit numbers are used on the mailing and return envelopes. 

 The proper Web ID and password are printed on all forms. 

 The employment and wages be scanned and those data be associated with the corresponding Unemployment 

Insurance Account Number and Reporting Unit Number from the form. 

 The scanned image quality be such that the States are able to use the images to make applicable updates to 

addresses, contacts, etc., from the scanned images. 

The contractor shall notify BLS-Washington via email no later than two (2) workdays after the quality check has 

been completed. The date and result of the quality check must be emailed to MWR_Print@bls.gov and 

CARS202@bls.gov. 
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QUALITY ASSURANCE RANDOM COPIES: The contractor may be required to submit quality assurance 

random copies to test for compliance against the specifications. The print order will indicate the number required, 

if any. When ordered, the contractor must divide the entire order into equal sublots and select a copy from a different 

general area of each sublot. The contractor will be required to certify that the copies were selected as directed using 

GPO Form 917 – Certificate of Selection of Random Copies which can be located on GPO.gov. Copies will be paid 

for at the running rate offered in the contractor’s bid, and their cost will not be a consideration for award. A copy 

of the print order must be included with the samples. 

Business Reply Mail labels will be furnished for mailing the quality assurance random copies. The copies are to be 

mailed at the same time as the first scheduled shipment. A U.S. Postal Service approved Certificate of Mailing, 

identified by GPO program, jacket, and print order numbers must be furnished with billing as evidence of mailing. 

DISTRIBUTION: 

Mail f.o.b. contractor’s city ALL packages. 

All outgoing mail shall be at the lowest bulk discounted First Class rate. 

All return mail shall be at the lowest First-Class U.S. Postal Service Business Reply Mail rate. 

All outgoing and return mail will be mailed via mailing permits. The contractor will be responsible for obtaining 

the First-Class mailing permits, as required, for the outgoing and return mail. The contractor must provide the 

mailing permit numbers to the agency within 30 calendar days after notification of contract award. The agency 

will link the contractor’s mailing permits to the agency’s Centralized Account Processing System (CAPS) 

program. 

The Government will be responsible for all USPS mailing costs. The contractor will be responsible for the costs 

incurred to obtain a mailing permit for the outgoing and return mail and an account set-up fee. Contractor is 

responsible for all costs, incurred in transporting mail to the post office.

NOTE: The contractor must obtain mailing permits that will be used only for the purpose of mailing material 

produced under this contract. 

The contractor will be required to run all mailing addresses through the Full-Service USPS’ National Change 

of Address (NCOA) 48 months result, file, and update the address file as required. All address changes, ZIP+4 

additions, and standardized addresses will be compiled in a separate file and returned to the BLS-Washington 

via the SFTP site. The format and frequency of these files will be addressed at the postaward conference. All 

related costs to perform this operation must be included in submitted bid pricing. No additional reimbursement 

will be authorized. 

All mail shall be presorted (e.g., mail streaming) to “carrier route order” when possible. If the carrier route order 

is not available for the zip code, then the contractor is to use the next presort level (e.g., 5-digit, 4-digit, etc.). 

All copies mailed must conform to the appropriate regulations in the U.S. Postal Service manuals for “Domestic 

Mail” or “International Mail” as applicable. 

Orders which result in mailings of less than 200 pieces or less than 50 pounds will require the contractor to 

apply the appropriate postage to each mailing. The contractor will be reimbursed for postage by submitting a 

properly completed Postal Service form (or equivalent) with the invoice for billing. 

Certificate of Conformance: When using Permit Imprint Mail, the contractor must complete GPO Form 712 - 

Certificate of Conformance (Rev. 10/15), and the appropriate mailing statement or statements supplied by 

USPS. A fillable GPO Form 712 Certificate of Conformance can be found at https://www.gpo.gov/how-towork-with-us/vendors/forms-and-standards. 
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The contractor shall provide BLS with complete copies of all documents, used by USPS to verify and accept 

the mail including GPO’s Form 712 (Certificate of Conformance). 

Within 24 hours of completion of each mailing, the contractor shall email MWR_Print@bls.gov the number of 

packages mailed, the State receiving the packages, and the date the packages were mailed. 

Upon completion of each mailing, the contractor must email a completed USPS Form 3600R, “Postage 

Statement – First Class Permit Imprint” to MRW_Print@bls.gov and CARS202@bls.gov. 

Ship f.o.b. contractor’s city the responses to the appropriate State office. 

Shipments are to be made by reimbursable small package carrier. 

All shipments must be made by traceable means. A signed receipt is required. The contractor will be reimbursed 

for all shipping costs by submitting the shipping receipts with the invoice for billing. 

Upon completion of each order, the contractor must notify the ordering agency (on the same day the order 

mails/ships) via email to the address indicated on the print order. The subject line of the email shall be "Distribution 

Notice for Program 888-S, Print Order XXXXX, Jacket Number XXX-XXX." The notice must provide all 

applicable tracking numbers, mailing/shipping method, and title of the product. Contractor must be able to provide 

copies of all mailing/shipping receipts upon agency request. 

All expenses incidental to picking up and returning of furnished materials (if applicable), maintaining SFTP site, 

submitting proofs, and furnishing sample copies must be borne by the contractor. 

PROCESSING RESPONSES: The MWR forms will be returned to the contractor in the return envelopes (Items 

10 and 11). The contractor will open the envelopes and process the MWR forms. The MWR forms will be scanned 

using ICR software, and the employment and wages (numeric only) will be collected, to be transmitted on the Form 

Collected Data File Format (Exhibit K). Respondents also have the ability to provide address and/or other updates 

to the form. Those scans with any information written on them other than employment and wages need to be 

reviewed by the States. 

ICR technology should contain a built-in rating system to ensure data quality for scanned responses. If the software 

is unsure of the scanned numeric value, that value should be reviewed manually to ratify the correct value. 

The scanned forms will fall into one of three categories: 

Scanned Category 1: Forms with NO markings outside the Employment and Wages boxes. 

Scanned Category 2: Forms with any writing and/or markings outside Employment and Wages boxes. 

Scanned Category 3: Forms that cannot be read/scanned. 

NOTE: BLS anticipates an approximate 35% response rate, with 25% of the responses for Categories 1 and 2 and 

10% of the responses for Category 3. 

All of the data files from Scanned Categories 1 and 2 will be sent to BLS-Washington in the Form Collected Data 

File Format (Exhibit K) via SFTP transmittal. The scanned images from Scanned Categories 1 and 2 should be 

separated by Scanned Category, indexed by UI number, and sent to BLS-Washington via SFTP transmittal. The 

scanned images should not include the text-only instructions page. 

Those forms that are in Scanned Category 3 and could not be read by the scanner should be mailed back to the 

States on a weekly basis. 
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The contractor will notify BLS-Washington (via email to MWR_Print@bls.gov) when the Collected Data Files and 

Scanned Form Images have been placed on the SFTP site. BLS-Washington will retrieve the Collected Data Files 

and Scanned Form Images from the SFTP site and send them to the States for processing. 

In the same email, the contractor will also notify BLS-Washington of the quantities of responses scanned and the 

quantities of un-scannable responses for each State. 

The quality of the scanned images and ICR scanned employment and wages will be reviewed by BLS. If the quality 

of the scanned images and/or employment and wages are of a low quality that they cannot be processed by BLS, 

the contractor will ship the original paper forms directly back to the States for their review. 

WHITE MAIL: As described above, it is possible that some respondents will include non-BLS 3020 (MWR form) 

items in with their return envelopes. White mail includes, but is not limited to: checks, BLS 3020 forms from prior 

quarters, and non-BLS 3020 forms from other agencies. This white mail should be separated from the forms, 

scanned, and provided electronically to BLS on a weekly basis. (The forms that came with the white mail must be 

appropriately processed as specified above.) If the respondent returns the Cover Letter (Item 7), it can be discarded 

and should not be considered as white mail. 

Additional Worksite Sheets – Respondents may attach a spreadsheet or other listing of their worksites in lieu of 

filling out the BLS 3020 form. Respondents will be directed to mail such listing back to their State, but if the 

respondent ignores this direction and returns a blank BLS 3020 form along with a listing to the contractor, both the 

form (which will most likely be blank) and the paper listing should remain together and be returned to the State 

with the rest of the white mail. 

DESTRUCTION OF RESPONSE FORMS: The contractor shall destroy all response forms in Categories 1 and 

2 using a cross-cut shredder ensuring that the informational content is destroyed beyond legibility as stated under 

“DISPOSAL OF WASTE MATERIAL.” 

Material awaiting destruction shall be kept in a secure area or locked bin and shall be kept for the currently 

processing quarter. At end of the quarter, the forms should be destroyed. 

The contractor must furnish BLS a signed and dated “Certification of Destruction” stating what was destroyed (i.e., 

quantity and description). 

NOTE: If a response form with no changes includes additional attachments, this response form is NOT to be 

destroyed. This response form is to be returned to the appropriate State office as specified under “PROCESSING 

RESPONSES”/“WHITE MAIL.” 

FOLLOW-UP MAILINGS: The contractor will be required to follow the same requirements as the initial mailing 

for the follow-up mailings including the processing of the responses. 

For the follow-up mailings, BLS-Washington will provide the updated “Print File” for each state at the SFTP site. 

SCHEDULE: Adherence to this schedule must be maintained. Contractor must not start production of any job prior 

to receipt of the individual print order (GPO Form 2511). The postaward conference will be held within five (5) 

workdays of notification of award. 

Preproduction meeting will be within five (5) workdays of the postaward conference. 

NOTE: For each option year exercised, the amount of time in the schedule will remain the same. 

PDF soft proofs must be emailed to the ordering agency at the email address specified on the print order. 
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The Government will furnish the templates (for each item) and exhibits immediately after award. Government will 

also furnish all file formats immediately after the award. 

No definite schedule for placement of orders can be predetermined. 

The following schedules begin the workday after receipt of the print order and furnished material; the workday after 

receipt will be the first workday of the schedule. 

Schedule for ARS and Special Survey Mailings – 

 Contractor must complete production and distribution within 10 workdays receipt of the print order and 

furnished material. 

 No specific date is set for submission of proofs. Proofs must be submitted as soon as possible to allow for 

revised proofs if contractor’s errors are judged serious enough to require them. 

 Proofs will be withheld no more than two (2) workdays from their receipt at the ordering agency until 

changes/corrections/“o.k. to print” are furnished via email. The first workday after receipt of proofs at the 

ordering agency is day one (1) of the hold time. 

 All proofs and transit time are included in the 10-workdays schedule 

Schedule for MWR Mailings – 

 Contractor must complete production and distribution within five (5) workdays of receipt of the print order 

and furnished material. 

 No specific date is set for submission of proofs. Proofs must be submitted as soon as possible to allow for 

revised proofs if contractor’s errors are judged serious enough to require them. 

 Proofs will be withheld no more than two (2) workdays from their receipt at the ordering agency until 

changes/corrections/“o.k. to print” are furnished via email. The first workday after receipt of proofs at the 

ordering agency is day one (1) of the hold time. 

 All proofs and transit time are included in the 5-workday schedule. 

Schedule for Processing Returned Forms/Scanned Images – 

 The contractor will process (open, sort, and scan) forms and white mail within five (5) workdays of receipt 

of the forms via return mail. 

 The contractor will send the data files and scanned image files to the Government weekly (or according to 

a schedule determined at the postaward meeting). 

The ship/deliver date indicated on the print order is the date products ordered for shipping f.o.b. destination must 

be delivered to the destinations specified and the date products ordered for mailing/shipping f.o.b. contractor’s city 

must be delivered to the U.S. Postal Service and/or picked up by small package carrier. 

Unscheduled material such as shipping documents, receipts or instructions, delivery lists, labels, etc., will be 

furnished with each order or shortly thereafter. In the event such information is not received in due time, the 

contractor will not be relieved of any responsibility in meeting the shipping schedule because of failure to request 

such information. 
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For compliance reporting purposes, the contractor is to notify the U.S. Government Publishing Offices of the date 

of shipment or delivery. Upon completion of each order, contractor must contact the Shared Support Services 

Compliance Section via email at compliance@gpo.gov. Personnel receiving email, will be unable to respond to 

questions of a technical nature or to transfer any inquires. 
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SECTION 3. - DETERMINATION OF AWARD 

The Government will determine the lowest bid by applying the prices offered in the "SCHEDULE OF PRICES" to 

the following units of production which are the estimated requirements to produce one (1) year's production under 

this contract. These units do not constitute, nor are they to be construed as, a guarantee of the volume of work which 

may be ordered for a like period of time. 

The following item designations correspond to those listed in the “SCHEDULE OF PRICES.” 

I. 10 

 (1) (2) 

II. (a) 3 957 

 (b) 1 18 

 (c) 5 892 

 (d) 1 100 

 (e) 9 332 

 (f) 9 328 

 (g) 9 332 

 (h) 12 2,292 

 (i) 9 7 

 (j) 9 325 

 (k) 8 7 

III. (a) 15 

 (b) 1 

IV. 143 
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THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK. 
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Packages Page 25 of 28 

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SECTION 4. - SCHEDULE OF PRICES 

Bids offered are f.o.b. contractor’s city. 

Prices must include the cost of all required materials and operations for each item listed in accordance with these 

specifications. 

Bidder must make an entry in each of the spaces provided. Bids submitted with any obliteration, revision, or 

alteration of the order and manner of submitting bids, may be declared non-responsive. 

An entry of NC (No Charge) shall be entered if bidder intends to furnish individual items at no charge to the 

Government. Bids submitted with NB (No Bid), NA (Not Applicable), or blank spaces for an item may be declared 

non-responsive. 

The Contracting Officer reserves the right to reject any offer that contains prices for individual items of production 

(whether or not such items are included in the “DETERMINATION OF AWARD”) that are inconsistent or 

unrealistic in regard to other prices in the same offer or to GPO prices for the same operation if such action would 

be in the best interest of the Government. 

All invoices submitted to the GPO shall be based on the most economical method of production. 

Fractional parts of 1,000 will be prorated at the per-1,000 rate. 

Contractor’s billing invoice must be itemized in accordance with the line items in the “SCHEDULE OF PRICES.” 

I. PREPRESS: Electronic prepress operations that cannot be properly classified under any other item shall be 

charged as “System Timework.” Any charge made under “System Timework” must be supported by a statement 

outlining in detail the operation for which payment is claimed. In case of dispute, the contracting officer reserves 

the right to be the final judge as to the operations and/or number of hours chargeable under Item I. 

 System timework ................................................................................. ...... per hour............... $___________ 

II. PRINTING/VARIABLE IMAGING, BINDING, CONSTRUCTION, ASSEMBLY, PACKING, AND 

DISTRIBUTION OF PACKAGES: Prices offered must be all inclusive, as applicable and must include the 

cost of all required materials and operations necessary (including PDF soft proofs and paper) for the 

printing/variable imaging, binding, construction, assembly, packing; all necessary wrapping and packing 

materials; labeling and marking; NCOA; and distribution in accordance with these specifications. 

Makeready Running Per 

and/or Setup 1,000 copies 

(1) (2) 

(a) Item 1: Letter – Version A (NVS/NCA) 

 Printing and imaging in two colors, 

 face only, including binding ............................................ per letter ...... $___________ $___________ 

(b) Item 2: Letter – Version B (NVM): 

Printing and imaging in two colors, 

 face and back, including binding ..................................... per letter ...... $___________ $___________ 

__________ 

 (Initials) 
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Makeready Running Per 

and/or Setup 1,000 copies 

(1) (2) 

(c) Item 3: Letter – Version C (MWR): 

Printing and imaging in two colors, 

 face only, including binding ............................................ per letter ...... $___________ $___________ 

(d) Item 4: Letter – Version D (Special Survey): 

Printing and imaging in two colors, 

 face only, including binding ............................................ per letter ...... $___________ $___________ 

(e) Item 5: Survey Form: 

Printing and imaging in two colors, 

face and back, including binding ...................................... per form ...... $___________ $___________ 

(f) Item 6: Form Additional Pages: 

Printing in two colors and imaging in black, 

face and back, including binding ...................................... per page ...... $___________ $___________ 

(g) Item 7: Cover Letter: 

Printing and imaging in two colors, 

face only, including binding ............................................ per letter ...... $___________ $___________ 

(h) Item 8: No. 10 Mail-out Envelope 

with Double Windows: 

Printing in black, face only, including cost 

of envelope ................................................................ per envelope ...... $___________ $___________ 

(i) Item 9: 9 x 12” Mail-out Envelope 

with Double Windows: 

Printing in black, face only, including cost 

of envelope ................................................................ per envelope ...... $___________ $___________ 

(j) Item 10: No. 9 Return Envelope: 

Printing in black, face only, including cost 

of envelope ................................................................ per envelope ...... $___________ $___________ 

(k) Item 11: 9 x 12” Return Envelope: 

Printing in black, face only, including cost 

of envelope ................................................................ per envelope ...... $___________ $___________ 

III. PROCESSING RESPONSE FORMS: Must include the cost of scanning barcodes and creating response files. 

(a) Categories 1 and 2 (including destruction costs) ................................... per 1,000 forms ...... $___________ 

 (b) Category 3 ............................................................................................. per 1,000 forms ...... $___________ 

__________ 

 (Initials) 
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IV. PACKING AND DISTRIBUTION OF BATCHED RESPONSES: Prices offered must include the cost of 

all required materials and operations necessary for the packing of the batched responses including cost of all 

shipping bags or shipping containers, packing materials, and delivery of all shipping bags/containers to the 

small package carrier in accordance with these specifications. 

 Packing and sealing shipping bags/containers ............................ per shipping bag/container ...... $___________ 

LOCATION OF POST OFFICE: All mailing will be made from the __________________________________ 

Post Office located at Street Address _____________________________________________________________, 

City_____________________________, State___________________________, Zip Code __________________ 

__________ 

 (Initials)
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888-S (06/22) 

SHIPMENTS: Shipments will be made from: City ________________________ State ____________________. 

The city(ies) indicated above will be used for evaluation of transportation charges when shipment f.o.b. contractor’s 

city is specified. If no shipping point is indicated above, it will be deemed that the bidder has selected the city and 

state shown below in the address block, and the bid will be evaluated and the contract awarded on that basis. If 

shipment is not made from evaluation point, the contractor will be responsible for any additional shipping costs 

incurred. 

DISCOUNTS: Discounts are offered for payment as follows: ___________ Percent ___________ Calendar Days. 

See Article 12 “Discounts” of Solicitations Provisions in GPO Contract Terms (Publication 310.2). 

AMENDMENT(S): Bidder hereby acknowledges amendment(s) number(ed) ____________________________. 

BID ACCEPTANCE PERIOD: In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this bid is accepted 

within ____________ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the bidder) from the 

date for receipt of bids, to furnish the specified items at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated 

point(s), in exact accordance with specifications. Failure to provide a 60-day bid acceptance period may result in 

the expiration of the bid before award. 

BIDDER’S NAME AND SIGNATURE: Unless a specific written exception is taken, the bidder, by signing and 

submitting a bid, agrees with and accepts responsibility for all certifications and representations as required by the 

solicitation and GPO Contract Terms - Publication 310.2. When responding by email, fill out and return one copy 

of all pages in "SECTION 4. – SCHEDULE OF PRICES," including initialing/signing where indicated. Valid 

electronic signatures will be accepted per the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, §2. Electronic signatures must 

be verifiable of the person authorized by the company to sign bids. Failure to sign the signature block below may 

result in the Bid being declared non-responsive. 

Bidder _____________________________________________________________________________________ 

 (Contractor’s Name) (GPO Contractor’s Code) 

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 (Street Address) 

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 (City – State – Zip Code) 

By ________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 (Printed Name, Signature, and Title of Person Authorized to Sign this Bid) (Date) 

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 (Person to be Contacted) (Telephone Number) 

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 (Email) (Fax Number) 

THIS SECTION FOR GPO USE ONLY 

Certified by: __________ Date: __________ Contracting Officer: __________ Date: __________

 (Initials) (Initials) 
Page 1 of 7

ATTACHMENT 1 

BLS Confidentiality and Security Requirements 

Last Updated: March 2021 

1. Work under this contract will involve exposure to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 

confidential information that were collected by the BLS under a pledge of confidentiality for 

exclusively statistical purposes or other confidential information as defined in Section 2 

below. The majority of data collected by BLS are provided on a voluntary basis by 

respondents who have agreed to provide the information for the statistical purpose(s) 

specified by the BLS. A violation of the confidence that respondents place in the BLS 

would endanger the ability of the BLS to carry out its duties. Therefore, the Contractor and 

its employees must handle any such data, that they may come into contact with as a result of 

contract work, in accordance with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical 

Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) (44 USC Section 3561 et seq.) and other applicable Federal laws. 

Due to the possible exposure to data protected by law under CIPSEA, the BLS may, in 

accordance with this contract, designate Contractor employees as agents of the BLS. All 

such agents are subject to the fines and penalties under CIPSEA and any other fines and 

penalties that apply to the mishandling of confidential information. The “Confidential 

Information Protection” provisions of CIPSEA appear as Attachment A of these 

requirements. 

2. For the purposes of this contract, "confidential information" may include any of the 

following: 

a. Statutorily Protected Information. Data or information collected by the BLS, including 

its agents, under a pledge of confidentiality and/or data protected from public disclosure 

under CIPSEA, the Wagner-Peyser Act, the Trade Secrets Act, or other Federal laws. 

b. Respondent Identifiable Information. Any representation of information that permits 

the identity of participants in BLS statistical programs to be reasonably inferred by 

either direct or indirect means. BLS-specific examples include but are not limited to 

survey sample composition, lists of reporters, names of respondents, and brand names, 

regardless of the source of such lists or names. Respondent Identifiable Information 

may also be Statutorily Protected Information. 

c. Personally Identifiable Information. Any representation of information about an 

individual, maintained by the BLS, that permits the identity of the individual to whom 

the information applies to be reasonably inferred by either direct or indirect means. 

BLS-specific examples include but are not limited to, education, financial transactions, 

and medical, criminal, or employment history, and information which can be used to 

distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as their name, social security number, 

date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, biometric records, etc., including any 

other personal information which is linked or linkable to an individual. Personally 

Identifiable Information may also be Respondent Identifiable Information and 

Statutorily Protected Information. 

d. Principal Federal Economic Indicator (PFEI) Pre-release Information. Statistics and 

analyses produced by the BLS that have not yet been released to the public and have 

been designated by the Office of Management and Budget as Principal Federal 

Economic Indicators. Currently, the following BLS data series have been designated as 

PFEIs: the Consumer Price Index, Employment Situation, Employment Cost Index, 

Producer Price Indexes, Productivity and Costs, Real Earnings, and U.S. Import and 

Export Price Indexes. 
Page 2 of 7

ATTACHMENT 1 

e. Non-PFEI Pre-release Information. Statistics and analyses, not designated as PFEIs, 

that have not yet been released to the public, whether or not there is a set date and time 

of release before which they must not be divulged. 

f. Restricted Access Information. Information describing the internal practices of the BLS 

that should be limited in access to individuals with a need-to-know. BLS-specific 

examples include but are not limited to system security documentation and vulnerability 

assessments, procurement-sensitive information, systems-specific operating procedures, 

and internal reports. 

3. In performing work under this contract, the Contractor agrees that access to the confidential 

information will be restricted to authorized persons. For the purposes of this contract, 

"authorized persons" is defined as: BLS employees and non-BLS employees designated as 

agents of the BLS who are authorized access to the confidential information for the 

statistical purposes set out under this contract and who have signed a BLS Agent Agreement 

(Attachment B) swearing to comply with CIPSEA and other applicable Federal laws in the 

handling of BLS confidential information. 

The parties understand and agree to the following: 

a. Authorized persons granted access to confidential information will not make use of the 

information for any purpose other than to carry out tasks specifically authorized under 

the contract. 

b. Authorized persons will not seek to obtain access to confidential information that is not 

needed to carry out contract work. 

c. The Contractor will promptly furnish to the BLS a list of Contractor employees who the 

Contractor believes require access to BLS confidential information in order to perform 

work on the contract. The BLS will consider such persons for designation as agents of 

the BLS. If the BLS deems it necessary to decline to approve any such employee as an 

agent, the Contractor may furnish the name of another Contractor employee to the BLS 

for consideration. 

d. The BLS will furnish to the Contractor BLS Agent Agreements for all approved agents. 

The Contractor will forward all signed BLS Agent Agreements to the Contracting 

Officer Representative (COR) prior to such agents receiving access to the confidential 

information. 

e. The Contractor will keep records on current Agent designations and will report such 

information promptly to the COR upon request. 

f. The Contractor will assure that all agents will comply with their obligations under the 

BLS Agent Agreement and under the contract. 

4. Agents shall not be regarded as employees of the United States Government, the Department 

of Labor, or the BLS for any purpose. The parties further understand and agree to the 

following: 

a. The Contractor shall notify the BLS COR promptly whenever an agent is no longer 

associated with the Contractor or when an agent no longer requires access to 
Page 3 of 7

ATTACHMENT 1 

confidential information. The Contractor shall notify the BLS immediately whenever 

an agent’s access to confidential data may endanger the confidentiality of data. 

b. BLS may, without advance notice, discontinue or suspend any BLS Agent Agreement 

or any agent’s access to its information at any time, within its own absolute discretion. 

c. In the event of such suspension or discontinuance, the employing Contractor will 

propose a Contractor employee deemed suitable by the BLS as a replacement agent, 

where such employee’s services are needed to carry out the Contractor’s responsibilities 

under this contract. 

d. No BLS Agent Agreement nor any discontinuance nor suspension thereof, nor any 

denial of access to information, will result in any payment of any kind nor any legal 

liability by the BLS, the Department of Labor, or the United States Government. 

e. Discontinuance of any BLS Agent Agreement will not affect any obligation of the 

Contractor or the designated agent to safeguard confidential data or any intellectual 

property rights set forth in this contract or in any BLS Agent Agreement. 

5. The Contractor agrees, in the performance of this contract, to screen employees and to use 

only those employees who have a demonstrated record of honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, 

and reliability as ascertained by the Contractor. All Contractor personnel selected to work 

under this contract may be subject to any Federal background investigation(s) deemed 

appropriate by BLS, including pre-employment checks. 

6. All agents will perform activities subject to this contract under the control of the COR, a 

BLS Task Monitor, or any other BLS official that the BLS designates (in some contracts the 

COR responsibilities noted in these requirements will be handled by a BLS Task Monitor). 

7. All agents must agree, in writing, to comply with all provisions of law that affect 

information acquired by the BLS including, among other laws, the Trade Secrets Act, the 

Wagner-Peyser Act, and the Privacy Act. They must specifically swear (or affirm) to 

comply with the provisions of CIPSEA, as set forth in the BLS Agent Agreement attached 

as Attachment B. Agents who improperly disclose confidential information may be subject 

to criminal sanctions. 

8. The Contractor agrees to cooperate with BLS in administering BLS-supplied confidentiality 

and security trainings to all agents designated under this contract. The Contractor agrees to 

ensure that all agents complete such training within thirty days of being assigned to BLS 

work and on an annual basis thereafter. The Contractor agrees to follow BLS instruction 

with regard to reporting on training completion and to provide reasonable evidence of 

training completion to the BLS upon request. The BLS may consider, but is not obligated to 

accept, alternate approaches to training delivery and reporting that the contractor may 

propose to meet this requirement. 

9. The Contractor agrees not to divulge, publish, reproduce, or otherwise disclose, in any 

manner or to any extent, confidential information, in whole or in part, to any individual 

other than authorized persons. 

10. The Contractor and all of its employees shall not release any reports or other outputs 

(including those oral or written and regardless of format) prepared using confidential 

information, unless cleared in advance by the COR or other official designated by the BLS. 

Such clearance will be to assure that no such outputs involve the inappropriate release of 
Page 4 of 7

ATTACHMENT 1 

confidential information. All parties, including Contractors and its employees, will be 

bound by the determinations of such BLS official. 

11. The Contractor agrees to notify the COR immediately upon discovering any breach or 

suspected breach of security, or any disclosure of the confidential information. A breach is 

any opportunity for, or actual instance of, an unauthorized individual accessing confidential 

information. Examples of breaches may include mailing respondent surveys to an incorrect 

address, the loss or theft of a computing device, email or fax transmittals of confidential 

information sent to an unintended recipient, or any unauthorized advance release. 

12. The Contractor agrees to notify the COR immediately upon receipt of any legal, 

investigatory, or other demand for access to the confidential information in any form. 

13. The Contractor agrees not to subcontract or transfer any work in the performance of the 

contract that would involve the exposure or disclosure of any BLS confidential information 

orally, in writing, or in any other form, in whole or in part, to the subcontractor or access to 

such information by the subcontractor except with the prior written approval of the COR. 

The Contractor agrees to include BLS confidentiality and security provisions as provided by 

the COR in all subcontracts awarded to carry out work provided for in this contract. The 

Contractor agrees to consult with the COR regarding whether subcontractor employees are 

required to be designated as agents. The Contractor agrees to send to the COR, a copy of 

any approved subcontract upon execution. 

14. The Contractor agrees not to attempt to link BLS confidential information with individually 

identifiable records from any BLS or non-BLS data set without the written approval of the 

COR. The Contractor must show to the satisfaction of the BLS that they are able to legally 

extend to the BLS permission to access all such non-BLS data. Permission must be 

extended to BLS employees and agents to access the non-BLS data. All new data sets 

created from linking BLS confidential information with other data are protected by CIPSEA 

and must be handled in accordance with the provisions in this contract. 

15. In the case that the contract involves the collection of data from respondents, the contractor 

agrees to notify the COR immediately should any respondent require an agreement be 

signed prior to providing data to the BLS. 

16. If any contract employees must be issued BLS Local Area Network (LAN) IDs, then each 

such employee must agree to abide by BLS network “Rules of Behavior” prior to receiving 

an ID. 

17. Contractor personnel shall be required to sign any individual agreements governing access 

to information that are required by other Federal agencies as a result of the disclosure of data 

to Contractor personnel pursuant to this contract. 

18. Contractor personnel who have access to pre-release information are prohibited from 

releasing the data to anyone other than authorized employees of the BLS and authorized 

agents who require access to such data for the purposes of carrying out their responsibilities 

under this contract. They shall not gain financially from knowledge of the data. It would be 

a violation of this contract for Contractor personnel to do the either of the following: 

a. Use knowledge of pre-release information to buy or sell stocks, mutual funds, bonds, or 

futures, or to make or divest themselves of other similar investments. 

b. Disclose pre-release information to other persons, or advise or make recommendations 

to other persons based on knowledge of such data. 
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ATTACHMENT 1 

19. Privacy Act notification: If applicable, the Contractor will be required to design, develop, or 

operate system(s) of records on individuals, to accomplish an Agency function subject to the 

Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-579 (5 U.S.C., Section 552a) as amended (the Act), and 

applicable agency regulations. Violation of the Act may involve the imposition of criminal 

penalties (FAR 52.224-1). The title(s) of the system(s) of records shall be listed on the 

respective task orders, as appropriate. 

20. The Contractor agrees to: 

a. Comply with the Act and the Agency rules and regulations issued pursuant to the Act in 

the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to 

accomplish an agency function when the contract specifically identifies: 

(1) the system(s) of records; and 

(2) the design, development, or operation work that the Contractor is to perform. 

b. Include the Privacy Act provisions contained in this contract in every solicitation and 

every subcontract, when the work statement in the proposed subcontract requires the 

design, development, or operation of a system of records on individuals that is subject 

to the Act. 

c. Include, in all data solicitations requesting information to be placed in a Privacy Act 

System of Records, a Privacy Act notification statement provided by the BLS. 

21. The Federal Information Security Modernization Act tasked the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST) with providing minimum security requirements for the 

protection of sensitive information while residing in nonfederal information systems. The 

Contractor agrees to ensure that all Contractor-owned systems used to store or process data 

under this agreement comply with all applicable Federal information security directives, 

acts, laws, regulations, standards, and guidelines. The Contractor shall ensure 

implementation of the respective security controls catalogued in the current version of NIST 

Special Publication 800-171, “Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal 

Systems and Organizations,” and the operating system settings recommended by the 

manufacturers of the commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products selected for integration, into 

any systems used to store or process BLS data. Per NIST 800-171, the BLS reserves the 

right to request the System Security Plan (SSP) and any associated plans of action for any 

planned implementations or mitigations. In instances where the Contractor finds that a 

security control does not apply or cannot be met, the Contractor should notify the COR and 

may request an exception. Any exceptions must be approved in writing by the BLS. 

22. The Contractor agrees to comply with Federal policies regarding the secure transmission of 

confidential information including both electronic and physical data transfers. The 

Contractor shall consult with the COR to determine which data transfer methods are 

acceptable for the various types of confidential information that are involved in contract 

performance. Per NIST 800-171, confidential electronic data transfers authorized by the 

COR must utilize encryption technology that meets the standards established by the Federal 

Information Processing Standards Publication 140, “Security Requirements for 

Cryptographic Modules” (FIPS PUBS 140) and any subsequent revisions to these standards. 

Encrypted portable media may be delivered by a courier, a BLS employee, or an authorized 

individual of the recipient, or may be sent via a mail delivery service with tracking 

capability. In person pick up of an appropriately labeled paper copy, by an authorized 

individual of the recipient, is also permitted. 
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ATTACHMENT 1 

23. The Contractor agrees to maintain secure worksites within the approved facilities for 

performance of work under this contract. The confidential information shall be secured in a 

manner so that it cannot be viewed by, and it is not accessible to, persons who have not been 

designated as agents of the BLS and who have not signed a BLS Agent Agreement. 

24. Work under this contract will be performed at BLS facilities or other approved worksites. 

The parties understand and agree to the following: 

a. No worksites outside of the United States will be permitted. 

b. The Contractor must provide the COR with a list of worksites for approval at the start of 

work provided for in this contract and subsequent task orders, and must notify the COR 

in writing of any proposed changes (additions or deletions) to the list of worksites. The 

COR shall indicate approval of the worksites in writing. All work provided for under 

this contract will be performed at those approved locations only. 

 

c. Contractor employee telework locations may be included in the list of worksites. 

Contractor employees may be permitted to telework on a full-time or temporary basis. 

All instances of contractor telework must be documented and approved by the COR 

before any telework begins. No personally owned equipment can be used by the 

Contractor. Additionally, the Contractor is expected to meet all of the security 

requirements for the telework site(s). The Contractor should be prepared to 

demonstrate how it is implementing the security controls catalogued in NIST 800-171 

for the telework site(s) and may be required to submit evidence of adherence through a 

System Security Plan (SSP) or other documentation. Any exceptions of a telework 

location to the NIST 800-171 requirements would need to be documented and approved 

in writing by the COR. 

 

d. The Contractor agrees not to remove any digital and/or non-digital media or equipment 

containing the confidential information from approved worksites. Exceptions to this 

provision shall be permitted only with prior, written approval of the COR in accordance 

with BLS confidentiality and security policies. 

25. In some cases, such as data collection activities, contract work may necessitate handling of 

confidential data away from secure worksites. Where the COR has approved such work 

arrangements in writing, the contractor agrees to maintain all confidential information in a 

secure fashion. The Contractor shall provide the contract employees with instructions on 

maintaining the security of all confidential information. Such instructions are subject to the 

review and approval of the BLS COR upon request. 

 

26. BLS reserves the right to review and approve or disapprove all the security safeguards 

instituted to comply with the requirements of this contract. BLS also reserves the right on 

behalf of itself and the Government to conduct confidentiality and security compliance 

reviews as deemed appropriate to ensure compliance with all security policies and 

directives, including unannounced security inspections of the Contractor's facilities and 

approved worksites. Reviews may involve inspection of the facilities, technical capabilities, 

documentation, records, databases, operations, and procedures provided for the performance 

of any work under this contract. The Contractor shall support security inspections 

conducted by Government auditors or other Government representatives, as designated by 

the COR. Additionally, the Contractor may be asked to submit necessary oversight 

documentation in support of third party monitoring. BLS data physically and/or 

electronically maintained at the Contractor’s worksites will be sufficiently segregated from 
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ATTACHMENT 1 

any other confidential data the Contractor maintains in order to facilitate BLS security 

inspections. No other obligations on the part of the Contractor may restrict BLS access to 

Contractor facilities where BLS confidential information is maintained. The Contractor may 

not put forth legal qualifications for, or in any way restrict, BLS access to these systems or 

facilities for the purpose of determining compliance with contract requirements. On the 

basis of such security inspections, the COR may require specific measures in cases where 

the Contractor is found to be non-compliant with contract requirements. The Contractor 

shall implement such measures as soon as possible without additional cost to the 

Government and support additional reviews as necessary to confirm actions taken to correct 

defects and deficiencies. 

27. Contractor acquisition of a Cloud Service Provider(s) (CSP) service offerings (CSO) to 

service BLS confidential information must be acquired through Federal Risk and 

Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliant vendors. Cloud providers 

servicing BLS confidential data must have FedRAMP approval and cloud services must 

utilize Government Only Tenants operated by employees who are U.S. Citizens on U.S. soil. 

Contractors must submit a CSP vendor’s FedRAMP package ID and service name for 

continuous monitoring security review at the request of the BLS. BLS confidential 

information must have defined access controls and be encrypted at rest and in transit to 

prevent unauthorized access. Only FIPS-validated cryptography is approved for use in 

encrypting Federal information. It is a contractor responsibility to ensure that any employee 

of a CSP who will require access to unencrypted BLS confidential information for any 

purpose be designated as a BLS agent and receive the required training. 

28. Upon termination or completion of the contract, or at an earlier time if required by the COR, 

all source documents or other media provided to the Contractor by BLS that contain 

confidential information and any documents or other media created by the Contractor that 

contain confidential information must be returned to the COR, or with the COR’s 

permission, be destroyed. The Contractor shall ensure that all data that have been deleted 

cannot be retrieved and reconstructed. All types of digital and/or non-digital media and 

equipment must be properly disposed, cleared, purged, or destroyed in accordance with 

Federal guidelines. The Contractor shall certify that unnecessary data processed during the 

performance of this contract was purged from all data storage components of the 

Contractor’s computer facilities. The Contractor will retain no output after such time as the 

contract is completed. If the COR directs the Contractor to retain any data, the Contractor 

shall certify that any BLS data remaining in any storage component will be safeguarded to 

prevent unauthorized disclosures in accordance with the terms of this contract. The 

Contractor's failure to surrender or destroy such materials promptly or the Contractor's 

conversion of such materials to a use not authorized by the contract may be a violation of 18 

U.S.C. Section 641. 

29. If the Contractor fails to comply with the requirements contained in this contract, the 

Contractor shall be deemed to have failed to perform the provision of this contract. 
Page 1 of 6

ATTACHMENT 2 

BLS Confidentiality & Security Requirements Attachment 2 

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION PROTECTION 

AND STATISTICAL EFFICIENCY ACT 

PART A—GENERAL

§ 3561. Definitions

In this subchapter: 

(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘agency’ means any entity that falls within the definition of 

the term ‘executive agency’, as defined in section 102 of title 31, or ‘agency’, as defined in 

section 3502. 

(2) AGENT.—The term ‘agent’ means an individual— 

(A) (i) who is an employee of a private organization or a researcher affiliated with 

an institution of higher learning (including a person granted special sworn status by the 

Bureau of the Census under section 23(c) of title 13), and with whom a contract or 

other agreement is executed, on a temporary basis, by an executive agency to perform 

exclusively statistical activities under the control and supervision of an officer or 

employee of that agency; 

(ii) who is working under the authority of a government entity with which a 

contract or other agreement is executed by an executive agency to perform exclusively 

statistical activities under the control of an officer or employee of that agency; 

(iii) who is a self-employed researcher, a consultant, a contractor, or an employee 

of a contractor, and with whom a contract or other agreement is executed by an 

executive agency to perform a statistical activity under the control of an officer or 

employee of that agency; or 

(iv) who is a contractor or an employee of a contractor, and who is engaged by the 

agency to design or maintain the systems for handling or storage of data received under 

this subchapter; and 

(B) who agrees in writing to comply with all provisions of law that affect 

information acquired by that agency. 

(3) BUSINESS DATA.—The term ‘business data’ means operating and financial data 

and information about businesses, tax-exempt organizations, and government entities. 

(4) DATA ASSET.—The term ‘data asset’ has the meaning given that term in section 

3502. 

(5) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ means the Director of the Office of 

Management and Budget. 

(6) EVIDENCE.—The term ‘evidence’ means information produced as a result of 

statistical activities conducted for a statistical purpose. 
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ATTACHMENT 2 

(7) IDENTIFIABLE FORM.—The term ‘identifiable form’ means any representation 

of information that permits the identity of the respondent to whom the information applies 

to be reasonably inferred by either direct or indirect means. 

(8) NONSTATISTICAL PURPOSE.—The term ‘nonstatistical purpose’— 

(A) means the use of data in identifiable form for any purpose that is not a 

statistical purpose, including any administrative, regulatory, law enforcement, 

adjudicatory, or other purpose that affects the rights, privileges, or benefits of a 

particular identifiable respondent; and 

(B) includes the disclosure under section 552 of title 5 of data that are acquired for 

exclusively statistical purposes under a pledge of confidentiality. 

(9) RESPONDENT.—The term ‘respondent’ means a person who, or organization 

that, is requested or required to supply information to an agency, is the subject of 

information requested or required to be supplied to an agency, or provides that information 

to an agency. 

(10) STATISTICAL ACTIVITIES.—The term ‘statistical activities’— 

(A) means the collection, compilation, processing, or analysis of data for the 

purpose of describing or making estimates concerning the whole, or relevant groups or 

components within, the economy, society, or the natural environment; and 

(B) includes the development of methods or resources that support those 

activities, such as measurement methods, models, statistical classifications, or 

sampling frames. 

(11) STATISTICAL AGENCY OR UNIT.—The term ‘statistical agency or unit’ 

means an agency or organizational unit of the executive branch whose activities are 

predominantly the collection, compilation, processing, or analysis of information for 

statistical purposes, as designated by the Director under section 3562. 

(12) STATISTICAL PURPOSE.—The term ‘statistical purpose’— 

(A) means the description, estimation, or analysis of the characteristics of groups, 

without identifying the individuals or organizations that comprise such groups; and 

(B) includes the development, implementation, or maintenance of methods, 

technical or administrative procedures, or information resources that support the 

purposes described in subparagraph (A). 

§ 3562. Coordination and oversight of policies

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall coordinate and oversee the confidentiality and 

disclosure policies established by this subchapter. The Director may promulgate rules or provide 

other guidance to ensure consistent interpretation of this subchapter by the affected agencies. The 

Director shall develop a process by which the Director designates agencies or organizational 

units as statistical agencies and units. The Director shall promulgate guidance to implement such 

process, which shall include specific criteria for such designation and methods by which the 

Director will ensure transparency in the process. 
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ATTACHMENT 2 

(b) AGENCY RULES.—Subject to subsection (c), agencies may promulgate rules to 

implement this subchapter. Rules governing disclosures of information that are authorized by 

this subchapter shall be promulgated by the agency that originally collected the information. 

(c) REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF RULES.—The Director shall review any rules proposed 

by an agency pursuant to this subchapter for consistency with the provisions of this chapter and 

such rules shall be subject to the approval of the Director. 

(d) REPORTS.— 

(1) The head of each agency shall provide to the Director such reports and other 

information as the Director requests. 

(2) Each Designated Statistical Agency (as defined in section 3576(e)) shall report 

annually to the Director, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House 

of Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 

the Senate on the actions it has taken to implement section 3576. The report shall include 

copies of each written agreement entered into pursuant to section 3576(c)(1) for the 

applicable year. 

(3) The Director shall include a summary of reports submitted to the Director under 

this subsection and actions taken by the Director to advance the purposes of this subchapter 

in the annual report to Congress on statistical programs prepared under section 3504(e)(2). 

§ 3563. Statistical agencies

(a) RESPONSIBILITIES.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Each statistical agency or unit shall— 

(A) produce and disseminate relevant and timely statistical information; 

(B) conduct credible and accurate statistical activities; 

(C) conduct objective statistical activities; and 

(D) protect the trust of information providers by ensuring the confidentiality and 

exclusive statistical use of their responses. 

(2) POLICIES, BEST PRACTICES, AND PROCEDURES.—Each statistical agency 

or unit shall adopt policies, best practices, and appropriate procedures to implement the 

responsibilities described in paragraph (1). 

(b) SUPPORT FROM OTHER AGENCIES.—The head of each agency shall enable, support, 

and facilitate statistical agencies or units in carrying out the responsibilities described in 

subsection (a)(1). 

(c) REGULATIONS.—The Director shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. 

(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) ACCURATE.—The term ‘accurate’, when used with respect to statistical 

activities, means statistics that consistently match the events and trends being measured. 
Page 4 of 6

ATTACHMENT 2 

(2) CONFIDENTIALITY.—The term ‘confidentiality’ means a quality or condition 

accorded to information as an obligation not to disclose that information to an unauthorized 

party. 

(3) OBJECTIVE.—The term ‘objective’, when used with respect to statistical 

activities, means accurate, clear, complete, and unbiased. 

(4) RELEVANT.—The term ‘relevant’, when used with respect to statistical 

information, means processes, activities, and other such matters likely to be useful to 

policymakers and public and private sector data users. 

§ 3564. Effect on other laws

(a) TITLE 44, UNITED STATES CODE.—This subchapter does not diminish the authority 

under section 3510 of the Director to direct, and of an agency to make, disclosures that are not 

inconsistent with any applicable law. 

(b) TITLE 13 AND TITLE 44, UNITED STATES CODE.—This subchapter does not 

diminish the authority of the Bureau of the Census to provide information in accordance with 

sections 8, 16, 301, and 401 of title 13 and section 2108 of this title. 

(c) TITLE 13, UNITED STATES CODE.—This subchapter shall not be construed as 

authorizing the disclosure for nonstatistical purposes of demographic data or information 

collected by the Bureau of the Census pursuant to section 9 of title 13. 

(d) VARIOUS ENERGY STATUTES.—Data or information acquired by the Energy 

Information Administration under a pledge of confidentiality and designated by the Energy 

Information Administration to be used for exclusively statistical purposes shall not be disclosed 

in identifiable form for nonstatistical purposes under— 

(1) section 12, 20, or 59 of the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 

771, 779, 790h); 

(2) section 11 of the Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act of 1974 (15 

U.S.C. 796); or 

(3) section 205 or 407 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7135, 

7177). 

(e) SECTION 201 OF CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT OF 1974.—This subchapter 

shall not be construed to limit any authorities of the Congressional Budget Office to work 

(consistent with laws governing the confidentiality of information the disclosure of which would 

be a violation of law) with databases of Designated Statistical Agencies (as defined in section 

3576(e)), either separately or, for data that may be shared pursuant to section 3576(c) or other 

authority, jointly in order to improve the general utility of these databases for the statistical 

purpose of analyzing pension and health care financing issues. 

(f) PREEMPTION OF STATE LAW.—Nothing in this subchapter shall preempt applicable 

State law regarding the confidentiality of data collected by the States. 

(g) STATUTES REGARDING FALSE STATEMENTS.—Notwithstanding section 3572, 

information collected by an agency for exclusively statistical purposes under a pledge of 

confidentiality may be provided by the collecting agency to a law enforcement agency for the 

prosecution of submissions to the collecting agency of false statistical information under statutes 
Page 5 of 6

ATTACHMENT 2 

that authorize criminal penalties (such as section 221 of title 13) or civil penalties for the 

provision of false statistical information, unless such disclosure or use would otherwise be 

prohibited under Federal law. 

(h) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as restricting or 

diminishing any confidentiality protections or penalties for unauthorized disclosure that 

otherwise apply to data or information collected for statistical purposes or nonstatistical 

purposes, including, but not limited to, section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. 

(i) AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS.—Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to affect 

the authority of the Congress, including its committees, members, or agents, to obtain data or 

information for a statistical purpose, including for oversight of an agency’s statistical activities. 

PART B—CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION PROTECTION

§ 3571. Findings

The Congress finds the following: 

(1) Individuals, businesses, and other organizations have varying degrees of legal 

protection when providing information to the agencies for strictly statistical purposes. 

(2) Pledges of confidentiality by agencies provide assurances to the public that 

information about individuals or organizations or provided by individuals or organizations 

for exclusively statistical purposes will be held in confidence and will not be used against 

such individuals or organizations in any agency action. 

(3) Protecting the confidentiality interests of individuals or organizations who provide 

information under a pledge of confidentiality for Federal statistical programs serves both the 

interests of the public and the needs of society. 

(4) Declining trust of the public in the protection of information provided under a 

pledge of confidentiality to the agencies adversely affects both the accuracy and 

completeness of statistical analyses. 

(5) Ensuring that information provided under a pledge of confidentiality for statistical 

purposes receives protection is essential in continuing public cooperation in statistical 

programs. 

§ 3572. Confidential information protection

(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are the following: 

(1) To ensure that information supplied by individuals or organizations to an agency 

for statistical purposes under a pledge of confidentiality is used exclusively for statistical 

purposes. 

(2) To ensure that individuals or organizations who supply information under a pledge 

of confidentiality to agencies for statistical purposes will neither have that information 

disclosed in identifiable form to anyone not authorized by this subchapter nor have that 

information used for any purpose other than a statistical purpose. 
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ATTACHMENT 2 

(3) To safeguard the confidentiality of individually identifiable information acquired 

under a pledge of confidentiality for statistical purposes by controlling access to, and uses 

made of, such information. 

(b) USE OF STATISTICAL DATA OR IN FORMATION.—Data or information acquired by 

an agency under a pledge of confidentiality and for exclusively statistical purposes shall be used 

by officers, employees, or agents of the agency exclusively for statistical purposes and protected 

in accordance with such pledge. 

(c) DISCLOSURE O F STATISTICAL DATA OR INFORMATION.— 

(1) Data or information acquired by an agency under a pledge of confidentiality for 

exclusively statistical purposes shall not be disclosed by an agency in identifiable form, for 

any use other than an exclusively statistical purpose, except with the informed consent of 

the respondent. 

(2) A disclosure pursuant to paragraph (1) is authorized only when the head of the 

agency approves such disclosure and the disclosure is not prohibited by any other law. 

(3) This section does not restrict or diminish any confidentiality protections in law that 

otherwise apply to data or information acquired by an agency under a pledge of 

confidentiality for exclusively statistical purposes. 

(d) RULE FOR USE OF DATA OR IN FORMATIO N FOR NONSTATISTICAL PURPOSES.—

A statistical agency or unit shall clearly distinguish any data or information it collects for 

nonstatistical purposes (as authorized by law) and provide notice to the public, before the data or 

information is collected, that the data or information could be used for nonstatistical purposes. 

(e) DESIGNATION OF AGENTS.—A statistical agency or unit may designate agents, by 

contract or by entering into a special agreement containing the provisions required under section 

3561(2) for treatment as an agent under that section, who may perform exclusively statistical 

activities, subject to the limitations and penalties described in this subchapter. 

(f) FINES AND PENALTIES.—Whoever, being an officer, employee, or agent of an agency 

acquiring information for exclusively statistical purposes, having taken and subscribed the oath 

of office, or having sworn to observe the limitations imposed by this section, comes into 

possession of such information by reason of his or her being an officer, employee, or agent and, 

knowing that the disclosure of the specific information is prohibited under the provisions of this 

subchapter, willfully discloses the information in any manner to a person or agency not entitled 

to receive it, shall be guilty of a class E felony and imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or fined 

not more than $250,000, or both. 
Page 1 of 2

ATTACHMENT 3 

BLS Confidentiality & Security Requirements Attachment 3 

BLS AGENT AGREEMENT 

1. I, [Name BLS Designating Official], an authorized official of the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

(BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, hereby designate [Name of Agent] as a temporary Agent of 

the BLS, within the meaning of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical 

Efficiency Act (CIPSEA), (Attachment A), to serve in accordance with this Agent Agreement 

and agreements entered into between the BLS and [Name of Contractor], hereinafter “the 

Contractor,” for BLS-approved statistical activities, and applicable Federal law. 

2. I, [Name of Agent], hereby accept the designation as Agent in paragraph 1. I certify that I 

have read all applicable agreements between the BLS and the Contractor and promise that I will 

comply with all provisions of this Agent Agreement, all agreements between the BLS and the 

Contractor, and applicable law. I will assure that my actions or inactions do not cause the 

Contractor to violate its responsibilities under those agreements. I specifically swear (or affirm) 

to comply with all provisions of law that affect information acquired by the BLS, including, but 

not limited to, CIPSEA, the Privacy Act, the Trade Secrets Act, and the Wagner-Peyser Act, and 

I understand that my failure to comply with these provisions may subject me to criminal 

sanctions. 

3. We, the parties, understand that the BLS is granting the Agent access to confidential 

information only for the purpose of carrying out the Agent's responsibilities under written 

agreements between the BLS and the Contractor. Confidential information includes respondent 

identifiable information which is protected from unauthorized use or disclosure under CIPSEA. 

Confidential information may also include pre-release, personally identifiable, and restricted 

access information. The BLS will grant access only to that confidential information which is 

necessary to carry out the Agent’s responsibilities under written agreements between the BLS 

and the Contractor. The Agent will not seek or obtain such confidential information for any 

other purpose. The Agent will return all confidential information to the BLS, at the request of 

the BLS. The Agent will return this information to the BLS when the Agent is no longer 

affiliated with the Contractor or when the Agent has no further responsibilities under these 

agreements which require access to such information. 

4. I, [Name of Agent], will perform all activities subject to this agreement under the control of 

the BLS Contracting Officer Representative or any other BLS official that the BLS designates. I, 

the Agent, agree to comply with all BLS information policies. 

 

5. We, the parties, understand and agree that the Agent will not be an employee of the United 

States government, the Department of Labor, or the BLS for any purpose and will not receive 

compensation or payment of any kind from the BLS, the Department of Labor, or the 

Government in connection with the Agent's activities under this agreement or any other 

agreements between the BLS and the Contractor. Neither this agreement nor any agreement 

between the BLS and the Contractor provides any right of access to BLS information. The 

parties also understand and agree that the BLS may decline to give the Agent access to 
Page 2 of 2

ATTACHMENT 3 

information and/or to terminate this agreement at any time, without notice. The parties agree 

that neither this agreement, nor any termination thereof will result in any legal liability by the 

BLS, the Department of Labor, or the Government; however, termination will not affect the 

Agent's continuing obligation to safeguard all confidential information, and it will not affect any 

license granted to the Government or any intellectual property rights of the public or the 

Government pursuant to section 6. 

6. I, [Name of Agent], understand that I will not acquire any property rights or interests in data 

accessed, used, or provided as a result of activities performed under this agreement. 

7. I, [Name of Agent], certify that I currently am an employee of the Contractor, and I will notify 

the BLS if I should no longer be affiliated with the Contractor or of any change of status with the 

Contractor. 

 

8. I, [Name of Agent], fully understand my responsibilities to protect confidential information 

from unauthorized disclosure. I will comply with all instructions of the BLS with respect to such 

information and all security requirements and will avoid all improper use or disclosure of 

confidential information. I will notify the BLS immediately if I become aware of any request or 

demand for access to confidential information. I understand that under CIPSEA, the penalty for 

a knowing and willful disclosure of respondent identifiable information is a class E felony with a 

fine of not more than $250,000 or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both. 

_______________________________ 

[Name of Agent] 

[Agent’s Organization] 

_______________________________ 

[Name of BLS Official] 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 
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888-S (R-2) (06/17) ATTACHMENT 4 Page 1 of 3 

Mailing Permit Instructions
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 ATTACHMENT 4 Page 2 of 3 888-S (R-2) (06/17) 

Mailing Permit Instructions 
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Mailing Permit Instructions 
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EXHIBIT A Page 1 of 1 

Letter – Version A (NVS/NCA) 
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EXHIBIT B Page 1 of 2 

Letter – Version B (NVM) 
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Letter – Version B (NVM) 
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Letter – Version C (MWR) 
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Letter – Version D (Special Surveys) 
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EXHIBIT E Page 1 of 2 

Form (MWR) 
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EXHIBIT E Page 2 of 2 

Form (MWR) 
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EXHIBIT F Page 1 of 2 

Form Additional Pages (MWR) 
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EXHIBIT F Page 2 of 2 

Form Additional Pages (MWR) 
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EXHIBIT G Page 1 of 1 

Form Cover Letter (MWR) 
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EXHIBIT H Page 1 of 1 

State Office Information List (Sample Page) 
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888-S (R-2) (06/17) 

Length Description Start End 

2 State FIPS Numeric 

Code 1 2 

10 UI Account Number 3 12 

35 Legal Name 13 47 

35 Trade Name 48 82 

35 Attention Name – 

Optional 83 117 

35 Business Mail Street 

Address--Line 1 118 152 

35 Business Mail Street 

Address--Line 2 153 187 

30 Business Mail 

Address--City 188 217 

2 Business Mail 

Address--State 218 219 

5 

Business Mail 

Address--5-Digit 

ZIP Code 

220 224 

4 

Business Mail 

Address--ZIP Code 

Extension 

225 228 

12 Web ID 229 240 

8 Password 241 248 

EXHIBIT I Page 1 of 1 

Letter Production File Format 
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EXHIBIT J Page 1 of 2 

Form Production File Format 
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EXHIBIT J Page 2 of 2 

Form Production File Format 
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888-S (R-2) (06/17) 

EXHIBIT K Page 1 of 4 

Form Collected Data File Format 
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EXHIBIT K Page 2 of 4 

Form Collected Data File Format 
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EXHIBIT K Page 3 of 4 

Form Collected Data File Format 
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EXHIBIT K Page 4 of 4 

Form Collected Data File Format 
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888-S (R-2) (06/17) 

EXHIBIT L Page 1 of 5 

Form Print Rules 
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EXHIBIT L Page 2 of 5 

Form Print Rules 
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EXHIBIT L Page 3 of 5 

Form Print Rules 
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EXHIBIT L Page 4 of 5 

Form Print Rules 
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EXHIBIT L Page 5 of 5 

Form Print Rules 
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EXHIBIT M Page 1 of 2 

Form Processing Rules 
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EXHIBIT M Page 2 of 2 

Form Processing Rules 
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888-S (R-2) (06/17) 

EXHIBIT N Page 1 of 4 

Letter Print Rules 
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888-S (R-2) (06/17) 

EXHIBIT N Page 2 of 4 

Letter Print Rules 
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EXHIBIT N Page 3 of 4 

Letter Print Rules 
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EXHIBIT N Page 4 of 4 

Letter Print Rules