Currency Readers

The purpose of this amendment, Amendment No. 002 is to amend the solicitation in order to clarify the solicitation closing time and to provide responses to questions received. Section L, Paragraph 3.0 is changed: FROM: To be considered for evaluation, electronic proposals AND the currency reader device shall be received by the stated due date in block 8 of the SF 1449. The due time is 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Submission of technical and pricing via fax will not be accepted. TO: To be considered for evaluation, electronic proposals AND the currency reader device shall be received by the stated due date in block 8 of the SF 1449. The due time is 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Submission of technical and pricing via fax will not be accepted. QUESTION 1: Please confirm that no authentication is required that the note is an "authentic note" and that the BEP and Treasury will take responsibility and any liability if a counterfeit note is accepted by the reader. GOVERNEMENT RESPONSE: No authentication is required by the currency reader concerning whether or not bill is a counterfeit. The currency reader's sole purpose is to denominate currency for the blind and visually impaired as stated in the Statement of Need. QUESTION 2: Will the BEP or an outside agency be completing the testing for the readers and since this has been a very long process, will any weight be given as to using older and possibly outdated components? GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: Acceptance testing is to be done by the Offeror or their subcontractor (if contracted out). The results are provided to the Government per paragraphs 3.1.8.1 and 3.1.8.2 of the Statement of Need. This is a pass/fail lowest priced technically acceptable requirement, and the proposed reader must meet the requirement stated in the Statement of Need. No additional weight or tradeoff is given to any aspect of a proposal that exceeds the technical requirement as stated in the Statement of Need. QUESTION 3: Warranty needs to be better-defined in the RFQ. There is no mention for the person being responsible for abuse or neglect or "acts of God".....especially water damage. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The warranty should be a standard one-year commercial warranty against manufacturing defects as stated in the Statement of Need. Accidents and misuse are not considered manufacturing defects. All other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged.