This notice DOES NOT constitute a request for information, quote, or proposal for procurement of products or services. It concerns an action which may affect the current procurement of BioWrite Retractable Pens by the Federal Government.

The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled is an independent agency of the Federal Government. The Committee, under the authority of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act of 1971, provides employment opportunities for persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities through Federal Government purchases from nonprofit agencies employing such individuals. Those products which are required to be purchased by the Federal Government under the AbilityOne (formerly JWOD) Program are added to the Committee's Procurement List (PL). You can view the PL on our website at www.abilityone.gov. Once a product is added to the PL to be provided by a nonprofit agency, no other product determined to be essentially the same can be sold to the Federal government. However, the new SKILCRAFT branded product can be bid and sold to the Government by any authorized dealer.

The Committee has been asked to consider adding the broad Government requirement for the following product to the PL:

7520-00-NIB-2033 Ballpoint, Black, Fine, Low Viscosity Ink
7520-00-NIB-2034 Ballpoint, Black, Medium, Low Viscosity Ink
7520-00-NIB-2035 Ballpoint, Blue, Fine, Low Viscosity Ink
7520-00-NIB-2036 Ballpoint, Blue, Medium, Low Viscosity Ink
7520-00-NIB-2038 Pen with Rubber Grip, Retractable, Biobased & Biodegradable
7520-00-NIB-2040 Pen with Rubber Grip, Retractable, Biobased & Biodegradable
7520-00-NIB-2037 Pen with Rubber Grip, Retractable, Biobased & Biodegradable
7520-00-NIB-2039 Pen with Rubber Grip, Retractable, Biobased & Biodegradable

The contracting agency involved is the GSA, New York NY.

Before adding a product to the PL, the Committee considers the potential impact that removal from commercial channels of this product, as well as similar products, would have on the sales of the firms that are currently providing BioWrite Retractable Pens to GSA and the extent to which the potentially affected suppliers are dependent on the income. Similar products are:

7520-00-NIB-2033 None

7520-00-NIB-2034 BIC-CSM11-BK

7520-00-NIB-2035 None

7520-00-NIB-2036 BIC-CSM11-BE

7520-00-NIB-2038 BIC-BP11BK
ITA-30025
PAP-70736
PIL-32370
PIL-32373
ZEB-22510
ZEB-23410
PEN-BK93-A

7520-00-NIB-2040 BIC-BP11BE
ITA-30026
PAP-70737
PIL-32371
ZEB-22520
ZEB-23420
EN-BK93-C

7520-00-NIB-2037 PAP-70739
ZEB-43410

7520-00-NIB-2039 PAP-70740
ZEB-43420

In order for the Committee to be able to assess the potential impact on affected companies, it is important that these firms report the following information to the Committee:

1) Total Revenues accrued from all sources for the most recent 12-month time period

2) Revenues accrued by providing BioWrite Retractable Pens to GSA for the same most recent 12-month period

3) The length of time the potentially affected firm has been providing these products to GSA.

The information prescribed above must reach the Committee no later than March 13, 2009 and can be submitted in letter format. If information is not received by the date requested, the Committee could conclude that potentially affected firms have determined that there will be no severe adverse impact should the listed products be added to the PL.

It is only with this information that the Committee can perform an accurate impact analysis. Your letter can be returned either by mail to the address on this notice or by fax to
(703) 603-0655. You may also provide any other information you deem appropriate. If any of the information you provide is proprietary, please advise us in your reply, and we will ensure that it is safeguarded from disclosure.

When assessing impact on a commercial firm, the Committee takes into account the revenues of the parent, subsidiary, and affiliated corporations as well. If a company is a parent, subsidiary, or affiliated corporation to another corporation, please identify the other corporations to which the company is related, the nature of the relationship, and the other corporations total revenue data.

General information concerning the Committee and its authority can be found in Title 41 United States Code, Sections 46-48c, or Title 41 Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 51. Both of these references can be found on the Committee's website at www.abilityone.gov. If you have specific questions or require further explanation concerning this letter or the addition of the above-referenced product to the PL, please contact Mike Jurkowski at (703) 603-2117.