Provision of Inscribed Lead-Free Crystal Glass Award (United Nations Dag Hammarskjold Medal)

The United Nations (UN) has an annual requirement for the production and provision of UN Dag Hammarskjold Medals, composed of a clear colourless non-lead glass crystal ellipsoid with a grit-blasted inscription contained in a presentation package. UN Dag Hammarskjold Medals are a posthumous award for members of UN peacekeeping operations who have lost their lives during service with the UN. The medals are issued annually on 29 May, during a ceremony held at UN Headquarters (UNHQ, New York) for International Day of UN Peacekeeprs Day, to the surviving family members or designated recipients of military, police and civilian personnel who lost their lives for the cause of peace during the preceeding year. The UN intends to issue an Invitation to Bid (ITB) to establish a Long-Term Contract with a vendor for the provision of the Dag Hammarskjold Medals, effective for an initial period of five (5) years, with the option to extend for an additional five (5) years. It is envisaged that one (1) purchase order will be issued each year (during Q1) for approximately 100-200 (qty) of medals. This RFI is issued to obtain information from market suppliers on their interest and capability to produce the bespoke Dag Hammarkjold Medals according to the technical specifications below. Responses will be taken into consideration for defining the ITB requirements to ensure technical, design, and production specifications align with standard market practices. The technical specifications of the UN Dag Hammarskjold Medal are subject to the regulations of the UN Secretary-General's bulletin ST/SGB/2000/15 and ST/SGB/2000/15/Amend1. A photo of the required medal may be referenced at https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/united-nations-medals. The Dag Hammarskjold Medals must comply with the following technical specifications: a. The medal must be manufactured of a clear colorless lead-free glass crystal, ellipsoid in shape, appproximately 2 7/8" x 2 1/4" x 1 11/16" inches. (Slight size deviation acceptable.) b. The glass crystal must comply with the standards under EU Directive 69/493/EEC for the regulation of Lead-Free Crystal, or equivalent. c. The properties of the lead-free glass crystal shall be at least 2.45 g/cm3 for the density and at least 1.520 for the refractive index. d. The medal shall be annealed and treated to a high standard and be free from any surface or internal blemishes and visible imperfections. e. The non lead glass crystal medal must be grit-blasted (monaired) with the name and date of death of the recipient, the United Nations logo, and the inscription "The Dag Hammarskjold Medal, In the Service of Peace" in English and French, as shown in the reference photo. f. The inscriptions and graphic impressions must be grit-blasted and use 0.27 grit or finer. g. The medal must be designed to ensure shelf-life of at least 10 years without any visible signs of deterioration. h. The medal must be contained in a presentation package made of durable luxury cardboard (UN Blue; Pantone 279U) comprised of a base and a cover approximately 4" x 4", suitable for presentation and display of the medal. The title of the medal inscripted in English and French, as well as the UN logo, must be imprinted on the top of the package with a high quality process such as white foil stamping, embossing, or similar. The non lead crystal medal shall rest on an inset polyurethane foam base, or similar cushioned base, covered with a black velvet covering and overlaid with a blue UN ribbon (Pantone 279U) affixed. Additional Requirements: a. The contractor(s) must be either a manufacturer or an authorized dealer for the offered product. b. The manufacturer shall have at least five (5) years of experience in the design, production, and supply of customized non lead crystal glass objects. An authorized dealer must have five (5) years demonstratable experience in supplying similar non lead crystal glass objects. c. Manufacturers must adhere to a quality management system d. The contractor will be required to deliver the annual order of medals within 60 calendar days under FCA delivery terms (Incoterms 2020) to the contractor's selected Port-of-Exit. The UN may optionally request the contractor to quote the cost and arrange delivery of the order within 90 days to UN Headquarters in New York (DAP Incoterms). If your company is a manufacturer or supplier of bespoke crystal objects similar to the above specified item, you are kindly requested to complete the attached Questionnaire (link below) on the capabilities and practices employed by your company and its subcontractors (if any). If your company is an authorized dealer or partners with a manufacturer(s) of crystal goods, we kindly encourage you to share this RFI with such companies in your supply chains.