Sustainable printing equipment, software, consumables, and services for UN global operations

The Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT) wishes to use this Request for Information (RFI) instrument to conduct a market survey to obtain information that can be used to identify available or potential solutions and suppliers that may provide sustainable printing equipment, printing software, printer consumables, and printing services for United Nations global operations. The information received in response to this RFI will not be used for the purpose of qualifying vendors. This RFI is not a request or invitation to participate in a formal solicitation process. Information received will help OICT identify generic descriptions of available or potential alternatives for fullfilling a defined requirement, as well as the possible costs and delivery time. This RFI is oriented toward seeking technical alternatives, options, solutions, cost estimates, and to gauge the commercial environment for these requirements. The United Nations has a vast operational footprint spanning Peacekeeping Missions, Special Political Missions, Offices Away from Headquarters, and Economic Commissions across virtually every region of the World. With personnel deployed to some of the most remote and challenging environments, from conflict zones to developing nations, the United Nations requires a truly global supply chain network that can reliably deliver products and services to its facilities regardless of location. This worldwide presence, which includes operations in over 130 countries and territories, necessitates a robust, far-reaching, and resilient supply chain to support the United Nations critiacal efforts in peace, security, development, and human rights across the planet. These facilities require robust, sustainable, and innovative printing, scanning and copying capabilities. The United Nations is seeking information from suppliers that can provide environmentally responsible printing equipment, secure print software, consumables, and managed print services to support its worldwide facilities and operations. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en https://dppa.un.org/en https://www.un.org/Depts/ptd/about-us/office-away-headquarters https://www.un.org/Depts/ptd/about-us/united-nations-economic-commissions Objectives: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9, 12, and 13 SDG 9 - Build resilient and sustainable printing infrastructure; Promote sustainanble industrialization and innovation in printing technologies. SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption patterns for printing supplies and consumables. SDG 13 - Minimize environmental impact and enable urgent climate action through reduced emissions and waste. Vendors are kindly requested to provide information assocaited with the following five categories mentioned below. Responses do not need to be limited to the general topics indicated under each category. I. Printing Hardware A. Multi-Functional Printers (MFP): both color and black and white with varying speeds, able to print double sided, scan & email to PDF and copy, to meet different user requirements. 1. Low Volume MFP - personal, small sized device, directly connected to computer, tablet, or phone through Bluetooth and USB, Laser or Inkjet 2. Medium Volume MFP - for the use by a team of 10-15 staff, fits on table, network connected, supporting A4/Letter paper format, includes a multi-document feeder for scanning, able to join an existing Wi-Fi network, minimum resolution of printing & scanning of 1200x1200 dpi, able to also print from USB drive, minimum paper capacity of 500 pages 3. Large Volume MFP - for a building/floor of 100+ staff, free standing, network connected, supporting at least A4/Letter and A3 sized paper, separate toners for each color, includes a multi-document feeder and allows double sided scanning, supporting gigabit network at minimum, minimum resolution for printing & scanning of 1200x1200 dpi, able to also print from USB drive, minimum paper capacity of 1500 pages. B. Large Format Inkjet Printers: suitable for printing high-quality maps, architectual drawings, satellite imagery, and other oversized materials; must have the ability to produce prints up to A0 size (33.1" x 46.8") or larger with high resolution and precision; acceptable media types should encompass no just standard printing papers but also specialized medias like photo papers, vinyls, backlits, and canvases to accommodate a wide range of GIS mapping needs; must utilize dye- or pigement-based inks providing vibrant colors, water/smudge resistance, and longevity printed output. II. Printing Software - innovative and eco-responsible secure print management system A. Print Mobility and Security - system should enable users to securely release print jobs from any network printer using multi-factor authentication [e.g., United Nations issued RFID cards integrated with Microsoft Entra ID]; eliminates the need for pinter logins and reduces waste from abondoned print jobs B. Flexible Deployment - cloud-based solution accessible via web, locations with limited bandwidth should have option for an on-premise or hybrid deployment model C. Light Footprint - minimial client software footpring on user devices to streamline pinting across the United Nations diverse technology landscape D. Environmental Controls - granula controls to enforce eco-printing rules [e.g., enforcing duplex/double sided printing, allowing only mono/black-white, and setting user-specific print quotas to reduce paper and toner waste E. Guest Printing - secure guest printing functionality to provision temporary printing accesss for visitors and contractors with page and time limits F. Output Auditing - robust tracking, auditing, and reporting of all printing activity across the print environment for accountability and cost optimization G. Innovation Areas - suppliers are encouraged to inform on innovative solutions for further enhancing secure printing, reducing environmental impact via technologies [e.g., pull printing, print delegation, cloud printing integration, leveraging data analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML)] to drive sustainable printing bahaviors III. Printing Consumables A. Abilty to supply original, environmentally preferable printer/plotter products with low environmental impact B. Made from recycled or recyclable materials C. Toner cartridges and consumables designed for high yield and resource efficiency D. Free of hazardous substances and compliant with ecolabel standards E. Suppliers are requested to provide examples of their comprehensive global takeback and recyclying program to retrieve used consumables from all United Nations facilities for environmentally sound recyclying and disposal F. Need to be available for at least two years after printer model is discontinued to enable maximum useful life IV. Managed Printing Services - comprehensive service to optimize its global print infrastructure in an environmentally sustainable manner A. Implementation Services - deployment, setup, integration, and ongoing support for a secure, network- connected print environment across United Nations facilities B. Flexible Acquistion Models - options for printer and consumables leasing or full managed services; cost-per-page pricing aligned with actual usage to minimize wastage C. Print Environment Optimization - consolidation of dispersed print asets to drive energy and supplies reduction; proactive replacement of aging, inefficient devices with modern, energy-efficient models; continuous monitoring and reporting on environmental metrics [e.g., energy use, emissions, solid waste] D. Environmental Innovation - information related to innovative technologies and circular practices to further minimize environmental impact which relies on user data analytics; eco-responsible print services, robust environmental monitoring, reporting processes, and a continuous improvement mindset aligned with United Nations emmision reduction targets V. Sustainable Innovation - information for innovative, sustainable printing technologies, curcular business models and environmentally responsible practices A. Experience providing sustainable, environmentally responsible printing solutions globally B. Capability to deliver, maintain, and service equipment across international locations C. Robust and green supply chains for consumables D. Ecolabel compliance, environmental standards, and certifications E. Measurement and reporting capability on environmental performance metrics F. Innovative solutions to reduce environmental impact