Provision of Medals (Custom Lead-Free Crystal Awards) for the United Nations with Inscription: UN Dag Hammarskjöld Medals.

Overview: The United Nations (UN) has a requirement to establish a Long-Term Contract with a vendor for the annual production of custom lead-free crystal glass recognition award objects, known as the “UN Dag Hammarskjöld Medals”. The UN Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is a posthumous award for UN personnel who have lost their lives while serving in a peacekeeping operation. The medals are awarded once a year on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers (29th of May) during a ceremony held at UN Headquarters, New York to the next of kin or surviving family members. Additional information and a photo of the Medal may be referenced at: https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/united-nations-medals. The crystal Medal must be ellipsoid in shape, and composed of a clear, colorless, lead-free crystal glass with a grit-blasted inscription of the UN logo and motto, as well as the name and date of death of the recipient. The crystal Medals must be contained in a presentation package in accordance with the below technical specifications. The contract shall be effective for an initial period of five (5) years, with the option to extend for an additional two three-years (3+3). It is envisaged that one (1) single purchase order will be issued to the vendor each calendar year in January/February for the production of approximately 150 (qty) Dag Hammarskjöld Medals, which must be delivered to New York within 90 days, by May. This Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) is issued to identify qualified market suppliers interested in participating in the procurement activity and submitting a bid for the contract. To receive the Invitation to Bid (ITB), interested companies must submit the electronic Vendor Response Form and register as a UN vendor on the UN Global Marketplace as instructed below. The full scope of the requirement, further contract information, and instructions for submitting a bid will be provided with the ITB tendering documents to invited vendors. Design Requirements and Technical Specifications: The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is composed of two parts: i) a lead-free glass crystal and ii) the presentation package. The design and technical requirements of the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Medal herein specified are firm and cannot be adjusted, as they are subject to the regulations of the UN Secretary-General's bulletin ST/SGB/2000/15 and ST/SGB/2000/15/Amend1. All design requirements and technical specifications of the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal specified in this Section are mandatory. Suppliers must agree to produce the Medals in accordance with all mandatory requirements to be evaluated positively and considered for a contract award. The Medal (Lead-Free Crystal): TR-01: The Medal must be manufactured of a clear, colourless, lead-free glass crystal. The glass crystal must comply with the standards under EU Directive 69/493/EEC for the regulation of Lead-Free Crystal, or equivalent. TR-02: The Medal must be ellipsoid in shape, approximately 2 ¾” x 2 ¼” x 1 23/32” (LxWxH inches) (Slight size deviation is acceptable.) TR-03: The properties of the lead-free glass shall be at least 2.45 g/cm3 for the density and 1.520 for the refractive index. TR-04: The Medal shall be annealed and treated to a high standard and be free from any surface or internal blemishes and visible imperfections. TR-05: The lead-free glass crystal Medal must be grit-blasted (monaired) with the name and date of death of the recipient (top), the United Nations emblem (bottom), and the inscription “The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, In the Service of Peace” in both English and French (sides). TR-06: The inscriptions and graphic impressions must be grit-blasted and use 0.27 grit or finer. TR-07: The Medal must be designed to ensure shelf-life of at least 10 years without any visible signs of deterioration. Medal Presentation Package: TR-08: The medal must be contained in a presentation package made of durable cardboard, covered and protected in cloth. The package must comprise a base and a cover, suitable for presentation and display of the medal. TR-09: The Package Base (which cradles the crystal medal) must be of approximate dimensions 4.0” x 4.0” x 1.0” (LxWxH inches). TR-10: The Package Base must be made of a suitable board covered with a sized black cloth. TR-11: The Package Base must be inset with a a polyurethane foam base, or similar cushioned base, covered with a black velvet covering and overlaid with a blue UN ribbon (Pantone 279U) affixed. The crystal Medal shall rest on the inset foam base. TR-12: The Package Cover must be structured internally to protect the Medal from movement with a formed polyurethane foam insert, or similar, with a white satin covering or similar. TR-13: The Package Cover must be of approximate dimensions 4.125” x 4.125” x 3.375” (LxWxH inches). TR-14: The Package Cover exterior must be made of a suitable board covered with a sized cloth matching the UN Blue Color (Pantone 279U). TR-15: The Package Cover: The inscription “The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, In the Service of Peace” in both English and French must be imprinted on the top of the package cover with a high-quality process such as white foil stamping, embossing, or similar. TR-16: The Package Cover: The United Nations emblem, printed using the same technology as the inscription, must be centered on the top surface with the inscriptions above and below the emblem. TR-17: The package must be designed to hold, transport, protect, and display the medal in the family home for a period exceeding 10 years. Additional Requirements: a. Suppliers for this requirement must be either the manufacturer or an authorized trader/re-seller of crystal and/or lead-free crystal glass objects. b. The manufacturer must have at least three (3) years of experience in the design, craftmanship, production, and supply of lead-free crystal glass products. An authorized trader/re-seller must have three (3) years of demonstratable experience in the sale or supply of lead-free crystal glass products. Bidders will be requested to provide details of similar contracts/orders/projects delivered for custom designed crystal awards/objects. c. 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).