Request for Information

Provision of Paperless Point-of-Sale or e-Receipt
Systems and Related Services

Responses to this Request for Information (RFI) are for use by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) in identifying providers of paperless point-of-sale systems, digital receipt software, hardware or applications and related systems that may be used in a variety of hospitality settings, such as restaurants, lodging, cafeterias, and theme parks, to provide customers a digital receipt instead of a paper receipt for services or goods rendered.

Responders to this RFI, confirmed by the MPCA as offering services or products directly related to the provision of digital receipts, will be placed on a MPCA list as possible vendors for paperless point-of-sale systems to hospitality businesses.

Issuance of this RFI does not obligate the MPCA to partner with any Responder. No state funding or other financial assistance is associated with this RFI.

Background

The MPCA has been involved in supporting and funding waste and pollution prevention technical assistance efforts since 1984. These efforts were enhanced in 1990 with the passage of the federal Pollution Prevention Act and the State Toxic Pollution Prevention Act. The MPCA has obtained and manages federal grant funds for waste and pollution prevention activities allowing it to work with and fund hospitality partners to achieve both agency and project objectives.

The MPCA is authorized in Minn. Stat. §§ 115A.152, 115D.04 and 115A.55 to provide technical assistance for waste and pollution prevention. Information solicited through this RFI will aid the MPCA in providing such technical assistance.

Project overview

Many thermal receipt papers contain the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxic chemical that is known to be an endocrine disruptor. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife. Bisphenol-A is listed by the Minnesota Department of Health as a Priority Chemical pursuant to the 2009 Minnesota Toxic Free Kids Act. A recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Design for the Environment effort to identify safer alternatives to BPA for thermal paper has, thus far, yielded no definitively superior alternatives. There is research evidence that BPA and a common alternative, Bisphenol-S, is transferred to humans via handling of these thermal papers, especially for retail or hospitality workers who may handle numerous receipts daily.

The MPCA, through a grant from the EPA, is undertaking a project to reduce BPA exposure by consumers and hospitality employees and to reduce overall paper use by promoting use and distribution of digital receipts in the hospitality sector as an alternative to direct thermally printed paper receipts for consumers.

Page 3 of 3 / mm-rfp1-08a | CR#:5791

As part of this project, the MPCA seeks to identify those vendors who provide some or all of the necessary technological systems (hardware and/or software or software applications) which would allow customers of hospitality businesses to receive digital receipts instead of paper receipts.

Responders to this RFI, confirmed by the MPCA as providing relevant services or products, will be placed on a vendor list to be used by the MPCA as a resource list of potential vendors for the hospitality entities partnering with the MPCA to reduce the use of BPA-laden thermal receipt paper.

The following types/categories of ineligible businesses need not respond to this RFI as they will not be included on the MPCA vendor list:

·  Companies that provide only general technologies such as website hosting, smartphones, laptops, tablets, or personal computers.

·  Providers of only paper-based point-of-sale systems or those who only sell receipt paper of any kind.

·  Companies that do not provide digital receipt services, hardware, or software.

Review and evaluation of responses

The MPCA will review all responses submitted by the deadline and may contact Responders to confirm information submitted as well as the Responders compliance with all state and federal requirements. Compliant Responders whose services or products directly address some or all of the technological needs for the provision of digital receipts in place of paper receipts will be listed as possible vendors.

There is no compensation provided for responding to this RFI or being listed as a possible vendor. This RFI is simply to establish a list for future use by those seeking to use such services. Responding to this RFI does not guarantee work or that the work will be equally distributed. The MPCA is not obligated to award a grant or complete a project under this RFI.

Disposition of responses

All materials submitted in response to this RFI will become property of the state and will become public record in accordance with Minn. Stat. ch. 13. If a Responder elects to submit information in response to this RFI that it believes to be confidential business information, pursuant to the Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) at 5 U.S.C. 552 and 40 CFR pt. 2 and the corresponding Minnesota authorities, including Minn. Stat. §§ 13.37 and 116.075 and Minn. R. 7000.1300, subp. 1, the Responder must:

·  Clearly mark all confidential business information in its response at the time the response is submitted.

·  Include a letter to the MPCA commissioner with its response which cites the applicable statute, requests designation of the listed items in its response as confidential business information, and justifies the designation of not public for each listed item.

·  Defend any action seeking release of the items it believes to be confidential business information, and indemnify and hold harmless the state, its agents and employees, from any judgments or damages awarded against the state in favor of the party requesting the items, and any and all costs connected with that defense. In submitting a response to this RFI, the Responder agrees that this indemnification survives as long as the confidential business information is in possession of the state.

Proprietary information granted protection by the MPCA will not be available to any outside parties, including those hospitality businesses partnering with the MPCA to reduce the use of BPA-laden thermal receipt paper.


Questions

Prospective Responders who have questions regarding this RFI may contact:

Phyllis Strong, Pollution Prevention Coordinator
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
651-757-2763 or

Submission of responses

Responders to this RFI must use the forms provided (Attachment I) and ensure submittal of all requested documentation. Responses must be electronically submitted to by 2:00 p.m. Central Time on December 3, 2012.

All costs incurred in responding to this RFI will be borne by the Responder. The MPCA will confirm receipt of submittals. Responses will be considered upon receipt, and the MPCA will notify Responders of their status in regards to being placed on the vendors list.

Attachment I

·  Response submittal form and documentation requirements: Responders must use the form provided, labeled Attachment I Response Form, and must provide the requested information.

Page 3 of 3 / mm-rfp1-08a | CR#:5791