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What is an Unsolicited Proposal?
Submitting Unsolicited Proposals
Confidential Disclosure Disclaimer
The United States Postal Service is unique as a government organization mandated to operate in as business-like a manner as possible while competing with private industry. The Postal Service therefore relies on the creativity and innovation of the American entrepreneurial community to help meet our business and competitive objectives. It is recognized that some companies and entrepreneurs can see opportunities for excellence and improvement where no one else can - and the Postal Service's Unsolicited Proposal Program (UPP) is intended to provide them the opportunity to offer their best ideas.
An unsolicited proposal is the offer to sell to the Postal Service the rights
to ideas, concepts, products, processes, or technology. Such offers
address improvements in Postal Service operations, and are not
entrepreneurial marketing efforts intended to increase market share.
They are considered unsolicited because they are not submitted in
response to a solicitation or request for proposal or any other Postal
Service initiated solicitation or program. Offers to sell commercially-available goods and services to the Postal Service are not unsolicited
proposals unless the goods or services are uniquely configured for the
Postal Service or the proposal offers for further development the use of
commercially-available goods or services. Entrepreneurs interested in
marketing efforts should consult our Publication 5, Let's Do Business,
which provides comprehensive information regarding Postal Service
requirements, purchasing policies and procedures, and buying
locations throughout the country.
Entrepreneurs should also be aware that the Postal Service, like any other concern operating in a competitive business environment, is constantly exploring new ways to provide its customers new and better services and innovative methods to improve the services we offer. It is, therefore, possible that ideas and concepts submitted under the UPP are being, or have been, considered by the Postal Service or have already been adopted.
Unsolicited proposals must be submitted in writing and must include enough technical and cost information to allow an effective initial evaluation of what is being proposed and its potential overall benefits to the Postal Service. Unsolicited proposals are accepted for initial evaluation only when they do not contain confidential or proprietary information not protected by copyright or patent. Therefore, they must include a signed copy of the "Confidential Disclosure Disclaimer" from this publication certifying that the unsolicited proposal does not contain any confidential or proprietary information not protected by copyright or patent. Unsolicited proposals that do not contain a signed copy of the disclaimer will be returned to the submitter.
Only one copy of an unsolicited proposal should be submitted (submitters should always keep a copy for themselves) to one of the following Supply Management Portfolios.
Proposals for services of all kinds:
MANAGER SERVICES PORTFOLIO
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
475 L'ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 4337
WASHINGTON DC 20260-6259
Proposals for supplies:
MANAGER SUPPLIES PORTFOLIO
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
475 L'ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 4617
WASHINGTON DC 20260-6230
Proposals for mail processing equipment and associated research and development:
MANAGER MAIL EQUIPMENT PORTFOLIO
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
8403 LEE HWY GRD FLOOR
MERRIFIELD VA 22082-8150
Proposals for design and construction and related services:
MANAGER FACILITIES PORTFOLIO
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
4301 WILSON BLVD SUITE 300
ARLINGTON VA 22203-1840
Proposals for mail transportation and related services:
MANAGER MAIL TRANSPORTATION PORTFOLIO
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
475 L'ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 4900
WASHINGTON DC 20260-6210
The Postal Service's UPP is designed to ensure that the business interests of both parties are fully protected. Therefore, a process has been developed based on three basic steps:
• Initial consideration.
• Discussion and evaluation.
• Acceptance or denial.
The following discusses each of these steps.
The Postal Service performs a preliminary review of each unsolicited proposal to determine if:
1. It meets the definition of an unsolicited proposal and is not a marketing initiative;
2. It offers potential benefit to the business and competitive objectives of the Postal Service and is not already under consideration by the Postal Service;
3. It does not contain confidential or proprietary information not protected by a copyright or patent.
Generally, unsolicited proposals must offer genuinely innovative ideas and concepts related to Postal Service operations. Submittals that meet this standard are forwarded to the Postal Service organization responsible for the operation potentially affected by the proposal (see Discussion and Evaluation).
If the Postal Service organization responsible for the operational area potentially affected by the unsolicited proposal deems it innovative and potentially beneficial to business objectives, submitters will be asked to provide either a more complete written proposal and/or an oral presentation to a Postal Service purchase team. No confidential or proprietary information should be presented at this stage of review.
If the Postal Service determines that the unsolicited proposal is not potentially beneficial, the submitter will be so notified. If the Postal Service determines that the proposal is potentially beneficial, further discussions may be held. If the Postal Service determines that a more thorough evaluation of the proposal can only be gained by the review of confidential or proprietary information, the Postal Service will consider, and, if appropriate, enter into a mutual Nondisclosure Agreement with the submitter.
If, following discussion and evaluation (including, if appropriate, the review of confidential or proprietary information), the Postal Service accepts an unsolicited proposal, the Postal Service contracting officer will attempt to negotiate a contract with the proposal submitter. The terms of the contract will control rights to use of the idea or concept. However, entering into discussions and negotiations is not a guarantee that a contract will ultimately be entered into.
At any point in the process, the Postal Service may determine that further pursuit of the unsolicited proposal is not in its business interests. At this point, the two parties will cease the discussions, and the matter will be closed. Neither the contents of this publication nor any discussions, evaluations, or negotiations will constitute any binding obligation on the part of either party until a mutually agreed-upon contract is executed.
We appreciate your interest in the improvement of our services. While we accept for consideration proposals, inventions, suggestions, or ideas (referred to generally as suggestions) that you wish to send us, you should know that we get many suggestions gratuitously, some of which are duplicative, some of which we have already considered, and some of which we have developed on our own. However, we cannot receive them in confidence and we will consider suggestions under the following conditions:
1. Your suggestion and all disclosures and materials concerning it that are provided to the Postal Service, whether printed, graphic, oral, digital, recorded or in any other form, are submitted to the Postal Service on a nonconfidential basis. The Postal Service does not promise or have any obligation to hold the suggestion and all disclosures and materials concerning it confidential.
2. If you have obtained a patent/copyright, all of your rights and remedies (and those of your principals) arising out of the disclosure of such suggestions to, or their use by, the Postal Service are limited to the rights and remedies now or in the future accorded to you under United States patent or copyright laws. Our review of your suggestion does not imply or impose any obligations on us.
3. All other claims of any nature whatever arising out of any disclosure by you to the Postal Service are hereby waived.
4. The Postal Service is under no obligation to return to you any material submitted.
5. These conditions will apply to any additional disclosures you make incidental to your original submission.
If you wish to submit your suggestion subject to these terms, along with related documents such as drawings, please submit it with a signed copy of this letter.
Because we receive a large number of suggestions and do not generally return them,we recommend that you keep a copy of your proposal.
Thank you for your interest in the United States Postal Service.
I have read the above and agree to these conditions.
(Signature) (Date)