State Print Shop Program FAQ

What is the new State Print Shop Program?

The new State Print Shop Program is an effort by CCG to update the current program to:

Streamline the print procurement process

Save agencies time and money

Remove ineffective processes and associated delays

Improve transparency for state agencies and print shops

Bring agencies more in line with statutory requirements

Who are the State Print Shops?

State Print Shops approved to receive bids under the new program include:

Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Texas Correctional Industries (TCI)

University of Texas – Austin (UT)

Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)

Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT)

How does the new State Print Shop Program work?

The following flow chart provides a general overview of the new State Print Shop Program process.

Refer to the State Procurement Manual for more details on the specific procurement procedures to be followed.

When do I have to use the new program?

Agencies wishing to procure print services estimated to exceed $1,000 dollars should use the new process. For print and print related service requests below $1,000 agencies are encouraged to establish internal procurement procedures. Agencies are also encouraged to utilize State Print Shops to expedite jobs.

Can I use the program if I am not a state agency or university?

If you are a member of the State of Texas CO-OP Purchasing Program you can use the State Print Shops utilizing the identified process. Using these services through the State of Texas CO-OP will meet your competitive bidding requirements. Please note however that the majority of the State Print Shops are located in Travis County.

I am in an agency with a State Print Shop. Do I need to use this process?

Agencies hosting a State Print Shop are not required to follow the procedures outlined in the State Procurement Manual in so far as the print job is performed at the agency’s shop or another of the State Print Shops. If there is a need to outsource the work to the private sector, the agency will be required to follow procedures outlined in Step 4 of the State Procurement Manual, including all statutory requirements.

How do I provide my print job specifications to the State Print Shops for bids?

To submit specifications to the State Print Shops for bid, agency personnel must complete the Print Shop Job Request Form located on the CCG Website at https://www.window.state.tx.us/ccg/. Once completed, click on the submit button on the bottom of the form and the form will be routed to contacts at each of the State Print Shops. Once submitted, the person completing the form will need to print or save a copy of the results page for their records.

When can I expect bids back from the State Print Shops?

The Print Shop Job Request Form provides the agency with an opportunity to enter the “Project Due Date”, the “Estimate Needed by” and the “Time Needed by” fields for their job. State Print Shops that are able to perform the work and respond to the request will reply to the agency by the date and time provided on the form. If no date or time is provided, agencies should expect that State Print Shops will provide responses within 36 hours of submission of the Print Shop Job Request Form.

It is important that agencies plan appropriately and be reasonable in their timeframes when completing this information. Timelines that are unreasonable may lead to the inability of State Print Shops to bid the job, which could lead to unnecessary delays in completing your print job.

What is the definition of a job for this program?

A job is any print or print related procurement requiring the use of a printing press or high volume digital printing equipment and/or associated binding and fulfillment services.

If an agency has a job that it needs fulfilled on a more-or-less regular schedule, that is identical or substantially the same job each time, they only need to complete one Print Shop Job Request Form. Agencies will need to provide the print schedule for the Fiscal Year and the estimated quantity needed. If they are unsure of the exact schedule an estimate is fine. Estimates should be based on historical information, where available, to assist the State Print Shops in their bid efforts.

Examples of these jobs include, but are not limited to:

Newsletters

Forms, brochures, and other similar jobs that need to be printed on a regular basis or as stock levels are depleted

Reports

Business Cards, Letterhead and other agency specific stationery

Agencies should note that they only need to complete one form for the job per Fiscal Year. Agencies will need to resubmit the job request each Fiscal Year for rebid. Agencies are also encouraged to submit a new Print Shop Job Request Form should the job change dramatically at any point in the Fiscal Year.

Am I allowed to contact the State Print Shops or other private print shops directly for estimates or to provide other information?

Yes. CCG encourages agencies to maintain open lines of communication with the State Print Shops and private vendors to both expedite processing of bid requests and to make certain that best value is achieved for each print job.

If after submitting the Print Shop Job Request Form online, you need to contact ALL the print shops with updates or additional information, you may send an email to state.print.shops@cpa.state.tx.us referencing the Job Number that was generated by the job request form submission.

If you simply need to contact a single shop, please contact that shop directly utilizing the information available on the Print Shop Locations and Contacts page.

What is best value in this new process? Is it simply lowest price?

No. Texas Government Code Section 2155.074 states that each agency should purchase goods and services that provide the best value to the agency. There is no specific definition for best value, however the Code notes, “the purchase price and whether the goods or services meet specifications are the most important considerations,” and state that other relevant factors such as quality and delivery timeframes may be considered.

It is recommended that each agency establish internal guidelines for how to determine best value for print procurements and document their procurement files with this information, for each print procurement completed through this process, to be certain that all state statutes and procurement guidelines are being followed.

How do I pay for my print job at a State Print Shop?

For this process, the Interagency Contract (IAC) between the CCG and the State Print Shops will act as the overarching IAC for the program and each job submitted will simply be considered a job ticket against the IAC. There will no longer be a need to establish individual IAC’s with the State Print Shops.

Upon completion of the print job, the State Print Shop will provide a detailed invoice for each job and will bill the agency using an Interagency Transaction Voucher (ITV). Agencies may use whatever internal accounting and procurement procedures are appropriate to expedite prompt payment to the State Print Shop.

A suggestion provided by one of the agencies was to establish a “zero-dollar” purchase order (PO) for each State Print Shop at the beginning of each fiscal year in an effort to expedite payment. Upon award, agencies would add lines to the PO for the awarded print job and get final approvals necessary prior to completion of the job and receipt of the ITV from the Print Shop.

How do I access the Print Shop Job Request Form?

Agency personnel can access the web-based bid request form at https://www.window.state.tx.us/ccg/.

If I have a current Interagency Contract can I still use it? Can I renew it?

You may begin to utilize the existing system and the established overarching IAC’s the CCG has established with each State Print Shops as of May 17, 2010. However, if you have a current IAC, you may continue to use it until you reach the end of the current contract term. At that point agencies are not to renew their existing IAC’s and are to utilize the Print Shop Job Request process to procure print services.

The overarching IAC contract reference numbers for each State Print Shop are as follows:

Texas Department of Public Safety – PSIAC-01-2010

Department of State Health Services – PSIAC-02-2010

Texas Department of Transportation – PSIAC-03-2010

The University of Texas At Austin – PSIAC-04-2010 (UTAUS CN: 6593)

Texas Workforce Commission – PSIAC-05-2010

Texas Correctional Industries – PSIAC-06-2010

Customer Service

Who do I contact if I have an issue with my print job?

Agencies should work with the State Print Shop that was awarded the print job in all cases. Agencies have the ability to provide customer feedback about jobs utilizing the CCG State Print Shop Program Customer Satisfaction Survey. Please take the time to fill the survey out. Your feedback is critical to continuous improvement efforts needed to provide a quality program for all state agencies.

How do I access the CCG Print Shop Customer Survey?

The link to the survey should come to you from the State Print Shop fulfilling your print request. However, if you do not receive it from the print shop, the survey can be accessed here.

Who do I contact if I have a question about the State Print Shop Program?

If you have a question about the program, please contact Elizabeth Lopez by email at Elizabeth.Lopez@ccg.state.tx.us or by phone at (512) 463-8102.

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