Does this mean Ilford is discontinuing production, or that it takes orders each year?
It's a regular yearly program, subject to yearly approval by the Harman board of directors. Meaning, they've done it every year for a while now, but no ironclad guarantee for the future. Presumably it depends each year on many different and constantly evolving economic factors.
The oddball film sizes they offer are not discontinued, they are simply once-a-year special order items. Participants know they must anticipate their needs and purchase a full 12-month supply in advance. A small price to pay when one needs strange format sizes of modern emulsions to feed to long discontinued, ancient, or bizarre cameras.
It's an extraordinary gesture of goodwill on their part that singlehandedly keeps the entire ULF, vintage, and antique camera market alive. And with it lots of photographic darkrooms. Without Harman's ULF program all of those cameras would be orphaned shelf display conversation pieces. And the darkrooms converted into stupid things like laundry rooms.
Who needs more laundry rooms? Most ULF camera users would rather wear dirty clothes anyway...
Ken