County of Bucks Purchasing Department 55 East Court Street, Doylestown, PA 18901 Phone: 215-348-6372 | Email: purchasing@buckscounty.org

County Commissioners Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW, Chair

Robert J. Harvie, Jr., Vice Chair Gene DiGirolamo, Secretary w w w . b u c k s c o u n t y . g o v

REQUEST FOR

PROPOSALS

MANAGED PRINT SERVICES

Spec No. #38-09/26

Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting: 1:00 PM ET August 13, 2026

Proposals Due: 11:30AM ET September 10, 2026

1.0 Introduction

The County of Bucks ("County") is soliciting proposals from qualified Managed Print Services (MPS) providers capable of delivering a secure, enterprise-class managed print solution across County facilities. The County provides services through more than fifty departments operating from numerous locations throughout Bucks County, including administrative offices, courts, correctional facilities, public safety agencies, emergency communications centers, healthcare facilities, and satellite locations.

Throughout this document, the singular use of the words Company, Vendor, Contractor, Proposer or Offeror shall apply to the responders of this request for each service, or all services proposed.

2.0 Background

2.1 General Information. The County currently supports approximately 400 networked multifunction devices and copiers and approximately 500 locally attached desktop printers throughout County facilities. The County's objective is to reduce unnecessary standalone printing devices where operationally feasible, standardize equipment and support models, improve security, and establish a centrally managed enterprise print environment.

A detailed inventory of the County's current print environment may be provided as Exhibit F to this Request for Proposal.

The successful Proposer must demonstrate the ability to support mission-critical operations where system availability, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and rapid service response are essential.

2.2 Program Objectives. The County seeks to establish a long-term strategic partnership with a Managed Print Services provider capable of delivering the following objectives:

(A) Standardize and modernize the County's print environment

(B) Improve reliability, availability, and support responsiveness.

(C) Reduce operational costs through fleet optimization.

(D) Reduce unnecessary standalone printers where operationally feasible.

(E) Implement secure print release and user authentication.

(F) Enhance cybersecurity protections and accountability.

(G) Improve reporting, analytics, and fleet visibility.

(H) Improve asset visibility and lifecycle management.

(I) Support integration opportunities with County enterprise platforms, including ServiceNow.

(J) Support CJIS, criminal justice, public safety, and regulatory requirements.

(K) Reduce the administrative burden associated with managing print infrastructure.

(L) Improve document workflow and end-user experience.

2.3 Current Technology Environment. The County's technology environment includes Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365 GCC, ServiceNow, Splunk, OnBase, Genetec access control systems, and other enterprise applications supporting County operations. The proposed solution shall integrate with the County's existing technology infrastructure and operational requirements. The County reserves the right to add, remove, relocate, or replace devices throughout the contract term as operational requirements change.

2.4 Security and Compliance Expectations. The County operates environments supporting criminal justice, judicial, correctional, public safety, healthcare, and emergency communications functions. Security, accountability, data protection, auditability, and regulatory compliance are critical requirements of this procurement. Proposers shall comply with all Security, Compliance, and Technology Requirements identified within Section 4 of this Request for Proposal. Failure to comply with mandatory requirements may result in proposal disqualification.

2.5 Device Ownership. The County will consider proposals to either lease or own print devices. Vendors may submit proposals for one or both of these approaches to managed print services.

3.0 Scope of Work

3.1 General Requirements. The County is seeking a comprehensive Managed Print

Services (MPS) solution that includes multifunction devices, print management software, maintenance services, supplies, fleet management, reporting, implementation services, training, and ongoing support.

The proposed solution shall support approximately 400 networked multifunction devices and copiers and approximately 500 locally attached desktop printers located throughout County facilities. The County reserves the right to add, remove, relocate, replace, or reassign devices throughout the contract term without penalty.

3.2 Fleet Assessment and Optimization. The successful Proposer shall conduct a comprehensive assessment of the County's existing print environment. The County may approve or reject any fleet optimization recommendation. The assessment shall include:

(A) Device inventory validation.

(B) Utilization analysis.

(C) Fleet optimization recommendations.

(D) Device placement recommendations.

(E) Identification of redundant or underutilized devices.

(F) Recommendations to reduce overall printing costs.

(G) Recommendations to reduce unnecessary standalone printers where operationally feasible.

3.3 Enterprise Print Management Solution. The Contractor shall provide an enterprise print management platform that supports centralized administration and management of the County's print environment. The enterprise print management solution shall support all authentication, secure print release, access control, and user management requirements identified in Section 4.0 – Security, Compliance, and Technology Requirements.

The solution shall integrate with County systems and infrastructure as identified throughout this RFP, and shall include:

(A) Departmental reporting.

(B) Device utilization reporting.

(C) Automated meter collection.

(D) Automated supply monitoring.

(E) Automated alerting.

(F) Print job accounting.

(G) Mobile printing capabilities.

(H) Centralized management of supported devices.

3.4 Multifunction Device Requirements. All proposed multifunction devices shall be new or refurbished equipment unless otherwise approved by the County. Devices shall be capable of accepting manufacturer-supported updates and maintenance throughout the contract term. All multifunction devices shall comply with the security, authentication, data protection, and device management requirements identified in Section 4.0 – Security, Compliance, and Technology Requirements.

Devices shall support:

(A) Printing

(B) Copying

(C) Scanning

(D) Faxing (only on specified devices)

(E) Color scanning

(F) Scan-to-email

(G) Scan-to-network folders

(H) PDF output

(I) TIFF output

(J) JPEG output

3.5 Print and Document Workflow Requirements. The proposed solution shall support the County's existing document management and workflow processes. The Vendor shall identify any additional software, licensing, or infrastructure required to support proposed workflow functionality. All workflow, scanning, and document transmission capabilities shall comply with the requirements identified in Section 4.0 – Security, Compliance, and Technology Requirements.

The solution shall support:

(A) Microsoft 365 integration

(B) OnBase integration

(C) Scan-to-email

(D) Scan-to-network folders

(E) Departmental scanning workflows

(F) Searchable PDF generation where supported

3.6 Supplies and Consumables.

(A) The Contractor shall provide all toner, drums, maintenance kits, staples, and other consumables required to support devices covered under the resulting agreement.

(B) Paper shall remain the responsibility of the County unless otherwise specified.

(C) The Contractor shall provide automated supply monitoring and replenishment.

(D) Consumables shall be delivered within twenty-four (24) business hours of notification or automated replenishment trigger.

(E) The Contractor shall provide a toner recycling and disposal program.

(F) The Contractor shall utilize OEM consumables unless otherwise approved by the County in writing.

(G) Par-level toner inventory may be required at high-volume County locations, such as the in-house print shop.

3.7 Maintenance and Support Services. The Contractor shall provide all maintenance, repair, and support services necessary to maintain the County's print environment. The Contractor shall provide certified technicians trained and authorized by the equipment manufacturer.

Support services shall include:

(A) Preventative maintenance.

(B) Corrective maintenance

(C) Parts replacement

(D) Remote diagnostics

(E) Onsite service

(F) Escalation management

3.8 Service Level Requirements. The Contractor shall meet the minimum service levels listed below. Failure to meet service level requirements may result in corrective action, service credits, or contract review. Service level performance shall be reviewed during quarterly business reviews and may be used as a factor in contract renewal considerations.

(A) Three (3) business hour onsite response time for service calls.

(B) Twenty-four (24) business hour delivery of consumable supplies.

(C) Ninety-eight percent (98%) uptime for standard devices.

(D) Ninety-nine percent (99%) uptime for mission-critical devices supporting public safety, courts, corrections, emergency communications, and 911 operations.

(E) Replacement or loaner device provided when repairs exceed forty-eight (48) business hours.

(F) Dedicated account manager assigned to the County.

(G) Escalation procedures for critical service issues.

3.9 Training Requirements. The Contractor shall provide training for County personnel during implementation and throughout the contract term. Additional training shall be provided when significant software or hardware changes occur.

Training shall include:

(A) End-user training

(B) Device operation

(C) Scan workflows

(D) Administrative functions

(E) Reporting functions

(F) Troubleshooting procedures

3.10 ServiceNow Integration Opportunities.

(A) The County utilizes ServiceNow as its enterprise Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) and asset management platform. While ServiceNow integration is not a mandatory requirement of this procurement, the County is interested in understanding any capabilities the Proposer may offer to integrate managed print services with the County's ServiceNow environment.

(B) Preference may be given to solutions that provide native ServiceNow integration capabilities. Proposers shall identify any available integration capabilities, including but not limited to:

(1) Automated incident creation for device faults, outages, or service events.

(2) Asset inventory synchronization.

(3) Device status and health monitoring.

(4) Automated service request generation.

(5) Supply replenishment workflows.

(6) Reporting and dashboard integration.

(7) Workflow automation opportunities.

(8) Available APIs, connectors, or third-party integration tools.

(C) Proposers shall describe any implementation requirements, licensing requirements, professional services requirements, and associated costs necessary to implement such integrations.

(D) The County reserves the right to evaluate and pursue ServiceNow integration opportunities during the term of the resulting contract.

3.11 Reporting Requirements.

(A) The contractor shall provide monthly reports in an electronic format that include, at a minimum:

(1) Device inventory

(2) Device locations

(3) Serial numbers

(4) Meter readings

(5) Print volumes

(6) Color versus monochrome usage

(7) Service call activity

(8) Response and resolution times

(9) Device uptime statistics

(10) Consumable usage

(B) The contractor shall provide annual strategic reviews that include:

(1) Fleet utilization analysis

(2) Device lifecycle recommendations

(3) Technology refresh recommendations

(4) Fleet optimization recommendations

(5) Cost reduction opportunities

(6) Security and compliance recommendations

(7) Sustainability and environmental impact metrics

3.12 Quarterly Business Reviews. The Contractor shall conduct quarterly business review meetings with designated County representatives. Reviews shall include:

(A) Service level performance

(B) Fleet utilization

(C) Device replacement recommendations

(D) Security updates

(E) Open issues and escalations

(F) Cost savings opportunities

(G) Technology roadmap updates

3.13 Implementation Requirements.

(A) The Contractor shall provide a detailed implementation and transition plan, which shall include:

(1) Project schedule.

(2) Resource assignments.

(3) Communication plan.

(4) Device deployment methodology.

(5) Testing procedures.

(6) User acceptance process.

(7) Training schedule.

(8) Risk mitigation strategy.

(B) The Contractor shall coordinate all implementation activities with the County's Information Technology Division.

(C) Implementation activities should minimize disruption to County operations.

(D) The Contractor shall assign a dedicated project manager responsible for implementation activities, project coordination, issue resolution, status reporting, and overall project execution.

(E) The Contractor shall conduct regularly scheduled project status meetings during implementation and provide written status reports identifying completed tasks, upcoming milestones, project risks, and mitigation efforts.

3.14 Public Safety and CJIS Environments.

(A) The Contractor shall support deployments within County facilities that process Criminal Justice Information (CJI), including but not limited to:

(1) Sheriff's Office

(2) District Attorney's Office

(3) Courts

(4) Corrections

(5) Emergency Communications

(6) 911 Operations

(B) All services performed within these environments shall comply with the requirements identified in Section 4.0 – Security, Compliance, and Technology Requirements.

(C) The Contractor shall coordinate all work performed within secure or restricted-access facilities with County Information Technology staff and designated facility representatives.

(D) The Contractor shall ensure that personnel assigned to support these environments understand and comply with all applicable County security procedures, facility access requirements, CJIS requirements, and chain-of-custody requirements for devices, storage media, and printed materials.

(E) The County reserves the right to require background investigations, security clearances, escorted access, or additional security controls for vendor personnel supporting sensitive environments.

4.0 Security, Compliance, and Technology Requirements.

4.1 The County of Bucks operates environments supporting criminal justice, judicial, correctional, public safety, emergency communications, healthcare, and administrative functions. As a result, security, compliance, data protection, auditability, and system integrity are critical requirements of this procurement.

The following requirements are mandatory unless specifically identified as an exception within the Proposer's response. Failure to disclose an exception may result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive. If no exceptions exist, the Proposer shall state "No Exceptions."

4.2 Identity and Authentication.

(A) All device authentication shall integrate with the County's Active Directory / LDAP (hybrid AD/Entra ID) environment. The Proposer's solution shall not maintain a parallel, standalone user store as the system of record.

(B) The authoritative user identifier shall be the Active Directory sAMAccountName.

User accounts shall not be keyed on HR-sourced attributes such as employee number.

(C) Authentication shall support badge tap using the County's existing Genetec card credentials. The encoded badge value shall be mapped to the user's sAMAccountName. Users shall not self-enroll credentials at devices.

(D) The Proposer shall identify supported card technologies, credential formats, and reader hardware and confirm compatibility with the County's existing badge infrastructure.

(E) The solution shall provide secure print release ("Follow-Me" printing), holding print jobs in a secure queue until released by the authenticated user.

(F) Multifactor authentication capabilities shall be identified where supported.

4.3 Device Security and Hardening.

(A) All device management, print, scan, and communication traffic shall utilize TLS

1.2 or higher.

(B) Legacy and insecure protocols including FTP, Telnet, and SNMPv1/v2c shall be disabled unless specifically approved by the County.

(C) Devices shall support 802.1X network authentication.

(D) Devices shall support role-based administration and separation of administrative privileges.

(E) Default administrative credentials shall be changed prior to production deployment.

(F) Device firmware shall be vendor-signed and support integrity validation.

(G) Devices shall support automatic security updates and firmware management.

(H) USB ports shall be capable of being disabled or restricted based on County policy.

4.4 Network and Remote Management Requirements.

(A) Devices shall support deployment within segmented network environments and dedicated print VLANs.

(B) Devices shall not require inbound internet connectivity for normal operation.

(C) The Proposer shall disclose all outbound communications required by the solution, including destination, purpose, frequency, and encryption methods.

(D) All remote monitoring, meter collection, supply monitoring, and management communications shall be encrypted in transit.

(E) The Proposer shall identify any remote support tools used to access County devices and describe associated security controls.

4.5 Data Protection and Media Sanitization.

(A) Data stored on multifunction devices shall be encrypted at rest.

(B) Devices shall support automatic secure overwrite of temporary image data.

(C) Devices shall support scheduled or automated data sanitization processes.

(D) Upon device replacement, lease expiration, disposal, or removal from County facilities, all storage media shall be sanitized in accordance with NIST SP 800-88 standards.

(E) The Proposer shall provide written certification of sanitization or destruction.

(F) If a device containing storage media leaves County property for service, the County reserves the right to retain the storage media.

(G) The Proposer shall describe all data retention practices associated with the proposed solution.

4.6 Scan and Document Security Controls.

(A) Scan-to-email functionality shall utilize authenticated SMTP.

(B) Scan destinations shall be configurable and restricted by the County.

(C) Scan-to-external email addresses shall be disabled by default unless authorized by the County.

(D) The solution shall support administrative control of scan destinations, address books, and workflow configurations.

(E) The solution shall support secure transmission of scanned documents.

4.7 Logging, Monitoring, and Auditability.

(A) Devices and management platforms shall generate detailed audit logs.

(B) Audit logs shall capture, at a minimum:

(1) User authentication events

(2) Print activity

(3) Scan activity

(4) Copy activity

(5) Administrative changes

(6) Security events

(C) The solution shall support forwarding logs to the County's Splunk SIEM platform via industry-standard methods.

(D) Audit log retention periods shall be configurable to meet County operational, legal, and regulatory requirements.

(E) The Contractor shall provide reporting capabilities to support audits, investigations, and compliance reviews.

4.8 Security Updates and Vulnerability Management.

(A) The Proposer shall provide security updates and firmware support throughout the contract term.

(B) The Proposer shall maintain a documented vulnerability management program.

(C) The Proposer shall notify the County of known vulnerabilities affecting devices, software, cloud services, or management platforms.

(D) The Proposer shall provide remediation guidance and estimated remediation timelines.

(E) The Proposer shall identify security patch deployment service levels and procedures.

(F) The Proposer shall maintain a publicly available process for reporting security vulnerabilities and shall participate in coordinated vulnerability disclosure activities where applicable.

4.9 Cloud Services and Hosted Platforms.

(A) The Contractor shall identify whether the solution is:

(1) On premises

(2) Cloud housed

(3) Hybrid

(B) If cloud-hosted, the Contractor shall identify:

(1) Hosting provider

(2) Hosting location(s)

(3) Data residency

(4) Compliance certifications

(5) FedRAMP or StateRAMP status (if applicable)

(C) The Proposer shall disclose all subcontractors and third-party service providers with access to County data.

(D) The solution shall be compatible with the County's Microsoft 365 GCC environment.

(E) The Proposer shall describe how County data is protected, stored, transmitted, and retained.

4.10 CJIS and Sensitive Environment Requirements.

(A) Devices deployed within environments that process Criminal Justice Information (CJI) shall comply with applicable CJIS Security Policy requirements.

(B) The Contractor shall support deployments within:

(1) Sheriff's Office

(2) District Attorney's Office

(3) Courts

(4) Corrections

(5) Emergency Communications

(6) 911 Operations

(C) Vendor personnel requiring access to CJIS-regulated environments shall comply with County security requirements and applicable CJIS Security Addendum requirements.

(D) The County reserves the right to require fingerprint-based background investigations and security vetting for vendor personnel.

(E) The Proposer shall identify any limitations, exceptions, or special requirements associated with supporting CJIS-regulated environments.

4.11 Incident Response and Security Event Management.

(A) The Proposer shall maintain a documented incident response process for security events affecting devices, software, hosted platforms, or County data.

(B) The Proposer shall notify the County within twenty-four (24) hours of discovering any actual or suspected security incident affecting County systems, services, devices, or information.

(C) The Proposer shall cooperate fully with County Information Technology personnel during security investigations.

(D) The Proposer shall provide requested logs, forensic information, audit records, and remediation plans related to security incidents.

(E) Upon resolution of a security incident, the Proposer shall provide a written root cause analysis and corrective action report.

(F) The Contractor shall maintain cyber liability insurance throughout the term of the contract and provide evidence of coverage upon request.

5.0 Projected Timetable

The projected timetable for this RFP is as follows. The County reserves the right to change or extend any of these dates as needed:

Issue Request for Proposal 7/29/2026 Pre-Proposal Conference 8/13/2026 at 1:00 PM Eastern Deadline to Submit Questions 8/24/2026 at 12:00 PM Issue Final Addendum to RFP 8/28/2026 Proposals Due 9/10/2026 at 11:30 AM ET

6.0 Contracted Company’s Responsibilities

6.1 The Company shall perform services as specified in the RFP, Contract, any addenda thereto, and agreed upon information provided in the Proposal.

6.2 The Company shall provide and assign only individuals who have experience with the services to be provided. Company must also ensure individuals do not have a criminal record.

6.3 The Company shall perform all services in strict compliance with all Federal, State and Local laws, regulations, ordinances, and directives as they may pertain to said services.

7.0 County Responsibilities

7.1 Provide a designee to be the point of contact for all questions and/or request by the

Contractor.

8.0 County Rights and Authority

8.1 The County shall retain the right to inspect and review the Contractor's performance under this contract and to initiate action, within the terms of the contract that it deems necessary to assure Contractor compliance.

8.2 The County will review and approve, prior to any implementation, all recommend changes proposed by the Contractor.

9.0 Proposal Procedures

9.1 Pre-proposal Conference. A mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held to review the RFP and allow for questions to be asked. The mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held virtually commencing promptly at 1:00 PM ET on Thursday, August 13, 2026, in room 112A of the Bucks County Administration Building at 55 E Court St, Doylestown, PA 18901.

9.2 Questions. Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted to the solicitation on the PennBid website no later than 12:00 PM (Noon) ET, Monday August 24, 2026

9.3 Proposal Submission.

(A) Proposals must be submitted electronically via the PennBid Portal no later than

11:30 AM, Eastern Time, Thursday, September 10, 2026.

(B) Proposals received after the time and date above will not be considered.

(C) Proposals shall be submitted at no cost to the County and any proposal received shall remain the property of the County.

(D) Proposers are encouraged to reply "comply", "comply with exceptions", "cannot comply" or "our alternative is..." to every requirement in this RFP.

(E) The County may waive minor informalities or irregularities that are immaterial and do not prejudice other Offerors or affect the substance of the competition. The County will not waive material deviations from the requirements of this RFP.

(F) The County reserves the sole right to waive technicalities contained in proposals.

(G) The County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.

(H) Proposals submitted in response to this RFP must remain valid for a period of 365 days from the proposal submission date.

(I) Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL).

(1) Applicability. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 67.101– 3104 (“RTKL”), applies to this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) and all materials submitted in response hereto. For the purpose of these provisions, the term “the County” refers to Bucks County, and "Offeror" refers to any entity submitting a proposal in response to this RFP.

(2) Public Records Disclosure. All proposals and related materials submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of the County and will be subject to public inspection and disclosure under the RTKL following the evaluation process and award of the contract.

(3) Designation of Confidential or Proprietary Information. If an Offeror believes that any portion of its proposal contains a Trade Secret or Confidential Proprietary Information (as defined by the RTKL) or other information exempt from public disclosure under the RTKL, the Offeror must include a redacted copy of proposal documents at the time of submission. Failure to provide a redacted proposal shall be deemed the Offeror’s explicit consent for the County to provide an unredacted copy of all proposal documents in response to an applicable Right to Know Request.

The Offeror must also include a written statement signed by an authorized representative detailing the specific legal basis under the RTKL for why each marked portion is exempt from public disclosure. Generic designations of the entire proposal as "confidential" or "proprietary" are not acceptable and will be disregarded.

(4) Disclosure Determination and Assistance. If the County receives a request under the RTKL for records related to this RFP or a submitted proposal:

(i) The County will make reasonable efforts to notify the Offeror using the contact information provided in the proposal.

The County will rely upon the Offeror’s written justification in evaluating whether to withhold marked records, unless the County determines that the requested information is clearly not protected from disclosure under the RTKL.

Should the County determine that the requested information is not exempt, or if assistance is required to respond to a request, the Offeror shall provide required records or assistance (including redactions) within five (5) business days of receipt of written notification from the County.

(5) Legal Challenges and Indemnification. An Offeror may file a legal challenge to any County determination to release proposal records to the public with the Office of Open Records or the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. However, by submitting a proposal, the Offeror agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the County for any legal fees, damages, penalties, costs, detriment, or harm the County incurs as a result of such a challenge or as a result of Offeror’s failure to timely provide requested records, regardless of the outcome.

(J) Waiver of Claims. The Offeror agrees to waive all rights or remedies that may be available to it against the County arising from or related to the County’s disclosure of requested information pursuant to the RTKL.

(K) Agreement Incorporation. The successful Offeror agrees that RTKL compliance provisions substantially similar to these terms will be incorporated into the final executed contract between the Offeror and the County.

9.4 Ambiguity, Conflict, or Other Errors in the RFP. Any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission or other error discovered in this RFP must be reported immediately in writing to the County of Bucks Purchasing Director, submitted to the solicitation on the PennBid website and a request made for specific modifications or clarifications.

9.5 Requests for Clarification. Any requests by the County for clarification of proposals shall be answered in writing and such requests should not alter the proposer's pricing information contained in its cost proposal.

10.0 Selection Criteria.

10.1 Mandatory Requirements.

(A) Compliance with RFP instructions.

(B) Licenses/Certifications

(1) Applicant possesses the requisite licenses and/or certifications to perform the work described in Sections 3.0 and 4.0.

(C) Ability to perform or deliver all required services in Sections 3.0 and 4.0.

10.2 The proposer will be selected based on their written proposal and any requested presentations. The County will assemble a committee for the purpose of evaluations.

The Selection Committee will review all proposals and make their recommendations for selection. The primary criteria used in making a selection will be as follows:

(A) Technical Solution and Managed Print Services Program (20 points). Proposals will be evaluated on the completeness, functionality, and overall quality of the proposed Managed Print Services solution, including:

(1) Technical Architecture & Software: Functionality of print management software, secure print release, mobile printing, and integration with existing IT tools (e.g., ServiceNow).

(2) Fleet Hardware & Capabilities: Quality, reliability, standard feature sets, and security hardening of proposed hardware models.

(3) Continuous Fleet Optimization: Proactive approach to rightsizing, reporting, analytics, and ongoing technology refresh/innovation.

(B) Security, Compliance, and Technology (15 points). Proposals will be evaluated on the vendor’s ability to meet or exceed all baseline IT and regulatory standards set forth in Section 4.0, including:

(1) Identity & Access Governance: Support for Active Directory / Entra ID single sign-on, authentication, and user access controls.

(2) Regulatory Compliance & Data Protection: Demonstrated compliance support for CJIS and public safety standards, including end-to-end data encryption, audit logging, and hard drive sanitization practices.

(3) Cloud & Infrastructure Security: Robustness of cloud hosting architecture, incident response protocols, and continuous security monitoring.

(C) Service and Support (15 points). Proposals will be evaluated on the vendor’s capability to deliver responsive, reliable local support, including:

(1) Service Delivery & SLA Commitment: Response methodology, escalation workflows, guaranteed response/resolution times, and contractual SLA terms.

(2) Account Management & Staffing: Qualifications, local presence, and dedicated coverage of service technicians and account leadership.

(3) Operations & End-User Training: Ongoing user/admin training, proactive maintenance programs, and enterprise customer service tools.

(D) Experience and References (10 points). Proposals will be evaluated on the vendor's organizational viability and track record, including:

(1) Relevant Experience: History of providing MPS to organizations of similar scale and complexity, specifically within local government, judicial, and CJIS-regulated public safety environments.

(2) Reference Checks: Verified past performance, service reliability, and client satisfaction from comparable public sector accounts.

(3) Organizational & Financial Stability: Demonstrated financial strength, corporate solvency, and long-term capability to support a multi-year contract.

(E) Implementation and Transition Approach (10 points). Proposals will be evaluated on the clarity, feasibility, and risk management of the rollout plan, including:

(1) Transition Plan & Timeline: Realistic schedule for deployment, device swapping, and network onboarding that minimizes operational disruption.

(2) Project Governance & Communication: Structure of project management, change management, stakeholder communication, and risk mitigation.

(3) Go-Live Training & Support: Onsite transition support and initial end-user onboarding strategy.

(F) Costs (25 points). Cost will be evaluated objectively using a standardized formula based on total cost of ownership (TCO), including monthly base fees, cost-per-page rates, equipment leases, and any software license/implementation charges.

The County is interested in both lease and ownership models. Vendors may include one or both options in their cost proposals.

(G) Terms and Conditions (5 points). Vendors that accept the County’s Professional Services Agreement with no revisions are preferred to vendors that request revisions. Determining whether any proposed revision is acceptable requires judgement. Minor revisions may be accepted without concern, while larger revisions may be grounds to disqualify a response.

10.3 Procedure. Submitted proposals will be reviewed by the Selection Committee. Proposers who are deemed, based on the selection criteria, fully qualified and best suited among those submitting proposals may be requested to participate in discussions regarding their proposals. Discussion will cover cost, methods of operation, and all other relevant factors.

10.4 At the conclusion of discussions, the proposers will be scored and ranked based on selection criteria, and final recommendations will be submitted to the County Commissioners for consideration.

10.5 The Commissioners may request proposers participate in additional discussions regarding their proposals in order to make a decision on which proposer is offered a contract.

10.6 Contract negotiations will be conducted with the proposer chosen by the Commissioners. If a satisfactory agreement can be reached, the contract shall be awarded to the proposer; otherwise, negotiations will be conducted with a subsequent proposer until a satisfactory contract can be established or until the Commissioners determine that rejection of all proposals is in the best interest of the County.

11.0 Method of Award

11.1 The award will be made to the proposer whose proposal is determined to be professionally and technically complete. The selection process may, however, include a request for additional information or an oral presentation to support the written proposal.

11.2 The County reserves the right to award this contract not necessarily to the proposer with the lowest price, but to the proposer that demonstrates the best ability to fulfill the requirements of the RFP. The successful proposer will be chosen based on the qualifications and selection criteria discussed in the proposal.

11.3 The successful proposer shall commence work only after the transmittal of a fully executed contract and after receiving written notification to proceed from the County. The successful proposer will perform all services indicated in the proposal in compliance with the negotiated contract.

11.4 The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for any reason, in whole or in part, received in response to this RFP. The County will not pay for any information herein requested, nor is it liable for any costs incurred by the proposer. Proposers whose proposals do not meet the mandatory requirements will be considered non-compliant.

After the evaluation of the proposals and selection of the successful proposer, all proposers will be notified in writing of the selected firm.

12.0 Interview/Presentation

The County reserves the sole right, in the best interest of the County, upon review of proposals, to do any of all of the following:

12.1 Request and obtain additional information and/or clarification from prospective proposers.

12.2 Request and schedule proposer(s) to meet and schedule at a designated time, date, and county location for an interview and/or presentation.

13.0 Agreement

13.1 The County reserves the sole right to offer and enter into an agreement with the successful proposer.

13.2 The successful proposer agrees to sign a written Agreement including terms and conditions as specified in this RFP. The County reserves the right to change, add and/or delete terms as determined to be in its best interest.

(A) Contractor agrees to comply with the terms and conditions set forth in its proposal dated (date of proposal), as well as all requirements of the RFP and any addenda thereto; pertinent portions of the proposal submitted by the successful proposer; and any negotiated additions or changes to the received proposal all of which are incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth at length.

(B) The contract sum shall be (awarded amount) as indicated in the Contractor's executed Proposal. Said prices shall be the total compensation paid by the County to the Contractor including all related incidental work thereto.

(C) Contractor further agrees to indemnify and save harmless the County from any and all actions, claims and demands whatsoever that may result from Contractor's use of any facilities owned by the County does further agree to repair any damage to the County-owned property caused by Contractor's negligence or willful actions and the Contractor shall further supply the necessary insurance's as set forth in this proposal.

(D) The parties hereto do hereby agree that they shall comply with all conditions and provisions of the specifications whenever such specifications are not inconsistent with the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and do hereby agree to execute all documents, agreements, and other papers related hereto and in form satisfactory to the County.

(E) HOLD HARMLESS CLAUSE. In the event that any of the insurance hereinbefore provided shall not, by reason of any act, omission or negligence of the Contractor be procured or kept in full force and effect, the Contractor shall indemnify defend & save harmless the County against losses, claims and demands to the same extent as the County and the County would have been indemnified by each insurance if it had been in full force and effect. The Contractor shall also indemnify defend & save harmless the County against any and all losses, claims and demands to the extent that they are not recoverable under each insurance policy solely because of a deductible franchise or average provision therein and to the extent that the proceeds of insurance collections from underwriters are reduced by any customary brokers' commissions.

(F) SUITS AND CLAIMS. The Contractor agrees to indemnify, defend, and save harmless the County and all the officers and subordinates, from all suits and actions of any name, nature, and description brought against them or any of them for or on account of any damages or loss sustained by any party through the Contractor or his agents, servants, or employees in the performance or subsequent to the completion of the work under the contract whether such injury or damages be due to negligence or the inherent nature of the work. It is not the intention of this Section or anything herein provided to confer in a third party beneficiary a right of action upon any person whatsoever and nothing hereinbefore or hereinafter set forth shall be construed so as to confer upon any person other than the County a right of action either under this contract or in any manner whatsoever.

(G) The agreement must be signed by authorized representatives of the Contractor and the Bucks County Board of Commissioners.

13.3 The Agreement must incorporate, in order or precedence, the following:

(A) The Agreement.

(B) The County Request for Proposal (RFP) and addenda thereto.

(C) Pertinent portions of the proposal submitted by the successful proposer.

13.4 The successful proposer who is presented an agreement is required to sign and have witnessed three original agreements. The agreements shall be presented to the Bucks County Commissioners for consideration and/or approval. Upon Commissioners approval and signature, an original agreement shall be forwarded to the successful proposer.

14.0 Term of Agreement

The term of agreement shall be for a five (5) year period, with the option to extend for two additional one-year periods. The County reserves the right to negotiate and change terms and conditions as necessary in the best interest of the County.

15.0 Required Format and Contents of Proposal

All proposals submitted must contain, at a minimum, the following information in the format and order set forth below:

Please Note: The County reserves the sole right to reject any proposal received that is not in the format required. All respondents must respond to the following items in the order listed below.

Responses should be well thought out, thorough and concise. Clarity and brevity will be viewed favorably.

15.1 Cover Letter. A cover letter transmitting the proposal to the County on company letterhead, signed by an official authorized to contract for the firm. The letter must contain the following: Name, title, address, telephone number, and email address of the company's contact person for the proposal; a statement that the proposer understands and agrees with the scope of services and accepts all other requirements, terms, and conditions of the RFP; and identify all materials and enclosures being forwarded in response to the RFP.

15.2 Table of Contents. Provide a listing of all major topics, their associated section number, and starting page number.

15.3 Firm Description. Proposers shall provide a concise overview of their firm, including:

(A) The legal name of the firm and the year established

(B) The location of the firm’s headquarters

(C) The location of the office that will be primarily responsible for serving the County on this project

(D) A brief summary of the firm’s areas of expertise, core services, and relevant experience

(E) Firm structure (e.g., corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship) and ownership information

(F) Copies of applicable licenses and registrations

(G) Any relevant certifications, including but not limited to Women, Minority, and/or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (WMBE/DBE) certifications

(H) Any industry accreditations or professional affiliations deemed relevant to the services proposed.

15.4 Key Personnel. List the key personnel in your firm who will assume day-to-day responsibilities for managing this contract. Indicate the specific responsibilities of individuals to be assigned to this project and include brief resumes for those individuals.

All individuals assigned to the County must have at least demonstrated experience in disciplines as outlined above. No changes to assigned personnel during the term of the appointment will be permitted without the prior consent and written approval of the County.

15.5 Proposed Schedule.

(A) Proposers shall provide a detailed project schedule that clearly identifies:

(B) Major project tasks and milestones

(C) Durations for each task

(D) Start and completion dates

(E) Time allocations for County review

15.6 Description of Services. Provide a detailed description of the specific services to be provided, including whether County employees are needed to participate and if so the extent at which their participation is needed, and the timing and length of this process.

15.7 Relevant Experience. All respondents are expected to be qualified with specific and/or relevant experience in Forensic Crime Lab Operation services. As such, all proposals must include the qualifications and relevant experience of the respondent's personnel including, but not limited to, industry experience. Offeror must have a minimum of 5 years’ experience providing said services.

15.8 Subcontractors. The respondent is to provide the names and addresses of all subcontractors that will be involved in this contract.

15.9 References. List at least three (3) current references for which services were provided that are similar in size and scope to this Request for Proposal. For each reference, provide the client's name, address and contact person and telephone number.

15.10 Cost. In a separate electronic document, provide your cost proposal detailing your fee structure. Please include whether or not you will accept a credit card to pay the invoices issued for this contract.

15.11 Additional Items/Services Offered. Please provide with your proposal, any additional item(s) or services that your organization can provide at no additional cost to the County.

15.12 Required Affidavits. Proposers must submit signed copies of the following affidavits with their proposal:

(A) Conflict of Interest Disclosure

(B) Non-Collusion Affidavit

(C) Antidiscrimination/Sexual Harassment Certification

(D) Certification Regarding Suspension and Debarment

(E) Byrd Anti-Lobbying Certification

15.13 Professional Services Contract. The County’s standard Professional Services Agreement, including all applicable Terms & Conditions, is included as Exhibit C in the

PennBid portal. for reference. Proposers that do not accept the boilerplate contract as written must submit a redlined version of the agreement with their proposal, clearly identifying any requested edits or exceptions. If your firm is selected for award, the County is not obligated to accept all requested redlines or modifications. Any proposed changes will be subject to review and final approval by the County during the contract negotiation process. Please note: Terms and Conditions that are based on federal regulations are non-negotiable and may not be edited.

16.0 General Terms and Conditions

16.1 Independent Capacity of Contractor. The Contractor, its employees and agents, are not deemed to be employees of the County in any manner whatsoever and shall act in an independent capacity and not as officers, employees, or agents of the County.

16.2 Prohibition Against Assignment. The Contractor shall not assign any part of this Agreement without prior written approval of the County.

16.3 Contract Modification, Amendment, and Termination.

(A) This document and all exhibits and attachments, which have been incorporated by reference, contain all terms, provisions and conditions of the Agreement. All provisions thereof are intended by the parties to be whole and entire

(B) Any alteration, variation, modifications, or waiver of any provision of the Agreement shall be valid only when reduced to writing, duly acknowledged by the parties hereto by execution of an addendum, which shall be attached to and become part of this Agreement.

(C) The County reserves the right to suspend, revise, or withhold funds in whole or part for reasons of noncompliance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement.

(D) In addition, the County may terminate this Agreement at any time, upon 10 days written notice delivered by certified mail or in person in which case equitable adjustment will be made for work satisfactorily performed up to the date of notice of termination.

16.4 Confidential Information.

(A) All Information contained in the files of County of Bucks and all departments thereof is considered "Confidential Information". "Confidential Information" means any and all information, data, documents, files and records disclosed to the Contractor by the County either directly or indirectly in writing or orally.

Confidential Information does not include any of the foregoing items which (i) is known to Proposer at the time of disclosure to Proposer by the County as evidenced by written records of the Proposer, (ii) has become publicly known and made generally available through no wrongful act of Proposer or (iii) has been rightfully received by Proposer from a third party who is authorized to make such disclosure.

(B) Proposer agrees not to use any Confidential Information disclosed to it by the County for its use or for any purpose except to carry out discussions concerning, and the undertaking of, any business relationship between Proposer and the County to third parties or to employees of Proposer except employees who are required to have the information in order to carry out the discussions or intentions of the aforementioned relationship. Proposer will have or has had employees who have access to Confidential Information of the County sign a nondisclosure agreement in content substantially similar to this Agreement and will promptly notify the County in writing of the names of each such employee upon the request of the County at any time. Proposer agrees that it will take all reasonable measures to protect the secrecy of and avoid disclosure or use of Confidential Information of the County in order to prevent it from falling into the public domain or the possession of persons other than those persons authorized hereunder to have any such information, which measures shall include the highest degree of care that Proposer utilizes to protect its own Confidential Information of a similar nature. Proposer agrees to notify the County promptly in writing of any misuse or misappropriation of Confidential Information of the County which may come to Proposer's attention.