Bid Notice-Communication Services.pdf

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Attached to
Communication/Low Voltage Consulting Services
Solicitation number
2026-69-
Issued by
Clackamas County, Oregon

About this file

Summary of RFP #2026-69 for Communication Services

This is a Request for Proposals issued by Clackamas County, on behalf of Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES), seeking qualified communications consulting firms to provide on-call strategic communications, public involvement, stakeholder engagement, and marketing support for the WES Capital Improvement Program. The scope of work encompasses a range of services including development and implementation of strategic communication and public involvement plans, stakeholder identification and engagement strategies, project branding, public outreach campaigns, construction communications, preparation of outreach materials, website and social media content development, digital marketing, public meeting facilitation, survey development, and community engagement reporting. The program supports a five-year Capital Improvement Program (FY26-FY31) valued at approximately $237 million, with potential projects including wastewater treatment plant improvements, sewer rehabilitation, pump station upgrades, force main installations, and surface water improvements. WES anticipates awarding up to two contracts with an initial two-year term and a not-to-exceed value of $200,000 per contract. The proposal closing date and time is November 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM Pacific Time, with proposals submitted electronically via Bid Locker. The deadline to submit clarifying questions is October 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM Pacific Time, and the protest of specifications deadline is October 14, 2026, at 5:00 PM Pacific Time. The evaluation committee will review responsive proposals and interview the top four highest-scoring proposers before making a final recommendation.

Pricing shall be submitted on either a time and material with not-to-exceed basis or a fixed fee basis, with proposers required to submit complete hourly rate schedules for all anticipated labor classifications as fully burdened billing rates. WES makes no guarantee regarding the amount of work assigned under the resulting contracts, and services will be authorized on an as-needed basis through individual task orders. Proposers must demonstrate experience providing communications services to public entities, utilities, and infrastructure owners, with particular emphasis on capital improvement projects, wastewater, water, stormwater, and transportation infrastructure projects. Experience engaging diverse audiences including rural and urban communities, businesses, property owners, youth, older adults, underserved populations, and communities of color is strongly desired. Proposers must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA for digital content and coordinate with WES staff and County Communications personnel to ensure consistency with established branding and messaging protocols. Insurance requirements include Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence with $2,000,000 annual aggregate, Professional Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence with $2,000,000 annual aggregate, and Automobile Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence. Proposals are limited to 20 pages and must include firm background and qualifications, project team experience, understanding of WES needs and proposed approach, public outreach and community engagement experience, capacity and availability, fees, and at least three references from clients served within the past three years.

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #2026-69

FOR

COMMUNICATION SERVICES

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

CRAIG ROBERTS, Chair

PAUL SAVAS, Commissioner MARTHA SCHRADER, Commissioner

BEN WEST, Commissioner DIANA HELM, Commissioner

Gary Schmidt

County Administrator

Stephanie Ebner Contract Analyst

PROPOSAL CLOSING DATE, TIME AND LOCATION

DATE: November 4, 2026

TIME: 2:00 PM, Pacific Time

PLACE: Email: https://bidlocker.us/a/clackamascounty/BidLocker

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page ii

SCHEDULE

Request for Proposals Issued ..........................................October 7, 2026

Protest of Specifications Deadline........................................October 14, 2026, 5:00 PM, Pacific Time

Deadline to Submit Clarifying Questions.............................October 21, 2026, 5:00 PM, Pacific Time

Request for Proposals Closing Date and Time ..........November 4, 2026, 2:00 PM, Pacific Time

Deadline to Submit Protest of Award....................................Seven (7) days from the Intent to Award

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1 Notice of Request for Proposals

Section 2 Instructions to Proposers

Section 3 Scope of Work

Section 4 Evaluation and Selection Criteria

Section 5 Proposal Content (Including Proposal Certification)

SECTION 1

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Notice is hereby given that , through its Board of County Commissioners, will receive sealed Proposals per specifications until 2:00 PM, November 4, 2026 , to provide Communication Services. No Proposals will be received or considered after that time.

RFP Documents can be downloaded from the state of Oregon procurement website

O at the following address https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/view/login/login.xhtml, Document No. S-C01010-00018152.

Prospective Proposers will need to sign in to download the information and that information will be accumulated for a Plan Holder's List. Prospective Proposers are responsible for obtaining any Addenda, clarifying questions, and Notices of Award from OregonBuys. Sealed Proposals are to be emailed to https://bidlocker.us/a/clackamascounty/BidLocker.

Submitting Proposals: Bid Locker Proposals will only be accepted electronically thru a secure online bid submission service, Bid Locker.

Email submissions to Clackamas County email addresses will no longer be accepted.

A. Completed proposal documents must arrive electronically via Bid Locker located at https://bidlocker.us/a/clackamascounty/BidLocker.

B. Bid Locker will electronically document the date and time of all submissions. Completed documents must arrive by the deadline indicated in Section 1 or as modified by Addendum.

LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

C. Proposers must register and create a profile for their business with Bid Locker in order to submit for this project. It is free to register for Bid Locker.

D. Proposers with further questions concerning Bid Locker may revie at https://www.clackamas.us/how-to-bid-on-county-projects .

Contact Information Procurement Process and Technical Questions: Stephanie Ebner, sebner@clackamas.us

The Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to reject any and all Proposals not in compliance with all prescribed public bidding procedures and requirements, and may reject for good cause any and all Proposals upon the finding that it is in the public interest to do so and to waive any and all informalities in the public interest. In the award of the contract, the Board of County Commissioners will consider the element of time, will accept the Proposal or Proposals which in their estimation will best serve the interests of Clackamas County and will reserve the right to award the contract to the contractor whose Proposal shall be best for the public good.

Clackamas County encourages proposals from Minority, Women, and Emerging Small Businesses.

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 2

SECTION 2

INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS

RFP the County.

2.1 Modification or Withdrawal of Proposal: Any Proposal may be modified or withdrawn at any time prior to the Closing deadline, provided that a written request is received by the County Procurement Division Director, prior to the Closing. The withdrawal of a Proposal will not prejudice the right of a Proposer to submit a new Proposal.

2.2 Requests for Clarification and Requests for Change: Proposers may submit questions regarding the specifications of the RFP. Questions must be received in writing on or before 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), on the date indicated in the Schedule, at the Procurement Division address as listed in Section 1 of this RFP.

Requests for changes must include the reason for the change and any proposed changes to the requirements.

The purpose of this requirement is to permit County to correct, prior to the opening of Proposals, RFP terms or technical requirements that may be unlawful, improvident or which unjustifiably restrict competition.

County will consider all requested changes and, if appropriate, amend the RFP. No oral or written instructions or information concerning this RFP from County managers, employees or agents to prospective Proposers shall bind County unless included in an Addendum to the RFP.

2.3 Protests of the RFP/Specifications: Protests must be in accordance with LCRB C-047-0730.

Protests of Specifications must be received in writing on or before 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), on the date indicated in the Schedule, or within three (3) business days of issuance of any addendum, at the Procurement Division address listed in Section 1 of this RFP. Protests may not be faxed. Protests of the RFP specifications must include the reason for the protest and any proposed changes to the requirements.

2.4 Addenda: If any part of this RFP is changed, an addendum will be provided to Proposers that have provided an address to the Procurement Division for this procurement. It shall be Proposers responsibility to regularly check OregonBuys for any notices, published addenda, or response to clarifying questions.

2.5 Submission of Proposals: Proposals must be submitted in accordance with Section 5. All Proposals shall be legibly written in ink or typed and comply in all regards with the requirements of this RFP. Proposals that include orders or qualifications may be rejected as irregular. All Proposals must include a signature that intent to be bound by the Proposal (may be on cover letter, on the Proposal, or the Proposal Certification Form) shall be signed. If a Proposal is submitted by a firm or partnership, the name and address of the firm or partnership shall be shown, together with the names and addresses of the members. If the Proposal is submitted by a corporation, it shall be signed in the name of such corporation by an official who is authorized to bind the contractor. The Proposals will be considered by the County to be submitted in confidence and are not subject to public disclosure until the notice of intent to award has been issued.

No late Proposals will be accepted. Proposals submitted after the Closing will be considered late and will be returned unopened. Proposals may not be submitted by telephone or fax.

2.6 Post-Selection Review and Protest of Award: County will name the apparent successful Proposer in a Notice of Intent to Award published on OregonBuys. Identification of the apparent successful Proposer is procedural only and creates no right of the named Proposer to award of the contract. Competing Proposers shall be given seven (7) calendar days from the date on the Notice of Intent to Award to review the file at the Procurement Division office and file a written protest of award, pursuant to LCRB C-047-0740. Any award protest must be in writing and must be delivered by hand-delivery or mail to the address for the Procurement Division as listed in Section 1 of this RFP.

Only actual Proposers may protest if they believe they have been adversely affected because the Proposer would be eligible to be awarded the contract in the event the protest is successful. The basis of the written protest must

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 3 be in accordance with ORS 279B.410 and shall specify the grounds upon which the protest is based. In order to be an adversely affected Proposer with a right to submit a written protest, a Proposer must be next in line for award, i.e. the protester must claim that all higher rated Proposers are ineligible for award because they are non-responsive or non-responsible.

County will consider any protests received and:

a. reject all protests and proceed with final evaluation of, and any allowed contract language negotiation with, the apparent successful Proposer and, pending the satisfactory outcome of this final evaluation and negotiation, enter into a contract with the named Proposer; OR

b. sustain a meritorious protest(s) and reject the apparent successful Proposer as nonresponsive, if such Proposer is unable to demonstrate that its Proposal complied with all material requirements of the solicitation and Oregon public procurement law; thereafter, County may name a new apparent successful Proposer; OR

c. reject all Proposals and cancel the procurement.

2.7 Acceptance of Contractual Requirements: Failure of the selected Proposer to execute a contract and deliver required insurance certificates within ten (10) calendar days after notification of an award may result in cancellation of the award. This time period may be extended at the option of County.

2.8 Public Records:

This RFP and one copy of each original Proposal received in response to it, together with copies of all documents pertaining to the award of a contract, will be kept and made a part of a file or record which will be open to public inspection. If a Proposal contains any information that is considered a TRADE SECRET under ORS 192.345(2), SUCH INFORMATION MUST BE LISTED ON A SEPARATE SHEET CAPABLE OF SEPARATION

FROM THE REMAINING PROPOSAL AND MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH THE

FOLLOWING LEGEND:

345(2), and shall not be disclosed except in

The Oregon Public Records Law exempts from disclosure only bona fide trade secrets, and the exemption from

(ORS 192.345).

Therefore, non-disclosure of documents, or any portion of a document submitted as part of a Proposal, may depend upon official or judicial determinations made pursuant to the Public Records Law.

2.9 Investigation of References: County reserves the right to investigate all references in addition to those supplied references and investigate past performance of any Proposer with respect to its successful performance of similar services, its compliance with specifications and contractual obligations, its completion or delivery of a project on schedule, its lawful payment of subcontractors and workers, and any other factor relevant to this RFP. County may postpone the award or the execution of the contract after the announcement of the apparent successful Proposer in order to complete its investigation.

2.10 RFP Proposal Preparation Costs and Other Costs: Proposer costs of developing the Proposal, cost of attendance at an interview (if requested by County), or any other costs are entirely the responsibility of the Proposer, and will not be reimbursed in any manner by County.

2.11 Clarification and Clarity: County reserves the right to seek clarification of each Proposal, or to make an award without further discussion of Proposals received. Therefore, it is important that each Proposal be submitted initially in the most complete, clear, and favorable manner possible.

2.12 Right to Reject Proposals: County reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals or to withdraw any item from the award, if such rejection or withdrawal would be in the public interest, as determined by County.

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 4

2.13 Cancellation: County reserves the right to cancel or postpone this RFP at any time or to award no contract.

2.14 Proposal Terms: All Proposals, including any price quotations, will be valid and firm through a period of one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days following the Closing date. County may require an extension of this firm offer period. Proposers will be required to agree to the longer time frame in order to be further considered in the procurement process.

2.15 Oral Presentations:

their Proposals to County, a process which would provide an opportunity for the Proposer to clarify or elaborate s original Proposal. If the evaluating committee requests presentations, the Procurement Division will schedule the time and location for said presentation. Any costs of participating in such presentations will be borne solely by Proposer and will not be reimbursed by County. Note: Oral presentations are at the discretion of the evaluating committee and may not be conducted;

therefore, written Proposals should be complete.

2.16 Usage: It is the intention of County to utilize the services of the successful Proposer(s) to provide services as outlined in the below Scope of Work.

2.17 Review for Responsiveness: Upon receipt of all Proposals, the Procurement Division or designee will determine the responsiveness of all Proposals before submitting them to the evaluation committee. If a Proposal is incomplete or non-responsive in significant part or in whole, it will be rejected and will not be submitted to the evaluation committee. County reserves the right to determine if an inadvertent error is solely clerical or is a minor informality which may be waived, and then to determine if an error is grounds for disqualif the reason(s) the Proposal is non-responsive. One copy of the Proposal will be archived and all others discarded.

2.18 RFP Incorporated into Contract: This RFP will become part of the Contract between County and the selected contractor(s). The contractor(s) will be bound to perform according to the terms of this RFP, their Proposal(s), and the terms of the Sample Contract.

2.19 Communication Blackout Period: Except as called for in this RFP, Proposers may not communicate with members of the Evaluation Committee or other County employees or representatives about the RFP during the procurement process until the apparent successful Proposer is selected, and all protests, if any, have been resolved. Communication in violation of this restriction may result in rejection of a Proposer.

2.20 Prohibition on Commissions and Subcontractors: County will contract directly with persons/entities capable of performing the requirements of this RFP. Contractors must be represented directly.

Participation by brokers or commissioned agents will not be allowed during the Proposal process. Contractor shall not use subcontractors to perform the Work unless specifically pre-authorized in writing to do so by the County. Contractor represents that any employees assigned to perform the Work, and any authorized subcontractors performing the Work, are fully qualified to perform the tasks assigned to them, and shall perform the Work in a competent and professional manner. Contractor shall not be permitted to add on any fee or charge for subcontractor Work. Contractor shall provide, if requested, any documents relating to

2.21 Ownership of Proposals: All Proposals in response to this RFP are the sole property of County, and subject to the provisions of ORS 192.410-192.505 (Public Records Act).

2.22 Clerical Errors in Awards: County reserves the right to correct inaccurate awards resulting from its clerical errors.

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 5

2.23 Rejection of Qualified Proposals: Proposals may be rejected in whole or in part if they attempt to limit or modify any of the terms, conditions, or specifications of the RFP or the Sample Contract.

2.24 Collusion: By responding, the Proposer states that the Proposal is not made in connection with any competing Proposer submitting a separate response to the RFP, and is in all aspects fair and without collusion or fraud. Proposer also certifies that no officer, agent, elected official, or employee of County has a pecuniary interest in this Proposal.

2.25 Evaluation Committee: Proposals will be evaluated by a committee consisting of representatives from County and potentially external representatives. County reserves the right to modify the Evaluation Committee make-up in its sole discretion.

2.26 Commencement of Work: The contractor shall commence no work until all insurance requirements have been met, the Protest of Awards deadline has been passed, any protest have been decided, a contract has been fully executed, and a Notice to Proceed has been issued by County.

2.27 Nondiscrimination: The successful Proposer agrees that, in performing the work called for by this RFP and in securing and supplying materials, contractor will not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religious creed, political ideas, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, physical or mental handicap, national origin or ancestry, or any other class protected by applicable law.

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 6

SECTION 3

SCOPE OF WORK

3.1. INTRODUCTION

Clackamas County, on behalf of , is seeking Proposals from qualified communications consulting firms to provide on-call strategic communications, public involvement, stakeholder engagement, and marketing support for the WES Capital Improvement Program.

Please direct all Technical/Specifications or Procurement Process Questions to the indicated representative referenced in the Notice of Request for Proposals and note the communication restriction outlined in Section 2.19.

3.2 BACKGROUND

On behalf of our customers, WES operates and maintains more than 360 miles of sanitary sewer pipelines, interceptors and force mains, 23 wastewater pumping stations, five Water Resource Recovery Facilities ( WRRFs ), and the local collection system in Happy Valley and unincorporated areas within the service area. Each of the treatment facilities hold individual permits, four of which are National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ( NPDES ) permits that allow wastewater that is treated and cleaned to be discharged to rivers in the state of Oregon. WES treats more than 7 billion gallons of wastewater per year and complies with all of the terms of its permits.

WES is also responsible for surface water management facilities. Although WES constructs a limited amount of surface water infrastructure, it operates the vast majority of public surface water infrastructure constructed with transportation systems and residential subdivisions. This includes hundreds of miles of storm pipelines, thousands of inlets, and over 300 water quality treatment facilities, in public right-of-way and on private property. State and federal water quality regulations require that the public surface water system be adequately inspected, maintained, expanded and repaired.

WES is committed to building collaborative partnerships that result in a resilient clean water future where all people benefit, and rivers thrive through proactive engagement, effective communication, public education, and community leadership.

3.3. SCOPE OF WORK

Clackamas Water Environment Services is seeking Proposals from qualified communications consulting firms to provide on-call strategic communications, public involvement, stakeholder engagement, and marketing support for the WES Capital Improvement Program.

WES currently manages a five-year Capital Improvement Program (FY26-FY31) valued at approximately $237 million. Many capital projects require proactive communication, stakeholder engagement, public involvement, and community outreach to support successful project delivery.

The intent of this RFP is to establish a roster of qualified firms to provide on-call communications and public involvement services. WES anticipates awarding up to two (2) contracts with an initial term of two

(2) years. Each contract will have a not-to-exceed value of $200,000. WES makes no guarantee regarding the amount of work assigned under the resulting contracts. Services will be authorized on an as-needed basis through individual task orders.

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 7

WES is seeking experienced communications partners that can support a wide range of capital infrastructure projects, including wastewater treatment plant improvements, sewer rehabilitation projects, pump station upgrades, force main installations, surface water improvements, capacity enhancement projects, regulatory compliance initiatives, and other capital projects undertaken by WES.

Work will be assigned through project-specific task orders and may vary in scope, duration, and complexity. Typical assignments may include, but are not limited to:

Development and implementation of strategic communication and public involvement plans

Stakeholder identification and engagement strategies

Project branding and key message development

Public outreach and education campaigns

Construction communications and community relations

Preparation of project fact sheets, newsletters, mailers, and other outreach materials

Development of website and social media content

Digital marketing and multimedia communications

Public meeting, open house, and workshop planning and facilitation

Survey development, polling, and stakeholder feedback collection

Community engagement reporting and outreach effectiveness evaluation

Communications support during project design, construction, and project closeout

For each task order, WES staff will work collaboratively with the selected consultant to define project objectives, scope, schedule, deliverables, and budget.

WES is seeking firms with demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas:

Strategic communication planning

Public outreach, education, and stakeholder engagement

Community relations and issue management

Social media strategy and content development

Storytelling and content creation

Copywriting and technical communications

Research, evaluation, and analytics

Graphic design and visual communications

Digital and multimedia storytelling

Videography and photography

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 8

Public meetings and open houses (virtual and in-person)

Facilitation and stakeholder workshops

Listening sessions and focus groups

Surveys and polling

Signage and wayfinding communications

Printed collateral and outreach materials

Experience engaging diverse audiences, including rural and urban communities, businesses, property owners, youth, older adults, underserved populations, and communities of color is strongly desired.

WES maintains its own branding standards and coordinates communications through Clackamas County communication channels. The selected consultant(s) will work closely with WES staff and County Communications personnel to ensure all outreach materials are consistent with established branding, messaging, and communication protocols. Digital content must conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.

Current communication channels

The county manages the following digital channels:

- Website: www.clackamas.us/wes

- X: www.x.com/clackamascounty

- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ClackamasCounty

- Nextdoor: www.nextdoor.com/agency-detail/or/clackamas/clackamas-county

- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ClackamasCounty

- YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ClackamasCounty

- Email Marketing

3.3.3. Term of Contract:

WES anticipates awarding up to two (2) contracts with an initial term of two (2) years. Each contract will have a not-to-exceed value of $200,000. WES makes no guarantee regarding the amount of work assigned under the resulting contracts. Services will be authorized on an as-needed basis through individual task orders.

3.3.4 Sample Contract: Submission of a Proposal in response to this RFP willingness to enter into a contract containing substantially the same terms (including insurance requirements) of the sample contract identified below. No action or response to the sample contract is required under this RFP. Any objections to the sample contract terms should be raised in accordance with Paragraphs 2.2 or 2.3 of this RFP, pertaining to requests for clarification or change or protest of the RFP/specifications, and as otherwise provided for in this RFP. This RFP and all supplemental information in response to this RFP will be a binding part of the final contract.

The applicable Sample Personal Services Contract this RFP can be found at https://www.clackamas.us/finance/terms.html.

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 9

Personal Services Contract (unless checked, item does not apply) The following paragraphs of the Professional Services Contract will be applicable:

Article I, Paragraph 5 Travel and Other Expense is Authorized Article II, Paragraph 27 Confidentiality Article II, Paragraph 28 Criminal Background Check Requirements Article II, Paragraph 29 Key Persons Exhibit A On-Call Provision

The following insurance requirements will be applicable:

Commercial General Liability: combined single limit, or the equivalent, of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, with an annual aggregate limit of $2,000,000 for Bodily Injury and Property Damage.

Professional Liability: combined single limit, or the equivalent, of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, with an annual aggregate limit of $2,000,000 for damages caused by error, omission or negligent acts.

Automobile Liability: combined single limit, or the equivalent, of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence for Bodily Injury and Property Damage.

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 10

SECTION 4

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

4.1 An evaluation committee will review all Proposals that are initially deemed responsive and they shall rank the Proposals in accordance with the below criteria. After which the evaluation committee will interview the top four (4) highest scoring proposers. The invited Proposers will be notified of the time, place, and format of the interview/presentation.

Written Proposals must be complete and no additions, deletions, or substitutions will be permitted during the interview/presentation (if any). The evaluation committee will recommend award of a contract to the final County decision maker based on the highest scoring Proposal. The County decision maker reserves the right to accept the recommendation, award to a different Proposer, or reject all Proposals and cancel the RFP.

Proposers are not permitted to directly communicate with any member of the evaluation committee during the evaluation process. All communication will be facilitated through the Procurement representative.

4.2 Evaluation Criteria

Category Points available:

Firm Experience and Qualifications 0-25 Project Team Experience and Qualifications 0-25 Understanding of WES Needs and Proposed Approach 0-25 Public Outreach and Community Engagement Experience 0-15 Fees, Capacity, Availability, and Responsiveness 0-10

Available points 0-100

Interview 0-10

4.3 Once a selection has been made, the County will enter into contract negotiations. During negotiation, the County may require any additional information it deems necessary to clarify the approach and understanding of the requested services. Any changes agreed upon during contract negotiations will become part of the final contract. The negotiations will identify a level of work and associated fee that best represents the efforts required. If the County is unable to come to terms with the highest scoring Proposer, discussions shall be terminated and negotiations will begin with the next highest scoring Proposer. If the resulting contract contemplates multiple phases and the County deems it is in its interest to not authorize any particular phase, it reserves the right to return to this solicitation and commence negotiations with the next highest ranked Proposer to complete the remaining phases.

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 11

SECTION 5

PROPOSAL CONTENTS

5.1. Vendors must observe submission instructions and be advised as follows:

5.1.1. Complete Proposals must be emailed to https://bidlocker.us/a/clackamascounty/BidLocker. The subject line of the email must identify the RFP title. Proposers are encouraged to contact Procurement to confirm receipt of the Proposal.

5.1.2. County reserves the right to solicit additional information or Proposal clarification from the vendors, or any one vendor, should the County deem such information necessary.

5.1.3. Proposal may not exceed a total of 20 pages (single-sided), inclusive of all exhibits, attachments, title pages, pages separations, table of contents, or other information. The Proposal Certification Page will NOT count towards the final page count. Pages shall be 8- -spaced.

Provide the following information in the order in which it appears below:

5.2. Proposer s General Background and Qualifications:

Description of the firm.

Credentials/experience of key individuals that would be assigned to this project.

Description of providing similar services to public entities of similar size within the past five (5) years.

Description of what distinguishes the firm from other firms performing a similar service.

5.3. Scope of Work

A selection committee will evaluate and score Statements of Qualifications based on the criteria described below. WES reserves the right to select one or more firms for interviews and to request clarifications or additional information as part of the evaluation process.

1. Firm Experience and Qualifications (25 Points)

The proposer's demonstrated experience providing strategic communications, public involvement, public outreach, and stakeholder engagement services for public agencies, utilities, infrastructure owners, or similar organizations.

Evaluation considerations include:

Experience supporting capital improvement projects and construction-related communications.

Experience developing communication and public involvement plans.

Experience supporting wastewater, water, stormwater, transportation, environmental, or other public infrastructure projects.

Demonstrated success providing on-call communication services for public agencies.

Experience coordinating with project managers, engineers, contractors, elected officials, regulatory agencies, and community stakeholders.

2. Project Team Experience and Qualifications (25 Points)

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 12

The qualifications, experience, and availability of the proposed project manager and key personnel assigned to this contract.

Evaluation considerations include:

Relevant experience of proposed staff.

Experience with public outreach, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, digital communications, graphic design, content creation, and public meeting support.

Experience working on complex or high-profile infrastructure projects.

Availability of specialized resources to support a variety of communication needs.

Overall depth and strength of the proposed team.

3. Understanding of WES Needs and Proposed Approach (25 Points)

The proposer's understanding of WES's Capital Improvement Program and its approach to providing communication and public involvement services.

Evaluation considerations include:

Understanding of communication challenges associated with capital improvement projects.

Ability to develop project-specific communication strategies.

Understanding of best practices for public involvement and stakeholder engagement.

Ability to communicate technical information to non-technical audiences.

Creativity, innovation, and practicality of the proposed approach.

4. Public Outreach and Community Engagement Experience (15 Points)

The proposer's demonstrated ability to engage diverse stakeholders and communities.

Evaluation considerations include:

Experience planning and facilitating public meetings, open houses, workshops, listening sessions, and stakeholder meetings.

Experience conducting surveys, polling, and other engagement activities.

Experience engaging diverse audiences, including rural communities, underserved populations, communities of color, businesses, and property owners.

Experience measuring and evaluating outreach effectiveness.

Demonstrated success resolving community concerns and building public trust.

5. Capacity, Availability, and Responsiveness (10 Points)

The proposer's ability to provide timely and effective support under an on-call contract.

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Evaluation considerations include:

Ability to respond quickly to task order requests.

Capacity to manage multiple assignments simultaneously.

Project management and quality control procedures.

Availability of key staff throughout the contract period.

Demonstrated history of meeting schedules and client expectations.

Optional Interviews

WES reserves the right to conduct interviews with the highest-ranked firms. If interviews are conducted, interview scores may be incorporated into the final ranking. Firms selected for interviews will be notified and provided additional information regarding the interview process.

5.4. Fees

Fees should be on a time and material with a not to exceed fee basis or fixed fee basis]. Proposers shall submit a complete hourly rate schedule for all labor classifications anticipated to perform work under this contract. Rates shall be provided as fully burdened billing rates.

5.5. References

Provide at least three (3) references from clients your firm has served similar to the County in the past three (3) years, including one client that has newly engaged the firm in the past thirty-six (36) months and one (1) long-term client. Provide the name, address, email, and phone number of the references. Please note the required three references may not be from County staff, but additional references may be supplied.

5.6. Completed Proposal Certification (see the below form)

RFP 2026-69-Communication Services Page 14

PROPOSAL CERTIFICATION

RFP #2026-69

Submitted by:

(Must be entity full legal name, and State of Formation)

Each Proposer must read, complete and submit a copy of this Proposal Certification with their Proposal. Failure to do so may result in rejection of the Proposal. By signature on this Proposal Certification, the undersigned certifies that they are authorized to act on behalf of the Proposer and that under penalty of perjury, the undersigned will comply with the following:

SECTION I. OREGON TAX LAWS: As required in ORS 279B.110(2)(e), the undersigned hereby certifies that, to

Proposer is not in violation of any Oregon Tax Laws. For purposes of

ORS 305.620 and ORS chapters 316, 317 and 318. If a contract is executed, this information will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Information not matching IRS records could subject Proposer to 24% backup withholding.

SECTION II. NON-DISCRIMINATION: That the Proposer has not and will not discriminate in its employment practices with regard to race, creed, age, religious affiliation, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or any other protected class. Nor has Proposer or will Proposer discriminate against a subcontractor in the awarding of a subcontract because the subcontractor is a disadvantaged business enterprise, a minority-owned business, a woman-owned business, a business that a service-disabled veteran owns or an emerging small business that is certified under ORS 200.055.

SECTION III. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The undersigned hereby certifies that no elected official, officer, agent or employee of Clackamas County is personally interested, directly or indirectly, in any resulting contract from this RFP, or the compensation to be paid under such contract, and that no representation, statements (oral or in writing), of the County, its elected officials, officers, agents, or employees had induced Proposer to submit this Proposal. In addition, the undersigned hereby certifies that this proposal is made without connection with any person, firm, or corporation submitting a proposal for the same material, and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud.

SECTION IV. COMPLIANCE WITH SOLICITATION: The undersigned further agrees and certifies that they:

1. Have read, understand and agree to be bound by and comply with all requirements, instructions, specifications, terms and conditions of the RFP (including any attachments); and

2. Are an authorized representative of the Proposer, that the information provided is true and accurate, and that providing incorrect or incomplete information may be cause for rejection of the Proposal or contract termination; and

3. Will furnish the designated item(s) and/or service(s) in accordance with the RFP and Proposal; and

4. Will use recyclable products to the maximum extend economically feasible in the performance of the contract work set forth in this RFP.

Name:_______________________________________ Date:______________________________________

Signature:____________________________________ Title:______________________________________

Email:_______________________________________ Telephone:_________________________________

Oregon Business Registry Number:________________ OR CCB # (if applicable):________________________

Business Designation (check one):

Corporation Partnership Sole Proprietorship Non-Profit Limited Liability Company

Resident Quoter, as defined in ORS 279A.120 Non-Resident Quote. Resident State:__________________________

File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .