CITY OF TUCSON

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

260135

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTING & ADMINISTRATION PLATFORM

Due Date: Friday, November 14, 2025

City of Tucson

255 W Alameda St

Tucson, AZ 85701

Procurement portal https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/tucson-az

Public Portal https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/tucson-az/projects/202680

PUBLISH DATE: October 15, 2025 https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7Bproject.government.code%7D https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7Bproject.government.code%7D/projects/%7Bproject.id%7D https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7Bproject.government.code%7D/projects/%7Bproject.id%7D

CITY OF TUCSON REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 260135

BUSINESS SERVICES DEPARTMENT Page 2 of 51 SHARED SERVICES PROCUREMENT DIVISION RESPONSIBLE CONTRACT OFFICER: Salvador Servin III

255 W. ALAMEDA, 6TH FLOOR, TUCSON, AZ 85701 PH: (520) 837-4141

Attachments:

A - Offer and Acceptance C - Axia Cooperative Purchasing Program

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A. NOTICE

A.1. CITY OF TUCSON

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO 260135

TITLE: Campaign Finance Reporting & Administration Platform

SUBMITTAL DUE DATE: Friday, November 14, 2025 AT 2:00 P.M. LOCAL AZ TIME

PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING DATE: Monday, October 27, 2025

TIME: 10:00 am LOCAL AZ TIME

LOCATION: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVjNC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4ZDg0%40thread.

v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d Meeting ID: 211 887 138 167 0 Passcode: Wn2Ps6WE Dial in by phone +1 213-293-2303,,749185183# United States, Los Angeles Find a local number Phone conference ID: 749 185 183#

QUESTIONS SHALL BE DIRECTED TO: Salvador Servin III

(520) 837-4141 salvador.serviniii@tucsonaz.gov

Posted Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Competitive sealed offers for the material or service specified in this solicitation must be submitted through the City’s online bidding system. No late submitted offer will be accepted or considered.

Reponses submitted in physical form or by facsimile or email will not be considered. Offerors are cautioned to commence the submittal process sufficiently ahead of time to allow for unanticipated delays resulting from things like a slow internet connection, internet outage, difficulty uploading large documents, differing system requirements, etc.

Questions about this solicitation must be addressed to the responsible Contract Officer listed herein.

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B. INTRODUCTION

B.1. Summary

The City of Tucson is seeking an online software as a service (SaaS) or hosted solution from a qualified Offeror, or Offerors, to provide electronic compiling and filing services for local political committees' and candidates' Campaign Finance Reports. A reporting system for disclosing these financial transactions aims to allow for auditing campaigns’ compliance with local requirements, and to ensure transparency in local campaigns’ financial activity. Audits include verification of data entry with uploaded supporting source documents.

B.2. Background

The City of Tucson is committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and public confidence in local government. Campaign Finance requirements in Tucson are governed by both Arizona state law and the Tucson City Charter and Code. These laws require candidates and political committees to file periodic financial reports, disclosing all financial transactions.

Campaign Finance Reports for candidates and political committees must disclose contributions and expenditures in accordance with Arizona law and Tucson City Code. This includes additional requirements for participants in the City’s optional Public Matching Funds (PMF) program, who must meet specific qualification, reporting, and compliance obligations distinct from traditional (non-participating) candidates. These reports are filed with the City Clerk’s Office and include pre-election and post-election statements, as well as quarterly filings. The purpose of these disclosures is to provide transparency into campaign financing. Currently, the City of Tucson provides public access to campaign finance filings through its website at no cost to candidates, committees, or the public.

At present, the City of Tucson manages these filings through manual processes, which can be burdensome for filers, staff, and members of the public seeking access to information. By implementing an electronic reporting and filing system, the City seeks to modernize its approach, facilitate streamlined compliance audits, reduce administrative overhead, and expand transparency. The City is open to solutions that not only meet statutory requirements but also offer enhanced functionality, such as automated notifications, advanced reporting tools, and user-friendly search capabilities. The system must also fully support the administration of the City’s Public Matching Funds program, including qualifying contribution tracking, specialized reporting for PMF candidates, and compliance verification through audits of filed reports and corresponding supporting documents.

NATIONAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Axia Coop LLC (“Axia Cooperative” or “Axia”) is a national public sector cooperative purchasing organization. Axia works with respected leaders from the public procurement community to offer a growing portfolio of master agreements that leverage national volume to deliver savings, efficiency, and innovation for non-federal public sector agencies. Each agreement is publicly solicited by a lead agency utilizing the strictest of procurement standards. The resulting awards address the dynamic needs of today’s evolving market while providing both value and cutting-edge solutions. For more information about the contracting process, please visit axiacoop.org/contracting-process.

The City of Tucson has entered into an agreement with Axia Cooperative to facilitate the Request For Proposals (RFP) and act as the primary contracting authority for the term of the resulting contract(s).

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Resulting contract(s) is/are made available to other public agencies nationally for “piggybacking” through the Axia Cooperative purchasing program and authorized by various joint powers authority statutes, rules and regulations within each state and local jurisdiction.

While Axia Cooperative makes no guarantees as to exact quantities and/or purchase volume made by Participating Agencies, the estimated annual volume for purchases made nationwide through this contract category is $25,000,000. Please see Attachment C for more information regarding the Axia Cooperative purchasing program.

B.3. Contact Information

Salvador Servin III Contract Officer Email: salvador.serviniii@tucsonaz.gov Phone: (520) 837-4141 Department:

City Clerks Office

B.4. Timeline mailto:salvador.serviniii@tucsonaz.gov tel:(520)837-4141

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Issue Date October 15, 2025

Pre-Submittal Meeting (Non- Mandatory)

October 27, 2025, 10:00am https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVj NC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4Z Dg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid %22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a% 220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d

Meeting ID: 211 887 138 167 0 Passcode: Wn2Ps6WE Dial in by phone +1 213-293-2303,,749185183# United States, Los Angeles Find a local number Phone conference ID: 749 185 183#

Question Submission Deadline November 5, 2025, 2:00pm

Submittal Due Date November 14, 2025, 2:00pm https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVjNC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4ZDg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVjNC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4ZDg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVjNC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4ZDg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVjNC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4ZDg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVjNC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4ZDg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVjNC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4ZDg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVjNC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4ZDg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDU5MTJkZDMtMTVjNC00N2FlLTk1NmItMWRhYmM1MWE4ZDg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d21e59ec-c208-43eb-aaf1-cf06d9a196e0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220c9e990b-c4dd-43df-a6c3-e99db0789320%22%7d

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C. SCOPE OF WORK

C.1. Campaign Finance Reporting

A. General Requirements

1. The Offeror must stay current with all applicable Arizona statutes, the Tucson City Code, and other legal requirements related to campaign finance, the City's Public Matching Funds (PMF) program, and any forms or updates disseminated by the Arizona Secretary of State, City Clerk’s Office, or other governing authorities.

2. The Offeror must comply with all laws and regulations applicable to the collection, processing, secure storage, transmission, and dissemination of personal information.

3. The proposed solution must be secure and fully operational no later than June 2026.

4. The system must be flexible and adaptable to new or updated processes as required by law or the City of Tucson.

5. The Offeror must supply email support for City staff with an expected turnaround time of one business day or less.

6. Offeror-hosted servers must be readily accessible by the Offeror. Server access shall be restricted to qualified Offeror employees and individuals specifically designated by the City of Tucson.

7. The Offeror must operate and maintain servers in good working order, ensuring reliability and security of the hosted platform.

8. The Offeror must provide regular backups of all City data. Backups shall occur at least nightly and be stored at a minimum of two remote locations within the United States. No backups may be stored outside of the United States.

9. The Offeror must provide staff support to City staff and end-users during the City of Tucson normal business hours 8:00am to 5:00pm, AZ time, by phone, email, or virtual/in-person meeting. This support shall be provided at no additional cost to the City.

10. The Offeror must provide in-person, virtual, and telephone training for City staff and end-users at no additional cost.

11. The Offeror must ensure future system upgrades are administered and implemented by vendor staff at no additional cost to the City.

B. Functional Requirements

1. The electronic campaign finance reporting solution must support migration of data from the City’s current system and must accommodate current and past election filings. The system must provide, at a minimum, the following functionality:

a. Secure user login capability, allowing the City to assign user IDs and passwords to filers, and maintain user accounts, with options for Single Sign-On (SSO) credentialing for City personnel.

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b. The system must support enforcement of SSO for administrative users using industry-standard SAML or OIDC protocols at no additional cost.

c. Secure electronic signature capabilities for filers.

d. Validation of submitted filings with automated notification to the filer regarding acceptance or rejection of the filing, including reasons for rejection when applicable.

e. Online data entry and file upload capability for filers.

f. Ability to accept and display high-quality scanned images of forms submitted in hard copy format.

g. Options for form printing, both as hard copies and as PDFs.

h. Ability to export data to Excel.

i. Capability to produce two PDF versions of filed forms: one redacted for public access and one non-redacted for City staff use.

j. Automatic redaction of fields required by law prior to public viewing.

k. Public access to form viewing and printing.

l. Public notification that full, unredacted filings are available for review in the Office of the City Clerk.

m. Comprehensive tracking of filers and electronically filed forms within a secure database.

n. Capability to automatically and manually generate and distribute email notifications and reminders to filers, including but not limited to:

i. Welcome notices

ii. Deadline reminders

iii. Amendment notices

iv. Late filing notices

v. Fine notices

o. Distinct Reporting Periods (date ranges), deadlines, and Election Cycles, for PMF (participating) Candidates versus traditional (non-participating) Candidates versus Political Action Committees/Political Parties

p. Distinct workflows for PMF (participating) Candidates versus traditional (non-participating) Candidates and Political Action Committees/Political Parties

q. Tools to track deadlines, delinquencies, and automatically generate corresponding email notices and letters, with automatic calculation of applicable fines.

r. Fully documented systems with detailed filer manuals for both filers and City staff.

s. Guardrails to prevent duplicate profiles for the same contributor and/or vendor, to ensure accurate calculation of total contributions from, and expenditures to, each.

t. Public transparency components with advanced search capabilities accessible via the City’s website, including:

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i. Search by election cycle

ii. Search by contributor, vendor, occupation, employer, address, date range, and transaction type within selected filing(s) and/or across all filing.

iii. Advanced transaction searches across all electronically filed statements

iv. Wildcard searches across various fields (e.g., contributor names, committee names, date ranges) with aggregated results and totals of monetary and non-monetary contributions and

v. Aggregation and calculation of contributions between specified contributors within defined election cycles

vi. Display of contributors and all campaigns to which they have contributed, including corresponding dates and amounts, with option to export data to Microsoft Excel.

u. System must support, at a minimum, forms equivalent to Arizona Campaign Finance Report forms or City-specific disclosure forms as designated by the City Clerk. Forms include calculations more complex than, but similar in function to, income tax returns with multiple schedules attached.

v. Campaign treasurers (filers) must be able to use a single login to manage multiple campaigns, as applicable.

w. Administrator Dashboard

i. Real-Time tracking of all submitted, pending, or rejected filings.

ii. Alerts for upcoming and missed deadlines.

iii. Search, filter, and export functions by filer, filing type, status, or date range/election cycle.

iv. Ability to generate compliance and status reports across all candidates and committees.

v. Ability to delete, restore, and unpublish files

vi. Indication of other administrators simultaneously accessing and/or processing the same submission, filer account, etc., to help facilitate collaboration and prevent overwriting one another.

C.2. Public Matching Funds

A. The campaign finance solution must provide the following functionality in addition to general disclosure requirements

1. Tracking and calculating of contributions and expenditures in accordance with Arizona law and Tucson City Code.

2. Specialized support for Public Matching Funds (PMF) Candidates, including:

a. Reporting Schedules (list of transactions) based on type of transaction, including:

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i. Qualifying Contributions from Individual City Residents (with guardrails to ensure each contributor is listed no more than once on this Schedule; additional contributions from the same contributor would be entered on the next Schedule, “Contributions from Individuals”)

ii. Contributions from Individuals

iii. Contributions from the Candidate’s Family Members

iv. Contributions from the Candidate

v. Contributions from Political Committees

vi. In-Kind Contributions (with sub-menu for source – Individual/City Resident, Family Member, Candidate, Prohibited)

vii. Public Matching Funds Received

viii. Prohibited Contributions (City Employees, Anonymous, Corporations, LLCs)

ix. Offsets to Prohibited Contributions (Refunds made)

x. Offsets to Contributions (Refunds made)

xi. Loans from the Candidate

xii. Loans from the Candidate’s Family Members

xiii. Loans from Others xiv.Expenditures for Operating Expenses

xv. In-Kind Expenditures xvi.Public Matching Funds Returned

xvii. Offsets to Operating Expenses (Refunds/Rebates received)

xviii. Repayment of Loans from the Candidate xix.Repayment of Loans from the Candidate’s Family Members

xx. Repayment of Loans from Others xxi.Any Other Disbursements

xxii. Dividends, Interest, and Other Receipts

xxiii. Purchase of Goods to Revert to the City

xxiv. Debts and Obligations

b. Calculation of contributions per contributor:

i. On each Reporting Schedule (distinct Schedules for various sources of contributions) within each Reporting Period (date range for each Report)

ii. On each Reporting Schedule across all Reporting Periods (per election cycle)

iii. Cumulative across all Reporting Schedules within each Reporting Period

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iv. Cumulative across all Reporting Schedules across all Reporting Periods (per election cycle).

c. Calculation of expenditures per recipient/vendor:

i. On each Reporting Schedule (distinct Schedules for various types of expenditures) within each Reporting Period (date range for each Report)

ii. On each Reporting Schedule across all Reporting Periods (per election cycle)

iii. Cumulative across all Reporting Schedules within each Reporting Period

iv. Cumulative across all Reporting Schedules across all Reporting Periods (per election cycle).

d. Validation of Qualifying Contributions (based on date, dollar amount, residential address within City limits, and limit of 1 entry per contributor).

e. Automated compliance checks against PMF requirements for each Candidate. Noncompliant transactions must be disclosed/reported, and automatically flagged. Requirements include, but are not limited to:

i. contribution dollar limits per contributor and per type of contributor. Contribution limits are cumulative per Election Cycle.

ii. expenditure dollar limits overall, and per type of expenditure. Expenditure limits are cumulative per Election Cycle.

iii. prohibited contributors (City Employees, Corporations/LLCs, Anonymous)

iv. prohibited expenditures

f. Generation of PMF-specific Reports for candidate filings and City Clerk review, such as a Report reflecting a customizable date range of pre-existing transactions.

g. Uploading of supporting documents (copies of checks, cash receipts, contribution forms, invoices, etc.) for each transaction, viewable on-screen with the associated data fields for each. On-screen copying of text from supporting documents, and pasting copied text into data fields must be allowed. This may be the primary method for entering transactions. Supporting documents do not need to be published.

h. Generation of revised Reports after making edits to pre-existing filings. Revised Reports must indicate what was edited. Pre-existing (original) filings must not be overwritten or unpublished without Administrator action.

i. Distinct workflows for PMF candidates versus traditional candidates and committees.

3. Administrator Dashboard

a. Ability to add comments to supporting documents uploaded in C.3. A.2.g, above, to communicate to filers regarding documentation deficiencies, data entry errors, or other discrepancies. Comments may be via highlighting and pop-out text box, overlays, or other similar method. Comments must include a method for Administrators to indicate they’re resolved.

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C.3. Other Requirements

A. As part of the evaluation process, the highest-ranked Offerors will be invited to provide a live demonstration of their fully functional system in response to this RFP.

B. The demonstration shall allow Offerors to showcase the functionality, usability, and features of their proposed solution, specifically in alignment with the Scope of Work outlined in this solicitation.

C. Emphasis should be placed on the end-user experience for filers, as well as administrative and system management capabilities for City staff.

D. Offerors must ensure that key representatives are available during the demonstration to respond to any questions or clarifications the City may have regarding the solution.

E. The demonstration will be evaluated and scored as part of the overall proposal assessment.

F. Offerors selected for a demonstration will be contacted during the evaluation period with instructions for scheduling and providing the presentation.

C.4. Technical Requirements

A. Standards

1. Meet all state and federal reporting requirements.

2. Safeguards for PII and PHI data.

3. Tight security controls which meet all regulatory, compliance, and audit standards.

4. Meets Section 508 guidelines set out by Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and W3C’s WCAG 2.0 Level AA criteria.

5. Follow best practices for valid HTML and CSS markup as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium, Search Engine Optimization as outlined by Google, and other industry standards as appropriate.

6. Clarity regarding any product AI usage.

7. Incident notification to the city within 24 hours to include 3rd parties used

8. Background checks of all staff that have access to city data.

9. Must be multi-factor authentication capable.

B. Data

1. Data must be stored in Microsoft Azure, Amazon GovCloud or cloud with similar security.

2. Data must be stored domestically in the United States.

3. All data collected, generated, or received by the Offeror shall be the sole and exclusive property of the City of Tucson. The Offeror shall not use or disclose the data except as expressly authorized by a signed agreement or as required by law.

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4. The Offeror is permitted to use the data solely for the purpose of fulfilling its obligations within the scope of work. The Offeror shall not use the data for any other purpose without written consent of the City of Tucson.

5. The Offeror agrees to treat all data provided by the city as confidential and to protect the data with reasonable measures to prevent unauthorized access, discloser, or use. The Offeror shall not disclose the data to any third party without prior written consent of the City of Tucson.

6. The Offeror agrees to maintain appropriate physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect the data from unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction. The Offeror shall notify the City of Tucson as soon as practically possible of any breach of security or unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction of data.

7. The Offeror agrees to comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the use, storage, and disclosure of the data, including but not limited to data protection laws, privacy laws, and industry-specific regulations.

8. Allows for bulk data import from external sources.

9. Offeror will provide a data schema.

10. Creation of reports and dashboards, both pre-built and customizable.

C. Training

1. Train the Trainer support model will be accepted by the City.

2. Potential for ongoing training after implementation.

3. Before training begins, the system needs to be completely installed, tested, and fully functioning within all parameters.

D. Support

1. Technical support must be available during normal City of Tucson business hours, 8 AM – 5 PM AZ time.

2. Remote support from the vendor will be acceptable.

3. Provide SLAs for uptime, response time, escalation paths, and penalties for support failures.

4. Define how updates, upgrades, and new versions will be delivered, including Quality Assurance (QA) processes and associated costs.

5. Outline Offeror responsibilities including bug fixes, patches, and updates.

E. Security

1. Data/Security Breach

2. List security and compliance certifications such as, ISO 27001 or SOC2 Type II.

3. List measures and practices in place to maintain service(s) when security is compromised.

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4. City of Tucson will be allowed to Audit or Assess the SaaS product annually. Audit or

Assessment could include a Network Scan, a Data Center Audit, a Financial Audit or other activity sponsored by City of Tucson.

5. Continuous cybersecurity monitoring tools, please list the tools or methods used.

6. Annual third-party security assessments.

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D. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

D.1. DEFINITION OF KEY WORDS USED IN THE SOLICITATION

For purposes of this solicitation and any subsequent contract, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:

City:The City of Tucson, Arizona

Contract:The legal agreement(s) executed between City and the Successful Offeror(s). The Contract will be deemed to include all the conditions and requirements set forth in this solicitation and any Addenda to the solicitation, all the Special Terms and Conditions and Standard Terms and Conditions, and all the terms of the Offer submitted by Offeror as finally negotiated and accepted by the City.

Contractor/Consultant:A Successful Offeror that enters into a Contract with the City.

Contract Representative:The City employee or employees who have been designated to act as the City contact for this solicitation process and who are responsible for monitoring and overseeing the Contractor's performance under the Contract.

Business Services Director:The contracting authority for the City, authorized to sign contracts and addenda thereto on behalf of the City.

May: Indicates something that is not mandatory but permissible.

May not:The indicated party is prohibited from taking the action.

Must: The action or condition is required.

Offer:Any proposal, statement of qualifications, bid, or other submission provided by an Offeror in response to this Solicitation.

Offeror: Each individual or entity that submits an Offer in response to this solicitation.

Successful Offeror: An Offeror who received a Notice of Award or a Notice of Intent to Award from the City.

Will:The indicated party is promising to take the action or abide by the condition.

D.2. PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING

A Pre-Submittal Meeting will be held at the date and time stated on the cover page of this solicitation, if such a date and time is provided. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but written minutes and/or notes regarding the meeting will NOT be provided, so attendance is encouraged. The purpose of this meeting will be to clarify the contents of this solicitation in order to prevent any misunderstanding of the City's position.

D.3. INQUIRIES

Any questions about this solicitation or the proposed Contract must be presented at the Pre-Submittal Meeting, if there is one (see above), or submitted in writing, via email, or through the online bidding system, to the Contract Officer by the Question Submission Deadline. The email must refer to the solicitation number and the paragraph number of the provision that the question concerns. The Contract

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Officer may respond by email or may, if they deem it appropriate, address the question in a solicitation addendum or response through the question and answer portal in the online bidding system. Offeror may not rely on oral interpretations or clarifications about the solicitation; only questions answered in an email by the Contract Officer, posted through the online bidding system, or posted as a formal solicitation addendum will be binding.

D.4. ADDENDUM OF SOLICITATION

Solicitation Addenda will be posted on the City’s link to the online bidding website. Offeror is responsible for checking the webpage regularly for new solicitation addenda and must acknowledge each addendum to this solicitation in its submittal. Please note that vendors who have registered with the Business Services Department at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/tucson-az and follow the City of Tucson will receive email notifications of solicitation addenda.

D.5. UNDERSTANDING SCOPE OF WORK

Before submitting an Offer to this solicitation, Offeror must familiarize itself with the Scope of Work, laws, regulations, physical conditions, and other factors affecting the obligations – including the expense and difficulty of fulfilling those obligations – that Offeror will have under the Contract if awarded to Offeror. No adjustment to the financial or other terms of the Contract will be justified by Offeror’s failure to fully understand or appreciate the Contract requirements or other factors affecting Contract performance.

D.6. PREPARATION OF OFFER

A. Form and Organization. If Offer forms are included in this Solicitation, Offeror’s Submittal must be on those forms. Supporting documentation must be arranged in a manner that follows and clearly refers to corresponding sections of the solicitation. Offeror may copy the submittal forms in order to complete them electronically but may not alter or rearrange them or change any paragraph designations.

B. Confidential Information. Any information in its submittal that Offeror wishes to be treated as confidential must be clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL.”

C. Offer Contents. Offeror’s submittal must contain responses to all sections of this solicitation, any Offer forms provided must be completed and any requested supporting documentation must be attached.

D. Signatures. Offeror must include in their submittal signed copies of the Offer and Acceptance page. Any cover letter accompanying the proposal documents must be signed. Offeror must initial each erasure, interlineation or other modification in the submittal. The person signing and initialing on behalf of Offeror must be a person authorized to legally bind Offeror.

E. Prices. Where a unit price is provided it will govern over any erroneous extension of the price.

F. Time Periods. Periods of time, stated as a number of days, will be calendar days unless specifically stated otherwise.

G. Accuracy. Mistakes in preparation of its submittal confers on Offeror no right to modify or withdraw its submittal after the Submittal Deadline.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/tucson-az

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H. Cost of Preparation. The City will not reimburse Offeror for the cost of developing, presenting, submitting or providing any response to this solicitation.

I. Subcontractors. Offeror must, in their submittal, list any subcontractors that it will utilize in the performance of the Contract if they are awarded the Contract and must describe their qualifications in detail.

J. Incomplete Information. Failure to include all requested information may have a negative impact on the evaluation of Offeror’s submittal.

D.7. PAYMENT DISCOUNTS

Payment discount periods shall be computed from the date of receipt of the material/service or correct invoice, whichever is later, to the date City’s payment warrant is mailed. Unless freight and other charges are itemized, any discount provided shall be taken on full amount of invoice. Payment discounts of twenty-one calendar days or more shall be deducted from the proposed price in determining the price points. However, the City shall be entitled to take advantage of any payment discount offered by a vendor provided payment is made within the discount period. The payment discount shall apply to all purchases and to all payment methods.

D.8. TAXES

The City is exempt from federal excise tax, including the federal transportation tax, but is not exempt from any other taxes, including state and local sales and excise taxes.

D.9. EXCEPTIONS TO CONTRACT PROVISIONS

By submitting an offer in response to this solicitation, Offeror is offering to enter into the Contract with the City. If Offeror wishes to modify any Contract terms and conditions, Offeror must, in its Offer, clearly identify the changes it is requesting. No requested modification will be deemed accepted by the City unless and until the City’s Business Services Director or their designee expressly accepts it in writing.

D.10. PUBLIC RECORD

Any documents submitted by Offeror in response to this solicitation will become the property of the City.

Except as set forth below with respect to Confidential Information, the Submittal will be deemed to be a public record available for review by the public after the award notification.

D.11. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

The City is obligated to abide by the Arizona Public Records Law, A.R.S. §§ 39-101 through 39-161. If Offeror believes that any portion of its Offer, specification, protest or correspondence contains information that is confidential and subject to being withheld from disclosure in the event that the City receives a public records request to which the record is responsive, Offeror must, when the record is submitted, provide the Contract Officer written notification of that fact. The records or portions of records that Offeror wishes to be treated as confidential must also be clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL” on their face. Pricing will not be treated as confidential.

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If the City, after award notification, receives a public-records request the scope of which includes a document submitted by Offeror and marked "CONFIDENTIAL", the Contract Officer will make a written determination regarding whether the document will be provided to the requestor. If the Contract Officer determines that the document should be released, City will notify Offeror in writing. Unless Offeror, within 10 days after the date of that notice, obtains and provides to City an order from a court of competent jurisdiction prohibiting the City from releasing the documents, the City may release the documents without any liability to Offeror.

D.12. WHEN AND HOW TO SUBMIT OFFERS

In order to be considered, Offeror must, no later than the Offer Submittal Deadline, submit its Offer electronically through the City’s online bidding system:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/tucson-az

NOTE: THE ENTIRE OFFER MUST BE IN "“SUBMITTED"” STATUS IN THE CITY’S ONLINE

BIDDING SYSTEM IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED. RESPONSES THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED

IN THE SYSTEM, BUT THAT ARE NOT IN "“SUBMITTED"” STATUS BY THE OFFER SUBMITTAL

DEADLINE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

D.13. CERTIFICATION OF NONCOLLUSION; CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Offeror will not communicate, orally or in writing, with any member of the Mayor and Council, or with any City staff outside the Procurement Division of the Business Services Department, regarding this Solicitation. By submitting an Offer, Offeror warrants that:

A. Preparation and submission of the submittal did not involve collusion or other anti-competitive practices.

B. Offeror has not given, offered to give, nor intends to give at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, meal or service to a public servant in connection with this solicitation.

C. No person has been employed or retained to solicit or secure a Contract under this solicitation upon a promise of a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee.

D. No employee of the City involved in this Solicitation process, or any family member of such an employee, has any substantial financial interest in Offeror’s firm. No member of the City of Tucson Mayor and Council who has, or whose family member has, any substantial financial interest in Offeror’s firm will participate in any action taken by the Mayor and Council with respect to this Contract. The terms “relative” and “substantial interest” have the meanings assigned in A.R.S. § 38-502

The City may disqualify Offeror from further participation in the solicitation process if the City determines that any City employee or official involved in this Solicitation process has an actual or apparent conflict of interest or if Offeror has engaged in any collusion or anti-competitive practices.

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D.14. WITHDRAWAL OF OFFER; BINDING OFFER

By submitting an Offer in response to this Solicitation, Offeror is offering to enter into the Contract with the City. Offeror may withdraw a submitted Offer at any time prior to the Offer Submittal Deadline.

Telephonic or oral withdrawals are not effective.

Offeror cannot withdraw an Offer that is in “submitted” status as of the Offer Submittal Deadline unless the Director of the Business Services Department consents in writing to the withdrawal. The Offer will be irrevocable for 90 days after the Offer Submittal Deadline.

D.15. DISCUSSIONS

The City may, at its discretion, conduct discussions with Offeror for the purpose of eliminating minor irregularities, informalities, or apparent clerical mistakes in Offeror’s submittal in order to clarify the offer and assure full understanding of, and responsiveness to, solicitation requirements.

D.16. VENDOR REGISTRATION; BUSINESS LICENSE

In order to be eligible for award of a Contract, Offeror must:

A. Register with the City’s Business Services Department. Registration can be completed at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/tucson-az

B. Obtain a City of Tucson Business License or a written determination from the City's Business License Section that a license is not required. For questions contact the City's Business License Section at

(520) 791-4566 or email at license@tucsonaz.gov mailto:license@tucsonaz.gov

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E. OFFER EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD

E.1. PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA – (listed in relative order of importance)

A. Method of Approach

B. Qualifications & Experience

C. Price Proposal

E.2. INTERVIEWS

The City may interview some or all of the offerors at any point during the evaluation process. If interviews are conducted, information provided during the interview process will be taken into consideration in the evaluation process. The City will not reimburse the Offeror for any costs Offeror incurs during its participation in the interview process.

E.3. ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATIONS

The City may undertake any additional investigations it deems appropriate to evaluate the competence and financial stability of any offeror.

E.4. OTHER INFORMATION

Information that evaluation committee members have about an offeror beyond what is provided in the offeror’s Offer may be taken into consideration during the evaluation process.

E.5. PRICE

A. Tax Offset Policy. If applicable under Section 28-18(6) or Section 28-17(7)(d) of the Tucson Procurement Code, the City will include the amount of all business privilege taxes other than the City’s in evaluating the pricing component of each Offer.

B. Payment Discounts. Any discounts offered by Offeror for payments made within 21 calendar days or more will be deducted from the proposed price in evaluating an offeror’s pricing.

However, the City may take advantage of any early- or timely-payment discounts offered by a vendor. Any proposed payment discount will apply to all purchases and to all payment methods

E.6. CITY’S RIGHT TO WAIVE DEFECTS OR REJECT OFFERS

Notwithstanding any other provision of this solicitation, the City may:

A. Waive any immaterial defect or informality; or

B. Reject any or all submittals, or portions thereof; or

C. Reissue the solicitation.

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E.7. CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

At the City’s discretion, it may negotiate with one or more responsible offerors to agree upon the final conditions, terms and price of the Contract. In doing so, the City will treat offerors fairly and will not disclose to any offeror information from responses submitted by other offerors. Exclusive or concurrent negotiations do not constitute a contract award and do not confer any rights to the offerors participating in such negotiations. In the event the City deems that negotiations are not progressing, the City may formally terminate these negotiations and may enter into concurrent or exclusive negotiations with the next most qualified firm(s).

E.8. AWARD OF CONTRACT

A Contract is created when, and only when, it is formally awarded, which occurs when the Business Services Director and the City Attorney sign the Offer and Acceptance page of the Successful Offeror’s submittal. When a Contract is awarded, the City will send the Contractor a Notice of Award.

The City may first issue a Notice of Intent to Award to the Successful Offeror(s). Offeror, if it receives a Notice of Intent to Award from the City, must sign and file with the City, within ten (10) days after receipt of the Notice, all documents necessary for execution of the Contract. A Notice of Intent to Award does not create a contract. Only a subsequent formal award, as described above, creates a Contract.

E.9. MULTIPLE AWARDS

The City, at its sole discretion, may award multiple Contracts.

E.10. SUBMITTAL RESULTS

After the City issues a Notice of Award, the City will post the name(s) of the Successful Offeror(s) on the Business Services Department’s Internet site at https://procurement.opengov.com/portalucson-az/contracts

E.11. PROTESTS

Any interested party, may, in accordance with Article IX of the Tucson Procurement Code, protest either this solicitation or the award of a Contract under this solicitation. A protest based on alleged improprieties in this solicitation must be filed no later than five (5) working days before the Proposal Submittal Deadline. A protest of a proposed or actual award must be filed no later than ten (10) calendar days after the City issues a Notice of Intent to Award or, if no Notice of Intent to Award is issued, after the City issues a Notice of Award.

A protest must be made in writing and filed with the Contract Officer. It must include:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestant;

B. The signature of the protestant or its representative;

C. The solicitation or Contract number;

D. A detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds for the protest along with copies of all relevant documents; and https://procurement.opengov.com/portalucson-az/contracts https://procurement.opengov.com/portalucson-az/contracts

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E. The form of relief requested.

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F. EVALUATION CRITERIA

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

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1. Method of Approach

A. Provide details of the solution from the end-user experience, taking into account ease of use, and presentation and intuitive nature of tasks to be performed.

B. Provide details of the solution from the perspective of campaign filers, emphasizing ease of use, intuitive task flow, and clarity of user interface.

1. Highlight features that improve efficiency and reduce errors in filing.

2. Provide details on online help functionality for end-users.

C. Provide details and explain how City staff can manage the system, including the ability to make configuration changes, troubleshoot end-user issues, and monitor compliance.

1. Include details on administrative controls, security features, and audit capabilities that ensure adherence to Arizona law and City regulations.

D. Describe your capacity to customize the system to meet the specific operational needs of the City of Tucson.

1. Provide examples of previous implementations where the solution was adapted for local requirements. Explain the level of complexity of each customization.

E. Provide details on how the system ensures compliance with applicable Arizona statutes and Tucson City Code related to campaign finance disclosures.

1. Include mechanisms for meeting reporting and filing standards.

F. Provide details on how the system will accommodate data and records retention and disposition, assuming utilization for 10 years or more.

G. Provide clear information regarding the software products, with maintenance and support, included in your proposal.

1. Software name, version, and release details.

2. Type of enterprise license offered (e.g., annual subscription or perpetual license).

H. Provide details on a comprehensive training plan that equips City staff to administer and use the solution effectively, including technical, administrative, and end-user training. Responses should address:

1. Recommended training plan for all required user groups, including technical, administrative, and end-user training for City staff.

N/A N/A

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2. Details of relevant training courses offered, delivery methods (e.g., web-based, instructor-led), training schedule, and locations (onsite or offsite).

3. Number of participants per class and estimated training duration.

4. Sample copies of training materials, including a comprehensive software manual and technical documentation.

I. Provide a detailed implementation plan and project schedule that demonstrates the ability to deliver the solution in accordance with the Scope of Work.

Responses should include:

1. Methodology for completing all tasks and responsibilities, including a phased approach from project initiation through production deployment.

2. Identification of resource requirements, specifying skill sets and the allocation between City staff and vendor personnel.

3. Detailed description of deliverables, including objectives, milestones, and timelines.

4. Integration of training activities into the overall project schedule.

5. Proposed enhancements, procedural improvements, or technical innovations that improve efficiency or functionality without materially deviating from the project objectives.

J. Provide a proposed test plan to be reviewed and agreed upon by the City prior to contract award.

1. Testing tasks must include, at a minimum, successful installation and configuration of all software components to ensure the solution fully meets the City’s Electronic Campaign Finance Filing Solution requirements.

K. Define how updates, upgrades, and new versions will be delivered, including Quality Assurance (QA) processes and associated costs.

L. Provide and maintain two (2) copies of a comprehensive Electronic Campaign Finance Filing Solution manual designed to document system functions, guide trained users, and support future user training.

1. Manuals should also provide technical specifications necessary for management and administration of the system by City staff.

2. City may reproduce all manuals and documentation as needed.

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3. The vendor shall provide all technical, administrative, and end-user training required for City staff to effectively use and manage the solution.

M. Detail the scope of Campaign Finance Reporting & Administration solutions and related products that your company offers.

N. Who are your national/corporate points of contact for sales, marketing, contract administration and monthly sales reporting?

O. Demonstrate your commitment to leverage the Axia Cooperative purchasing program to make the resulting contract available to public agencies across the country.

Include details about your firm’s ability to:

1. Market the agreement to public agencies nationally

2. Educate your firm’s sales staff about the cooperative purchasing program

3. Connect your sellers with the Axia team to pursue joint selling efforts

4. Connect with customer decision makers

5. Track sales and report back to Axia Cooperative

P. What specific steps will your company take to train and equip their account managers to sell the cooperative contract / program on a national basis?

Q. Will you establish national sales goals for public agency adoption of the cooperative agreement?

R. What tools will you utilize to track opportunities and hold sellers accountable?

S. Describe all methods of accepting orders (online, apps, phone, email, in-person, etc.).

T. Describe your available invoicing processes.

U. Describe your customer issue resolution process. Include details of various problems that may arise, such as invoicing

V. disputes and receipt of incorrect damaged items. Also detail customer service escalation procedures.

W. Detail any value-added services and programs that may complement the comprehensive Campaign Finance Reporting & Administration solutions offering. Such offerings may include (but are not necessarily limited to):

1. Small business partnership programs, such as local fulfillment and/or service partners

2. Training & Education

3. Consulting services

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4. Green / Sustainable programs, such as recycling programs, company policies, product certifications, staff and/or company certifications, sustainable distribution practices, etc.

5. Customer support services

6. Rebate/incentive programs

7. Other services

8. Include details as to how these proposed services/programs would be rolled out to the City of Tucson and other participating agencies through the Axia Cooperative purchasing program.

X. Complete and sign the Federal Funds Certification included in Attachment C, Exhibit C.

Y. Review the Sample Axia Cooperative Administration Agreement in Attachment C, Exhibit D. Note any questions, concerns and/or proposed exceptions.

Z. If your business intends to conduct business in the State of New Jersey, download, complete and sign the forms found in the “Vendor Forms Required For All Proposal…