Commissary_Services_for_Pierce_County_Corrections_(Addendum_#1_Revision).pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2026-RFP-138

COMMISSARY SERVICES FOR PIERCE COUNTY CORRECTIONS

Pierce County

1501 Market St, Suite 420

Tacoma, WA 98402

RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: July 31, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: October 7, 2026, 4:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/piercecountywa https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

Pierce County

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Commissary Services for Pierce County Corrections

1. Introduction

2. Pierce County's eProcurement System

3. Summary

4. Background

5. Project Description

6. Minimum Qualifications

7. Expected Term and Value

8. General Information for Proposers

9. ADA

10. Definitions

11. RFP Coordinator

12. Timeline

13. Procurement Documents and RFP Holder's List

14. Questions and Answers

15. Pre-Proposal Meeting

16. Submission of Proposals

17. Public Records and Proprietary Material

18. Revisions to the RFP

19. Responsiveness

20. Contract and General Terms & Conditions

21. Costs to Prepare Proposal

22. No Obligation to Contract

23. Rejection of Proposals

24. Most Favorable Terms

25. Concern Resolution Process

26. Cooperative Purchasing

27. Title VI Compliance

28. RFP Questionnaire

29. Administrative, Organization, Threshold Review and Proposal Questions .

30. Evaluation and Contract Award

31. Evaluation Procedure

32. Proposal Scoring

33. Scoring Process

Request For Proposal #2026-RFP-138 Title: Commissary Services for Pierce County Corrections

34. Notification to Proposers

35. Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

36. Protest Procedure

Attachments:

A - Pierce County Service Agreement Sample

1. Introduction

1.1. Pierce County's eProcurement System

Welcome to Pierce County's eProcurement System. This system is inclusive to the procurement process, including submission of any questions and/or clarifications, the release of any addenda/notices, and submission of proposals. It is strongly encouraged that organizations responding to any procurement first read the entire procurement, paying close attention to the timelines, scope of work, eligibility, submission requirements, and specifically to the questionnaire section, which may include required attachments (when applicable), and ask for any clarifications regarding content and instructions early in the process.

1.2. Summary

Pierce County (hereafter known as 'the County') is seeking proposals from vendors to provide commissary services for the Correctional Facilities at the Pierce County Jail.

1.3. Background

Pierce County is located in the State of Washington and has a population of approximately 900,000. The

Sheriff's Office is the largest law enforcement agency in Pierce County and is responsible for policing the unincorporated areas of the County, as well as operating the second largest jail in the State.

Corrections is a Division of the County Sheriff's Office and manages the safety and security of our citizens, staff and inmates by providing and managing progressive corrections services to inmates as we strive to meet the future correctional needs of the County. The average length of stay for an inmate is two weeks and there are approximately 15,000 bookings per year. The average daily population is approximately 800+ inmates.

The PC Jail consists of two facilities:

• Maximum-security facility, located at 910 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma, WA 98402

• Minimum-security facility, located at 701 Nollmeyer Lane, Tacoma, WA 98402

The PC Jail operates with a full capacity of 1,296 inmates.

• The maximum-security facility has an average population of 577

• The minimum-security facility has an average population of 521

1.4. Project Description

1.4.1. Objectives

Through a resulting contract, the Contractor shall provide:

A. Operations that are compliant with County Sheriff's security standards, adhere to the civil rights of inmates and reliable access to approved goods without interruption.

B. Technology that integrates with the County jail system and the Inmate telecommunications system.

C. Fair pricing and transparency of all costs.

D. Accurate inmate accounting systems.

E. Support for inmate welfare systems

1.4.2. Scope of Work

A. Contractor will provide commissary service to County on a weekly basis.

B. Contractor will operate and manage its services provided under the contract at a location mutually agreed upon by the County and Contractor and keep its services adequately serviced and supplied all in accordance with the requirements incorporated herein and as detailed in the

Contractor's proposal.

C. The Contractor shall collect individual commissary orders placed by inmates once a week and provide delivery of orders to the Jail once per week, over two days to accommodate both facilities.

1. Pickup and delivery shall be to the Pierce County Main Jail, located at 910 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma, WA.

2. Individual orders must be delivered in clear-sealed plastic bags.

3. Contractor shall provide a system which produces a receipt for all orders and transactions.

4. All food and beverage products sold and delivered to the County Jail must be delivered for consumption prior to the expiration date, when so dated.

5. Contractor shall notify the Correctional staff in advance of all deliveries and in accordance with the Jail directives issued from time-to-time.

6. Corrections staff may inspect such deliveries with respect to quality, composition or any other matter relevant in the estimation of the security staff or the Chief or designee.

D. Contractor shall allow purchase of phone time in conjunction with the vendor for the telecommunications contract in the Pierce County Jail.

E. The Contractor is not permitted to make any alterations to, additions to, or removal of any walls, windows, floors, ceilings, doors or fixtures, without prior written approval of the Chief or designee.

1. Windows and other openings are not to be covered with blinds or drapes without prior approval from the Chief or designee.

1.4.3. Site Security

A. County shall provide Contractor with access to premises in order to provide the services required hereunder.

1. The County shall not unreasonably deny the Contractor access to premises.

B. In consideration of the security of the Pierce County Jail, the Chief or designee reserves the right to observe Contractor's operations and inspect the commissary related areas.

C. The Contractor shall operate the commissary services program at full staffing and use only professionally trained personnel who have passed a criminal history background check conducted by the County. The County will have final approval rights for all proposed hires and reserves the right to bar any contractor employee from the facility at the sole discretion of the County.

D. All Contractor employees shall wear the necessary identification while working within the Jails.

E. Contractor shall provide a contingency plan for providing services in the event of lockdowns, strikes by the Contractor's employees, riots, fire, power failure or other catastrophic events that may curtail or impact on the normal operation of the jail.

F. The Contractor and its employees will follow all Pierce County regulations, rules and standards and the County retains full and exclusive authority to determine which products may be offered or supplied. This authority includes all decisions regarding product design, labeling, packaging, and any form of advertising or marketing

G. The Contractor shall not utilize the Pierce County Jail for any operations unrelated to this agreement, unless approved in writing by the Chief or designee.

1.4.4. Technical Information, Software System and Cyber Security

Technical Information

A. During the term of the resulting agreement, the successful Contractor shall supply the County with computer equipment and software to enable the County and inmates to access the Contractor's commissary network to account for inmate welfare funds maintained by the County and effect purchases by inmates from commissary supplies by the Contractor.

1. The Contractor will furnish its own computer modems, auxiliary telephone lines, and office equipment at its own expense.

a. Contractor will reimburse the County for existing monthly telephone services.

B. During the term of the agreement, hardware will be installed and maintained by the Contractor and shall remain the sole property of Pierce County.

C. The County owns the County data in the Contractor's system.

1. The Contractor shall not utilize the County data for business or operating purposes and will not share County data with any third party

2. Equipment shall include mounted, shared and one-to-one inmate tablets to include booking kiosk for inmate funds.

D. At the termination of the agreement, all computer hardware and software shall be returned by the

County to the vendor in the same condition, reasonable wear and tear is expected, as existed at the time the equipment was installed.

Software System

A. Contractor is required to train County staff on the use and operation of the software.

1. Contractor will provide initial training at no cost to the County; any subsequent training that may become necessary to account for officer turnover and rotations shall be provided by the County.

B. Contractor shall provide technology enhancements at no additional cost.

C. Software shall include:

D. Resident controls

1. Ability to remain active on the computer when not in use.

2. Inmate Accounting System

3. Order entry

4. Check writing

5. Closed accounts

6. Tracking inmates

7. Security

8. Cost Recovery

9. Reports

10. Request Manager System (RMS)

11. Inmate Release Prepaid Card System

12. Funds Deposit System - electronic and kiosk system

13. Optional Incentive Content

E. Contractor is responsible for updating server, operating system, application software, database and any peripheral devices with the current version of the technology.

F. At no additional cost to the County, Contractor will provide a Spillman Integration or equivalent to their commissary system.

1. Spillman Integration means the capabilities of Spillman Flex, a public safety software solution, to seamlessly connect and share data across various systems, enhancing operational efficiency for law enforcement and emergency response agencies

Cyber Security

A. Contractor is responsible for updating server, operating system, application software, database and any peripheral devices with the current version of the technology.

B. Contractor will log into the County network using two-factor authentication to maintain system integrity.

C. Contractor is liable for any damages caused to the County network resulting in a computer virus or security breach on the county network that was created by the Contractor's access to the network.

1. County will perform virus scanning and protection on the Contractor's servers.

2. Contractor is also responsible to ensuring the system is free of malware and viruses.

D. Contractor will perform industry standard backups of the databases used by the system.

1. The County can request a complete database backup for archival purposes at the county twice per year at no cost to the County. Contractor will provide the database schema so the data can be viewed for audit purposes.

E. Contractor will provide 24-hour notice on all system maintenance outages.

1. These outages should be proactively scheduled in advance with the County.

F. Contractor will provide a technical contact for the County to use for any support, outage, performance or system concerns.

1. Support will be provided 24/7

1.4.5. Contractor Legal Obligations

Contractor must:

A. Agree to pay all Federal, State and local taxes which may be assessed against Contractor's equipment or merchandise while in or upon the premises, as well as all federal, state, and local taxes assessed in connection with the operation of its services upon the premises.

1. All costs in connection with such taxes (excluding client's real estate and personal property taxes), licenses, permits, and food handler's cards, shall be the cost of business and will be charged to the operation of the business.

2. In the event of any changes in the tax laws that would make sales tax not applicable, the

Contractor agrees to adjust prices accordingly.

B. Agree to comply with all federal, state and local regulations governing the preparation, handling, and serving of foods.

1. Contractor will procure and keep in effect all necessary licenses, permits, and food handlers’ cards required by law, and to post such permits in a prominent place as required by law.

1.4.6. Product Requirements & Religious Accomodations

A. Contractor must:

1. Provide religious products that include religious food/snack products (Halal, Kosher, and Vegan).

a. Items must be specifically labeled on the menu and the product.

2. Provide prayer rugs, miswaks, scented oils, Kufi's and other religious items.

3. Provide options for placing money on an inmate account (i.e. lobby kiosks, internet, and phone).

4. Be able to invoice phone vendor via the commissary system.

5. Provide a two-week notification of any price changes to commissary items.

6. Cover the cost of printing and mailing the menus.

B. Inmate commissary history shall be continuously tracked for audit purposes and a quick and easy reference.

C. All indigent purchases shall be continuously tracked in a data base and documentation shall meet the

ACLU requirements: Civil Rights Division | Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons

1.4.7. Staffing

A. Contractor shall hire all employees necessary for the performance of the resulting agreement.

B. Contractor agrees to comply with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to hiring, wages and hours of employment.

C. All persons employed by the Contractor will be the employees of the Contractor, and not of the

County.

D. Contractor agrees that Contractor employees and agents shall comply with and observe all applicable rules and regulations concerning conduct on the premises which the County imposes upon Contractor's employees and agents.

E. County shall not impose any regulation on Contractor's employees not imposed on County employees.

1.4.8. System Records and Reports

A. Contractor will receive inmate roster updates from the County every 5 (five) minutes.

1. The Contractor is responsible for using the County data and any other data to manage restrictions on commissary distribution.

https://www.justice.gov/crt/civil-rights-institutionalized-persons

B. At the County's request, and at no additional cost to the County, the Contractor will provide reports to comply with any public records request.

1. These reports will be created and delivered within three (3) days of a request or a written justification describing why the report will take longer to produce will be provided with a completion date.

1.5. Minimum Qualifications

1.5.1. Proposer Eligibility

Proposers who do not meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and their proposal will not be evaluated or scored.

A. Proposers must be licensed to operate and provide services in Washington state

1.6. Expected Term and Value

1.6.1. Term

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this procurement is expected to be 12 months from the contract date of execution. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the County. The County reserves the option to renew contracts for 4 (four) additional 1 (one)-year terms. However, no Contractor will be guaranteed an extension. Decisions whether to extend a contract will be based on Pierce County’s assessment of the Contractor’s performance as evaluated by performance measure data as described in Section 4 of this solicitation, as well as any additional performance outcomes or deliverables negotiated in the final contract agreement.

1.6.2. Value

The total value of this procurement is $760,770.

The County anticipates awarding a single contract from this procurement. The County reserves the right to make fewer awards or no awards, based on the quality and scope of proposals received, available funding, and identified service needs.

The total funding available under this Request for Proposals (RFP) is limited and may be distributed among multiple providers. Proposers are encouraged to scale their funding requests proportionally to the scope and geographic reach of their proposed services. The County may negotiate budgets and service levels to ensure the most effective use of funds and equitable coverage across providers. The

County reserves the right to adjust award amounts at its sole discretion.

Additional federal, State, or local funds may become available during the contracting cycle and allocated through this solicitation. Funding may only be awarded for the same scope of services as described in this solicitation. It is important to note, any contract awarded as a result of this procurement is contingent upon the availability of funding. If at any time during the term of the contract the funding relied upon for the contract is reduced, modified, or eliminated, or if the funding terms are modified, Pierce County reserves the right to amend the contract as appropriate or to terminate the contract.

2. General Information for Proposers

2.1. ADA

The County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Bidders should contact the RFP

Coordinator to request an accommodation.

2.2. Definitions

• “Apparently Successful Proposer (ASP)” means a proposer selected as an entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.

• "Applicant," "Bidder," and "Proposer" mean an organization, agency or provider that submits a formal response to this procurement.

• "Application," "Bid," or "Proposal" mean a formal response to this solicitation.

• “CFR” means Code of Federal Regulations.

• “Client,” "Participant," "Household," or "Member" means an individual (or individuals) who receives services, or is eligible to receive services, under this procurement.

• “Contractor” means an individual or organization whose proposal has been accepted by the

County and has been awarded a fully executed, written contract.

• "Indigent" means low-income or financially underprivileged.

• “Procurement” means the process by which the County obtains services.

• “Request for Proposal (RFP)” or "Solicitation" means this document and its attachments in which needed goods and/or services are identified and organizations are invited to provide information as to how they propose to meet the County's needs.

• “RCW” means Revised Code of Washington.

• "Spillman Integration" means Refers to the capabilities of Spillman Flex, a public safety software solution, to seamlessly connect and share data across various systems, enhancing operational efficiency for law enforcement and emergency response agencies.

• “WAC” means Washington Administrative Code.

2.3. RFP Coordinator

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in the County for this procurement. All communications between the Proposer and the County upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator.

Kimberly Smith

Procurement and Contract Specialist 2

Email: kimberly.smith@piercecountywa.gov

Phone: (253) 798-6015

Department:

Finance and Enterprise Services

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the County. Proposers are to rely on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Proposer.

2.4. Timeline

Proposal Release Date: July 17, 2026

Question Submission & Concern Resolution

Request Deadline:

July 31, 2026, 4:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline: October 7, 2026, 4:00pm

The time and date of the Pre-Proposal site visit will be sent via notification from OpenGov soon.

The County reserves the right to revise the above timeline.

2.5. Procurement Documents and RFP Holder's List

PROPOSERS WHO REGISTER AND DOWNLOAD RFP DOCUMENTS will be automatically added to the

FOLLOWERS' list in the County's eProcurement Portal. Notifications for solicitation updates, addendum and other procurement information will be sent to all who register on the Pierce County eProcurement

Portal.

2.6. Questions and Answers

Proposers may submit questions through the County's eProcurement Portal, under the Question &

Answer Section, no later than 4:30 pm on the date set forth in Section 2.2. Proposers must be registered in the eProcurement Portal software to submit questions, receive addendums and notifications, and ultimately submit a proposal. Proposers may only rely on written statements issued by the County. Any oral communications are unofficial and are not binding on the County.

2.7. Pre-Proposal Meeting

An in-person Procurement Workshop will be conducted by Pierce County staff at the time, date, and location as indicated in the Procurement Schedule section of this RFP.

Pre-proposal meeting attendance will be required for all organizations considering a response to this solicitation. It is the County’s belief that attending the meeting will assist proposers in presenting the best possible request for funding. During the Pre-Proposal Meeting Workshop, Pierce County staff will give an overview of the procurement, the procurement process, an overview of the requirements, and will also be available to answer questions and provide technical assistance. Please have the instruction/proposal packet available as well as any questions that the organization may have related to the procurement. The County will be bound only to written answers provided in response to questions.

Questions arising during the Procurement Workshop will be documented and answered in the eProcurement Portal.

The date and time for the site visit will be released via notification from OpenGov at a later date.

2.8. Submission of Proposals

2.8.1. Deadline

The proposal must be received by the time/date as indicated in Section 2.2.

2.8.2. Instructions

All proposals are evaluated on the completeness and quality of the content. Only those Proposers providing complete information as required will be considered for evaluation. The County will not contact the organization for correction of proposals and Proposers are strongly encouraged to carefully review their proposals for completeness and accuracy before submitting. For proposals to be considered responsive and move to the review process, the Proposer must, under Section 7, RFP Questionnaire:

• Acknowledge all required “confirmations.”

• Complete all required attachments, to include uploading any supplemental documents requested in attachments; and

• Submit the following materials as part of the proposal.

o (List the required attachments)

2.8.3. Additional Resources/Helps

This section provides a curated list of help articles addressing common questions and challenges proposers may encounter during the Request for Proposal process. The resources below are intended to offer clear guidance, practical solutions, and relevant information to support a smooth and successful submission. Proposers are encouraged to review these materials as needed to better understand requirements, resolve issues, and navigate the process with confidence.

• Vendor Registration

• Following a Project

• Getting Started with Subscriptions

• How to Submit a Question in OpenGov

• How to Submit a Proposal Response in OpenGov

• How to Edit or Withdraw a Proposal after Submission in OpenGov https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/dceacbcf-203c-4b0d-aa57-550043bb0dc0 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/82615c2a-a6e1-46ed-9b33-ec542acf013d https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/c7a5affa-e073-4d5a-8d87-b6eadcf343a9 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/12c62371-147b-45f4-9bcd-cf2ce5f58259 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/8e675a48-dad3-4759-9bae-6b4cb7970d21 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/4f4218bf-7da6-4fc6-b0c3-7eade0776ebe

2.8.4. Electronic Submissions Only

Only electronic submittal via the County's eProcurement Portal shall be accepted for this procurement.

No hard copies, emails, or fax submittals shall be accepted. The accepted forms of submitted materials are .pdf, png., jpeg., and MS Office formats such as docx. and xlsx.

2.8.5. Addenda & Notices

Applicants must acknowledge and confirm each addendum and notice issued under this solicitation. The system will not allow final submission unless all required confirmations are checked.

2.8.6. No Exceptions for Late Responses

Proposers should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the County’s e-procurement System, OpenGov. Late responses will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified. The County assumes no responsibility for delays caused by Proposer's technical related system errors.

2.8.7. County Property

All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the County and will not be returned.

2.9. Public Records and Proprietary Material

• Organizations should be aware that any records they submit to the County or that are used by the County even if the organization possess the records, may be public records under the

Washington Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). The County must promptly disclose public records upon request unless a statute exempts them from disclosure. Organizations should also be aware that if even a portion of a record is exempt from disclosure, generally, the rest of the record must be disclosed. Exemptions are narrow and specific.

• Organizations should clearly mark any record they believe is exempt from disclosure.

2.10. Revisions to the RFP

In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be published in the

County's eProcurement Portal.

All amendments and notifications of cancellation shall be posted in the County's eProcurement Portal. If you did not receive this solicitation via the County’s eProcurement Portal, please register there to receive further notifications.

The County also reserves the right to amend or add to, retract from, or cancel this Procurement at any time, in whole or in part, and without penalty.

In the event of a conflict between amendments or between an amendment and this Solicitation

Document, the document issued latest in time shall control.

2.11. Responsiveness

All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this solicitation. The Proposer is specifically notified that the

County may reject or withdraw a proposal at any time as nonresponsive for any of the following reasons:

• Incomplete proposal,

• Failure to comply with any part of this solicitation or any Attachments to this procurement,

• Submission of incorrect, misleading, or false information.

The County also reserves the right, however, at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities, which are defined as variances which do not provide an applicant an advantage or benefit over other applicants.

2.12. Contract and General Terms & Conditions

The ASP will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the Sample Contract and its General Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit C. In no event is a Proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. If a Proposer has a concern regarding a certain General Term & Condition, they can raise the issue per the Questions and Answers section of this solicitation.

2.13. Costs to Prepare Proposal

The County will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, in conduct of a presentation or interview, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

2.14. No Obligation to Contract

This RFP does not obligate the County to contract for services specified herein.

2.15. Rejection of Proposals

The County reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.

2.16. Most Favorable Terms

The County reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the

Proposer can offer. There will be no best and final offer procedure.

The ASP should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this

RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the Proposer’s proposal. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to the County.

2.17. Concern Resolution Process

This procedure is available to potential Proposers who are contemplating submitting a proposal in response to this RFP. Only Concern Resolution submissions (Submissions) concerning the following subjects shall be considered:

• A claim that the solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition.

• A claim the solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed, or

• A claim the solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

Proposers submitting a concern about this procurement shall follow the procedures described below. Submissions that do not follow these procedures shall not be considered. If a Proposer registers a concern against this solicitation, the issue(s) cannot be raised again during the protest period.

All submissions must be in writing and signed by the submitting party or an authorized Agent. The submission must be sent to the AGENCY Procurement Coordinator, or designee, and needs to be received no later than 4:30 PM, local time, Tacoma, WA, per Section 2.2 Timeline, and must clearly articulate the basis for the submission. The Proposer submitting a concern must also include a proposed remedy.

Upon receipt of a submission, a submission review will be held by the County. The RFP coordinator will respond to submissions in writing and the Finance Department Director will be notified of all submissions and provided a copy of the County’s response. A copy of the response to the submission, including any changes to the solicitation, will also be posted in County's eProcurement Portal.

The concern resolution process does not include an appeal process.

2.18. Cooperative Purchasing

The Washington State Interlocal Cooperation Act, Ch. 39.34 RCW, authorizes public agencies to cooperatively purchase goods and services if all parties agree. By responding to this RFP, Consultants agree that other public agencies may purchase goods and services under this procurement or contract at their own cost and without Pierce County incurring any financial or legal liability for such purchases.

Pierce County agrees to allow other public agencies to purchase goods and services under this procurement or contract, provided that Pierce County is not held financially or legally liable for purchases and that any public agency purchasing under such procurement or contract file a copy of this invitation and such contract in accordance with RCW 39.34.040.

2.19. Title VI Compliance

Pierce County, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to

2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of

Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

3. RFP Questionnaire

3.1. Administrative, Organization, Threshold Review and Proposal Questions

1. Administrative Questions

1.1. Proposer Confirmation*

As an authorized representative of the Proposer, having carefully examined the Request for Proposals, propose to furnish services in accordance therewith as set forth in the attached proposal.

I further agree that this proposal will remain in effect for not less than sixty (60) calendar days from the date that proposals are due, and that this proposal may not be withdrawn or modified during that time.

I hereby certify that this proposal is genuine and not a false or collusive proposal, or made in the interests or on behalf of any person not therein named; and I have not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any Contractor or supplier on the above work to put in a false proposal or any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal; and that I have not in any manner sought by collusion to secure to myself an advantage over any other contractor(s) or person(s).

In order to induce the County to consider this proposal, the Proposer irrevocably waives any existing rights which it may have, by contract or otherwise, to require another person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal to or performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County, and Proposer further promises that it will not in the future directly or indirectly induce or solicit any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a response or proposal to or from performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.2. Ownership and Copyright of Submitted Materials*

By submitting a proposal, I agree that all documents, reports, proposals, submittals, working papers, or other materials prepared by the Proposer pursuant to this proposal shall become the sole and exclusive property of the County, and the public domain, and not property of the Proposer. The Proposer shall not copyright, or cause to be copyrighted, any portion of items submitted to the County in response to this procurement.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.3. Supplemental Attachment Confirmation*

I confirm I have reviewed the content of the following attachments included under this RFP: Sample

Agreement and any other documents as identified as "sample" in the Attachments section and acknowledge I understand and agree to these requirements should my organization receive a contract as a result of this proposal.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.4. Insurance Requirements*

By submitting a proposal, I understand and agree that if awarded funding from this RFP, the organization must be able to meet all insurance requirements based on services being purchased, prior to contract execution, and types of insurances may include, but are not limited to:

• Commercial General Liability Insurance: Required on all contracts. Standard levels are $1M occurrence/$2M aggregate (may be higher/lower, depending on value of contract and type of service).

• Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance: Required when the Contractor uses owned, rented, or leased automobiles to complete the services as required per the contract. Higher coverages may be required for fleet/large passenger vehicles.

• Workers Compensation Insurance: As required by Washington State.

• Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions Insurance: If the Contractor provides services such as analysis, consulting, counseling, daycare, legal, medical, nursing, pastoral, medical, or other services that require professional licensing.

• Abuse and Molestation: If the Contractor will be working directly with youth under the age of

18, elderly, disabled or other vulnerable populations.

• Cyber/Privacy and Security Insurance: If the Contractor is doing work that could give the

Contractor access to personal or sensitive information from within the County's network or on the Contractor's personal computer, or lead to breaches of security, leading to a loss of privacy or identity theft.

• Crime/Employee Dishonesty Insurance: If the Contractor is in the custody or control of Pierce

County funds such as cash, credit cards, checks or physical property.

• Other insurance(s) applicable to services being purchased: Such as Excess or Umbrella Liability

Insurance if the contract is in excess of $500,000.

In addition:

• Pierce County shall be named as an "Additional Insured" which must be provided in the insurance endorsement; and

• Insurance requirements also apply to any subcontractors hired by the main Contractor to deliver services, where applicable.

Please see "Exhibit D" in the SAMPLE AGREEMENT under attachments to see full insurance requirements. If you have questions regarding insurance requirements, please submit them through the “Question & Answer” section of the RFP.

☐ Please confirm

1.5. Debarment Certification*

As an authorized representative of the Proposer, I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the organization and its principals:

A. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency;

B. Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;

C. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a government entity

(Federal, State, or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (1)(b) of this certification; and

D. Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal had one or more public transactions

(Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.

E. Does not employ any person nor contracts with any person or agency excluded from participation in federal health care programs under either 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7 (§§1128 or 1128A

Social Security Act) or debarred or suspended.

By checking the confirmation, I understand that a false statement on this certification may be grounds for rejection of this proposal or termination of any award. In addition, under 18 USC Sec. 1001, a false statement may result in a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

2. Organization Information

2.1. Authorized Individual*

Please provide the name and title of the individual authorized to execute a contract on behalf of the organization.

*Response required

2.2. Organization Information*

Please provide the legal name, any d/b/a names, years in business, local address, billing address if different, email address, and phone number of the organization making the proposal.

*Response required

2.3. Organization Tax ID Number*

Please provide the Employee Identification Number (EIN).

2.4. Washington State Unified Business Identification (UBI) Number*

Please provide the organization's UBI number.

WARNING: Failure to provide a UBI number may be cause for the application to be disqualified from competition.

*Response required

2.5. Organization Contacts*

Please provide the name, phone, and email for:

• Executive Director/CEO/President

• Financial Manager/CFO

• Contract Manager

*Response required

3. Threshold Review Information Proposal should include the following:

A. Inmate Commissary menu

B. Commissary delivery plan

C. Contingency plans

D. Anticipated percent of revenue to be returned to Pierce County

E. Commissary Operation Plan - Fulfillment onsite vs offsite storage

F. Staffing model to include, 1 Manager and 4 Full Time Employees

G. All other requested items

H. Inmate incentive programs

I. Inmate re-entry program

J. A seamless continuity of services and transition plan to a new vendor at the end of the contract term

4. Scored Proposal Questions

4.1. General Operations *

A. Describe your complete process for collecting and fulfilling weekly individual commissary orders, including your capacity to deliver over two days to multiple facilities. In your response, explain how you ensure all food and beverage items arrive prior to expiration, how you package individual orders in clear sealed plastic bags, and the quality control measures you use to ensure accuracy. (0-25 points)

B. Describe your delivery coordination procedures, including how you notify Correctional staff of scheduled deliveries and ensure compliance with changing Jail directives. In addition, explain your order and transaction receipt system (including sample formats) and outline your procedures for onsite inspection of deliveries by Corrections staff. (0-25 points)

*Response required

4.2. Product Requirements & Religious Accommodations*

Describe your ability to provide religious products, including Halal and Kosher foods and specified religious items (prayer rugs, miswaks, scented oils, kufis, etc.) (0-30 points)

*Response required

4.3. Financial & Account Services*

A. Describe the methods your system provides for friends and family to deposit funds into inmate accounts (via internet, phone, or any other available channels) and explain how your commissary system supports invoicing the phone vendor. (0-20 points)

B. Describe your process for notifying the County of commissary price changes and confirm your ability to meet the required two-week advance notification period.(0-20 points)

*Response required

4.4. Auditing & Tracking *

A. Explain how your system continuously tracks inmate commissary history for audit purposes. (0-

10 points)

B. Describe how indigent purchases are recorded and confirm compliance with ACLU Prisoners’

Rights standards. (0-10 points)

*Response required

4.5. Technology & System Integration*

A. Describe your ability to provide a Spillman Integration solution or equivalent, including supported data exchanges and system compatibility. In your response, explain how your system enables the purchase of phone time in partnership with the County’s telecommunications vendor, and confirm that the hardware and software you provide will allow both County staff and inmates to access the commissary network. (0-20 points)

B. Explain your process for installing, maintaining, and supporting technology that remains County property, and confirm that all County data in your system will remain the exclusive property of the County. Describe the controls you use to prevent unauthorized use or sharing of County data. (0-20 points)

4.6. Security & Staffing*

A. Describe your staffing plan, including how you ensure full staffing with professionally trained personnel, and explain your process for completing County-required background checks and obtaining County approval before assigning any employee to work in the Jail.(0-15 points)

B. Describe your contingency plan for maintaining uninterrupted commissary services during lockdowns, strikes, riots, fires, power failures, or other operational disruptions, and explain how your employees will comply with all Pierce County Jail rules, regulations, and security protocols.

(0-15 points)

*Response required

4.7. Cybersecurity & Technical Requirements*

A. Describe how you will keep all servers, operating systems, applications, and databases updated with current versions, and explain your approach to malware and virus protection, including how you coordinate with County virus-scanning procedures.(0-15 points)

B. Describe your backup strategy, including backup frequency, data-retention periods, and recovery processes, and confirm your ability to provide twice-yearly full database backups with schema for County audit use.(0-15 points)

C. Explain how you will provide advance notice of maintenance outages and coordinate scheduled downtime with the County, and provide your technical support contact structure, confirming that 24/7 support is available. (0-10 points)

*Response required

4.8. Software Functionality*

A. Describe how your software meets or exceeds the required functional capabilities, including

Resident Controls, Inmate Accounting, Order Entry, Check Writing, Tracking, Security, Cost

Recovery, Reports, RMS, Prepaid Release Cards, Funds Deposit Systems, and optional incentive content—and confirm that you will provide initial training at no cost. In your response, explain your approach to ongoing training. (0-20 points)

B. Describe any technology enhancements you provide at no additional cost and explain how these enhancements support or expand the required functional capabilities. (0-20 points)

*Response required

4.9. Deliverables & Service Standards*

Explain how you will ensure adherence to the Sheriff’s Office security standards and protections of inmate civil rights, describe how your pricing model ensures fairness and transparency, and explain how you support inmate welfare systems while maintaining accurate inmate accounting. (0-30 points)

4.10. Reporting & Records Management*

Describe how your system uses County roster updates every five minutes to manage commissary restrictions and explain your ability to produce reports for public records requests within three days. In your response, confirm that you retain all required records for seven years and describe how those records are stored and retrieved. (0-30 points)

*Response required

4.11. Minimum Qualifications & Compliance*

A. Confirm your compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations related to food handling, taxation, licensing, employment, and nondiscrimination. (0-15 points)

B. Describe your plan to obtain and maintain all required permits and food handler certifications. (0-15 points)

*Response required

4.12. Proposal Upload*

Please upload your proposal materials here.

4. Evaluation and Contract Award

4.1. Evaluation Procedure

An Application Evaluation Committee (AEC) will review the bidding documents and evaluate all responses received based upon the criteria listed herein. The County may request clarifications or additional information, if needed. The proposer determined to be most qualified through the initial evaluation phase may be interviewed and the final determination will also consider reference checks and interviews.

The County intends to select the Contractor most qualified for this pursuit/solicitation and begin the negotiation and award process based on the requirements of this solicitation.

Proposals will be evaluated and, if multiple proposers are deemed capable of meeting the requirements, interviews may be held with the top three proposers.

Selected Proposer(s) will be invited to enter into contract negotiations with the County. Should the

County and the selected proposer not reach a mutual agreement, the County will terminate negotiations and move to the next ranked contractor and proceed with negotiations. A Proposer’s inability to agree to the terms of the County’s standard contract may be a basis for the County to terminate negotiations and begin negotiating with one or more other Contractors.

4.2. Proposal Scoring

Points Available - Initial Evaluation: 380

Point Available - Interview: TBD

Scoring

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. General Operations Points Based 50 (13.2% of Total)

2. Product Requirements & Religious

Accommodations Points Based 30

(7.9% of Total)

3. Financial & Accounting Services Points Based 40 (10.5% of Total)

4. Auditing & Tracking Points Based 20 (5.3% of Total)

5. Technology & System Integration Points Based 40 (10.5% of Total)

6. Security & Staffing Points Based 30 (7.9% of Total)

7. Cybersecurity & Technical Requirements Points Based 40 (10.5% of Total)

8. Software Functionality Points Based 40 (10.5% of Total)

9. Deliverables & Service Standards Points Based 30 (7.9% of Total)

10. Reporting & Records Management Points Based 30 (7.9% of Total)

11. Minimum Qualifications & Compliance Points Based 30 (7.9% of Total)

Interviews

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Interviews Points Based 20 (100% of Total)

4.3. Scoring Process

Proposals will be scored by consensus. Members of the AEC will score proposals individually and then meet to determine the final independent score for each proposal.

In the event the AEC has clarifying questions for a proposer, they shall notify the Procurement

Coordinator who will, in turn, send the question(s) to the appropriate proposer. The Procurement

Coordinator shall provide a deadline for the answers and shall then notify the AEC members of the response. If members of the AEC wish to change their original scores based on the response to the clarifying question(s), they shall notify the Procurement Coordinator who shall determine the proper subsequent process.

The County reserves the right to award the contract to any organization or combination of organizations whose proposal(s), in the opinion of the County, is in the best interest of the County.

4.4. Notification to Proposers

The County will notify all proposers of the outcome of their proposal in writing upon completion of the evaluation process.

4.5. Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

Any Proposer, who was not disqualified, who has submitted a proposal and been notified that they were not selected as an ASP may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the Procurement Coordinator within 5 days of having been notified that they were not selected.

Discussion at the debriefing conference will be limited to the following:

• Evaluation and scoring of the Proposal.

• Critique of the requesting Proposer’s Proposal based on the comments made by the Application

Evaluation Committee or individual comments made by an evaluator; and

• Review of Proposer’s final score in comparison with other final scores without identifying the other firms.

Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of the other proposals will not be allowed. Debriefing conferences may be conducted in person or remotely and will be scheduled for a maximum of one (1) hour.

4.6. Protest Procedure

Protests may be made only by Proposers or authorized representative of a Proposer who submitted a response to this solicitation document and who have participated in a debriefing…