On-Call_Solid_Waste_Data_Analysis_and_Economic_Services.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL # 26-202-S

Consultant Contract

Project Title: On-Call Solid Waste Data Analysis and Economic Services

Table 1: Solicitation Schedule

Solicitation Release October 22, 2026

Pre-Submittal Conference (Non-Mandatory) October 29, 2026, 9:00am https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/229779198551

633?p=oAQUtRy76lzgHKPgs1 Meeting ID: 229 779 198 551 633 Passcode: Nr9TQ7JE

+1 206-686-8357,,346822125# United States, Seattle Find a local number Phone conference ID: 346 822 125#

Deadline for Questions November 3, 2026, 5:00pm

Response Submission Deadline November 13, 2026, 1:00pm

Announcement of Successful Proposer(s) Week of Jan. 4

Estimated Dates of Interviews (if

Conducted)

Week of Dec 14

The City reserves the right to modify this.

Changes will be posted on the City website or as otherwise stated.

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle/projects/318050 https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/229779198551633?p=oAQUtRy76lzgHKPgs1 https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/229779198551633?p=oAQUtRy76lzgHKPgs1

Procurement Contact Information

Procurement Contact: Lisa Hill, Strategic Advisor , lisa.hill@seattle.gov, (206) 572-5524

Unless authorized by the Procurement Contact, no other City official or employee may speak for the City regarding this solicitation until award is complete. Any Proposer contacting other City officials or employees does so at Proposer’s own risk. The City is not bound by such information.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Procurement Contact Information

2. Purpose and Background

3. Performance Schedule

4. Solicitation Objectives

5. Minimum Qualifications

6. Scope of Work

7. Contract Modifications

8. Procedures and Requirements

9. Selection Process

10. Proposal Evaluation

11. Award and Contract Execution

12. Response Materials and Submittal

Attachments:

A - Attachment 1 Contract Template with Exhibits

B - Attachment 2 Insurance Requirements Transmittal Form

C - Attachment 3 Ethics Brochure

D - Attachment 4 Consultant Questionnaire

E - Attachment 5 WMBE Inclusion Plan

1. Procurement Contact Information

Procurement Contact: Lisa Hill, Strategic Advisor , lisa.hill@seattle.gov, (206) 572-5524

Proposals are to be submitted through the e-Procurement portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle, no later than 1:00 pm on Friday, November 13, 2026.

Unless authorized by the Procurement Contact, no other City official or employee may speak for the City regarding this solicitation until award is complete. Any Proposer contacting other City officials or employees does so at Proposer’s own risk. The City is not bound by such information.

2. Purpose and Background https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has a long-standing commitment to evidence-based management of

Seattle’s leading-edge solid waste reduction programs. Our work relies on extensive datasets that span system inputs, including tonnage, material composition, customer behavior, and financial performance, to shape solid waste incentives, programs, and policies that advance the City’s Zero

Waste goals.

As the volume and complexity of solid waste data continues to grow, SPU requires expert-level consultation backed by rigorous methods and advanced analysis to unlock the value of our data and deliver new insights. We seek a consultant who can not only wrangle, arrange, and visualize large data sets, but also evaluate, interpret, and clearly communicate findings from those datasets to inform strategic decision-making and long-range financial and service planning.

The selected consultant team will apply best management practices in policy and program evaluation, using applied economic analysis, to assess the effectiveness, equity, and feasibility of

SPU’s solid waste incentives, programs, and policies. The team will also produce high-quality analytical products—such as reports, presentations, data visualizations, and strategic data storytelling materials—that clearly communicate findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.

This work requires demonstrated expertise in research, economic and data analysis, including modeling, forecasting, program evaluation, data visualization, and strategic data storytelling.

Through this contract, SPU will gain expert-level analytical support to evaluate, measure, and report on the outcomes and impacts of solid waste programs, policies, and financial incentives.

The consultant will work closely with SPU staff to:

Program Evaluation — Design and execute evaluations using applied economic analysis, including needs assessments, outcome and impact evaluations, and equity analyses.

• Synthesis & Reporting — Integrate data, economic theory, and analytical methods into clear written reports and presentation materials with well-defined talking points.

• Recommendations — Identify key insights and develop actionable recommendations for

SPU decision-makers.

• Data Visualization — Use compelling visualizations and strategic storytelling to translate technical findings for non-technical audiences.

• Industry Publications — Prepare and place articles in solid waste industry publications on behalf of SPU.

• Reproducible Code — Deliver clean, well-annotated, production-ready code that SPU staff can easily replicate.

https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/about/plans/solid-waste/key-metrics https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/about/plans/solid-waste/key-metrics

• Solid Waste Data Analysis — Conduct research and economic or data analysis on tonnage, materials, customer trends, financial data, and other system metrics; synthesize findings into reports and presentations.

• Waste Characterization — Analyze waste characteristics such as density, capture rates, and banned material prevalence; assess longitudinal patterns and document key findings and recommendations.

This contract is designed to enhance the public value of SPU’s solid waste services by leveraging our extensive data assets to continuously improve the performance and measurement of SPU’s policies, incentives, and programs. The consultant’s work will support the development and implementation of solid waste incentives, programs, and policies that are equitable, effective, and aligned with SPU’s strategic goals and Seattle’s broader Zero Waste vision.

3. Performance Schedule

• Contract Duration is up to 5 years.

• Estimated value of $625,000.

• Work Assignments will be issued on an on-call basis by the relevant SPU Solid Waste Line of Business project manager.

• Each Work Assignment will include its own detailed schedule, deliverables, and milestones, defined during negotiation and assignment kickoff.

4. Solicitation Objectives

The City expects to achieve the following outcomes through this consultant solicitation:

• Technical Expertise — Contract with a team that demonstrates advanced capabilities in economic modeling, forecasting, cost-benefit analysis, causal inference, financial and data analysis, data visualization, and strategic data storytelling.

• Analytical Tools Proficiency — Contract with a team proficient in modern data analysis platforms and database query tools (e.g., Python, R, Oracle SQL).

• Subject Matter Knowledge — Contract with a team that brings demonstrated expertise in solid waste systems (garbage, recycling, organics), recycling commodity market dynamics, utility rate-setting economics, and behavioral economics.

• Collaboration — Contract with a team that collaborates effectively with SPU staff and integrates seamlessly into SPU’s analytical workflows.

• Evaluation Lifecycle Expertise — Contract with a team of experts committed to helping SPU make data-based decisions grounded in best practices, applying proven program evaluation tools that minimize risk and maximize actionable insights. The team must demonstrate experience across the full evaluation lifecycle—including evaluation design, instrument development, data collection, data analysis, strategic communications, and reporting.

• Deliverables Quality — Contract with a team capable of producing clear, defensible, replicable, and easy-to-use evaluation frameworks, research designs, economic and data analyses and modeling, reports, presentations, articles, data visualizations, and strategic data storytelling products.

• Communication & Plain Language — Contract with a team that communicates complex analytical findings clearly, accurately, and in plain language, ensuring accessibility for both technical and non-technical audiences. The team must demonstrate the ability to translate data into meaningful insights, support transparent public communication, and reflect SPU’s values of equity, clarity, and evidence-based decision-making.

• Commitment to Diversity — Contract with a team committed to diversity and to strengthening the consultant community serving the Seattle area.

5. Minimum Qualifications

No minimum qualifications are required for a consultant to submit a proposal response.

6. Scope of Work

6.1. Scope of Work

The Consultant shall provide research and analysis, modeling, forecasting, and reporting services that strengthen SPU’s ability to evaluate and develop new solid waste-related incentives, programs, and policies with measurable, equitable outcomes. Work will be assigned on an on-call basis and may include the following tasks:

General Requirements

Across all tasks, the Consultant shall:

• Use defensible, transparent, and well-documented methods and best practices

• Lead research and reporting activities

• Produce clear, concise, and actionable deliverables

• Collaborate effectively with SPU staff and other consultant teams

• Incorporate equity considerations into research, analysis, and recommendations

• Ensure all work products support measurable outcomes and continuous improvement

• Communicate roadblocks, questions, and needs in a timely manner

• Write all deliverables in plain language for both technical and non-technical audiences

• Ensure all deliverables meet the City of Seattle’s digital accessibility requirements, including compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Web Content Accessibility

Guidelines (WCAG), and City accessibility standards.

Task 1. Needs Assessment and System Evaluation

The Consultant will conduct needs assessments and progress evaluations across solid waste program areas, which may include but are not limited to responsible recycling, contamination reduction, waste prevention, and food waste reduction, to inform Seattle’s solid waste planning.

Work may include, but is not limited to:

• Reviewing SPU and City plans, programs, models, and data sources to identify gaps, opportunities, and methodological needs

• Assessing progress against established goals or benchmarks

• Identifying opportunities for program improvement or redesign

• Designing and conducting research to understand environmental, social, and economic impacts of current and alternative solid waste policies and programs

• Synthesizing findings into clear, concise, and actionable insights that support SPU’s solid waste planning

• Preparing well-structured reports, memos, and presentations that document the process, economic theories (if applicable), assessment methods, and results clearly, translating complex information into accessible recommendations

• Providing clean, heavily annotated, production-ready scripts uploaded to SPU’s GitHub site, with documentation of code functionality, underlying models, and assumptions

All deliverables shall use defensible methods, cite data sources, and be written in plain language.

Task 2. Program Evaluation with Causal Inference and Empirical Analysis

The Consultant shall design and execute rigorous evaluations of existing customer-facing and operational solid waste programs to isolate program impacts from external variables. Work may include:

• Applying quasi-experimental designs and econometrics to evaluate the effectiveness and behavioral outcomes of initiatives, pilot programs, or operational changes

• Analyzing multi-layered customer survey datasets using advanced statistical models to measure shifts in waste awareness, attitudes, and behavior

• Conducting longitudinal trend analysis of material tracking data to inform solid waste planning and collection infrastructure

• Documenting theoretical frameworks, literature references, rationale for method selection, and model metrics to ensure findings are robust and defensible

• Providing clean, heavily annotated, production-ready scripts uploaded to SPU’s GitHub site, with documentation of code functionality, underlying models, and assumptions

All deliverables shall use defensible methods, cite data sources, and be written in plain language.

Task 3. Economic Modeling, Demand Forecasting, and Cost-Benefit Analysis

The Consultant shall construct forward-looking predictive models and economic evaluations to support strategic planning, fiscal budgeting, and policy transitions. Work may include:

• Developing structural economic models and forecasting tools to predict waste tonnages, trip frequencies, and operational capacity requirements

• Conducting scenario and sensitivity analyses

• Executing comprehensive cost-benefit analyses (CBA) for proposed policy options, services, operational changes, and pilot initiatives, incorporating financial, social, and environmental factors

• Conducting fiscal sensitivity analyses and risk modeling to protect utility stability against volatile commodity markets and macro-economic shifts

• Evaluating economic viability, efficiency, and structural impacts of specialized municipal service configurations

• Documenting modeling approaches, data sources, CBA results, and assumptions thoroughly and clearly

• Preparing communication tools such as reports, one-page summaries, memos, briefings, or slide decks

• Providing clean, heavily annotated, production-ready scripts uploaded to SPU’s GitHub site, with documentation of code functionality, underlying models, and assumptions

Deliverables shall be well-structured and written in plain language for technical and non-technical audiences.

Task 4. Longitudinal Analysis and Report on Solid Waste Characteristics and Metrics

The Consultant shall lead analysis and reporting on solid waste characteristics and metrics such as density and capture rates. Work may include:

• Conducting reproducible analysis of trends

• Documenting the analysis, data sources, assumptions, and results thoroughly and clearly

• Preparing visual report of methodology, findings, and recommendations in formats that SPU can easily update

• Creating publication-ready articles to communicate the impact or outcomes of the analyses

Deliverables shall be accurate, accessible, aligned with SPUS’s branding, well-structured and written in plain language.

Task 5. Data Visualization, Communication Tools, and Reporting Support

The Consultant shall lead developing written and visual reports on research findings and model results to internal and external audiences. Work may include:

• Wrangle and arrange disparate data sets onto platforms common at City of Seattle, e.g. X, Y, Z.

• Developing data visualizations, presentations, charts, and graphics that clearly communicate complex information

• Creating visual summaries of modeling results, forecasts, and evaluation findings

• Translating technical content into accessible, plain language materials for community, leadership, and stakeholder audiences

• Preparing communication tools, such as one-page summaries, infographics, or slide decks

• Creating publication-ready articles using data visualization and strategic data storytelling techniques to communicate the impact or outcomes of SPU’s solid waste incentives, policies, and programs

• Pitching and placing articles in leading solid waste industry publications, trade magazines, journals, conferences, and databases

All reports, visualizations, and communication tools must be accurate, accessible, and aligned with

SPU’s branding.

Task 6. Training and Knowledge Transfer

The Consultant shall provide training and technical assistance to SPU staff and partner consultants.

Work may include:

• Training on modeling tools, forecasting methods, and evaluation frameworks

• Developing user guides, documentation, and reference materials

• Supporting SPU in integrating new tools and methods into ongoing planning and program development

Training must be accessible to staff with varying levels of technical expertise.

Task 7. Extract and Collate Waste Composition Data from Microsoft Access Databases

The Consultant may be asked to create flat files from waste composition data stored in multiple

Microsoft Access databases. Work may include:

• Developing methodology to pull tables from Access databases dating back to 1988

• Saving data in flat files with consistent structure

• Documenting table joins and other methodological choices to ensure reproducibility

Task 8. Program and Project Design and Development

The Consultant may be asked to support SPU in developing or refining solid waste programs, policies, or incentives. Work may include:

• Identifying program concepts informed by research, modeling, and stakeholder insights

• Developing logic models, theories of change, or program frameworks

• Defining measurable outcomes, performance indicators, and evaluation plans

• Preparing implementation considerations such as staffing needs, timelines, risks, and resource requirements

• Supporting SPU in piloting, testing, and refining program concepts

Deliverables must be clear, actionable, and aligned with SPU’s strategic goals.

7. Contract Modifications

The City consultant contract is attached. See Attachments Section, Attachment 1.

The City has attached its boilerplate contract terms to allow Proposers to be familiar with boilerplate, and the non-negotiable terms before submitting a proposal. The City may negotiate with the highest ranked apparent successful Proposer. The City cannot modify contract provisions mandated by Federal, State or City law: Equal

Benefits, Audit (Review of Vendor Records), WMBE and EEO, Confidentiality, and Debarment or mutual indemnification. Exceptions to those provisions will be summarily disregarded.

8. Procedures and Requirements

This section details City instructions and requirements for your submittal. The City reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject any Consultant response that fails to comply with the instructions.

8.1. Registration into the City's Procurement Portal

If you have not previously done so, register at: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle, then subscribe to the City’s Procurement Portal. The Procurement Portal is used by City staff to identify companies for future solicitation lists and check certifications. Women- and minority-owned firms are asked to self-identify their business as such within the Procurement Portal. Registration in the City's Procurement Portal is required to submit a response to this solicitation.

8.2. Pre-Submittal Conference

The City offers an optional pre-submittal conference at the time, date and location on the Timeline. Proposers are highly encouraged to attend but not required to attend to be eligible to propose. The meeting answers questions about the solicitation and clarifies issues. This also allows Proposers to raise concerns. Failure to raise concerns over any issues at this opportunity will be a consideration in any protest filed regarding such items known as of this pre-proposal conference.

8.3. Questions

Proposers may submit their questions through the Procurement Portal. Failure to request clarification of any inadequacy, omission, or conflict will not relieve the Consultant of responsibilities under any subsequent contract. It is the responsibility of the interested Consultant to assure they receive responses to questions if any are issued.

8.4. Changes to the RFP

The City may make changes to this RFP if, in the sole judgment of the City, the change will not compromise the

City’s objectives in this solicitation. Any change to this RFP will be made by formal addendum issued by the City, through the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle and shall become part of this RFP.

8.5. Receiving Addenda and/or Question and Answers

It is the obligation and responsibility of the Consultant to learn of addenda, responses, or notices issued by the

City, through the Procurement Portal. Some third-party services independently post City of Seattle solicitations on their websites. The City does not guarantee that such services have accurately provided all the information published by the City.

All submittals sent to the City may be considered compliant with or without specific confirmation from the

Consultant that any and all addenda was received and incorporated into your response. However, the Project

Manager reserves the right to reject any submittal that does not fully incorporate Addenda that is critical to the project.

8.6. Proposal Submittal

Proposals must be received by the City no later than the date and time in the Timeline, except as revised by

Addenda. The submitter has full responsibility to ensure the response is submitted to the City's Procurement

Portal within the deadline. The Procurement Portal will not allow vendors to upload submissions past the deadline.

A. All pages are to be 8.5 x 11 inch, numbered sequentially and closely follow the requested formats.

B. The City has page limits specified in the submittal instructions section. Any pages that exceed the page limit will be excised from the document for purposes of evaluation.

C. The submitter has full responsibility to ensure the response arrives at the City within the deadline. A response delivered after the deadline may be rejected unless waived as immaterial by the City given specific fact-based circumstances.

8.7. Proposer Responsibility to Provide Full Response

It is the Proposer’s responsibility to respond in a manner that does not require interpretation or clarification by the City. The Proposer is to provide all requested materials, forms and information. The Proposer is to ensure the materials submitted properly and accurately reflect the Proposer’s offering. During scoring and evaluation

(prior to interviews if any), the City will rely upon the submitted materials and shall not accept materials from the Proposer after the RFP deadline; this does not limit the City’s right to consider additional information (such as references that are not provided by the Proposer but are known to the City, or past City experience with the consultant), or to seek clarifications as needed.

8.8. Electronic Submittal

The City requires electronic submittal.

A. Upload your submission to the respective procurement opportunity online at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle by the submittal deadline. We recommend you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) day before Closing Time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission.

B. Do not embed any documents within your uploaded files, as they will not be accessible or evaluated.

Please see the Attachments section for specifications and attachments.

C. Hyperlinks and URLs to web sites or references to attachments may not be used in documents submitted in response to this solicitation, unless specifically requested in the submittal requirements.

The City is not obligated to evaluate, review, or score any information submitted in the form of a hyperlink or URL.

D. Responses to the solicitation will not be visible to the city until after the solicitation closing time.

E. Uploading large documents may take significant time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your

Internet connection speed.

F. You will receive an email confirmation once you finalize your submission.

G. OpenGov Procurement works with the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari for Mac.

H. OpenGov Procurement does not work with the following versions of Internet Explorer, Google Chrome

<54, Microsoft Edge <14, Safari <10.1, and Firefox <47

I. Any risks associated with an electronic submittal are borne by the Proposer.

J. The City uses OpenGov Procurement for accepting and evaluating proposals electronically. For software support, contract OpenGov. Live support is available 4am to 7pm Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

o Chat: Click the chat bubble on OpenGov o Phone: (650) 336-7167 o Email: procurement-support@opengov.com o Self-service (available 24/7): OpenGov Help Center (https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/)

8.9. Prohibited Contacts

Proposers shall not interfere in any way to discourage other potential and/or prospective proposers from proposing or considering a proposal process. Prohibited contacts includes but is not limited to any contact, whether direct or indirect (i.e. in writing, by phone, email or other, and by the Proposer or another person acting on behalf of the Proposer) to a likely firm or individual that may discourage or limit competition. If such activity is evidenced to the satisfaction and in sole discretion of the City department, the Proposer that initiates such contacts may be rejected from the process.

8.10. License and Business Tax Requirements

mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/governments/12/projects/111841/builder/create/OpenGov%20Help%20Center https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/

The Consultant must meet all applicable licensing requirements immediately after contract award or the City may reject the Consultant. Companies must license, report and pay revenue taxes for the Washington State business License (UBI#) and Seattle Business License, if required by law. Carefully consider those costs before submitting an offer, as the City will not separately pay or reimburse such costs.

Seattle Business Licensing and associated taxes

A. If you have a “physical nexus” in the city, you must obtain a Seattle Business license and pay all taxes due before the Contract can be signed.

B. A “physical nexus” means you have physical presence, such as: a building/facility/employee(s) in

Seattle, you make sales trips into Seattle, your own company drives into Seattle for product deliveries, and/or you conduct service work in Seattle (repair, installation, service, maintenance work, on-site consulting, etc).

C. We provide a Consultant Questionnaire Form in our submittal package items later in this RFP/RFQ, and it will ask you to specify if you have “physical nexus”.

D. All costs for any licenses, permits and Seattle Business License taxes owed shall be borne by the

Consultant and not charged separately to the City.

E. The apparent successful Consultant(s) must immediately obtain the license and ensure all City taxes are current, unless exempted by City Code due to reasons such as no physical nexus. Failure to do so will cause rejection of the submittal.

F. The City of Seattle Application for a Business License and additional licensing information can be found on this page here: https://www.seattle.gov/city-finance/business-taxes-and-licenses/business-licenses

G. For Questions and Assistance, call the Revenue and Consumer Protection (RCP) office which issues business licenses and enforces licensing requirements. The general e-mail is tax@seattle.gov. The main phone is 206-684-8484.

H. Self-Filing You can pay your license and taxes on-line https://www.filelocal-wa.gov/Default_FileLocal.aspx

I. If a business has extraordinary balances due on their account that would cause undue hardship to the business, the business can contact the License and Tax Administration office at tax@seattle.gov or 206-

684-8484 to request additional assistance.

J. Those holding a City of Seattle Business license may be required to report and pay revenue taxes to the

City. Such costs should be carefully considered by the Consultant prior to submitting your offer. When allowed by City ordinance, the City will have the right to retain amounts due at the conclusion of a contract by withholding from final invoice payments.

8.11. State Business Licensing

https://www.seattle.gov/city-finance/business-taxes-and-licenses/business-licenses mailto:rca@seattle.gov https://www.filelocal-wa.gov/Default_FileLocal.aspx https://www.filelocal-wa.gov/Default_FileLocal.aspx mailto:tax@seattle.gov

Before the contract is signed, you must have a State of Washington business license (a “Unified Business

Identifier” known as a UBI#). If the State of Washington has exempted your business from State licensing (some foreign companies are exempt and sometimes, the State waives licensing because the company has no physical presence in the State), then submit proof of that exemption to the City. All costs for any licenses, permits and associated tax payments due to the State because of licensing shall be borne by the Consultant and not charged separately to the City. Instructions to apply for a business license can be found at https://dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license and the State of Washington Department of Revenue contact help page at https://dor.wa.gov/contact.

8.12. Federal Excise Tax

The City is exempt from Federal Excise Tax.

8.13. No Guaranteed Utilization

The City does not guarantee utilization of any contract(s) awarded through this RFP/RFQ process. The solicitation may provide estimates of utilization; such information is for Consultant convenience and not a usage guarantee. The City reserves the right to issue multiple or partial awards, and/or to order work based on

City needs. The City may turn to other appropriate contract sources or supplemental contracts to obtain these same or similar services. The City may re-solicit for new additions to the Consultant pool. Use of such supplemental contracts does not limit the right of the City to terminate existing contracts for convenience or cause.

8.14. Expansion Clause

The contract limits expansion of scope and new work not expressly provided for within the RFP.

Expansion for New Work (work not specified within the original Scope of Work Section of this Agreement, and/or not specified in the original RFP as intended work for the Agreement) must comply with the following:

(a) New Work is not reasonable to solicit separately; (b) is for reasonable purpose; (c) was not reasonably known by the City or Consultant at time of solicitation or was mentioned as a possibility in the solicitation (i.e. future phases of work, or a change in law); (d) is not significant enough to be regarded as an independent body of work; (e) would not attract a different field of competition; and (f) does not change the identity or purpose of the Agreement.

The City may make exceptions for immaterial changes, emergency or sole source conditions, or other situations required in City opinion. Certain changes are not subject to these limitations, such as additional phases of Work anticipated during solicitation, time extensions, and Work Orders issued on an On-Call contract. Expansion must be mutually agreed and issued by the City through written Addenda. New Work performed before an authorizing Amendment may not be eligible for payment.

The City reserves the right to independently solicit and award any New Work to another firm when deemed appropriate or required by City policy.

8.15. Use of Solicitation by other City Departments

This solicitation is issued for the benefit of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). Other departments, divisions, or offices within the City may, at their discretion, use the results of this solicitation to establish their own https://dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license https://dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license https://dor.wa.gov/contact separate contracts with the selected Consultant, provided such use is consistent with the scope and terms of this solicitation. Any contracts issued by other City departments are solely between that department and the

Consultant. SPU is not a party to, and assumes no responsibility or liability for, such contracts.

8.16. Effective Dates of Offer

Solicitation responses are valid until the City completes award. Should any Proposer object to this condition, the

Proposer must object prior to the Q&A deadline in the Timeline.

8.17. Cost of Preparing Proposals

The City is not liable for costs incurred by the Proposer to prepare, submit and present proposals, interviews and/or demonstrations.

8.18. Readability

The City’s ability to evaluate proposals is influenced by the organization, detail, comprehensive material and readable format of the response.

8.19. Changes or Corrections to Proposal Submittal

Prior to the proposal submittal closing date and time established for this RFP, a Consultant may change or correct its proposal by following the Instructions here:

https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/4f4218bf-7da6-4fc6-b0c3-7eade0776ebe. No change to a proposal shall be made after the proposal closing date and time.

8.20. Errors in Proposals

Proposers are responsible for errors and omissions in their proposals. No error or omission shall diminish the

Proposer’s obligations to the City.

8.21. Withdrawal of Proposal

A submittal may be withdrawn at any time through the Procurement portal prior to the closing date or by written request of the submitter.

8.22. Rejection of Proposals

The City may reject any or all proposals with no penalty. The City may waive immaterial defects and minor irregularities in any submitted proposal.

8.23. Incorporation of RFP and Proposal in Contract

This RFP and Proposer’s response, including promises, warranties, commitments, and representations made in the successful proposal once accepted by the City, are binding and incorporated by reference in the City’s contract with the Proposer.

8.24. Independent Contractor

The Consultant works as an independent contractor. The City will provide appropriate contract management, but that does not constitute a supervisory relationship to the Consultant. Consultant workers are prohibited from supervising City employees or from direct supervision by a City employee. Prohibited supervision tasks https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/4f4218bf-7da6-4fc6-b0c3-7eade0776ebe include conducting a City of Seattle Employee Performance Evaluation, preparing and/or approving a City of

Seattle timesheet, administering employee discipline, and similar supervisory actions.

Contract workers shall not be given City office space unless expressly provided for below, and in no case shall such space be provided for over 36 months without specific authorization from the City.

The City will not provide space in City offices for performance of this work. Consultants will perform most work from their own office space or the field.

8.25. Equal Benefits

Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 20.45 (SMC 20.45) requires consideration of whether Proposers provide health and benefits that are the same or equivalent to the domestic partners of employees as to spouses of employees, and of their dependents and family members. The Consultant Questionnaire requested in the

Submittal instructions includes materials to designate your equal benefits status.

8.26. Women and Minority Subcontracting

The Mayor’s Executive Order and City ordinance require the maximum practicable opportunity for successful participation of minority and women-owned subcontracts. All proposers must agree to SMC Chapter 20.42, and seek meaningful subconsultant opportunities with WMBE firms. At a certain threshold, the City requires a plan for including minority- and women-owned firms, which becomes a material part of the contract. The Plan must be responsive in the opinion of the City, which means a meaningful and successful search and commitments to include WMBE firms for subcontracting work. The City reserves the right to improve the Plan with the winning

Consultant before contract execution. Consultants should use selection methods and strategies sufficiently effective for successful WMBE participation. At City request, Consultants must furnish evidence such as copies of agreements with WMBE subconsultants either before contract execution or during contract performance.

The winning Consultant must request written approval for changes to the Inclusion Plan once it is agreed upon.

This includes changes to goals, subconsultant awards and efforts.

WMBE firms need not be state certified to meet the City's WMBE definition. The City defines WMBE firms as at least 51% (percent) owned by women and/or minority. To be recognized as a WMBE, register in the City’s

Procurement Portal. Federally funded transportation projects require a Disadvantaged Business Enterprises

(DBE) program; for that program, firms must be certified by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women

Business Enterprises (OMWBE).

8.27. Insurance Requirements

Any special insurance requirements are provided as an Attachment. If attached, provide proof of insurance and additional insured endorsement policy language to the City before Contract execution. The apparent successful

Proposer must promptly provide proof of insurance to the City upon receipt of the notice of intent to award.

Consultants are encouraged to immediately contact their Broker to begin preparation of the required insurance documents, if the Consultant is selected as a finalist. Proposers may elect to provide the requested insurance documents within their Proposal.

8.28. Proprietary Materials

https://omwbe.wa.gov/certification https://omwbe.wa.gov/certification

The State of Washington’s Public Records Act (Release/Disclosure of Public Records): Under Washington State

Law (reference RCW Chapter 42.56, the Public Records Act) all materials received or created by the City of

Seattle are considered public records. These records include but are not limited to bid or proposal submittals, agreement documents, contract work product, or other bid material.

The State of Washington’s Public Records Act requires that public records must be promptly disclosed by the

City upon request unless that RCW or another Washington State statute specifically exempts records from disclosure. Exemptions are narrow and explicit and are listed in Washington State Law (Reference RCW 42.56 and RCW 19.108).

Bidders/proposers must be familiar with the Washington State Public Records Act and the limits of record disclosure exemptions. For more information, visit the Washington State Legislature’s website at http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.56.

If you have any questions about disclosure of the records you submit with your bid, contact the Procurement

Contact named in this document.

Marking Your Records Exempt from Disclosure (Protected, Confidential, or Proprietary)

As mentioned above, all City of Seattle offices (“the City”) are required to promptly make public records available upon request. However, under Washington State Law some records or portions of records are considered legally exempt from disclosure and can be withheld. A list and description of records identified as exempt by the Public Records Act can be found in RCW 42.56 and RCW 19.108.

If you believe any of the records you are submitting to the City as part of your bid/proposal or contract work products, are exempt from disclosure you can request that they not be released before you receive notification.

To do so you must complete the City Non-Disclosure Request Form (“the Form”) provided by the City (see page

4 on the Consultant Questionnaire) and very clearly and specifically identify each record and the exemption(s) that may apply. (If you are awarded a City contract, the same exemption designation will carry forward to the contract records.)

The City will not withhold materials from disclosure simply because you mark them with a document header or footer, page stamp, or a generic statement that a document is non-disclosable, exempt, confidential, proprietary, or protected. Do not identify an entire page as exempt unless each sentence is within the exemption scope; instead, identify paragraphs or sentences that meet the specific exemption criteria you cite on the Form.

Only the specific records or portions of records properly listed on the Form will be protected and withheld for notice. All other records will be considered fully disclosable upon request.

If the City receives a public disclosure request for any records you have properly and specifically listed on the

Form, the City will notify you in writing of the request and will postpone disclosure. While it is not a legal obligation, the City, as a courtesy, will allow you up to ten business days to file a court injunction to prevent the

City from releasing the records (reference RCW 42.56.540). If you fail to obtain a Court order within the ten days, the City may release the documents.

The City will not assert an exemption from disclosure on your behalf. If you believe a record(s) is exempt from disclosure you are obligated to clearly identify it as such on the Form and submit it with your solicitation. Should a public record request be submitted to Purchasing for that record(s), you can then seek an injunction under http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.56

RCW 42.56 to prevent release. By submitting a bid document, the bidder acknowledges this obligation; the proposer also acknowledges that the City will have no obligation or liability to the proposer if the records are disclosed.

Requesting Disclosure of Public Records

The City asks bidders and their companies to refrain from requesting public disclosure of bids until an intention to award is announced. This measure is intended to protect the integrity of the solicitation process particularly during the evaluation and selection process or in the event of a cancellation or re-solicitation. With this preference stated, the City will continue to be responsive to all requests for disclosure of public records as required by State Law. If you do wish to make a request for records, visit https://www.seattle.gov/public-records/public-records-request-center.

8.29. Ethics Code

Familiarize yourself with the City Ethics code: http://www.seattle.gov/ethics/etpub/et_home.htm. For an in-depth explanation of the City’s Ethics Code for Contractors, Vendors, Customers and Clients, visit:

http://www.seattle.gov/ethics/etpub/faqcontractorexplan.htm. Any questions should be addressed to Seattle

Ethics and Elections Commission at 206-684-8500.

No Gifts and Gratuities.

Consultants shall not directly or indirectly offer anything (such as retainers, loans, entertainment, favors, gifts, tickets, trips, bonuses, donations, special discounts, work, or meals) to any City employee, volunteer or official, if it is intended or may appear to a reasonable person to be intended to obtain or give special consideration to the Consultant. An example of this is giving sporting event tickets to a City employee who is also on the evaluation team of a solicitation to which you submitted or intend to submit. The definition of what a “benefit” would be is broad and could include not only awarding a contract but also the administration of the contract or evaluating contract performance. The rule works both ways, as it also prohibits City employees from soliciting items from Consultants.

Involvement of Current and Former City Employees.

The Consultant Questionnaire within your submittal documents prompts you to disclose any current or former

City employees, official or volunteer that is working or assisting on solicitation of City business or on completion of an awarded contract. Update that information during the contract.

Contract Workers with over 1,000 Hours.

The Ethics Code applies to Consultant workers that perform over 1,000 cumulative hours on any City contract during any 12-month period. Any such employee must abide by the City Ethics Code. The Consultant is to be aware and familiar with the Ethics Code accordingly.

No Conflict of Interest.

Consultant (including officer, director, trustee, partner or employee) must not have a business interest or a close family or domestic relationship with any City official, officer or employee who was, is, or will be involved in selection, negotiation, drafting, signing, administration or evaluating Consultant performance. The City shall make sole determination as to compliance.

https://www.seattle.gov/public-records/public-records-request-center https://www.seattle.gov/public-records/public-records-request-center http://www.seattle.gov/ethics/etpub/et_home.htm http://www.seattle.gov/ethics/etpub/faqcontractorexplan.htm

Campaign Contributions (Initiative Measure No. 122)

Elected officials and candidates are prohibited from accepting or soliciting campaign contributions from anyone having at least $250,000 in contracts with the City in the last two years or who has paid at least $5,000 in the last 12 months to lobby the City. See Initiative 122, or call the Ethics Director with questions.

8.30. Background Checks and Immigrant Status

The City may require background checks for the Consultant, as well as some or all of their employees and contracted workers who may perform work under this Agreement. The City reserves the right to require such background checks at any time. The City has strict policies regarding the use of background checks, criminal checks, and immigrant status for contract workers. The policies are incorporated into this Agreement and available for viewing on-line at http://www.seattle.gov/purchasing-and-contracting/social-equity/background-checks.

8.31. Cost and Pricing

Provide fully-loaded hourly rates, Do not include contingency or assumptions in your cost proposal.

The City may request additional clarification or a breakdown of the hours and costs with the top-ranking proposers.

9. Selection Process

9.1. Initial Screening

The City will review responses for responsiveness and responsibility. Those found responsive and responsible based on an initial review shall proceed to Step 2. Equal Benefits, Minimum Qualifications, an Inclusion Plan, satisfactory financial responsibility and other elements are screened in this Step. A significant failure to perform on past City projects may also be considered in determining the responsibility of a firm.

9.2. Proposal Evaluation

Proposals shall be evaluated using the evaluation criteria in the Proposal Evaluation Section.

9.3. Interviews

The City may interview top ranked firms from the proposal evaluation. If interviews are conducted, rankings of firms shall be determined by the City, using the combined results of interviews and proposal submittals.

Consultants invited to interview are to bring the assigned key person(s) named by the Consultant in the

Proposal, and may bring other key personnel named in the Proposal. The Consultant shall not bring individuals who do not work for the Consultant or are not on the project team without advance authorization by the

Procurement Contact. If interviews are conducted, they will be worth the points listed in the Proposal Evaluation section.

9.4. References

The City may contact one or more references. The City may use references named or not named by the Proposer.

The City may also consider the results of performance evaluations issued by the City on past projects.

http://www.seattle.gov/purchasing-and-contracting/social-equity/background-checks http://www.seattle.gov/purchasing-and-contracting/social-equity/background-checks

9.5. Selection

The City shall select the highest ranked Proposer(s) for award, including written proposal and the interview (if applicable). The City reserves the right to make a final selection based on the combined results and/or the overall consensus of the Consultant Evaluation Committee.

9.6. Contract Negotiations

The City may negotiate elements of the proposal as required to best meet the needs of the City, with the apparent successful Proposer. The City may negotiate any aspect of the proposal or the solicitation. The City does not intend to negotiate the base contract, which has been attached (See Attachments).

9.7. Right to Award to next ranked Consultant

If a contract is executed resulting from this solicitation and is terminated within 90-days, the City may return to the solicitation process to award to the next highest ranked responsive Consultant by mutual agreement with such Consultant. New awards thereafter are also extended this right.

9.8. Repeat of Evaluation

If no Consultant is selected at the conclusion of all the steps, the City may return to any step in the process to repeat the evaluation with those proposals active at that step. The City shall then sequentially step through all remaining steps as if conducting a new evaluation process. The City reserves the right to terminate the process if no proposals meet its requirements.

10. Proposal Evaluation

The City will evaluate proposals using the criteria below. Responses will be evaluated, scored and ranked.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. 1. Project Team Qualifications and

Experience (Page Limit 6)

Proposers must:

• Describe the qualifications, experience, and roles of all

Prime and Subconsultant staff who will support this contract.

• Explain the team’s experience conducting economic research, analysis, modeling, and forecasting.

• Demonstrate experience delivering quantitative and qualitative analytical work for public agencies.

• Demonstrate experience providing practical, data-driven program and policy recommendations—ideally recommendations that have been adopted—and show alignment between research results and public agency objectives.

• Demonstrate experience conducting equity-centered analysis and integrating equity findings into recommendations.

• Demonstrate experience working in an on-call environment and managing

0-10 Points 10

(10% of Total) multiple concurrent analytical assignments.

2. 2. Research and Analytical

Capability (Page Limit 8)

Proposers must:

• Provide examples of converting ambiguous business questions into concrete, researchable questions aligned with organizational goals.

• Describe the team’s approach to designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative research.

• Provide examples of past work demonstrating the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights

(e.g., reports, articles, code, presentations, workbooks).

• Explain methods for ensuring analytical rigor,…