Procurement_Exemption_for_Huber_Step_Screens.pdf

SOLE SOURCE

2026-PE-208

PROCUREMENT EXEMPTION FOR HUBER STEP SCREENS

Pierce County

1501 Market St, Suite 420

Tacoma, WA 98402

RELEASE DATE: August 13, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: August 20, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: August 27, 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

SOLE SOURCE

Procurement Exemption for Huber Step Screens

1. Procurement Exemption General Requirements

2. Public Notice and Capability Statement Process

3. Capability Statement Requirements

4. Exemption Information

5. Exemption Type and Intended Vendor

6. Scope of Exemption

7. Cost and Term

8. Justification

9. Minimum Requirements

10. Market Research

11. Capability Statement

Attachments:

A - 2026 PE 208 for Posting

Sole Source #2026-PE-208 Title: Procurement Exemption for Huber Step Screens

1. Procurement Exemption General Requirements

1.1. Public Notice and Capability Statement Process

Pierce County posts public notice of all sole source, special facility, and special market condition procurement exemptions for 10 business days. Interested vendors have 5 business days to submit questions in OpenGov. A public notice is not a competitive bid or solicitation, and any bids or proposals submitted during this process will not be accepted. At minimum, the public notice will explain the following information:

• The scope of the purchase.

• The estimated cost of the purchase.

• The estimated term of the exemption.

• The intended vendor for the purchase.

• The justification for the procurement exemption.

• Any minimum requirements for a vendor to meet the County's need.

Any entity who believes they are qualified to meet the County's need as described in the public notice may submit a capability statement by the submission deadline. The Pierce County Purchasing Agent, or designee, will evaluate the capability statement in consultation with subject matter experts as appropriate to determine whether the submitter has demonstrated that they can meet the County's need.

If the capability statement demonstrates that the submitter can meet the County's need, the County will cancel the public notice and proceed with a competitive procurement. If the County determines that the capability statement has not demonstrated that the submitter can meet the County's need, the County will proceed with the procurement exemption. Entities who submit a capability statement will receive a letter explaining the County's decision.

The County reserves the right to contact entities who submit capability statements to request more information about their capabilities and qualifications.

1.2. Capability Statement Requirements

Capability statements must be submitted in OpenGov and should use the .docx or .pdf file type, or any other standard file type that can be opened in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. There are no strict formatting requirements for capability statements. To be properly evaluated, a capability statement must include the following information:

• The name of the individual or organization submitting the capability statement.

• The name, email address, and phone number of the primary contact.

• A description of how the entity meets the County's need.

The capability statement must directly address any minimum requirements described in the public notice. Any capability statement offering to provide items or services other than those specifically requested must demonstrate that they are of matching specifications and compatible with any systems with which the items or services will be integrated.

2. Exemption Information

2.1. Exemption Type and Intended Vendor

Based on a sole source exemption, Pierce County intends to purchase goods from Huber Technology

(Huber) by direct negotiation. The County has determined that Huber is the only entity capable of meeting the County's need as described below.

2.2. Scope of Exemption

The goods to be purchased via this exemption include Huber Step Screens for the Chambers Creek

Wastewater Treatment Plant.

2.3. Cost and Term

The exemption will be valid for 24 months, and the purchases made under this exemption are estimated to cost $250,000.00 over the 24-month period.

2.4. Justification

The County requires replacement step screens and parts for the Chambers Creek Wastewater Treatment

Plant.

The system uses Huber Step Screens, and the County has determined that only Huber parts have the specifications necessary to be compatible with the existing infrastructure.

The manufacturer, Huber, has provided the County with a sole source letter indicating that Huber is the sole authorized distributor of Huber parts in Washington State.

2.5. Minimum Requirements

The County has identified the following minimum requirements to meet the County's need:

1. Authorization by the manufacturer to sell Huber Step Screens and related components in

Pierce County.

2.6. Market Research

To identify qualified vendors, support the justification of this exemption, and determine the minimum requirements to meet the County's need, the County performed the following market research:

Consulting with other municipalities Pierce County has found that other similarly sized jurisdictions use

Huber step screens for their wastewater treatment needs.

2.7. Capability Statement

Please ensure that your capability statement meets the requirements described in this public notice.

1. Please upload your capability statement here.*

The capability statement must demonstrate how you meet the requirements listed in this public notice and how you are capable of meeting the County's need.

*Response required