City Official Newspaper

The City of Seattle is soliciting sealed bids through Invitation to Bid for its City Official Newspaper, the vendor that publishes all official City proceedings as required by law, with a non-mandatory pre-bid conference on November 12, 2026 and bids due December 17, 2026. Eligibility is restricted by Article VII, Section 3 of the Seattle City Charter, which limits the designation to a daily newspaper of general circulation published in the City at least six days per week. The vendor must also hold a Seattle Business License and a State of Washington business license before contract execution.

Required services include responding to all City order requests within the next business day or sooner, publishing ordinances within three days of receipt, publishing emergency notices by the next business day, and providing up to 200 paper subscriptions per issue at no additional charge. The vendor must also furnish an online subscription covering all newspaper content at no charge and offer daily copy collection Monday through Friday. The contract replaces existing Contract #6735 and is available to all City departments. Total annual usage is approximately $120,000.

Pricing is evaluated on unit cost per column inch across three column widths (1-1/4, 1-1/2, and 1-3/4 inches). For comparison, the bid for the narrowest width receives a 20% increase and the bid for the widest width receives a 20% decrease. The City will award one contract but reserves the right to make multiple or partial awards. The initial term runs one year, January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027, with no extension options. The vendor must agree to a 90-day trial period, and the City may award to the next low responsive bidder if performance is unsatisfactory.

Required insurance includes commercial general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million general aggregate, sexual abuse and molestation coverage of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, business automobile liability of $1 million combined single limit, and workers' compensation under Title 51 RCW. The City must be named additional insured with no limitation provisions. Insurers must carry an A.M. Best rating of A-:VII or higher unless placed as surplus lines. Evidence of coverage is due within 15 days of award, or the City may withdraw its intent to award. Question submissions close December 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., and the public bid opening follows the 10:00 a.m. bid deadline on December 17, 2026.