Communication/Low Voltage Consulting Services

Clackamas County, on behalf of Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES), is seeking proposals from qualified communications consulting firms to establish an on-call roster for strategic communications, public involvement, and stakeholder engagement support for the WES Capital Improvement Program, with proposals due November 4, 2026 at 2:00 PM Pacific Time.

WES anticipates awarding up to two contracts with an initial two-year term and a not-to-exceed value of $200,000 per contract. Services will be authorized on an as-needed basis through individual task orders; WES makes no guarantee regarding the amount of work assigned. The scope encompasses strategic communication and public involvement plan development, stakeholder identification and engagement, project branding, public outreach campaigns, construction communications, outreach-materials preparation, website and social media content development, digital marketing, public meeting facilitation, survey development, and community engagement reporting. The underlying Capital Improvement Program spans FY26–FY31 and is valued at approximately $237 million, supporting wastewater treatment plant improvements, sewer rehabilitation, pump station upgrades, force main installations, and surface water improvements.

Proposers must demonstrate experience providing communications services to public entities, utilities, and infrastructure owners, with particular emphasis on capital improvement projects in wastewater, water, stormwater, and transportation infrastructure. Experience engaging diverse audiences including rural and urban communities, businesses, property owners, youth, older adults, underserved populations, and communities of color is strongly desired. All digital content must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA. Insurance requirements include Commercial General Liability of $1 million per occurrence/$2 million annual aggregate, Professional Liability of $1 million per occurrence/$2 million annual aggregate, and Automobile Liability of $1 million per occurrence. Pricing may be submitted on either a time-and-materials-with-not-to-exceed or fixed-fee basis with complete hourly rate schedules. The evaluation committee will interview the top four highest-scoring proposers before final recommendation. Questions are due October 21, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time; protests of specifications are due October 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time. Proposals are limited to 20 pages and must include firm background, project team experience, understanding of WES needs and proposed approach, public outreach and engagement experience, capacity and availability, fees, and at least three references from clients served within the past three years.