Enterprise Cloud Fax

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), specifically the Division of Information Technology (DIT), is seeking a qualified contractor to provide an enterprise cloud fax solution for use across all DSHS business units. The procurement, identified as RFP 2523-873, aims to replace existing phone line-based fax systems with a comprehensive digital fax platform that supports secure, encrypted communication. The cloud fax solution must meet stringent security standards including HIPAA, GLBA, SOC-3, and NIST 800-53 requirements, with capabilities such as multi-layer encryption (AES-256 and TLS 1.2), automatic archiving, transmission tracking, and custom URL access. The solution must support varying business unit sizes, accommodating between 10-10,000 web portal logins and 1-12,000 monthly inbound/outbound pages, with the ability to handle large fax transmissions up to 1,000 pages. Key evaluation criteria include technical capabilities, management qualifications, pricing structure, disaster preparedness, system integration capabilities, and the vendor's experience with complex regulatory compliance requirements. The RFP was posted on August 1, 2025, with a pre-bid conference scheduled for August 14, 2025, and proposal submissions due by September 15, 2025. The anticipated contract execution date is November 21, 2025, with a performance period from December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2028, and potential two additional one-year extensions.

The RFP encourages participation from diverse businesses, including small, minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses, with evaluation points available for certified Washington Small and Veteran-owned businesses. Bidders must submit a Diverse Business Inclusion Plan detailing strategies for engaging small and diverse businesses, though participation goals are aspirational and will not directly impact bid evaluation. Businesses must be certified by the Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises (OMWBE) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), or registered in the Washington Electronic Business System (WEBS) as a small business. The contract has a maximum value of $350,000, with scalable rates based on usage levels, including tiered pricing for local numbers, web portal logins, inbound and outbound pages, and ATA hardware adapters. Bidders must demonstrate compliance with various legal and operational requirements, including current business licenses, passing background checks, and certifying no criminal convictions or wage law violations. The solution will require comprehensive support, system performance guarantees, and strict data protection measures to ensure confidentiality throughout fax transmission and storage.