Legal Notice**

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is pursuing a sole source procurement for Canopy Public Benefit LLC to provide access and support for the Program Evaluation and Reporting System (PEARS), a specialized web-based data management platform for tracking, managing, evaluating, and reporting statewide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) activities. The contract will cover 45 counties and multiple jurisdictions across Washington State, with a primary objective of creating a comprehensive reporting system that can directly import data into the federal N-PEARS reporting system. Required deliverables include 500 GB of file storage, organization-specific platform setup, training via webinar, technical support during business hours, and ongoing platform updates supporting features such as surveys, program activities, success stories, partnerships, and administrative management tools. The procurement requires vendors to submit capability statements by June 25, 2025, demonstrating their ability to meet specific state requirements for SNAP-Ed reporting and tracking. The contract is scheduled to commence on September 27, 2025, with an initial 12-month term and potential renewal options, focusing on supporting 8 contractors, 20 WSU Extension offices, 27 subcontractors, and 13 sub-sub contractors.

The procurement is structured as a sole source contract, effectively limiting participation to Canopy as the exclusive provider of this specialized SNAP-Ed reporting platform. No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly noted in the documentation. The current incumbent and proposed vendor is Canopy Public Benefit LLC, which has been supporting DSHS since 2016 and is recognized as the only system capable of meeting the state's complex SNAP-Ed reporting requirements. The contract will be fully funded through federal sources, with a total contract value of $78,200, structured as $39,100 per year for two years, with provisions for a 2.5% annual increase in subsequent renewals. The system must be compatible with major web browsers and provide comprehensive technical support, with Canopy required to collaborate with the PEARS Advisory Committee (PAC) to maintain ongoing system improvements and alignment with reporting standards. The procurement emphasizes the critical nature of the PEARS platform in supporting Washington's intricate SNAP-Ed program network and federal reporting obligations.