Online Tax Sales

The City of Newark, New Jersey is requesting proposals for online tax sales services under RFP 2026-15, with electronic proposals due by 2:00 pm on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, and a questions deadline of July 17, 2026 at 12:00 pm. No pre-proposal conference is scheduled. Proposals must satisfy minimum qualifications: the vendor must have conducted internet-based electronic municipal tax lien sales in at least two states within the past two years, or be actively marketing such systems in multiple states.

The City conducts two tax sales annually with line-item volumes ranging from approximately 100 to 7,500 items per sale. The contract term is 24 consecutive months from the date of award. Vendors must submit cost proposals on a flat dollar per-line-item basis (such as $1, $5, $10, or $15 per item) with full disclosure of all component charges—setup, hosting, implementation, training, support, data transfer, and payment processing. The vendor's total fee shall not exceed the amount collected by the Tax Collector under N.J.S.A. 54:5-38, and no fees may be charged directly to bidders or lien purchasers except as permitted by law. Vendors must provide an unqualified SOC 2 report addressing Type I and Type II control effectiveness and demonstrate compliance with comprehensive cybersecurity frameworks including hosting, encryption, access controls, risk assessment, incident response, data ownership, and disaster recovery.

Evaluation is weighted 35% on cost and fee-structure compliance, 30% on technical approach and platform functionality, and 35% on qualifications, experience, New Jersey municipal tax sale experience, cybersecurity, and internal controls. Proposals remain effective for 60 days following submission. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the City's e-Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/newarknj. Proposals must include a Letter of Qualification and Letter of Intent signed by both the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Required certifications include New Jersey Disclosure of Iran Investments (Public Law 2012, c. 25), Federal Non-Debarment Certification, and Certification of Noninvolvement in Prohibited Activities in Russia or Belarus (N.J.S.A. 52:32-60.1). Contact: Peter Calero, Buyer, at calerop@ci.newark.nj.us or (973) 733-5149.