USPS barcoding and presort services

The Town of Manchester, Connecticut is requesting proposals for USPS barcoding and presort services for First Class and standard mail, with proposals due May 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. via the Town's OpenGov procurement portal. The contractor must be fully licensed, insured, bonded, and certified; subject to Connecticut's Living Wage Ordinance requiring $17.78 per hour (with comprehensive health benefits) or $26.07 per hour (without benefits) for covered employers on contracts exceeding $25,000 in any fiscal year.

The scope requires daily mail pickup from Town Hall between 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday excluding Town holidays, with processing of approximately 16,500 pieces of first-class mail monthly and 200,000 pieces of standard mail annually. The contractor must deliver all processed mail with presort indicia to USPS facilities by next business day and maintain a 99.5% mail accuracy and barcode application rate. Monthly reporting must detail volumes processed, discount-qualifying pieces, non-qualifying pieces with reasons, and any USPS penalties. The contractor may not charge fuel surcharges or pickup fees.

The contract term runs one year from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with five optional one-year renewal periods available at the same terms and conditions, subject to mutual agreement made approximately four months before contract expiration. Price adjustments will be made annually based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index beginning on the contract anniversary date.

Proposals will be evaluated on quality of proposal and service plan (40%), vendor qualifications, experience, and past performance (40%), and reasonableness of cost (20%). Detailed cost proposals must itemize per-piece processing fees, presort fees, and other service charges. The contractor must obtain minimum insurance coverage of $1 million Commercial General Liability, $1 million Automobile Liability, and Workers' Compensation as required by Connecticut law, with the Town named as an additional insured on all policies except Workers' Compensation. Questions are due May 21, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.