Capability statements must be submitted in OpenGov and should use the .docx or .pdf file type, or any other standard file type that can be opened in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. There are no strict formatting requirements for capability statements. To be properly evaluated, a capability statement must include the following information:The name of the individual or organization submitting the capability statement.The name, email address, and phone number of the primary contact.A description of how the entity meets the County's need.The capability statement must directly address any minimum requirements described in the public notice. Any capability statement offering to provide items or services other than those specifically requested must demonstrate that they are of matching specifications and compatible with any systems with which the items or services will be integrated.

Pierce County posts public notice of all sole source, special facility, and special market condition procurement exemptions for 10 business days. Interested vendors have 5 business days to submit questions in OpenGov. A public notice is not a competitive bid or solicitation, and any bids or proposals submitted during this process will not be accepted. At minimum, the public notice will explain the following information:The scope of the purchase.The estimated cost of the purchase.The estimated term of the exemption.The intended vendor for the purchase.The justification for the procurement exemption.Any minimum requirements for a vendor to meet the County's need.Any entity who believes they are qualified to meet the County's need as described in the public notice may submit a capability statement by the submission deadline. The Pierce County Purchasing Agent, or designee, will evaluate the capability statement in consultation with subject matter experts as appropriate to determine whether the submitter has demonstrated that they can meet the County's need.If the capability statement demonstrates that the submitter can meet the County's need, the County will cancel the public notice and proceed with a competitive procurement. If the County determines that the capability statement has not demonstrated that the submitter can meet the County's need, the County will proceed with the procurement exemption. Entities who submit a capability statement will receive a letter explaining the County's decision.The County reserves the right to contact entities who submit capability statements to request more information about their capabilities and qualifications.

The services to be purchased via this exemption include, but are not limited to:Determining household eligibility under the requirements of the federal grant that funds these services.Case management.Legal services related to eviction prevention, including legal counsel and advice, negotiation with landlords, or direct representation.Rental assistance.Outreach and education.The contracts awarded as a result of this exemption will be subawards of federal funds and will be subject to all applicable federal grant requirements.

The initial term of the contracts awarded as a result of this exemption will end in July 2027, and the estimated total cost across both contracts over their initial term is $500,000. If the grant period is extended, the County may extend the contracts as appropriate.

The County is the Recipient of a Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CDBG-CV) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which was recently amended by HUD to correct an administrative error related to the start date of the grant period. Due to this correction, the grant period was extended to a new end date of July 12, 2027.Because of the unforeseen extension the grant period, the County has a need to spend a significant amount of funding in a short amount of time. Additionally, among other standard grant requirements, the services allowable under the grant are restricted to addressing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and serving households who have been impacted by the pandemic.The County has identified Eviction Prevention Legal Representation, and services related to such legal representation, as a critical need that will target the population eligible for services under the grant, provide services that are allowable under the grant, easily meet all other requirements of the grant, and expend funds at the rate required to fully utilize all of the grant funding for its intended purpose.

To identify qualified vendors, support the justification of this exemption, and determine the minimum requirements to meet the County's need, the County performed the following market research:Online research and inquiries with service partners to identify organizations currently providing landlord-tenant and eviction prevention legal services.Direct inquiries to all known civil legal aid providers in the region that provide services at no cost to clients, including Tacomaprobono, Northwest Justice Project, and Columbia Legal Services.

Due to the considerations identified in the Justification section above, the County has identified the following minimum requirements to meet the County's need:Be a non-profit legal services provider with employees or volunteers who are authorized to practice law in the State of Washington and in Pierce County. Legal services provided under this procurement must be provided at no cost to clients.Have an established presence in Pierce County, which may be evidenced by an office location in Pierce County or regular attendance in Pierce County Superior Court or Pierce County District Court.Have established partnerships with relevant organizations that will allow the provider to efficiently identify eligible households and coordinate legal services with other forms of assistance, which may be evidenced by partnerships with the Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid or other sources of grant funding.Currently provide legal services related to landlord-tenant law and eviction prevention, with existing staff, volunteers, and organizational capacity to perform these services at the time of contract execution.Have an active Unique Entity Identity Identifier (UEI) number assigned by SAM.gov.The ability and experience to meet all applicable service requirements, including identifying eligible households who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and obtaining required legal attestations, providing legal representation and related services, complying with all standard federal contract and fiscal management requirements, and expending all grant funds by July 2027.

Based on the special market condition exemption under PCC 2.106.130, Pierce County intends to purchase eviction prevention legal representation and related services for clients who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic by direct negotiation with two providers. The County has determined that Tacomaprobono and Northwest Justice Project are the only entities capable of meeting the County's need as described below.