A virtual or in-person Procurement Workshop will be conducted by Pierce County staff at the time, date, and location as indicated in the Procurement Schedule section of this RFP.Pre-proposal meeting attendance is not required but is highly encouraged for all organizations considering a response to this solicitation. It is the County’s belief that attending the meeting will assist proposers in presenting the best possible request for funding. During the Pre-Proposal Meeting Workshop, Pierce County staff will give an overview of the procurement, the procurement process, an overview of the requirements, and will also be available to answer questions and provide technical assistance. Please have the instruction/proposal packet available as well as any questions that the organization may have related to the procurement. The County will be bound only to written answers provided in response to questions. Questions arising during the Procurement Workshop will be documented and answered in the eProcurement Portal.

The County will notify all proposers of the outcome of their proposal in writing upon completion of the evaluation process.

This RFP does not obligate the County to contract for services specified herein.

An evaluation team will review the bidding documents and evaluate all responses received based upon the criteria listed herein. The County may request clarifications or additional information, if needed. The proposer determined to be most qualified through the initial evaluation phase may be interviewed and the final determination will also consider reference checks and interviews. The County intends to select the most qualified for this pursuit/solicitation. Selected Proposer will be invited to enter into contract negotiations with the County. Should the County and the selected proposer not reach a mutual agreement, the County will terminate negotiations and move to the next ranked proposer and proceed with negotiations. A Proposer’s inability to agree to the terms of the County’s standard contract may be a basis for the County to terminate negotiations and begin negotiating with one or more other Contractors. The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submitted bids, to waive as informalities any irregularities, and to contract as the best interest of the County may require. The County may reject bids that are non-responsive or that are submitted by non-responsible proposers.

PROPOSERS WHO REGISTER AND DOWNLOAD RFP DOCUMENTS will be automatically added to the FOLLOWERS' list in the County's eProcurement Portal. Notifications for solicitation updates, addendum and other procurement information will be sent to all who register on the Pierce County eProcurement Portal.

The County reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.

Pierce County (hereafter known as the "County") is seeking a full-service food program for the Pierce County Jail and Juvenile Court (Remann Hall). The Pierce County Jail (PC Jail) serves meals to incarcerated adults and Corrections Deputies. The Juvenile Court serves meals to detained youth, juvenile detention staff, students attending the Day Reporting School, and youth enrolled in the weekend alternative detention programs.

Protests may be made only by Proposers or authorized representative of a Proposer who submitted a response to this solicitation document and who have participated in a debriefing conference. Upon completing the debriefing conference, the Proposer is allowed five (5) business days to file with the Procurement Coordinator a protest of the award decision. Protests must be received by the Procurement Coordinator no later than 3:30 PM, local time in Tacoma, Washington on the fifth business day following the debriefing. Protests must be in writing, addressed to the Procurement Coordinator, and submitted by email to pcpuchasing@piercecountywa.gov. The protest must state the RFP number, the grounds for the protest with specific facts and complete statements of the action(s) being protested. A description of the relief or corrective action being requested should also be included.Protests that do not follow these procedures shall not be considered. This protest procedure constitutes the sole administrative remedy available to Proposers under this procurement.Only protests stipulating an issue of fact concerning the following subjects shall be considered:A matter of bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator.Errors in computing the score.Non-compliance with procedures described in the procurement document or County policy.Protests not based on procedural matters will not be considered. Protests will be rejected as without merit if they address issues such as: 1) an evaluator’s professional judgment on the quality of a proposal, or 2) County’s assessment of its own needs or requirements.Upon receipt of a protest, a protest review will be held by the County. The Finance Department Director or an employee delegated by the Director who was not involved in the procurement will consider the record and all available facts and issue a decision within five (5) business days of receipt of the protest. If additional time is required, the protesting party will be notified of the delay. In the event a protest may affect the interest of another Proposer who also submitted a proposal, such Proposer will be given an opportunity to submit its views and any relevant information on the protest to the Procurement Coordinator. The final determination of the protest shall:Find the protest lacking in merit and uphold the County’s action; orFind only technical or harmless errors in County’s procurement process and determine County to be in substantial compliance and reject the protest; orFind merit in the protest and provide the County options which may include:Correct the errors and re-evaluate all proposals, and/orReissue the solicitation document and begin a new process, orMake other findings and determine other courses of action as appropriate.If a protest is filed, the County will wait to execute the contract until a final determination on the protest is made.

“Apparently Successful Proposer (ASP)” means a proposer selected as an entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract."Applicant," "Bidder," and "Proposer" mean an organization, agency or provider that submits a formal response to this procurement."Application," "Bid," or "Proposal" mean a formal response to this solicitation. “CFR” means Code of Federal Regulations.“Client,” "Participant," "Household," or "Member" means an individual (or individuals) who receives services, or is eligible to receive services, under this procurement. “Contractor” means an individual or organization whose proposal has been accepted by the County and has been awarded a fully executed, written contract.“Procurement” means the process by which the County obtains services.“Request for Proposal (RFP)” or "Solicitation" means this document and its attachments in which needed goods and/or services are identified and organizations are invited to provide information as to how they propose to meet the County's needs. “RCW” means Revised Code of Washington.“WAC” means Washington Administrative Code.

The Washington State Interlocal Cooperation Act, Ch. 39.34 RCW, authorizes public agencies to cooperatively purchase goods and services if all parties agree. By responding to this RFP, Consultants agree that other public agencies may purchase goods and services under this procurement or contract at their own cost and without Pierce County incurring any financial or legal liability for such purchases. Pierce County agrees to allow other public agencies to purchase goods and services under this procurement or contract, provided that Pierce County is not held financially or legally liable for purchases and that any public agency purchasing under such procurement or contract file a copy of this invitation and such contract in accordance with RCW 39.34.040.

Welcome to Pierce County's eProcurement System. This system is inclusive to the procurement process, including submission of any questions and/or clarifications, the release of any addenda/notices, and submission of proposals. It is strongly encouraged that organizations responding to any procurement first read the entire procurement, paying close attention to the timelines, scope of work, eligibility, submission requirements, and specifically to the questionnaire section, which may include required attachments (when applicable), and ask for any clarifications regarding content and instructions early in the process.

The County reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Proposer can offer. There will be no best and final offer procedure.The ASP should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the Proposer’s proposal. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to the County.

Any Proposer, who was not disqualified, who has submitted a proposal and been notified that they were not selected as an ASP may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the Procurement Coordinator within 5 days of having been notified that they were not selected.Discussion at the debriefing conference will be limited to the following:Evaluation and scoring of the Proposal.Critique of the requesting Proposer’s Proposal based on the comments made by the Application Evaluation Committee or individual comments made by an evaluator; andReview of Proposer’s final score in comparison with other final scores without identifying the other firms.Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of the other proposals will not be allowed. Debriefing conferences may be conducted in person or remotely and will be scheduled for a maximum of one (1) hour.

Proposal Release Date:July 17, 2026Pre-Proposal Walkthrough (Mandatory):September 16, 2026, 9:00amVendors are asked to participate in a mandatory site tour/kitchen walk through being held on September 16, 2026 the following conditions must be met:*Each vendor will be allowed to send a maximum of two staff for the tour.*Company representatives should plan to bring, and provide government issued ID or Driver's license*Clipboards, and note pads are acceptable items to bring and carry with you for information taking. Photograph, and audio recording are prohibited inside the facilities. *No cell phones, briefcases, or handbags will be allowed in the jail. Safe storage will be provided for use during the tour. *Representatives will go through metal detectors at both sites. Site Address/Parking InformationPierce County Jail Walkthrough 9am-10am-Meet at Pierce County Jail: 910 Tacoma Ave South -Meet in the Lobby on the 4th floor & have government-issued photo ID ready to present.-Paid parking is available off of Yakima and Nollmeyer Lane directly behind the County City building.Remann Hall Walkthrough 11am-12pm-Meet at 5501 6th Ave Tacoma, WA 98406 Administration Building (“B” Building), check in with receptionist & have government-issued photo ID ready to present.-Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the meeting place. There is no fee to park.Question Submission & Concern Resolution Request Deadline:September 23, 2026, 4:30pmProposal Submission Deadline:September 30, 2026, 1:00pm The County reserves the right to revise the above timeline.

This procedure is available to potential Proposers who are contemplating submitting a proposal in response to this RFP. Only Concern Resolution submissions (Submissions) concerning the following subjects shall be considered:A claim that the solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition.A claim the solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed, orA claim the solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.Proposers submitting a concern about this procurement shall follow the procedures described below. Submissions that do not follow these procedures shall not be considered. If a Proposer registers a concern against this solicitation, the issue(s) cannot be raised again during the protest period.All submissions must be in writing and signed by the submitting party or an authorized Agent. The submission must be sent to the AGENCY Procurement Coordinator, or designee, and needs to be received no later than 4:30 PM, local time, Tacoma, WA, per Section 2.2 Timeline, and must clearly articulate the basis for the submission. The Proposer submitting a concern must also include a proposed remedy.Upon receipt of a submission, a submission review will be held by the County. The RFP coordinator will respond to submissions in writing and the Finance Department Director will be notified of all submissions and provided a copy of the County’s response. A copy of the response to the submission, including any changes to the solicitation, will also be posted in County's eProcurement Portal.The concern resolution process does not include an appeal process.

The Pierce County Jail and Remann Hall facilities both have fully equipped functional kitchens. The successful Proposer will provide food service to both facilities using contracted staff only at Remann Hall and contract staff and inmate workers at the Jail, with food prepared in each facility to feed their respective populations. Services will include, but are not limited to: Operating the food service program in an ethical and humane manner with respect to the rights of those provided food services. Providing daily food service to include breakfast, lunch, and dinner at both facilities. Developing and implementing a food service plan with clear objectives, policies, and procedures. Operating a kitchen using only properly licensed, certified, and permitted food service professionals. Maintaining an open and cooperative relationship with the administration and staff of both locations. Providing food for correctional staff by contractor staff in a separate kitchen The Pierce County Jail and Remann Hall operate 24 hours a day/365 days a year.

The County will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, in conduct of a presentation or interview, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

Pierce County, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

The proposal must be received by the time/date as indicated in Section 2.2.

The County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Bidders should contact the RFP Coordinator to request an accommodation.

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in the County for this procurement. All communications between the Proposer and the County upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator.Stephanie BrowningProcurement and Contract Specialist 2Email: stephanie.browning@piercecountywa.govPhone: (253) 798-7796Department:Procurement and Contract ServicesAny other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the County. Proposers are to rely on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Proposer.

Proposers may submit questions through the County's eProcurement Portal, under the Question & Answer Section, no later than 4:30 pm on the date set forth in Section 2.2. Proposers must be registered in the eProcurement Portal software to submit questions, receive addendums and notifications, and ultimately submit a proposal. Proposers may only rely on written statements issued by the County. Any oral communications are unofficial and are not binding on the County.

The ASP will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the Sample Contract and its General Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit C. In no event is a Proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. If a Proposer has a concern regarding a certain General Term & Condition, they can raise the issue per the Questions and Answers section of this solicitation.

Organizations should be aware that any records they submit to the County or that are used by the County even if the organization possess the records, may be public records under the Washington Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). The County must promptly disclose public records upon request unless a statute exempts them from disclosure. Organizations should also be aware that if even a portion of a record is exempt from disclosure, generally, the rest of the record must be disclosed. Exemptions are narrow and specific.Organizations should clearly mark any record they believe is exempt from disclosure.

All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this solicitation. The Proposer is specifically notified that the County may reject or withdraw a proposal at any time as nonresponsive for any of the following reasons:Incomplete proposal,Failure to comply with any part of this solicitation or any Attachments to this procurement,Submission of incorrect, misleading, or false information.The County also reserves the right, however, at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities, which are defined as variances which do not provide an applicant an advantage or benefit over other applicants.

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this procurement is expected to be 48 months (4 years) from the contract date of execution. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the County. The County reserves the option to renew contracts for 2 additional 1-year terms. However, no Contractor will be guaranteed an extension. Decisions whether to extend a contract will be based on Pierce County’s assessment of the Contractor’s performance as evaluated by performance measure data as described in this solicitation, as well as any additional performance outcomes or deliverables negotiated in the final contract agreement.

Each evaluator will score the Proposals separately. The scores of all the evaluators will be averaged to determine the Proposer’s score.In the event the Evaluation Ream has clarifying questions for a proposer, they shall notify the Procurement Coordinator who will, in turn, send the question(s) to the appropriate proposer. The Procurement Coordinator shall provide a deadline for the answers and shall then notify the Evaluation Team members of the response. If members of the Evaluation Team wish to change their original scores based on the response to the clarifying question(s), they shall notify the Procurement Coordinator who shall determine the proper subsequent process.The County reserves the right to award the contract to any organization or combination of organizations whose proposal(s), in the opinion of the County, is in the best interest of the County.

In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be published in the County's eProcurement Portal.All amendments and notifications of cancellation shall be posted in the County's eProcurement Portal. If you did not receive this solicitation via the County’s eProcurement Portal, please register to receive further notifications.The County also reserves the right to amend or add to, retract from, or cancel this Procurement at any time, in whole or in part, and without penalty.In the event of a conflict between amendments or between an amendment and this Solicitation Document, the document issued latest in time shall control.

The Contractor will possess the managerial and administrative experience to operate the food service program. They will provide all food service to the facilities listed below. Providing meals for correctional staff is done using contracted staff only at Remann Hall. At the Pierce County Jail, meals for correctional staff are prepared by contracted staff, with food produced onsite at each location to serve its respective population. Pierce County Jail The PC Jail has a maximum capacity of 1296 (708 in the main high-security facility which runs at 100% capacity, and 588 in the open dorm, minimum-security jail). Inmates are served three meals per day that meet the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC) standards. Meals are also provided for Correction Staff. Location: 910 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402 Our Average Daily Population (ADP) is approximately 800. In 2024 total inmate meals served 949,414 and staff meals served 116,917, 2025 total inmate meals 967,966 and staff meals 104,608 , and through May 2026 total inmate meals 397,416 and staff meals 46,725. Meals are served in two connected facilities (Main and New Jail). The kitchen is located in the New Jail. Current day-to-day operations involve the preparation of approximately 2646 meals for inmates and 293 meals for staff. Average bookings per day for PC Jail is 42, with a range of 22 to 97 bookings per day. Juvenile Court Remann Hall operates a detention facility with a maximum capacity of 101 rooms (107 stationary beds). The average daily population was approximately 27 detainees for 2024 and approximately 25 for 2025. It is located at 5501 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA 98406 The Remann Hall kitchen facility is located outside of secure detention areas. The Contractor is responsible for preparing meals for detained youth, Remann Hall staff, and Positive Youth Development (sack lunches) programs , and its volunteers upon request. Location: 5501 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA 98406 Pierce County Juvenile Court: In 2024 approximately 27,810 meals were served to detainees. In 2025, approximately 26,517 meals were served to detainees. Staff meal count per day is 30. Current day-to-day operations involve the preparation of approximately 80 meals for detained youth and 30 meals for juvenile detention staff. Average bookings per day for Remann Hall is 3.

Proposers who do not meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and their proposal will not be evaluated or scored.Must have not had a contract with the County terminated within the last 10 years. Food Handlers Permits

County anticipates awarding a single contract from this procurement. The County reserves the right to make fewer awards or no awards, based on the quality and scope of proposals received, available funding, and identified service needs.The total funding available under this Request for Proposals (RFP) is limited and may be distributed among multiple providers. Proposers are encouraged to scale their funding requests proportionally to the scope and geographic reach of their proposed services. The County may negotiate budgets and service levels to ensure the most effective use of funds and equitable coverage across providers. The County reserves the right to adjust award amounts at its sole discretion.Additional federal, State, or local funds may become available during the contracting cycle and allocated through this solicitation. Funding may only be awarded for the same scope of services as described in this solicitation. It is important to note, any contract awarded as a result of this procurement is contingent upon the availability of funding. If at any time during the term of the contract the funding relied upon for the contract is reduced, modified, or eliminated, or if the funding terms are modified, Pierce County reserves the right to amend the contract as appropriate or to terminate the contract.

Follow instructions carefully - if attachments are provided under this solicitation, they are to be utilized as part of the proposal - do not replace or use the organization's own format, as the proposal may be deemed "non-responsive" or "not eligible."

All proposals are evaluated on the completeness and quality of the content. Only those Proposers providing complete information as required will be considered for evaluation. The County will not contact the organization for correction of proposals and Proposers are strongly encouraged to carefully review their proposals for completeness and accuracy before submitting. For proposals to be considered responsive and move to the review process, the Proposer must, under Section 7, RFP Questionnaire:Acknowledge all required “confirmations.”Complete all required attachments, to include uploading any supplemental documents requested in attachments; and Submit the following materials as part of the proposal.

This section provides a curated list of help articles addressing common questions and challenges proposers may encounter during the Request for Proposal process. The resources below are intended to offer clear guidance, practical solutions, and relevant information to support a smooth and successful submission. Proposers are encouraged to review these materials as needed to better understand requirements, resolve issues, and navigate the process with confidence.Vendor RegistrationFollowing a ProjectGetting Started with SubscriptionsHow to Submit a Question in OpenGovHow to Submit a Proposal Response in OpenGovHow to Edit or Withdraw a Proposal after Submission in OpenGov

Only electronic submittal via the County's eProcurement Portal shall be accepted for this procurement. No hard copies, emails, or fax submittals shall be accepted. The accepted forms of submitted materials are .pdf, png., jpeg., and MS Office formats such as docx. and xlsx.

Applicants must acknowledge and confirm each addendum and notice issued under this solicitation. The system will not allow final submission unless all required confirmations are checked.

Proposers should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the County’s e-procurement System, OpenGov. Late responses will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified. The County assumes no responsibility for delays caused by Proposer's technical related system errors.

General Meal Requirements Contractor will provide separate Adult and Juvenile 21-day cycle menus that comply with state and federal regulations. Any changes to the menu require written approval by the County. The Contractor will implement menu changes proposed by the County. Any vendor‑requested variance involving substitutions to the County‑approved menu—particularly substitutions that reduce food quality—must be fully justified and documented in writing.The Contractor shall maintain written documentation of all menu substitutions, including justification for any substitutions involving lower‑quality food items, for the full records‑retention period applicable to food production records. All such documentation must be made available to the County upon request.Contractor shall provide menu variety and quality product. Meals must not include any items that can be made into a weapon (i.e., bones, corn dogs with sticks, foil, etc.) Requests for dietary accommodations—including food allergies, medically prescribed special diets, and religious dietary requirements—must be honored for both adult and juvenile populations. Meals are served daily and serving times will be determined by the facility to allow for changes and emergencies. Holiday and monotony-breaker meals are optional.The County covers the cost for these special meals.In previous years, detainees received a hot lunch and sack dinner on holidays as the kitchen staff may end shifts early. Contractor is responsible for the following;Meal PlanningOrderingFood preparationServing/platingClean upAdult Population Nutritional Requirements The adult population must be served three (3) meals per day, seven (7) days per week, with dinner provided as a hot meal except on the holiday meal, when the lunch meal may be the hot meal. The Contractor will provide high-quality food service in accordance with industry standards. Food and food service will meet all applicable federal, state, and local guidelines, laws, and regulations. Meals served to the adult population must meet the nutritional requirements prescribed by the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC), along with the Contractor’s Dietician and have a caloric daily count total of 2,600. Inclusion of the calorie count cannot include filler calories (butter, sugar, etc.). Religious and medical diets conforming to special religious or physician-ordered specifications shall be provided as requested. Service Requirements Meals are prepared on-site by the vendor and distributed through the cook-and-serve method utilizing kitchen trays. Meals are then transported to and from the jail units by Contractor staff. Inmate workers can be used if necessary. Maximum-Security Facility 9 clustersMinimum-Security Facility 8 units Juvenile Population The juvenile population must be served three (3) meals, plus two (2) snacks, per day seven (7) days per week. Lunch and dinner must be served as a hot meal. Meals must be served at the same time each day. Breakfast must be served at 7:30AM, lunch must be served at 11:45AM, and dinner must be served at 4:30PM, Required documentation must be maintained, as juvenile court is subject to program audits. Meals served to the juvenile population must meet the nutritional requirements prescribed by the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC), along with the Contractor’s dietician. Inclusion of the calorie count cannot include filler calories (butter, sugar, etc.). These requirements and guidelines may change at any time. When requested, Contractor also provides sack lunches for several off‑campus programs, generally including twelve (12) youth attendees and one (1) staff or volunteer. Service Requirements Meals are served to the juvenile population using the following method:Contracted staff prepare and distribute meals on covered warming trays then secure the trays on a large cart. The Juvenile Detention Supervisor is called when the meals are ready and a Juvenile Detention Officer reports to the kitchen to retrieve the cart.Juvenile Detention Deputies walk through “sally port” security sliders entering and exiting the secured area and down a hallway toward the kitchen.Meal trays are moved from the large cart onto smaller carts that are then pulled into the individual units to serve to the detainees.Once the meal is complete, the Juvenile Detention Officer will return the used trays to the kitchen. Contracted kitchen staff unload the cart and wash and clean trays in preparation for the next meal. Corrections Deputies Per the corrections deputies’ labor contracts, the adult detention deputies in the PC Jail are provided one meal per shift (days, swings, graveyard) while performing their normal County duties. Meals provided to Correction Deputies will not be prepared by inmates. Catering Services are occasionally requested by PC Jail and may include box lunches, beverage service, and/or snack service.

All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the County and will not be returned.

Food Preparation Proposer must assure that safe and wholesome products are supplied.Preparation and/or delivery shall be in accordance with all applicable health and sanitary regulations. The proposer shall ensure health certification requirements are met and remain in good standing.The County will not pay for meals that arrive spoiled at time of delivery, do not meet specifications for the food and menu items specified by the nutritional guidelines for both Adult and Juvenile populations, or do not otherwise fulfill the requirements of this RFP.Proposer shall warrant that all meals will be served at appropriate temperatures and in accordance with all health code rules and regulations. The food will be prepared in a matter that is palatable, and visibly pleasing, complete with condiments if indicated.

The proposer will provide and implement a written food service plan with clean objectives, policies, procedures and annual evaluation of compliance.

The Proposer will provide a staffing plan to ensure that appropriate coordination with correctional administration and staff is maintained and shall provide all on-site staff list for approval by the County. Contractor staff shall consist of qualified, trained personnel to manage and operate the food service program. Contractor staff should include a Food Service Director and Assistant Food Service Director to manage the program and shall be thoroughly trained in all aspects of food service management, including but not limited to:Development of StandardPurchasing, Receiving and storage of productMenu DevelopmentMenu PresentationPreparation and ProductionModified Diet RequirementsDelivery SystemsSanitationPersonnel ManagementSecurityPlanning and Budgeting Contractor staff will be required to facilitate communication, attend meetings, problem solve, and ensure the Contractor’s policies and procedures comply with County’s security rules and procedures. The Contractor shall operate the food services program at full staffing and use only professionally trained personnel who have passed a criminal‑history background check conducted by the County. The Contractor shall manage adequate staffing levels for appropriate inmate supervision. The County will have final approval rights for all proposed hires. The County reserves the right to bar any Contractor employee from the facility at the sole discretion of the County. The County may prohibit entry to the County Facility, or remove therefrom, a contract employee who does not perform his/her duties in a professional manner, or who violates the County’s security rules and procedures. Proposer staff will not have direct contact with juvenile detainees at any time. Proposer shall provide ongoing training in food safety, security awareness, and emergency response.

Facilities The County will provide facilities and equipment for the food service operation. Refrigerator/freezer storage at the facility shall be provided by the County for use by the Proposer. The County will provide inventory storage space currently assigned to food service at the kitchen. Additional needs may be accommodated if County facilities allow. The Contractor shall not use County facilities for other than County-approved business. Parking for Contractor staff at the PC Jail and Remann Hall facilities may be provided. Street parking is available at the PC Jail. Inventory The Contractor and the County shall conduct a joint inventory count of all foods, supplies, and capital equipment owned by the County and presently located at various kitchens prior to initiation of the program.Inventories will continue to be the property of the County.Disposition and/or acquisition of capital equipment must be approved in advance by the County. Procurement of supplies and equipmentContractor will be responsible for purchasing and paying for all food supplies necessary to comply with this agreement, on a reimbursable basis.The purchases and prices charged to the County must be reasonable and necessary.If the Contractor receives any discount, rebate, allowance, or incentive from a supplier based on purchases made on behalf of the County, the Contractor must disclose it and return the full amount to the County within a mutually agreed‑upon timeframe that is beneficial to the County. The Contractor must maintain inventory control and minimize food waste.Contractor shall assume full control, protection, replenishment, storage, and issuance of all foods and supplies contained in County’s inventory.Contractor shall have use of storage areas for inventory storage as deemed appropriate by the County.A sufficient stock of meals must be available at all times for unplanned changes to any proposed meal count for both facilities.It is expected that the Contractor will have sufficient supplies on hand to provide meals for up to 5 days in the event of any emergency.The kitchen is also expected to keep meals available for late bookings. The Contractor shall provide all consumable supplies and food products that are required for the food service operation. Upon termination of the contract, for any reason, the County shall purchase or cause the successor food service provider to purchase all usable supplies and food products at the food service provider’s invoice cost. EquipmentThe proposer must maintain equipment in clean and operational condition

Contractor must maintain daily meal counts and inventory records.Contractor must submit monthly reports including financial statements, meal counts, and incident logs.

Contractor agrees to work in coordination with Pierce County Correction Administrative team.

Proposer will have the capability to commence services on a date agreed upon by the parties. Proposer shall provide a start-up and implementation plan that includes a schedule with timelines for the initial delivery of food services and supplies, the hiring and training of staff, and the transition of Food Services. Proposer must demonstrate how they will implement full Food Service delivery in the Jail and Remann Hall before or no later than November 21st, 2026

Continuity of Food Services is a requirement of these services. The County expects complete coordination between the incoming Contractor and the current contractor to facilitate a smooth transition.

Contractor’s ResponsibilityAll employees wage, taxes and benefitsInventory System All insurance required in this RFP All food handlers permit and licensing required Travel and Training expenses Dishwashing soap Floor Cleaner Kitchen Cleaning supplies Aprons Rubber Gloves Kitchen Rags Paper Sack Lunch Bags Hand Soap Any IT expenses required to set up, configure, and support (including but not limited to, County staff time, hardware, software, and internet connectivity) Other than normal wear and tear of equipment, the Contractor shall reimburse the County at the actual cost of the repair and a 5% penalty of the replacement value of the equipment for any damage to equipment due to the negligence or sabotage if these types of instances occur more than three times in a 90-day period.

Proposer must provide documentation of standards that address successful completion of site inspections performed by the Tacoma/Pierce County Health Department. This would include:Food handlers permit (all staff must remain current)Controlling time and temperature Cooking potentially hazardous food Cooling potentially hazardous food Cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces Date marking ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food Handling a food recall Employee Health Policy Personal Hygiene Preventing cross-contamination during storage and preparation Receiving Deliveries Storing and using poisonous or toxic chemicals Using and calibrating thermometers Using suitable utensils when handling ready-to-eat foods Holding hot and cold potentially hazardous foods Reheating potentially hazardous foods.