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.

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

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.

An Application Evaluation Committee (AEC) 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 Contractor most qualified for this pursuit/solicitation and begin the negotiation and award process based on the requirements of this solicitation.Selected Proposer(s) 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 contractor 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 PCSHSprocurement@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 & Enterprise Services 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.

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.

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

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

Proposal Release Date:August 26, 2026Question Submission & Concern Resolution Request Deadline:September 14, 2026, 3:00pmProposal Submission Deadline:September 28, 2026, 3:00pm The County reserves the right to revise the above timeline.

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.

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 & Enterprise Services 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 proposal must be received by the time/date as indicated in Section 2.2.

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 there 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 notices sent by our office to property taxpayers are time sensitive and must be distributed on a firm schedule. Each notice is individually designed with variable form fields that present differently for taxpayers as defined by the data provided from our tax administration and collection system.

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 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.Kimberly SmithProcurement and Contract Specialist 2Email: kimberly.smith@piercecountywa.govPhone: (253) 798-6015Department:Assessor-TreasurerAny 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.

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.

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.

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 a proposer an advantage or benefit over other proposers.

Proposers who do not meet the minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and their proposal will not be evaluated or scored.Proposers must be licensed to operate and provide services in Washington state

Proposals will be scored by consensus. Members of the AEC will score proposals individually and then meet to determine the final independent score for each proposal.In the event the AEC 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 AEC members of the response. If members of the AEC 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.

“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."IMb" means Intelligent Mail barcode(ing)."NCOA" means National Change of Address"Pipe-Delimited" is a type of delimited text file where the pipe symbol (|) separates individual data fields instead of commas or tabs. Each row in the file represents a record, and each field within the row is separated by the pipe. “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."USPS" means United States Postal Service.“WAC” means Washington Administrative Code.

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this procurement is expected to be 12 months 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 4 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 Section 1.6.1 of this solicitation, as well as any additional performance outcomes or deliverables negotiated in the final contract agreement.

The Assessor Treasurer's office of Pierce County (hereafter known as 'the County) is seeking a supplier capable of compiling data to print, personalize, manufacture and mail or electronically distribute Property Tax Statements and Notices required by state law. This includes the folding, inserting and mailing or electronic distribution of notices to individual property owners several times a year as required by statute.

The total value of this procurement is $668,880.The 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.

The Contractor will ensure that property taxpayers receive clear, accurate, and timely billing information through a system that supports both traditional mail and electronic delivery. This includes maintaining accurate billing data for all taxpayers, providing a secure online platform for those who choose electronic notices, and keeping a current database of taxpayer contact preferences. It also ensures the County can meet all legal requirements for mailing annual tax statements and related notices, while continuing to explore additional delivery methods that improve accessibility and convenience for taxpayers.

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 printing, binding, and stationery work done for any county, city, town in this state shall be done within Washington State, per RCW 43.19.748.Contractor must be capable of providing the goods and services necessary to design, manufacture, personalize & design real property tax bills for the property tax statements and notices in a manner that meets County's objectives and specifications as outlined in the Scope of Work.

Forms DevelopmentContractor must have the ability to design and produce all forms, both those used for hard copy printing and those used for electronic bill presentment.The County may periodically provide a near ready form which requires conversion -to- print file.The County will provide raw data for use in forms creation.Contractor must have the ability to insert variable data into the appropriate data fields for comprehensive mail-ready pieces or electronic image, including the ability to apply special rules (e.g., if this field contains XXX data, this comment prints in this location, if no data in the field, this default comment displays)Contractor will provide forms and systems design services as needed, to include mock-up designs and multicolor, high resolution, and proof of all form components.Proofs for forms shall be completed and provided for approval to County staff at least 30 days in advance of scheduled mail date, unless otherwise agreed upon by both parties.Contractor will image a variable Bar Code line, which represents the parcel number, in the area designated by the County, on the first page of each form.Contractor will image a Postal barcode on each mail piece, in compliance with the USPS postal regulations effective at the time of mailing.Contractor will facilitate changes with the USPS to ensure compliance.Forms will be updated annually, and the contractor must be able to incorporate layout and language changes. Preprinted Components and Imaging SpecificationsContractor should produce statements “on demand” so that no preprinted shells are utilized and the County is only billed for actual statements mailed.Variable data may print in color on either front and/or back of form.Contractor should be capable of doing mathematical calculations for balancing of totals to match bill mail out.Test and Production DataThe County requires test proofs at form development and production data steps in a mailing.

Contractor shall have a published and fully functional Quality Control process in place throughout the duration of the project and will provide a copy of the process to the County. Contractor shall provide a copy of said Quality Control Process document to the County. Process must include, at a minimum:Services provided directly by the contractor to ensure adequate communication and control over mail-piece/notification integrity.Process to uniquely identify each separate mail-piece/notification.Process to test print and image quality.Audit of input quantities against output quantities on each live run.Accounting of all records on data files provided by the County, including matching of file totals where applicable.Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) to certify and validate addresses at a minimum of 97% certification rate.Foreign addresses are exempted.Contractor must provide the physical address and telephone number of wholly owned backup facilities with the same capability and capacity as the primary facility to ensure its ability to complete this contract in the event production is disrupted rendering the intended production facility inoperable.Backup production should be able to recover within 24 hours of original disruption.

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. (List the required attachments)

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

The following specifications are stated as minimums of which will be acceptable:Property Tax Statement - Single Statements to One Taxpayer Approximate number of statements: 170,000Document maximum size - 8 ½" x 14”Paper minimum weight - 24 lb. or equivalentInk colors - Background color of choice: blue (alternates between green, yellow and blue each year).Imaging - Laser quality printingFinished maximum size - 8 ½" x 14”Mail piece size to accommodate #10 special window envelope with name, address and IMb displaying.Special features - Two (2) #9 special window return envelopes, and two (2) one-third (1/3) page inserts are inserted in this mail piece.Property Tax Statement - Foreclosure Parcels Approximate number of statements: 1,000Document maximum size - 8 ½" x 14”Paper minimum weight- 24 lb. or equivalentInk colors - Background color of choice: blue and red (alternates between green, yellow and blue each year).Imaging - Laser quality printingFinished maximum size - 8 ½" x 14” Mail piece size to accommodate #10 special window envelope with name, address and IMb displaying.Special features - will be inserted into black banded #10 special window envelope and be accompanied by two (2) black banded #9 special window return envelopes and two (2) one-third (1/3)-page inserts.Property Tax Statement - Single Ownership of Multiple ParcelsMerged approximate number of statements: 20,000Document maximum size - 8 ½" x 14”Paper minimum weight - 24 lb. or equivalent Ink colors - Background color: blue, color of choice (alternates between green, yellow and blue each year).Imaging - Laser quality printingFinished maximum size - 8 ½" x 14” Mail piece size variable based on weight and ability to fit in #10 envelope.Special features - Regardless of total number of statements, only two (2) #9 special window return envelopes, and two (2) one-third (1/3) page inserts are included in each mail piece.Property Tax Reminder NoticeApproximate number of notices: 22,000, twice annuallyDocument size – 4”x 6” single and 8 ½” x 11” multiple parcel letter.Paper - USPS compliant for self-mailer (contractor to recommend) and 24 lb. or equivalent, minimum weight for multiple parcel letter.Ink colors - BlackImaging - Laser quality printingFinished size – 4”x 6” single (or current USPS regulation) and 8 ½” x 11” for multiple parcel letter.EnvelopeCard will meet USPS postal requirements for self-mailers.Window envelope will display Pierce County logo for multiple parcel letters.Value Change Notice Cards - Real PropertyApproximate Number of Notices: 320,000Document size – 4” x 6” single and 8 ½” x 11” multiple parcel letter (note: a portion of the letters will have multiple pages).Paper - Postal compliant for self-mailer (Contractor to recommend) and 24 lb. or equivalent., minimum weight for multiple parcel letter.Ink colors - BlackImaging - Laser quality printingFinished Size – 4” x 6” single (or current USPS regulation) and 8 ½” x 11” for multiple parcel letter.Envelope Card will meet postal requirements for self-mailer.Window envelope with Pierce County logo for multiple parcel letter.Value Change Notice Cards -Mobile Homes Approximate Number of Notices: 20,000Document size – 4” X 6” single and 8 ½” X 11” multiple parcel letter (note: a portion of the letters will have multiple pages).Paper - USPS compliant for self-mailer (Contractor to recommend) and 24 lb. or equivalent, minimum weight for multiple parcel letter.Ink colors - BlackImaging - Laser quality printingFinished Size – 4” x 6” single (or current USPS regulation) and 8 ½” x 11” for multiple parcel letter.Envelope Card will meet postal requirements for self-mailer.Window envelope with Pierce County logo for multiple parcel letter.Value Change Notice Letters - Personal PropertyApproximate Number of Notices: 20,000Document size -8 ½” x 11” (note: a portion of the notices will have multiple pages).Paper minimum weight - 24 lb. or equivalent. Ink colors - BlackImaging - Laser quality printingFinished Size - 8 ½” x 11”Envelope Window envelope with Pierce County logo for multiple parcel letter.Personal Property Affidavits - Single Affidavits to One TaxpayerApproximate Number of Affidavits: 12,500Document size - 8 ½ x 14” (note: a portion of the notices will have multiple pages).Paper -Paper weight appropriate for laser quality printing.Ink colors - Black and blueImaging - Laser quality printingFinished maximum size - 8 ½" x 14”Mail piece size to accommodate #10 special window envelope with name, address and IM barcode displaying.Special features: One #9 return envelope and two inserts are inserted in this mail piece.Duplexing and additional pages will be required when variable data exceeds space allotted on page 1.Exemption Renewal FormsApproximate Number of Forms: 3,500Document size - 8 ½” X 11”Paper minimum weight - 24 lb.Ink colors - BlackImaging - Laser quality printingFinished Size - 8 ½” X 11”Special features - One A9 Business Reply Mailing (BRM) envelope and possibly one insert are inserted in this mail piece.Pre-printed portion of the form will be duplexed.Variable data will be limited to one side.Exemption Status Change Forms (may not be required, to be negotiated at time of contracting) Approximate Number of Forms: 15,000Document size - 8 ½” X 11” and/or a 4”x6” self-mailerPaper minimum weight - 24 lb. or equivalent, for 8 ½" x 11” and Postal compliant for self-mailer (Contractor to recommend)Ink colors - BlackImaging - Laser quality printingFinished size - 8 ½” X 11”Special features - One #9 return envelope and possibly one insert are inserted in this mail piece.Pre-printed portion of the form will be duplexed. Variable data will be limited to one side.

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.

Construction - Tax StatementsThe County requires that the following criteria be adhered to:The remittance advice will be part of the tax statement form.The horizontal perforation between the statement information section and the first and second half payment advices will be very fine, laser perforation which will facilitate remittance processing on scanning equipment.A scan line for remittance processing will be located at the bottom of each tax statement remittance advice.Specifications for the scan line to be provided through special instructions at the time of forms development/variable data programming.Mailing and return addresses will be printed on remittance advices positioned appropriately for postal compliance for automation rates.No additional data shall show in the envelope window.

Proposers 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.

Contractor will prepare raw data addresses to be merged onto forms.The address lines will vary in number based on existence of Care Of lines, foreign addresses, etc. Logic shall be applied to recognize blank rows and create a clean address block with no blank rows.Contractor shall provide address processing services (address hygiene, NCOA) that meet or exceed those required by the United States Postal Service in order to qualify for the best possible postal rate for each mail piece.Contractor will provide NCOA-48 updates in order to comply with USPS Move update and to provide updated addresses to the County without additional charge.

To ensure compatible discounted postage at the lowest discount postage rates, Contractor may not use a pre-sort bureau.Contractor must be USPS certified as a “Full Service” and “Seamless” mail service provider in order to ensure the lowest postage. USPS documentation must be provided with response proving vendor’s certification status. Postage must be a pass through to the County with no markup. The USPS 3600 postage report(s) will be required to prove actual postage charged and discounts earned.Although County intends to prepay postage, the contractor must have the ability to cover the total postage amount in the event of a delay in payment in order to meet statutory mailing deadlines.If contractor provides address processing services contractor will quality control address changes resulting from NCOA or address hygiene to ensure LLC’s that use street addresses in their name and their Private Mailbox (PMB) display appropriately.Contractor will use the County’s IMb number to create and include the required postal barcode where necessary to meet postal requirements, if required.

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.

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

It is required the contractor will provide all data processing functions necessary to prepare raw County data for imaging, ensuring that field sizes are adequate so as to not cut off data; and when merging multiple ownership parcels into single mail packets, or single bill presentment if electronicIt is required the contractor will handle all data processing services through test file level without the need for the County to alter data or provide table look-up services for variable messages.

The Contractor is required to provide production proofs for review prior to every mailing and/or presentment.For USPS mailings, it is required the contractor provide test remittance advices, on actual production weight paper, manufactured to test scan tolerances of equipment used by the lock-box contractor employed by the County.These will be tested on the lock-box contractor’s scanning equipment to ensure 99.9% readability on the first pass.Test remittance advices will be samples of both standard and foreclosure statements.To provide maximum testing time at the contracted lock-box facility it is desired that the remittance stubs be delivered in an expedient manner directly from Contractor to the County after arrangements are made.Test advices will be approved, or issues identified to Contractor, within five business days of submittal to the lock-box.

Property tax statements shall be merged into a single outgoing mail piece whenever the same property owner has two (2) or more tax statements with the same outgoing address.The sort criteria shall be the “mail to” address and the taxpayer's name.Subject to County approval, software logic may be used to determine like matches in the taxpayer name.Combined statements shall be mailed in appropriately sized envelopes or cartons.Mail pieces shall be postal compliant and contain one insert and two return envelopes.Mail piece construction shall be sufficient to withstand postal equipment processing, manual handling and limited exposure to weather during mail delivery without destruction.The cost for merging multiple parcels into single mail pieces shall include all data processing costs necessary to sort, merge and label the multiple parcel/common ownership statements into single mail packets.Contractor shall provide a report indicating number of mail pieces containing multiple statements.The report shall be broken down to indicate number of statements (e.g., number of 2 statement mail pieces was XXX, number of 3 statement mail pieces was XXX, etc.)

Contractor must provide a secure portal where taxpayers may register to securely log in and view their current and previous property notices electronically without a printed statement delivered by the USPS.Electronic notice must provide a means to uniquely verify the individual registering to ensure validity of the registrant and validate email address prior to acceptance into the paperless system.Replica PDF images of the statement mailed must be made available to the account holder for viewing at any time of day or night via vendor’s site (not the County website).Ownership and/or Account holder changes must be handled by vendor without any action needed by the County.Prior account holder should no longer receive the statement while new account holder is given opportunity to register for the paperless option.The following forms may be candidates for electronic presentment:Property Tax Statements - Regular or ForeclosureValue Change Notices Real Property, Mobile Home, Personal PropertyPersonal Property AffidavitsExemption Renewal FormsExemption Status Change FormsProperty Tax Reminder NoticeThe contractor will host the presentment environment and maintain the registration and e-mail database. In the event the contractor receives a message failure notice, a paper copy must be mailed to the taxpayer.

The following schedule is required by Washington state law. The quantities are approximates.Mailing TypeMonthQuantityTax StatementsFebruary200,000Exemption Requirements Notification, RenewalsFebruary3,500Exemption Requirements Notification, Status ChangeMay15,000Property Tax Reminder NoticeMay25,000Value Change Notices 1st MailingJune330,000Value Change Notices 2nd MailingSeptember10,000Value Change Notices 3rd Mailing (including personal property)September/October20,000Property Tax Reminder NoticeNovember25,000Personal Property AffidavitsDecember12,500 Contractor will perform all mailings/electronic presentment within ten business days of receipt of County data unless mutually agreeable alternate arrangements are made between both parties.All mailings and/or electronic presentment provide an affidavit of mailing stating that out on the mutually agreed upon mail date, except for tax statements, which may be mailed incrementally if both parties agree it is beneficial. Undeliverable:“Invalids”, “No-Mails”, and County “Pull Requests” will be promptly returned to the County no later than one week past the final mail date.For electronic presentment, it is desired that a report of undeliverable mail be provided in the same one-week period containing adequate detail to identify the associated parcel.

When mailing via USPS, it is desired the contractor will arrange for the County's “Company Permit Imprint”.Originating post office to be unknown to addressee.Class of mail will be 1st Class.All mail must be presented to the USPS in a manner that achieves the maximum postage savings available for the mail piece.International pieces to be mailed with the appropriate international postage affixed.Contractor will remain current with USPS requirements, regulations and procedures.Contractor must employ a person whose responsibility is to interface with the USPS.Contractor to employ such person(s) at both the primary and backup facilities.These individuals should actively participate in USPS Postal Customer Councils and USPS National Postal Forums.Contractor must be current with all USPS certifications required of mail service companies.Contractor will assist Pierce County in estimating postage necessary for each mailing upon request.Contractor may utilize FedEx, UPS, DHL, Priority Mail, or other carrier where the cost is less than USPS standard delivery cost.

The Contractor may not hire a subcontractor or third party to perform services, as the County will need direct contact and collaboration with those performing the work.The contractor must have a backup plan to ensure their ability to complete notice production and distribution in the event the primary facility is not available. (See Section 1.7.. Quality Control)Data shared by the County to complete the notice distribution is confidential and the Contractor must have strict controls in place to keep the data secure.All mailing must be processed through the United States Postal Service (USPS), unless otherwise agreed upon.All notices and statements must be sent via 1st Class mail or electronic notification and must be in compliance with any and all statutory requirements.The county will only pay for notices distributed and will only pay postage for notices mailed.

It is desired that the Contractor will provide a secure, encrypted file transfer mechanism for the County to store data for transfer to Contractor.The County will utilize this method for all large data transfer processes, while secure email or other third-party transfer services (such as OneDrive) may be used for smaller files as agreed upon by both parties.File formats will include text (comma, tab, or pipe-delimited) or MS Excel spreadsheet depending on the size of the file and the originating software.