Pierce County intends to award multiple Service Contracts for on-call Window Cleaning Services, a competitively procured solicitation administered by Pierce County, Procurement and Contract Services (PCS). The County is seeking qualified Contractors capable of providing exterior, interior, and/or exterior and interior window cleaning throughout Pierce County. The county seeks to award multiple agreements to a selection of highly qualified contractors with competitive pricing structures. The window cleaning services will both satisfy the business needs of the County and deliver best value. Additionally, the County expects Contractors to play a role in assisting the County to meet environmental goals, maximize efficiencies, and reduce costs where possible. The County seeks Window Cleaning Contractors which employ the latest technologies and work methods to meet service quality standards while maintaining or reducing costs.

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 Procurement Coordinator, or designee, and needs to be received no later than 4:00 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.

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.

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 a proposer an advantage or benefit over other proposers.

Each evaluator will score the Proposals separately. The scores of all the evaluators will be averaged to determine the Proposer’s score.

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.Dalton GamboaProcurement & Contract SpecialistEmail: dalton.gamboa@piercecountywa.govPhone: (253) 798-2904Department:Procurement and Contracts 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 who do not meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and their proposal will not be evaluated or scored.The following are MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS the Contractor must meet to be considered for award. Responses must show compliance to these minimum qualifications. The County reserves the right, but is not obligated, to clarify if compliance to the minimum qualifications is not clear in Contractor’s response. Those not responsive shall be rejected by the County without further consideration:Contractor shall have a minimum of three (3) years’ experience in providing cleaning services in similar office and industrial facilities; and have been in business for at least THREE years, providing these services OR Vendor’s President, Key Personnel must have at least THREE years, providing these services.Contractor shall have successfully performed a similar scope of work with a public or private agency; and have the ability to work safely and efficiently at all heights.Ability to complete a criminal history check as security requirement on all service technicians with access to life-safety and corrections facilities.Ability to maintain minimum level of insurance requirements for these services as outlined in the contract document.

“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," "Vendor", 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.“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.

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

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

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.

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.

The Countywide Window Cleaning Services RFP is a competitively procured solicitation administered by Pierce County, Procurement and Contract Services (PCS). We are seeking qualified Contractors capable of providing exterior, interior, and/or exterior and interior window cleaning throughout Pierce County. This RFP seeks to award multiple Service Agreements to a selection of highly qualified contractors with competitive pricing structures. This solicitation is for performance-based Window Cleaning Services. The types of buildings and requested pricing are included as Attachment.The window cleaning services will both satisfy the business needs of the County and deliver best value. Additionally, the County expects Contractors to play a role in assisting the County to meet environmental goals, maximize efficiencies, and reduce costs where possible. The County seeks Window Cleaning Contractors which employ the latest technologies and work methods to meet service quality standards while maintaining or reducing costs. The outcome of this RFP will be the award of multiple performance-based Contracts. The foundation of a performance-based relationship is mutually shared consequences and accountability. Measurement of the performance and constant improvement of both the County’s and the Contractor’s systems are the common focus. The Contractor shall provide a submittal of products intending to be utilized for the County’s approval prior to starting the job. Work ScheduleAll work shall be performed during normal business hours, Monday through Friday; however, after-hour & weekend work may be proposed & approved by the County.The work must be coordinated so as not to interfere with scheduled events in the building.The work shall be performed in such a manner to limit disruption of staff.Access to buildings and schedule of routing cleanings shall be coordinated in advance with each location’s Service Contact. Performance TasksThe Contractor shall perform window cleaning services on all exterior and/or interior windows for each facility awarded. Services shall include but are not limited to: all exterior and/or interior windows, regardless of height, location, or obstacles; all interior office windows; all vestibule windows; and any windowed door in each building.Skylights/roof windows are not included in this bid.If any items are moved away from windows by the Contractor, they shall be returned to their original location.Contractor personnel shall not stand on furniture, windowsills, exterior buildings, roofs or decorative structures.Contractor personnel will give occupants every opportunity to clear window areas prior to washing and provide a minimum of 72-hour notice to County for notification of tenants. Service QualityAll windows are to be cleaned and free of any dirt, streaks, water spots, and chemical residue.The Contractor shall remove all dirt, insects, debris, and other foreign materials from frames and windowsills.Window frames are to be cleaned using appropriate products and rinsed clean.Surrounds of window frames are to be cleaned of cobwebs, dirt, and other soils.Window ledges are to be free of any overrun water, chemicals, or dirt from cleaning operations.Surfaces adjacent to the surfaces cleaned by the Contractor shall be protected and wiped clean upon completion of work.The Contractor shall protect all interior and exterior building surfaces and surrounding landscape. Any spills or other incidents that may cause damage to the building or surrounding landscape or present a hazardous situation must be reported to the County’s Service contact immediately.The Contractor shall keep the work site clean and free from rubbish and debris. Materials and equipment shall be removed from the site when the work is complete.The County shall inspect all cleaning work. If, in the County’s judgement, the work is substandard the Contractor shall correct all deficiencies in a timely manner to the satisfaction of the County.Stop work if window putty will be disturbed by work. Supplies and EquipmentThe Contractor shall furnish the following and those costs shall be included in calculating your service price per visit: All prevailing wage labor, equipment, supplies, and materials.Use of County tools and equipment is not allowed.A products list and Safety Stat Sheets (SDS) for all products for the County’s approval prior to starting the job. The County strongly encourages the purchase of environmentally preferable products wherever possible and low volatile organic compounds (VOC).Any warning or safety barriers at the streets or sidewalks, as needed.Contractors are responsible for any necessary right of way permits required by local jurisdictions. All required safety equipment, protective equipment and fall equipment for all staff in compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations.The Contractor shall be responsible for the security of its equipment and material onsite. The County will not take any responsibility for missing or damage equipment, tools, or personal belongings. Specialized Equipment such as lifts, not listed above but deemed necessary and pre-approved by Pierce County for the performance of the work, shall be reimbursed at cost plus 15% for materials as full compensation for equipment. Equipment hours will be actual hours in use, rounded upward to the nearest half-hour. SafetyThe Contractor must ensure all work is performed in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations, including OSHA safety regulations.The County reserves the right to request the removal from the work site any supplies and/or equipment that does not meet County codes and regulations. In addition, the County may request the halt of any unsafe practices observed in carrying out the contracted service. This will in no way relieve the Contractor of complying with the contract requirements.The Contractor will ensure that his/her safety plan is submitted to the County before they start any work and should be site specific for workplan. Contractor’s EmployeesContractor personnel shall have identification with them at all times while on County property.It is intended the contractor adhere to Pierce County security requirements when working onsite. Interior project work will require a “moderate background checks” for workers onsite. Higher security areas require a Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) background check.Contractor personnel shall be neat and clean in appearance and attire.All cleaning personnel shall wear protective gear appropriate to the task being performed. A minimum standard for protection shall be as specified per applicable OSHA/WISHA requirements.Contractor personnel shall not use telephones, coffee machines, photocopiers, or any other County equipment or supplies without the express permission of the County.Contractor personnel shall not smoke within 50 feet of the building.Contractor personnel shall not be present on County property while under the influence of drugs or alcohol which affect or could affect judgment, performance, or safety.Contractor personnel shall not use, possess, manufacture, distribute, or dispense drugs or alcohol while on County property.Contractor personnel shall not possess firearms, dangerous weapons, or explosives on County property.Contractor personnel shall not use abusive or obscene language or gestures, threaten, intimidate, harass, or behave in a violent manner toward County employees, customers, or visitors.Contractor personnel shall abide by all site regulations and safety rules.Contractor personnel shall conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times. Personnel who behave in an inappropriate manner may be banned from the site.The Contractor shall be responsible for any loss or damage caused by Contractor personnel, and shall repair or replace any damaged properties, structures, finishes, materials, or equipment to the satisfaction of and at no additional cost to the County. References Please submit with your proposal references which demonstrate the ability to ably perform the listed work. The County may reject proposals that fail to provide references when required or that provide references that do not demonstrate the ability to meet the needs of Pierce County. Wages All work is subject to Washington State Prevailing Wage Requirements. The Contractor and any Subcontractor shall be bound by the provisions of Chapter 39.12 RCW, as amended, relating to prevailing wages and usual fringe benefits. No workman, laborer, or mechanic employed in the performance of any part of this Contract shall be paid less than the “prevailing rate of wage” as determined by the Industrial Statistician of the Department of Labor and Industries. Filing fee is required for each Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages and Affidavit of Wages Paid.The following Annual Adjustment of Wages Paid shall be applicable on each anniversary date of the contract:Notwithstanding any other provisions of this agreement, on each anniversary of the contract date, the Contractor shall increase wages paid to its employees to the extent necessary to comply with the then most recent Prevailing Wage Determination issued by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ Industrial Statistician (L&I). The Contractor shall provide to Pierce County Contract Compliance a new Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages, with the then most recent Prevailing Wage Determination attached and approved by the L&I, on each anniversary date of this agreement. The Contractor shall also provide within thirty days prior to the anniversary of this contract, notice to Pierce County of a change in the prevailing wage rate. Contractor billings to Pierce County will be adjusted to reflect said new rate. The County agrees to add to the amounts due the Contractor hereunder the amount, if any, by which the applicable prevailing wages paid by the Contractor are increased as a result of the operation of this paragraph. Provided Pierce County will not be liable for additional prevailing wage payments if the contractual wage amount exceeds the new prevailing wage. The Contractor further agrees to provide to the County an Affidavit of Wages Paid, certified by the L&I, within 30 days after each anniversary date of this agreement, for all work performed during the anniversary year just completed. The terms of this paragraph shall be included in any subcontract. Special Conditions to the Contract OCCUPIED BUILDINGS - The buildings are occupied by County employees and visited by the General Public. Additionally, the areas adjacent, inside and outside the project area at the locations indicated are occupied by the County departments and leased tenants and are prone to disturbance by construction activity. The Contractor will cooperate and coordinate with the owner to minimize noise impacts and to ensure the owner’s operations can continue during the project. ASBESTOS WORK - Should the contractor or subcontractor encounter any materials suspected of containing asbestos above and beyond that delineated in the asbestos abatement documents, Contractor shall cease operations immediately and notify the Owner’s representative. Bidder, if awarded a contract hereby certifies and guarantees to Pierce County that any products or materials sold, used, or installed under the terms of this contract, will not contain any asbestos. The contractor is required to submit an affidavit to the Pierce County Facilities Management, prior to project acceptance, stating that no products containing asbestos have been used on this project. The affidavit should state the following: "This affidavit is to certify that no asbestos containing materials will be used on the following project: (State Project Name and Project Number, and Project Address)." The affidavit shall be signed by the owner or an authorized representative. The Contractor will defend and indemnify the County from any claimed action, cause or demand brought against the County, to the extend such action is based on the affidavit supplied by the Contractor. This shall remain in effect as long as the products or materials installed under this contract remain with the County. The Contractor will pay those costs and damages attributable to any such claims that are finally awarded against the County in any action. Such defense and payments are conditioned up on the following: That the Contractor shall be notified promptly in writing by County of any notice of such claim. PARKING AND STAGING - The contractor will be provided a limited amount of storage space for access, staging of tools, materials and equipment whenever possible. Parking and staging will need to be discussed with the site contact person for each location. The Contractor agrees to repair or replace at their expense any damages to, windows, shrubs, lawn, plantings, concrete, and planters or asphalt parking, or any other surface or material damaged by the Contractor during the performance of the work. ingress and egress - The Contractor will ensure that the building has ingress and egress during exterior work. SUB-CONTRACTS AND PURCHASE ORDERS: Regular, Planned and Defined Service Requests: Pierce County Departments may immediately begin issuing sub-contracts or purchase orders to a successful contractor following execution of a master contract. Sub-contracts will be utilized for long-term, regular and defined services (one or multiple buildings for multiple years.) Departments will issue a sub-contract based on pricing submitted in response to this RFP and incorporated into the resulting master contract, with specific locations and frequency to be set forth in the sub-contract. A contractor may request a change in pricing only upon a showing of a material change in circumstances, such as a change in what the Parties believed to be the number of windows at a location or a change in equipment or number of personnel required to perform the quoted service. When in the best interests of Pierce County, Departments may agree to a higher price to the extent reasonable based on the evidence contractor presents. Sub-contracts may be for one or multiple locations. Small and Irregular Service Requests: Most irregular, smaller and immediate need services will be issued to an awarded contractor via a purchase order, with any justified change in pricing negotiated in the same manner as sub-contracts. Pierce County’s preference will be for a lump sum cost for issued purchase orders under this contract. The County reserves the right to add/delete buildings at the County's sole discretion. If the County adds any building that is not listed in this solicitation, the proposer and the County shall agree upon a price that is suitable to both parties.Price Descriptions:Labor: The contractor will be reimbursed for labor (other than administrative support) dedicated solely to the particular job and only for the hours worked at the Pierce County job site. The contractor will not be reimbursed for a general superintendent, general foreman, field supervision or estimating and executing work orders. If the contractor wishes, uncompensated costs should be included in your calculation of pricing for bid items. Per Visit rates listed in Category 1: Exterior windows Bid #’s 1-13 and Category 2: Exterior & Interior Windows Schedule Bid #’s 14-27 should include all costs associated with labor, including wages and benefits, local, state and federal taxes and overhead, profit, insurance costs, office administration costs, non-labor workforce costs (foremen, superintendents, etc.), insurance, taxes and estimating costs, travel, as well as all other costs related to the performance of the work. Materials/Parts: Any materials used, excluding materials and supplies necessary to operate and maintain equipment, will be reimbursed at actual cost plus 15% markup. The material used to perform the work shall be recorded as the work is performed. To support charges for materials, the Contractor shall provide the County with valid copies of supplier invoices. If invoices are not available for materials from the Contractor stocks, the Contractor shall certify actual costs (at a reasonable level) by declaration. Once approved, the prices will be utilized in the calculation for reimbursement for materials. Subcontractors: Use of subcontractors shall be compensated on the basis of actual cost plus 15%, if pre-approved and/or required for the work. Contractor shall seek approval from the County prior to any subcontracting. All labor classifications for all tiers will be paid and the bid unit price and will not be allowed the 15% markup prior County approval per Work Order. Permits: The contractor will be responsible to obtain any and all additional required and applicable federal, state and local permits. The contractor must provide a copy all permits to the County. Contractor will be reimbursed for the cost of the permits at cost plus 5% markup. Protective Equipment and Specialized Equipment: All level “C” personal protective equipment, defined at the following website: www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9767 as well as consumables and/or expendables and tools required by the trade shall be furnished by the successful contractor. Types of tools shall include, but not be limited to: electric grinders, electric drills, reciprocating saws, circular saws, miter saws, welders, gas detectors, confined space entry equipment, ladders that reach up to 50 feet, air tools and compressors, and all required hand tools. Specialized equipment or protective equipment not listed here but deemed necessary and pre-approved by Pierce County for the performance of the work, shall be reimbursed at cost, plus 20% markup as full compensation for equipment. Equipment hours will be actual hours in use, rounded upward to the nearest half-hour. The County reserves the right to provide specialized or protective equipment. In this case, the Contractor will receive no payment for any costs, overhead, or profit arising from the value of the equipment.SPECIAL PROVISIONSSecurity Requirements: Contractors and their sub-Contractors shall adhere to Pierce County security requirements when working onsite including security clearances and tool control. Interior projects or those in secure courtyards require moderate background checks for staff onsite. Higher security areas require a Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) background checks and/or a detention area specific background compliance check including Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliance. The Contractor will be informed per work order if and for which security level a background and badge will be required. Each Contractor's personnel, who is assigned to perform work under a work order, will be an employee of the Contractor or an employee of a Subcontractor contracted by the Contractor. The Contractor is responsible for the compliance of all the Contractor’ personnel performing work. Contractor personnel must have a security clearance before on-site work can begin. They will have the appropriate and necessary criminal background checks/security forms completed and submitted to the assigned Project Manager and their backup. CJIS background checks also require fingerprinting and online training provided after the clearance has been obtained. All cleared personnel must schedule and appointment to receive a photo ID badge from the security office located in the Count City Building prior to commencing on-site work. The County will pay the direct costs to process the criminal background and security clearances. Any additional costs incurred including fingerprinting processing fees and personnel time shall be the Contractor Subcontractor’s sole expense. Background check clearances and CJIS training are required to be renewed every two years. See attached background check forms. Federal/State Grants: Projects assigned under this contract may be funded locally or in whole or part by Federal and/or State Grants. Depending on funding source, the following provisions may apply to this work. Please see Attachment 1 – 2 CFR 200; Pierce County Federal Contract Terms, Conditions, and Certifications for additional provisions that may apply. The County will inform the Contractor when requesting a work order if Federal and/or State Grant language and requirements apply and will issue the additional Terms and Conditions when requesting a work order estimate. Wage Rules: Prevailing wages must be paid on all projects. For Federally Funded projects the Davis/Bacon Act must be followed, and the higher of state or federal wages must be paid. Nondiscrimination: During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees to comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination laws, regulations, and policies. WORK ORDER DefinitionsA. Work order: In this document the term work order refers to both Purchase Orders (PO) and Work Assignments (WA). A work order is a document that assigns or authorizes a certain job or task to be performed. Proceed With WorkA. An approved Work Order will serve as notice to the Contractor to proceed. All work must be coordinated through the County PM. The Contractor will not perform any work without a fully executed Work Order from the County. No mobilization on site will occur until all required pre-work submittals are submitted and accepted by the County PM.B. All tasks and work performed must adhere strictly to the scope, terms and conditions outlined in the contract. Any work conducted beyond the specified scope will result in immediate contract termination.C. Work shall be performed in accordance with recognized sound safety standards and any equipment, supplies and products shall be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s technical specifications. Schedule of Working HoursA. The Contractor will submit a written notice for any work outside the specified regular working hours under this contract. This notice must be received by the County PM at least 48 hours before the proposed work. Before any work outside regular hours can commence, the County PM must approve of any or all revised working hours. Any work conducted outside regular hours will not incur additional costs for the County, except as stipulated in the Contract Documents. Payment For WorkA. Contractor shall provide clear and specific process, expected timelines, documentation requirements, error correction processes and engagements as it pertains to billing, invoicing, and any other process for this aspect of contract management. labor, parts, and overhead will be detailed separately.B. The Contractor will invoice the County at the completion of the project based on actual costs, i.e., labor time, materials, permits, subcontractors and equipment hours in use for the project. C. Invoicing will be limited to monthly per issued work order number. Final invoicing for each work order must be completed no later than 30 days after completion of completion of work. D. The County will not make payment on any Work Order invoice until all required intents have been filed and approved with L&I. E. The invoice shall provide an itemized accounting of the labor, material and equipment costs for all work. This includes subcontractors and prefabricated, off-site manufacturer supplier list, subcontractor work where applicable, and all approved mark-ups. Each invoice shall have backup documentation that supports the invoice including daily work reports, material invoices and equipment rental invoices per the Schedule of Unit Prices and contract requirements.F. All invoices must conform to RCW 39.12.040.1.b: When submitting a voucher claim for payment on a project estimate, contractors must state that the prevailing wages have been paid in accordance with the pre-filed statement or statements of intent to pay prevailing wages on file with the public agency.

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.

The Initial Contract Period of Performance will be (1) one year, commencing from the date of the Notice to Proceed, with the option to renew for additional years. Total contract time is not to exceed 5 years.

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 PCPURCHASING@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.

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.

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

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.

Proposal Release Date:July 1, 2026Question Submission & Concern Resolution Request Deadline:July 20, 2026, 4:00pmProposal Submission Deadline:July 24, 2026, 1:00pm 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.

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

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.

Window cleaning services will both satisfy the business needs of the County and deliver best value. Additionally, the County expects Contractors to play a role in assisting the County to meet environmental goals, maximize efficiencies, and reduce costs where possible. The County seeks Window Cleaning Contractors which employ the latest technologies and work methods to meet service quality standards while maintaining or reducing costs.

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."

The County anticipates awarding multiple contracts 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 initial service contract amount is estimated to be $350,000.00; the County reserves the right to add additional funds upon mutual agreement. Contracts will not exceed five years in duration unless additional time is needed to complete any open Work Orders.

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

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.

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.

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.