All proposals will be reviewed for compliance with the Minimum Qualifications. Proposals that meet the Minimum Qualification as identified in Section 2 will advance to the formal evaluation process and be scored based on responses to RFP questions and required attachments. An Application Evaluation Committee (AEC) comprised of Pierce County staff, community representatives, or jurisdictional partners from local, state, or federal agencies with expertise in the subject matter of this procurement will review and score all proposals based on the requirements and content of this RFP.The RFP Coordinator reserves the right to contact Proposers for clarification of any portion of the Proposal.

“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.“PCHS” means the Pierce County Human Services Department. “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.“Unemployed” or “Underemployed” individuals means persons who are not currently employed or who are employed in positions that provide insufficient hours, income, or opportunities to fully utilize their skills, education, or work experience.“WAC” means Washington Administrative Code.

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 Human Services Department reserves the right to either require the Proposers to participate in an interview, where the questions will be asked, or to ask that the Proposers submit answers to the questions in written form. In either event, Proposers will receive instructions in advance of any due date. Answers to the follow-up questions will be scored by AEC and the score added to the overall score received at the conclusion of the initial evaluation of the proposal.

Funding will generally be awarded in ranked order, from the highest scoring proposal to the lowest scoring proposal. Funding awards are also subject to available funding, effective use of funding, and the County’s determination that the proposed services are responsive to the requirements and objectives of this RFP. The County reserves the right to: Award multiple contracts Make partial awards Make fewer awards than anticipated or make no awardsNegotiate budgets and service levels with a region Fund more than one provider within a region The County further reserves the right, at its sole discretion and at any time during the contract term, to modify, reassign, or discontinue services. If services are reassigned or a contract is terminated or discontinued, the County may, without issuing a new solicitation, negotiate and enter into an agreement with a proposer whose proposal was evaluated, scored, and ranked under this RFP.

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.

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.

Proposers who do not meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and their proposal will not be evaluated or scored.Applicants must be an IRS designated non-profit agency located in Pierce County.Pierce County requires that all applicants for funding be registered as a business entity with the State of Washington and possess a Washington State Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number and a Federal Tax ID number.Applicants must be currently managing or have former experience operating a Center's for Strong Families program, or other similar financial and employment coaching services.

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.

How did we get here? What is driving this procurement? Describe here why we are running this procurement.

The initial period of performance of any contract resulting from this procurement is anticipated to begin sometime in August 2026 and end on December 31, 2027. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the County. The County reserves the right to extend these services for an additional 24-months to the successful applicant if additional funding is made available during the 2028/2029 biennium, or per Section 1.5.3. below. However, no Contractor will be guaranteed an extension.

Pierce County will contract with a single organization to deliver individualized employment and financial coaching services to eligible participants. Services, at a minimum, will include:Financial Coaching ServicesFinancial services focused on fiscal responsibility, budgeting, money management, and achieving and maintaining self-sufficiency, including:Assistance with developing, implementing, and maintaining household budgets.Support for tracking income and expenses and making informed financial decisions.Development of debt reduction strategies, including debt prioritization, creditor negotiations, and repayment planning.Establishment of savings goals for emergencies, education, retirement, homeownership, or other future financial needs.Guidance on credit building and credit improvement, including understanding credit reports, addressing inaccuracies, and practicing responsible credit management.Financial education on topics including:Banking and financial productsInsuranceTaxesInvestingRetirement planningAsset developmentConsumer protectionConnections to public benefits, community resources, financial products, and supportive services that enhance financial well-being.Employment Coaching ServicesEmployment-focused services designed to assist participants in obtaining and maintaining sustainable employment include:Career assessment and employment planning.Job search assistance and access to current employment opportunities.Distribution of job listings and information regarding job fairs and hiring events.Referrals to employment readiness and workforce development workshops.Resume development, interview preparation, and job retention support.Coordination with workforce development partners to support career advancement opportunities.

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

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

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.

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.Kristy LysellProcurement and Contract Specialist 2Email: kristy.lysell@piercecountywa.govPhone: (253) 798-3693Department: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.

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.

Proposal Release Date:June 12, 2026Question Submission & Concern Resolution Request Deadline:June 19, 2026, 2:00pmProposal Submission Deadline:June 26, 2026, 2:00pmEvaluation Process Completion:July 3, 2026Estimated Date of Notice to Successful/Unsuccessful Proposer(s):July 8, 2026Deadline for Unsuccessful Proposers to Request a Debriefing:5 Business Days After Date of NoticeHold Debriefing Conferences:July 17, 2026Estimated Date of Contract Execution:August 2026 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.

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.

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 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.

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

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 2:00 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.

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 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.

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.

Pierce County seeks a qualified contractor to provide comprehensive employment and financial coaching services through the Centers for Strong Families Program. Services will be delivered at locations accessible to families and are intended to support economically vulnerable Pierce County residents in achieving greater financial stability and self-sufficiency.The Centers for Strong Families Program aims to increase participant earnings, improve household income, reduce debt, strengthen financial management skills, and support wealth-building opportunities within Pierce County communities.

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

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 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.

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."

Participant Eligibility Be residents of Pierce County.Be unemployed or underemployed.Have household income below the Self-Sufficiency Standard published by the University of Washington.Geographic Service AreaServices shall be available to eligible participants throughout Pierce County and the contracted organization will implement outreach strategies that ensure participation from communities across the county, particularly those outside the Tacoma area, including rural and under-resourced communities with limited living wage employment opportunities.Hours of OperationMaintain regular service hours Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Reasonable accommodations shall be made to provide services during evenings or weekends when requested by participants and when necessary to support participation.Referrals and AccessAccept participants that self-refer or who are referred by community-based organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, workforce programs, or other service providers.Ensure equitable access to services regardless of referral source.Maintain documentation of all requests for service, including requests that do not result in enrollment or service delivery. Documentation shall include the reason services were not provided.Staffing Maintain sufficient staffing to deliver all required services. At a minimum, the expected staffing shall be equivalent to:One (1.0 FTE) Financial CoachOne (0.75 FTE) Employment CoachAny staffing changes shall be communicated to Pierce County and shall not adversely affect service delivery.

The total value of this procurement is $150,000 in Miscellaneous Current Expense (MCE) funds. The County anticipates awarding a single contract from this procurement. The County reserves the right to make no award, based on the quality and scope of proposals received, available funding, and identified service needs.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.

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 3, 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. Budget Worksheet (Question 4.8)

Successful applicants must use Pierce County funding only after all other available and eligible funding sources, including private, state, and federal funds, have been pursued and billed first.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.

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 successful applicant will be required to track and report program outcomes, including but not limited to:Number of participants enrolled.Number of participants receiving financial coaching services.Number of participants receiving employment coaching services.Number of participants obtaining employment.Increase in participant earnings.Reduction in participant debt.Improvement in participant credit scores, when available.Increase in participant savings.Number of participants connected to training, workforce development, or supportive services.Geographic distribution of participants served throughout Pierce County.

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.

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