Request for Proposal – Sumner Pierce County Library Community Partner(s)

Agency:	Pierce County Library System
State:	Washington
Type of Government:	State & Local
Posted Date:	Nov 25, 2025
Due Date:	Dec 31, 2025
Original Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

Attachment Preview

PIERCE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) for

SUMNER LIBRARY COMMUNITY PROVIDER(S)

PART 1: INTRODUCTION, PURPOSE, AND TIMELINE

Pierce County Library System (the “Library” or “PCLS”) is a junior taxing district under the laws of the

State of Washington established in 1946 as a rural library district under chapter 27.12 RCW. The Library

provides library services for the residents of unincorporated Pierce County, fifteen (15) annexed cities

and towns (Bonney Lake, Buckley, DuPont, Eatonville, Edgewood, Fife, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Milton,

Orting, South Prairie, Steilacoom, Sumner, University Place, and Wilkeson). The total estimated

population served is over 680,000.

More information about the Library, including its history, locations, services, programs, and budget may

be found on our website at www.mypcls.org.

Purpose

The Library is seeking one or more organizations to provide free services and programs onsite

(collectively, the “Services”) for the public in a dedicated space at the new Sumner Library, located at

15216 Main Street E, Sumner, WA 98390 and expected to open midway through 2027. Services in this

context require a minimum of two (2) years.

Estimated Timeline

November 7, 2025 ...........................................................RFP Announcement

November 21, 2025, 5pm pacific time ............................Final date for any questions

December 3, 2025 ............................................................Response to Questions posted

December 31, 2025, 5pm pacific time .............................Proposals due (non-public opening)

January 2026 ....................................................................Proposals reviewed, and potential

interviews

February 6, 2026 ..............................................................Notice of intent to award finalist(s)

Notice of next round RFP

posting*

April 30, 2026 ..................................................................Agreements signed

Summer 2027...................................................................Anticipated opening date of new

Sumner Library, including community

provider space

* This RFP will remain open until one or more submissions are selected. Each subsequent round, if

any, will have its schedule provided in the public advertisement and amendments in this RFP in the

appropriate locations.

RFP for Sumner Library Community Provider(s)

October 31, 2025

PART 2: GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO RFP SUBMITTERS

1. Submission: To be considered for selection, submitters must submit materials in one or both

forms provided below by the submission date on the timeline above:

a. Email submissions may be submitted to:

PMcBride@piercecountylibrary.org

b. As an alternative, three (3) copies of the submission in printed hardcopy. Submission

must be addressed as follows:

Pierce County Library System

Attn: Petra McBride, Manager of Exec Office Admin

3005 112th Street East

Tacoma WA 98446-2215

Response for: Sumner Library Community Providers

The Library strongly recommends that the submitter confirm that electronic submissions

occurred. The Library will not be held responsible for electronic submissions that are not received

due to any electronic issues, including but not limited to, wrong email address, network issues,

emails sent to spam folders, or emails rejected by any security systems. Submissions received

late may be deemed not responsive and may not be considered, at the Library’s discretion. The

Library reserves the right, without penalty, to extend the date of submission and will provide due

notice of such date extension, including an updated RFP schedule.

2. Signatures: A corporate official who has been authorized to make such commitments must sign

the submission (see Declaration in Part 8) for the submission to be considered. The lack of a

properly submitted and signed Declaration Page may be sufficient cause for rejection.

3. Submission Procedures and Forms: All submitters must comply with the requirements

contained herein. Submitters may only submit one submission for consideration. Submitters may

submit additional information with their submission as desired.

4. Questions about the RFP: All questions about this RFP should be directed to Rachel McDonald,

Programs and Services Manager at RMcDonald@piercecountylibrary.org, or in writing to:

Pierce County Library System

Attn: Rachel McDonald, Programs and Services Manager

3005 112th Street East

Tacoma WA 98446-2215

The Library may delegate someone to answer submitted questions or queries. The Library

reserves the right to share answers publicly and with other submitters as deemed appropriate and

necessary. Questions and answers will be posted periodically at https://mypcls.org/get-

involved/partner-with-us/.

Explanations or instructions given before the award of the contract will not be binding.

Information given to a prospective submitter concerning this RFP will be furnished to all

prospective submitters as an amendment to the solicitation.

5. Withdrawal or Modification of RFP Submission: A submitter may, without prejudice to itself,

modify or withdraw its submission by written request, provided that the submission and any

request is received by the Library prior to the due date of submission above. Following the

RFP for Sumner Library Community Provider(s)

October 31, 2025

withdrawal of its submission the submitter may submit a new response provided it is received by

the Library at the address and by the date as shown in the above Date of Submission.

6. Modification of RFP: The Library reserves the right, without penalty, to add, remove, modify,

or otherwise update the RFP, in any way the Library sees fit, provided that such modifications

shall be submitted with due notice prior to the deadline for submission.

7. Rejection of Proposals: The Library reserves the right to reject any and all submissions without

penalty. Any and all submissions may be rejected for cause. Further, the Library reserves the right

to cancel the project with or without reason.

8. Award of Contract: The contract shall be awarded to the responsive, responsible submitter who

best meets the Library’s needs and interests per the process outlined in Part 5: Evaluation Process.

One or more awards will be made. The Library reserves the right to waive informalities,

irregularities, and deviations of submissions, and to be the final judge as to which submission

shall be accepted by the Library. Award is anticipated no later than forty (40) days after RFP

closing.

9. Contract Negotiation: Finalist(s) will be expected to enter negotiations for pricing, if any, and

other contractual terms. Failure to complete negotiations will result in disqualification of the

finalist. Upon conclusion of negotiations, the Library and finalist(s) may enter into a mutually

agreed contractual agreement.

10. Public Disclosure of Award: All proposals will be treated with confidentiality prior to award.

After award of the submission, the submission will fall under the requirement by Washington

State law (chapter 42.56 RCW) that obligates the Library to make the document available for

public inspection, if requested.

11. Insurance: The contract awardee(s) shall provide a current Certificate of Insurance to the Library

prior to physical access to the community room. Such Certificate shall include limits for liability,

automobile, and errors/omissions.

12. Acknowledgement of Amendments to RFP: Submitters must acknowledge receipt of any

amendment by signing and returning the amendment or by a written letter. Such

acknowledgement must be received by RFP submission.

13. Submission Opening: All submissions will be opened after 5:00pm, December 31, 2025. The

Library may conduct interviews in January 2026, virtually. By submitting a response to this RFP,

submitters understand and agree to be available during the hours of 9am and 4pm between

January 20 and January 23, 2026 to participate in a short, 1-hour interview. The Library will do

its best to accommodate submitter’s preferred time slot during those days. Failure to interview

may disqualify the submission.

14. Final Inspection upon Award: Submitters will verify submission on all existing conditions.

15. Cancellation: The Library may cancel this RFP or any subsequent contract, or any part thereof

by written notice at any time without penalty if any finalist fails to comply with the terms,

instructions, specifications, and delivery completion dates, or perform the work with diligence.

16. Contract Administrator: The administrator of this contract will be Rachel McDonald, Programs

and Services Manager for Community Engagement.

RFP for Sumner Library Community Provider(s)

October 31, 2025

PART 3: SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Submitters are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and

available information before submitting proposals. Submissions imply acceptance of the terms

and conditions herein, unless otherwise stated.

2. Submitters must be capable of performing the services specified in this RFP, including

demonstrating that they have the necessary experience, ability, and financial resources to perform

the work in a manner that is acceptable to the Library.

3. Submission must be summarized in a cover letter to include typical letterhead displays of logos,

organizational contact information, etc. (the cover letter does not need to be pre-printed). An

officer of the organization, or a designated agent empowered to bind the organization in the

contract offer, must sign the letter.

4. The Library may schedule virtual presentations or interviews of one or more submitters;

fulfillment of this request shall be at no cost to the Library. The Library reserves the right to

change the dates of interviews if necessary.

5. A narrative response to information requested in Part 4 below.

6. References via a list of three (3) similar services the organization has performed within the last

five (5) to seven (7) years using the form in Part 7.

7. Signed Declaration Form in Part 8.

PART 4: NARRATIVE OF ORGANIZATION

Briefly introduce your organization, its central mission, and its current organizational goals and focus.

Discuss how these align with Library’s mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities.

Describe your organization’s experience providing community resource navigation, behavioral health,

mental health, employment, or other vital services to Pierce County residents. Include population served,

their unique needs, outcomes, and how you evaluate services.

Describe the services you propose offering within the Sumner Library to residents of East Pierce County.

Indicate target audience(s), their unique needs, outcomes, and how you plan to evaluate services.

Describe your experience establishing capacity-building partnerships with community organizations.

Include length of each partnership, outcomes, and what resources each organization contributed.

List key personnel that run the organization and will be accountable for providing services in the

Community Provider Space. Include a brief professional biography outlining the experience of the key

personnel that will be involved in providing services. If your organization anticipates hiring or retaining

additional position(s) to provide services, provide the educational requirements for the position(s).

If available, provide your organization’s IRS Form 990 or 990-Ns for the previous three (3) years.

Younger organizations should submit all available forms/reports. If your organization is not organized

as 501(c)(3), please provide a brief accounting of assets and expenditures.

RFP for Sumner Library Community Provider(s)

October 31, 2025

PART 5: EVALUATION PROCESS

The Library will evaluate the merit of each submitter’s qualifications, capability to perform the services,

references, ability to meet schedules, their process and methods, previous experience, terms and

conditions, overall responsiveness to the RFP, and the ability to comply with the RFP requirements.

The Library reserves the right to conduct discussions with any submitter. Submitters shall be accorded

fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and revision of submissions.

During the discussions, the Library will not disclose any information derived from one submitter to any

other submitter. The Library reserves the right to request the submitter to provide additional information

during this process.

Failure of the submitter to provide information requested in the RFP may result in disqualification of the

submission and shall be the responsibility of the submitter.

Background

PART 6: SCOPE OF SERVICES

Funded by a voter-approved bond, a state grant, donations, and other revenue sources, the Library is

building a new facility in the City of Sumner, which will serve as an anchor for library services and a

community resource for East Pierce County. The building will include a dedicated space for one or more

non-profit tenant-partners (the “Partners”) whose strategic priorities align with the Library’s to serve

clients locally, providing access to equitable community resource navigation for residents of East Pierce

County. To this end, the Library is seeking one or more organizations to provide free services and

programs onsite (collectively, the “Services”) for the public. Basic space usage terms will be made

attractive so that the community benefits from the joint partnership(s).

Space Overview

This space will allow the Partner(s) to be embedded within the Sumner Library and provide Services to

community members in East Pierce County. The community provider space is 350 square feet with an

additional interior office of 118 square feet, for a total of 468 square feet. In addition to this dedicated

space, Partner(s) will have shared access to flexible meeting and programming spaces, single-stall staff

restrooms, and a break room with a kitchenette.

The floor plan and architectural rendering show the planned layout of the tenant area (community room).

The layout and square footage may change slightly from images shown during construction. The space

is outlined below in light green.

RFP for Sumner Library Community Provider(s)

October 31, 2025

This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

Request for Proposal – Sumner Pierce County Library Community Partner(s)

Attachment Preview

Sign-up for a Free Trial, Government Bid Alerts

See Also