Request For Proposals – Printing & Mailing Services (Tax & Utility Bills)

Worcester County Administration
1 West Market Street, Room 1103
Snow Hill, Maryland 21863
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
PROJECT: Printing/Mailing Services (Tax &Utility Bills, & Treasurer Operations)
DEPARTMENT: Treasurer's Office
VENDOR:
NAME:
ADDRESS:
PROPOSAL OPENING:
DATE: Wednesday, June 24, 2026
TIME: 2 p.m.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION I: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
A. PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
B. CLARIFICATION OF TERMS ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
C. QUESTIONS AND INQUIRES .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
D. FILLING OUT PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS .................................................................................................................................................................... 3
E. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS ............................................................................................................................................................... 4
F. OPENING OF PROPOSALS ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
G. ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF PROPOSALS ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
H. QUALIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
I. DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
J. NOTICE TO VENDORS .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
K. PIGGYBACKING ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
SECTION II: GENERAL INFORMATION ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
A. ECONOMY OF PROPOSAL ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
B. PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT (PIA) .............................................................................................................................................................................. 7
C. CONTRACT AWARD ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
D. AUDIT .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
E. NONPERFORMANCE ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
F. MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWL OF PROPOSAL ................................................................................................................................................. 8
G. DEFAULT ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
H. COLLUSION/FINANCIAL BENEFIT .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
I. TAX EXEMPTION ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
J. CONTRACT CHANGES .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
K. ADDENDUM ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
L. EXCEPTIONS/ SUBSTITUTIONS.................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
M. APPROVED EQUALS ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
N. DELIVERY ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
O. INSURANCE ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
P. PROPOSAL EVALUATION ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
SECTION III: GENERAL CONDITIONS ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
A. DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11
B. MATERIALS, SERVICES AND FACILITIES .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
C. INSPECTION AND TESTING ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
D. APPROVAL OF SUBSTITUTION OF MATERIALS ................................................................................................................................................... 12
E. PROTECTION OF WORK, PROPERTY AND PERSONS .......................................................................................................................................... 12
F. BARRICADES, DANGER, WARNING AND DETOUR SIGNS .................................................................................................................................. 12
G. LICENSES AND PERMITS ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
H. SUPERVISION .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
I. CLEAN UP ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 12
J. CHANGES IN WORK ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
K. TIME FOR COMPLETION ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
L. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
M. CORRECTION OF WORK ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
N. CONSTRUCTION SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS ........................................................................................................................................ 13
O. PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS ................................................................................................................................................................. 13
P. GUARANTEE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
SECTION IV: PROPOSAL SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................................. 14
A. SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
B. CONTRACT PRICING .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
C. CONTRACT PERIOD RENEWAL OPTION ................................................................................................................................................................ 14
D. SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
E. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 15
F. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE .................................................................................................................................................................................. 15
G. PAYMENT......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
H. QUESTIONS...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
I. AWARD ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
SECTION V: EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS ........................................................................................................................................................ 17
FORM OF PROPOSAL ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
EXCEPTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24
INDIVIDUAL PRINCIPAL ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 25
VENDOR'S AFFIDAVIT OF QUALIFICATION TO BID .............................................................................................................................................................. 26
NON-COLLUSIVE AFFIDAVIT ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
EXHIBIT A .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
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SECTION I: INTRODUCTION
A. PURPOSE
1. The purpose of this Request for Proposal Document is for Worcester County ("County") to
contract for Printing Services Printing & Mailing Services (Tax & Utility Bills) in conformity
with the requirements contained herein ("Proposal Document(s)").
B. CLARIFICATION OF TERMS
1. Firms or individuals that submit a proposal for award of a contract ("Contract") are referred to as
vendors ("Vendors") in this document. The Vendor that is awarded the Contract is herein
referred to as the ("Successful Vendor").
C. QUESTIONS AND INQUIRES
1. Questions must be addressed in writing to the Worcester County Procurement Officer at
purchasing@worcestermd.gov.
2. The last date/time to submit questions for clarification will be noon on June 15, 2026.
3. Addenda are posted on the County website at https://www.co.worcester.md.us/ under County
Info: Bid Board: at https://www.co.worcester.md.us/commissioners/bids at least five calendar
days before proposal opening.
4. It is the Vendor's responsibility to make sure all addenda are acknowledged in their proposal.
Failure to do so could result in the proposal being disqualified.
D. FILLING OUT PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS
1. Use only forms supplied by the County.
2. One (1) unbound original and three (3) copies of the proposal form and any required attachments
must be submitted in the solicitation and can be submitted in the same envelope unless otherwise
instructed.
3. Proposal Documents should be compiled as follows: (1) Cover letter, (2) Form of Proposal, (3)
References, (4) Exceptions Document and Signed addenda, if necessary (5) Individual Principal
Document, (6) Vendor's Affidavit of Qualification to Bid, and (7) Non-Collusive Affidavit
4. Where so indicated by the make-up of the Proposal Documents, sums will be expressed in both
words and figures, and in the case of a discrepancy between the two, the amount written in words
will govern. In the event there is a discrepancy between the unit price and the extended totals, the
unit prices will govern.
5. Any interlineation, alteration, or erasure will be initialed by the signer of the Proposal
Documents.
6. Each copy of the Proposal Documents will be signed by the person(s) legally authorized to bind
the Vendor to a contract, using the legal name of the signer. Proposal Documents submitted by
an agent will have a current Power of Attorney attached certifying the agent's authority to bind
the Vendor.
7. Vendor will supply all information and submittals required by the Proposal Documents to
constitute a proper and responsible completed Proposal Document package.
8. Any ambiguity in the Proposal Documents as a result of omission, error, lack of clarity or non-
compliance by the Vendor with specifications, instructions, and/or all conditions of bidding will
be construed in the light most favorable to the County.
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E. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS
1. All copies of the Proposal Documents and any other documents required to be submitted with the
Proposal Documents will be enclosed in a sealed envelope. The envelope will be addressed to the
Worcester County Commissioners and will be identified with the project name:
RFP - Printing & Mailing Services and the Vendor's name and address. If the Proposal
Documents are sent by mail, the sealed envelope will be enclosed in a separate mailing envelope
with the notation "SEALED PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS ENCLOSED" on the face thereof.
2. Proposals must be mailed or hand carried to the Worcester County Administration Office, 1
West Market Street, Room 1103, Snow Hill, MD 21863, in order to be received prior to the
announced deadline. Proposals received after said time or delivered to the wrong location will
be returned to the Vendor unopened.
3. Proposals are due and will be opened at the time listed on the front of this Proposal
Document.
4. If you are delivering a proposal in person, please keep in mind to allow time to get through
security and into the Administration Office. It is fully the responsibility of the Vendor to ensure
that the proposal is received on time.
5. The County will not speculate as to reasonableness of the postmark, nor will they comment on the
apparent failure of a public carrier to have made prompt delivery of the proposal.
6. Vendors, or their authorized agents, are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions,
requirements, and specifications before submitting Proposal Documents; failure to do so will be
at the Vendor's own risk.
7. A fully executed Affidavit of Qualification to Bid will be attached to each Proposal Document.
8. Minority vendors are encouraged to participate.
9. All Vendor submitted Proposal Documents will be valid for a minimum of sixty days from the
date of Proposal Document opening.
10. Electronically mailed proposals are not considered sealed proposals and will not be accepted.
F. OPENING OF PROPOSALS
1. Proposal Documents received on time will be opened publicly. Only the Vendors' names will be
read aloud for the record.
2. The Contract will be awarded or all Proposal Documents will be rejected within sixty days from
the date of the Proposal Document opening.
G. ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF PROPOSALS
1. Unless otherwise specified, the Contract will be awarded to the most responsible and responsive
Vendor complying with the provisions of the Proposal Documents, provided the proposal does
not exceed the funds available, and it is in the best interest of the County to accept it. The County
reserves the right to reject the Proposal Documents of any Vendor who has previously failed to
perform properly in any way or complete on time contracts of a similar nature; or a Proposal
Document from a Vendor who, investigation shows, is not in a position to perform the Contract;
or Proposal Documents from any person, firm, or corporation which is in arrears or in default to
the County for any debt or contract.
2. Completed Proposal Documents from Vendors debarred from doing business with the State of
Maryland or the Federal Government will not be accepted.
3. In determining a Vendor's responsibility, the County may consider the following qualifications,
in addition to price:
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a. Ability, capacity, and skill to provide the commodities or services required within the
specified time, including future maintenance and service, and including current financial
statement or other evidence of pecuniary resources and necessary facilities.
b. Character, integrity, reputation, experience and efficiency.
c. Quality of past performance on previous or existing contracts, including a list of current
and past contracts and other evidence of performance ability.
d. Previous and existing compliance with laws and ordinances relating to contracts with the
County and to the Vendor's employment practices.
e. Evidence of adequate insurance to comply with Contract terms and conditions.
f. Statement of current workload and capacity to perform/provide the Goods and/or
Services.
g. Explanation of methods to be used in fulfilling the Contract.
h. The Vendor, if requested, will be prepared to supply evidence of its qualifications, listed
above, and its capacity to provide/perform the Goods and/or Services; such evidence to
be supplied within a specified time and to the satisfaction of the County.
4. In determining a Vendor's responsiveness, the County will consider whether the Proposal
Document conforms in all material respects to the Proposal Documents. The County reserves the
right to waive any irregularities that may be in its best interest to do so.
5. The County will have the right to reject any and all Proposal Documents, where applicable to
accept in whole or in part, to add or delete quantities, to waive any informalities or irregularities
in the Proposal Document received, to reject a Proposal Document not accompanied by required
Bid security or other data required by the Proposal Documents, and to accept or reject any
Proposal Document which deviates from specifications when in the best interest of the County.
Irrespective of any of the foregoing, the County will have the right to award the Contract in its
own best interests.
H. QUALIFICATIONS
1. The Vendor must be in compliance with the laws regarding conducting business in the State of
Maryland.
All Vendors shall provide a copy Certificate of Status from the Maryland Department of
Assessments and Taxation, evidencing the Vendor is in good standing with the State of Maryland.
2. Worcester County reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to extend the date this documentation
must be provided. The Vendor's inability to provide this documentation could result in the
proposal being rejected.
I. DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE
1. The proposed descriptive literature fully describing the product bid is what is intended to be
included as the price. Failure to do so may be cause for rejection of the proposal.
2. Any items, systems or devices supplied in this proposal that are proprietary in nature relative to
maintenance, repair, servicing or updating must be disclosed on the proposal form.
J. NOTICE TO VENDORS
1. Before a Vendor submits the Proposal Documents it will need to become fully informed as to the
extent and character of the Goods and/or Services required and are expected to completely
familiarize themselves with the requirements of this Proposal Document's specifications. Failure
to do so will not relieve the Vendor of the responsibility to fully perform in accordance therewith.
No consideration will be granted for any alleged misunderstanding of the material to be furnished
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or the Services to be performed, it being understood that the submission of a Proposal Document
is an agreement with all of the items and conditions referred to herein.
K. PIGGYBACKING
1. Worcester County may authorize, upon request, any governmental entity (hereafter Authorized
User) within the County to purchase items under the contract awarded pursuant to this proposal
solicitation.
2. All purchase orders issued against the contract by an authorized User shall be honored by the
Successful Vendor in accordance with all terms and conditions of this contract.
3. The issuance of a purchase order by an Authorized User pursuant to this provision shall constitute
an express assumption of all contractual obligations, covenants, conditions and terms of the
contract. A breach of the contract by any particular Authorized User shall neither constitute nor
be deemed a breach of the contract as a whole which shall remain in full force and effect and
shall not affect the validity of the contract nor the obligations of the Successful Vendor
thereunder respecting the County.
4. The County specifically and expressly disclaims any and all liability for any breach by an
Authorized User other than the County and each such Authorized User and Successful Vendor
guarantee to save the County, its officers, agents and employees harmless from any liability that
may be or is imposed by the Authorized User's failure to perform in accordance with its
obligations under the contract.
END OF SECTION
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SECTION II: GENERAL INFORMATION
A. ECONOMY OF PROPOSAL
1. Proposal Documents will be prepared simply and economically, providing straightforward and
concise description of the Vendor's capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the Proposal
Documents. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content. Elaborate brochures
and other representations beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective Proposal
Document are neither required nor desired.
B. PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT (PIA)
1. Worcester County is subject to the Maryland Public Information Act and may be required to
release proposal submissions in accordance with the Act.
2. Any materials the Vendor deems to be proprietary or copyrighted must be marked as such;
however, the material may still be subject to analysis under the Maryland Public Information Act.
a. The Vendor may invoke proprietary information or trade secret protection for submission
of any data/material by (1) identifying the data/material in a written description, (2)
clearly marking the data/material as proprietary, and (3) providing a written statement
detailing the reasons why protection is necessary. The County reserves the right to ask for
additional clarification prior to establishing protection.
C. CONTRACT AWARD
1. A written award by the County to the Successful Vendor in the form of a Purchase Order or other
contract document will result in a binding Contract without further action by either party. If the
Successful Vendor fails or refuses to sign and deliver the Contract and the required insurance
documentation, the County will have the right to award to the next responsible and responsive
Vendor. Contract will be executed by the Successful Vendor within fourteen calendar days of
receipt of the Contract.
2. Proposal Documents and Contracts issued by the County will bind the Vendor to applicable
conditions and requirements herein set forth, unless otherwise specified in the Proposal
Documents, and are subject to all federal, state, and municipal laws, rules, regulations, and
limitations.
3. County personal property taxes ("Taxes") must be on a current basis; if any such Taxes are
delinquent, they must be paid before award of Contract. Failure to pay will result in the award of
Contract to another Vendor.
4. The County reserves the right to engage in individual discussions and interviews with those
Vendors deemed fully qualified, responsible, suitable and professionally competent to provide the
required Goods and/or Services should the project size warrant it. Vendors will be encouraged to
elaborate on their qualifications, performance data, and staff expertise.
D. AUDIT
1. The Successful Vendor agrees to retain all books, records, and other documents relative to the
awarded Contract for five years after final payment, or until audited. The County, its authorized
agents, and/or State auditors will have full access to and the right to examine any of said materials
during said period.
E. NONPERFORMANCE
1. The County reserves the right to inspect all operations and to withhold payment for any goods not
performed or not performed in accordance with the specifications in this Proposal Document.
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Errors, omissions or mistakes in performance will be corrected at no cost to the County. Failure
to do so will be cause for withholding of payment for that Goods and/or Services. In addition, if
deficiencies are not corrected in a timely manner, the County may characterize the Successful
Vendor as uncooperative, which may jeopardize future project order solicitations.
F. MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWL OF PROPOSAL
1. A Proposal Document may not be modified, withdrawn, or cancelled by the Vendor during the
stipulated time period following the time and date designated for the receipt of Proposal
Documents, and each Vendor so agrees in submitting Proposal Documents.
G. DEFAULT
1. The Contract may be cancelled or annulled by the County in whole or in part by written notice of
default to the Successful Vendor upon non-performance, violation of Contract terms, delivery
failure, bankruptcy or insolvency, any violation of state or local laws, or the making of an
assignment for the benefit of creditors. An award may then be made to the next most highly rated
Vendor, or when time is of the essence, similar commodities and/or service may be purchased on
the open market. In either event, the defaulting Vendor (or his surety) will be liable to the County
for cost to the County in excess of the defaulted Contract price.
2. If a representative or warranty of either Party to the Contract is false or misleading in any
material respect, or if either Party breaches a material provision of the Contract ("Cause"), the
non-breaching Party will give the other Party written notice of such cause. If such Cause is not
remedied within fifteen calendar days ("Cure Period") after receipt of such notice, (unless, with
respect to those Causes which cannot be reasonably corrected or remedied within the Cure
Period, the breaching Party will have commenced to correct or remedy the same within such Cure
Period and thereafter will proceed with all due diligence to correct or remedy the same), the Party
giving notice will have the right to terminate this Contract upon the expiration of the Cure Period.
H. COLLUSION/FINANCIAL BENEFIT
1. The Vendor certifies that his/her Proposal is made without any previous understanding,
agreement, or connection with any person, firm, or corporation making a Proposal Document for
the same project; without prior knowledge of competitive prices; and is in all respects fair,
without outside control, collusion, fraud, or otherwise illegal action.
2. Upon signing the Proposal Document, Vendor certifies that no member of the governing body of
the County, or members of his/her immediate family, including spouse, parents or children, or
any other officer or employee of the County, or any member or employee of a Commission,
Board, or Corporation controlled or appointed by the County Commissioners has received or has
been promised, directly or indirectly, any financial benefit, related to this Proposal Document and
subsequent Contract.
I. TAX EXEMPTION
1. In buying products directly from a Vendor, Worcester County is exempt from being directly
charged Federal excise and Maryland sales tax. A copy of an exemption certificate shall be
furnished upon request.
2. According to the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland, a Contractor is responsible for paying
sales tax on his/her purchases relating to any projects or services and should incorporate it into
their proposal.
3. Successful Vendors cannot use the County tax exemption to buy materials or products used on
County projects.
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J. CONTRACT CHANGES
1. No claims may be made by anyone that the scope of the project or that the Vendor's Goods
and/or Services have been changed (requiring changes to the amount of compensation to the
Vendor or other adjustments to the Contract) unless such changes or adjustments have been made
by an approved written amendment (Change Order) to the Contract signed by the Chief
Administrative Officer (and the County Commissioners, if required), prior to additional Goods
and/or Services being initiated. Extra Goods and/or Services performed without prior, approved,
written authority will be considered as unauthorized and at the expense of the Vendor. Payment
will not be made by the County.
2. No oral conversations, agreements, discussions, or suggestions, which involve changes to the
scope of the Contract, made by anyone including any County employee, will be honored or valid.
No written agreements or changes to the scope of the Contract made by anyone other than the
Procurement Officer (with the Chief Administrative Officer and/or County Commissioners
approval, if required) will be honored or valid.
3. If any Change Order in the Goods and/or Services results in a reduction in the Goods and/or
Services, the Vendor will neither have, nor assert any claim for, nor be entitled to any additional
compensation for damages or for loss of anticipated profits on Goods and/or Services that are
eliminated.
K. ADDENDUM
1. No oral statements of any person will modify or otherwise affect or interpret the meaning of the
Contract specifications, or the terms, conditions, or other portions of the Contract. All
modifications and every request for any interpretation must be addressed to Worcester County's
Procurement Officer and to be given consideration, must be received no later than the last day for
questions listed in Section I, Subsection C.2.
2. All interpretations, corrections, revisions, and amendments will be issued by the Procurement
Officer to all holders of Proposal Documents in the form of written addenda. Vendors are
cautioned that any oral statements made by any County employee that materially change any
portion of the Proposal Documents cannot be relied upon unless subsequently ratified by a formal
written amendment to the Proposal Document.
3. All addenda will be issued so as to be received at least five days prior to the time set for receipt of
Proposal Documents and will become part of the Contract and will be acknowledged in the
Proposal Document form. Failure of any Vendor to receive any such addenda will not relieve
said Vendor from any obligation under the Proposal Document as submitted.
4. Vendors are cautioned to refrain from including in their Proposal Document any substitutions
which are not confirmed by written addenda. To find out whether the County intends to issue an
amendment reflecting an oral statement made by any employee, contact Worcester County's
Procurement Officer during normal business hours.
5. The Worcester County Procurement Officer reserves the right to postpone the Proposal Document
opening for any major changes occurring in the five-day interim which would otherwise
necessitate an Addendum.
L. EXCEPTIONS/ SUBSTITUTIONS
1. Any exceptions or substitutions to the specifications requested should be marked on the proposal
form and listed on a separate sheet of paper attached to the proposal.
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2. An exception to the specifications may disqualify the proposal. The County will determine if the
exception is an essential deviation or a minor item.
3. In the case of a minor deviation, the County maintains the option to award to that Vendor if it
determines the performance is not adversely affected by the exception.
M. APPROVED EQUALS
1. In all specifications where a material or article is defined by describing a proprietary product or
by using the name of a Vendor or manufacturer, it can be assumed that an approved equal can be
substituted.
2. The use of a named product is an attempt to set a particular standard of quality and type that is
familiar to the County. Such references are not intended to be restrictive.
3. However, the County shall decide if a product does in fact meet or exceed the quality of the
specifications listed in the solicitation. It shall be the responsibility of the Vendor that claims his
product is an equal to provide documentation to support such a claim.
N. DELIVERY
1. All items shall be delivered F.O.B. destination and delivery costs and charges included in the
proposal unless otherwise stated in the specifications or proposal form.
O. INSURANCE
1. If required by the General Conditions or Terms and Conditions, the Successful Vendor shall
provide the County with Certificates of Insurance within ten calendar days of proposal award
notification evidencing the required coverage.
2. Successful Vendor must provide Certificates of Insurance before commencing work in
connection with the Contract.
P. PROPOSAL EVALUATION
1. Proposal tabulations will be posted on the County website at
https://www.co.worcester.md.us/commissioners/bids. Click on the Expired Bids & Results tab
and find the proposal tabulation for the proposal you are interested in. Proposal tabulations will
be posted as soon as reasonably possible after the Proposal opening.
END OF SECTION
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