Vehicle Onboard Route Management System

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
VEHICLE ONBOARD ROUTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
SPECIFICATION NO. ES25-0234F

City of Tacoma
Environmental Services/Solid Waste Management
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ES25-0234F
Vehicle Onboard Route Management System
Submittal Deadline: 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time, Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Submittals must be received by the City's Procurement and Payables Division by 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
For electronic submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by our email server, as
the official time of receipt. This clock will be used as the official time of receipt of all parts of electronic bid
submittals. Include the specification number in the subject line of your email. Your submittal must be sent as
an attachment, links to your electronic submittal will not be accepted.
For in person submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by the timestamp
located at the lobby security desk, as the official time of receipt. Include the specification number on the
outside of the sealed envelope. Late submittals will be returned unopened and rejected as non-responsive.
Submittal Delivery: Sealed submittals will be received as follows:
By Email: In Person:
sendbid@tacoma.gov Tacoma Public Utilities Administration Building North,
Maximum email size including attachments: 35 MB. Main Floor, Lobby Security Desk
Multiple emails may be sent for each submittal. 3628 South 35th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409
Note: Email may pass through multiple servers before arriving Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
at its destination. Please allow sufficient time for email delivery
of submittals. Timely electronic delivery is at the risk of the
supplier.
Bid Opening: Submittals must be received by the City's Procurement and Payables Division prior to 11:00
a.m. Pacific Time. Sealed submittals in response to a RFB will be opened Tuesday's at 11:15 a.m. by a
purchasing representative and read aloud during a public bid opening held at the Tacoma Public Utilities
Administrative Building North, 3628 S. 35th Street, Tacoma, WA 98409, conference room M-1, located on the
main floor. They will also be held virtually Tuesday's at 11:15 a.m. Attend a Zoom meeting via this link or call 1
(253) 215 8782, using meeting ID # 884 0268 0573, passcode # 070737.
Submittals in response to an RFP, RFQ or RFI will be recorded as received, but not read at bid opening. As
soon as possible, after 1:00 PM, on the day of submittal deadline, preliminary results will be posted to
www.TacomaPurchasing.org.
If you believe your submittal was sent timely and was not read at bid opening, please contact
sendbid@tacoma.gov immediately.
Solicitation Documents: An electronic copy of the complete solicitation documents may be viewed and
obtained by accessing the City of Tacoma Purchasing website at www.TacomaPurchasing.org.
* Register for the Bid Holders List to receive notices of addenda, questions and answers and related updates.
* Click here to see a list of vendors registered for this solicitation.
Pre-Proposal Meeting: A pre-proposal meeting will not be held.
Project Scope: The City of Tacoma will select a qualified Contractor to deliver a Route Management System
that integrates with existing City systems. The Contractor will be responsible for providing all necessary
hardware, software, and components, and will work collaboratively with the City to complete installation and
implementation. Ongoing support and maintenance services are required for the duration of the contract.
Estimate: $1,500,000
Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 06/03/2024
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Paid Sick Leave: The City of Tacoma requires all employers to provide paid sick leave in accordance with
State of Washington law.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Information: The City of Tacoma, in accordance with Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to
nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. Specification materials can be
made available in an alternate format by emailing the contact listed below in the Additional Information section.
Title VI Information:
"The City of Tacoma" in accordance with provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, (78 Stat. 252, 42
U.S.C. sections 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively
ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises
will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated
against on the grounds of race, color, national origin in consideration of award.
Additional Information: Requests for information regarding the specifications may be obtained by contacting
Stan Rowden II, Senior Buyer by email to srowden@tacoma.gov.
Protest Policy: City of Tacoma protest policy, located at www.tacomapurchasing.org, specifies procedures for
protests submitted prior to and after submittal deadline.
Meeting sites are accessible to persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations for persons with
disabilities can be arranged with 48 hours advance notice by calling 253-502-8468.
Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 06/03/2024
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUBMITTAL CHECK LIST......................................................................................................... 5
1. BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................. 6
2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................. 6
3. SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES................................................................... 7
4. CONTRACT TERM............................................................................................................. 7
5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS ................................................................................................... 7
6. INQUIRIES ......................................................................................................................... 8
7. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING............................................................................................... 8
8. DISCLAIMER...................................................................................................................... 8
9. EVALUATION CRITERIA.................................................................................................... 8
10. CONTENT TO BE SUBMITTED - This section represents 100% of the possible scoring
criteria........................................................................................................................................ 9
11. INTERVIEWS / ORAL PRESENTATIONS.....................................................................15
12. RESPONSIVENESS .....................................................................................................16
13. ACCEPTANCE / REJECTION OF SUBMITTALS..........................................................16
14. CONTRACT OBLIGATION............................................................................................16
15. STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS......................................................................17
16. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS....................................................................................17
17. PARTNERSHIPS ..........................................................................................................17
18. COMMITMENT OF FIRM KEY PERSONNEL ...............................................................17
19. AWARD.........................................................................................................................17
20. ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PROCUREMENT ..............................................17
21. PROPRIETARY OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION..................................................18
22. ADDENDUMS ...............................................................................................................18
APPENDIX A - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ......................................................................19
APPENDIX B - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS.............................................................................23
APPENDIX C - CITY DOCUMENTS ........................................................................................28
Request for Proposal Specification No. ES25-0234F
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SUBMITTAL CHECK LIST
This checklist identifies items to be included with your submittal. Any submittal received without
these required items may be deemed non-responsive and not be considered for award.
Submittals must be received by the City of Tacoma Purchasing Division by the date and time
specified in the Request for Proposal page.
The following items make up your submittal package:
One electronic copy of your complete submittal package
Signature Page (Appendix B)
To be completed and submitted with proposal.
Price Proposal Form (Appendix B)
To be completed and submitted with proposal.
Content to Be Submitted (Section 10.1 -10.10)
SaaS (Software as a Service) Vendor Cybersecurity Risk Questionnaire
Excel spreadsheet to be completed in its entirety and submitted with proposal.
After award, the following documents will be executed:
Services Contract
Certificate of Insurance and related endorsements
Environmental & Sustainability Management System (ESMS) Performance
Policy
Request for Proposal Specification No. ES25-0234F
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1. BACKGROUND
Solid Waste Management (SWM) is a City of Tacoma (City) utility providing solid waste
collection, recycling, and disposal to approximately 58,500 residential and 5,000 commercial
customers residing in the City. The SWM fleet includes roll-off, automated side-load, rear-load,
front-load, semi-tractor, box, grapple, and light duty vehicles. The provided solution will be
installed on most of the fleet vehicles. It is expected that the installed hardware and software will
be specific to the type of vehicle being used and that installation will be phased into the various
vehicle types.
The City anticipates contracting with a qualified firm to provide an Integrated Route
Management System (RMS) including Automatic Vehicle Locations (AVL) using Global
Positioning System (GPS) and vehicle telematics. The selected Respondent shall provide a
comprehensive software, hardware, and support solution for the purpose of improving
operations, tracking for approximately one hundred (100) vehicles, and providing customized
reports with desired key performance indicators (KPI's) and data points. The City's goal is to
reduce costs through efficiency, additional communication platforms, and improved safety and
customer service. It is anticipated the project will provide easy access to detailed data and real
time communication that will assist with optimizing operations and protect the City from
unsubstantiated liabilities. Based on the proposals submitted and the qualifications of the firms,
the City intends to contract with one company. However, the City reserves the right to split the
award, reduce the award, or make no award, if it is in the City's best interest. The project shall
include delivery, installation options, training, and configuration of a Commercial Off the Shelf
(COTS), fully supported, software and hardware package to meet the business requirements
specified in this RFP. Ongoing maintenance and licensing agreements beyond the
implementation will be per final negotiated Contract terms. All work performed under the
contract must be approved by the City prior to the work commencing.
Proposals submitted and/or the selected Contractor(s) may be used for projects of similar type
and scope at the sole discretion of the City for up to one year. To learn more about the City of
Tacoma, visit tacoma.gov
The City anticipates awarding one contract, however if the minimum viable solution (MVS)
requires otherwise, the City reserves the right to award multiple contracts.
2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
1. Must demonstrate a minimum of one year providing Route Management System (RMS)
telematics and customer analytics solutions in a production environment.
2. Must meet the minimum system requirements as outlined in the technical specification
located in Appendix A.
3. Respondent must be legally authorized to conduct business in the State of Washington.
Request for Proposal Specification No. ES25-0234F
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4. Respondent shall remain the single point of contact, regardless of any subcontractors or
strategic partners utilized. Respondent must identify whether the proposed solution is
provided primarily by the Respondent or through third-party partners.
Respondents that do not meet all minimum requirements may be deemed non-responsive and
removed from further consideration.
3. SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES
The City intends to select a contractor based on qualifications and demonstrated ability to
deliver a solution that serves the best interests of the City of Tacoma Solid Waste Utility.
The Route Management System (RMS) must be compatible with, and capable of integrating
with, the City's existing software applications and enterprise systems.
The Solution shall include all hardware, software, and other components necessary to meet the
product requirements set forth in Appendix A - Technical Specifications and shall be scalable to
support the City of Tacoma's fleet size and future growth without service interruption.
The selected Respondent will be responsible for delivering all software and hardware
components included in the desired solution described in Appendix A - Technical Specifications
and will collaborate with the City to complete the installation and implementation of the solution.
The solution must be fully installed, tested, and operational no later than June 30, 2027, unless
a later date is agreed upon in writing by the City.
The Respondent will also provide ongoing support and maintenance services for the full term of
the contract.
4. CONTRACT TERM
The contract will be for a three-year period with the option to renew the contract two additional
one-year terms. The City reserves the right to cancel the contract for any reason, by written
notice, as stipulated in the contract.
5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS
This is a tentative schedule only and may be altered at the sole discretion of the City.
Contract may be issued after City Council approval.
The anticipated schedule of events concerning this RFP is as follows:
Publish and issue RFP: 4/27/2026
Pre-Submittal Questions: 5/11/2026
Response to Questions, on or about: 5/15/2026
Submittal Due Date: 6/2/2026
Submittal Evaluated, on or about: 6/19/2026
Demos/Interviews/Oral Presentations, on or about: 7/10/2026
Request for Proposal Specification No. ES25-0234F
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Award Recommendation, on or about: 7/17/2026
City Council Approval, on or about 9/22/2026
6. INQUIRIES
6.1 Questions should be submitted to Stan Rowden II, Sr. Buyer via email to
srowden@tacoma.gov. Subject line to read:
ES25-0234F - Vehicle Onboard Route Management System - VENDOR NAME
6.1 Questions are due by 3 pm on the date included in the Calendar of Events section.
6.2 Questions marked confidential will not be answered or included.
6.3 The City reserves the discretion to group similar questions to provide a single answer or
not to respond when the requested information is confidential.
6.4 The answers are not typically considered an addendum.
6.5 The City will not be responsible for unsuccessful submittal of questions.
6.6 Written answers to questions will be posted alongside the specifications at
www.tacomapurchasing.org
7. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING
7.1 No pre-proposal meeting will be held; however, questions and request for clarifications of
the specifications may be submitted as stated in the inquiries section.
8. DISCLAIMER
The City is not liable for any costs incurred by the Respondent for the preparation of materials,
or a submittal submitted in response to this RFP, for conducting any presentations to the City, or
any other activities related to responding to this RFP, or to any subsequent requirements of the
contract negotiation process.
9. EVALUATION CRITERIA
A Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) will review and evaluate submittals. The relative weight
of each scoring criteria is indicated in the table below.
Criteria Max Points
Qualifications/Experience of Firm 10
Cost 30
Technical Specifications 30
Integration/Interface Capabilities 15
Equipment 15
Request for Proposal Specification No. ES25-0234F
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Financial Resources/Stability 5
Support Services 10
Sustainability 5
Equity in Contracting 5
Contract Exceptions 0
Total 125
After the evaluation, the SAC may conduct demos, interviews, and oral presentations of the
most qualified Respondents before final selection.
9.1 The SAC may select one or more respondent to provide the services required.
9.2 The City reserves the right to visit facilities of selected Respondents for the purpose of
evaluating a system currently in operation at a customer site.
9.3 The SAC may use references to clarify information in the submittals and interviews, if
conducted, which may affect the rating. The City reserves the right to contact references
other than those included in the submittal.
9.4 A significant deficiency in any one criterion is grounds for rejection of the submittal as a
whole.
10. CONTENT TO BE SUBMITTED - This section represents 100% of the possible
scoring criteria.
Proposals should format as 8 12" x 11". A "page" is defined as one single-side of a document
that has written text or graphics. The font should be Times New Roman or Arial with font size no
smaller than 11 and the margins shall be 0.75" or greater. Submittal narrative should be limited
to a maximum of 100 pages total, excluding any required forms, resumes, financials, charts,
graphs or images. All pages that exceed the specified page limit will not be part of the
evaluation.
A full and complete response to each of the "CONTENT TO BE SUBMITTED" items is expected
in a single location; do not cross reference to another section in your submittal.
Information that is confidential must be clearly marked and provide an index identifying the
affected page number(s) and locations(s) of such identified materials. See Section 1 of the
Standard Terms and Conditions - Solicitation 1.06 for Public Disclosure: Proprietary or
Confidential Information.
Respondents are to provide complete and detailed responses to all items below. Submittals that
are incomplete or conditioned in any way that contain alternatives or items not called for in this
RFP, or not in conformity with law, may be rejected as being non-responsive. The City will not
accept any submittal containing a substantial deviation from the requirements outlined in this
RFP.
Request for Proposal Specification No. ES25-0234F
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Submittals should present information in a straightforward and concise manner, while ensuring
complete and detailed descriptions of the respondent's/team's abilities to meet the requirement
of this RFP. Emphasis will be on completeness of content. The written submittals should be
prepared in the sequential order as outlined below.
The City reserves the right to request clarification of any aspect of a firm's submittal or request
additional information that might be required to properly evaluate the submittal. A firm's failure to
respond to such a request may result in rejection of the firm's submittal. Firms are required to
provide responses to any request clarification within two (2) business days.
Requests for clarification or additional information shall be made at the sole discretion of the
City. The City's retention of this right shall no way diminish a Proposer's responsibility to submit
a submittal that is current, clear, complete and accurate.
10.1 Qualifications/Experience - 10 Points
The proposer shall demonstrate the qualifications, experience, and capacity necessary to
successfully deliver the proposed services. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following:
a) Provide a general description of the company, including date of incorporation, ownership,
structure, Size and location of base operations. Evaluation will consider firm stability and
capacity to support the project.
b) Key Personnel
1. Describe qualifications and relevant technical experience of key personnel, including
company leadership and project management staff.
2. Describe their background and experience managing and maintaining similar projects
and technology.
3. Describe your ability and available resources to meet all specified timelines, including
the assignment of a dedicated Project Manager for the duration of the deployment.
c) Must demonstrate a minimum of one year providing Route Management System (RMS)
telematics and customer analytics solutions in a production environment.
d) Project Organization and Roll-out Plan
1. Describe rollout and implementation plans for the proposed project including
key personnel, roles, and timelines.
2. Describe tracking software and any other third-party management.
e) Provide names and contact information (phone number/email) for references from at least
three similar projects or clients, including duration of partnership. Must have RMS with
waste collection application for multiple customers with fleets of 25 or more vehicles.
Evaluation will consider the relevance, depth, and quality of experience presented, as well
as the proposer's demonstrated ability to successfully perform the required services.
10.2 Cost (5 Year) - 30 points
Request for Proposal Specification No. ES25-0234F
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