Request for Proposals - IT Services

Request for Proposals
Information Technology Services
Prepared by:
Warren County Commissioners
204 Fourth Ave.
Warren, Pa., 16365
(814) 728-3402
warrencountypa.gov

Request for Proposals
Information Technology Services
The Warren County Commissioners, Warren County, Pennsylvania, are seeking a qualified
professional vendor to manage and support all of its information technology and security needs.
The Warren County Commissioners are interested in receiving proposals from qualified
information technology firms specializing in comprehensive managed services. Firms must
demonstrate familiarity with local government IT needs, including 911 center operations. The
successful contractor should be able to provide responsive, high-quality services that are specific
to the criteria listed in the Request for Proposal, which is available at warrencountypa.gov.
Proposals must be submitted via email to Warren County Chief Clark Pam Matve at
pmatve@warrencountypa.gov by Nov. 12, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Questions regarding this proposal
should be directed to Josh Cotton, jcotton@warrencounypa.gov or (814) 728-3434.
Warren County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or to award to the vendor who,
in the sole discretion and judgment of the county, makes the most advantageous proposal.
Warren County further reserves the right to waive or permit the curing of any informalities or
irregularities in a proposal as permitted by law.
(Published in the Warren Times Observer on Oct. 5, 2026 & Oct. 23, 2026).
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Table of Contents
A. Purpose of the Request for Proposal 3
B. Background 4
C. Insurance 5
D. Schedule of Events 5
E. Scope of Work 6
F. Guidelines for Proposal Preparation 7
G. Qualifications 8
H. References 8
I. Questions/Clarifications 9
J. Pricing 9
K. Submission of Proposal 10
L. Presentation/Interview 10
M. Evaluation/Award Criteria 10
N. Reservations 11
O. Indeminification 11
P. Non-Discrimination 11
Q. Non-Collusion Affidavit 12
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A. Purpose of the Request of Proposal
The Warren County Commissioners, Warren County, Pennsylvania, are seeking a qualified
professional vendor to manage and support all of the county's information technology and
security needs. The successful vendor will provide hardware, network, software support and
monitoring, back-ups, remote access and onsite support, email maintenance and support
hardware and software inventory control and management, security and disaster recovery.
The Warren County Commissioners are interested in receiving proposals from qualified
information technology firms specializing in comprehensive managed services. The County
prefers firms with familiarity with a municipal environment, including 911 center operations. The
successful contractor should be able to provide responsive, high-quality services that are specific
to the criteria listed and can show strengths in all criteria.
It is also required that the successful vendor has verifiable working knowledge and experience
working with local government IT and data.
The overall goal of this RFP is to procure a reliable, long-term, comprehensive, responsive,
proactive and trustworthy IT management and support that will promote and enhance the
county's ability to serve the community.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Technical details regarding the county's IT systems will be available to
interested firms beginning on Monday, Oct. 12. At the request of counsel, firms interested in
reviewing the technical information will be requested to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Request for the technical details should be directed to Josh Cotton, (814) 728-3434 or
jcotton@warrencountypa.gov.
B. Background
Warren County is a sixth-class county located in northwestern Pennsylvania. The county is led by
three (3) commissioners and the county employs approximately 200 people across all
departments.
The majority of county employees work out of the Warren County Courthouse, 204 Fourth Ave.,
Warren, Pa. Other worksites include the Warren County 911 Center in Youngsville, the Warren
County Annex in Warren and magisterial district judge offices in Youngsville and North Warren.
County employees also work remotely as needed and the existing remote access system must be
maintained.
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Given the nature of county operations, county IT providers are responsible for significant
amounts of sensitive data. Warren County has effectively updated its technological infrastructure
in recent years.
The Warren County Commissioners reserve the right to choose the lowest responsible and
responsive proposal which, in its judgment, is best suited for the intended purposes and reserves
the right to reject any and all proposals, with or without cause, and to waive any irregularities or
informalities in the proposals. The county also reserves the right to re-solicit for proposals should
all proposals be initially rejected. It is expected that the selected firm will be hired as an
independent contractor.
C. Insurance
The firm that puts forward the successful proposal and to whom a contract is awarded shall
procure and maintain for the duration of the contract period and throughout the time of
performing the work as set forth in the contract, insurance against claims for injuries to persons
or damages to property which may arise from or in connection with the performance of the
contract by the firm, his agents, representatives, employees or subcontractors with limits of up
to $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate. The successful firm shall name
Warren County as an additional insured on all required insurance policies on a primary non-
contributory basis. Within ten (10) days after execution of the Contract, Contractor shall furnish
Warren County with copies of insurance policies or binders and endorsements. The successful
contractor shall also provide the county with proof of workman's compensation insurance.
D. Schedule of Events
Proposal Publication October 5, 2026
Proposal Due Date November 12, 2026
Interviews with Vendors, if applicable Between November 15 and December 11
and negotiate final terms of contract
Anticipated Award of Selected Vendor December 16, 2026
Start of Contract January 1, 2027
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E. Scope of Work
The Vendor awarded this contract will work with county leadership and other internal staff to
provide a seamlessly integrated system of support for all IT services including administrative,
engineering, implementation and operations support to industry standards. The selected firm
will also be tasked with developing projects and needs in partnership with department leaders.
Services required include but are not limited to the following:
Threat Monitoring;
24/7/365 onsite and remote monitoring support services;
Server Support (physical and cloud);
Network Support;
Desktop and Laptop Support;
Back-up services, including cloud-based hosting;
Internet Service Providers;
Electronic Mail;
Maintenance of Laserfiche;
Employee remote access systems;
Preparation and annual update of an Incident Management and Response Plan;
Support for IT Operational Recovery Plan;
Assistance with development of IT/Security policies and procedures;
Managing, monitoring, and responding to systems and reporting issues and concerns to
county management;
Preservation and production of records related to Right to Know requests, subpoenas,
litigation holds and other legal processes;
Operating and maintaining court and meeting-related audio/video technology;
Employee training as needed;
Ensuring compliance with recognized information security standards;
Assist in the procurement of cyber insurance including but not limited to advising on
commercially appropriate limits, requesting quotes, completing applications, and
reviewing proposed policies, riders and claim determinations.
The selected firm is being engaged to perform services within their areas of professional expertise
and shall not delegate or sub-contract any portion of the services to be performed without
approval by the county.
The current hardware, software and services required may change throughout the duration of
the contract.
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Vendors will be required to submit a quote(s) to the county fiscal office prior to making any
purchase. Upon approval, the county will assume responsibility for payment directly to the
vendor in which the hardware or software was purchased.
The successful vendor must ensure and prioritize the security of confidential, privileged, non-
public, restricted and sensitive information in accordance with law.
F. Guidelines for Proposal Preparation
Proposals in response to this RFP will be incorporated into the final agreement between Warren
County and the selected vendor. The submitted proposals must include each of the following
sections:
1. Cover Letter
a. The official registered name of the business, address, and telephone number of
the Vendor's offices located nearest to Warren County.
b. Brief history, including the established year and number of years the company has
been offering managed IT services.
c. The cover letter must be signed by the individual authorized to bind the Vendor.
2. Executive Summary
a. Proposals shall include an executive summary to include a brief overview of the
proposal or any additional information pertaining to your proposal.
b. Emphasis should be on conforming to the RFP instructions, responding to the RFP
requirements, and providing a complete and clear description of what is being
offered as it relates to the Scope of Work.
3. Approach
a. Provide a detailed description of the approach and methodology to be used to
accomplish the Scope of Work of this RFP.
b. The following should be addressed when responding to this RFP:
Describe your company's history of working with other municipalities in
Pennsylvania;
Is your support model all-inclusive? If not, what is not included.
What will be the process for after-hours emergencies?
What is your average response time and problem resolution time?
How are major system problems or outages handled?
What process is in place if the help desk cannot resolve the problem?
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4. Staffing
Provide a list of personnel who will be working with Warren County and indicate
the functions that each will perform. Please note it is the county's desire to have
designated individuals assigned to Warren County for all IT needs. The request
would not disqualify any vendor if accommodation cannot be satisfied. Please
include a resume for each designated personnel who will be working with the
Township and list all certifications, if any, related to Information Technology
services.
Background checks and fingerprinting are required of all staff working with law
enforcement systems onsite or help desk.
Upon award and during the contract period, if different personnel are assigned to
the County, those names, qualifications, and certifications must be submitted to
the Warren County Commissioners.
All proposals shall be irrevocable for one (1) month after the proposal opening date.
G. Qualifications
A successful vendor must possess the capability to fully perform the Contract
requirements in all respects including possessing the necessary facilities, experience,
organization, financial capacity, integrity, and reliability to fulfill the conditions of the
contract and its terms and specifications.
All vendors are required to have been in business for a minimum of five (5) years as of the
date of submission in order for the County to accept a proposal and to be considered
responsive.
It is expected that the successful vendor will be responsible for managing the County's
long-term IT plan to keep systems up to date and functional in the most cost-effective
manner. The successful vendor will supply the Warren County Commissioners with a list
of recommendations for all software and hardware needs no later than Sept. 1 of each
year.
H. References
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Vendors shall provide a list of at least three current contract references for which Vendor
performs or has performed similar services. Include the name and contact information for the
client. It is advisable to include at least one governmental agency within Pennsylvania.
References should be prepared to detail competence to perform these services. Included should
be the names of key staff that participated in those contracts and their specific responsibilities,
and a summary of capabilities, including the length of time that the services were provided.
I. Questions/Clarifications
Any requests for clarification concerning the requirements and conditions in this Request for
Proposal should be submitted to Josh Cotton at (814) 728-3434 or via email to
jcotton@warrencountypa.gov. Responses will not constitute an addendum unless an issue raised
prompts a formal Addendum.
Any questions or requests for clarification should be submitted at least five (5) days prior to the
bid submission date.
J. Pricing
All responses to this RFP must clearly state the cost of providing the services outlined:
1. Describe the pricing model(s) that you typically employ for your standard services.
2. Please indicate the charges associated with each of the following services, including the
key driver of each cost and whether it is included in a standard per-unit cost vs. charged
on an ad hoc basis:
Solution design
Network and email system monitoring
Remote backup
On-demand Technology Training
Managed Cyber Security
Procurement management
Technical support, including remote user support
Reporting and communication
IT policy review and development
Implementation planning and guidance
PC deployment
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On-site implementation of business applications
Asset inventory management
Software licensing control
Do you offer service bundles and if so, describe the effect of this bundling on
pricing?
K. Submission of Proposal
Warren County will receive proposals via email to pmatve@warrencountypa.gov by November
12, 2026 at 4:30 p.m.
Warren County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or to award to the vendor who,
in the sole discretion and judgement of the county, makes the most advantageous proposal. The
county also reserves the right to waive or permit the curing of informalities or irregularities in a
proposal as permitted by law.
This is a three-year contract and may be renewed for two (2) additional one (1) year terms upon
mutual written consent of both parties. In the event one or both parties do not elect to extend
the contract, this contract and pricing must be extended for a period not to exceed six (6) months
to prevent a gap in service.
L. Presentation/Interview
Warren County may select a vendor to meet with the Warren County Commissioners for a
presentation or interview as part of the selection process.
M. Evaluation and Award Criteria
Evaluation of proposals will be based upon the vendor's responsiveness to the RFP, the ability of
vendors to meet the needs of Warren County and the total price for all items covered in the RFP.
The following elements will be the primary considerations in evaluating all submitted proposals
and in the selection of a vendor:
Completion of all required responses in the correct format.
The extent to which a vendor's proposed solution fulfills Warren County's requirements
identified in the RFP.
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