COB Printing and Mailing of Tax Bills, User Fee Bills, Exemption Forms and Foreclosure Notices

CITY OF BUFFALO
NEW YORK
DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE & URBAN AFFAIRS
DIVISION OF PURCHASE
65 NIAGARA SQUARE, ROOM 1901 CITY HALL
BUFFALO, NY 14202
PHONE (716) 851-5222 FAX (716) 851-5231
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR
City of Buffalo Printing and Mailing of Tax Bills, User Fee
Bills, Exemption Forms and Foreclosure Notices
2026
DATE ISSUED: April 9, 2026
Question submission deadline: April 16, 2026 by 4:00pm
VIA EMAIL TO mcbarker@buffalony.gov
Answers posted to City of Buffalo website (www.buffalony.gov): April 23, 2026
PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: April 30, 2026 at 11:00am
AT THE DIVISION OF PURCHASE
65 NIAGARA SQUARE, ROOM 1901
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DATE: May 14, 2026 at 11:00am
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1. INTRODUCTION
The City of Buffalo (the City), through its Department of Assessment & Taxation (DAT), needs
to provide taxpayers with the opportunity to timely pay all taxes and fees assessed on their
properties, and an opportunity to apply for any tax exemptions allowed in New York State. In
addition, the City through its Department of Public Works, Parks & Streets-User Fee (DPW), needs
to provide taxpayers with the opportunity to timely pay all user fees assessed on their properties.
The City seeks to meet these objectives through the most efficient means possible; as such the City
seeks a vendor to provide the printing and electronic certified-mailing of all forms required in this
process. The intent is to find a vendor who will produce work for hire on a timely schedule.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) also includes a request for optional solutions on the handling of
undeliverable/returned mail. Offerors are not required to submit a response to that section of the
RFP; however the submission of a response will add value to your proposal.
2. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS
2.1 Submission
The City invites all interested parties to submit proposals for the services described herein. For
purposes of this RFP the City's designee shall be Marlena Barker.
The Division of Purchase will receive all proposals in person or via mail by no later than May
14, 2026 at 11:00am EST. All proposals shall be sealed, clearly labeled on the front of the
package: "FORMAL PROPOSAL ON CITY OF BUFFALO TAX BILLING, USER FEE
BILLS, EXEMPTION FORMS AND FORECLOSURE NOTICES" and delivered to:
Nicole Swallow, Director of Purchase
City of Buffalo
DIVISION OF PURCHASE
65 Niagara Square, Room 1901 City Hall
Buffalo, New York 14202-3302
OFFERORS ASSUME ALL RISKS FOR THE TIMELY AND PROPER DELIVERY OF
SUBMITTED PROPOSALS.
The received time of proposals will be determined by the clock of the above noted location.
NO CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO PROPOSALS RECEIVED AFTER THE
STATED DATE AND TIME.
Proposals are solicited in accordance with the terms, conditions and instructions as set forth in this
RFP. Submission of proposals via telephone, facsimile, e-mail or any other method not
specifically provided for herein is prohibited. Proposals must be completed in accordance with
the requirements of the RFP. No amendments or changes to proposals will be accepted after the
closing date and time. No proposals shall be accepted after the stated deadline. The City reserves
the right to reject any or all proposals.
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Any material misrepresentation made by an Offeror may void their proposal and eliminate their
proposal from further consideration. Any proposal that is based upon violation of federal, state or
local law, or deemed to be non-responsive will be eliminated from consideration.
The City shall not be responsible for any expenses or charges incurred by an Offeror in preparing
or submitting a proposal, or in their providing any additional information considered necessary by
the City in the evaluation of their proposal.
2.2 Schedule
Listed below is the anticipated schedule for all actions related to this RFP. In the event that there
is any change or deviation from this schedule, such change will be posted on the City's website at
www.buffalony.gov.
EVENT DATE
Issuance of RFP April 9, 2026
Written Questions from Offerors due April 16, 2026
Responses to Questions posted on City website April 23, 2026
Pre-Proposal Conference at 11:00 AM April 30, 2026
Proposals Due by 11:00 AM May 14, 2026
Target Award Date: TBD
2.3 RFP Review, Additional Information and Questions
Each Offeror is responsible for carefully examining all RFP documents and thoroughly
familiarizing themselves with each of the City's requirements prior to their submission of a
proposal to ensure that their responses are in compliance with the RFP.
Each Offeror is responsible for conducting its own investigations and any examinations necessary
to ascertain conditions and requirements affecting the requirements of this RFP. Failure to perform
such investigations and examinations shall not relieve the Offeror from its obligation to comply,
in every detail, with all of the provisions and requirements contained in the RFP.
Questions regarding the RFP shall be directed to the City's designee only. Any impermissible
contact with any other City officer or employee regarding the RFP during the procurement period
shall result in the rejection of any such Offeror's proposal. Offerors shall communicate in writing
only. No other communications with the City's designee regarding the RFP are permitted during
the procurement period.
All questions, requests for clarification or additional information must be sent by email to Marlena
Barker: mcbarker@buffalony.gov with a cc email to Nicole Swallow, Director of Purchase:
Nswallow@buffalony.gov, and must be received no later than April 16, 2026. The subject line
must identify the RFP by title. Offerors shall not communicate with the City's designee via any
other method or outside of the time period set forth herein.
The answers to questions received via email will be posted on the City's website at
(www.buffalony.gov/bids)No other representatives of the City are to be contacted regarding this
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RFP. The City accepts no responsibility for, and the Offeror agrees not to rely upon, any verbal or
written statements or representations from any other person, whether or not employed by the City.
Offerors are solely responsible for ensuring the City has a current address, e-mail address and
telephone number on file for the Offeror. It is the responsibility of all Offerors to check the City
of Buffalo website for any updates.
The City may, in its sole discretion, also elect to provide both the question(s) and the written
answer(s) to all known Offerors via e-mail. Offerors are solely responsible for ensuring that the
City has accurate contact information, including e-mail address for the receipt of such
correspondence. The City does not assume any responsibility for undelivered e-mails or for the
receipt of any communication sent to any Offeror.
2.4 Addendums and Modifications
The City reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend this RFP at any time prior to the deadline
for submission of proposals. In the event that it becomes necessary to revise or expand upon any
part of this RFP, all addendums, amendments, and interpretations to this RFP will be made in
writing and posted on the City's website at (www.buffalony.gov/bids. The City may also endeavor
to notify all Offerors to whom the RFP has been issued.
All addendums shall be incorporated as part of the RFP documents as though they were originally
set forth. The City does not assume any responsibility for the receipt of any addendum sent to any
Offeror.
Any information supplied by the City relative to this RFP must be considered in preparing
proposals. All other contacts that an Offeror may have had before or after receipt of this RFP with
any individuals, employees, subcontractors, consultants or representatives of the City and any
information that may have been read in any news media or seen or heard in any communication
regarding this RFP should be disregarded in preparing responses.
2.5 Proposal Format
Offerors are advised to adhere to the submittal requirements of the RFP. Failure to comply with
the instructions of the RFP may cause their proposal to be rejected. Submission of a proposal in
response to this RFP constitutes acceptance of all requirements outlined in the RFP. All Offerors
must provide a proposal for all Production Schedules (A, B, C, D, E, F, G & H). No partial
contracts will be awarded.
Six (6) copies of the proposal, one (1) original and five (5) copies, along with one (1) digital copy
(Flash Drive) must be provided. Proposals must be prepared on 8-1/2" x 11" paper using a font no
smaller than 11-point with one-inch margins, printed double-sided, and bound on the long side.
Each page of the submission must be numbered in a manner so that it can be uniquely identified.
Legibility, clarity and completeness are required.
The proposal must be signed by each individual Offeror or their authorized representative who
shall have the authority to legally bind the Offeror(s). The proposal shall also contain a statement
that the proposal, including all proposed prices, contained therein shall remain firm and irrevocable
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for a period of ninety (90) days following the City's receipt of such proposal and the award of the
contract, if any.
In the event that an Offeror cannot comply with any term, condition, or requirement of this RFP,
such non-compliance must be clearly noted on the Offeror's letterhead and submitted with the
proposal. Offerors are cautioned that such non-compliance may result in disqualification of their
proposal, at the sole discretion of the City. No allowance will be made for un-noted non-
compliance of any kind by the Offeror.
2.6 Cover Letter
Each Offeror or their authorized representative shall prepare and sign a cover letter. Submission
of the letter shall constitute a representation by the Offeror that it is willing and able to perform
the services described in the RFP and their proposal.
The cover letter must explain the Offeror's understanding of the City's intent, objectives, and how
Offeror proposes to achieve those objectives. It must also discuss the Offeror's plan for
implementing the described services, including any proposed approach to project management,
strategies, and any additional factors that may be beneficial to the City in achieving its' goals.
2.7 Company Profile
Each Offeror is required to prepare and submit a brief description of the Offeror's firm, company,
or corporation, which must include:
1. Name, mailing address, email address, telephone number and fax number of the
primary contact person for the firm;
2. A brief description of the firm, including the number of years in business, major
business lines, major markets served, company history, relevant operating segments,
primary vision and strategy, number of employees, office locations and any Joint
Venture Partners;
a. Workforce: Offerors should describe any programs or actions they undertake to
attract, recruit, train, retain and promote minority and female employees, partners
and associates and current representation of minorities and women;
b. Community Involvement: Offerors should describe any programs or initiatives they
sponsor or support that further the development of minority or women-owned
business enterprises;
c. Offeror Policies: Offerors should describe any procurement policies or practices
they have adopted that provide M/WBE suppliers or services business
opportunities.
3. A copy of any resolution or some other form of authority, signed by a Chief Executive
Officer, Corporate Secretary, or managing partners, which lists the specific officers
who are authorized to execute agreements on behalf of the Offeror;
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4. Financial details demonstrating your firm's financial capacity to undertake and
complete the project;
5. Include with your response a client-specific proposed contract which reflects your
proposed pricing and terms.
The City may solicit relevant information concerning Offeror's record of past performance from
previous clients, or any other available sources. Each Offeror must provide a summary of their
professional qualifications and the experience of all team personnel who will be dedicated to the
services described in this RFP. For each person identified, describe the following information:
1. Title and reporting responsibility;
2. Proposed role in this project, including the functions and tasks for which they will have
prime responsibility (also indicate areas of secondary responsibility, if appropriate);
3. Pertinent areas of expertise and past experience;
4. Base location (local facility, as applicable);
5. Curriculum vitae and corporate personnel profiles which describe their overall
experience and expertise.
2.8 References
Each Offeror must provide references from at least three (3) customers or of companies or other
entities of comparable characteristics as the City of Buffalo, where their services have been
successfully implemented during the past eighteen (18) months. Similar projects must have
included electronic certified mailing with legal deadlines met.
The list must identify your staff members who worked on each project, budget, schedule and
project summary. Descriptions should be limited to one page for each project. Experience
will not be considered unless complete reference data is provided. At a minimum, the
following information must be included for each client reference:
1. Client name, address, contact person name, telephone, and fax number;
2. Description of services provided similar to the services outlined in this RFP;
3. Nature and extent of Offeror's involvement as the prime contractor;
4. Identity of services, if any, subcontracted, and to which other company;
5. Total dollar value of the contract;
6. Contract term (start date and expiration date).
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SECTION 3 - QUALIFICATIONS
The City requires prompt and reliable service. Successful Offerors must demonstrate their
qualifications and experience by including with their proposal documentation of the following:
* Experience in municipal tax billing, a minimum of five (5) years' experience
required.
* Shop located in Erie County and available for visits and inspections. The Offeror
must have a shop located in Erie County for the duration of the contract, and any
extension periods. Please provide the addresses for your primary and alternate
locations.
* Capacity to move seventy-five thousand (75,000) packages with quick turnaround.
* Flexibility to complete rush orders, with a maximum turn-around time of thirty-
six (36) hours.
SECTION 4 - SCOPE OF WORK
In addition to the tasks listed in this section, the selected vendor must provide the services
described in all attached Appendices (A, B, C & D) and Production Schedules (A, B, C, D, E, F,
G & H).
4.1 ELECTRONIC FILE
4.1.1 Content
The electronic Tax billing and User fee billing file provided by the City of Buffalo
will contain all information (i.e. completed calculations, customer identification,
mailing information, property information, etc.) required to produce complete Tax
billing forms in accordance with New York State Real Property Tax Law and the
City of Buffalo Charter and Code. The User Fee billing forms will also be produced
in accordance with the City of Buffalo Charter and Code. File record layouts will
be provided with the electronic Tax billing file.
4.1.2 General File Type
The electronic Tax billing file, Exemption forms file, Foreclosure Notices and the
User Fee Informational Insert file may be a fixed length ASCII text, CSV or XML
data file.
4.1.3 General File Transfer
The electronic Tax billing file and the Foreclosure Notices file will be transferred
to the contracted service provider via e-mail or File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
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depending on the file size. The FTP site will be provided by the City. Secure access
to the FTP site will be provided to the contracted service provider by the city's
Management Information Systems (MIS) Department.
4.2 TAX BILLING POSTAGE PROJECTION
Ten (10) weeks prior to the actual billing run, the contracted service provider will process
the Tax billing mailer information through United States Postal Service (USPS) approved
CASS certification software and provide the City of Buffalo system analyst managing
the billing process with estimated postage cost. The estimated costs as they pertain to the
USPS First Class mailing categories: Carrier Route 5-Digit, 3-Digit and Basic will be
reported via USPS Postage Statement - First Class Mail Permit Imprint (PS Form 3600-
R, January 2001).
The contracted service provider is requested to quote on the preparation of mailing pieces
(not actual mailing). The City of Buffalo will pay for all postage in the Foreclosure Notice
Process, Tax Billing, and User Fee Billing Process.
4.2.1 File Type
The electronic Tax billing mailer information file may be a fixed length ASCII text,
CSV or XML data file.
4.2.2 Transfer
The electronic Tax billing mailer information file will be transferred to the
contracted service provider via e-mail or FTP depending on the file size. The FTP
site will be provided by the City. Secure access to the FTP site will be provided to
the contracted service provider by the city's MIS department.
4.3 FORMS DESIGN
Forms design in this section includes but is not limited to:
* Pre-Printed form shape, size, paper stock, color and layout.
* City of Buffalo variable data merged with form template, fonts, font size, font
color.
* Contracted service provider quality and job control numbers.
The contracted service provider will be required to produce the Tax billing form from
files provided by the City of Buffalo. The form is 4 colors. Preprinted forms are 60 lb.
paper, two (2) sided 4/4. Note: printing of variable data will be required on both sides of
the form.
The contracted service provider will be required to ensure that the existing Tax billing
form or any redesign feature to be incorporated into the existing Tax billing form, is in
compliance with all technical specifications mandated by financial institutions providing
"Lock Box" cash management services to the City of Buffalo.
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The City of Buffalo enters into Cash Management Service Agreements with
financial institutions. These service agencies promulgate technical specifications
relating to return payment coupon characteristics such as paper weight / thickness,
size, shape; bar code content and placement; form perforations and envelope size.
MIS and the department of Assessment and Taxation will entertain and may require form
design suggestions from the contracted service provider.
The contracted service provider will be required to produce and submit a template form
for approval by MIS and the Department of Assessment and Taxation for each form
printed. The template form must clearly display the placement of each datapoint provided
from the electronic file (section 4.2) of the mailer data which should be represented by
the corresponding column number page for a fixed length file, the node name for an XML
file or the column name for a CSV file.
This is a work for hire. The successful Offeror agrees that all art, templates, forms, etc.
created will become the property of the City of Buffalo whether such work is invoiced
separately or not. This is in addition to the "Print Testing" requirements specified in
section 4.4.2. It is expressly agreed upon by your signature here that all forms previously
used and/or created for this project are the property of the City of Buffalo. The City and
the contracted service provider mutually agree that these documents have been specially
ordered and/or commissioned as a work for hire as defined under the 1976 Copyright
Act. Submission of a proposal with a quote demonstrates your acceptance of these terms.
SAMPLES OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DIVISION OF
PURCHASE, 65 NIAGARA SQUARE, ROOM 1901 CITY HALL, BUFFALO, NY.
* Tax Billing
* Foreclosure Notices: Needs to be certified
o Tax Enforcement Notification Letter
o Homeowner Warning Notice
o Petition & Notice of Foreclosure Letter
* Tax Billing: Tax Billing Mailing Envelope
* Tax Billing: Tax Billing Return Envelope
* Foreclosure Notices: Foreclosure Notices Mailing Envelope
* Senior Citizen Exemption: Renewal Application
* Senior Citizen: "Last Chance"
* Disability Exemption: Renewal Application
* Disability Exemption: "Last Chance"
* Senior Citizen Long Time Resident Exemption: "Last Chance"
* Veterans Exemption Renewal: Form 458
* Alternative Veterans Exemption Renewal: Form 458A
* 420 A - Non-Profit Re-certification
* User Fee Bills
* User Fee Billing: User Fee Billing Mailing Envelope
* User Fee Billing: User Fee Billing Return Envelope
* Residential Exemptions Second Notice Postcard
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4.4 PRINTING
4.4.1 Printing Run Parameters
The contracted service provider will be required to complete the printing process
within 7 days, to run concurrently with the finishing and mailing process.
The contracted service provider will be required to complete printing by the
suspense date as defined in Appendix B, Production Schedule A, and Production
Schedule B.
4.4.2 Print Testing
A test merging historically and technically accurate information provided via
electronic file by the City of Buffalo with the Tax billing form will be completed
10 weeks before the suspense dates listed in Appendix B, Production Schedule A.
4.4.3 Blank Tax Billing Forms
The contracted service provider will provide blank tax billing forms to the
Department of Assessment and Taxation as required by that department. The
required blank tax billing forms are to be delivered to the Department of
Assessment and Taxation within the 7 day printing process (ref. 4.4.1).
4.5 FINISHING
4.5.1 Folding, Inserting and Sealing
The contracted service provider will:
Complete the finishing process, as detailed below within 7 days, to run concurrently
with the printing and mailing process.
Must have the capability to insert up to six (6) items into a mailing envelope.
Fold the Tax billing form and any additional notices, the parties have agreed upon,
to allow for insertion into a #10, 24 lb. mailing envelope. Note: Total number of
inserts, including all return envelopes and service notices not to exceed six (6).
Insert Tax billing forms, specified number of #9, 20 lb return envelopes and any
additional service notices into the #10 mailing envelope. Note: Total number of
inserts, including all return envelopes and service notices not to exceed six (6).
Fold the Foreclosure Notices for insertion into a #10, 24 lb. mailing envelope
Insert Foreclosure Notices letters into the #10 mailing envelope. The Tax
Enforcement Notification letter, Homeowner Warning Notice, and the Petition &
Notice of Foreclosure letter are to be inserted in the same #10 mailing envelope
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