RFP FOR COMPREHENSIVE BANKING & CASH MANAGEMENT SERVICES & RFI FOR MERCHANT CARD PROCESSING

Posted At:Tue, Sep 16, 2025 1:58 PMSealed Bid Process:NoPrivate Bid:No

The City of Vista (the “City”) is a Charter Law city and was incorporated on January 28, 1963. Located just seven miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County, the City of Vista has a perfect mild Mediterranean climate. Residents enjoy a wide range of year-round outdoor activities in a setting of gentle rolling hills and pleasant rural surroundings. Vista is approximately 19 square miles with a population of 100,291 (California Dept. of Finance 2021-2022). The City handles sewer utilities and Vista Irrigation District for its water services. The City operates its own Fire Department and contracts with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services.

The intent of this RFP is to broadly consider the City’s use of banking services and to identify future banking partners.

The City intends to select one or more firms to provide the required services. To facilitate the evaluation of proposals, the services have been divided into two (2) Service Groups as listed below and a request for information. Firms may propose providing one or more of these services, which will be evaluated independently. It is possible that awards to multiple suppliers will be made, but it is the intention of the City to select only one (1) supplier for each Service Group.

Service Group 1: General Banking

Service Group 2: Purchasing Card Services

The City invites proposals until 2:00 pm PST, November 20, 2025, from qualified firms.

Each proposing firm should clearly state in a cover letter to the proposal the Service Group(s) it is proposing to provide.

A. SCHEDULE

Request for Proposals Issued	September 16, 2025
Notice of Intent to Respond Form Due	September 25, 2025, 2:00 pm PST
Questions Due	September 25, 2025, 2:00 pm PST
Responses to Questions Distributed	October 8, 2025, 2:00 pm PST
Proposals Due	November 20, 2025, 2:00 pm PST
Finalist Interviews (In-person not required but strongly preferred)	January 7-8, 2026
Supplier Selection/Intent to Award	January 2026
City Council Meeting Contract Approval (Successful bidder expected to attend)	February 10, 2026

Finalist interviews of selected firms can be held virtually, although in-person attendance is strongly preferred. The supplier(s) to which the City intends to award the banking services contract(s) is expected to attend the February 10, 2026, City Council meeting to provide an overview of the proposed offering and details about the firm’s community engagement.

The City reserves the right to cancel and/or modify the RFP dates at any time.

Proposers are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting proposals. Failure to do so will be at proposer’s own risk, and they cannot secure relief on the plea of error.

B. CONSULTANT

To assist with RFP evaluation efforts, the City has selected a third-party Consultant, PFM Group Consulting LLC (the “Consultant”). The Consultant will advise the City on industry best practices with regard to the proposed service delivery model and shared supplier approach, supplier selection, and other activities as needed with supplier, product, or service transition. The Consultant will be a primary contact for proposer during the evaluation phase, which includes the period between proposal submission and Notice of Award. Proposers may not initiate contact with or pose questions directly to the City.

C. INTENT TO PROPROSE

To assist with RFP evaluation efforts, the City has selected a third-party Consultant, PFM Group Consulting LLC (the “Consultant”). The Consultant will advise the City on industry best practices with regard to the proposed service delivery model and shared supplier approach, supplier selection, and other activities as needed with supplier, product, or service transition. The Consultant will be a primary contact for proposer during the evaluation phase, which includes the period between proposal submission and Notice of Award. Proposers may not initiate contact with or pose questions directly to the City.

D. REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTION

Proposers for Service Group 1 must be a state or national firm, or state or federal savings firm in California that is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and is a state approved depository per California Code, Government Code – GOV §53652.

E. SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN QUESTIONS

Any questions about the RFP will only be accepted using Attachment B: Q&A Template and submitted via OpenGov.com no later than September 25, 2025, at 2:00 pm (PST). The Attachment B: Q&A Template must remain in the required format (MS Excel) and should be directly tied to the RFP with questions asked in consecutive order, from beginning to end, following the organization of the RFP. Each question should reference the RFP page number and Service Group, as provided in the template. While OpenGov.com offers a Q&A module, we ask that you submit all questions via the provided template. Submissions made in formats other than the required format listed for the attachment shall be deemed non-compliant and will not be evaluated.

All questions and responses to questions from prospective proposers will be aggregated and posted to OpenGov.com no later than October 8, 2025. City staff will not answer questions verbally or individually during the RFP process.

F. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTION

In order to be considered for selection, proposers must submit their proposals via OpenGov.com no later than 2:00 pm PST on November 20, 2025.

To receive addenda and submit a Bid, proposers must register a free account with the City’s eProcurement Portal, at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofvista . No hard copy bids will be accepted. Once registered, proposers must download the RFP while logged in under their own name and identification number to appear on the Electronic Prospective Bidders List as a “Prospective Bidder.” Proposers that fail to download the RFP will not appear on the Electronic Prospective Bidders/Followers List and their proposal will be considered non-responsive. If a proposer is unable to register or download the RFP from the City's eProcurement Portal, a proposer representative may contact OpenGov to troubleshoot the problem via the blue "chat" bubble visible on the lower right-hand corner of the screen, while logged onto the eProcurement Portal.

All proposal documents must be uploaded using the eProcurement Portal prior to 2:00 pm PST on Thursday, November 20, 2025, as instructed in this solicitation. Once file(s) have been uploaded and the Submission Status shows as “Submitted”, the submission is complete. At that point, the proposer will receive an automated email confirmation from the eProcurement Portal.

The City reserves the right to extend the date by which proposals are due via addendum. To be considered, proposals shall be submitted through the eProcurement Portal no later than the proposal submission deadline. Vista's eProcurement Portal will determine the official time for the advertised proposal due date and such determination will be final. Any proposals not received in a timely manner on the proposal due date, as described above, will not be considered.

A complete proposal shall include one (1) searchable electronic copy of each of the three (3) attachments listed below in the required format (C, D, E), plus the remaining required attachments as outlined in the RFP (F-O), collectively termed (“Proposal”):

ATTACHMENT	DESCRIPTION	REQUIRED FORMAT
C	Cover Letter & Supplemental Response	MS Word or Searchable PDF (maximum 35 pages)
D	Technical Responses	MS Excel
E	Pricing Pro Forma	MS Excel
F – O	Required Attachments as Outlined in the RFP	Varies

Submissions made in formats other than the required format listed for the attachment shall be deemed non-compliant and will not be evaluated.

No corrected or resubmitted proposals will be accepted after the proposal submission deadline.

Compliance with the proposal submission deadline of November 20, 2025, at 2:00 pm PST will be determined by an automatic date stamp on the submission. Late proposals will not be accepted.

The City reserves the right to request and consider supplements to proposals or to particular proposals after the deadline for initial proposals, until such time as a contract with a particular Firm is finalized.

G. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Proposals shall be reviewed and scored based upon the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria	Possible Points
Financial Strength of the Proposing Institution Based on Moody’s and S&P Ratings	10 Points
Overall Firm Experience and Institutional Qualifications Adequacy of financial controls, security, and protection against loss Relevant experience managing similar account relationships with other governmental institutions References Experience, resources, and qualifications of the firm and individuals assigned to this account	10 Points
Transition Plan Quality and scope of conversion plan Resources proposed for transition support The value of any new product, service suggestion, or other new ideas and enhancements	10 Points
Approach/Methodology Ability to fulfill the requirements in the Scope of Work Demonstrates capability to meet the current needs and future operations/process requirements of the City Compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations or the services proposed Social Responsibility: Demonstrates efforts to engage agency staff and community members in the advancement of financial literacy. Ethical Standards: Lack of implication/indictment of predatory lending, improper banking practices, etc., within the last 10 years.	40 Points
Total Possible Technical Points	70 Points
Cost Proposal Proposed fees, compensation, earning credit, and sweep rates The value of incentives such as fee waiver, complimentary equipment, price concessions	30 Points
Total Possible Evaluation Points	100 Points

From this preliminary evaluation, the City will establish a short-list of firms that will be invited to make a finalist presentation. Scores will be reassessed given information presented, or information clarified, during the finalist presentation.

H. FINALIST PRESENTATIONS

The City intends to invite selected firms to meet with the evaluation team during the week of January 7-8, 2026.

I. EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF PROPOSALS

Proposals must state the period for which the proposal shall remain in effect (i.e. how much time does the City have to accept or reject the proposal under the terms proposed). Such period shall not be less than 180 days from the proposal date.

J. EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF PROPOSALS

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this RFP, the City reserves the right to award this contract to the firm(s) that best meet the requirements of the RFP, and not necessarily to the lowest cost firm. Further, the City reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to award in whole or part, and to waive minor immaterial defects in bids. The City may consider, at its sole discretion, any alternative bid.

Upon receipt of proposals, the City will review each firm’s response to this Request for Proposal. Failure to properly address all of the items set forth below may disqualify the prospective firm’s proposal. We may interview one or more proposers to further assist in the review process and will award the contract at the sole discretion of the City.

K. CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

Negotiations may include all aspects of services and fees. After review of the proposals, and in-person presentations, the City intends to enter into contract negotiations with the selected firm(s). If a contract with the selected firm(s) is not finalized within 90 days, the City reserves the right to open negotiations with the next ranked firm(s).

L. AWARD OF CONTRACT

The City reserves the right to award by Service Group or as a whole, whichever is deemed most advantageous to the City. The selected firm(s) will be required to enter into a written contract or contracts with the City in a form approved by legal counsel. This RFP and the proposal will be incorporated into and made a part of the final contract(s). The City reserves the right to negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract(s) with the selected firm(s).

M. CONTRACT TERMS

It is the City’s intent to award the contract(s) for an initial 5-year period with the option to renew it for two (2), two-year periods for a possible total contract term of nine (9) years. The decision to renew the contract(s) will be at the sole discretion of the City.

Firms must agree to fix contract fees for at least the first five (5) years. If the firm intends to revise its fee schedule after the initial period, it must give written notice to the City at least 180 days in advance of any fee change. Fees may be changed only on the contract anniversary date. These fees are subject to negotiation and approval by the City and may not exceed the annual consumer price index-urban (CPI-U) for the most recently available 12-month trailing period.

N. DISPOSITION OF PROPOSALS

All materials submitted in response to this RFP will become the property of the City.

O. COST INCURRED IN RESPONDING

This solicitation does not commit the City to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals or in making necessary studies for the preparation thereof, nor to procure or contract for services.

P. ASSIGNMENT

The successful firm(s) shall not assign, transfer, convey, or otherwise dispose of the contract, or right, title of interest, or power to execute such a contract to any person, firm, or corporation without the previous consent in writing by the City.

Q. CAUSES FOR TERMINATION

Causes for termination of the agreement may include any of the following: Failure to promptly and faithfully provide the services required at the prices indicated in the proposal; violation of any law governing services provided to the City; failure to cooperate upon receiving any reasonable request for information or service; or improper actions of the officers or employees, which in the opinion of the City, would adversely affect its interest, or endanger the structure of the firm such as a spin off or merger which materially affects the terms of this agreement. The City may terminate the agreement without penalty on 90 days’ notice.

ATTACHMENT A – Intent to Respond Form

City of Vista

INTENT TO RESPOND FORM

Comprehensive Banking & Cash Management Services

All prospective proposers are asked to submit Attachment A: Intent to Respond Form via OpenGov.com no later than September 25, 2025, at 2:00 pm (PST) to confirm their intent to submit a proposal for this solicitation. Submitting an Attachment A: Intent to Respond Form does not obligate the prospective proposer in any way.

SEE ATTACHMENT A: INTENT TO RESPOND FORM

ATTACHMENT B – Proposer Question and Answer Template

City of Vista

Proposer Question & Answer Template

This form should be used by Proposers when submitting written questions to the City as defined in I. Introduction, E. Submission of Written Questions.

All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted on Attachment B: Q&A Template via OpenGov.com no later than September 25, 2025, at 2:00 pm (PST). The Attachment B: Q&A Template must remain in the required format (MS Excel) and should be directly tied to the RFP with questions asked in consecutive order, from beginning to end, following the organization of the RFP. Each question should reference the RFP page number and Service Group, as provided in the template. If a question is not related to any section of the RFP, enter “N/A” under the RFP Section & Page Number. Add additional rows as necessary.

Submissions made in formats other than the required format listed for the attachment shall be deemed non-compliant and will not be evaluated.

SEE ATTACHMENT B: Q&A TEMPLATE

ATTACHMENT C – Cover Letter and Supplemental Response

City of Vista

Cover Letter and Supplemental Response

(Maximum 35 pages)

Comprehensive Banking & Cash Management Services

SEE ATTACHMENT C: COVER LETTER AND SUPPLEMENTAL RESPONSE

Content beyond the maximum 35 pages will not be evaluated.

ATTACHMENT D – Technical Questions

City of Vista

Technical Questions Response

Comprehensive Banking & Cash Management Services RFP

This spreadsheet should be completed by Proposers to provide responses to all of the technical questions. This file has three (3) tabs that apply to the Banking RFP as follows:

Tab 1 – Overview – General Questions

(All firms must complete this tab.)

Tab 2 – SG1: General Banking Services

(Only firms proposing for this service group are required to complete this tab.)

Tab 3 – SG2: Purchasing Card Services

(Only firms proposing for this service group are required to complete this tab.)

SEE ATTACHMENT D: TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

ATTACHMENT E – Pricing Pro Forma

City of Vista

Pricing Pro Forma

Comprehensive Banking & Cash Management Services

This spreadsheet should be completed by Proposers to provide their cost proposal. This file has three (3) tabs as follows:

Tab 1 – Pricing Overview

(All firms must complete this tab.)

Tab 2 – Pro Forma for SG1: General Banking Services

(Only firms proposing for this service group are required to complete this tab.)

Tab 3 – Pro Forma for SG2: Purchasing Card Services

(Only firms proposing for this service group are required to complete this tab.)

SEE ATTACHMENT E: PRICING PRO FORMA

City of Vista

Technical Information

Merchant Services RFI

All Bidders for the Merchant Services RFI should complete tabs 1 and 4 of Attachment D – Technical Questionnaire Response on page 16.

Tab 1 – Overview – General Questions

(All firms must complete this tab.)

Tab 4 – RFI – Merchant Services

(Only firms proposing for this service group are required to complete this tab.)