Annual Contract for Advertising, Publications, and Printing

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 11-255, Gila County is requesting bids for an annual contract with Gila County to provide all advertising, publications, and printing for the year July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. All "qualified newspapers" (as defined below) within the County are invited to submit bids. Bidders should familiarize themselves with the contents of A.R.S. §§ 11-254.01, 39-201 through 39-205, and 39-221.

The bidder shall be a qualified newspaper. A qualified newspaper is one that (1) is published within the county from a known office of publication; (2) bears dates of issue and is numbered consecutively; (3) is regularly issued for the dissemination of news of a general and public character at stated short intervals of time (daily, weekly, etc.); (4) is not designed primarily for advertising, free circulation, or circulation at nominal rates; (5) has a bona fide list of paying subscribers; and (6) has been admitted in the United States as a second-class mail matter for at least one year as of the date of the bid. All bids must be accompanied by an affidavit of the publisher that the newspaper is qualified pursuant to the foregoing requirements.

Project Details

• Reference ID: GIL-IFB-2026-003
• Department: Finance
• Department Head: Maryn Belling (Director of Finance)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-06-04T22:00:00.000Z

Meetings & Milestones

Evaluation Criteria

• Pre-Bid Award Review —

  After receipt of all bids, each bid shall be screened to determine if any shall be deemed non-responsive. Unsigned bids, unacknowledged addenda, incomplete bids, nonconformance with mandatory requirements, etc., may result in the determination of non-responsive.

  Subsequent to initial review, all remaining bids shall be reviewed by the County department overseeing the project to evaluate the information submitted, perform tests when necessary, and make comparisons in order to approve or reject the bid. If rejected, the Gila County Procurement Group shall give written notice to the bidder.

• Precedence of Exhibits —

  IMPORTANT: INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND CONTRACT AWARD AGREEMENT ARE BASIC CONTENT TO GILA COUNTY SOLICITATION PACKAGES. INDIVIDUAL SOLICITATIONS MAY REQUIRE DIFFERENT LANGUAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS AND AWARD AGREEMENTS. WHERE APPLICABLE, SUCH CHANGES WILL APPEAR IN MINIMUM PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION AND TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER THE LANGUAGE APPEARING IN INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND CONTRACT AWARD AGREEMENT.

• Purpose —

  It is the intent of Gila County to establish, by this Invitation for Bids, a contract for Annual Contract for Advertising, Publications, and Printing. This Invitation for Bids No. GIL-IFB-2026-003, including all required forms, constitutes the entire bid package and by this reference is hereby incorporated into this Contract.

• Clarifications and No Negotiations —

  1. Clarifications. The County reserves the right to request clarification of any bid. Clarifications are limited to resolving ambiguities or confirming information already contained in the bid and shall not be used to modify price, scope, or other materials terms of the bid. Clarifications shall be conducted in a manner that does not provide any bidder a competitive advantage.

  2. No Negotiations. This is a competitive sealed bidding process. Bids shall be submitted as final and binding. The County will not conduct discussions or negotiations with bidders regarding price or substantive terms after bid opening, except as may be permitted under applicable law and County policy.

• Instructions —

  Preparation of Sealed Bid

   

  1. Gila County invites sealed bids from qualified and experienced bidders capable of providing the products and/or services described in this solicitation. The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a contract with the bidder whose bid is determined to be most advantageous to Gila County, taking into consideration evaluation factors set forth in this solicitation.

  2. Before submitting its bid, each bidder shall familiarize itself with the Scope of Work, laws, regulations, and other factors affecting performance of the work. Bidder shall carefully correlate its observations with requirements of the solicitation and otherwise satisfy itself of the expense and difficulties attending the performance of the work.

  The submission of a bid will constitute a representation of compliance by the bidder. There will be no subsequent financial adjustment other than that provided for by the contract for lack of such familiarization.

  3. Bidders are responsible for ensuring that all required forms, certifications, and documentation contained in this solicitation are fully completed and submitted with the bid. Failure to include required documentation may result in the bid being deemed non-responsive.

  4. Where required, bids shall be signed by an individual authorized to bind the bidder contractually. The name and title of the authorized representative shall be clearly printed beneath the signature. The County may require evidence of such authority.

  5. The full legal name of each individual, partnership, corporation, or other entity interested in the solicitation shall be listed on the Offer Page.

  6. No alterations in bids shall be made except where authorized by the solicitation documents. Any corrections or changes must be initialed by the authorized representative of the bidder.

• Section 1 - General Purpose —

  1. All bids must represent the entire package. Partial awards will not be made unless otherwise stated in the bid specifications.

  2. The County does not guarantee any maximum or minimum amounts of purchase.

  3. Bidder shall review their bid submission to assure the following requirements are met:

  A. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION (PREFERRED METHOD): Bidders must complete the Vendor Questionnaire and upload all required documents and forms within the portal prior to the bid deadline.

  B. HARD COPY SUBMISSION: One (1) original with original signatures and two (2) copies, for a total of three (3) full sets, shall be submitted on or before the bid deadline. The full bid submission shall include:

  i. Qualification and Certification Form

  ii. Price Sheet

  iii. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters

  iv. Certification of Intentions Concerning Subcontracting

  v. Legal Arizona Workers Act Compliance

  vi. Israel Boycott Certification

  vii. Bidder's Checklist & Addenda Acknowledgment

  viii. Offer Page

  ix. Acceptance of Offer (no signature from bidder)

• Award of Contract —

  1.   The Gila County Board of Supervisors reserves the right to award any, all, or some bids, by individual line item, by group of line items, or as total, or any part thereof, whichever is deemed to be in the best interest of and most advantageous to the County of Gila. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Invitation for bids, the County reserves the right to:

  A.   Waive any immaterial defects or informalities; or

  B.   Reject any or all bids or portions thereof; or

  C.   Reissue an Invitation for Bids.

  2.   It is the responsibility of the Gila County Board of Supervisors to let the County contracts to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder(s). To ensure that all bidders are experienced, reasonably equipped, and adequately financed to meet their contractual obligations, a determination of responsibility shall be made by the Gila County Board of Supervisors prior to contract award.

  3.   Further, the County reserves the right to reject the bid of any bidder who has previously failed to perform adequately after having once been awarded a prior bid for furnishing and installing materials similar in nature or providing similar services.

  4.   All submitted forms provided in this Invitation for Bids will be reviewed by the Gila County Board of Supervisors.

  5.   Those bidder(s) who, in the opinion of the Gila County Board of Supervisors, are best qualified and whose bids are most advantageous to the County, may be invited to appear before the Board for an oral review.

  6.   The apparent successful bidder(s) shall sign and file with the County, within ten (10) days after the date of the Notice of Intent to Award, all documents necessary to successfully execute the contract.

• Section 2 – Bid Pricing & Term —
  1. Bidder shall submit the bid in the form of a firm unit price for the contract period. Initial contract period is through June 30, 2027. Bidder shall incorporate all freight, profit, and discount into their price. The exception will be any price reduction which will be applied to the contract immediately upon the Bidder’s or County’s discovery of any such price reduction.
  2. The term of the contract shall commence upon award and shall remain in effect until the completion of the required work on or before June 30, 2027, unless terminated, cancelled, or extended as otherwise provided herein.
• Submission of Bids —

  Sealed bids may be submitted either electronically through the Gila County Procurement Portal or by hard copy submission. Bidders shall submit bids using only one method.

  1. Electronic Submission (Preferred Method). Bidders may submit bids electronically through the Gila County Procurement Portal. Electronic submissions must:

  • • Be uploaded through the Vendor Questionnaire associated with the solicitation.
    • Include all required forms, certifications, and attachments.
    • Contain electronic signatures or scanned signatures where signatures are required.
    • Be fully submitted prior to the deadline stated in the solicitation.

  The bidder is solely responsible for ensuring their bid is successfully uploaded prior to the submission deadline. The County is not responsible for technical issues experienced by the bidder.

  Electronic submissions will not be accepted by the portal after the submission deadline.

   

  2. Hard Copy Submission. Bidders choosing to submit a hard copy bid must download all required solicitation forms from the Gila County Procurement Portal or request a packet via email to the Procurement Officer listed on the Notice in this solicitation; complete them; and submit them in accordance with the requirements detailed in the Hard Copy Submission Format section of these Instructions to Bidders.

  By signature on the Offer Page, Bidder certifies:

  1. The submission of the bid did not involve collusion or other anti-competitive practices.
  2. The bidder has not given, offered to give, nor intends to give at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, or service to a public servant in connection with the submitted bid.
  3. In order to conserve resources, reduce procurement costs, improve timely acquisition and cost of supplies and to improve efficiency and economy of procurement, any political subdivision, State, County, City, Town, etc., of the State of Arizona will be allowed by the bidder(s) awarded the contract to provide the same services, at the same prices stated in the bid. Delivery charges may differentiate depending on geographic location.
• Protests —

  Only other bidders who have submitted a timely bid under this Invitation for Bids have the right to protest. A protest of an award must be filed within ten (10) days after the issuance of notification of award or issuance of a notice of intent to award. A protest must be in writing and must include:

  1. Name, address, and telephone number of the protester.
  2. Signature of the protester or its representative and evidence of authority to sign.
  3. Identification of the contract and the solicitation or contract number.
  4. Detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds of protest including copies of relevant documents.
  5. The form of relief requested.

  All protests shall be sent to the attention of the Procurement Officer, Gila County Finance Department, 1400 East Ash Street, Globe, Arizona 85501.

• Addenda —

  Any changes to the solicitation will be issued by written addendum.

  Bidders submitting bids electronically shall acknowledge receipt of addenda through the Gila County Procurement Portal.

  Bidders submitting hard copy bids must acknowledge receipt of all addenda by completing the Bidder Checklist & Addenda Acknowledgment Form and including it in the submission package. If no addenda have been issued, please indicate so by writing "Not Applicable" in the space provided under #1. The Bidder Checklist & Addenda Acknowledgment Form must be signed and dated and all addenda acknowledged by initials and date.

  Failure to acknowledge addenda may result in the bid being deemed non-responsive.

• Laws and Ordinances —

  This Contract shall be governed and enforced under the laws of the State of Arizona and Gila County. Bidder shall maintain in current status all federal, state, and local licenses and permits required for the operation of the business conducted by the bidder. The bidder shall comply with the applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Public Law 101-336, 42 U.S.C. 12101-12213) and applicable federal regulations under the Act.

• Inquiries —

  All questions, requests for clarification, or other inquiries regarding this solicitation should be submitted through the Question & Answer feature within this solicitation (project) on the Gila County Procurement Portal. Questions submitted through the portal will be visible to the County and responses will be posted for all prospective bidders.

  As an alternative, inquiries may be submitted in writing to the Procurement Officer identified in the Notice at the address or email listed therein. Written inquiries must clearly reference the solicitation number and title. Bidder must not place the solicitation number and title on the outside of an envelope containing inquiries since such an envelope may be identified as a sealed bid and may not be opened until after the official solicitation due date and time.

  Questions received after 3:00 pm on Thursday, June 4, 2026 will not be answered. Only questions answered by formal written addenda will be binding. Oral and other interpretations or clarifications will be without legal effect.

• Late Bids —

  Any bids received later than 3:00 pm on Thursday, June 11, 2026 will be not be opened or read. Late bids shall not be considered. Any bidder submitting late bids shall be so notified.

  Attempts to submit a late response electronically will be blocked by the Gila County Procurement portal and will not be accepted or seen.

• Hard Copy Submittal Format —

  Hard copy bids shall:

  • Be submitted in a sealed envelope or package.
  • Clearly display the following information on the outside of the envelope or package:

  GIL-IFB-2026-003

  Annual Contract for Advertising, Publications, and Printing

  Thursday, June 11, 2026

  3:00 pm

  Bidder Name

  Bidder Address

  Hard copy bids must be delivered to the location identified in the Notice prior to the solicitation due date and time.

  Bidders submitting hard copy bids shall provide:

  • One (1) original with original signatures
  • Two (2) copies

  The County will not be liable for any cost incident to the preparation of bids, materials, reproductions, presentations, copyright infringements, etc. It is permissible to copy these forms if required. Facsimiles or emailed bids shall not be considered. Spiral bound bids are not permitted. Failure to include all required documents, all with original signatures, may invalidate the bid.

• Modification or Withdrawal of Bids —

  A bidder may modify or withdraw its hard copy bid at any time prior to the solicitation due date and time by providing written notice to the County. Bids submitted through the Gila County Procurement Portal may be modified or withdrawn through the Portal prior to the solicitation due date and time.

  After the deadline, bids may not be modified or withdrawn.

• Errors and Omissions —

  The County is not responsible for errors or omissions made by the bidder in preparing the bid. Negligence in preparing a bid confers no right to the bidder unless the bidder discovers and corrects such errors prior to the solicitation deadline. Bidders are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all information submitted.

Submission Requirements

• Qualification and Certification Form (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters (required) —

  The prospective participant certifies, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that it and its principals:

  1. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency;
  2. Have not within a three-year period preceding this bid been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;
  3. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State, or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (1)(b) of this certification; and
  4. Have not within a three-year period preceding this bid had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.

  I understand that a false statement on this certification may be grounds for rejection of this bid or termination of the award. In addition, under 18 USC Sec. 1001, a false statement may result in a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.

   

• Legal Arizona Workers Act Compliance (required) —

  Bidder hereby warrants that it will, at all times during the term of this Contract, comply with all federal immigration laws applicable to Bidder's employment of its employees and with the requirements of A.R.S. § 41-4401 and 23-214(A) (together the “State and Federal Immigration Laws”). Bidder shall further ensure that each subcontractor who performs any work for Bidder under this Contract likewise complies with the State and Federal Immigration Laws. County shall have the right at any time to inspect the books and records of Bidder and any subcontractor in order to verify such party’s compliance with the State and Federal Immigration Laws.

  Any breach of Bidder's warranty of compliance with the State and Federal Immigration Laws, or of any other provision of this section, shall be deemed to be a material breach subjecting Bidder to penalties up to and including suspension or termination of this Contract. If the breach is by a subcontractor, and the subcontract is suspended or terminated as a result, Bidder shall be required to take such steps as may be necessary to either self-perform the services that would have been provided under the subcontract or retain a replacement subcontractor as soon as possible so as not to delay project completion.

  Bidder shall advise each subcontractor of County’s rights, and the subcontractor’s obligations, under this Article by including a provision in each subcontract substantially in the following form: “Subcontractor hereby warrants that it will always during the term of this contract comply with all federal immigration laws applicable to Subcontractor’s employees, and with the requirements of A.R.S. §23-214(A). Subcontractor further agrees that County may inspect the Subcontractor’s books and records to ensure that Subcontractor is in compliance with these requirements. Any breach of this paragraph by Subcontractor will be deemed to be a material breach of this Contract subjecting Subcontractor to penalties up to and including suspension or termination of this Contract.

  Any additional costs attributable directly or indirectly to remedial action under this Article shall be the responsibility of the Bidder.

   

• Israel Boycott Certification (required) —

  Bidder hereby certifies that it is not currently engaged in and will not, for the duration of this Contract, engage in a boycott of Israel as required by A.R.S. § 35-393.01. Violation of this certification by Bidder may result in action by County up to and including termination of this Contract.

  Bidder further agrees that if the Bidder becomes aware, during the term of this Contract, that the Bidder is not in compliance with this Certification, Bidder shall notify the County within five (5) business days after becoming aware of the noncompliance. If the Bidder does not remedy the noncompliance within 180 days after sending notice of noncompliance, this Contract shall automatically terminate.

  Unless and until the District Court’s injunction in Jordahl is stayed or lifted, the Anti-Israel Boycott Provision (A.R.S. § 35-393.01 (A)) is unenforceable and the State will take no action to enforce it.

• Certification of No Forced Labor (required) —

  Bidder does not currently, and agrees for the duration of this Contract that it will not, use:

  1. The forced labor of Ethnic Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China;
  2. Any goods or services produced by the forced labor of Ethnic Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China; and
  3. Any contractors, subcontractors, or suppliers that use the forced labor or any goods or services produced by the forced labor of Ethnic Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China

  Bidder further agrees that if the Bidder becomes aware, during the term of this Contract, that the Bidder is not in compliance with this Certification, Bidder shall notify the County within five (5) business days after becoming aware of the noncompliance. If the Bidder does not remedy the noncompliance within 180 days after sending notice of noncompliance, this Contract shall automatically terminate.

• Offer Page (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Attachment A - Sample of Legal Publication Item (required) —

  Attachment A is a sample of a legal publication item. The bid shall include a sample billing for this item and an example of how this item would appear pursuant to the above requirements (i.e., typeset and according to state statutory requirements). Please download Attachment A and upload your Sample Advertisement and Sample Billing for this item.

  Provide Sample Billing

  The bid shall be at a rate per column-inch for all County publications (legal, classified display, display advertising, etc.) Legal publications shall be according to the requirements of A.R.S. § 39-221.

  Bid award shall be based on the lowest responsive and responsible bid for legal advertising.

• Affidavit of the Publisher (required) —

  Please upload an affidavit of the publisher that the newspaper is qualified pursuant to the "Qualified Newspaper" requirements as defined in the Notice of Invitation for Bids contained in this solicitation.

• Statement of Agreement (required) —

  Bidders agrees to provide the Gila County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors with a copy of every issue of the paper in which County publications, advertisements, or notices are published. In addition, Bidder agrees to provide ten (10) additional copies to the Clerk of the Board.

• Pertinent Bid Information (Optional) —

  Vendor may use this question to provide any other pertinent bid information.

• Dates advertised in the Payson Roundup (required) —

  Enter any dates this solicitation was advertised in the Payson Roundup

• Lowercase: Response type (required) —

  This will be used to properly label responses in the text of the solicitation. For example:
  "Competitive sealed proposals for the specified..."

  or 

  "Competitive sealed bids for the specified..."

• Uppercasecase: Response type (required) —

  This will be used to determine which response type should be referenced in solicitation text. For example: 

  "Proposals must be in the actual possession..." 

  or
  
  

  "Bids must be in the actual possession..."

• Contract End Date (required) —

  Please enter the contract end date in the following format:

  June 30, 2026

• Is delivery required? (required)
• Delivery Address (required) —

  Please enter the address where items should be delivered by vendor.