Contracting Services
To learn more about Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) funding opportunities, please see the Funding Opportunities section below.
Applications to provide contract services are processed through the City’s Finance Department – Procurement and Payables Division.
Sign up for our email list to get alerts when new NCS funding opportunities open for applications, or visit the City’s Contracting Opportunities web pages to explore all of our diverse service and supply contract opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Put simply: our municipal government cannot and, in many cases, is not best suited to, provide every human service need across Tacoma. Instead, we contract with organizations and agencies best suited to meet current community needs that align with City Council priorities. Each human services contract purchases specific services for Tacoma residents. The procurement process that occurs every two years requires that organizations receiving City funds are held accountable for the money entrusted to them through specific contracting and reporting mechanisms.
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Every two years, the City of Tacoma conducts a formal procurement process to fund human services programs for the upcoming biennium. This process ensures funding reflects:
- Current community needs
- Available funding and eligibility requirements
- The evolving landscape of services for Tacoma residents
2027-2028 Funding Process (Request for Proposal NC26-0035F)
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There were 148 applications submitted, including 40 from applicants who have not previously received Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) funding.
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There was $18.5 million made available for human services funding, pending final budget approval by City Council. We received over $68.3 million in total requests, or almost four times the amount of available funding. This means that many organizations were unable to be funded and many of those that were funded were only able to receive partial funding.
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For the 2027–2028 biennium, funding from this procurement was available for the following key service areas:
- Building Resilience Against Youth Violence & Exploitation (BRAYVE), with a focus on intervention or secondary intervention
- Domestic violence and intimate partner violence
- Equitable food access
- Behavioral health
- Housing services
- Inclement weather response
- Sheltering
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A 25-member community review panel evaluated 148 applications requesting $68.3 million in funding against an available funding pool of $18.5 million. This panel spent over 1,000 volunteer hours reviewing proposals using a rubric to evaluate applications on their merits, alignment with City Council priorities and department goals, and program eligibility.
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Applications were evaluated on:
- Goal alignment, program design, and implementation – 30 Points
- Performance measures (residents served, outcomes, outputs) – 25 Points
- Qualifications/experience of the organization and key personnel – 20 Points
- Proposed budget – 10 Points*
- Past program performance and reporting capabilities – 10 Points*
- Sustainability – 5 Points*
*Staff scored
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All RFP applications are evaluated based on evaluation criteria and best meeting the requirements of the RFP. According to this evaluation, as well as the fact that requests for funding often far exceed funds available, a formal competitive procurement process can result in:
- Previously funded agencies/programs not receiving funding
- Agencies/programs receiving funding for the first time
This ensures resources are responsive to changing community needs and program effectiveness.
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No. Due to factors such as ongoing commitments, the critical nature of services, and alignment with Council priorities, this procurement did not include the following services, which total approximately $8 million:
- City of Tacoma initiatives and inter‑local agreements
- Senior services
- Young adult shelter at Beacon
- Shelters funded through Washington State Department of Commerce funding
How Contracting with NCS Works
What is the process to apply for and receive funding?
*NOTE: Each process varies. The following represents a general overview of the steps in a typical process.
Step 1 – Funding Notification Released
- A Notice of Funding Availability is released, advertised and available on the City’s website. Applications are typically open for around 30 days.
- Application support from the City includes:
- Application Workshop(s)
- Technical Assistance
- Question & Answer (Q&A)
Step 2 – Applications Evaluated
- Staff screen applications to verify applicant eligibility for funding.
- Eligible applicants are invited to present their program and answer questions during an 8-10 minute oral presentation to a review panel who rates the applications.
Step 3 – Funding Recommendations Determined
- The review panel, often the Human Services Commission, discusses compiled application scores, votes on funding allocations for each application, and makes funding recommendations.
Step 4 – Funding Recommendations Approved
- Depending on the amount of approved funding and nature of the program, City staff or City Council will finalize and approve funding recommendations.
Step 5 – Funds Awarded and Contracts Developed
- Applicants will be notified of the funding recommendation for their program before awards are approved.
- Applicants recommended for funding will begin working with City staff to develop a contract for services.
Step 6 – Service Begins
- Contracts may not be executed until funding recommendations are fully approved.
What type of reporting is required of funded agencies?
All programs receiving City funding are required to:
- Submit monthly invoices (unless otherwise specified)
- Submit monthly and/or quarterly reports (client demographics, service-related outputs and outcomes)
- Participate in on-site monitoring to evaluate program operations and compliance (at least once during the contract period)