Summary Sheet- RFCA SUMMARY

CITY OF TEMPE
Meeting Date: 4/16/2026  
REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
Agenda Item: 7B7
ACTION:  Award one-year contracts with four, one-year renewal options to D. Warner Group, LLC, dba 
Card Integrity; Premier Group Services, Inc.; Sikich LLC; and ThirdLine, Inc., for comprehensive 
procurement card expense monitoring, compliance review, and related support services for the Financial 
Services Department.
FISCAL IMPACT:  The total cost of the contracts will not exceed $150,000. Sufficient funds have been 
appropriated in the  General Fund, Cost Center 1851 (Purchasing), for the anticipated expenditures 
during the current fiscal year and next fiscal year, contingent upon City Council approval of the City’s 
annual budget.
RECOMMENDATION:  Award the contracts.
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:  (RFP #26-10T) The City, serving as the lead agency, partnered 
with 1GPA (a national purchasing cooperative) to develop and issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to 
establish contracts with qualified contractors to provide comprehensive procurement card administration 
services, including expense monitoring, compliance review, and related analytical and training services 
on an as-needed basis.
This RFP leveraged the collective buying power of a national membership consisting of over 1,500 public 
entities including school districts, charter schools, colleges and universities, municipalities, counties, 
states, federal agencies, Native American communities, fire districts, and other political subdivisions. As 
part of the agreement, the City will receive a portion of the administrative fee paid by organizations that 
utilize these contracts.
Evaluation Process
The City issued a notice of this opportunity to all registered firms within the relevant commodity areas. 
A total of 101 firms downloaded the solicitation resulting in the submission of 13 proposals from the 
following firms:
•
Armanino Advisory LLC
•
D. Warner Group, LLC dba Card Integrity
•
CRI Advisors, LLC
•
Cyret Technologies, Inc. 
•
Equinox Analytics LLC
•
Forvis Mazars, LLP
•
International Real Estate Partners US Corp 
•
La’Bella Concierge Services LLC
•
Premier Group Services, Inc.
•
Sikich LLC
•
The Thornton Group
•
Thirdline, Inc. 
•
Visual Risk IQ

2
The proposals were reviewed and scored by a committee consisting of representatives from Financial 
Services, Mountain Line Arizona, and 1GPA, in accordance with the evaluation criteria outlined below.
Evaluation Criteria
Weight
1
Cost
25%
2
Overall Program Offered and Methodology 
22.5%
3
Experience and Past Performance
22.5%
4
Expertise and Qualifications
17.5%
5
Additional Value, Service Area, and 
Marketing Plan
7.5%
6
Responsiveness
5%
Total Weight 
100%
Each committee member independently reviewed and scored the proposals based on the stated 
evaluation criteria. The individual scores were then averaged to determine the initial results.
Initial Scoring:
The initial evaluation scores presented below are shown in rank order and reflect the total points 
awarded across all evaluation criteria (1,000 points scale).
Responding Firms
Total Initial 
Score
D. Warner Group, LLC dba Card 
Integrity
930.5
Premier Group Services, Inc. 
903
Sikich LC
871.3
Thirdline, Inc. 
865.5
Forvis Mazars, LLP
760.5
Equinox Analytics LLC
722.5
International Real Estate Partners US 
Corp
701
Armanino Advisory LLC
697.3
Visual Risk IQ
643.5
CRI Advisors, LLC
635.4
Cyret Technologies, Inc. 
620.5
La’Bella Concierge Services LLC
563
The Thornton Group
534.5
Price Analysis:
Proposers submitted hourly rate schedules as well as alternative pricing structures, including tiered 
service models and software-based approaches. To ensure a fair and consistent evaluation across 
varying pricing methodologies, annual pricing was standardized by applying common usage 
assumptions, including estimated cardholders, transaction volumes, and service levels. This allowed 
for an equitable comparison of total projected costs among proposals. Pricing was then assessed 
using a median-based methodology, which compares each proposal to the overall range of submitted 
costs rather than relying solely on the lowest price.
The median hourly rate across all proposals was $205.00, with a low of $45.00. The median total annual 
cost was $170,717, with a low of $80,085. Pricing scores were assigned based on how each proposer’s 
rates compared to these median benchmarks.

3
Proposals with pricing below the median generally received higher scores, while those above the median 
received fewer points. This approach ensured competitive pricing while maintaining a realistic 
representation of market rates and service delivery models.

4
Best and Final Offers:  
Following the initial evaluation, the four highest-ranked firms were invited to participate in a Best and 
Final Offer (BAFO) process to further refine their proposals. Proposers were given the opportunity to 
clarify their service approach, confirm pricing and provide any additional value enhancements.
Through the BAFO process, proposers refined their initial pricing structures and, in some cases, offered 
additional discounts. Firms also provided enhanced detail regarding pricing transparency and 
compliance, service locations, travel expense reimbursement, and data analysis and security practices.
BAFO submissions were independently reviewed and scored by the evaluation committee. The final 
scores, presented below in rank order, reflect the outcome of this evaluation.
Responding Firms
Total 
Final 
Score
D. Warner Group, LLC dba Card 
Integrity
965.5
Premier Group Services, Inc. 
888
Sikich LC
854
Thirdline, Inc. 
846.25
Recommendation
The committee recommends awarding contracts to D. Warner Group, LLC dba Card Integrity, Premier 
Group Services, Inc., Sikich LLC, and ThirdLine, Inc.  Multiple awards are recommended to ensure the 
City and 1GPA Members have access to a range of qualified vendors with varying service models, 
technical capabilities, and pricing structures. Procurement card monitoring and compliance services 
differ significantly across firms, particularly in areas such as technology platforms, analytics capabilities, 
audit methodologies, and staffing approaches.
Awarding multiple contracts provides the following benefits:

Flexibility to select vendors based on specific project needs, complexity, and agency preferences 

Ongoing competition among awarded vendors, helping to maintain competitive pricing over the 
life of the contracts 

Capacity and scalability to meet current and future demand across the City and participating 
cooperative members 

Access to specialized expertise and innovative solutions offered by different firms 
While pricing was an important evaluation factor, the recommended firms represent the best overall 
value based on a combination of cost, qualifications, and demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality 
services.
ATTACHMENTS:    Vendor Offer Forms
STAFF CONTACT(S):  Michael Greene, Procurement Manager, (480) 350-8516
Department Director:  Laura Calder, Financial Services Director
Legal review by:  Dave Park, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Prepared by:  John Snow, Procurement Officer