Procurement Exemption for AI-assisted Software Development Platform

Pierce County has issued a sole-source procurement exemption (Solicitation 2025-PE-275) to acquire an enterprise-level license for the AI-assisted software development platform Claude Code from Anthropic. The exemption is based on a detailed technical evaluation that found Claude Code uniquely meets the County's specialized requirements for software development tools, including autonomous planning to break down complex coding tasks, terminal-native integration for seamless local codebase operation, and a skills framework for reusable, task-specific workflows. These capabilities distinguish Claude Code from competitors like OpenAI and GitHub Copilot, especially regarding the County's operational, security, and governance standards. The contract term is 12 months with a fixed total cost of $110,000. This procurement follows Pierce County’s internal sole-source exemption procedures rather than federal acquisition regulations, resulting in the absence of typical federal contract clauses and competitive evaluation metrics. Vendors wishing to demonstrate their qualifications must submit capability statements by December 30, 2025, via the OpenGov platform. The County’s IT and Procurement divisions will oversee inspection and acceptance based on compliance with detailed technical and security requirements, with delivery and performance to occur within Washington State. The contracting officer responsible is Russell Wrigg, Senior Legal Analyst at Pierce County’s Procurement and Contract Division. No socioeconomic set-asides, certifications, or formal competitive evaluation factors are applied, reflecting the unique and non-competitive nature of this acquisition.