R______ A______ F______

Rev. 4/2025

32ND DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION

GUEST SURVEY

LOW COST

INVITATION FOR BID (IFB)

IFB NUMBER: GS-03-26

OC Fair & Event Center 88 Fair Drive

Costa Mesa, California 92626

Date Issued: October 1, 2026

Public Bid Opening, October 22, 2026 (Administration Building)

BID DUE DATE: Bids must be received no later than

Thursday, October 22, 2026, 11:00 a.m.

Clearly marked with the following:

GUEST SURVEY

IFB NUMBER: GS-03-26

BID PROPOSAL MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO IFB@OCFAIR.COM VIA WETRANSFER.COM

Contact Person: Kelly Vu E-mail: IFB@ocfair.com

This person is the only authorized person designated by the District to receive communication concerning this IFB. Please do not attempt to contact any other person concerning this IFB. Oral communications of District officers and employees concerning the IFB shall not be binding on the District, and shall in no way excuse the Bidder of obligations as set forth in the IFB. Only questions concerning the technical requirements of the IFB will be answered. Bidders should include the IFB Number referenced above in the subject line of all emails sent to IFB@ocfair.com.

Prospective bidders to send email request to IFB@ocfair.com to receive notification

In conjunction with the information requested in Part VII – Mandatory Format and Content Requirements, all required documents and attachments listed in Section VIII – Forms must be submitted as part of the bid proposal. Do not modify bid documents.

mailto:IFB@OCFAIR.COM mailto:IFB@ocfair.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. DEFINITIONS

II. GENERAL INFORMATION

III. RULES GOVERNING COMPETITION & TECHNICAL EVALUATION

IV. HISTORY & GENERAL INFORMATION

V. STATEMENT OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED

VI. EVALUATION & SUBMISSION

VII. MANDATORY FORMAT AND CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

VIII. FORMS

IX. ATTACHMENTS (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

X. SAMPLE OF CONTRACT

PART I

DEFINITIONS

BIDDER/PROPOSER: The individual, company, organization or business entity submitting the proposal in response to the Invitation For Bid.

CFSA: Refers to California Fairs Services Authority, a not-for-profit joint powers authority (JPA) established to manage and administer workers’ compensation, property and general liability self-insurance pools, related services and programs exclusively for California’s fairs.

CONTRACTOR: Refers to that Bidder selected by the District to provide the services set forth in this IFB. Terms can be used interchangeably.

DGS: Refers to the “Department of General Services,” State of California, located at:

707 Third Street, 7th Floor West Sacramento, California 95605 Attention: Office of Legal Services

DISTRICT: Refers to the 32nd District Agricultural Association, which is an agency of the State of California within the Division of Fairs & Expositions under the Department of Food & Agriculture. The Association is located at:

Costa Mesa, California 92626

F & E: Refers to the Division of Fairs & Expositions, Department of Food & Agriculture, which is a division of the agency of the State of California overseeing the activities of District Agricultural Associations and County and Citrus Fruit Fairs. F&E is located at:

1220 N. Street Sacramento, CA 95814

IMAGINOLOGY: Refers to the annual event held in April of each year.

QUALIFIED: The term “qualified” as it is used in this document refers to the Bidders who submit their proposals according to the guidelines contained in the IFB and meet all other requirements listed herein.

OC FAIR/FAIR TIME: Refers to the annual OC Fair held in July and August of each year.

Terms can be used interchangeably.

IFB: Invitation For Bid

RESPONSIVE: Proposals that are timely, meet the proper format required for submittal of the proposals, and provide the required information pursuant to the criteria outlined in the IFB will be considered “responsive.”

YEAR-ROUND EVENT: Refers to any event held outside of the annual OC Fair and Imaginology.

PART II

GENERAL INFORMATION

A. INVITATION FOR BID (IFB)

The Board of Directors of the 32nd District Agricultural Association, in releasing this IFB, intends to award a contract for the Guest Survey for the OC Fair & Event Center from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028, with three (3) one (1)-year options. The agreement options are to be exercised independently and at the sole discretion of the District. Certification of satisfactory performance is required.

B. BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY

Bidders are urged to read the documents thoroughly, as the District shall not be responsible for errors and omissions on the part of the bidder. Careful review of final submittal is highly recommended, as reviewers will not make interpretations or correct detected errors in calculations.

C. DELIVERY OF PROPOSALS

Proposals must be electronically submitted prior to the closing time and by e-mail* to IFB@ocfair.com via WETRANSFER.COM

Proposals must meet the following format requirements to be deemed responsive for District consideration:

• One (1) PDF copy of the entire proposal as well as one (1) Microsoft Word copy (If applicable).

• Proposals must be submitted to the District’s by email to IFB@ocfair.com via wetransfer.com no later than Thursday, October 22, 2026, 11:00 a.m.

• Pursuant to the law, no proposals shall be considered which have not been received at the place by the closing time, stated in this IFB.

D. CONTRACT AWARD

Each Bidder’s financial proposal is evaluated and based on low cost, Small Business preference and DVBE incentive will be given where applicable (see Part II, Items G and H).

If the contract is awarded, it shall be granted to the qualified responsible Bidder who proposed the lowest cost. Prior to the Board awarding a contract, the District shall post a “Notice of Proposed Award” on the OC Fair website for five (5) working days. In addition, an email containing a link to the notice will be emailed to each Bidder.

A contract award is not final until:

1. The time for posting notice of award has expired;

2. Protests filed, if any, have been withdrawn or rejected by the Department of General

Services and/or

3. The Board of the 32nd District Agricultural Association approves the award.

The District reserves the right to reject all proposals, to select without any discussion or interviews, to request additional information, and to negotiate any minor details, terms or conditions.

E. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

IFB Released

**Questions due via email – 5:00 p.m.

Answers sent to all bidders via email

Proposal Deadline – 11:00 a.m.

Bid Opening 11:00 a.m.

Post/mail “Notice of Proposed Award”

OCFEC Board of Directors

Proposed Contract Commences

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Thursday, October 15, 2026

Monday, October 19, 2026

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Monday, October 26, 2026

Thursday, November 19, 2026

Friday, January 1, 2026

The District reserves the right to change the schedule above.

*If job walk is mandatory: Bidders who do not attend the mandatory job walk will be disqualified. All bidders who attend the job walk will be notified of the changes.

**All IFB related questions are to be submitted in writing and email to IFB@ocfair.com by the date and time specified above. All questions and answers will be distributed to all Bidders by the date specified above. No IFB related questions will be answered after questions are due.

F. BIDDER/CONTRACTOR STATUS FORM

All Bidders must complete, sign and submit the Bidder/Subcontractor Status Form in response to the IFB.

Failure to comply will deem the Bidder non-responsive. The District reserves the right to verify the information on the Bidder/Contractor Status Form at the time of the bid. If the Bidder is a corporation, the form must include the title of the person signing, i.e., corporate officer status, and a copy of the corporate resolution authorizing the signing of the form must be attached. If a partnership, the signing partner must indicate whether a limited or general partner.

G. DVBE REQUIREMENTS – BIDS TOTALING OVER $10,000.00

The District elects to include the DVBE incentive for this IFB.

1. The incentive amount will be based upon the percentage of DVBE participation as follows:

Confirmed DVBE Participation of: DVBE Incentive:

5% or Over 5%

4% to 4.99% Inclusive 4%

3% to 3.99% Inclusive 3%

2% to 2.99% Inclusive 2%

1% to 1.99% Inclusive 1%

2. ALL Bidders must complete and submit the Bidder and Subcontractor Performance Declaration, GSPD-

05-105 (Attachment 3) found at:

https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/gs/pd/gspd05-105.pdf

3. IF Bidder answered “yes” to any question on the GSPD-05-105, Bidder must submit Disabled Veteran

Business Enterprise Declarations, DGS PD 843 found at https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/gs/pd/pd_843.pdf

H. SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE

Section 14835, et seq., of the California Government Code requires that a five percent (5%) preference be given to Bidders who qualify as a small business. The rules and regulations of this law, including the definition of a small business for the delivery of service, are contained in Title 2, California Code of Regulations, and Section 1896, et seq. A copy of the regulations is available upon request.

To claim the small business preference, which may not exceed $50,000.00 for any proposal, Bidder’s company must have its principal place of business located in California and have a complete application (including proof of annual receipts) on file with the State Office of Small Business & Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (OSDS). Questions regarding the preference approval process should be directed to the OSDS, 707 Third Street, 1st Floor, West Sacramento, CA 95605, (916) 375-4940.

If Bidder is claiming the five percent (5%) small business preference, a copy of the OSDS Small Business Certification must be submitted with the proposal (see Part VII – Mandatory Format and Content Requirements, Paragraph B). A certification can be downloaded from website https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx

Non-small business Bidders may be granted a five percent (5%) non-small business subcontractor preference on a bid evaluation when a responsible non-small business Bidder includes notification that it commits to subcontract at least twenty-five percent (25%) of its net bid price with one or more small businesses. Bidder must submit a list of the small businesses it commits to subcontract with for a commercially useful function in the performance of the contract. The list of subcontractors shall include the subcontractor’s name, address, phone number, description of work to be performed, dollar amount and percentage for each subcontractor.

https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/gs/pd/gspd05-105.pdf

Small business preference qualification information must be included in all bid documents. This must include procedures for claiming small business preference, micro-business preference and non-small business contractor/small business subcontractor preference processes. Note: A non-small business, which qualifies for this preference, may not take an award away from a certified small business.

Certification Application

To apply for Small Business Certification, go online to https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx . To receive your hard copy form by mail, email osdshelp@dgs.ca.gov or call (800) 559-5529 or (916) 375- 4940.

Your complete certification application package must be received by the OSDS no later than 5 p.m. of the proposal due date. Your certification effective date will be the date the application is properly received and deemed complete by the OSDS. Incomplete application submittals will delay your certification status and may result in the loss of your 5 percent preference eligibility. For more information, email osdshelp@dgs.ca.gov or call (916) 375-4940.

You may mail, hard-delivery or express-mail your package to:

Office of Small Business and DVBE Services (OSDS) 707 3rd Street, 1st Floor, Room 1-400 West Sacramento, CA 95605

I. INSURANCE

The Bidder awarded the contract shall provide a signed, original Certificate of Insurance in the minimum amounts of commercial general liability coverage and automobile liability insurance per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage liability combined, as outlined in Part XI – Sample of Contract, Exhibit E – Insurance Requirements. The Certificate of Insurance shall be furnished to the District fifteen (15) days prior to contract start date. The certificate must include the following, unless the Bidder is on the Division’s or CFSA’s Master Insurance Certificate List:

• Evidence of authorized insurance for the term of the contract, which includes setup and teardown;

• A 30-day cancellation notice;

• The District’s name and address shown as the certificate holder; and

• The additional insured paragraph exactly as stated below:

"That the State of California, the California Fair Services Authority, the District Agricultural Association, County Fair, the County in which the County Fair is located, Lessor/Sub lessor if fair site is leased/subleased, Citrus Fruit Fair, California Exposition and State Fair, or Entities (public or non-profit) operating California designated agricultural fairs, their directors, officers, agents, servants and employees are made additional insured, but only insofar as the operations under this contract are concerned."

Also, proof of Workers’ Compensation Insurance is required by the Bidder awarded the contract.

J. PRE-CONTRACTUAL EXPENSES

Pre-contractual expenses are defined as expenses incurred by Bidder in: 1) Preparing the proposal in response to this request; 2) Submission of said proposal to the District; 3) Negotiating any matter related to this proposal; 4) Any travel expenses in conjunction with this proposal, and 5) Any other expenses incurred by Bidder prior to contract commencement date.

The District shall not, in any event, be liable for any pre-contractual expenses incurred by the Bidder. Bidder shall not include any such expenses as part of the price as proposed in response to this IFB.

K. SIGNATURE

The Proposal Forms and all Documents must be signed with the firm’s name as indicated. A proposal by a corporation must be signed by a duly authorized officer, employee or agent.

https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx mailto:osdshelp@dgs.ca.gov mailto:osdshelp@dgs.ca.gov

L. PRE-AWARD AUDIT

Prior to contract award, the selected Bidder may be required to undergo an audit of their proposed costs and prices. The District will conduct the audit for the purpose of determining whether the Bidder’s prices are fair and reasonable.

M. SINGLE PROPOSAL RESPONSE

If only one responsive proposal is received in response to this IFB and it is found by the District to be acceptable, additional detailed costs or financial data may be requested of the single Bidder. A cost or financial analysis, possibly including an audit, may be performed by or for the District in order to determine if the proposal is fair and reasonable. The Bidder has agreed to such analysis by submitting a proposal in response to this IFB.

A cost analysis is a more detailed evaluation of the cost elements in the Bidder’s Financial Proposal Bid Form.

It is conducted to form an opinion as to the degree to which the proposed costs represent what the Bidder’s performance should cost. A cost analysis is generally conducted to determine whether the Bidder is applying sound management in proposing the application of resources to the operation effort, and whether costs are allowable, allocable and reasonable.

Any such analyses and the result there from shall not obligate the District to accept such a single proposal and the District may reject such proposal at its sole and exclusive discretion.

N. NON-ASSIGNMENT

Any attempt by Contractor to assign, subcontract or transfer all or part of this agreement shall be void and unenforceable without the District’s prior written consent; which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

Any such consent shall not relieve Contractor from full and direct responsibility for all services performed prior to the date of assigning, subcontracting or transferring this agreement.

O. LOSS LEADER

It is unlawful for any person engaged in business within this state to sell or use any article or product as a “loss leader” as defined in Section 17030 of the Business and Professions Code.

P. UNANTICIPATED TASKS, TIME OR DELIVERABLES

In the event unanticipated deliverables, additional time or additional work must be performed that is not identified in this IFB, but in the District’s opinion is necessary to successfully accomplish the statement of work or technical specifications, the District may initiate a contract amendment to add time, deliverables or tasks.

Unless otherwise indicated, all stipulated terms and conditions appearing in the resulting contract including fixed costs, unit pricing, expenses or rate will apply to any additional work.

Q. POST AWARD DISPUTES

A. If a post award dispute between the Department and a Contractor arises, the Department shall deal in good faith and attempt of resolve potential disputes informally.

B. Contactor should state the dispute in writing, including all facts of the dispute, and submit it to the Department Supervisor or designee.

C. The Department Supervisor or designee shall review the matter and render a final decision in a timely manner.

D. If the Contractor is not satisfied with the final decision, the mater may be referred to the DGS/PD’s Protest and Dispute Resolution unit for final resolution.

R. EXPATRIATE CORPORATION:

Contractor hereby declares that it is not an expatriate corporation or subsidiary of an expatriate corporation within the meaning of Public Contract Code Section 10286 and 10286.1, and is eligible to contract with the State of California.

S. CORPORATE QUALIFICATIONS TO DO BUSINESS IN CALIFORNIA:

A. When agreements are to be performed in the state by corporations, the contracting agencies will be verifying that the Contractor is currently qualified to do business in California in order to ensure that all obligations due to the state are fulfilled.

B. "Doing business" is defined in R&TC Section 23101 as actively engaging in any transaction for the purpose of financial or pecuniary gain or profit. Although there are some statutory exceptions to taxation, rarely will a corporate contractor performing within the state not be subject to the franchise tax.

C. Both domestic and foreign corporations (those incorporated outside of California) must be in good standing in order to be qualified to do business in California. Agencies will determine whether a corporation is in good standing by calling the Office of the Secretary of State.

PART III

RULES GOVERNING COMPETITION & TECHNICAL EVALUATION

A. IFB REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS

1. Resulting Contract

The resulting contract between the District and the successful Bidder(s) shall incorporate the following documents and the execution of this Agreement will be required after an award is made (see Part VIII – Forms):

a. IFB, Sample of contract, Payee Data Record

b. The Statement of Work to be performed and/or work requirements set forth in this IFB.

c. Addenda subsequent to the initial release of the IFB.

d. The District’s response to written questions and clarification to the IFB.

e. All Exhibits.

2. Errors and Requests for Additional Information

In the opinion of the District, this IFB is complete and without need of explanation:

If a Bidder discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission or other error in this IFB, he/she shall immediately notify the District of such error in writing addressed to the contact person listed on the cover page and request modification or clarification of this document.

Bidders that may have questions, or need any clarifying information or additional information, should submit in writing via email to the contact person listed on the cover sheet of this IFB. Bidders must submit questions by the date and time specified in the Tentative Schedule (see Part II – General Information).

Modifications will be made in writing by way of an addendum issued pursuant to Paragraph 3 – Addenda below.

3. Addenda (Changes to the IFB)

Prior to award of a contract, the General Provisions, Statement of Work to be Performed, Addenda and all forms and documents of this IFB constitute the potential contract. Any requests to change these must be submitted according to the instructions “Errors and Requests for Additional Information” above. All changes to this IFB will be made by written addendum. Clarifications will be provided by written notice to all parties to whom the District had sent notice of the IFB and to persons or entities who have requested to be provided notice of any modifications or notices. There will be no oral changes. Oral communications are not binding.

The effect of all addenda to the contract documents shall be considered in Bidder’s proposal and said addenda shall be made a part of the contract documents. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to review their final submittal and ensure it has addressed all components in the original IFB and any addenda.

Bidders must acknowledge all Addendum(s) and RFI (s) by email upon receipt. Failure to do so will be deemed as non-responsive.

4. Definitions

The use of “shall,” “must” or “will” indicates a mandatory requirement or condition in this IFB. Failure to include such mandatory requirements or conditions will result in the disqualification of a proposal.

The words “should” or “may,” indicate a desirable attribute or condition, but are permissive in nature and may affect the score the proposal receives.

5. Grounds for Rejection of the Proposal

A proposal shall be rejected if:

• It is received at any time after the exact time and date set for receipt of proposals as stated in Part II –

General Information, Paragraphs C and E.

• It is not prepared in accordance with the required format or information is not submitted in the format required by this IFB as listed in Part VII – Mandatory Format and Content Requirements.

• The firm has submitted multiple bids in response to this IFB without formally withdrawing other bids.

• Not using provided required forms and attachments.

• The bidder is not eligible to do business in California.

• It is incomplete and/or unsigned.

A proposal may be rejected if:

• It contains false or misleading statements or references, which do not support attributes or conditions, contended by the bidder. (The proposal shall be rejected if, in the opinion of the District, such information was intended to mislead the District in its evaluation of the proposal and the attribute, condition or capability of this IFB.)

6. Right to Reject Any or All Proposals

It is the policy of the District not to solicit proposals unless there is a bona fide intention to award a contract.

However, the District may, at its sole and absolute discretion, reject any or all proposals; re-advertise this IFB; postpone or cancel, at any time, this IFB process, or waive any irregularities in this IFB. The decision as to who shall receive a contract award, or whether or not an award shall ever be made as a result of this IFB, shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of the District.

7. Protests

A Bidder may file a protest against the awarding of the contract. The protest must be filed with both the District and the Department of General Services (DGS) at:

• Department of General Services Office of Legal Services Attention: Protest Coordinator 707 Third Street, 7th Floor, Suite 7-330 West Sacramento, California 95605 FAX: (916) 376-5088, email: email: OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov

• 32nd District Agricultural Association dba OC Fair & Event Center Business Services Department Attention: Kelly Vu 88 Fair Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 FAX: (714) 708-1876, email: IFB@ocfair.com

Protests may be sent by regular mail, facsimile, email, courier or personal delivery. Protestants should include their fax numbers when possible.

The protest must be received prior to the expiration of five (5) working days from notice of the proposed award being posted and, in no event, later than 5:00 p.m. on the fifth (5th) working day after notice of proposed award was posted in a public place on the District’s website.

IN ADDITION, within five (5) days after filing the protest, the protesting Bidder shall file with the District and the Department of General Services, Legal Office, a fully detailed and complete written statement specifying the grounds for the protest.

PLEASE NOTE, failure to file notice of protest by the conclusion of the fifth (5th) working day after notice of intention to award a contract has been posted and a complete detailed written statement within five (5) calendar days of filing the protest stating grounds for protest will result in the protest being deemed untimely and grounds for protest waived. Protests shall be limited to the grounds contained in Public Contract Code, Section 10345.

mailto:OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov

B. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Dispositions of Bids

All materials submitted in response to this IFB will become the property of the District. All bids, evaluation shall be available for public inspection at the conclusion of the process and announcement of intent to award. If an individual requests copies of these documents, the District will assess a fee to cover duplicating costs. Documents may be returned only at the District’s option and at the bidder’s expense.

2. Confidentiality of Bids

The District will hold the contents of all proposals in confidence until bids are opened; once the bids are opened, no bids will be treated as confidential. However, if a bidder maintains that certain information is proprietary, all proprietary or other legally protected materials must be identified at the time of submitting the bid to retain the claim of confidentiality. Bidder acknowledges that all materials submitted in response to the IFB, including proprietary materials, are subject to the California Public Records Act.

The materials may be used by the District to justify the awarding or not awarding of a contract if a protest is filed. The District will not be liable for inadvertently releasing confidential materials although the District will use the best efforts to prevent the release of said materials.

3. Modifications or Withdrawal of Bids

Any bids, which is received by the District before the time and date set for receipt of bids, may be withdrawn or modified by written request of the bidder. However, in order to be considered, the modified bids must be received by the time and date set for receipt of bids in Part II.

A bidder cannot withdraw or modify a bid after the due date and time for receipt of bids and, further, a bid cannot be “timed” to expire on a specific date. For example, a statement similar to “This bid/proposal and the cost estimate are valid for 60 days” is non-responsive to the IFB.

PART IV

HISTORY & GENERAL INFORMATION

The OC Fair & Event Center (OCFEC) is a 150-acre multi-use property owned and operated by the 32nd District Agricultural Association (the “District”), a California state institution. The District is subject to the oversight of various state agencies, including the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Division of Fairs & Expositions. The OC Fair & Event Center is used throughout the year for both public and private events, and educational and community activities.

The OC Fair & Event Center hosts more than 150 events throughout the year and self-produces the annual OC Fair and Imaginology events, in addition to managing the Pacific Amphitheatre, an 8,200-seat outdoor amphitheater.

The OC Fair & Event Center features 157,000 square feet of unique event space including 17 exhibit buildings, meeting rooms and outdoor spaces – all available for rent throughout the year.

The property includes Centennial Farm, a three-acre working farm which educates the public, including more than 100,000 school children through field trips, on the importance of agriculture in our daily lives. Centennial Farm features farm animals, California specialty crops and the Table of Dignity memorial honoring the work of Orange County agricultural workers.

The Ranch Community Center is a seven-acre public equestrian and educational learning center. Through school field trips and specialty 9 week learning sessions The Ranch team is dedicated to teaching animal care, as well as gardening and farming techniques, The Ranch has welcomed thousands of children since it’s inaugural Discovery Day in 2025. It’s also home to several community businesses including equine assisted psychotherapy and several horse training operators offering riding lessons and camps.

Heroes Hall, located at the OC Fair & Event Center, is a permanent museum and education center honoring the legacy of veterans through rotating exhibitions, performances and educational programs. It features a restored two-story World War II era barracks building and an impressive Medal of Honor Courtyard honoring those who serve our nation. In addition, an A-4M Skyhawk aircraft complements the Heroes Hall footprint.

The OC Fair & Event Center is home to the annual OC Fair, one of the most anticipated community events in Orange County. Historically, the OC Fair is a 23-day event held over a period of 31 days during July and August, and is open Wednesday through Sunday. The OC Fair dates are in July through August. The very first Orange County Fair was held in 1890.

The Pacific Amphitheatre is used throughout the year for live performances and events, and is historically home to a 23-day concert series during the annual OC Fair featuring headline musical acts and comedian performances. In recent years, the 23-day concert schedule has also included additional concerts before and after the annual OC Fair, running May through September.

Imaginology takes place annually over a two or three-day weekend (subject to change). The popular event features S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) workshops, demonstrations, competitions and hands-on activities, providing students with the resources needed to freely explore their imaginations. Professionals from various fields such as electronics, robotics, agriculture and creative arts are available to give participants a glimpse of future career paths.

PART V

STATEMENT OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED

The District is soliciting Bids for the Guest Survey. The Agreement term for these services shall be for January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028, with three (3) one (1)-year options.

Executive Order N-6-22 – Russia Sanctions

On March 4, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-6-22 (the EO) regarding Economic Sanctions against Russia and Russian entities and individuals. “Economic Sanctions” refers to sanctions imposed by the U.S.

government in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, as well as any sanctions imposed under state law. The EO directs state agencies to terminate contracts with, and to refrain from entering any new contracts with, individuals or entities that are determined to be a target of Economic Sanctions. Accordingly, should the State determine Contractor is a target of Economic Sanctions or is conducting prohibited transactions with sanctioned individuals or entities, that shall be grounds for termination of this agreement. The State shall provide Contractor advance written notice of such termination, allowing Contractor at least 30 calendar days to provide a written response. Termination shall be at the sole discretion of the State.

Covid 19 Infection Mitigation Protocol & Procedure Guidelines

Contractor agrees to abide by COVID related health directives, if any, in place during the contract period.

GenAI Technology Use & Reporting

During the term of the contract, Contractor must notify the State in writing if their services or any work under this contract includes, or makes available, any previously unreported GenAI technology, including GenAI from third parties or subcontractors. Contractor shall immediately complete the GenAI Reporting and Factsheet (STD 1000) to notify the State of any new or previously unreported GenAI technology. At the direction of the State, Contractor shall discontinue the use of any new or previously undisclosed GenAI technology that materially impacts functionality, risk or contract performance, until use of such GenAI technology has been approved by the State.

Failure to disclose GenAI use to the State and submit the GenAI Reporting and Factsheet (STD 1000) may be considered a breach of the contract by the State at its sole discretion and the State may consider such failure to disclose GenAI and/or failure to submit the GenAI Reporting and Factsheet (STD 1000) as grounds for the immediate termination of the contract. The State is entitled to seek any and all relief it may be entitled to as a result of such non-disclosure.

The State reserves the right to amend the contract, without additional cost, to incorporate GenAI Special Provisions into the contract at its sole discretion and/or terminate any contract that presents an unacceptable level of risk to the State.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Reporting and Factsheet

“The State of California seeks to realize the potential benefits of GenAI, through the development and deployment of GenAI tools, while balancing the risks of these new technologies.

Bidder / Offeror must notify the State in writing if it: (1) intends to provide GenAI as a deliverable to the State; or (2), intends to utilize GenAI, including GenAI from third parties, to complete all or a portion of any deliverable that materially impacts: (i) functionality of a State system, (ii) risk to the State, or (iii) Contract performance. For avoidance of doubt, the term “materially impacts” shall have the meaning set forth in State Administrative Manual (SAM) § 4986.2 Definitions for GenAI.

Failure to report GenAI to the State may result in disqualification. The State reserves the right to seek any and all relief to which it may be entitled to as a result of such non-disclosure.

Upon notification by a Bidder / Offeror of GenAI as required, the State reserves the right to incorporate GenAI Special Provisions into the final contract or reject bids/offers that present an unacceptable level of risk to the State.

Government Code 11549.64 defines “Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)” as an artificial intelligence system that can generate derived synthetic content, including text, images, video, and audio that emulates the structure and characteristics of the system’s training data.”

A. Purpose and Background

It is the intention of the 32nd District Agricultural Association to hire a Contractor to provide Guest Surveying services at the OC Fair & Event Center on an intermittent, as-needed basis to support the annual OC Fair and interim events.

The OC Fair & Event Center is a 150-acre event venue located in Costa Mesa, California. The site hosts more than 150 events each year, which attract more than 4.3 million visitors annually, and is home to the OC Fair, Centennial Farm, The Ranch Equestrian Center, Pacific Amphitheatre, Imaginology, and Heroes Hall.

The OC Fair is the second largest fair in the State of California and the eighth largest fair in the United States.

The OC Fair currently operates for twenty-three (23) days in July and August. Annual OC Fair attendance exceeds one million visitors, and the event footprint utilizes the entire property, in addition to nearby offsite locations for parking.

Services shall include, but not be limited to, the development and implementation of a bilingual and statistically sound post-event evaluation survey for the annual OC Fair to measure guest experience. The survey will be distributed primarily through email following the event, with QR codes available onsite during the OC Fair to allow guests to access and complete the survey using their mobile devices. Survey services may also be utilized for interim events, as needed, and shall include survey development, implementation, data collection, analysis, and reporting, as directed by the 32nd District Agricultural Association.

1. Minimum Qualification Requirements:

Note: The primary bidder must be sole responsible for fulfilling the scope of work. Subcontractor of any portion of the scope is not acceptable.

a. Primary Bidder must possess a valid business license. The District will verify with State License

Board upon awarding.

b. Bidder shall maintain all other applicable licenses or certificates with the State of California while in contract obligations.

c. Bidder must be able to meet all Workers’ Compensation, Commercial General Liability, and Motor Vehicle insurance requirements as outlined in Exhibit E - Insurance Requirements. Proof of insurance and other requirements must be provided to the District within five (5) days of contract award. Failure to do so could result in termination of said contract.

d. Bidder must provide a minimum of three (3) satisfactory client references for similar guest surveying, post-event evaluation, or related survey research services. References should demonstrate experience providing services for large-scale fairs, events, venues, or comparable facilities. The District reserves the right to contact references to verify the quality and satisfactory performance of the services provided. See attachment 2.

e. Bidder must provide the requested information in the Technical Proposal, including but not limited to company background, management experience, organization information, key personnel qualifications, and applicable personnel policies and training information as specified in Part VII – Mandatory Format and Content Requirements, Section C, Technical Proposal.

B. Scope of Work:

Dedicated Account Representative

The Contractor shall assign a qualified account representative who will serve as the District's primary point of contact throughout the term of the agreement. This individual shall possess demonstrated expertise in survey research, methodology, and best practices and be readily accessible to provide strategic guidance and consultation throughout the planning, design, administration, analysis, and reporting phases of the project. The account representative shall proactively advise the District on research methodologies, emerging best practices, and recommendations that support the objectives of the annual survey program.

Additionally, during the collection of data and reporting period, a project manager and one qualified alternate point of contact must be available for emergency support and to provide guidance to immediate inquiries during the run of the Fair.

Research Planning and Development

The District and Contractor shall meet annually, approximately 3 months prior to the start of the OC Fair, to review the previous year's survey results and establish the research plan for the upcoming survey.

The Contractor shall collaborate with the District to align research objectives with business goals; identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics; recommend survey methodology, sampling strategy, and questionnaire content; establish a project timeline; and define the approach to survey design, administration, analysis, and reporting.

Design

The Contractor shall develop, design, program, and maintain an online quantitative survey accessible through multiple distribution channels, including, but not limited to, direct URLs, email invitations, and QR codes.

The survey shall be optimized for desktop and mobile devices and shall comply with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. The cost of developing, programming, hosting, administering, and reporting on the annual OC Fair survey through email, direct URL, and QR-code distribution shall be included in the applicable annual survey pricing provided on the Financial Proposal Bid Form.

The survey shall preserve core longitudinal questions to support year-over-year trend analysis while incorporating new or revised questions that reflect the District's evolving business objectives.

Survey design shall incorporate industry best practices, including logical question sequencing, skip logic, branching, randomization where appropriate, response validation, and techniques to minimize respondent burden and survey fatigue. Unless otherwise approved by the District, the target survey completion time shall be five (5) to ten (10) minutes.

The Contractor shall ensure the survey branding conforms to the District's annual style guide, including logos, colors, fonts, and visual identity.

The Contractor shall provide professional translation, programming, testing, and administration of a Spanish-language survey. The English and Spanish versions shall be functionally equivalent with consistent question wording, response options, survey logic, and reporting.

Administration

The Contractor shall administer the survey from launch through the close of the data collection period.

Responsibilities shall include hosting, deployment, monitoring, and ongoing management of the survey to ensure a seamless respondent experience and the collection of high-quality data.

The Contractor shall monitor survey performance throughout the fielding period and provide recommendations to improve response rates and data quality, including adjustments to distribution strategies, reminder schedules, or survey functionality when appropriate.

The Contractor shall implement measures to prevent duplicate or fraudulent responses while maintaining respondent anonymity and confidentiality. Prior to launch, the Contractor shall conduct quality assurance testing to verify survey functionality, skip logic, branching, hyperlinks, translations, mobile compatibility, and accessibility across supported browsers and devices. Any technical issues or anomalies that may affect data integrity shall be promptly communicated to the District along with recommended corrective actions.

Throughout the fielding period, the Contractor shall provide periodic status updates that include response rates, completion rates, demographic distributions, and any notable trends or issues requiring the District's attention.

Interim Event Surveys

The District may request guest survey services for interim events occurring during the contract term. For purposes of preparing the Financial Proposal Bid Form, bidders should assume that any interim event will be no more than three (3) consecutive days in duration. The District does not currently have specific interim events identified and makes no guarantee that interim event survey services will be requested.

Interim event surveys may include survey development, programming, translation, administration, data collection, analysis, reporting, and related consultation. Unless otherwise specifically identified on the Financial Proposal Bid Form, interim event services shall be billed at the applicable hourly rate(s) provided on the Financial Proposal Bid Form, based on actual hours worked. The District will authorize interim event survey services in advance.

Analysis, Reporting, and Deliverables

The Contractor shall analyze survey results and provide accurate, statistically sound, and actionable reporting that enables the District to evaluate performance, identify trends, and support informed decision-making.

Analysis shall include data validation and cleaning; calculation of key performance indicators (KPIs); year-over-year comparisons of longitudinal measures; segmentation by demographic and behavioral characteristics; cross-tabulations for audience segments identified during the annual planning process; and identification of statistically significant findings, emerging trends, strengths, opportunities, and areas of concern.

During the OC Fair, the Contractor shall prepare and deliver daily reports for each Fair day. Deliverables shall include, at a minimum, one topline report, one accompanying infographic, and five to seven customized reports supporting the District's various business units (e.g. Food & Beverage, Carnival, Shopping, Programming, and Admission/Parking/General Experience). Unless otherwise directed by the District, reports shall be delivered within 32 hours following the close of each Fair day. The District reserves the right to modify reporting deadlines as operational needs require.

Following completion of the survey, the Contractor shall prepare and deliver a comprehensive final report that presents the survey findings in a clear, concise, and actionable format. At a minimum, the report shall include:

• An introduction summarizing the project, including the research objectives, survey methodology, sampling approach, data cleansing procedures, response rate, sample size, margin of error, and study limitations.

• An executive summary highlighting key findings, conclusions, statistically significant results, and actionable recommendations. Reports shall clearly distinguish statistically significant findings from directional observations.

• Visualizations, including charts and graphs, summarizing top-line results and key performance indicators.

• Frequency distributions for responses to every survey question.

• Comparisons of responses to longitudinal or like-questions to identify year-over-year trends and changes.

• Cross-tabulations for audience segments identified by the District during the annual planning process.

• Respondent comments organized by topic or theme, including summaries of common sentiments where appropriate.

• Geographic analyses of respondents' place of residence, including ZIP code listings and maps.

• Copies of the final questionnaires in both English and Spanish.

• Sample screenshots of the programmed survey.

The Contractor shall provide the District with the complete survey dataset and supporting documentation in a mutually agreed-upon electronic format. The District shall retain sole ownership of all survey data, analyses, reports, and other deliverables produced under the resulting agreement.

Equipment and Technology

The equipment, technology, software, survey platform, and other resources should be owned and hosted by the primary bidder (Contractor).

C Other Services

Should it be determined that additional services are needed beyond the scope of this IFB, but related to Contractor’s performance areas, Contractor shall provide those services at the fixed hourly rate provided on the Financial Proposal Bid Form for the personnel utilized to perform the work. The 32nd District Agricultural Association, OC Fair & Event Center, reserves the right to decline services for any event or part of an event.

#. PREVAILING WAGE (If applicable)

Bidders must comply with prevailing wage compliance.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 1773 of the Labor Code, the general prevailing rates of wages applicable in the county in which the work is to be done are those rates established and published by the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations. Rates can be viewed at https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/Prevailing-Wage.html

PART VI

EVALUATION & SUBMISSION

A. Evaluation

Each proposal shall be evaluated for responsiveness to the District’s needs as described in this IFB and only content submitted in Bidder’s proposal shall be considered during this process. Bidder must provide thorough and complete responses based upon the criteria contained in this IFB. Prior experience with and/or services provided to the District will not be considered unless detailed in Bidder’s IFB response.

This part describes the process the District will follow when evaluating proposals and awarding contract during the evaluation and selection process, the District’s Representative(s) may wish to contact a Bidder for clarification purposes only. Bidder may only respond to questions for clarification from the District’s Representative(s) and will not be allowed to ask questions concerning other Bidders. Proposals cannot be changed by the Bidder after the time and date designated for receipt.

B. Breaking Ties

In the event that there is a tie, the tie will be broken by the toss of a coin by the District’s Contracts Manager or designee in the presence of any authorized representatives of the proposed Bidders at the bid opening.

C. Submission requirements

In addition to other information and forms as set out in this IFB, Bidder agrees to the following:

That the Bidder does not and will not have any conflict of interest (actual or potential) in submitting its Bid or, if selected, with the contractual obligations of the Bidder as the contracting party under the contract. Where applicable, a Bidder must declare in its Bid any situation that may be a conflict of interest in submitting its Bid or, if selected, with the contractual obligations of the Bidder as contracting party under this contract.

The Bid of any Bidder may be disqualified where the Bidder fails to provide confirmation of the foregoing or makes misrepresentations regarding any of the above facts. Further, OCFEC shall have the right to terminate any contract with the Successful Bidder in the event that OCFEC , at its sole discretion, determines that the Successful Bidder has made a misrepresentation regarding any of the above facts, in addition to or in lieu of any other remedies that OCFEC has in law or in equity.

D. Modification of Bid Documents

Modification of any bid documents including Financial Proposal Bid form is prohibited.

E. Contractor’s Terms and Conditions

The District will not accept any terms and conditions set by the Bidder.

F. Board Approval

All contracts are subjected to Board of Director approval. In any circumstances where the Board of Directors objects the award when the award has been made the District may cancel the contract immediately and shall not be held liable for any services that have not been rendered by the Contractor.

PART VII

MANDATORY FORMAT AND CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

A. INTRODUCTION

This part provides instructions to the Bidder regarding the mandatory proposal format and content requirements. The Bidder must remember that:

• All bids submitted must follow the proposal format instructions;

• All information must be presented in the order and the manner requested;

• All questions must be answered; and

• All requested data must be supplied.

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