2027 Semicon Japan Trade Mission

Request for Proposals (RFP)

RFP Title 2027 Semicon Japan Trade Mission Issuing Agency Governor’s Office of Business and Economic

Development (GO-Biz) Division/Program International Agency Address 1325 J Street, Suite 1800 Sacramento, CA 95814 Point of Contact Henan Li Contact Email GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov RFP Release Date July 21st, 2026 Proposal Submission Deadline

September 18th, 2026, 5 PM (PST)

Estimated Contract Term November 2, 2026 - January 31, 2028

Last Updated: 7/20/2026 mailto:GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov

Table of Contents RFP Overview

Key Dates

Questions and Answers

Proposal Submission

Background

Scope of Work

Pre-Event Preparation & Deliverables

In-country Trade Mission Execution

Post-Event Deliverables

Minimum Qualifications

Organizational Qualifications

Organizational Capacity

Professional Experience

Budget Provisions

Payment Terms

Proposal Content

Exhibit A - Cover Letter

Exhibit B - Key Personnel

Exhibit C - Resume

Exhibit D – Technical Proposal

A. Organizational Experience

B. Implementation Plan

C. Implementation Timeline

D. Sample Work

Exhibit E – Cost Proposal

Exhibit G – References

Vendor Forms

Payment Term Acknowledgement

GenAI Disclosure

Small Business and DVBE Incentive Program

Evaluation and Selection Process

Administration

RFP Response Requirements

Reservation of Rights and RFP Amendments

Award and Protest

Proposal Disclosure and Confidentiality Procedures

Standard Contract Terms

Authority

RFP Overview The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), International Affairs and Trade is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to provide services related to support the planning and execution of a comprehensive 2027 Semicon Japan Trade Mission project.

The purpose of this RFP is to identify a contractor with the expertise, capacity, and experience necessary to successfully deliver the services outlined in this solicitation.

Issuance of this RFP does not constitute a commitment by GO-Biz to award a contract.

Key Dates Milestone Date

RFP Release July 21st, 2026

Deadline for Written Questions August 5th, 2026, 5PM (PST)

Questions and Answers Posted August 17th, 2026, 5PM (PST)

Proposal Submission Deadline September 18th, 2026, 5PM (PST)

Review and Interviews (as appropriate) September 21 - October 1, 2026

Tentative Award Notice (posted to Cal eProcure)

October 5th, 2026, 5PM (PST)

Contract Period November 2, 2026 - January 31, 2028

Questions and Answers All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing via email with the subject line “2027 Semicon Japan: Questions - [Applicant Name]” to the Point of Contact listed on the cover page.

Questions must be received by the deadline identified in the Key Dates section.

Reponses to questions will be compiled and posted publicly via Cal eProcure.

Proposal Submission Proposals must be submitted electronically via email with the subject line “2027 Semicon Japan: Proposal Submission - [Applicant Name]” to the Point of Contact listed on the cover page. No mailed/hard copy submittals will be accepted.

Proposals must be received by the deadline stated in the Key Dates section. Late submissions will not be accepted.

If files exceed email limits, proposers may provide a secure file-sharing link, provided that all documents are accessible by the deadline.

Respondents are solely responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of their proposal by the stated deadline.

It is recommended that applicants submit your proposal at least two business days in advance of the final deadline to receive confirmation of receipt and avoid potential delays due to technical difficulties.

Background The contractor will help GO-Biz deliver a comprehensive suite of services for the 2027 California Semicon Japan Trade Mission, planning Trade Mission activities and meetings during the full week of 2027 Semicon Japan trade show in Japan (December 2027 date to be confirmed). The goal for this mission includes both export promotion and international business investment attraction, promoting California innovation ecosystem to the Japanese business community, connecting California businesses with potential Japanese buyers, distributor and partners in the industry sector, strengthen relationship with Japanese industry partners, institutions, associations and Japanese business investors that have established operation in California, and building new relationship with Japanese investors that plan to expand to California.

The contractor will be responsible for in-country site-visits, business meetings arrangement and networking event coordination, B2B matchmaking service for CA delegations, market briefing facilitation, and a “Know Before You Go” call for the California delegation and help with other Trade Mission logistics. The California delegation will be led by GO-Biz officials and may consist of up to 8 delegate organizations, including California semiconductor businesses and regional economic development organizations (EDOs) or innovation partners.

Scope of Work The selected contractor will perform the services described below.

Pre-Event Preparation & Deliverables Marketing and Promotion

• Develop Trade Mission marketing materials (e.g., flyers, social media posts) to share with IAT for broader recruiting outreach efforts. The marketing material information needs to be approved by GO-Biz.

• Attend relevant industry events to connect with potential participants and target recruits.

Recruiting and Intake Calls

• Recruit California semiconductor industry sector related businesses to join the

Trade Mission as business delegates. (GO-Biz will lead on recruiting California EDO and innovation partners delegates.)

• Direct California businesses to register for the Trade Mission. All businesses recruited Trade Mission must apply to participate via the registration link provided by GO-Biz.

• Set up one-on-one calls with each California delegate (Businesses and EDOs).

Understand each CA delegate's goals for the Trade Mission, their service offering and their B2B meeting and site visit interest. This information will help guide B2B meeting facilitation and other Trade Mission itinerary development.

Business Research and Analysis

• Generate a list of Japanese companies that have interest to sourcing/buy from or partnering with California Semiconductor industry companies for potential B2B meeting consideration for California businesses delegates.

• Generate a list of Japanese companies that have already established presence in California and potentially new Japanese Semiconductor companies that have interest to expand and establish new office in California, for potential site visit and B2B meetings consideration for California EDO delegates.

B2B Matchmaking and Meeting Facilitation

• Generate at least 10 pre-vetted tailored business meetings for each California delegate during the Trade Mission that meet their interest (either during Semicon Japan trade show or during the Trade Mission week). Please include B2B meeting facilitation service costs for each California delegate in the budget proposal.

• Provide B2B meeting schedules for California companies for at least one (1) week before the event, including contact details.

• A qualified B2B meeting is defined as a scheduled meeting between a California delegate organization and a Japanese company, investor, innovation organization, government agency or institutional partner whose business interests align with the delegate's stated objectives.

• Support with any interpretation for California delegation during their B2B meetings and group meetings as needed.

Site Visit/Group meeting Planning

• Coordinate at least six (6) business site visits/group meetings/roundtables in Japan for California delegation to meet with key industry partners, government regulatory agencies, business association and business communities etc.

• The visits shall include meetings with but not limited to government agencies, venture capital firms, innovation hubs, industry parks, research labs, incubators/accelerators, or Japanese companies with existing investment in California or Japanese companies that are interested to invest in California etc. The final selection of the site visit and group meeting will need to meet California delegation’s interest and goals.

• Consideration for multi-city visits when designing site visits and group meeting activities for Trade Mission itinerary. For out-of-town visit, please plan the travel expenses for the whole California delegation in the budget proposal (Maximum 18 people for the California delegation if fully recruited.)

Event Planning

• Plan a networking event for the delegation in Japan during each city stop, invite local industry partners, government agencies, and local business representatives’ guests to join the event and provide opportunity for each California delegation to present or showcase their service or product offering. The contractor will include all associated logistics, catering, and venue costs in the proposed budget. Please indicate networking event style (breakfast, luncheon, reception, cocktail, roundtable etc.) and attendee number in your proposal and budget to provide an estimate of event size.

• Identify additional networking event opportunities during the Trade Mission for California delegation to participate in. Assist the California delegation to register for the key industry anchor event and cover any participation cost in the budget.

• Host a “Know Before You Go” call for all delegates to provide event, travel, itinerary, and logistical information, also including a briefing on Japan overview, economy, Semiconductor industry sectors and best business practices.

• During Semicon Japan trade show, facilitate any speaking invitation for California delegation on external event engagement. Working with U.S Commercial Service in Tokyo on any USA pavilion activities and inquire cost, facilitates California delegation participation if feasible. Please include any cost in the budget proposal.

Logistics Support

• Arrange transportation for the delegation group activities in Japan, and group lunch during transit if needed (could be as simple as a lunchbox and water on the bus), and include the cost in the budget proposal.

• Work with GO-Biz to select and negotiate a group rate for the hotel(s) for the California delegation to stay and organize the hotel group reservation. Participants will pay for their own hotels.

• Create a California Trade Mission brochure in both English and Japanese, include all delegation introduction and contact information. Once the brochure is approved by GO-Biz, the consultant will find a local print house to print the brochure for 400 copies and include the translation and printing cost in the budget proposal.

Trade Show Participation

• The contractor will support California delegation to register and attend Semicon

Japan trade show. Please include any trade show participation cost into the budget.

• The contractor will set up B2B meetings for California delegation during the Semicon Japan Trade show during designated trade show visit itinerary window.

• Working with U.S Commercial Service in Tokyo on any USA pavilion activities and inquire costs, facilitates California delegation participation in USA pavilion. Please include any cost in the budget proposal. (Reference: 2026 Semicon Japan USA pavilion fee is $10,000. This fee includes SEMICON exhibition space share, seminar speaking slots, the reception fee, and the use of the booth and its private meeting rooms.)

• If no USA pavilion activities are available, plan other speaking opportunities for California delegation during the trade show with event organizer.

Third-Party Payments

• The contractor shall procure third-party services on behalf of GO-Biz for the trade show, the contractor will sign service agreement and issue payment directly to the third-party vendor, upon GO-Biz written request and approval. Please include all costs in the budget proposal.

Reporting and Communication

• Submit regular work reports to GO-Biz outlining progress on Trade Mission planning, as well as any challenges and proposed solutions.

• Participate in recurring check-in calls with GO-Biz. Monthly check in calls at early stage, biweekly check in calls when time gets closer to the Trade Mission date.

In-country Trade Mission Execution

• Provide printed meeting schedules for each California delegate on the first day of the Trade Mission. Schedule includes time, location, contact details, and meeting partner synopsis if applicable.

• Provide in-country logistics, administrative and communication support for California delegation during the Japan visit, including but not limited to:

o Meetings and site visits facilitation and scheduling adjustments.

o Semicon Japan trade show participation.

o Vendor liaison and issue resolution.

o General logistical assistance to ensure smooth operations and transitions.

o Execute the Trade Mission itinerary (such as site visits and networking events) with GO-Biz.

o Provide interpretation service as needed.

• Pick up and distribute the California delegation brochure during the Trade Mission and trade show.

• Support GO-Biz with daily booth management and lead collection at the booth during the trade show.

• Assist California delegation for their B2B meetings during the Trade Mission and trade show, follow up with Japanese companies if there is no show, and participate in the meetings as needed. Arrange Japanese translation for the meeting if needed.

Post-Event Deliverables Within six (6) weeks after the conclusion of the Trade Mission, the contractor will:

• Schedule and conduct post-event debrief call with GO-Biz.

• Provide a written post-event report to GO-Biz to further share with California delegates, including:

o Trade Mission activity summary and photos.

o Qualitative and quantitative feedback.

o Business leads consolidation.

o Market intelligence gathered during the event.

o B2B meeting summary.

o Delegation post event survey result. (Working with GO-Biz on the event survey questions)

• Strategic recommendations for follow-up, including lead nurturing, future engagement steps, and relevant resources or referrals.

• Lessons learned from this Trade Sission and any recommendation for future mission planning and lessons learned from this Trade Mission.

Minimum Qualifications Proposers must meet the following requirements to be considered responsive.

Organizational Qualifications

• Must have been in continuous operation for a minimum of two (2) years.

• Must operate an established international trade consulting, practice, or significant representative presence in Japan and capable of delivering the project locally.

• Demonstrated relevant experience working with international businesses on export promotion activities to Japan and International Economic Development Organizations (EDOs) on foreign direct investment initiatives.

• Must not be presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in public procurement or contracting by any government department or agency.

Organizational Capacity

• Must have sufficient staff and resources to effectively track, manage, and execute the workload required to be carried out on this project.

• Must demonstrate the ability to provide timely reporting, ensuring that all deliverables meet the expectations outlined in the scope of work.

• Must designate an English-speaking Project Manager to lead and coordinate efforts, with additional support as needed to complete the project.

• Maintain open, regular communication with the GO-Biz IAT team. Provide an alternate point of contact if the assigned project manager is unavailable for more than 72 business hours.

Professional Experience

• The Lead consultant must have a proven track record of supporting U.S State EDOs on export promotion activities and land new FDI investment projects, experienced in supporting U.S State EDOs on Trade Missions’ development, trade show participation and execution.

• The Lead Consultant must possess at least a bachelor’s degree (master’s degree preferred) and have minimum of eight years of demonstrated success providing export promotion and FDI attraction service support U.S. State EDOs.

• Supporting Consultants must have minimum of two (2) years of demonstrated experience support international business to enter or expand Japanese market, provide business matchmaking service, or support FDI initiatives for International EDOs.

• Should have bilingual staff (Japanese and English) support bilingual communication and translation service.

Budget Provisions The maximum budget for this Trade Mission project is seventy-five thousand US dollars ($75,000) funds to award one organization for developing this Trade Mission. Please develop your budget proposal within this limitation. Budget shall include all tasked under the Scope of Work, include all professional service fees, event logistics costs, and event planning cost etc. The contract will be considered a Deliverable-Based fixed price service contract.

• Please include B2B meeting facilitation service costs for each California delegate organization in the budget proposal. Payment will reflect the actual number of California delegates that received the B2B matchmaking service as outlined in the budget proposal.

GO-Biz expects applicants to provide detailed, and justified, deliverables-based budget sheets to explain how funds will be allocated across the activities described in the Scope of Work.

Any fees collected from this Trade Mission (delegation fees, sponsorship, ticket sales etc.)

will need to be remitted to GO-Biz for programming development, cannot be considered as additional project operation budget to use directly by the contractor without GO-Biz approval.

Payment Terms Payment from GO-Biz will follow state of California processing requirements. Payments will be issued via physical checks in U.S. dollars. Electronic delivery is not available at this time.

Payment terms, including invoicing requirements and payment schedules, will be finalized during the contract negotiation stage with the selected proposer.

Proposers located outside of the United States must include a statement in their proposal acknowledging that they understand and accept the payment terms, and that they are responsible for ensuring they have the ability to receive, process, and deposit such payments.

Failure to include this acknowledgement may result in the proposal being considered non-responsive.

• Payment to Trade Mission will be divided into four installments tied to milestones:

o Upon contract execution, initial onboarding meeting and approval of recruiting material (invoice cannot be issued until 3 weeks after the contract execution) o Upon completion of recruiting.

o Upon completion of pre-event deliverables and finalize itinerary.

o Upon submission of acceptance of post-event deliverables

• GO-Biz will issue payment based on program development and performance milestones:

o The total budget assumes full recruitment of eight (8) California delegations.

o GO-Biz reserves the right to cancel the contract. Compensation will be based on approved work completed.

o Payments may be withheld if the work is deemed incomplete or inadequate.

Detailed deliverables as well as what constitutes as proof of completion will be determined during the contract agreement stage.

Proposal Content Proposals must include the following sections.

Exhibit A - Cover Letter

• Legal organization name

• Business address

• Website

• Year established

• Number of employees

• Proposal Contacts – include name, title, email, and phone number o Primary Contact (Authorized Representative) o Secondary Contact

Exhibit B - Key Personnel

Provide a table identifying staff responsible for project execution, include subcontractors.

Must include the name, title, and role in the project. For consulting contracts, hourly rates and estimated hours are required.

Identify the designated Project Manager that will lead and coordinate efforts.

Exhibit C - Resume Provide resumes for all key personnel listed. Each resume should include a summary of relevant experience, highlighting past projects similar in scope to the work outlined in this RFP (limited to one page per person).

Exhibit D – Technical Proposal Page limit: 10

A. Organizational Experience Outline the organization’s experience in supporting similar projects.

Experience should demonstrate expertise and examples in past event organizations for export promotion program development, FDI initiatives and projects, Trade Mission support, including but not limited to After Action Reports, clients, partners and business testimonials, sample itinerary. Share what tasks the consultant firm is responsible for and how are these tasks relevant to the RFP’s scope of work.

B. Implementation Plan Provide a detailed narrative describing how the organization will carry out the proposed work and achieve the project objectives. Clearly explain the approach, activities, methods, and deliverables associated with each component of the project. Responses should be specific to the organization's proposed implementation and should not simply restate or copy the Scope of Work. Original, project-specific descriptions are required.

A list of potential business meetings, key Japanese partner to partner with, site visits, networking event ideas that might be considered for mission itinerary for California delegations, a draft Semicon Japan Trade Mission itinerary during Semicon Japan week (Monday to Friday) for California delegation is preferred, ideas for multi-city Trade Mission itinerary etc.

C. Implementation Timeline Provide an overview of the implementation schedule for the project planning, implementation of the program activities, as well as reporting timelines and deliverables.

D. Sample Work Provide a Trade Mission itinerary developed for previous export promotion or FDI activities supporting other international partners.

Provide a B2B matchmaking service example and template that the contractor developed for international partners or companies.

Provide an after-action report for a previous Trade Mission or relevant activities supporting other international partners.

Exhibit E – Cost Proposal Proposers must provide the total cost of the project, with a detailed breakdown showing how the costs were determined. GO-Biz may negotiate scope, pricing, or deliverables prior to final contract execution.

The budget should be provided as either Excel sheet or Word document that is deliverable-based and aligns the proposed costs with the tasks and timelines outlined in the Scope of Work.

Applicants should clearly separate the following key budget categories below. Costs should be clearly indicated which are fixed and which costs vary depending on the number of California delegates participating in the mission.

• B2B Matchmaking Services (Please list B2B matchmaking service per delegates cost and total cost.)

• Events planning cost

• Transportation and other logistics

• Printing and materials

• For consultant service fee, please provide consultants’ hourly rates and estimated hours as reference

• Other expenses

• Include a budget justification for all the expenses, add budget breakdown and unit cost as needed.

Exhibit G – References Provide at least three references for comparable work.

Vendor Forms

• STD 204 – Payee Data Record* o U.S.–based vendors or vendors accepting payment to a U.S. based address must complete and submit the STD 204 form o International or foreign vendors who possess a U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) are also required to complete and submit the STD 204 form o *Instructions to Foreign Vendors Without a U.S. TIN If the Respondent is an international or foreign vendor without a U.S. TIN, they must submit the appropriate IRS Form W-8 instead of the STD 204. The correct type of form will depend on the nature of your business and entity type W8BEN form for individuals W8BEN-E form for entities

• STD 21 – Drug-Free Workplace Certification

• CCC – Contractor Certification Clauses

• Darfur Contracting Act Certification

• Bidder Declaration

Payment Term Acknowledgement Proposers located outside of the United States must include a statement in their proposal acknowledging that they understand and accept that payment will be issued only by physical check in U.S. dollars mailed through standard postal services, and that they are responsible for ensuring they have the ability to receive, process, and deposit such payments.

Payment Term Acknowledgement Statement (for proposers located outside of the United States):

“The proposer acknowledges and accepts that payments under any resulting agreement with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO- Biz) will be issued by physical check in U.S. dollars and delivered by mail in accordance with State of California payment procedures. The proposer confirms that it has the ability to receive and process such payments.”

GenAI Disclosure 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.

Applicant 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 an applicant 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.

Small Business and DVBE Incentive Program Small Business Incentive Program

Current law encourages state departments to first consider a California-certified small business (SB) and microbusiness (MB) for contracting opportunities. The State of California is committed to supporting SB and MB participation in state contracting and seeks to use certified SBs and MBs whenever possible.

In accordance with GC Section 14835, et seq., certified small businesses and microbusinesses are encouraged to apply and can claim a five percent (5%) preference when submitting a bid on a state contract. A non-small business may receive a preference of five percent (5%) if the business commits to subcontracting at least twenty-five percent (25%) of its net bid price with one or more small businesses or microbusinesses and the subcontractor preference does not remove the award from a certified small business.

A. The SB preference provides certified SBs and MBs a calculation preference in the amount of five percent (5%) of the highest scored, responsible, and responsive proposal submitted by a proposing firm who is not a certified small business.

B. The five percent (5%) preference is used only for computation purposes, to determine the winning bidder and does not alter the amounts of the resulting contract. A contract awarded on the basis of the five percent (5%) preference is awarded to the small business or non-small business for the actual amount of its bid.

A complete copy of the firm’s current Small Business certification with the Department of General Services (DGS) must also accompany the response.

Helpful resources pertaining to the small business program can be found here:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion- List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business

Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE) Incentive Program

Prime contractors, with the exception of a certified Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE), who subcontract work to DVBEs a minimum of five percent (5%) of its net bid price to meet the DVBE participation goal will receive a five percent (5%) preference during the evaluation. The preference is in addition to any small business preference that may apply.

In accordance with section 999.5(a) of the Military and Veterans Code, an incentive will be given to bidders who meet or exceed the DVBE program requirement. For evaluation purposes only, the State shall apply an incentive to bids that propose California-certified DVBE participation as identified on the Bidder Declaration and confirmed by the State. A five percent (5%) preference will be given. A contract awarded on the basis of the five percent (5%) preference is awarded to the DVBE for the actual amount of its bid.

A complete copy of the firm’s current DVBE certification with the Department of General Services (DGS) must also accompany the response.

Helpful resources pertaining to the DVBE program may be found here:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion- List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion-List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion-List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion-List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion-List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business

Evaluation and Selection Process

Proposals will be evaluated by individuals in a committee. The committee will evaluate each proposal and score each proposal individually using the Evaluation Criteria Score Sheet.

Proposals will be considered based on their merits in accordance with the Scope of Work.

Bidders must score enough technical points (non-budget/cost) to advance in the evaluation phase and be eligible for invitation to any applicable interview or presentation phase. Technical scores are subject to change after interviews.

Evaluation Score Sheet Maximum Possible Score

1. Relevant Experience Score 0–5: Firm demonstrates little or no relevant experience, with limited comparable projects, insufficient qualifications, and minimal evidence of successful outcomes.

Score 6–10: Firm demonstrates some relevant experience, though prior work shows moderate alignment with the scope and limited evidence of measurable results.

Score 11–15: Firm demonstrates strong relevant experience with qualified personnel and successful delivery of projects similar in scope and complexity.

Score 16–20: Firm has a Japan based workforce that demonstrates extensive, highly relevant experience with similar Trade Missions, semiconductor experience, and Japan specific experience, export promotion, FDI work, exceptionally qualified personnel and a consistent record of delivering successful outcomes on comparable projects.

2. Technical Approach Score 0–10: Proposal shows limited understanding of the project objectives and presents an unclear or incomplete technical approach.

Score 11–20: Proposal demonstrates a basic understanding of the project with a feasible but moderately detailed technical approach and work plan.

Score 21–30: Proposal demonstrates a strong understanding of the project with a clear, logical, and well-structured technical approach.

Score 31–40: Proposal demonstrates exceptional understanding with a comprehensive recruitment strategy, strategic matchmaking methodology, risk mitigation, clear and achievable timeline, strategic itinerary development planning, and highly effective approach to executing the project.

3. Cost Proposal Score 0–7: Cost proposal is unclear, poorly justified, or misaligned with the scope of work.

Score 8–15: Cost proposal is generally reasonable but lacks full transparency, detail, or clear justification.

Score 16–23: Cost proposal is clear, well-structured, and appropriately aligned with the proposed scope of work.

Score 24–30: Cost proposal is highly detailed, transparent, and demonstrates strong value and cost-effectiveness.

When scoring a proposal, cost/value effectiveness and cost adequacy may be judged, evaluated and awarded points as part of the technical score, but this must be in addition to cost points. GO-Biz will use the suggested formula in SCM Vol 1, 5.25, B to calculate points for cost.

4. References Score 0–2: References are missing, weak, or indicate limited verification of relevant performance.

Score 3–5: References confirm satisfactory performance but demonstrate limited distinction or project relevance.

Score 6–8: References confirm strong performance and reliability on projects similar in scope and complexity.

Score 9–10: References consistently confirm exceptional performance, professionalism, and successful project delivery.

TOTAL 100

Administration

RFP Response Requirements This RFP and the Proposer’s response to this document will be made part of GO-Biz’s proposer’s file.

Plagiarism, including but not limited to taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own, and failure to cite someone else’s work or ideas, is prohibited and is grounds for disqualification. Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools to complete any portion of an application, without citation, may be considered plagiarism and may also be grounds for disqualification.

Reservation of Rights and RFP Amendments GO-Biz reserves the following rights, which may be exercised at its sole discretion and without liability to any Applicant:

1. Right to Amend, Supplement, or Cancel the RFP GO-Biz reserves the right to amend, supplement, clarify, revise, delay, or cancel this Request for Proposals (RFP), in whole or in part, at any time prior to the proposal submission deadline or prior to execution of a final agreement. Amendments may include, but are not limited to, changes to the scope of work, key dates, funding availability, evaluation criteria, or submission requirements. Issuance of this RFP does not obligate GO-Biz to make an award or to enter into any agreement.

2. Notice of Amendments All official amendments, addenda, and clarifications to this RFP will be posted on the GO-Biz website at: Cal eProcure

It is the sole responsibility of each Applicant to monitor the website for updates, amendments, or additional information related to this RFP. GO-Biz is not responsible for failure of an Applicant to receive notice of an amendment. Failure to acknowledge or respond to an amendment may result in disqualification. The Notice of Intent to Award will post to Cal eProcure and remain posted for five (5) business days.

3. Right to Reject Proposals GO-Biz reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive minor irregularities or technical defects in proposals received, and to request clarification of information submitted.

4. Right to Award in Whole or in Part GO-Biz reserves the right to:

a. Award funding in whole or in part;

b. Award less than the total amount requested;

c. Make multiple awards under this RFP;

d. Not award all available funds; or

e. Issue additional solicitations for similar services.

f. Selected Applicants may be required to negotiate scope or budget adjustments consistent with available funding.

5. Right to Negotiate and Request Additional Information

GO-Biz may request additional information, conduct interviews, seek clarifications, or enter into negotiations with one or more Applicants prior to final award. Failure to respond timely to such requests may result in disqualification.

6. Proposal Preparation Costs All costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal are the sole responsibility of the Applicant. GO-Biz shall not be liable for any costs incurred in connection with this RFP, including in the event of amendment or cancellation.

Award and Protest https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/index.aspx

1. A contract award may not be made until GO-Biz posts a notice of the proposed contract award in a place accessible by the general public, including any Internet site identified in the RFP for at least five working days prior to awarding the contract.

(PCC § 10345(b).)

2. Inspection of bids is required as follows:

a. All proposals and all evaluation and scoring sheets shall be available for public inspection at the conclusion of the committee scoring process. (PCC § 10344(c)(2).)

3. There are time limits in which to file a protest. A protest must be filed with GO-Biz GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov and DGS OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov after notice of intent to award the contract, if notice was required, but before the actual award. (PCC § 10345.)

4. Once a protest is filed, the contract may not be awarded until the protest is withdrawn or DGS has rendered a decision. (PCC §§ 10345(a)(2), 10345(b)(1).)

5. After filing a protest, the protestant has five (5) calendar days to file a detailed written statement of the protest grounds if the original protest did not contain the complete grounds for the protest. (PCC §§ 10345(a)3), 10345(b)(2).)

6. Upon receipt of a protest, DGS/OLS:

a. Sends the protestant an acknowledgment letter which includes copies of the protest statutes and regulations and informs the protestant that it must submit a full and complete statement specifying grounds of protest within five calendar days of filing of the notice of protest.

b. Requests information on a designated form from GO-Biz regarding the agency contact person and other administrative details. GO-Biz will complete and return the form to DGS/OLS within 24 hours. In addition, if GO- Biz is aware of any reason that the protest should not go forward, this would be communicated to DGS/OLS at this time. (See SCM 1, section 6.03).

c. Reviews the protest to determine whether DGS has jurisdiction. If DGS does not have jurisdiction, DGS/OLS issues a written notice of dismissal.

d. Assigns a Hearing Officer to the protest if DGS has jurisdiction. The Hearing Officer determines whether the protest will be resolved by written submission or public oral hearing.

Proposal Disclosure and Confidentiality Procedures

Proposers are advised that all proposals submitted pursuant to this RFP are subject to Public Contract Code section 10344, subdivision (c)(2), under which proposals, mailto:GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov mailto:OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov evaluations, and scoring materials become public records available for inspection at the conclusion of committee scoring. If a Proposer seeks to protect confidential, trade‑secret, or proprietary information in its proposal, the Proposer must clearly identify specific proposal portions as confidential at the time of submission. Note that blanket, whole‑document, or untethered (such as unclear or not page/provision specific) confidentiality designations will not be honored, and the submission will be treated as entirely public.

If a Proposer seeks to protect confidential information in its proposal, it shall flag or highlight such information in its proposal either in-text or via a separate page or attachment identifying the confidential information, submitted along with the proposal.

Any separate confidentiality explanation document or attachment shall not count toward the maximum proposal page limit.

For purposes of any claimed confidentiality, confidential information is limited to material or information that falls under an exemption to the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 7920.000 et seq.), and the Proposer should identify which exemption applies to the confidential information flagged or highlighted in its proposal.

GO‑Biz retains sole discretion to determine whether any portion of a proposal is exempt from disclosure, though it will take into consideration the specific confidential information identified by the Proposer when making that determination.

Standard Contract Terms All agreements entered into with the State of California will include reference to General Terms and Conditions that may be viewed and downloaded here: Standard Contract Language.

Authority Assembly Bill 2832 Chapter 577 exempts from any contracting requirement applicable only to state contracts, including but not limited to Section 10295 of the Public Contract Code.

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=general%20terms https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=general%20terms