25FS0527_-_Automated_Irrigation_System_-_RFQ-LH_Final.docx

DATE: October 09, 2025

REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ)

Automated Irrigation System

RFQ # 25FS0527

Notice to Prospective Respondents

The Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) invites you to review and respond to this Request for Quote (RFQ) for providing provide preventative maintenance services and incidental repairs for the Toros Sentinel Automated Irrigation System – Water Management Software, Central Controller, Wire Communication and Valves/Controls to ensure all systems are functioning at an optimum level as well.

In submitting your Quote, you must comply with the instructions found herein. Failure to comply with any of the requirements may result in the rejection of your offer. The services required are delineated in the Statement of Work (SOW). Please read the enclosed document carefully.

To submit a quote for this solicitation you must comply with the instructions contained in this document as well as the requirements stated in Exhibit A - Statement of Work. By submitting a Quote, your firm agrees to the terms and conditions stated in this RFQ.

Responses to this RFQ are due on October 23, 2025, no later than 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST). Late responses will not be accepted.

Responses to this RFQ must be submitted by electronic mail to: ITProcurementServices@Calvet.ca.gov Attention: Long Ho, Procurement Official Reasonable Accommodation:

To comply with the non-discrimination requirements of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), it is the policy of the State to make every effort to ensure that its programs, activities and services are available to all persons, including persons with disabilities. For persons with a disability needing a reasonable modification to participate in the procurement process, or for persons having questions regarding reasonable modifications for the procurement process, you may notify CalVet contact above. To ensure that we can meet your need, submit your request for reasonable modification at least five (5) business days before the scheduled event or the due date of procurement documents.

Contents

Request for Quote (RFQ) General Information Purpose of RFQ The objective of this Statement of Work (SOW) is to provide details and define the tasks and responsibilities of the “Contractor” and the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), hereafter referred to as the “State” or “CalVet,” during the term of this Contract. The Contractor shall provide preventative maintenance services and incidental repairs for the Toros Sentinel Automated Irrigation System – Water Management Software, Central Controller, Wire Communication and Valves/Controls to ensure all systems are functioning at an optimum level as well. This system controls 184 stations of irrigation as well as other miscellaneous controls systems.

Service Location The Contractor shall provide all products, equipment, tools, and labor required to achieve these tasks at the following location:

Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Home of California (VHC) – Fresno 2811 W. Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Fresno, CA 93706

The State will not reimburse the Contractor for any travel related costs.

Availability All candidates submitted by the Contractor must be available during the term of the Contract. The selected Contractor and proposed staff must be able to meet the requirements of the RFQ and be ready to begin work on the anticipated Contract start date indicated in the Key Action Dates, unless notified otherwise by CalVet.

Period of Performance The anticipated term of this Contract begins on the date indicated in the Key Action Dates, at the rates stated in Exhibit B-1, Cost Sheet. If the Contractor starts performance before final approval of the contract, it shall be considered voluntary on the part of the Contractor and free of charge.

Information Technology Provisions The following information is incorporated into this RFQ. Please read the documents carefully. Bidder must agree to the terms and conditions listed below by signing the Contractor’s Bid Certification Sheet which can be found in Section II – Contractor’s Bid Submittal Checklist section of this RFQ. Please read the documents carefully.

Bidder Instructions (Effective 11/09/11) https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/FMC/GS/PD/DGSPD%20451.pdf The State’s General Provisions for Information Technology, – (Cloud Computing Services) – Revised and Effective 2/20/2025 https://www.dgs.ca.gov/-/media/Divisions/PD/Acquisitions/Solicitation-Document-Attachments/IT-General-Provisions-Cloud-DGS-PD-402ITGP-Revised-02202025.pdf Eligible Bidders Public or private corporations, agencies, organizations, associations, or individuals may submit a Quote in response to this RFQ. The Bidder must be legally constituted and qualified to do business within the State of California (registered with the Secretary of State). With the exception of bidders whose legal status precludes incorporation (i.e., public agencies, sole proprietorships, and partnerships). Bidders that are not fully incorporated by the deadline for submitting Quotes will be disqualified. The Bidder must also not be listed on either list of the 500 largest tax delinquencies pursuant to Section 7063 or 19195 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

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.

Key Action Dates Listed below are the Key Action Dates and times by which the actions shall be completed. If the State finds it necessary to change any of these dates, it will be accomplished via an addendum to this RFQ.

Responses to this RFQ must be submitted by electronic mail to: ITProcurementServices@Calvet.ca.gov Attention: Long Ho, Procurement Official Submission of Questions All questions and required attachments/documentation must be submitted electronically with the subject, Automated Irrigation System – 25FS0527 to: ITProcurementServices@calvet.ca.gov All questions submitted by the deadline will be responded to at the same time with all questions and answers posted to Cal eProcure in the form of a question and answer set.

Oral communications by Agency/state entity officers and employees concerning this solicitation shall not be binding on the State and shall in no way excuse the bidder of any obligations set forth in this solicitation.

All questions regarding the content of this RFQ shall be submitted via e-mail according to the following format:

Questions not submitted by the due date stated in the Key Action Date shall be answered at the State’s option.

It shall be the Bidder’s responsibility to immediately notify the Procurement Official identified in Section I. F. Procurement Official, in writing, regarding any revision to the contact person information. The State shall not be responsible for Quote correspondence not received by the Bidder if the Bidder fails to notify the State, in writing, about any change pertaining to the designated contact person.

A Bidder must notify the Procurement Official whenever its intent to bid changes or whenever there is a change in the Bidder’s designated contact information.

Submission of Quote Award of Contract, if made, shall be in accordance with the RFQ information and evaluation to a responsible Bidder with a Quote that complies with all the requirements of the RFQ and any addenda. Award, if made, shall be made within forty-five (45) days after the scheduled date for Contract Award as specified in the RFQ; however, a Bidder may extend the Quote beyond forty-five (45) days in the event of a delay of Contract award.

Quotes should provide straightforward and concise descriptions of the firm's ability to satisfy the requirements of this RFQ. The Quote must be complete and accurate. Omissions, inaccuracies or misstatements may be sufficient cause for rejection of a Quote.

1) All Quotes shall include the Attachments and supporting documentation identified in “RFQ Submission Checklist.” Quotes that do not include the proper "required attachments" shall be deemed non-responsive. A non-responsive is one that does not meet the basic requirements.

2) All documents requiring a signature must bear an original signature or electronic signature of a person authorized to bind the Bidder firm.

3) Quotes must be submitted for the performance of all the services described herein. Any deviation from the work specifications will not be considered and will cause a Bid to be rejected.

4) A Bid may be rejected if it is conditional or incomplete, or if it contains any alterations of form or other irregularities of any kind. The State may reject any or all Quotes and may waive an immaterial deviation in a Bid. The State's waiver of immaterial deviation shall in no way modify the RFQ document or excuse the Bidder from full compliance with all requirements if awarded the Contract.

5) Costs for developing Quotes and in anticipation of award of the Contract is entirely the responsibility of the Proposer and shall not be charged to the State of California.

6) An individual who is authorized to bind the Bidder contractually shall sign the Bidder Preferences and Certification form. The signature should indicate the title or position that the individual holds in the firm. An unsigned Bid may be rejected. If the Bid is made under a fictitious name or business title, the actual legal name of Bidder must be provided.

7) A Bidder may modify a Bid after its submission by withdrawing its original Bid and resubmitting a new Bid prior to the Bid submission deadline. Bid modifications offered in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered.

8) A Bidder may withdraw its Bid by submitting a written withdrawal request to the State, signed by the Bidder or an authorized agent. A Bidder may thereafter submit a new Bid prior to the Bid submission deadline. Quotes may not be withdrawn without cause subsequent to Bid submission deadline.

9) The awarding agency may modify the RFQ prior to the date fixed for submission of Quotes by the issuance of an addendum to all parties who received a proposal package.

10) The awarding agency reserves the right to reject all Quotes. The agency is not required to award a Contract.

11) Before submitting a response to this solicitation, Bidders should review, correct all errors and confirm compliance with the RFQ requirements.

12) Where applicable, Bidders should carefully examine work sites and specifications. Bidders shall investigate conditions, character, and quality of surface or subsurface materials or obstacles that might be encountered. No additions or increases to the Contract amount will be made due to a lack of careful examination of work sites and specifications.

13) General Provisions. The State does not accept alternate Contract language from a prospective Proposer. A Quote with such language will be considered a counter proposal and will be rejected. The State’s General Provisions (GSPD) are not negotiable, unless otherwise stated in the GSPD. The GSPD may be viewed at https://www.dgs.ca.gov/-/media/Divisions/PD/Acquisitions/Solicitation-Document-Attachments/IT-General-Provisions-Cloud-DGS-PD-402ITGP-Revised-02202025.pdf

14) Payee Data Record. Proposer must complete and submit to the awarding agency the Payee Data Record (STD204) to determine if the Proposer is subject to state income tax withholding pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 18662 and 26131. No payment shall be made unless a completed STD204 has been returned to the awarding agency. This form can be found at https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std204.pdf

15) Contractor Certification Clauses. Proposer must sign and submit to the awarding agency, page one (1) of the Contractor Certification Clauses (CCC), which can be found on the Internet at https://www.dgs.ca.gov/-/media/Divisions/OLS/Resources/CCC-042017.pdf?la=en&hash=4DE3E4DC414511AE378794200BA43EBF91C758EE.

16) California Civil Rights Laws Certification. Pursuant to Public Contract Code section 2010, the Proposer shall complete Form 12, California Civil Rights Laws Certification, certifying compliance with the following:

(a) California Civil Rights Laws: For Contracts over $100,000 executed or renewed after January 1, 2017, the Proposer certifies compliance with the Unruh Civil Rights Act (section 51 of the Civil Code) and the Fair Employment and Housing Act (section 12960 of the Government Code); and Contractor certifies that such policies are not used in violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act (Section 51 of the Civil Code) or the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Section 12960 of the Government Code).

(b) Employer Discrimination Policies: For Contracts over $100,000 executed or renewed after January 1, 2017, if a Proposer has an internal policy against a sovereign nation or peoples recognized by the United States government, the Contractor certifies that such policies are not used in violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act (Section 51 of the Civil Code) or the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Section 12960 of the Government Code).

17) The State of California seeks to realize the potential benefits of GenAI, through the development and deployment of GenAI, while balancing the risks of these 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.

Failure to report GenAI to the State may result in disqualification. The State reserves its right to seek any and all relief 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 quotes/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.

Award of Contract, if made, will be in accordance with the RFQ information on Evaluation to a responsible Bidder whose Bid complies with all the requirements of the RFQ documents and an addenda thereto, except for such immaterial defects as may be waived by the State. Award, if made, will be made within forty-five (45) days after the scheduled date for Contract Award as specified in the RFQ; however, a Bidder may extend the offer beyond forty-five (45) days in the event of a delay of Contract award.

The State reserves the right to determine the successful Bidder(s) either on the basis of individual items or on the basis of all items included in its RFQ, unless otherwise expressly provided in the State’s RFQ. Unless the Bidder specifies otherwise in its bid, the State may accept any item or group of items of any bid. The State reserves the right to modify or cancel in whole or in part it’s RFQ.

Written notification of the State’s intent to award will be made to all Bidders. If a Bidder, having submitted a bid, can show that its bid, instead of the bid selected by the State, should be selected for Contract award, the bidder will be allowed five (5) working days to submit a Notice of Intent to Protest, according to the instructions contained in the paragraph titled “Protests” of this RFQ.

Protests Any Bidder’s issues regarding solicitation requirements must be resolved (or attempts to resolve them must have been made) before a protest may be submitted according to the procedure below. These issues will first be resolved by the contact for the solicitation or if they result in a protest, the protest will be submitted to DGS Procurement Division Deputy Director to hear and resolve issues and whose decision will be final.

If a bidder has submitted a bid which it believes to be responsive to the requirements of the RFQ and to be the bid that should have been selected according to the evaluation procedures in the solicitation and the bidder believes the State has incorrectly selected another bidder for award, the bidder may submit a protest of the selection as described below. Protests regarding selection of the “successful vendor” will be heard and resolved by the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board whose decision will be final.

All protests of award must be made in writing, signed by an individual authorized to bind the bidder contractually and financially, and contain a statement of the reason(s) for protest; citing the law, rule, regulation or procedure on which the protest is based. The protester must provide facts and evidence to support the claim. Protests must be mailed or delivered to:

Dispute Resolution Unit Department of General Services Procurement Division 707 Third Street, Second Floor South West Sacramento, CA 95605 PDProtest@dgs.ca.gov All protests to the RFQ or protests concerning the evaluation, recommendation, or other aspects of the selection process must be received by the DGS Procurement Division Deputy Director as promptly as possible, but not later than the date indicated in the Notification of Intent to Award. Certified or registered mail must be used unless delivered in person, in which case the protester should obtain a receipt of delivery.

State’s Right to Reject A Quote may be rejected if it is conditional or incomplete, or if it contains any alterations of form or other irregularities of any kind. The State may reject all Quotes and may waive any immaterial deviation in a Quote/quotation. The State’s waiver immaterial defect shall in no way modify the RFQ document or excuse the proposing firm from full compliance with all requirements if awarded the Contract. CalVet reserves the right to reject all Quotes at its sole discretion. If all Quotes are too high, CalVet is not required to award a Contract (PCC 10344(d), 10377(d)).

Economic Incentive Program Bidders may be eligible for additional preferences when their place of business is located within certain economic regions and when they hire persons living and working within those economic regions. Please access the following links to read information about these economic incentive programs.

TACPA CONTRACT PREFERENCE

The Department of General Services, Procurement Division, (DGS-PD) Support Services Unit (SSU) administers the Target Area Contract Preference Act (TACPA) program.

Pursuant to the TACPA, the state shall award workplace and workforce preferences to eligible California-based companies for state solicitations exceeding $100,000.00 for the purchase of goods and services, including Information Technology goods and services, except a Contract in which the worksite is fixed by the provisions of the Contract. (See Government Code (GC) §§ 4530 – 4535.3) Departments are required to designate a TACPA liaison. See Chapter 2, Section 210 for further information.

Solicitations expected to exceed $100,000.00 must contain the TACPA provision applying workplace and workforce preferences, as applicable, to eligible California-based companies.

1. Preference Amounts Specific to Solicitations for GOODS

18. A workplace preference of 5 percent to California-based companies who demonstrate and certify under penalty of perjury that of the total labor hours required to manufacture the goods and perform the Contract, at least 50 percent of the hours shall be accomplished at an identified worksite or worksites located in a distressed area.

18. A workforce preference, as specified in GC Section 4533.1, to California-based companies who demonstrate and certify, under penalty of perjury, that the workforce completing those labor hours are persons with a high risk of unemployment, as defined in GC Section 4532. GC Section 4533.1 specifies workforce preferences from 1 percent to 4 percent depending on the percentage of a bidder’s workforce required to perform the Contract who are persons with high risk of unemployment as committed to and certified by the bidder.

19) Preference Amounts Specific to Solicitations for SERVICES

(a) A workplace preference of 5 percent to California-based companies who demonstrate and certify under penalty of perjury that not less than 90 percent of the total labor hours required to perform the Contract shall be accomplished at an identified worksite or worksites located in a distressed area

(b) A workforce preference, as specified in GC Section 4533.1, to California-based companies that demonstrate and certify, under penalty of perjury, that the workforce completing those labor hours are persons with a high risk of unemployment, as defined in GC Section 4532. Section 4533.1 specifies workforce preferences from 1 percent to 4 percent depending on the percentage of a bidder’s workforce required to perform the Contract who are persons with high risk of unemployment as committed to and certified by the bidder.

20) Preference Maximum Amounts

(a) The maximum preference cost for the workplace preference cannot exceed $50,000.00.

(b) The maximum preference cost for the workforce preference cannot exceed $50,000.00.

(c) The maximum combined preferences and incentives resulting from a workplace preference, workforce preference, and other preferences or incentives provided under any other provision of law shall be 15% but may not in any case exceed $100,000.00 in total.

21) Preference Precedence

California certified small business bidders qualified in accordance with GC 14838 shall have precedence over non-small business bidders in that the application of any bidder preference for which non-small business bidders may be eligible, including the workplace and workforce preferences under TACPA, shall not result in the denial of the award to a small business bidder. This shall apply to those cases where the small business bidder is the lowest responsible bidder, as well as to those cases where the small business bidder is eligible for award as the result of application of the 5-percent small business bidder preference and incentive.

22) Assistance to Bidders & Distressed Area Map

The Department of General Services, with the cooperation of the Governor's Office of Planning and Research, shall assist prospective bidders in identifying those areas of the state which qualify as distressed areas for purposes of the TACPA preferences (Title 2 California Code of Regulations (CCR) 1896.38).

The following webpage contains an interactive map to determine if a business is located within a TACPA qualified zone: Request-a-Target-Area-Contract-Preference.

For assistance, bidders may contact DGS-PD SSU at: TACPA@dgs.ca.gov

The Employment Development Department (EDD) shall assist bidders seeking to certify that they will employ persons with high risk of unemployment in recruiting eligible job applicants and shall certify such applicants, except youths participating in qualified cooperative education programs who shall otherwise be certified (2 CCR 1896.39).

RFQ Response Guidelines Responses to this RFQ shall contain all data/information requested. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to provide all required data and any other information deemed necessary for the State’s evaluation team to determine and verify the Bidder’s ability to meet the requirements of this RFQ.

At the State’s option prior to award, Bidders may be required to submit additional written clarifying information, including rationale for their proposed solution. Failure to submit the required written information as specified may be grounds for Quote rejection.

Confidentiality Bidder material becomes public only after the notice of Intent to Award is released. If material marked “confidential,” “proprietary,” or “trade secret” is requested pursuant to the Public Records Act, the State will make an independent assessment whether it is exempt from disclosure. If the State disagrees with the bidder, the State will notify the bidder and give them a reasonable opportunity to justify their position or obtain a court order protecting the material from disclosure.

The bidder should be aware that marking a document “confidential” or “proprietary” in a Final Quote may exclude it from consideration for award and will not keep that document from being released after notice of award as part of the public record, unless a court has ordered the State not to release the document. The content of all working papers and discussions relating to the bidder’s Quote shall be held in confidence indefinitely, unless the public interest is best served by an item’s disclosure because of its direct pertinence to a decision, Contract or the evaluation of the Quote.

Any disclosure of confidential information by the bidder is a basis for rejecting the bidder’s Quote and ruling the bidder ineligible to further participate. Any disclosure of confidential information by a State employee is a basis for disciplinary action, including dismissal from State employment, as provided by Government Code §19570 et seq. Total confidentiality is paramount; it cannot be over emphasized.

Evaluation Information A. Administrative, Business, and Technical Requirements The Administrative, Business, and Technical requirements will be evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis. Quotes will first be screened to determine if the Bidder has complied with appropriate submittal instructions and required components. Quotes that meet the “pass/fail” criteria will be eligible to have their cost quote evaluated. QUOTES THAT DO NOT PASS ALL THE MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WILL BE DEEMED NON-RESPONSIVE AND WILL BE REJECTED.

The State has established certain requirements with respect to Quotes to be submitted by prospective Bidders. The use of “shall,” “must,” or “will” (except to indicate simple futurity) in this RFQ indicates a requirement or condition that is mandatory. Should a Bidder respond to a mandatory requirement using language that fails to explicitly commit the Bidder after Contract award by using terms such as “may” or “could,” the State may interpret the response as a material deviation. A deviation, if not material, may be waived by the State. A deviation from a requirement is material if the deficient response is not in substantial accord with the RFQ requirements, provides an advantage to one Bidder over other Bidders, or has a potentially significant effect on the delivery, quantity, or quality of items Quote, the amount paid to the Bidder or on the cost to the State. Material deviations cannot be waived.

The State has determined that it is best to define its own needs, desired operating objectives, and desired operating environment. The State will not tailor these needs to fit some solution a Bidder may have available; rather, the Bidder shall propose to meet the State’s needs as defined in this solicitation.

The Bidder qualifications and solution requirements listed in this section are denoted as follows:

1) (M) Sections labeled as “Mandatory” or “M” are not negotiable. To be considered responsive and responsible to these requirements, all requirements identified as (M) must be responded to. A “fail” will result in a Quote being deemed non-responsive and, therefore, will be disqualified. Failure to respond to any (M) requirements where indicated shall result in a “fail” and disqualification of the Quote.

B. RFQ Submission Checklist The RFQ Submission Checklist will be used to evaluate the Bidder’s RFQ. Bidders may also use the checklist to verify that appropriate documentation and requirements are met. Bidders are not required to submit the checklist.

C. Cost Evaluation Cost is a primary evaluation criterion. Evaluation in this category will be based on the lowest total estimated net cost as calculated according to the methodology in this section and Section II. D., Preference and Incentive Programs. In order to submit a Cost Evaluation, the vendor will need to attend the mandatory walkthrough.

All proposed costs for all line items must be all inclusive, thereby including the cost of any and all services required in this solicitation.

The intent is to structure the pricing format in order to facilitate a straightforward comparison among all Bidders and foster competition to obtain the best market pricing. Consequently, the Department of Veteran Affairs requires that each Bidder’s cost be in the format outlined in this section. Therefore, the Bidder is advised that failure to comply with the instructions listed in this section, such as submission of an incomplete Quote, use of alternative pricing structures or different formats than the one requested, may be the basis for rejection of the Bidder’s Quote.

Important Note: It is imperative that no cost information is included in the body of the Quote. Cost information must only be submitted in the Cost Quote, Form 15.

If a Bidder’s offer has been determined to be non-responsive during the evaluation of requirements, cost will not be evaluated. Quote must be based on CalVet’s Statement of Work; Exhibit A. Each Bidder's cost shall be evaluated for responsive offers from responsible Bidders that passed the mandatory administrative and business requirements.

D. Preference and Incentive Programs Preference and Incentive Programs are each identified below. When the Bidder satisfies the requirements and requests bid preferences and incentives, the Bidder must clearly identify in their bid submission for which of the programs it qualifies. Denial of those preference or incentive requests is not a basis for rejection of the bid.

NOTE: Pursuant to GC § 14837, only a SB who performs a Commercially Useful Function (CUF) relevant to the SOW included in this RFQ may be used to qualify the Bidder for the SB Preference or Non-Small Business Subcontractor Preference. Pursuant to Military and Veterans Code Section 995.5, only a DVBE who performs a CUF relevant to the SOW in this RFQ may qualify the Bidder for the DVBE Incentive.

1) Commercially Useful Function A business that is performing a commercially useful function is one that does ALL of the following:

(a) Is responsible for execution of a distinct element of the work of the Contract.

(b) Carries out its obligation by actually performing, managing, or supervising the work involved.

(c) Performs work that is normal for its business, services and function.

(d) Is not further subcontracting a portion of the work that is greater than that expected to be subcontracted by normal industry practices.

(e) Is responsible, with respect to products, inventories, materials, and supplies required for the Contract, for negotiating price, determining quality and quantity, ordering, installing, if applicable, and making payment.

2) Small Business Preference

California Government Code (GC) Section 14835, et seq., requires a preference be given to Bidders who are California Certified Small Business (SB). The rules and regulations of this law, including the definition of a SB for the delivery of goods and services, are contained in California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 1896 et seq.

A preference is available to a certified SB. A Bidder claiming this preference must be certified by the Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Enterprise Services (OSDS) as a SB. Questions regarding certification should be directed to the OSDS at (916) 375-4940.

To be considered as a certified SB, the Bidder must have a complete application package on file with the OSDS by 5:00 p.m. on the Deadline for Final Bid Submission date. Questions regarding the certification approval process should be directed to the OSDS. A copy of the regulations, instructions and format for claiming the Small Business Preference is available at: http://www.dgs.ca.gov/pd/Programs/OSDS/GetCertified.aspx.

To claim the Small Business Preference please see FORM 1, Bidders Preferences and Certification.

3) Non-Small Business Subcontractor

A preference is available to a non-small business (NS) claiming 25% California-certified small business subcontractor participation. A Bidder claiming this preference must list one or more SB subcontractor(s), whom the Bidder commits to subcontract in an amount of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the work performed under this Contract.

To claim the Non-Small Business Subcontractor Preference please see FORM 1, Bidders Preferences and Certification.

4) Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise:

The Mandatory DVBE Participation Requirement is being waived for this RFQ.

5) Applying Preference and Incentives

Preferences and incentives are used for bid tabulation purposes to determine the lowest responsive responsible bid. Strict adherence to the laws and regulations to apply the preferences and incentives will be followed. If awarded the Contract, the preference and/or incentive does not alter the amount of the resulting Contract. Please be aware that Contracts awarded with applied preferences or incentives will be monitored throughout the life of the Contract for compliance to statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements.

The SB preference of 5% will be applied when a responsible Bidder that is not a CA certified SB or a NS claiming 25% CA certified SB subcontractor participation submits the lowest responsive bid. (Note: NS claiming SB subcontractor preference cannot displace an award from a certified SB.) Pursuant to California Code of Regulations (CCR) 2 CCR§ 1896.8, there is a $50,000.00 cap of the amount of SB preference.

Sample bid tabulation:

APPENDIX A, ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Exhibit A, Statement of Work, identifies how the State Contract will be structured. No negotiations or alterations (unless specified otherwise) in the Contract are permitted. Bidder must be able to perform the work identified in the SOW. Complete From 9, Contractor’s Bid Certification to certify that the bidder is able to meet the requirements of this RFQ.

M

If bidder is a California Certified Small Business and/or DVBE, complete Form 1, Bidder Preferences and Certification.

M

Please see Section II.D.2 Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Requirement All Bidders must complete the Bidder Declaration GSPD-05-105, Form 2, Declarations, and include it with the Quote response. When completing the declaration, Bidders must identify all subcontractors proposed for participation in the Contract. Bidders awarded a Contract are contractually obligated to use the subcontractors for the corresponding work identified unless the State agrees to a substitution and it is incorporated by amendment to the Contract. If not using subcontractors, submit the form and indicate “NONE” in the appropriate section.

Bidders who have been certified by California as a DVBE (or who are proposing rental equipment and have obtained the participation of subcontractors certified by California as a DVBE) must also submit a completed form(s) STD. 843 (Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Declaration). All disabled veteran owners and disabled veteran managers of the DVBE(s) must sign the form(s). The completed form must be included with the Quote response. Form 2, Declarations.

M

Military and Veterans Code Section 999 et seq. requires all small business, micro businesses and disabled veteran enterprises to perform a “commercially useful function” in any Contract they perform for the state.

The Bidder must provide a written statement detailing the role, services and/or goods the subcontractor(s) will provide to meet the Commercially Useful Function requirement, using the Commercially Useful Function Certification. The criteria and definition for performing a commercially useful function are contained in the DVBE Program Requirements page entitled Resources & Information. Form 3, Commercially Useful Function (CUF).

M

The Bidder must maintain in force (as required by State law) a valid Workers’ Compensation Insurance Policy for all employees engaged in the performance of the Contract and agree to furnish the State satisfactory evidence thereof at the time of the bid submittal and at any time the State may so request.

Satisfactory evidence of a certificate of insurance showing a minimum amount of not less than $1,000,000 employer’s liability, for all employees proposed in the performance of this Contract must be included in the Quote and must be provided to the State at any time the State may request. Bidders must complete Form 4, Workers’ Compensation Insurance Certification.

M

The Bidder and proposed subcontractors must maintain in force (as required by State law) a valid Commercial General Liability Insurance Policy. Satisfactory evidence of a certificate of insurance showing a minimum amount of not less than $1,000,000.00 must be included in the Quote and must be provided to the State at any time the State may request. Form 5, Commercial General Liability Certification.

M

The Bidder is required to sign the Payee Data Record, STD. 204 and provide a copy of CA Seller’s Permit. Form 6, Payee Data Record and Form 8, Seller’s Permit.

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All Corporations, Limited Liability Corporations, and Limited Partnerships must be registered and in ‘Active’ status with the California Secretary of State (SOS) to be awarded a Contract. Form 7, Secretary of State Certification.

Bidder’s Quote must contain a copy of the Bidder’s certification with the SOS to do business in California. If certification has not been received, a copy of Bidder’s application and statement of status must be included.

The Bidder must be certified with the SOS, if required by law to do business in California. If the Bidder does not currently have this certification, the successful Bidder must be certified before Contract award can be made.

The SOS may be contacted as follows:

California Secretary of State Division of Corporate Filing and Services 1500 Eleventh Street, Third Floor Sacramento, CA 95814-5701 The required document(s) may also be obtained through the Certification Unit at 916-657-5448 or at the SOS website http://www.sos.ca.gov/.

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All proposed subcontractors must be identified on the completed GSPD-05-105, Form 2, Declarations.

Any subcontractor that the Bidder chooses to use in fulfilling the requirements of this RFQ, and which is expected to receive more than ten percent (10%) of the value of the Contract, must also meet all requirements of the RFQ, as applicable. The Bidder’s Quote must include the following RFQ Forms for each subcontractor expected to receive more than ten (10%) percent of the value of the Contract:

Form 3, Commercially Useful Function Form 5, Commercial Liability Insurance M

All additional documents, such as addendums or end user Contracts, required by the bidder shall be included in the bid response for review by CalVet. If these documents are not included in the bid they will not be considered by CalVet.

CalVet will not sign or incorporate proposed addendums and end user Contracts that contradict or supersede California State Contract Laws and the State of California Information Technology General Terms and Conditions. The State of California General Terms and Conditions can be found at: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/-/media/Divisions/PD/Acquisitions/Solicitation-Document-Attachments/IT-General-Provisions-Cloud-DGS-PD-402ITGP-Revised-02202025.pdf M

The Bidder must submit with Final Quote a list of proposed subcontractors or indicate that none are to be used on Form 11, List of Proposed Subcontractors (Public Works). The State reserves the right to approve or object to the use of proposed subcontractors on the list.

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Contractors and subcontractors performing cable and/or wiring installation work or structural modifications for the State are required to have the appropriate State Contractor’s license. The company submitting the Quote, as well as any subcontractors performing the work, must have the appropriate license(s). The license must be in the name of the company or the name of the “qualifying individual” of the company. Complete and submit Form 14, Contractor’s License Information, with Final Quote submittal.

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General Terms and Conditions incorporate by reference certain mandated Contractor certification clauses (“CCC’s”), such as the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1990 (GC § 8350, et seq.) and the Expatriate Corporation, Domestic Partnerships and Sweatfree Code of Conduct Certifications. These certifications are included in the Contractor Certification Clauses (CCC), and found on the DGS/OLS website. Complete and submit Form 10, Contractor Certification Clauses, with Final Quote submittal.

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Contractors performing preventative maintenance services and incidental repairs, including the two-wire system for the Toros Sentinel Automated Irrigation System must be authorized and trained by Toro with a minimum of 5 years’ experience and provide certification from Toro. Form 13, Toro Sentinel Equipment Certification.

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Contractor’s Bid Submittal Information RFQ Submission Checklist The following checklist shall be used by the Evaluation Committee (EC) to verify applicable documentation received for the Bidder’s RFQ. Bidders may also use the checklist to verify that appropriate documentation and requirements are submitted. The State makes no warranty that the checklist is a full comprehensive listing of every requirement specified in the RFQ. The checklist is only a tool to assist participating Bidders in compiling their offer response. Bidders are encouraged to carefully read the entire RFQ. Bidders are not required to submit this checklist; the list is for information purposes only.

Bidder’s Name:

RESPONSE TO RFQ REQUIREMENTS

Tab 1 – Table of Contents All major parts of the response to this RFQ, including all RFQ forms are identified by page number

Tab 2 ––Requirements Response shall include completed copies of:

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Form 1, BIDDER PREFERENCES AND CERTIFICATION Form 2, DECLARATIONS (GSPD-05-105; STD 843) Form 3, COMMERCIALLY USEFUL FUNCTION Form 4, WORKERS COMPENSATION CERTIFICATION Form 5, COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY CERTIFICATION Form 6, PAYEE DATA RECORD (STD. 204) Form 7, SECRETARY OF STATE STATUS Form 8, SELLER’S PERMIT NUMBER Form 9, CONTRACTOR’S BID CERTIFICATION SHEET Form 10, CONTRACTOR’S CERTIFICATION CLAUSES Form 11, LIST OF PROPOSED SUBCONTRACTORS Form 12, CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS CERTIFICATION Form 13, TORO SENTINEL EQUIPMENT CERTIFICATION

BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Form 14, CONTRACTOR’S LICENSE INFORMATION Form 15, COST QUOTE

COST

Cost Quote Form 15, COST QUOTE will not be evaluated until Mandatory requirements have been evaluated as described in RFQ.

FORM 1, Bidder Preferences and Certification

I am requesting the following quoting preferences in response to RFQ #25FS0527 and have attached the appropriate supporting documentation, as required by the RFQ.

|_| Small Business Preference

|_| I am not claiming any Small Business Preference.

|_| I am a California Certified Small Business applying for a preference on this Quote. A copy of my Small Business approval letter from DGS is attached.

|_| I have/will have a Small Business Certification request application submitted to DGS no later than 2:00 PM on the Final Quote due date.

|_| I am a Non-Small Business, claiming to provide a twenty-five percent commercially useful function business opportunity to California Certified Small Business Subcontractors. We have provided the list of small business contractors that will be used for this contract on the Bidder Declaration Form. I am attaching a copy of the Small Business approval letter from DGS for each subcontractor to this form.

|_| I am a Small Business Nonprofit Veteran Service Agency, claiming a 5% small business preference as specified in the Military and Veterans Code section 999.50.

|_| I am not a California Certified DVBE.

|_| I am a California Certified DVBE. A copy of my DVBE approval letter from DGS is attached.

|_| I have/will have a DVBE Certification request application submitted to DGS no later than 2:00 PM on the Final Quote due date.

Sincerely, Bidder Signature Date

Print Name and Title:

Company Name:

FORM 2, Declarations

Bidder Declaration

All Bidders shall complete the Bidder Declaration form and include it with the Quote response. When completing the declaration, Bidders shall identify all subcontractors proposed for participation in the Contract.

Refer to the following website link to obtain the appropriate form:

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

DVBE Declaration

Bidders who have been certified by California as a DVBE (or who are proposing rental equipment and have obtained the participation of subcontractors certified by California as a DVBE) shall also submit a completed form(s) STD. 843 (Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Declarations). All disabled veteran owners and disabled veteran managers of the DVBE(s) shall sign the form(s). Refer to the following website link to obtain the appropriate form:

STD 843:

https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/gs/pd/pd_843.pdf

FORM 3, Commercially Useful Function Certification

FORM 4, Workers’ Compensation Certification

The undersigned in submitting this document hereby certifies the following:

I am aware of the provisions of Section 3700 of the California Labor Code which requires every employer to be insured against liability for workers’ compensation or to undertake self-insurance in accordance with such provisions before commencing the performance of the work of this Contract.

FORM 5, Commercial General Liability Certification

(Attach a valid Commercial General Liability Certificate of Insurance to this Form)

FORM 6, Payee Data Record

Bidders are required to sign the Payee Data Record, STD. 204, before Contract award. Refer to the following website link for more details:

http://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std204.pdf

FORM 7, Secretary of State Status

Business Name (as registered with SOS):

Business Type:

Secretary of State Number:

Status with the Secretary of State:

Refer to the following website links to verify status and obtain the required documentation:

Search | California Secretary of State

FORM 8, Seller’s Permit

If applicable, you must provide a copy of your company’s California retailer’s seller’s permit or certification of registration and, if applicable, the permit or certification of all participating affiliates, issued by California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), pursuant to all requirements as set forth in Sections 6487, 7101, and sections 6452.1, 6487.3, 18510 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and Section 10295.1 of the Public Contract Code.