4-RFP 6247 Public Library Print Materials and Related Services.pdf

COUNTY OF VENTURA

GENERAL SERVICES AGENCY

PROCUREMENT SERVICES

800 S. VICTORIA AVE., L#1080

VENTURA, CA 93009

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

for

PUBLIC LIBRARY PRINT MATERIALS AND RELATED SERVICES

Issued: March 16, 2026 Due: April 17, 2026

County of Ventura – GSA/Procurement Services

RFP 6247: Public Library Print Materials and Related Services

SECTION 1.0

GENERAL INFORMATION

This Request for Proposal (RFP) has been posted on the County of Ventura Vendor Information Portal (VCVIP) aka Bonfire website (Ventura.bonfirehub.com) for your convenience. Addenda and attachments, if issued, are also posted. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that the entire RFP package, in its latest version, is reviewed prior to submittal of a proposal.

1.1 Introduction/Purpose

The County of Ventura (hereinafter referred to as County) invites your organization to submit a written proposal to provide public library print materials and related services for Ventura County Library. Proposals shall be due no later than 5:00 p.m.

PDT on April 17, 2026, for the furnishing of print books and related library materials, along with optional cataloging, processing, and related support services, in accordance with the attached Terms and Conditions, Instructions to Offerors which by this reference are made a part hereof.

Offerors shall be skilled and regularly engaged in the general class or type of work called for in the solicitation documents.

1.2 Background

Ventura County Library is a public library system serving Ventura County with approximately thirteen (13) service locations, including a mobile library. The Library maintains print collections for adult, young adult, and children’s audiences in English, Spanish, and other languages to meet community demand.

The Library’s estimated annual expenditure for print materials is approximately $400,000. This amount is provided for planning purposes only and does not represent a guarantee of volume.

The Library has historically relied on a primary vendor to support systemwide print acquisitions integrated with the SirsiDynix Symphony Integrated Library System (ILS). Due to recent changes in the library vendor marketplace, the Library must establish a new contractual arrangement to ensure continuity of print acquisitions within its centralized ordering, fiscal oversight, and multi-branch distribution model.

https://ventura.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=login

SECTION 1.0

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.3 Action Dates

The following is an outline of the anticipated schedule for the proposal review and contract award.

Issue Request for Proposal (RFP) March 16, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PDT Last day for questions March 30, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PDT Proposals Due April 17, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PDT Evaluation-award May 2026 Start Work TBD

The Offeror shall not commence work until a meeting between representatives of the offeror and the County of Ventura is held. The meeting will be held at a County of Ventura site, at a time and date to be established. The schedule set forth above is subject to change.

1.4 Questions Regarding RFP

All questions concerning this Proposal may be directed to Irshad Ali, Principal Buyer, under “Messages” tab of the solicitation online at:

https://ventura.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=login

Deadline for questions or clarifications concerning this RFP is March 30, 2026, 5:00 P.M. PDT.

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SECTION 2.0

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS/RULES GOVERNING COMPETITION

2.1 Submittal Deadline

Completed proposals must be submitted online through VCVIP at ventura.bonfirehub.com per instructions.

Offerors are allowed to submit more than one proposal with different methods of meeting the RFP requirements. When Offeror submits more than one proposal, one proposal shall be marked “Base Proposal” and the others shall be marked “Alternate Proposal 1, Alternate Proposal 2, etc.” Each base proposal and each alternate proposal shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of the RFP.

Offerors are responsible for making certain their proposals are received by GSA- Procurement on or before the Proposal Submittal Deadline listed on the RFP Details tab in the VCVIP portal. The receiving time in VCVIP will be the governing time for acceptability of proposals. No hard copy, oral, telegraphic, electronic mail, facsimile, or telephone proposals or modifications will be considered.

2.2 Proposal Response

Offerors must submit their proposals and all required information and forms by the submittal deadline. Proposals failing to provide complete information may be deemed non-responsive. Offerors should keep copies of their submittals for future reference.

Offerors who do not wish to respond but who wish to be kept on the mailing list must return their proposal forms or a written response indicating “No Proposal”.

Include name and address of Offeror.

Offerors who fail to respond to proposal solicitations may be removed from the supplier mailing list.

2.3 Modification of Proposals

Any Offeror who wishes to make modifications to a proposal already received by County must withdraw their proposal in order to make the modifications. All modifications must be made on-line, properly by Offeror’s authorized representative, executed, and submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this solicitation. It is the responsibility of Offeror to ensure that modified proposals are resubmitted before the Submittal Deadline.

Offerors may withdraw their proposals, at any time prior to the due date and time, https://ventura.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=login by submitting notification of withdrawal signed by Offeror’s authorized agent.

Proposals cannot be changed or modified after the date and time designated for receipt.

2.4 Opening of Proposals

Proposals will not be opened publicly but a list of the names of Offerors submitting proposals will be available within a reasonable time after the Submittal Deadline.

Proposals will be made public and may be inspected at the time of award.

2.5 Examination of the Request for Proposal

Offerors should carefully examine the entire RFP, any addenda thereto, and all related materials and data referenced herein or otherwise available to offeror.

Offeror shall be presumed to be familiar with all specifications and requirements of this RFP. The failure or omission to examine any form, instrument or document shall in no way relieve offerors from any obligation with respect to this proposal.

2.6 Proposal Validity

Proposals submitted hereunder shall be firm for 180 calendar days from the due date unless otherwise qualified.

2.7 Proposal Content/Format

To be considered responsive, proposals should address all items identified in this section.

Please note: Some items require that the Offeror provide a detailed response and/or attachments. Failure to provide a complete response may be grounds for rejection of a proposal.

Furthermore, proposals should be prepared in such a way as to provide a straightforward and concise discussion of the Offeror’s ability to provide the services that can best satisfy the requirements herein and meet the needs of the County. Elaborate or unnecessarily lengthy responses and attachments are discouraged.

Emphasis should be concentrated on conformance to the RFP instructions, responsiveness to the RFP requirements and on completeness and clarity of content.

In order to facilitate evaluation and comparison, proposals should be submitted in the format described in this section. Format instructions must be adhered to; all requirements and requests for information must be addressed; all requested data must be supplied. Failure to comply with this requirement may be cause for rejection.

Assemble and present your proposal response in the order that the items are listed, identifying each response by the corresponding number.

a. Cover Letter/Signature on Proposal

A cover letter, which shall be considered an integral part of the proposal, shall be signed by individual(s) who is/are authorized to bind offeror(s) contractually. The signature(s) must indicate the classification or position that the individual(s) holds.

The cover letter shall designate a person or persons who may be contacted during the period of evaluation with questions or contract issues. Include name(s), title(s), address(es), telephone number(s), fax number(s) and email address(es).

Upload the Cover Letter through the Requested Information.

b. Company Profile and Qualifications

Offeror must provide company profile in Section 2 – Offerors Information Questionnaire, Question Set 1.

Information provided shall include:

1. Correct legal name as registered with the California Secretary of State.

2. Company ownership. If incorporated, the state in which the company is incorporated and the date of incorporation.

3. Location of the company offices.

4. Location of the office servicing any California account(s). What are the hours of operation of the customer service unit involved in supporting the proposed services?

5. Number of employees both locally and nationally.

6. Location(s) from which employees will be assigned.

7. Name, address, and telephone number of the Offeror’s point of contact for a contract resulting from this RFP.

8. Company background/history establishing that Offeror is qualified to provide the services described in this RFP.

9. Length of time Offeror has been providing services described in this RFP. Please provide a brief description of such services.

Offeror must include in their proposal a complete disclosure of any alleged significant prior or ongoing contract failures, any civil or criminal litigation or investigation pending which involves the Offeror or in which the Offeror has been judged guilty or liable. Failure to comply with the terms of this provision will disqualify any proposal. County reserves the right to reject any proposal based upon Offeror’s prior history with County or with any other party, which documents, without limitation, unsatisfactory performance, adversarial or contentious demeanor, significant failure(s) to meet contract milestones or other contractual failures.

c. Personnel Qualifications

Identify key personnel and their position within the organization in Section 2 – Offerors Information Questionnaire, Question Set 2.

Provide a resume detailing the experience, level of expertise and qualifications of the representative/manager and those individuals who will directly support and be involved in meeting the day-to-day requirements of the County.

If you plan to sub-contract work, you must indicate the name and address of each subcontractor and the type of work or tasks they will perform.

Identify the personnel to be assigned, their position, qualifications, and representative experience. Provide this information in Section 2 – Offerors Information Questionnaire, Question Set 4.

d. Financial Statement

This competitive solicitation has a standard requirement that all submitted proposals include the Offeror’s financial history. To comply with this requirement, all respondents are to furnish County with financial statements at the time of submittal in order to demonstrate the Offeror's financial capabilities. Failure to provide this information at the time of submittal will result in a recommendation by the Chief Procurement Officer to deem the response as non-responsive.

Each respondent shall submit their most recent two (2) years of annual financial statements for review that shall include the following: 1) Income Statement, and 2) Balance Sheet. County’s preference is that financials be submitted in a comparative format, meaning that the two (2) most recent years are shown side by side. The financial statements are not required to be audited financial statements. If Offeror has been in business for less than the required number of years, then Offeror must disclose for all years of the required period that Offeror has been in business, including any partial year-to-date financial statements. County, during evaluation, may consider the unavailability of the most recent year’s financial statements and whether Offeror acted in good faith in disclosing their financial documents.

Upload the Financial Statement through the Requested Information.

e. References

Offers must provide a minimum of three (3) references from similar projects in Section 2 -Offerors Information Questionnaire, Question Set 3.

Offerors should provide a minimum of three (3) references from similar projects performed within the last three years. In addition include all local government (Southern California) references. Information provided shall include:

1. Client name;

2. Project description;

3. Project dates (starting and ending);

4. Dollar value

5. Staff assigned to reference engagement that will be designated for work per this RFP;

6. Client project manager name and telephone number.

f. Offeror Understanding

Offerors may include an understanding of the County's needs or any other information, deemed necessary, which may not be required in any other section of the RFP.

g. Requirements

Offeror's response shall state on a point-by-point basis whether proposal is in compliance with the requirements/specifications of the RFP (Section 3). Address each item in the order given, identify each response by item number. Submit a full explanation of, and justification for, any exemptions or deviations.

Upload the response to Section 3 through the Requested Information section as a pdf file.

h. Compliance with County Standard Contract Terms and Conditions

Successful Contractor will be required to enter into a written contract.

Offerors shall review the County’s standard contract in Section 4, which shall form the basis for any contract entered into hereunder.

Offerors must state approval of the standard contract, OR provide any comments/exceptions to this contract on a line-by-line basis.

For exceptions, address each item in the order given; identify each response by item number. Any comments/exceptions to this contract must be included in your proposal. Precise substitute wording must be offered in place of the paragraph objected to. It is not sufficient to state merely that an exception is noted to a particular paragraph.

Deviations considered excessive by the County may reduce or eliminate an Offeror.

PLEASE NOTE: The sample standard contract attached to this RFP is a template. Please do not attempt to insert missing information and complete the attached sample. Once a vendor is selected, Procurement will work with the selected vendor to draft a vendor-specific contract.

i. Compensation

Complete Cost Proposal Form (ATTACHMENT B). Proposal pricing shall include everything necessary for completion and fulfillment of the contract.

All other costs must be detailed.

No additional charges (e.g., for transportation, out-of-pocket expenses, etc.)

will be allowed unless so specified herein.

Download Attachment “B” Cost Proposal under Files tab and upload completed document under Requested Information.

j. Payment Terms

Customary terms are Net 30 for work performed. Offerors shall indicate their offered payment terms. Discount for payment in less than 30 days may be considered in the evaluation.

k. Recycled Content Paper Certification

Offerors shall review and complete Attachment C – Recycled Content Paper Policy (SB 1383) and provide the required vendor certification form contained within the attachment.

Download Attachment “C” under Files tab and upload completed document under Requested Information.

2.8 Costs Incurred in Responding

The County of Ventura will not pay any costs incurred in proposal preparation, presentation, demonstration or negotiation, nor does it commit to procure or contract for any services. All costs of proposal preparation shall be borne by the offeror. It is understood that all proposals, inquiries, and correspondence relating to this RFP and all reports, charts, displays, schedules, exhibits, and other documentation will become the property of the County of Ventura when received by the County and may be considered public information under applicable law.

The County assumes no liability for any costs incurred by offerors throughout the entire selection process.

2.9 Addenda

The County will issue written addenda to make changes, additions, or deletions to this solicitation. Oral communications regarding this RFP will NOT be valid or binding, nor excuse the successful Offeror of any obligations hereunder, unless set forth in writing by the County. Addenda will be sent to all known Offerors.

Offerors must acknowledge and return all Addenda on or before the Proposal Submittal Deadline. It is the responsibility of each Offeror to ensure the County of Ventura has their correct business name and address on file. Any prospective Offeror who obtained a copy of the RFP documents from any other source other than the County is responsible for advising the Procurement division that they have said documents and wish to receive subsequent Addenda.

2.10 Nomenclatures

The terms “Successful Offeror, Successful Contractor, and Contractor” may be used interchangeably in these specifications and shall refer exclusively to the Offeror with whom the (Agency) enters into a contract because of this solicitation.

The terms “Proposal/Solicitation/RFP” refer to all proposal documents and related addenda produced by the County and provided to prospective Offerors.

2.11 Confidential and Proprietary Data

All materials received relative to this RFP will be kept confidential, until such time an award is made or the RFP is canceled, at which time all materials received will be made available to the public. Proposals received will be subject to Government Code §6250, the Public Information Act. Under the Act, the County may be obligated to provide a copy of any and all responses to this Request for Proposal, if such requests are made after the contract is awarded.

One exception, to this required disclosure, is information which fits within the definition of a confidential trade secret [Government Code section 6254(k)] or contains other technical, financial or other data whose public disclosure could cause injury to the proposer’s competitive position. If any proposer believes that information contained in its response to this Request for Proposal should be protected from disclosure, the proposer MUST specifically mark the pages of the response that contains the information.

The County will not honor any attempt by the Offeror to designate its entire proposal as proprietary.

2.12 Commitments, Warranty and Representations

The proposal submitted in response to this RFP will be included as part of the final contract. Offerors are cautioned that if a contract is awarded as a result of this procurement process, any written commitment by an offeror within the scope of this procurement shall be binding upon the offeror whether or not incorporated into a contract document. Failure of the vendor to fulfill any such commitment shall render the offeror liable for liquidated or other damages due the County under the terms of the Contract. For the purpose of this procurement, a commitment by a offeror includes:

• Any modification of, or affirmation or representation as to the above, which is made by an offeror in or during the course of negotiation.

• Any representation by an offeror in a proposal, supporting document, or negotiations subsequent thereto as to services to be performed, regardless of the fact that the duration of such commitment may exceed the duration of the contract.

2.13 Proposal Validation/Evaluation/Award

a. Validation

Proposals will be checked for the information required to conform with this RFP. Absence of required information may be cause for rejection.

b. Evaluation

The successful offeror shall be chosen in accordance with, but not limited to, the following criteria:

1. Proven Performance

The offeror’s background, experience, and stability of their company will be assessed. The evaluation will focus on the Offeror’s record of successful service and support to accounts of comparable size and environment. The ability of the offeror will be evaluated in terms of technical resources, staffing, staff experience and facilities.

Client references will be contacted and their responses will become a part of the award/review process.

2. Compliance with Contract Terms and Conditions

The Proposals will be evaluated on the ability to comply with the County’s Contract terms and conditions in Section 4 - Contract Compliance.

3. Plan and Approach

The ability to demonstrate a clear, practical, and effective approach to meeting the requirements and specifications outlined in Section

3.0 Scope of Work, including implementation, ordering and

selection workflows, optional cataloging and processing services, training, support, and performance management.

4. Cost

The Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the offeror’s reasonableness of cost.

c. Award

The County intends to award a contract to a single Offeror; however, the County reserves the right to award multiple contracts if it is determined to be in the best interest of the County. Award(s) will be made to the Offeror(s) offering the most advantageous proposal after consideration of all evaluation criteria set forth herein. The criteria are not listed in any order of preference. An Evaluation Committee will be established by the County.

The Committee will evaluate all proposals received in accordance with the evaluation criteria.

The Evaluation Committee may also contact and evaluate the Offeror’s and subcontractor’s references; contact any Offeror to clarify any response;

contact any current users of an Offeror’s services; solicit information from any available source concerning any aspect of a proposal; and seek and review any other information deemed pertinent to the evaluation process.

The County reserves the right to establish weight factors that will be applied to the criteria depending upon order of importance. Weight factors and summary of evaluation scores will not be released until after award of proposal. The County shall not be obligated to accept the lowest priced proposal, but will make an award in the best interests of the County after all factors have been evaluated.

While the County intends to enter a contract for these services, it will not be bound to do so. The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.

The County shall be the sole judge of the successful offers hereunder. The County reserves the right to award a contract to other than the offeror submitting the lowest total price and to negotiate with any or all Offerors.

Offerors are advised that it is possible that an award may be made without discussion or any contact concerning the proposals received. Accordingly, proposals should contain the most favorable terms from a price and technical standpoint, which the vendor can submit to the County. DO NOT ASSUME that you will be contacted or afforded an opportunity to clarify, discuss, or revise your proposal.

Award will be by means of a written contract with the successful Offeror. A Notification of Intent to Award may be sent to any Offeror selected. Award is contingent upon the successful negotiation of final contract terms.

Negotiations shall be confidential and not subject to disclosure to competing Offerors unless an agreement is reached. If contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully, the County may negotiate with the next highest scoring Offeror or withdraw the RFP.

The County Board of Supervisors must approve all contracts resulting from this Request for Proposal if services exceed $200,000.

2.14 Presentations

Offerors may be invited to make oral presentations to County personnel.

2.15 Site Visits

The County reserves the right to schedule site visits to offeror’s facilities or a current operational site in order to assess the capability and ability of the offeror to fulfill the contract.

2.16 Additional information

If during the evaluation process, the County is unable to determine an offeror’s ability to perform, the County has the option of requesting any additional information which the County deems necessary to determine the offeror’s ability.

The offeror will be notified and permitted five working days to comply with any such request.

2.17 Errors/Defects in Proposals

If discrepancies between sections or other errors are found in a proposal, the County may reject the proposal; however, the County may, at its sole option, correct any arithmetical errors in price.

The County may waive any immaterial deviation or defect in a proposal. The County’s waiver of an immaterial deviation or defect shall in no way modify the RFP documents or excuse the offeror from full compliance with the RFP requirements, if awarded a contract.

2.18 Rejection of Proposals

County reserves the right to reject the proposal of any offeror who:

• previously failed to perform adequately for County or any other governmental agency within the previous twelve (12) months.

• submits false, incomplete, or unresponsive statements in a proposal;

• is in default on the payment of taxes, licenses or other monies due County;

• containing errors or discrepancies.

2.19 Cancellation of RFP

The County reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time, prior to the submittal deadline.

2.20 Protest Procedures

To be considered, protests must be made in writing, signed by Offeror’s authorized representative, and delivered to the County Chief Procurement Officer, County of Ventura Procurement Services, GSA/Procurement, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009-1080.

The following conditions apply to proposal protest:

a. Before Proposal Submittal Deadline. Protests of specifications, terms, conditions or any other aspects of the solicitation must be made before the Proposal Submittal Deadline.

b. After Proposal Submittal Deadline. Protest of award must be made, by Offeror, no later than five (5) calendar days after the notice of intent to award. All protests must include the following information:

1) The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor;

2) The signature of the protestor, or protestor’s authorized representative;

3) The solicitation or contract number; and

4) A detail statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest.

The Procurement Services Manager reserves the right to refuse to hear protestors who have not followed the above procedures.

SECTION 3.0

REQUIREMENTS/SCOPE OF WORK

The requirements described herein represent the County’s anticipated service needs and are considered reasonable to meet the County’s needs. Offeror having alternate proposals to meet these needs, may, after responding to the minimum requirements hereunder, offer alternate service levels for consideration by the County.

3.1 Scope of Work

The following section provides the tasks and responsibilities of the offeror selected under this RFP. These responsibilities are subject to change but provide guidance to interested bidders in preparing a response to this RFP.

3.1.1 Objectives

The County of Ventura, on behalf of Ventura County Library (VCL), is soliciting proposals from qualified offerors to provide public library print materials and related services to support thirteen (13) library locations in Ventura County. The resulting contract(s) will restore and maintain routine purchasing, fulfillment of high demand titles, and ongoing collection support for adult, young adult, and children’s collections.

The County reserves the right to award a contract to a single offeror or to more than one Offeror by category, as needed to ensure availability of required products and services.

3.1.2 General Requirements

A. Materials and Collections

The Offeror shall provide new print materials suitable for public library collections at all age levels, including adult, young adult, and children’s materials. Materials shall include English, Spanish, and bilingual Spanish as requested, and shall include formats such as hardcovers, paperbacks (trade and mass market), library binding, large print, and board books.

B. Selection and Ordering Platform

The Offeror shall provide an online selection and ordering platform accessible via the internet at no additional fee, including provision of user logins and an administrative account for centralized management. At minimum, the platform must support:

1. Individual shopping carts managed under a central administrative structure, including visibility into claims, order status, balances, and statements.

2. Bibliographic detail sufficient for selection, including author, title, edition, publisher, publication date, pages, series, ISBN, binding, format, headings or categories, cover image, availability, pricing, and reviews when available.

3. Duplicate checking against prior orders and a method to check for duplicates against the Library’s public catalog in real time.

4. Searching by common library selectors’ fields (keyword, author, title, publisher, series, ISBN, subject or category, format), with ability to sort results by at least publication date and price, and to support batch ISBN input.

5. Cart sharing and merging options, while maintaining individual user expenditure tracking as needed.

6. Website technical support, including a published support contact method.

C. Ordering, Invoicing, and EDI

The Offeror shall support standard public sector ordering and invoicing requirements, including tax exempt purchasing. Where available, the Offeror shall support electronic ordering and invoicing workflows compatible with the Library’s integrated library system (SirsiDynix Symphony), including any required set-up and testing.

D. Cataloging and Metadata Services (If Proposed by Offeror)

If the Offeror proposes cataloging services, the Offeror shall supply MARC21, RDA compliant bibliographic records suitable for direct loading into the Library’s ILS and shall provide on order records in MARC format when applicable. Records shall conform to MARC21 Format for Bibliographic Data or the current edition of OCLC Bibliographic Formats and Standards.

If the Offeror proposes item records creation, item information shall be provided in a consistent local field structure (VCL uses 949 fields for item data) and shall include, at minimum, barcode, location, collection code, item type, source code, price, call number, and volume or year when applicable. The Offeror shall coordinate file delivery and test loads with County staff.

E. Physical Processing and Shelf Ready Services (If Proposed by Offeror)

If the Offeror proposes processing services, the Offeror shall provide shelf ready processing in accordance with the County of Ventura Library Standard Authority Profile (SAP) and processing specifications, including at minimum barcodes, spine labels, collection labels, ownership marks, and any other physical treatment defined in the SAP.

F. Training and Support

The Offeror should provide training sufficiently to support ordering, billing, receiving, returning, and selection workflows. At minimum, training shall include:

1. Training for the County’s acquisitions and administrative leads on ordering and account workflows.

2. Training for library staff on searching, selecting, and ordering, delivered in scheduled sessions.

G. Information Security Expectations

Because the Offeror will handle cataloging files and may support system integrations, the Offeror shall:

1. Use secure methods for any file transfer and credentialed access for any accounts provided.

2. Limit access to County information to authorized personnel and use least privilege principles.

3. Promptly notify the County of any known or suspected security incident affecting County data, systems, or files exchanged.

4. Comply with applicable County policies and all applicable state and federal requirements related to data protection.

H. SAP Availability for Pricing

Ventura County Library (VCL) will provide the SAP document containing cataloging and processing specifications as an attachment to the RFP or, if not attached, upon award.

Offerors shall price their proposal assuming compliance with Library’s existing cataloging and processing profile requirements, with final specifications confirmed during implementation.

I. Implementation and Timeline

The Offeror shall designate and implementation lead and provide an implementation plan that includes account setup, platform configuration, any required file exchange setup, testing, and staff orientation.

Any schedule presented in the RFP is anticipated only and subject to change. The County may adjust timelines to accommodate internal review, required notices, and labor meet and confer obligations, including AB 339 notice requirements where applicable.

3.1.3 Performance Standards

Offeror performance will be evaluated on an ongoing basis. At a minimum, Offeror shall:

1. Meet agreed service levels for fulfillment, including fill rate targets and acceptable backorder thresholds proposed in the Offeror’s response.

2. Meet agreed timelines from order to shipment and from shipment to receipt, including separate expectations for standard and rush orders if offered.

3. If providing cataloging and processing, conform to the approved SAP profile and meet an agreed error rate threshold.

4. Provide accurate and timely invoices and packing documentation that can be reconciled with orders and County financial requirements.

5. Participate in periodic performance reviews with County staff, including corrective action plans when needed.

3.1.4 Estimated Volume

Estimated annual spend will be provided for planning purposes and does not constitute a guarantee of minimum or maximum purchase levels. Offerors shall propose pricing and discounts consistent with public library purchasing, including discounts from list pricing by category and identification of any separate charges for optional cataloging or processing services.

3.1.5 County Responsibilities

The County will:

1. Provide points of contact for selection, acquisitions, cataloging, and IT coordination.

2. Coordinate required technical configuration with County IT and ILS vendor as applicable.

3. Provide review and feedback on implementation milestones and profile set-up.

3.2 Term

This fixed term Contract shall have an initial term of two (2) years, with the option to renew for up to three (3) additional one (1) year periods, upon mutual agreement of the parties.

Continuation of the contract is subject to the appropriation of funds for such purpose by the Board of Supervisors. If funds to effect such continued payment are not appropriated, County may terminate this project as thereby affected and Contractor will relieve the County of any further obligation therefore.

3.3 Environmental Purchasing Policy

a. It is the policy of the County of Ventura to purchase and use recycled products whenever possible. The County of Ventura will favorably consider the selection of recycled –content and renewable materials, products and supplies over their non-recycled-content and non-renewable alternatives in cases where availability, fitness, health, operational efficiency, quality, safety, and price of the recycled product is otherwise equal to, or better than, the non-recycled-content and /or non-renewable alternative.

Offerors able to supply products containing recycled and environmentally preferable materials that meet performance requirements are encouraged to offer them in their proposals.

Recycled commodities means items that meet Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG). These can be located at http://www.epa.gov.cpg.product.htm.

"Recycled Material" means material and by-products which have been recovered or diverted from solid waste for the purpose of recycling. It does not include those materials and by-products generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process.

"Post-Consumer Recycled Material" means material and by-products which have served their intended end-use by a consumer and have been recovered or diverted from solid waste. It does not include those materials and by-products generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process.

"Environmentally preferable products" means products that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the product.

Offeror shall identify any items that are offered as recycled products.

b. Reporting Requirements

The supplier shall report the total dollar and unit volume of recycled and non-recycled products supplied to each County department during the fiscal year.

This report shall be submitted each year, for the fiscal year ending June 30th, by August 15th. Reporting format and content requirements are provided in Attachment C.

3.4 Business Continuity Plan

In the event of a natural, or man-made, disaster operations for the County and the vendor may be impacted.

Please describe your company’s Business Continuity Plan. Explain how your company has prepared to continue operations, and service/product delivery, in the event of an unforeseen emergency. Also, explain how your company will provide assistance to the County should County operations be impacted by an unforeseen emergency.

http://www.epa.gov/cpg http://www.epa.gov/cpg http://www.epa.gov.cpg.product.htm/

3.5 Non-Collusion

If there is reason to believe that collusion exists among the Offerors, the County may refuse to consider proposals from participants in such collusion. No person, firm, or corporation under the same or different name, shall make, file, or be interested in more than one proposal for the same work unless alternate proposals are called for. A person, firm or corporation that has submitted a sub-proposal to an Offeror, or who has quoted prices on materials to an Offeror, is not thereby disqualified from submitting a sub-proposal or quoting prices to other Offerors.

Offerors shall submit with their proposal an executed Non-Collusion Affidavit – ATTACHMENT “A” Upload to Requested Information.

3.6 Exclusivity

The County is under no obligation to request, utilize or employ any certain extent or number of services, nor is the County restricted, by reason of this contract, from employing personnel for County’s incidental needs by contracting with other contractors/suppliers.

SECTION 4.0 CONTRACT TEMPLATE

COUNTY OF VENTURA CONTRACT NUMBER #XXXX

CONTRACT

This contract (“Contract”) is entered into this X day of X, 2026, by, and between the County of Ventura, a political subdivision of the State of California, hereinafter called “County“ and (vendor name), hereinafter called “Contractor.”

W I T N E S S E T H

WHEREAS, on [DATE], County issued Request for Proposal (“RFP”) No. 6247 for [type of services] and Contractor submitted a proposal on [DATE] [and a best and final offer on DATE]; and

WHEREAS, Contractor represents it is specially trained, experienced, expert and competent to perform the special services hereinafter described, and it is necessary and desirable that County engage Contractor to do so;

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED by the parties as follows:

1. SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED BY CONTRACTOR

Contractor shall perform the services and tasks described in Exhibit A hereto and all services and tasks reasonably necessary for the completion of the same (the “Work”). Contractor shall furnish, at Contractor’s own cost and expense, all personnel, services, tools, vehicles, and equipment or any other materials, necessary to perform the Work. Contractor shall perform, and ensure all subcontractors perform, the Work in a safe, professional, skillful, and workmanlike manner. All Work and any portion thereof separately identified shall be completed within the time provided in Exhibit A.

2. PAYMENTS

In consideration of the services rendered in accordance with all terms, conditions and specifications of this Contract, County will make payment to Contractor in the manner specified in Exhibit B.

3. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

No relationship of employer and employee is created by this Contract, it being understood that Contractor is an independent contractor, and neither Contractor nor any of the persons performing services for Contractor pursuant to this Contract, whether said person be member, partner, officer, employee, subcontractor, or otherwise, will have any claim under this Contract or otherwise against County for any salary, sick leave, vacation pay, retirement benefits, social security, workers' compensation, disability, unemployment insurance benefits, federal, state or local taxes, or other compensation, benefits or taxes of any kind.

It is further understood and agreed by the parties hereto that, except as provided in this Contract, County will have no control over the means or methods by which Contractor will perform services under this Contract.

If, in the performance of this Contract, any third persons are employed by Contractor, such persons will be entirely and exclusively under direction, supervision and control of Contractor. All terms of employment, including hours, wages, working conditions, discipline, hiring and discharging or any other terms of employment or requirements of law, will be determined by Contractor, and County will have no right or authority over such persons or the terms of such employment, except as provided in this Contract.

The Contractor will comply with all of the provisions of the Worker’s Compensation Insurance and Safety Acts of the State of California, the applicable provisions of Division 4 and 5 of the California Labor Code and all amendments, thereto; and all similar State and Federal acts or laws applicable; and will indemnify and hold harmless the County from and against all claims, demands, payments, suits, actions, proceedings and judgments of every nature and description, including attorney’s fees and costs, presented, brought or recovered against the County, for or on account of any liability under any of said Acts which may be incurred by reasons of any work to be performed under this Contract.

Contractor agrees to defend, through attorneys approved by County, indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee (as defined elsewhere herein) from and against all Third-Party Claims (defined elsewhere herein) made against indemnitee based upon any contention by any third party that an employer-employee relationship exists by reason of this contract. Contractor further agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless from and to compensate Indemnitee for any Third-Party Claims against Indemnitee for payment of state or federal income or other tax obligations relating to Contractor’s compensation under the terms of this contract. Contractor will not settle or otherwise compromise a Third-Party Claim covered by this paragraph without County’s advance written approval. This subsection does not apply to any penalty imposed by any governmental agency that is not caused by or the fault of Contractor.

4. NON-ASSIGNABILITY

Contractor will not assign this Contract or any portion thereof, to a third party without the prior written consent of County, and any attempted assignment without such prior written consent will be null and void and will be cause, at County's sole and absolute discretion, for immediate termination of this Contract.

5. TERM

This Contract will be in effect from XXXX _______, through________ subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein.

This Contract may, upon mutual agreement, be extended for up to two (2) additional one (1) year periods.

Time is of the essence in the performance of this contract.

Continuation of the Contract is subject to the appropriation of funds for such purpose by the County’s Board of Supervisors. If funds to effect such continued payment are not appropriated, County may terminate this project as thereby affected and Contractor will relieve County of any further obligation therefor.

6. TERMINATION

The County Purchasing Agent may terminate this Contract at any time for any reason by providing 10 days’ written notice to Contractor. In the event of termination under this paragraph, Contractor will be paid for all work provided to the date of termination, as long as such work meets the terms and conditions of this Contract.

On completion or termination of this Contract, County will be entitled to immediate possession of, and Contractor will furnish on request, all computations, plans, correspondence and other pertinent data gathered or computed by Contractor for this particular Contract prior to any termination. Contractor may retain copies of said original documents for Contractor's files. Contractor hereby expressly waives any and all claims for damages or compensation arising under this Contract except as set forth in this paragraph in the event of such termination.

This right of termination belonging to the County of Ventura may be exercised without prejudice to any other remedy which it may be entitled at law or under this Contract.

7. DEFAULT

If Contractor defaults in the performance of any term or condition of this Contract, Contractor must cure that default by a satisfactory performance within 10 days after service upon Contractor of written notice of the default. If Contractor fails to cure the default within that time, then County may terminate this Contract without further notice.

The foregoing requirement for written notice and opportunity to cure does not apply with respect to paragraph 6 above.

8. INDEMNIFICATION, HOLD HARMLESS AND WAIVER OF SUBROGATION

All activities and/or work covered by this Contract will be at the risk of Contractor alone. Contractor agrees to defend, indemnify, and save harmless the County, including all of its boards, agencies, departments, officers, employees, agents and volunteers (collectively, “Indemnitee”), against any and all claims, lawsuits, judgments, debts, demands and liability (including attorney fees and costs) (collectively, “Third Party Claims”), whether against Contractor, County or others, including without limitation, those arising from injuries or death of persons and/or for damages to property, arising directly or indirectly out of the obligations herein described or undertaken or out of operations conducted or subsidized in whole or in part by Contractor, save and except Third Party Claims litigation arising through the sole negligence or wrongdoing and/or sole willful misconduct of Indemnitee.

Contractor shall not settle or otherwise compromise a Third Party Claim covered by this section without County’s prior written approval. Contractor agrees to waive all rights of subrogation against Indemnitee for losses arising directly or indirectly from the activities and/or work covered by this Contract.

9. INSURANCE PROVISIONS

A) Contractor, at its sole cost and expense, will obtain and maintain in full force during the term of this Contract the following types of insurance:

1) General Liability "occurrence" coverage in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 combined single limit (CSL) bodily injury & property damage each occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, including personal injury, broad form property damage, products/completed operations, and broad form blanket contractual.

2) Workers' Compensation coverage, in full compliance with California statutory requirements, for all employees of Contractor and Employer's Liability in the minimum amount of $1,000,000.

3) Cyber Liability coverage in the minimum amount of $2,000,000 each occurrence and $4,000,000 aggregate.

Does not apply to all contractors.

B) All insurance required will be primary coverage as respects County and any insurance or self-insurance maintained by County will be excess of Contractor’s insurance coverage and will not contribute to it.

C) County is to be notified immediately if any aggregate insurance limit is exceeded. Additional coverage must be purchased to meet requirements.

D) The County of Ventura, Its Boards, Agencies, Departments, Districts, Officers, Employees, Agents, and Volunteers are to be named as Additional Insured as respects work done by Contractor under the terms of this contract on all policies required (except Workers' Compensation).

E) Contractor agrees to waive all rights of subrogation against the County, Its Boards, Agencies, Departments, any applicable Special Districts, Officers, Employees, Agents and Volunteers for losses arising from work performed by Contractor under the terms of this Contract.

F) Policies will not be canceled, non-renewed or reduced in scope of coverage until after sixty (60) days written notice has been given to the County of Ventura, Risk Management Division.

G) Contractor agrees to provide County with the following insurance documents on or before the effective date of this Contract:

1. Certificates of Insurance for all required coverage.

2. Additional Insured endorsement for General Liability Insurance.

3. Waiver of Subrogation endorsement (a.k.a.: Waiver of Transfer Rights of

Recovery Against Others, Waiver of Our Right to Recover from Others) for Workers’ Compensation.

Failure to provide these documents will be grounds for immediate termination or suspension of this contract.

10. NON-DISCRIMINATION

A) General.

No person will on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religious affiliation or non-affiliation, sex, age, handicap, disability, or political affiliation, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits, or be subjected to discrimination under this Contract.

B) Employment.

Contractor will ensure equal employment opportunity based on objective standards of recruitment, selection, promotion, classification, compensation, performance evaluations, and management relations, for all employees under this Contract. Contractor's personnel policies will be made available to County upon request.

11. SUBSTITUTION

If particular people are identified in Exhibit A as working under this Contract, the…