902636_RFP_Executive_Recruitment_Pool.docx

COUNTY OF ALAMEDA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL No. 902636 for

Executive Recruitment Pool

For complete information regarding this project, see Request for Proposal (RFP) posted at County of Alameda Procurement Portal [https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/acgov] or contact the County representative listed below.

Thank you for your interest!

Contact Person: Kevin Bailey Phone Number: (510) 208-9631 Email Address: kevin.bailey@acgov.org General Services Agency (GSA) – Procurement

RESPONSE DUE

by 2:00 p.m.

on September 22, 2025 through Alameda County, GSA-Procurement County of Alameda Procurement Portal https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/acgov

Alameda County is committed to reducing environmental impacts across our entire supply chain. Please print only what you need, print double-sided, and use recycled-content paper if printing this document.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL No. 902636

EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT POOL

TO ATTEND ONLINE:

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Written Questions Due via the “Question & Answer” tab of this project in the County of Alameda Procurement Portal August 26, 2025 by 5:00 p.m.

Response Due and Submitted through County of Alameda Procurement Portal

September 22, 2025 by 2:00 p.m.

Followed immediately by online Public Bid Opening which can be joined here:

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NOTE: All dates are tentative and subject to change.

Alameda County Vendor Outreach

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

TO ATTEND ONLINE:

Vendor Outreach Call-in: +1 415-915-3950 Conference ID: 504 517 635#

COME MEET ALAMEDA COUNTY’S

PROCUREMENT TEAM!

This public event is not specific to any RFP, where vendors can speak with GSA professionals, get to know them, and learn more about contracting opportunities with the County.

These are usually conducted on Wednesdays. Dates and locations can be confirmed by checking at Upcoming Events [https://gsa.acgov.org/do-business-with-us/upcoming-contracting-events/]

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL No. 902636

SPECIFICATIONS, TERMS & CONDITIONS

for

EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT POOL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ATTACHMENTS

EXHIBIT A Bid Response Packet

STATEMENT OF WORK

INTENT

It is the intent of these specifications, terms, and conditions to describe the executive recruitment services pool being requested by the County.

The County intends to award a three (3)-year contract (with the option to renew for two [2] years) to a pool of up to nine (9) Bidders selected as the most responsible Bidders whose responses conform to the RFP and meet the County’s requirements.

SCOPE/BACKGROUND

The County of Alameda Human Resource Services (HRS) department is seeking to establish a pool of qualified contractors to provide executive recruiting services for the County. The selected contractors will assist HRS in recruiting and hiring for executive-level positions throughout the County as such positions become available.

The contractors selected for this pool will be pre-approved vendors, from which HRS may choose when the need arises to recruit for executive-level roles. This arrangement will ensure a streamlined process for sourcing candidates for executive positions as they become vacant. When executive recruitments are required, the County will provide the specific requirements for the project to the pool of contractors, who will respond with the number of billable hours and the total estimated turnaround time to complete the recruitment. Total cost, turnaround time, and the specific expertise of the particular Contractor will be the deciding factors in determining who HRS assigns for each recruitment project. HRS has sole discretion regarding which Contractor may be assigned for a particular project. No minimum or maximum payments to the pool of Contractors are guaranteed or implied.

BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

BIDDER Minimum Qualifications Bidder must be regularly and continuously engaged in the business of providing executive recruiting services for at least three (3) years, which must be clearly stated or demonstrated in the bid response. OR Bidder must possess all permits, licenses, and professional credentials necessary to supply products and perform services specified under this RFP. Unless noted otherwise in the RFP, including any Addendum, Bidder is not required to submit copies or verification of the permits, licenses and credentials; however, Bidder must provide such proof if requested by County.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Service Requirements: Contractor must provide executive recruitment services, including, but not limited to, the following:

Candidate Sourcing and Outreach: Contractor must identify and engage potential candidates for executive-level positions through various channels, including, but not limited to: professional networks, industry-specific platforms, and direct outreach.

Candidate Screening and Assessment:

Contractor must conduct initial screenings of candidates to assess qualifications, experience, and fit for the specific executive-level role.

Contractor must administer any relevant assessments or tests required for the role, such as leadership evaluations or personality assessments.

Interview Coordination and Support:

Contractor must coordinate interview schedules between candidates and the HRS department.

Contractor must provide support during interview processes, including preparing interview materials and conducting preliminary interviews if necessary.

Reference and Online History Checks: Contractor must perform comprehensive reference and online history checks of publicly available information to verify candidates’ qualifications and suitability for the executive position.

Offer Negotiation and Final Placement:

Contractor must assist with the negotiation of compensation packages and contract terms.

Contractor must support HRS with the final placement and onboarding of the selected executive candidate.

Ongoing Support: Contractor must provide ongoing support throughout the placement process, including facilitating communication between the selected candidate and HRS until the candidate is successfully onboarded.

General Requirements: As part of their bid response, Contractor must clearly describe or demonstrate the following:

Contractor must clearly describe their experience with recruiting for executive-level positions, particularly within local government or similar sectors, including successful placement of candidates in executive positions.

Contractor must clearly describe their overall recruitment process, approach, and methodology, including sourcing strategies, candidate evaluation methods, and tools used for screening and assessment.

Contractor must clearly describe their ability and strategies to attract a diverse and qualified pool of candidates.

Contractor must clearly demonstrate an understanding of the unique needs of the County and the types of executive roles commonly required, including familiarity with local government operations and challenges.

Contractor must clearly describe how they will comply with all applicable laws and regulations related to executive recruitment and non-discriminatory hiring practices.

Contractor must clearly describe their commitment to confidentiality and the ethical handling of sensitive candidate information.

Contractor must clearly describe their ability to fulfill recruitment needs in a timely and efficient manner.

Contractor must clearly describe the availability of staff and resources to manage multiple executive recruitment projects concurrently, as needed.

DELIVERABLES / REPORTS

The Contractor selected for a specific recruitment must provide the following deliverables to the County throughout the recruitment process:

Develop an ideal candidate profile;

Develop a recruitment plan;

Conduct the recruitment process (which must include, but not be limited to: conducting outreach, screening applications, and determining the best qualified candidate);

Conduct the selection process;

Prepare a written summary of the most favorable candidates;

Conduct online history, background, and reference checks of top candidates;

Schedule and conduct multiple phases of interviews as needed; and Finalize selection and notify candidates.

BIDDERS CONFERENCE/VENDOR OUTREACH

The Bidders Conference held on the date specified in the Calendar of Events will have online conference capabilities for remote participation. Bidders can opt to participate via a computer with a stable internet connection (the recommended Bandwidth is 512Kbps) at:

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Information regarding the RFP will be presented during the conference(s). To get the best experience, the County recommends that Bidders who participate remotely use equipment with audio output such as speakers, headsets, or a telephone.

1. Bidders Conference(s) will be held to:

Provide an opportunity for Small Local Emerging Businesses (SLEBs) and large firms to network and develop subcontracting relationships to participate in the contract(s) that may result from this RFP.

Provide an opportunity for Bidders to request clarification on this RFP and ask specific questions about the project, goods, and services.

Provide the County with an opportunity to receive feedback related to this RFP.

The Bidders Conference Attendees List will be released in a separate document.

Written questions submitted by the stated deadline will be addressed in a posted RFP Questions and Answers (Q&A) following the Bidders Conference(s). Should there be a need to amend or revise the RFP, an Addendum will be issued. Any verbal statements, including at any Bidders Conference(s) are not binding. Only the written documents will be binding.

Questions regarding these specifications, terms, and conditions are to be submitted in writing through the “Question & Answer” tab of this project in the County of Alameda Procurement Portal by 5:00 p.m. on the date specified in the Calendar of Events.

Attendance at the Bidders Conference and Vendor Outreach are highly recommended but are not mandatory. Vendors who attend the Bidders Conference will be added to the Vendor Bid List.

COUNTY PROCEDURES, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS

EVALUATION CRITERIA / SELECTION COMMITTEE

1. Initial Evaluation (Completeness of Response and Debarment and Suspension). All proposals will first be reviewed to determine if they pass the initial Evaluation Criteria (Section A), which are determined on a pass/fail basis.

2. Evaluation by County Selection Committee. All proposals that have passed the initial Evaluation Criteria will be evaluated by a County Selection Committee (CSC). The CSC may be composed of County staff and other parties that may have expertise or experience related to the goods or services that are being procured. The CSC will score the proposals according to the Evaluation Criteria set forth in this RFP. Other than the initial pass/fail Evaluation Criteria, the evaluation of the proposals will be within the sole judgment and discretion of the CSC.

3. Unrealistic Bids. Bidders should bear in mind that any proposal that is unrealistic in terms of the technical or schedule commitments or unrealistically high or low in cost may be deemed reflective of an inherent lack of technical knowledge or indicative of a failure to comprehend the complexity and risk of the County’s requirements as set forth in this RFP.

4. Price Discrepancy. In the case of a discrepancy between the unit price and an extension, the unit price will be used for evaluation purposes.

5. Evaluation Criteria Descriptions. The items listed in the Evaluation Criteria should be considered as minimum requirements. All information contained in a proposal and presented in vendor interviews (if there are interviews) will be considered during the evaluation process and included in scoring within the appropriate Evaluation Criteria.

6. Evaluation Scores. Proposals will be evaluated and scored on the zero to five-point scale within each Evaluation Criteria below. Scores for all Evaluation Criteria (see the section below) will then be added, according to their assigned weight (below), to arrive at a weighted score for each proposal. A proposal with a higher-weighted total will be deemed of higher quality than a proposal with a lesser-weighted total.

7. Shortlist Process. The evaluation process may include a two-stage approach including a preliminary evaluation of the written proposal and preliminary scoring to develop a shortlist of Bidders that will continue to the final stage of optional vendor interview, and reference checks. The preliminary scoring will be based on the total points, excluding any points allocated to references, and optional vendor interview. The fifteen (15) Bidders receiving the highest preliminary scores may advance to the next evaluation phase. All other Bidders will be deemed eliminated from the process. All Bidders will be notified of the shortlist participants; however, the preliminary scores at that time will not be communicated to Bidders.

8. Reference Checks. The County reserves the right to conduct reference check(s) on all Bidders who submitted a bid proposal. The CSC will then score the reference check(s), as identified in the Evaluation Criteria below, which will then be included in the final score.

9. Optional Vendor Interviews. The County may in its sole discretion, conduct vendor interviews. Should the County opt to conduct a vendor interview, the interview may include responding to standard and specific questions from the CSC regarding the Bidders’ proposal. Whether or not a shortlist process is used, the score of any evaluation criterion below may be revised or informed based on the vendor interview.

10. Final Score. The final maximum score for any procurement is 550 points, including the possible 50 points for local and small, local and emerging, or local preference points (maximum 10% of the final score; derived from 5% for local preference and 5% for either Small and Local or Emerging and Local preference). Proposals will be ranked by their final scores.

a. Without Vendor Interview. In procurements where there are no vendor interviews, the score received by the evaluation of the written proposal with the references score added will be the final score.

b. With Vendor Interview. In procurements where there are vendor interviews, the CSC will consider the interview and may adjust the scores received by the evaluation of the written proposal which, with the reference scores added, will be the final score.

11. Contact During Evaluation Process. All contact during the evaluation phase must be through the GSA-Procurement department only. Bidders must neither contact nor lobby CSC during the evaluation process. Attempts by Bidders to contact and/or influence members of the CSC may result in disqualification of Bidders.

12. Determining Award. As a result of this RFP, the County intends to award a contract to the highest-ranked responsible Bidder(s), as determined by the combined weight of the Evaluation Criteria, whose response conforms to the RFP and whose bid presents the greatest value to the County considering all Evaluation Criteria. The combined weight of the Evaluation Criteria is greater in importance than the cost in determining the best value to the County. The County may award a contract of higher qualitative competence over the lowest priced response.

13. The zero to five-point scale range is defined as follows:

14. The Evaluation Criteria and their respective weights are as follows:

Responses to this RFP must be complete. Responses must address all the requirements identified within this RFP and all related documents, including any Addenda. Failure to meet the Bidder Minimum Qualifications may also be considered an incomplete response and may result in the disqualification of the Bidder.

Pass/Fail

Debarment and Suspension:

Bidders, its principal, and named subcontractors are not identified on the list of Federally debarred, suspended, or other excluded parties located at www.sam.gov/SAM.

Pass/Fail

The points for Cost will be computed by dividing the amount of the lowest responsive and responsible bid received by each Bidder’s total proposed cost.

Cost evaluation points may be adjusted by considering:

1. Reasonableness (i.e., how well does the proposed pricing accurately reflect the Bidder’s effort to meet requirements and objectives?).

2. Realism (i.e., is the proposed cost appropriate to the nature of the products and/or services to be provided?).

20 Points

Proposals will be evaluated considering the RFP specifications, Bidder’s response submitted in the corresponding section of Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, and the questions below:

Specific Requirements:

1. How well has the Bidder described how they will identify and engage potential candidates for executive-level positions through various channels, including, but not limited to: professional networks, industry-specific platforms, and direct outreach?

2. How well has the Bidder described how they will conduct initial screenings of candidates to assess qualifications, experience, and fit for specific executive-level roles?

3. How well has the Bidder described how they will administer any relevant assessments or tests required for the role(s), such as leadership evaluations or personality assessments?

4. How well has the Bidder described how they will coordinate interview schedules between candidates and the HRS department?

5. How well has the Bidder described how they will provide support during interview processes, including preparing interview materials and conducting preliminary interviews if necessary?

6. How well has the Bidder described how they will perform comprehensive reference and online history checks of publicly available information to verify candidates’ qualifications and suitability for the executive position?

7. How well has the Bidder described how they will assist with the negotiation of compensation packages and contract terms?

8. How well has the Bidder described how they will support HRS with the final placement and onboarding of the selected executive candidate(s)?

9. How well has the Bidder described how they will provide ongoing support throughout the placement process, including facilitating communication between the selected candidate and HRS until the candidate is successfully onboarded?

Deliverables/Reports:

1. How well has the Bidder described how they will provide the following deliverables to the County during the recruitment process?

Develop an ideal candidate profile;

Develop a recruitment plan;

Conduct the recruitment process (which must include, but not be limited to: conducting outreach, screening applications, and determining the best qualified candidate);

Conduct the selection process;

Prepare a written summary of the most favorable candidates;

Conduct online history, background, and reference checks of top candidates;

Schedule and conduct multiple phases of interviews as needed; and Finalize selection and notify candidates.

25 Points

Proposals will be evaluated considering the RFP specifications, Bidder’s response submitted in the corresponding section of Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, and the questions below:

1. How well has the Bidder described their overall recruitment process, approach, and methodology, including sourcing strategies, candidate evaluation methods, and tools used for screening and assessment, and how applicable is this to fulfilling the County’s requirements?

2. How well has the Bidder described their ability and strategies to attract a diverse and qualified pool of candidates?

3. How well has the Bidder demonstrated an understanding of the unique needs of the County and the types of executive-level roles commonly required, including familiarity with local government operations and challenges?

4. How well has the Bidder described their understanding of, and how they will comply with, all applicable laws and regulations related to executive recruitment and non-discriminatory hiring practices?

5. How well has the Bidder described their commitment to confidentiality and the ethical handling of sensitive candidate information?

6. How well has the Bidder described their ability to fulfill recruitment needs in a timely and efficient manner?

7. How well has the Bidder described the availability of staff and resources to manage multiple executive recruitment projects concurrently, as needed?

25 Points

Proposals will be evaluated considering the RFP specifications, Bidder’s response submitted in the corresponding section of Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, and the questions below:

1. How well has the Bidder described their experience in recruiting for executive-level positions, particularly within local government or similar sectors, and how applicable is that experience to fulfilling the County’s requirements?

2. How well has the Bidder described their track record of successfully placing candidates in executive-level positions?

3. How extensive is the applicable education and experience of the personnel designated to work on the project?

20 Points

Should the County opt to conduct a vendor interview, the interview may include responding to standard and specific questions from the CSC regarding the Bidder’s proposal. Whether or not a shortlist process is used, the scores of any evaluation criterion above may be revised or informed based on the vendor interview.

Vendor Interview may be used to revise / inform scores of criteria above

SMALL LOCAL EMERGING BUSINESS PREFERENCE

1. CONTRACT EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT

During the initial 120-day period of any contract awarded, the County may review the proposal, the contract, any goods or services provided, and/or meet with the Contractor to identify any issues or potential problems.

The County reserves the right to determine, at its sole discretion, whether:

The Contractor has complied with all terms of this RFP and the contract; and Any problems or potential problems with the proposed goods and/or services were evidenced, which makes it unlikely (even with possible modifications) that such goods and/or services have met or will meet the County requirements.

If, as a result of such determination, the County concludes that it is not satisfied with the Contractor’s performance under any awarded contract and/or Contractor’s goods and services as contracted for therein, the Contractor may be notified that the contract is being terminated. The Contractor must be responsible for returning County facilities to their original state at no charge to the County. The County will have the right to invite the next qualified Bidder(s) to enter into a contract. The County also reserves the right to re-bid this project if it is determined to be in its best interest to do so. The County’s right to go to the next qualified Bidder(s) and/or rebid is not limited by the award of a contract or the 120-day period.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

At the conclusion of the RFP response evaluation period, all Bidders will be notified in writing by email or US Postal Service mail of the contract award recommendation, if any, by GSA-Procurement. The document providing this notification is the Notice of Intent to Award/Non-Award.

The Notice of Intent to Award/Non-Award will provide the following information:

The name(s) of the Bidder(s) being recommended for contract award; and The names of all other parties that submitted proposals.

The submitted proposals will be made available upon request no later than five calendar days before approval of the award and contract is scheduled to be considered by the Board of Supervisors.

BID PROTEST / APPEALS PROCESS

The County of Alameda prides itself on the establishment of fair and competitive contracting procedures and the commitment made to follow those procedures. The following is provided in the event that Bidders wish to protest the bid process or appeal the recommendation to award a contract once the Notices of Intent to Award/Non-Award have been issued. Bid protests submitted prior to issuance of the Notices of Intent to Award/Non-Award will not be accepted by the County.

Any bid protest must be submitted in writing by 5:00 p.m. on the SEVENTH (7th) calendar day following the date of issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award/ Non-Award, not the date received by the Bidder. The bid protest must be submitted to the office that has been designated for review of protests for this procurement (the Protest Evaluator). For this procurement, the Protest Evaluator is:

GSA–Office of Acquisition Policy ATTN: Contract Compliance Officer 1401 Lakeside Drive, 10th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612 Email: GSA-BidProtests@acgov.org

A bid protest received after 5:00 p.m. is considered received as of the next calendar day. A protest received after 5:00 p.m. on the SEVENTH (7th) calendar day following the date of issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award/Non-Award will not be considered under any circumstances by the Protest Evaluator or their designee.

Generally, the County will promptly send an email acknowledging receipt of the protest; it is the responsibility of the protestor to confirm that the protest was timely received.

The bid protest must contain a complete statement of the reasons and facts for the protest.

The protest must refer to the specific portions of all documents that form the basis for the protest.

The protest must include the name, address, email address, and telephone number of the person submitting the protest on behalf of the protesting party.

The Contract Specialist will send a notification to Bidders if a protest is received.

The Protest Evaluator, or their designee, will review and evaluate the protest and issue a written decision. The Protest Evaluator may, at its discretion, do any of the following: investigate the protest, obtain additional information, provide an opportunity to settle the protest by mutual agreement, and/or schedule a meeting(s) with the protesting Bidder and others (as appropriate) to discuss the protest. The decision on the bid protest must be final prior to the Board hearing.

A notification of the decision will be communicated by email and/or US Postal Service mail to the protestor. Notification will be provided to Bidders when a decision has been made on the protest and whether or not the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors in the Notice of Intent to Award/ Non-Award will stand.

The decision on the bid protest by the Protest Evaluator may be appealed to the Auditor-Controller's Office of Contract Compliance & Reporting (OCCR) located at 1221 Oak St., Room 249, Oakland, CA 94612, Email: OCCR@acgov.org, unless the OCCR determines that it has a conflict of interest in which case an alternate will be identified to hear the appeal and all steps to be taken by OCCR will be performed by the alternate. The Bidder whose bid is the subject of the protest, all Bidders affected by the Protest Evaluator's decision on the protest, and the protestor have the right to appeal if they feel the Protest Evaluator's decision is incorrect. All appeals to the Auditor-Controller's OCCR must be in writing and submitted within SEVEN (7) calendar days following the issuance of the decision, not the date the decision is received by the Bidder. An appeal received after 5:00 p.m. is considered received as of the next calendar day. An appeal received after 5:00 p.m. on the SEVENTH (7th) calendar day following the date of issuance of the decision by the Protest Evaluator will not be considered under any circumstances by the Auditor-Controller OCCR or their designee.

The appeal must specify the decision being appealed and all the facts and circumstances relied upon in support of the appeal.

In reviewing protest appeals, the OCCR will not re-judge the proposal(s). The appeal to the OCCR must be limited to a review of the procurement process to determine if the contracting department materially erred in following the bid or, if applicable, County contracting policies or other laws and regulations.

The appeal to the OCCR must be limited to the grounds raised in the original protest and the written decision by the Protest Evaluator. As such, a Bidder is prohibited from stating new grounds for a Bid protest in its appeal.

The Auditor’s Office may overturn the results of a bid process for ethical violations by Procurement staff, County Selection Committee members, subject matter experts, or any other County staff managing or participating in the competitive bid process, regardless of timing or the contents of a bid protest.

The finding of the Auditor-Controller’s OCCR is the final step of the appeal process. A copy of the finding of the Auditor-Controller’s OCCR will be furnished to the protestor.

The finding on the appeal must be issued before a recommendation to award the contract is considered and contract awarded by the Board of Supervisors.

The procedures and time limits set forth in this section are mandatory and are each Bidder's sole and exclusive remedy in the event of a bid protest. A Bidder’s failure to timely complete both the bid protest and appeal procedures will be deemed a failure to exhaust administrative remedies. Failure to exhaust administrative remedies, or failure to comply otherwise with these procedures, will constitute a waiver of any right to further pursue the bid protest, including filing a Government Code Claim or legal proceedings.

TERM / TERMINATION / RENEWAL

The contract term, which may be awarded pursuant to this RFP, will be three (3) years.

By mutual agreement, any contract, which may be awarded pursuant to this RFP, may be extended for an additional two (2) years.

The County has and reserves the right to suspend, terminate or abandon the execution of any work, services and/or providing of goods by the Contractor without cause at any time upon giving the Contractor prior written notice. In the event that the County should abandon, terminate or suspend the Contractor’s work, services and/or providing of goods, the Contractor will be entitled to payment for services provided hereunder prior to the effective date of said suspension, termination, or abandonment. The County may terminate the contract at any time for cause without written notice upon a material breach of contract or substandard or unsatisfactory performance by the Contractor. In the event of termination with cause, the County reserves the right to seek any and all damages from the Contractor. In the event of such termination, with or without cause, the County reserves the right to invite the next highest-ranked Bidder to enter into a contract or rebid the project if it is determined to be in its best interest to do so.

BRAND NAMES AND APPROVED EQUIVALENTS

Any references in this RFP, including Addendum and other documents, to manufacturers’ trade names, brand names, and/or catalog numbers are intended to be descriptive but not restrictive unless otherwise stated and are intended to indicate the quality level desired. Unless otherwise noted, Bidders may offer any equivalent product that meets or exceeds the specifications; however, if the County, in its sole discretion, determines the product proposed is not equivalent, the Bid may be disqualified, or a lower score awarded by the CSC. Bids based on equivalent products must:

Clearly describe the alternate offered and indicate how it differs from the product specified; and Include complete descriptive literature and/or specifications as PDF attachments to the online bid submission as proof that the proposed alternate will be equal to or better than the product named in this RFP.

The County reserves the right to be the sole judge of what is equal and acceptable. It may require Bidders to provide additional information and/or samples or disqualify the bid proposal.

If Bidders do not specify otherwise, it is understood that the referenced brand will be supplied.

QUANTITIES

Quantities listed herein are estimates and are not to be construed as a commitment. No minimum or maximum is guaranteed or implied.

PRICING

All pricing as quoted will not increase, but except as noted below, remain fixed and firm for the term of any contract that may be awarded as a result of this RFP.

Unless otherwise stated, Bidder agrees that, in the event of a price decline, the benefit of such a lower price will be extended to the County.

Reasonable price increases or decreases for subsequent contract terms may be negotiated between Contractor and County after completion of the initial term.

Taxes and freight charges:

All prices are to be Freight On Board (F.O.B.) destination. Any freight/delivery charges are to be included in the bid price.

The County is soliciting a total price for this project. The price(s) quoted must be the total cost the County will pay for this project, including all taxes (excluding Sales and Use taxes) and all other charges.

No charge for delivery, drayage, express, parcel post packing, cartage, insurance, license fees, permits, costs of bonds, or for any other purpose, except taxes legally payable by the County, will be paid by the County unless expressly included and itemized in the bid proposal.

Amount paid for the transportation of property to the County of Alameda is exempt from Federal Transportation Tax. An exemption certificate is not required where the shipping papers show the consignee as Alameda County as such papers may be accepted by the carrier as proof of the exempt character of the shipment.

Articles sold to the County of Alameda are exempt from certain Federal excise taxes. If applicable, and upon request, the County will furnish an exemption certificate.

All prices quoted must be in United States dollars.

Price quotes must include any and all payment incentives available to the County.

In the evaluation of cost, if applicable, it will be assumed that the unit price quoted is correct in the case of a discrepancy between the unit price and an extension, and the Bidder must honor the unit price quoted.

Federal and State minimum wage laws apply. The County has no requirements for living wages. The County is not imposing any additional requirements regarding wages.

AWARD

Most Responsive and Responsible Bidder(s)

a. The award will be made to the highest-ranked Bidder(s) who meet the requirements of these specifications, terms, and conditions.

b. Awards may also be made to the subsequent highest ranked Bidder(s) who will be called in order should the County need to contract with another Bidder(s).

c. An award will be recommended for the Bidder(s) that submitted the proposal(s) that best serves the overall interests of the County by attaining the highest overall point score. The award may not necessarily be made to the Bidder(s) with the lowest price.

Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) Program Small and Emerging Locally Owned Business: The County is vitally interested in promoting the growth of small and emerging local businesses by means of increasing the participation of these businesses in the County’s purchase of goods and services.

As a result of the County’s commitment to advancing the economic opportunities of these businesses, Bidders must meet the County’s Small and Emerging Locally Owned Business requirements in order to be considered for the contract award. These requirements can be found online at:

Alameda County SLEB Program Overview [http://acgov.org/auditor/sleb/overview.htm]; and Alameda County SLEB Program Additional Information [https://gsa.acgov.org/do-business-with-us/vendor-support/small-local-and-emerging-businesses/] For purposes of this procurement, applicable industries include, but are not limited to, the following North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code(s): 561312.

A small business is defined by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) as having no more than the number of employees or average annual gross receipts over the last three years required per SBA standards based on the small business's appropriate NAICS code.

An emerging business is defined by the County as having either annual gross receipts of less than one-half that of a small business OR having less than one-half the number of employees AND that has been in business less than five years.

If a Bidder is certified by the County as either a small and local or an emerging and local business (SLEB), the County will provide up to 5% bid preference for procurements over $25,000.

If a Bidder is located within Alameda County, the County may provide a 5% local bid preference.

County Rights The County reserves the right to reject any or all responses that materially differ from any terms contained in this RFP, including Exhibits and any Addendums, to waive informalities and minor irregularities in responses received, and to provide an opportunity for Bidders to correct minor and immaterial errors contained in their submissions. The decision as to what constitutes a minor irregularity will be made solely at the discretion of the County.

Any bid proposals that contain false or misleading information may be disqualified by the County.

The County reserves the right to award to a single or multiple Contractors.

The County reserves the right to conduct additional procurements for the same or similar goods and/or services or to award to additional contract(s), including to other Bidder(s), during the term of the contract if it determines that additional Contractors are needed to supplement goods and/or services being provided.

The County has the right to decline to award this contract or any part thereof for any reason.

Procedures

a. Board approval to award a contract is required.

b. A contract must be fully executed by the recommended awardee and the County prior to any services and goods being provided or work being performed.

c. The County uses its Standard Services Agreement terms and conditions for purchases and services. Any terms that are not acceptable to a Bidder must be identified on the Exceptions and Clarifications form in Exhibit A - Bid Response Packet. Bidder may access a copy of the Standard Services Agreement template at:

Alameda County Standard Services Agreement Template [https://acgovt.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/GSADigitalLibrary/EeGBnUyJSMFBoXqtvbj7ly0BqycT5J83NKyIV19tLO6-yA?e=YwGjFP] The template contains minimal standard language and specific contract terms, including the scope of services that may be drafted and negotiated based on this RFP and the bid proposal(s).

d. The RFP specifications, terms, conditions, Exhibits, RFP Addenda, and Bidder’s proposal may be incorporated into and made a part of any contract that may be awarded as a result of this RFP.

METHOD OF ORDERING

A written Purchase Order (PO) will be issued after an executed contract and Board approval. If there is any conflict in terms of any PO and the executed contract, the contract will control, even if a PO is issued later. Payment cannot be made to any Contractor until a PO is issued.

POs and payments for goods and/or services will be issued only in the name of the Contractor, as identified on the contract.

The Contractor must adapt to changes to the method of ordering procedures as required by the County during the term of the contract.

Any change orders must be agreed upon in writing by Contractor and County and issued as needed by County.

INVOICING

Contractor must invoice the requesting department, unless otherwise directed by County, upon satisfactory receipt of goods and/or performance of services.

County will use reasonable efforts to make payment within 30 days following receipt and review of invoice and complete satisfactory receipt of goods and/or performance of services.

County will notify the Contractor of any adjustments or corrections that must be made to receive payment on an invoice.

Invoices submitted by the Contractor must contain the County PO number, invoice number, remit to address, itemized goods and/or services description, and price as quoted and must be accompanied by an acceptable proof of delivery and any other information requested by the County.

Contractor must utilize a standardized invoice format upon request.

Invoices must be issued by, and payments made to, the Contractor who is awarded a contract.

The County will pay the Contractor, after receipt and approval of an invoice, monthly or as agreed upon, not to exceed the total contract amount. The County will not pay for goods and/or services in advance.

In the event the Contractor’s performance and/or deliverable goods have been deemed unsatisfactory by a review committee, the County reserves the right to withhold future payments until the performance and/or deliverable goods are deemed satisfactory.

ACCOUNT MANAGER / SUPPORT STAFF

The Contractor must provide dedicated support staff to be the primary contact for all issues regarding the response to this RFP and any contract which may arise pursuant to this RFP.

Contractor must also provide adequate, competent support staff that will be able to service the County during normal working hours, Monday through Friday, or as otherwise identified in this RFP. Such representative(s) must be knowledgeable about the contract, products, and/or services offered and able to identify and resolve quickly any issues, including but not limited to order and invoicing problems.

Contractor must provide a dedicated, competent account manager who will be responsible for the County account/contract and receive all orders. Contractor account manager must be familiar with County requirements and standards and work with the Alameda County Human Resource Services department to ensure that established standards are adhered to. This includes keeping the County Contract Administrator informed of department requests as needed.

INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

COUNTY CONTACTS

1. GSA-Procurement is managing the competitive process for this project on behalf of the County. All contact during the competitive process is to be through the GSA-Procurement department only. Any communication regarding this RFP with other County personnel may result in disqualification.

2. The evaluation phase of the competitive process will begin upon receipt of sealed bid proposals and continue until a contract has been awarded.

3. Contact Information for this RFP:

Kevin Bailey, Procurement & Contracts Specialist Alameda County, GSA-Procurement 1401 Lakeside Drive, 10th Floor Oakland, CA 94612 Email: kevin.bailey@acgov.org Phone: (510) 208-9631

4. The GSA Contracting Opportunities website and County of Alameda Procurement Portal will be the official notification posting place of all bid documents related to this RFP. Each Bidder is responsible for checking the website for any Addendums and other notices related to this RFP. Go to Alameda County Current Contracting Opportunities [https://gsa.acgov.org/do-business-with-us/contracting-opportunities/] and County of Alameda Procurement Portal [https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/acgov] to view the posting for this RFP and other current contracting opportunities..

SUBMITTAL OF PROPOSALS

Document Submittal All proposal documents must be completed, successfully uploaded, and submitted online through County of Alameda Procurement Portal BY 2:00 p.m. on the due date specified in the Calendar of Events. The County strongly recommends uploading early; technical difficulties in downloading/submitting documents through the County of Alameda Procurement Portal will not extend the due date and time. No hardcopy, email (electronic), or facsimile proposals will be considered.

Bidders must submit an electronic version of their proposal in a PDF file, preferably a single file if 20 MB or less.

The submitted proposal must conform to and include Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, as amended or revised by Addendum, including additional required documentation. A Bidder may be disqualified if the most current version of Exhibit A, as revised and published through Addenda, is not used.

In whole or in part, proposal responses are NOT to be marked confidential or proprietary. The County may refuse to consider any proposal or part thereof so marked. Bid proposals submitted in response to this RFP may be subject to public disclosure, even if marked confidential or proprietary. The County will not be liable in any way for disclosure of any such records. Please refer to the County’s website at Alameda County Proprietary and Confidential Information Policies [https://gsa.acgov.org/do-business-with-us/contracting-opportunities/policies-procedures/proprietary-confidential-information/].

For the proposals to be considered complete, the Bidder must provide responses to all information requested in Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, as revised by any Addenda.

Bidders must submit pricing in the County of Alameda Procurement Portal.

Submissions Processes

a. All costs required for the preparation and submission of a proposal must be borne by the Bidder.

b. Only one bid proposal will be accepted from any one person, partnership, corporation, or other entity; however, several alternatives may be included in one response. For purposes of this requirement, “partnership” will mean, and is limited to, a legal partnership formed under one or more of the provisions of California or other state’s Corporations Code or an equivalent statute.

c. The final award information will be posted on the County’s “Contracting Opportunities” website and County of Alameda Procurement Portal.

d. The County reserves the right to reject any proposal.

e. All bid proposals must remain open to acceptance and irrevocable for a period of not less than 180 days unless otherwise specified in the bid documents.

Legal Requirements

a. “In submitting a bid to a public purchasing body, the Bidder offers and agrees that if the bid is accepted, it will assign to the purchasing body all rights, title, and interest in and to all causes of action it may have under Section 4 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. or under the Cartwright Act (Chapter 2, commencing with Section 16700, of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code), arising from purchases of goods, materials, or services by the Bidder for sale to the purchasing body pursuant to the bid. Such assignment shall be made and become effective at the time the purchasing body tenders final payment to the Bidder”. (California Government Code Section 4552).

b. By submitting a bid proposal, the Bidder…