AGENCY27-PURC-6552 Electronic Document Accessibility Remediation Services RFP~2.pdf

Rev. 3/2026- Services

Request for Proposal No. AGENCY27-PURC-

Electronic Document Accessibility Remediation Services

San Bernardino County Purchasing Department

777 E. Rialto Avenue San Bernardino, CA 92415

October 2026

Request for Proposal Electronic Document

Accessibility Remediation Services

No. AGENCY27-PURC-6552

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Purpose The San Bernardino County, Purchasing Department (County), is seeking Proposals from interested and qualified Proposers to provide Electronic Document Accessibility Remediation Services. The number of awards will be determined by the quality of the proposals received.

B. RFP Contact All correspondence, including Proposals and questions (not bid questions), must be submitted to the person identified below (RFP Contact):

San Bernardino County Purchasing Department Attn: Jason Cloninger, Lead Buyer III 777 E. Rialto Avenue San Bernardino, CA 92415-0760

(909) 387-0321 Phone

(909) 387-2666 Fax jason.cloninger@pur.sbcounty.gov Email

Fax number and e-mail address may only be used to submit questions (not bid questions). Proposals will not be accepted by email or facsimile. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the County Electronic Procurement Network (ePro), The completed and signed proposal must be received by the Deadline for Proposals specified in Section II – Proposal Timeline. All Proposers must register with the ePro system prior to the date and time to submit the proposal or they will be disqualified.

C. Reserved

D. Contract Term Services to be provided under this Request for Proposals (RFP) are outlined under Section V, Scope of Work. The Contract period will be for a maximum of 5 years beginning on approximately January 26, 2027, and ending on approximately January 25, 2029 with an option to extend for three additional one-year periods.

E. Reserved

F. Assistance to Proposers with a Disability Proposers with a disability may request accommodation regarding the means of communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more information, contact the RFP Contact no later than ten (10) days prior to the Deadline for Proposals.

II. PROPOSAL TIMELINE

Release of RFP October 23, 2026 Deadline for Submission of Questions 5:00 P.M. PST October 29, 2026 Deadline for Proposals 5:00 P.M. PST November 12, 2026 *If requested* Presentation/Demonstration December 1 & 3, 2026 Date for Tentative Contract Award January 2027

Questions regarding the contents of this RFP must be submitted in writing in ePro on or before the Deadline for Submission of Questions. All questions will be answered, and both the question and answer will be posted as an Addendum to the RFP in ePro.

mailto:jason.cloninger@pur.sbcounty.gov

Request for Proposal Electronic Document

Accessibility Remediation Services

III. DEFINITIONS

Capitalized terms used in this RFP shall have the meanings given to them in the RFP and as defined below:

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title II (42 U.S.C. § 12131 et seq.).

Board: The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Conforming Document: A “conforming document” is a remediated document that (a) passes automated accessibility checking with zero errors (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker and PAC – PDF Accessibility Checker, or equivalent tools appropriate to the file format); (b) passes manual assistive-technology testing for reading order, alternative text quality, table navigation, and form operability; and (c) conforms to all applicable WCAG 2.1 Level A and Level AA success criteria.

Contract: The Contract between the County and the Proposer resulting from the award issued pursuant to this RFP to the successful Proposer.

Contractor: Any individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization to whom a contract award is made by the County. The terms “Vendor” and “Contractor” may be used interchangeably throughout this RFP.

Document: A “document” means a discrete electronic file (e.g., PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file) published or intended for publication on a County website. Documents in scope average approximately

11.5 pages each, but individual documents may range from a single page to several hundred pages.

Facilitator: A County Purchasing Department buyer or designated individual tasked with managing the processes of the evaluation panel.

Page: A “page’ means a single page of an electronic document as rendered (e.g., one page of a PDF file).

Vendors shall confirm their page-counting methodology in their proposals, including how oversized pages, spreadsheets, and non-paginated formats are counted for billing purposes.

Proposal: The offer to provide specific goods or services at specified prices and/or other conditions specified in the RFP.

Proposer: Any individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership, joint venture, or other organization that submits a Proposal in response to this RFP.

Purchasing Agent: The Director of the County Purchasing Department.

Document Remediation: The modification of an existing electronic document so that the document meets the success criteria of WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria and, for PDF documents, the PDF/UA (ISO 14289-

1) standard to the extent consistent with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Remediation under ADA Title II, Rule H and WCAG 2.1 requires, at a minimum, that a document be made Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (the “POUR” principles, such that individuals with disabilities – including users of screen readers and other assistive technologies – can access the document’s content with substantially equivalent ease of use.

• Applying a correct, complete, and logical tag structure that reflects the document’s reading order and semantic structure (headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, and figures).

• Provide meaningful alternative text for all informative images, figures, charts, graphics, and marking decorative elements as artifacts.

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Accessibility Remediation Services

• Ensuring a logical reading order and programmatically determinable structure.

• Tagging data tables with proper header cells, scope, and associations; remediating complex tables so row/column relationships are programmatically determinable.

• Creating accessible, fillable form fields with programmatic labels, tooltips, and logical tab order for any interactive forms.

• Applying Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to scanned or image-only documents so that all text is machine-readable and searchable.

• Ensuring sufficient color contrast and that color is not the sole means of conveying information.

• Setting document properties, including a descriptive document title, primary language, and language of parts where the language changes.

• Providing descriptive link text and functional, correctly tagged hyperlinks.

• Creating navigational aids such as bookmarks for lengthy documents.

• Ensuring the document does not contain content that flashes more than three times per second.

• Verifying conformance using both automated checkers and manual testing with assistive technology

(e.g., screen readers such as Job Access With Speech (JAWS) or Non-Visual Desktop Access

(NVDA).

Request for Proposal (RFP): The request for an offer from Proposers interested in providing the identified services sought to be procured by the County. The RFP specifies the evaluation factors to be used and contains or incorporates by reference contractual terms and conditions applicable to the procurement.

Rule H: Subpart H of ADA Title, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) regulations at Section 35.200 et seq.

Services: The requested services described in this RFP.

Subcontractor: An individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization, not in the employment of or owned by Contractor who is performing services on behalf of Contractor under the Contract or under a separate contract with or on behalf of Contractor.

Title II: Title II of the ADA, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) regulations at 28 C.F.R.

Part 35.

WCAG 2.1: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, Level AA as developed, endorsement and published by the World Wide Web Consortium.

IV. PROPOSAL CONDITIONS

A. Authorized Signatures

All proposals must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the Proposer to the provisions of the

RFP.

B. Term of Offer

Proposals shall remain open, valid and subject to acceptance anytime within nine (9) months after the Proposal submission.

C. Required Review Proposers should carefully review this RFP for defects and questionable or objectionable material.

Comments from Proposers concerning defects and objectionable material in this RFP must be made in writing and received by the RFP contact prior to the deadline for submission of questions identified in Section II or at least ten (10) calendar days before the Deadline for Proposals (whichever occurs last).

Request for Proposal Electronic Document

Accessibility Remediation Services

This will allow issuance of any necessary amendments or addendums to the RFP. It will also help prevent the opening of a defective RFP and exposure of Proposals upon which an award could not be made.

Protests based on any omission or error, or on the content of this RFP, may be disallowed if not submitted in writing to the attention of the RFP Contact, prior to the deadline for submission of questions identified in Section II or at least ten (10) calendar days before the Deadline for Proposals (whichever occurs last).

D. Incurred Costs

The County is not obligated to pay any costs incurred by Proposer in the preparation of a Proposal in response to this RFP. Proposers agree that all costs incurred in developing a Proposal are the Proposer’s responsibility.

E. Amendments/Addendums to RFP The County reserves the right to issue amendments or addendums to this RFP if the County considers that changes are necessary or additional information is needed.

Changes to a Proposal or withdrawal of a Proposal will only be allowed if a request is received prior to the Deadline for Proposals. No amendments or withdrawals will be accepted after the Deadline for Proposals.

F. Best Value Evaluation As established in this RFP, the County realizes that criteria other than price are important and will award contract(s) based on the Proposal that best meets the needs of the County. The County seeks the optimal combination of quality, price, and various qualitative elements of the required Services that will provide the County the greatest or best value for its money.

G. Right of Rejection Offers must comply with all of the terms of the RFP, and all applicable local, state, and federal laws, codes, and regulations. The County may reject as non-responsive any Proposal that does not comply with all of the material and substantial terms, conditions, and performance requirements of the RFP.

Further, the County may reject a proposal from any entity that is a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary, or that is under common ownership, control, or management with any other entity submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP.

A Proposer may not qualify the Proposal nor restrict the rights of the County. If Proposer does so, the Proposal may be determined to be a non-responsive counter-offer and the Proposal may be rejected.

No Proposal shall be rejected, however, if it contains a minor irregularity, defect or variation. If the irregularity, defect or variation is considered by the County to be immaterial or inconsequential, the County may choose to accept the Proposal.

Minor irregularities may be waived by the Purchasing Agent when they are any of the following:

1. Do not affect responsiveness;

2. Are merely a matter of form or format;

3. Do not change the relative standing or otherwise prejudice other offers;

4. Do not change the meaning or scope of the RFP;

5. Are trivial, negligible, or immaterial in nature;

6. Do not reflect a material change in the work; or

7. Do not constitute a substantial reservation against a requirement or provision.

In such cases the Proposer will be notified of the deficiency in the Proposal and given an opportunity to correct the irregularity, defect or variation or the County may elect to waive the deficiency and accept the Proposal. The decision to provide a waiver shall in no way modify or compromise the overall purpose of the submittal, nor excuse the Proposer from compliance with all requirements if awarded a Contract.

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Accessibility Remediation Services

This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract. The County reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals if it is in the best interest of the County to do so. The County also reserves the right to terminate this RFP process at any time.

H. Local Preference

San Bernardino County has adopted a Local Preference Policy. A local preference of five percent (5%) shall be applied in the cost evaluation of proposals or bids for goods, services, equipment, or a minor public work project, unless an exemption applies. In a price-based bid, five percent (5%) will be deducted from the local vendor’s proposed cost for the purpose of comparison when the local vendor’s proposed cost is not the lowest. If the local vendor’s bid is equal to or lower than the price of an otherwise successful non-local vendor after the 5% preference is applied, the local vendor will be given the opportunity to match the lowest quoted price. In a best value evaluation, five percent (5%) of the awardable points for cost will be added to the local vendor’s score. If the local vendor’s overall score is equal to or lower than that of an otherwise successful nonlocal vendor, the local vendor will be recommended for award.

“Due to the evaluation of qualitative elements along with cost in a best value evaluation, application of local preference for cost proposals may not result in award to a local vendor with the lowest cost after applying local preference.”

Local Vendor - A local vendor is any vendor, contractor or consultant (hereafter “vendor”) that meets all of the following requirements:

1. Vendor’s main office (headquarters) or a major regional office is located within the County;

2. Vendor employs a minimum of 25% of the vendor’s full-time management employees and 25% of its full-time regular employees working from the San Bernardino County location(s);

3. Vendor employs one full-time or two part-time employees with primary residence in the County;

4. Vendor’s “point of sale” for purposes of reporting sales tax to the State Board of Equalization is within the boundaries of the County. The payment of any local share of sales tax must go to the County or a city within the County. If the local business has more than one sales office in the State of California, the office located in the County shall be the point of sale for sales tax calculation;

5. Vendor is not delinquent in any taxes or other payments to the County;

6. Vendor possesses a valid and verifiable business license (if required);

7. Vendor has been open and established for at least six months prior to the issuance of the solicitation;

8. Vendor can demonstrate on-going business activity in the field of endeavor on which they are proposing from that office during the preceding six months;

9. Vendor has not within five years prior to the solicitation admitted guilt or been found guilty by any court or state or federal regulatory enforcement agency of violation of any criminal law or any law or regulation regarding fraud;

10. Vendor is not federally debarred; and

11. Vendor is not suspended or debarred from participation in doing business with the County, in the scope of work that is the subject of the solicitation.

12. Local Vendor Self-certification – Documentation provided

Local Vendor self-certification form is required for any bid or proposal when a local preference is claimed affirming that it meets each of the above stated criteria, and signed by a vendor representative with the authority to obligate the company under penalty of perjury. (See Attachment)

I. Clarification of Offers In order to determine if a Proposal is reasonably susceptible for award, communications by the Facilitator for the evaluation panel are permitted with a Proposer to clarify uncertainties or eliminate confusion concerning the contents of a Proposal. Clarifications may not result in a material or substantive change

Request for Proposal Electronic Document

Accessibility Remediation Services to the Proposal. The evaluation by the panel may be adjusted as a result of a clarification under this section.

J. Public Records Act All Proposals and other material submitted become the property of the County and are subject to release according to the California Public Records Act (Government Code § 7920.000). All Proposal information, including cost information, will be held in confidence during the evaluation and negotiation process.

Thereafter, Proposals are subject to becoming a non-exempt public record.

If a Proposer believes that any portion of its Proposal is exempt from public disclosure, it must indicate the specific portions believed to be confidential and not subject to disclosure on Attachment I - Public Records Act Exemptions. The Proposer also must include a brief description that sets out the reasons for exemption from disclosure. Each stated exemption must include a citation to supporting legal authority, including statutory authority or case law, to support exemption from the Public Records Act. Requested exemptions that do not meet the requirements of this section will not be considered.

The County will use reasonable means to ensure that such information is safeguarded, but will not be held liable for inadvertent disclosure of the information. Proposals marked “Confidential” in their entirety will not be honored, and the County might not deny public disclosure of any portion of Proposals so marked.

By submitting a Proposal with portions identified in Attachment I as “Confidential,” Proposer represents that it has a good faith belief that such portions are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act. Proposer may be requested to obtain legal protection from disclosure should a Public Records Act request be received. In the event the County does not disclose the information marked “Confidential,” Proposer agrees to reimburse the County for, and to indemnify, defend (with counsel approved by County) and hold harmless the County, its officers, employees, agents, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, suits, judgments, fines, penalties, costs and expenses, including without limitation, attorneys’ fees, expenses and court costs of any nature arising from or relating to the County’s non-disclosure of any such designated portions of a Proposal.

K. Employment of Former County Officials Information must be provided in Attachment G regarding former County Administrative Officials (as defined below) who are employed by or represent Proposer. The information provided must include a list of former County Administrative Officials who terminated County employment within the last five years and who are now officers, principals, partners, associates or members of Proposer and should also include the employment and/or representative capacity and the dates these individuals began employment with or representation of Proposer. For purposes of this section, “County Administrative Official” is defined as a member of the Board of Supervisors or such member’s staff, Chief Executive Officer or member of such officer’s staff, County department or group head, assistant department or group head, or any employee in the Exempt Group, Management Unit or Safety Management Unit.

Failure to provide this information may result in the Proposal being deemed non-responsive.

L. Reserved

M. Disclosure of Criminal and Civil Proceedings The County reserves the right to request the information described herein from the Proposer selected for Contract award. Failure to provide the information may result in a disqualification from the selection process and no award of Contract to the Proposer. The County also reserves the right to obtain the requested information by way of a background check performed by an investigative firm. The selected Proposer may also be asked to provide information to clarify initial responses. Negative information provided or discovered may result in disqualification from the selection process and no award of Contract.

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Accessibility Remediation Services

The selected Proposer may be asked whether the firm, or any of its partners, principals, members, associates or key employees (as that term is defined herein), within the last ten years, has been indicted on or had charges brought against it or them (if still pending) or convicted of any crime or offense arising directly or indirectly from the conduct of the firm’s business, or whether the firm, or any of it partners, principals, members, associates or key employees, has within the last ten years, been indicted on or had charges brought against it or them (if still pending) or convicted of any crime or offense involving financial misconduct or fraud. If the response is affirmative, the Proposer will be asked to describe any such indictments or charges (and the status thereof), convictions and the surrounding circumstances in detail.

In addition, the selected Proposer may also be asked to disclose whether the firm, or any of its partners, principals, members, associates or key employees, within the last ten years, has been the subject of legal proceedings as defined herein arising directly from the provision of services by the firm or those individuals. “Legal proceedings” means any civil actions filed in a court of competent jurisdiction, or any matters filed by an administrative or regulatory body with jurisdiction over the firm or the individuals. If the response is affirmative, the Proposer will be asked to describe any such legal proceedings (and the status and disposition thereof) and the surrounding circumstances in detail.

For purposes of this provision “key employees” includes any individuals providing direct service to the County. “Key employees” do not include clerical personnel providing service at the firm’s offices or locations.

N. Debarment and Suspension; California Secretary of State Business Entity Registration.

Proposer certifies in Attachment D that neither it nor its principals or subcontractors are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency. (See Attachment D and the following United States General Services Administration’s System for Award Management website https://www.sam.gov). Proposer also certifies in Attachment D that if it or any of the subcontractors listed in the Proposal are business entities that must be registered with the California Secretary of State, they are registered and in good standing with the Secretary of State.

O. Unsatisfactory Performance Proposer affirms that it has no record of unsatisfactory performance with the County in the twenty-four

(24) month period immediately preceding the date of issuance of this RFP.

P. Final Authority The final authority to award a contract(s) as a result of this RFP rests solely with the County Board of Supervisors, or as delegated by the Board of Supervisors.

V. SCOPE OF WORK

A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

San Bernardino County is geographically the largest County in the continental United States, covering 20,106 Square Miles. The County borders Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange counties and the States of Arizona and Nevada, with the northern end in the Mojave Desert.

The County is seeking proposals from qualified Proposers to provide electronic document accessibility remediation services. The services described in this Scope of Work (SOW) are required to bring County electronic documents into conformance with the accessibility requirements of Rule H, which adopts https://www.sam.gov/

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Accessibility Remediation Services

WCAG 2.1 as the technical standard for state and local government websites and mobile apps through which they provide services, programs, and activities.

On April 24, 2024, the DOJ published a final rule establishing WCAG 2.1, Level AA as the enforceable technical standard for the web content and mobile applications of state and local government entities. On April 20, 2026, the DOJ published an interim final rule extending the compliance date for public entities with a total population of 50,000 or more from April 24, 2026, to April 26, 2027. San Bernardino County is subject to the April 26, 2027 compliance date. Notwithstanding the extension, the County’s general nondiscrimination and effective-communication obligations under Title II remain in effect, and the County intends to proceed with remediation without delay.

County departments publish documents to the public via County-managed WordPress websites and related web properties. A substantial inventory of legacy documents does not currently conform to WCAG 2.1, and departments continue to generate new documents on an ongoing basis. This SOW covers both

(a) remediation of the legacy document backlog and (b) ongoing remediation of newly published documents.

B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1. The purpose of this SOW is to procure document remediation services that will:

• Remediate the County’s legacy backlog of non-conforming electronic documents to WCAG

2.1 or higher.

• Establish an ongoing remediation service for newly created documents published by County departments, at an estimated average volume of 95 documents per week.

• Provide predictable per-page pricing, defined turnaround times, and verifiable conformance levels.

• Establish secure, well-defined document intake and return workflows between the County and the Vendor.

• Provide documentation and reporting sufficient for the County to demonstrate compliance efforts under ADA Title II.

Regulatory Framework and Applicable Standards Vendor services and deliverables shall conform to the following authorities and standards, as amended:

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title II (42 U.S.C. § 12131 et seq.).

• DOJ Title II regulations, 28 C.F.R Part 35, including Subpart H (Web and Mobile Accessibility), adopting WCAG 2.1 Level AA; County compliance date of April 26, 2027, per the DOJ Interim Final Rule published April 20, 2026 (91 Fed. Reg. 20902).

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA (World Wide Web Consortium Recommendation, June 5, 2018) or higher.

• PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1) for PDF deliverables, to the extent consistent with WCAG 2.1 Level

AA.

• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d) and the Revised 508 Standards (36 C.F.R. Part 1194), as a reference framework where applicable.

• California Government Code § 7405 and § 11135, and Unruh Civil Rights Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 51), as applicable to California public entities.

Where standards conflict, the more stringent accessibility requirement shall govern unless the County directs otherwise in writing.

2. Phase 1 - Legacy Document Backlog Remediation The Vendor shall remediate the County’s existing backlog of non-conforming documents. The current backlog inventory is summarized below. The inventory excludes documents that individual County

Request for Proposal Electronic Document

Accessibility Remediation Services departments have elected to remediate internally or through separately engaged remediation vendors.

Backlog Metric Quantity Notes

Legacy pages requiring remediation 109,331 Subject to adjustment

Legacy documents requiring remediation 9,478 Across multiple County departments

Average pages per document 11.5 Individual documents vary widely

Backlog Adjustment. The legacy backlog quantities above are estimates and may adjust as departments evaluate their documents and need for remediation services. Proposers shall structure pricing so that the County pays only for pages actually submitted and remediated; the County does not guarantee any minimum volume.

2.1 Phase 2 – Ongoing Remediation of Newly Created Documents

County departments collectively created and posted approximately 758 new documents to County WordPress sites over the most recent two-month period, an average of approximately 95 documents per week. Following the compliance deadline, all newly published documents must conform to WCAG

2.1 at the time of posting. The Vendor shall provide an ongoing remediation service to process new documents on a recurring basis for the duration of the contract term. Proposers shall describe how they will accommodate week-to-week volume fluctuations, including surge periods (e.g., budget season, emergency communications, County programs) that may substantially exceed a weekly average.

2.2 In-Scope Document Types and Source Formats

In-scope documents originate from multiple County departments and include, without limitation:

reports, forms (static and fillable), meeting agendas and minutes, policies and procedures, brochures and flyers, presentations, spreadsheets, maps and diagrams, scanned/image-only documents, and multi-language documents. Anticipated source formats include PDF (native and scanned), Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx), Microsoft Excel (.xls/.xlsx), Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt/.pptx), and legacy formats.

Proposers shall identify in their proposals all formats they accept, all formats they do not accept, and any surcharges associated with specific formats or document characteristics (see Attachment M – Required Proposer Response (Clarifying Questions).

3. Outside of SOW

• Remediation of live web pages (HTML), web applications, or mobile applications (unless proposed as an optional service).

• Documents that County departments remediate internally or through other vendors.

• Content creation, translation, or substantive editing of document text beyond what remediation requires.

• Documents excepted from remediation under Rule H, as determined by the County.

4. Document Intake, Submission, and Return Requirements

Proposals must clearly and completely describe its document intake and return processes.

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4.1 Submission Method

• The required method(s) by which the County will transmit documents to the Vendor: secure online portal, SFTP, API integration, cloud storage (e.g., SharePoint/OneDrive, Azure Blob), physical media (e.g., encrypted external drives), or other. Identify the primary method and all supported alternatives.

• Whether the Vendor provides a self-service portal for County staff to upload documents, track status, and retrieve completed files, and whether portal access can be provisioned for multiple departments with role-based permissions.

• Any file-size limits per document, per batch, or per transfer session.

• Whether the Vendor can integrate directly with County WordPress environments or content repositories for automated intake of newly posted documents, and any additional costs of such integration.

4.2 Volume Limitations

• Any limitations on the number of documents or pages the County may submit per day, per week, or per month.

• The Vendor’s maximum sustained monthly throughput capacity (in pages), and maximum surge capacity.

• How the Vendor will queue, prioritize, and schedule the legacy backlog alongside the ongoing weekly volume, and whether the County may designate priority/rush documents.

4.3 Turnaround Time and Return of Remediated Documents

• Standard turnaround time (in business days) from receipt of a document to return of the remediated document, state by document size tier (e.g., 1-10 pages, 11-50 pages, 51-100 pages, 100+ pages).

• Expedited/rush turnaround options and associated pricing.

• Proposed turnaround for the legacy backlog, including a projected completion schedule

(pages per month) that achieves full backlog remediation in advance of the April 26, 2027, compliance date.

• The method by which remediated documents are returned, the file naming/versioning convention used, and how remediated files are matched to source files.

• Remedies available to the County, including service credits, if turnaround commitments are not met.

5. Conformance Level, Quality Assurance, and Acceptance

5.1 Required Conformance Level

Proposer shall state, as a contractual commitment, the level and percentage of WCAG 2.1 conformance the County can expect for returned documents. The County’s target is 100% conformance with all applicable WCAG 2.1 success criteria for every returned document, verified by both automated and manual testing. Proposers whose service levels are lower than 100% shall state their committed conformance rate, the method by which conformance is measured, and their process and pricing (if any) for correcting non-conforming documents returned by the County.

5.2 Quality Assurance Methodology

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Proposals shall describe the Vendor’s quality assurance (QA) methodology, including:

• Automated validation tools used (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker, PAC – PDF

Accessibility Checker, CommonLook, axe, or equivalent) and the pass criteria applied.

• Manual testing procedures, including assistive-technology testing (e.g., JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver) and the percentage of documents subject to full manual review versus sampling.

• Whether remediation is performed by trained human specialists, automated/AI tooling, or a combination, and the human QA applied to any automated output.

• Staff qualifications and certifications (e.g., IAAP CPACC/WAS/CPWA, ADS certification) and the location of remediation staff (onshore/offshore).

5.3 Compliance Documentation Reporting

• Per-document conformance certification or compliance report identifying the standard(s) met and validation results.

• Monthly summary reporting: documents/pages received, completed, in progress, rejected, turnaround performance, and conformance rates.

• Any available Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR/VPAT) documentation for the Vendor’s own portal or tools.

5.4 Acceptance and Rework

The County will perform acceptance testing on a sample of returned documents. Documents that fail to meet the committed conformance level shall be corrected by the Vendor at no additional cost within a stated rework turnaround. Proposers shall state their warranty period for remediated documents and their policy for documents later found non-conforming by County testing, third party audit, or complaint. Accessibility defects are considered non-conforming, non-compliant, and may result in delay in payment. The Vendor shall warrant all remediated documents for a minimum period of ninety

(90) calendar days from the date of acceptance by the County. Any document identified by the County as non-conforming during the warranty period shall be corrected by the Vendor at no additional cost within three (3) business days for standard documents and five (5) business days for documents exceeding 100 pages.

6. Security, Confidentiality, and Data Handling

Although in-scope documents are generally intended for public posting, submissions may transit County systems and may occasionally include drafts or documents containing personally identifiable information (PII). Proposers shall describe:

• Data security controls for documents in transit and at rest (encryption standards, access controls, and relevant certifications or attestations (e.g., SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001).

• Where documents are stored and processed (data residency), and whether any work is performed or accessed outside of the Continental United States (“CONUS”).

• Data retention and destruction practices for source and remediated files following contract completion, with certification of destruction upon County request.

• Breach notification procedures and timelines.

• Willingness to execute the County’s standard confidentiality, data-handling, indemnification and insurance provisions.

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Regarding Data Residency, Security, and Compliance Requirements. Consider: All County documents must be stored, processed, and transmitted exclusively within the continental United States. No offshore storage, processing, or access is permitted. Vendor must maintain SOC 2 Type II certification or ISO 27001 certification for the full duration of the contract and provide current audit reports annually.

All data must be encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2 or higher) and at rest (AES-256 or equivalent). Vendor shall document its retention and destruction practices and certify destruction of County files upon request or upon contract termination.

7. Contractor’s Platform

For automated output resulting from Contractor’s platform, Contractor shall be responsible for the code, navigation menus, and overall framework, ensuring that their platform supports the County’s scope of work. Contractor shall fix any accessibility bugs in Contractor’s software at Contractor’s own expense. Future software updates must not break or remove any existing accessibility features.

Should the Contractor’s platform fail a final accessibility test, County maintains the right to delay the launch of the platform.

VI. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

A. General

1. All interested and qualified Proposers are invited to submit a Proposal for consideration. Submission of a Proposal indicates that the Proposer has read and understands the entire RFP, including all appendixes, attachments, exhibits, schedules, and addenda (as applicable) and that all concerns regarding the RFP have been resolved.

2. Proposals must be received by the designated date and time. All Proposers must register with the ePro system prior to the date and time to receive the proposal or they will be disqualified.

Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted. Electronic response must be submitted through the San Bernardino County Electronic Procurement Network (ePro) https://epro.sbcounty.gov/bso/view/login/login.xhtml. System-related issues in ePro shall be directed to the Purchasing Department at (909) 387-2060. For procurement questions involving ePro, please contact the RFP Contact identified in Section I, Paragraph B - RFP Contact.

3. The Proposer acknowledges that its electronic signature is legally binding. Submittals in ePro will be opened from the system’s encrypted lock box after the deadline and evaluated as stated in this RFP.

4. Reserved

5. Proposals must be submitted in the format described below. Proposals are to be prepared in such a way as to provide a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP.

6. Proposals must be completed in all respects as required in this section. A Proposal may not be considered if it is conditional or incomplete.

B. Proposal Format Responses to this RFP must be in the form of a Proposal package, which must be submitted in the following format:

1. Presentation https://epro.sbcounty.gov/bso/view/login/login.xhtml

Request for Proposal Electronic Document

Accessibility Remediation Services

Format the Proposal to fit on an 8-½ v 11 sheet of paper with margins of at least ¾ inches. Text should be single spaced and font size should be no smaller than 11 point. Each page, including attachments, must be clearly and consecutively numbered.

2. Cover Page Use Attachment A as the cover page.

This form must be fully completed and signed by an authorized officer of the Proposer.

3. Table of Contents All pages of the Proposal, including the enclosures, must be clearly and consecutively numbered and correspond to the Table of Contents.

4. Statement of Certification

Include the following on Attachment B:

a. A statement that the offer made in the Proposal is firm and binding for nine (9) months from the

Deadline for Proposals.

b. A statement that all aspects of the Proposal, including cost, have been determined independently, without consultation with any other Proposer (competitor) for the purpose of restricting competition.

c. A statement that all declarations in the Proposal and attachments are true and that this shall constitute a warranty, the falsity of which will entitle the County to pursue any remedy by law.

d. A statement that the Proposer agrees that all aspects of the RFP and the Proposal submitted shall be binding if the Proposal is selected and a Contract awarded.

e. A statement that the Proposer agrees to provide the County with any other information the County determines is necessary for an accurate determination of the Proposer’s ability to perform the Services as proposed.

f. A statement that the Proposer, if selected will comply with all applicable rules, laws and regulations.

g. A statement that the Proposer has reviewed the RFP and General Contract Terms in their entirety and have no exceptions to any requirements, terms or conditions, except as noted in Attachment H.

5. Statement of Experience and Qualifications

Include the following in this section of the Proposal:

a. Business name of the Proposer and type of legal entity such as corporation, partnership, etc. If

Proposer is a business entity that must be registered with the California Secretary of State, Proposer shall provide the County the entity number assigned to it by the Secretary of State.

b. Number of years the Proposer has been in business under the present business name, as well as related prior business names.

c. Statement that the Proposer does not have any commitments or potential commitments that may impact the Proposer’s ability to perform the Contract, if awarded.

d. Statement of experience with similar services including examples of success with meeting accessibility requirements.

6. Licenses, Permits, and/or Certifications

Provide copies of all licenses, permits and/or certifications in Attachment C as required under Section X. TERMS AND CONDITIONS Paragraph A, 22.

7. Financials Provide Proposer’s Annual Report for the previous two years. Proposer must also include independently audited financial statements for the most recent completed fiscal year. If audited

Request for Proposal Electronic Document

Accessibility Remediation Services financial statements are not available, please provide un-audited financial statements along with a certification from the Proposer’s accountant that the information accurately reflects the Proposer’s current financial status. If the Proposer is a sole proprietorship, please provide Schedule C of the Internal Revenue Service forms as well as a certification from the owner and the accountant that the information accurately reflects the Proposer’s current financial status.

8. Project Team Organization Chart Provide an organization chart illustrating the project team, and clearly show the organization of the team and the hierarchy of the members. It must include:

a. Organizational framework for the proposed project team.

b. Company name and staff name for each role identified in the chart.

c. Resumes of key personnel, including qualifications, certifications, education and project experience

9. Proposal Description The Proposal should include the following:

a. A brief synopsis of the Proposer’s understanding of the County’s needs and how the Proposer plans to meet them.

b. A detailed statement of the proposed Services including:

- All document formats accepted;

- A detailed description of the Proposer’s document intake and return processes;

- A description of the Proposer’s required document transmission methods, file size limits, and whether a self-service portal will be provided; and

- A detailed description of the Proposer’s QA methodology.

c. An explanation of any assumptions or constraints.

d. Sample reports as described in the SOW.

10. Work Plan and Schedule

Include the following:

a. Summary of management/work plan for this Project including week-to-week volume fluctuation management.

b. Project schedule for the existing backlog.

11. Certification Regarding Debarment or Suspension

Complete Attachment D

12. Cost Complete proposed pricing on Attachment E.

13. References Provide three (3) references from other entities, preferably public agencies, of same or similar size as the County, with whom you have established a contract on a project of this nature within the past three years. Provide Contact Name, Address, Phone Number, email, and dates Services were provided on Attachment F.

14. Former County Officials Complete Attachment G.

15. Exceptions to RFP Complete Attachment H.

16. Public Records Act Exemptions

Request for Proposal Electronic Document

Accessibility Remediation Services

Complete Attachment I – Public Records Act Exemptions if applicable.

17. Indemnification and Insurance Requirements Affidavit Submit evidence of ability to insure as stated in Section X, Paragraph B – Indemnification and Insurance Requirements. Proposer must complete and submit Attachment J – Indemnification and Insurance Requirements Affidavit, and ensure the form is complete, including the signature from Proposer’s insurance broker/agent.

18. Clarifying Questions Complete Attachment M.

VII. EVALUATION

Proposals will be subject to an Initial Review to confirm responsiveness, by determining whether each Proposal includes the stipulated content, required certifications or licensing, etc., and is presented in the required format, in order for the Proposal to advance for evaluation. Any reasonable person reviewing for responsiveness must be able to ascertain that the Proposal meets these requirements.

The evaluation process includes the following categories, and may include additional specific criteria.

Likewise, the listed considerations are possible considerations, and may not be the only factors involved in the evaluation.

A. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Weight: 40 Points Total Experience performing large-scale accessibility remediation projects for government or similarly regulated organizations, including references and demonstrated success. Ability to consistently deliver WCAG 2.1 compliant documents through documented QA processes, testing, certifications, and remediation expertise.

Considerations:

• Experience with large-scale accessibility remediation (15 points)

• Quality and relevance of references, including past performance, similar government projects, similar size, and public sector clients (5 points)

• Demonstrated success meeting WCAG 2.1 compliance (10 points)

• Staff certifications (CPACC, WAS, CPWA, ADS), training, and accessibility specialization, including automated testing tools, manual accessibility testing, screen reader testing (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver), and acceptance testing support. Minimum requirement: Vendor’s remediation staff must hold one or more of the following recognized accessibility certifications:

IAAP CPACC, IAAP WAS, IAAP CPWA, or equivalent accessibility qualifications. Vendors shall identify all certified staff in their Proposal, listing the associated certifications, and provide documentation upon request. (10 points)

B. TECHNICAL APPROACH & UNDERSTANDING

Weight: 25 Points Total Demonstrated understanding of the project objectives, remediation methodology, workflow, backlog strategy, and ongoing service model. An excellent proposal demonstrates a comprehensive, well-organized methodology that minimizes County effort while ensuring predictable delivery.

Considerations:

• Soundness, clarity, and completeness of proposed methodology that demonstrates a clear understanding of ADA Title II and DOJ requirements, and WCAG 2.1 remediation (10 points)

• Backlog remediation strategy with a feasible schedule (5 points)

• Ongoing weekly volume process and surge handling (5 points)

Request for Proposal Electronic Document

Accessibility Remediation Services

• Workflow structure minimizing County effort (intake and return workflows, priority/rush document handling) (5 points)

C. SECURITY & DATA PROTECTION

Weight: 20 Points Total Security controls, confidentiality, data handling, compliance certifications, breach response, and secure workflows. Reporting capabilities, conformance documentation, performance metrics, warranty, rework process, and contract compliance.

Considerations:

• Security certifications (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, conformance certifications) (6 points)

• Data residency/handling (U.S. only) and confidentiality protections (6 points)

• Privacy, encryption, and destruction protocols (4 points)

• Clarify and completeness of breach response and reporting procedures (Monthly reporting, per-document compliance reports, SLA reporting, rework tracking, performance metrics, VPAT/ACR documentation, and warranty administration) (4 points)

D. CAPACITY, STAFFING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, AND COST

Weight: 15 Points Total

Staffing levels, surge capacity, production schedule, turnaround times, backlog completion strategy, and project management approach. Overall cost, pricing transparency, and value to the County.

Considerations:

• Staffing model, dedicated project manager, quality control staffing, production and surge capacity (3 points)

• Turnaround times, backlog completion plan, communication plan, escalation procedures (4 points)

• Pricing transparency to include per-page pricing, rush pricing, format surcharges, structure, and overall value (8 points)

The County may, at its sole discretion, create a shortlist of Proposals for further evaluation; require an oral interview, presentation, or demonstration; and utilize outside experts to assist in the evaluation process;

and/or issue a request for Best and Final Offer (BAFO) from one or more Proposers.

The County will establish an evaluation panel with responsibility for reviewing all Proposals and conducting the evaluation. A Facilitator will manage the integrity of the evaluation process and will not be a voting member of the evaluation panel.