Request For Proposal

RFP #17546

for

Electronic Adjudication Management System

Modernization System (EAMS) - Claims

STATE OF CALIFORNIA Department of Industrial Relations

January 2, 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Notice To Prospective Proposers

Electronic Adjunct Management System (EAMS) Modernization – Claims

January 02, 2026

You are invited to review and respond to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), Secondary Request for Proposal (RFP), entitled “Electronic Adjudication Management System (EAMS) Modernization – Claims,” RFP #17546. The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) requests that in submission of your

Proposal, you comply with the following instructions.

Note that all Agreements entered into with the State of California will include by reference the State’s General

Terms and Conditions (GTC 02/20/2025) which may be viewed and downloaded at the Internet site https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-

Folder/Standard-Contract-Language. If you do not have internet access, a hard copy can be provided by contacting the person listed below.

In the opinion of DIR, this RFP is complete and without need of explanation. However, if you have questions, or should you need any clarifying information, the contact person for this RFP is:

Katonya Shaw Procurement Officer

Department of Industrial Relations Phone: (916) 830-1735

E-mail: KShaw@dir.ca.gov and Gyorgy Galsi at GGalsi@dir.ca.gov

Please note that no verbal information given will be binding upon DIR unless such information is issued in writing as an official addendum.

Proposals must be submitted electronically by email in accordance with SECTION 6.3 DELIVERY OF SUBMITTALS https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language mailto:KShaw@dir.ca.gov mailto:GGalsi@dir.ca.gov

Summary of this RFP

Issue date: January 2, 2026

Question submission deadline: January 16, 2026, at 9 a.m. PT

Last Date to Submit Proposal: March 6, 2026, at 12 p.m. PT

Notification of Intent to Award: May 1, 2026

Protest Period Ends: May 8, 2026

Period of performance: Two years, with up to one (1) optional one-year extension

Scope / Executive Summary: The California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers’ Compensation seeks both a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Workers’ Compensation Claims Management System and a vendor to configure, possibly customize, install, and train DIR users. This system will support UEBTF and SIBTF claims processing, integrating with DIR’s technical infrastructure for various data operations, and collaborate with a separate data migration vendor.

(Please see Exhibit A: Statement of Work)

Minimum Qualifications: Experience installing California Workers’ Compensation claims systems and similar large IT projects, especially in government context, with change management, training, and cross-functional organizational navigation experience.

(Please see Attachments 15-19 on Bidder and Key Staff qualifications)

SB/DVBE: Standard State of California bonuses for SB and DVBE 5% for SB, up to 5% DVBE.

(Please see Section 7.10 Socioeconomic Programs)

Submission requirements: Written narrative/technical proposals and cost worksheet.

(Please see Section 6.4 Proposal Content and Structure)

Contents

Notice To Prospective Proposers Summary of this RFP

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. PURPOSE OF Request for Proposal

1.2. BACKGROUND AND CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

1.2.1 Division of Workers' Compensation Mission

1.2.2 Current EAMS System State

1.2.3 Project Drivers and Modernization Objectives

1.2.4 Contract Structure and Deliverables

1.3. TERM OF CONTRACT

1.4 CURRENT AND PROPOSED ENVIRONMENTS

1.4.1. PROPOSED ENVIRONMENT

1.5. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

2. BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS

2.1. BIDDER ADMONISHMENT

2.2. COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTACTS

2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER

2.2.2. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT

2.2.3. INTENT TO BID (Optional)

2.3. KEY ACTION DATES

2.4. RULES GOVERNING COMPETITION

2.4.1. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOLICITATION

REQUIREMENTS

2.4.2. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS

2.4.3. EXAMINATION OF THE WORK

2.4.4. EXCLUSION FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST

2.4.5. CONFIDENTIALITY

2.4.6. ADDENDA

2.4.7. COST FOR DEVELOPING PROPOSAL

2.4.8. DISCOUNTS

2.4.9. IRREVOCABLE OFFER

2.4.10. FALSE OR MISLEADING STATEMENTS

2.5. BIDDING STEPS

2.5.1. FINAL PHASE

2.5.2 WITHDRAWAL AND RESUBMISSION/MODIFICATION OF

PROPOSALS

2.5.3. DISPOSITION OF PROPOSALS

2.6. NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD AND PROTESTS

3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

3.1. PREQUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

3.2. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT (M)

3.3 ABILITY TO PERFORM

3.4 PRIMARY BIDDER

3.5. SUBCONTRACTORS

3.5.1. BIDDER DECLARATION FORM (M)

3.6. AMENDMENT

3.7. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INFORMATION

3.8. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GENERAL PROVISIONS

3.9. CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS CERTIFICATION (M)

3.11. COVER LETTER (M)

3.12. STATEMENT OF WORK

3.13. CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT (M)

3.14. SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS

3.14.1. BIDDER'S PREFERENCE AND INCENTIVE DECLARATION (M)

3.14.2. DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DVBE) PROGRAM

3.14.3. SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE (O)

3.14.4. NON-SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTOR PREFERENCE (O)

3.14.5. COMMERCIALLY USEFUL FUNCTION (M, if Bidder prime and/or subcontractor(s) are SBE and/or DVBE)

3.14.6. TARGET AREA CONTRACT PREFERENCE ACT (TACPA)

3.15. PRODUCTIVE USE REQUIREMENTS

3.15.1. CUSTOMER IN-USE

3.15.2. CUSTOMER REFERENCES FOR PRODUCTIVE USE

REQUIREMENTS (M)

3.15.3. OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

4. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

4.2. SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS

4.2.1. FUNCTIONAL AND NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS (M)

4.2.2 DELIVERABLES TABLE (M)

4.2.3. NARRATIVE RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS (MS)

4.3. DEMONSTRATIONS (MS)

4.3.1. CONDUCT OF DEMONSTRATIONS

4.3.2. DEMONSTRATION CONTENT

4.4. ORAL INTERVIEWS (O)

5. COST

5.1 COST CONSIDERATIONS

5.2 COST WORKBOOK (MS)

5.3 COST WORKBOOK OVERVIEW

5.4 SALES TAX

6. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

6.1 PREPARATION

6.2 COMPLETION OF PROPOSALS

6.3 DELIVERY OF SUBMITTALS

6.4 PROPOSAL CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

7. EVALUATION

7.1 EVALUATION TEAM

7.2 PROPOSAL EVALUATION

7.3 RECEIPT AND PRELIMINARY REVIEW

7.4 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION

7.5 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION

7.6 COST EVALUATION

7.7 QUALITY OF BIDDER PROPOSAL EVALUATION

7.8 EVALUATION OF DEMONSTRATIONS

7.9 INTERVIEWS EVALUATION

7.10 SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS

7.11 PROPOSAL RANK DETERMINATION

ATTACHMENT 1: TEMPLATE FOR QUESTION/REQUEST FOR CHANGE

SUBMITTAL

ATTACHMENT 2: INTENT TO BID (Optional)

ATTACHMENT 3: FOLLOW-ON DISCLOSURE

ATTACHMENT 4: RESPONSE TO ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

ATTACHMENT 5: BIDDER DECLARATION GSPD 05-105

ATTACHMENT 6: CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS LAW CERTIFICATION

ATTACHMENT 7: COVER LETTER

ATTACHMENT 8: CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT

ATTACHMENT 9: BIDDING PREFERENCES AND INCENTIVES

ATTACHMENT 10: DVBE DECLARATIONS

ATTACHMENT 11: COMMERCIALLY USEFUL FUNCTION (CUF) CERTIFICATION

ATTACHMENT 12: TACPA PREFERENCE REQUEST FORMS

ATTACHMENT 13: CUSTOMER REFERENCES FOR PRODUCTIVE USE

REQUIREMENTS

ATTACHMENT 14: IRAN CONTRACTING ACT VERIFICATION FORM

ATTACHMENT 14.1 DARFUR CONTRACTING ACT

ATTACHMENT 15: BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS FORM - INSTRUCTIONS

ATTACHMENT 16: BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS FORM

ATTACHMENT 17: BIDDER REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT 18: KEY STAFF QUALIFICATIONS FORM – INSTRUCTIONS

ATTACHMENT 19: KEY STAFF REFERENCE FORM - INSTRUCTIONS

ATTACHMENT 19.1: PROJECT MANAGER CLAIMS - QUALIFICATIONS FORM

ATTACHMENT 19.2: PROJECT MANAGERS CLAIMS - REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT 19.3: CLAIMS FUNCTIONAL LEAD - QUALIFICATIONS FORM 128

ATTACHMENT 19.4: CLAIMS FUNCTIONAL LEAD - REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT 20: NARRATIVE RESPONSE

ATTACHMENT 21: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

EXHIBIT A: STATEMENT OF WORK

1. Purpose, Background and Objective

2. Description of Proposed New System or Service

3. Term of the Contract

4. Amendment

5. Contract Contacts

6. Solution Requirements

7. State Data Center or Contractor Hosted Facility Environment

8. State’s Roles and Responsibilities

9. Contractor’s Roles and Responsibilities

10. Location and Availability

11. Key Staff Qualifications and Skills 12 Key Personnel Changes 13 Escalation Process 14 Change Control Procedures 15 Project (Contractor) Tasks and Deliverable Requirements 16 Deliverable Acceptance/Rejection Process 17 Data Handling and Ownership

18. Management and Operational Reporting

19. Security

20. Disaster Recovery

21. Hardware and Software Needs

22. Escrow Source Code

23. Compatibility and Interface

24. System Installation

25. System Implementation or Integration

26. Technology Refresh

27. System Testing and Acceptance Procedures

28. Transition of Operation to New Contractor or to State

29. Knowledge Transfer and/or Training

30. Maintenance and Operations (M&O)

31. Insurance Requirements

32. Warranty

33. Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

34. Liquidated Damages

35. Unanticipated Tasks

36. GenAI Technology Use & Reporting

37. Budget Detail and Payment Provisions

38. Glossary of Terms

EXHIBIT A1: EAMS PROJECT EXECUTION GUIDING PRINCIPLES

EXHIBIT C: DELIVERABLES AND MILESTONES TABLE

RFP

PART 1 – BIDDER INSTRUCTIONS

1. INTRODUCTION

This RFP is being conducted under the policies and procedures developed by the Department of General

Services (DGS) as provided under Public Contract Code Section 12102 et seq.

This solicitation contains the instructions governing the requirements for fixed price deliverable-based proposals to be submitted by Bidders. Also included in this solicitation is the required format and materials Bidders must follow when responding to this solicitation. This solicitation also addresses the requirements that Bidders must meet to be eligible for consideration, as well as Bidders’ responsibilities before and after award.

The following terms are used interchangeably throughout the solicitation documents: (1) “Contract” and

“Agreement”; (2) “response” and “proposals”. For additional definitions, see ATTACHMENT 21:

GLOSSARY OF TERMS.

1.1. PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals from qualified vendors to provide a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Workers' Compensation Claims Management System for the

California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC). This procurement is conducted as part of the Electronic Adjudication Management System (EAMS)

Modernization initiative and represents the claims management component of the overall EAMS modernization effort.

The RFP covers:

a. Procure selected Claims tools license(s) and transfer to DIR no later than forty-five (45) days after contract award. Note: This item applies if selected Claims tool is not available on

Department of General Services Software Licensing Program (DGS SLP). If the tool is available, DIR will procure the licenses.

b. Implementation of a COTS Workers' Compensation Claims Management System

1) Support for Uninsured Employer Benefits Trust Fund (UEBTF) claims processing

2) Support for Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) claims processing

c. Integration with external systems and DIR's Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Enterprise Data

Lake to integrate various operational data and deliver trusted analytics for claims management

d. System configuration and customization (as needed)

e. Collaboration with Data migration vendor for successful claims data (structured and unstructured) migration from legacy EAMS

f. Training and knowledge transfer to DIR staff

g. Ongoing maintenance and support services The Contract Award, if made, will be to the single Bidder in accordance with the methodology defined in SECTION 7. EVALUATION.

1.2. BACKGROUND AND CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

1.2.1 DIVISION OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION MISSION

The Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) is responsible for:

a. Regulating the administration of workers' compensation claims

b. Providing administrative and judicial services to resolve disputes

c. Managing dispute resolution for workers' compensation claims

d. Maintaining public trust in California's workers' compensation system

e. Ensuring timely benefit delivery to injured workers

1.2.2 CURRENT EAMS SYSTEM STATE

a. Current System: Electronic Adjudication Management System (EAMS), deployed in 2008, which contains many manual Claims functions

b. System Age: 16 years old (technological end-of-life)

c. Cases Managed: SIBTF/UEBTF currently comprises approximately thirty thousand (30,000) active cases

d. Payments processed annually: Approximately two hundred thousand (200,000)

e. Availability Requirement: 24/7 access for external stakeholders

f. Critical Issues:

1) Aging infrastructure increasing security vulnerabilities

2) Deteriorating system performance

3) Limited mobile accessibility

4) Manual processes requiring staff effort

5) Difficulty adapting to regulatory changes

6) Data silos between claims and court systems

1.2.3 PROJECT DRIVERS AND MODERNIZATION OBJECTIVES STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

Replace aging EAMS technology to eliminate security vulnerabilities and maintenance challenges

a. Provide unified platform for SIBTF/UEBTF claims benefit administration (reducing dual-system complexity)

b. Enhance stakeholder experience with modern mobile and web interfaces

c. Enable rapid regulatory adaptation through low-code configuration without vendor dependency

d. Improve operational efficiency through automation and intelligent workflows, possibly supported by artificial intelligence (AI)

e. Leverage cloud infrastructure by deploying on DIR's standardized GCP platform

f. Support California's equity agenda through accessible, multi-lingual, equitable service delivery

g. Reduce total cost of ownership through configuration-first approach vs. custom development

1.2.4 CONTRACT STRUCTURE AND DELIVERABLES

a. Contract Type: Fixed Price Deliverable-Based Contract

Vendors will be compensated upon successful completion and acceptance of defined deliverables.

Each deliverable has specific acceptance criteria that must be met before payment is authorized.

This structure:

1) Aligns vendor and DIR incentives (quality delivery earns payment)

2) Reduces project risk through measurable milestones

3) Enables phased go-live with continuous value delivery

4) Collaborate with Data Migration vendor for successful claims data migration

5) Supports agile/iterative delivery with feedback integration

The diagrams below include our current understanding of where we are today.

1.3. TERM OF CONTRACT

Effective upon approval of DIR, (Effective Date), the base term of the Contract is two (2) years.

The State, at its sole discretion, may exercise its option to execute one (1) optional one-year extension for a maximum contract term of three (3) years. The State is not obligated to use any or all of these optional extensions.

The Contractor shall not be authorized to deliver goods or commence performance of services described in this Contract prior to the Effective Date. Any delivery of goods or performance of services by the Contractor that is commenced prior to the Effective Date shall be at no cost to the State.

The State is not obligated to use any or all of these options. The Contract is of no effect unless approved by DIR and no work shall begin before full execution of the Contract.

1.4 CURRENT AND PROPOSED ENVIRONMENTS

1.4.1. PROPOSED ENVIRONMENT

The new Claims system will be comprised of Claims management and all claims-related functionality

(hereafter referred to as "Claims"). Build and implementation will follow the Agile Software Development

Lifecycle to enable visibility into the progress of the solution development.

There will be one go-live date for the new claims system. The claims solution development and build are expected to be completed in twelve (12) months or less from the contract start date.

The Contractor will implement the Claims system described in the requirements, which are located in SECTION 15. Project (Contractor) Tasks and Deliverable Requirements and EXHIBIT B: DIR

Functional and Non-Functional Requirements. A "workstream" refers to a focused area of work within a larger system like Claims. It involves a set of related tasks or activities, managed together to achieve specific objectives that contribute to the system's overall goals. Workstreams are often handled by different teams, allowing various aspects of a system to be developed in parallel while staying coordinated with the main project timeline.

To build the Claims system, the Contractor shall provide services across the following workstreams:

a. Project Setup and Solution Planning

b. Design and Requirement Validation

c. Build and Test

d. Mock Production

e. Organization Change Management (OCM)

f. Go-live

g. Maintenance & Operations (M&O)

The Claims solution will be built on a Platform as a Service (PaaS) / Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. No hardware purchases are anticipated for this project.

The Claims solution will be a complete replacement of the functionality within the current claims management system. All integration and functionality are included in this Contract. The Contractor will leverage the proposed Claims solution platform through configuration rather than customization whenever feasible to meet the system requirements. The Contractor is required to follow DIR change controls and architecture review processes (SECTION 14. Change Control Procedures) before performing any platform customization during all phases of the new Claims system implementation.

The diagram below provides DIR architecture guiding principles for the new Claims system:

"Stay responsive in the moment of failures and shock" in the context of Guardrail 1: The system must continue to accept requests, process critical work, and serve valid users even if parts of it are failing, degraded, or experiencing unexpected spikes or attacks — and it must do so without completely collapsing or becoming unusable.

The Department of Industrial Relations’ (DIR) Google Cloud Data Platform (GCP) serves as the enterprise foundation for advanced reporting, interactive dashboards, and predictive analytics. The platform also provides secure data archiving capabilities to support statutory compliance and long-term retention requirements. Its underlying infrastructure is designed to ensure high availability, scalable performance, and full alignment with applicable government security and privacy standards.

Unstructured content will be stored in the DIR’s Enterprise Document Management System (EDMS) Box or any other DIR-approved EDMS tool shall be hosted on GCP / DIR Information Security Office (ISO) approved cloud platform. The selected Claims System must be capable of securely storing and retrieving unstructured data from the EDMS and generating statistical reports and analyses on an as-needed basis.

The Contractor shall also maintain a unique identifier for each document and implement audit capabilities to track user access to any document.

The Contractor shall ensure that transactional data from the Claims production system is transmitted to the DIR Enterprise Data Platform on a near–real-time basis. The Contractor shall be responsible for publishing the Claims production system data to the GCP Data Lake and for performing all necessary troubleshooting to resolve any data issues, including conducting data reconciliation between the Claims production system and the GCP Data Lake.

1.5. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

To comply with the nondiscrimination requirements of ADA, it is the policy of the State of California to make every effort to ensure that its programs, activities, and services are available to all persons, including persons with disabilities.

For persons with a disability needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the procurement process or for persons having questions regarding reasonable accommodations of the procurement process, you may contact the Procurement Officer identified in SECTION 2.2.1. PROCUREMENT

OFFICER. You may also contact the State of California at the numbers listed below.

Important: To ensure that we can meet your need, it is best that we receive your request for reasonable accommodations at least 10 working days before the scheduled event, e.g., meeting, conference, workshop, etc., or deadline due-date for procurement documents.

2. BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS

2.1. BIDDER ADMONISHMENT

This RFP is being conducted under the policies developed and procedures developed by the Department of General Services as provided under Public Contract Code Section 12102 et seq. This RFP contains the instructions governing the requirements for a firm quotation to be submitted by interested bidders. The format that bid information is to be submitted and the material to be included therein follows. This RFP also addresses the requirements that bidders must meet to be eligible for consideration, as well as addressing bidders' responsibilities before and after installation.

If a bidder expects to be afforded the benefits of the steps included in this RFP, the bidder must take responsibility to:

a. Carefully read the entire solicitation.

b. Submit questions in a timely manner in accordance with established timelines

c. Submit all required responses by the required dates and times.

d. Abide by all procedures and requirements of the solicitation.

e. Do not include conditional statements, assumptions, or exception language with proposals.

f. Carefully review the solicitation requirements prior to submission of a proposal to ensure nothing has been overlooked.

2.2. COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTACTS

The State uses an online procurement system known as Cal eProcure to communicate with prospective

Bidders and suppliers. Information and ongoing communications for this solicitation will be posted by the

State on the Cal eProcure website, www.caleprocure.ca.gov.

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

2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER

The Procurement Officers are the State’s designated authorized representatives regarding this procurement and are the sole points of contact.

Bidders are directed to communicate all correspondence regarding this procurement to both the

Procurement Officer and the Secondary Procurement Officer at the contact information below.

Katonya Shaw Procurement Officer

Department of Industrial Relations Phone: (916) 830-1735

E-mail: KShaw@dir.ca.gov, and Cc: Gyorgy Galsi GGalsi@dir.ca.gov

2.2.2. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT

Bidders requesting clarification of the intent, terms and conditions, content of this solicitation, or on procedural matters regarding the competitive bid process should submit ATTACHMENT 1:

TEMPLATE FOR QUESTION/REQUEST FOR CHANGE SUBMITTAL via email addressed to the

Procurement Officer listed in SECTION 2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER.

If the Bidder believes that one or more of the solicitation requirements is onerous, unfair, or imposes unnecessary constraints on the Bidder proposing a less costly or an alternate solution, the Bidder may request a change to the solicitation by submitting, in writing, the recommended change(s) and the facts substantiating this belief and reasons for making the recommended change using

ATTACHMENT 1: TEMPLATE FOR QUESTION/REQUEST FOR CHANGE SUBMITTAL. Such request must be submitted to the Procurement Officer by the date specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY

ACTION DATES. Only questions submitted in writing and answered in writing by the Procurement

Officer shall be binding and official. Written questions and requests for changes must be submitted, using Microsoft Excel or Word, by email to the Procurement Officer identified in SECTION 2.2.1.

http://www.caleprocure.ca.gov/ mailto:KShaw@dir.ca.gov mailto:GGalsi@dir.ca.gov

PROCUREMENT OFFICER, using ATTACHMENT 1: TEMPLATE FOR QUESTION/REQUEST

FOR CHANGE SUBMITTAL.

If a Bidder desires clarification or further information on the content of the solicitation, but whose questions relate to the proprietary aspect of its proposal and disclosure exposes its proposal to other

Bidders, the question may be submitted using the same criteria above with the notation, “CONFIDENTIAL.” The Bidder must explain why the question is sensitive in nature. If the State concurs that the disclosure of the question or the answer would expose the proprietary nature of the proposal, the question will be answered and both the question and answer will be confidentially maintained. If the State does not concur with the proprietary nature of the question, the Bidder will be notified and may withdraw the question. If the question is not withdrawn, the question and response will not be confidentially maintained.

To ensure a response, questions and requests for changes must be received in writing by the scheduled date(s) specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES. Question and answer sets will be posted to Cal eProcure and will not identify the submitters. At the sole discretion of the State, questions may be paraphrased by the State for clarity.

2.2.3. INTENT TO BID

Bidders that wish to participate in the solicitation can submit a completed ATTACHMENT 2: INTENT

TO BID with the submission.

This document shall be sent by email to the Procurement Officer identified in SECTION

2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER.

A Bidder must notify the Procurement Officers whenever its Intent to Bid changes or whenever there is a change in the Bidder’s designated contact information.

Submission of an Intent to Bid is not required and does not earn additional consideration in scoring of the response to this RFP.

2.3. KEY ACTION DATES

Key Action Dates provide the key action dates and times by which actions must be taken or completed. If the State finds it necessary to change these dates or times, it will be accomplished via an addendum to this solicitation with the exception of dates listed after the Bidder’s submission of Proposal. Dates listed after the Bidder’s submission of Proposal are estimated and may be adjusted without addendum to this solicitation. All times listed are for Pacific Time. Unless otherwise specified, all times are 5:00 PM Pacific

Time.

# ACTION DATE AND TIME

1 Release of Solicitation 1/2/2026

2 Last day to submit questions (9:00 AM) 1/16/2026

3 Questions and Answers Addendum Posted 1/23/2026

Submit Intent to Bid & Confidentiality Statement (Mandatory)

2/13/2026

5 Last day to submit Proposal (12:00 PM) 3/6/2026

6 Demonstrations /Interviews

Interviews are optional and at DIR’s discretion.

4/17/2026- 4/24/2026

Posting of Notice of Intent to Award Notice(s) (Notice is posted for five [5] business days)

5/1/2026

Protest Period ends

5/8/2026

10 Notification of Award/Contract Execution 5/15/2026

2.4. RULES GOVERNING COMPETITION

This solicitation, the evaluation of responses, and the award of any resultant Contract shall be made in conformance with current competitive bidding procedures as they relate to the procurement of IT goods and services or telecommunications by public bodies in the State of California.

2.4.1. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS

The State has established certain requirements with respect to proposals to be submitted by prospective Contractors. The use of “shall,” “must,” or “will” (except to indicate simple futurity) in the solicitation indicates a requirement or condition which is mandatory.

Non-compliance with any mandatory requirement will disqualify a Bidder from further participating in Evaluation, and Contract Award.

A deviation to any requirement must be resolved to the State's satisfaction during evaluation as requested by the State.

The words “should” or “may” in the solicitation indicate desirable attributes or conditions but are non-mandatory in nature.

2.4.2. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS

This RFP includes, in addition to an explanation of the State's needs which must be met, instructions which prescribe the format and content of bids to be submitted and the model(s) of the contract(s) to be executed between the State and the successful bidder(s).

If a Bidder discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this solicitation document, the bidder shall immediately notify the Procurement Official identified in SECTION 2.2.1.

PROCUREMENT OFFICER, of such error in writing and request clarification or modification of the document.

If the solicitation document contains an error known to the Bidder, or an error that reasonably should have been known, the Bidder shall bid at its own risk. If the Bidder fails to notify the State of the error prior to the date fixed for submission of proposals, and is awarded the Contract, the Bidder shall not be entitled to additional compensation or time by reason of the error or its later correction. Modifications will be made by addenda issued pursuant to SECTION 2.4.6. ADDENDA.

2.4.3. EXAMINATION OF THE WORK

The Bidder should carefully examine the entire solicitation document and any addenda thereto, and all related materials and data referenced in the solicitation document or otherwise available to the Bidder, and should become fully aware of the nature and location of the work, the quantities of the work, and the conditions to be encountered in performing the work.

2.4.4. EXCLUSION FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No consultant shall be paid out of State funds for developing recommendations on the acquisition of information technology (IT) products or services or assisting in the preparation of a feasibility study, if that consultant is to be a source of such acquisition or could otherwise directly and/or materially benefit from State adoption of such recommendations or the course of action recommended in the feasibility study. Further, no consultant shall be paid out of State funds for developing recommendations on the disposal of State surplus IT products, if that consultant would directly and/or materially benefit from State adoption of such recommendations.

A consultant shall not be eligible to serve as the Prime Contractor or subcontractor pursuant to this solicitation if the Contractor/subcontractor is currently working on the solicitation in an Independent Verification and Validation (IV & V) role.

The Bidder must complete and submit ATTACHMENT 3: FOLLOW-ON DISCLOSURE

2.4.5. CONFIDENTIALITY

Final bids are public upon opening; however, the contents of all proposals, draft bids, correspondence, agenda, memoranda, working papers, or any other medium which discloses any aspect of a bidder's proposal shall be held in the strictest confidence until notice of intent to award.

The Bidder must be aware that marking a document “confidential” or “proprietary” in a Proposal may exclude it from consideration for award and will not keep that document from being released after notice of award as part of the public record, unless a court has ordered the State not to release the document.

The content of all working papers and discussions relating to the Bidder’s proposal shall be held in confidence indefinitely, unless the public interest is best served by an item’s disclosure because of its direct pertinence to a decision, agreement or the evaluation of the proposal.

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

2.4.6. ADDENDA

The State may modify the RFP prior to the date fixed for Contract Award by issuance of an addendum to all bidders who are participating in the bidding process at the time the addendum is issued, unless the addendum are such as to offer the opportunity for nonparticipating bidders or supplies that submitted an intention to become participating, in which case the addendum will also be sent to those parties. Addenda will be numbered consecutively and released to all Bidders via Cal eProcure.

The Bidder is allowed five (5) business days to submit written questions regarding the addendum according to the instructions contained in SECTION 3.2.2. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE

SOLICITATION DOCUMENT.

2.4.7. COST FOR DEVELOPING PROPOSAL

Costs for developing proposals are the responsibility entirely of the Bidder and shall not be chargeable to the State.

2.4.8. DISCOUNTS

In connection with any discount offered, except when a provision is made for a testing period preceding acceptance by the State, time will be computed from the date of delivery of the supplies or equipment as specified, or from date correct invoices are received in the office specified by the State if the latter date is later than the date of delivery. When a provision is made for a testing period preceding acceptance by the State, the date of delivery shall mean the date the supplies or equipment are accepted by the State during the specified testing period. Payment is deemed made, for the purpose of earning the discount, on the date of mailing the State warrant or check.

Cash discounts offered by Bidders for the prompt payment of invoices will not be considered in evaluating bids for award purposes; however, all offered discounts will be taken if the payment is made within the discount period, even though not considered in the evaluation of bids.

2.4.9. IRREVOCABLE OFFER

Bidder’s response to this solicitation must constitute a firm offer, which must remain irrevocable for not less than 120 calendar days following the Contract Award date specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY

ACTION DATES. In the event of a delay in Contract Execution, a Bidder may extend the expiration date of its firm offer an additional 30 calendar days by written notice to the State.

This expiration date may be further extended by mutual agreement between the State and the Bidder, in order to accommodate processing time for required approvals and other solicitation-related reviews.

2.4.10. FALSE OR MISLEADING STATEMENTS

Proposals that contain false or misleading statements, or provide references that do not support an attribute or condition claimed by the Bidder, may be rejected. If, in the opinion of the State, such information was intended to mislead the State in its evaluation of the Proposal, and the attribute, condition, or capability is a requirement of this solicitation document, it will be the basis for rejection of the Bidder’s Proposal.

2.5. BIDDING STEPS

The following instructions provide the steps to submit a response to this solicitation by interested

Bidders. Details surrounding Proposals are described further in SECTION 5. PROPOSAL

REQUIREMENTS.

The Bidder is expected to follow the format requirements and utilize all forms included in this solicitation necessary for its response. This solicitation also addresses the Bidder responsibilities and requirements it must meet to be eligible for consideration. If the Bidder fails to follow the provided instructions, the

Bidder may be disqualified from the solicitation process.

Refer to SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES to determine which phases and mandatory (M) steps are included in this solicitation. SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES lists milestones, mandatory steps, and due dates for deliverables in this solicitation. Prior to submitting a response, Bidders can register and submit an Intent to Bid as detailed in SECTION 2.2.3. INTENT TO BID and a Confidentiality

Statement as detailed in SECTION 2.4.5. CONFIDENTIALITY. FINAL PHASE

The purpose of the final phase is to obtain proposals that are responsive in every respect. The Proposal is a mandatory step for all Bidders; all other steps are optional unless otherwise stated in SECTION

2.3. KEY ACTION DATES.

2.5.2 WITHDRAWAL AND RESUBMISSION/MODIFICATION OF PROPOSALS

A Bidder may withdraw its Proposal at any time prior to the Proposal submission date and time specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES, by submitting a written notification of withdrawal signed by an authorized representative of the Bidder in accordance with SECTION 4.12. COVER

LETTER (M) . The Bidder may thereafter submit a new or modified proposal prior to the respective proposal submission date and time specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES. Modification offered in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered. Other than as allowed by law, Proposals cannot be changed or withdrawn after the deadline date and time designated for receipt, except as provided in the solicitation.

2.5.3. DISPOSITION OF PROPOSALS

All materials submitted in response to this solicitation will become the property of the State of California.

All phases of the Proposal must be retained for official files and will become a public record after the

Notification of Award. However, documents the State considers as confidential information (such as confidential financial information submitted to show Bidder responsibility) will be confidentially destroyed.

2.6. NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD AND PROTESTS

a. A Notice of Intent to Award shall be published on Cal eProcure in the same location as the solicitation was published for a period of five (5) State business days prior to awarding an Agreement: Bid opportunities in the California State Contracts Register (CSCR). For the actual dates to the item listed above, refer to Section 2.3. Key Action Dates.

b. If, prior to the award of Agreement, any Proposer files a protest with DIR and the Department of General

Services (DGS) against the awarding of the Agreement on the grounds that the (protesting) Proposer is the lowest responsive responsible Proposer meeting the specifications of the RFP, the Agreement shall not be awarded until either the protest has been withdrawn or DGS has decided the matter.

c. Within five (5) days after filing the initial protest, the Protestant shall file with DGS and the awarding agency a full and complete written statement specifying the grounds for the protest. The written statement of protest shall include the RFP number, the name of the State agency involved and the agency contact person. It is suggested that you submit any protest by certified or registered mail. The statement of protest should be submitted to the following:

3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

This section contains the mandatory and optional administrative requirements that must be met in order to be considered responsive to this solicitation.

Unless designated otherwise, all of the requirements in this section are mandatory. The documents that must be submitted with the Bidder’s proposal are noted as “Mandatory” or “(M)” in this section.

The administrative requirements listed in this section are denoted as follows:

a. (M) Sections labeled as “Mandatory” or “M” are not negotiable. To be considered responsive and responsible to these requirements, all requirements identified as (M) must receive a response from the Bidder. Failure to respond to any (M) requirements where indicated shall result in a “fail” and disqualification of the proposal.

b. (O) Sections labeled as “Optional” or “O” are not required to be offered by the Bidder in order to be compliant to the solicitation requirements. A Bidder may choose whether to meet administrative requirements labeled as (O) such as those relating to preference points. However, if a Bidder offers any of these (O) requirements, the Bidder must meet the minimum requirements as stated in the section. The State will review responses to optional requirements and apply points, if applicable, in accordance with SECTION 7. EVALUATION.

3.1. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT (M)

The Bidder must complete and submit ATTACHMENT 4: RESPONSE TO ADMINISTRATIVE

REQUIREMENTS. The Bidder must indicate its willingness and ability to satisfy these requirements by responding “Yes” in the “Bidder Agrees Yes/No” column. A “No” response to any of the mandatory administrative requirements will be considered a deviation.

Department of General Services Office of Legal Services

Attention: Bid Protest Coordinator

707 Third Street, 7th Floor, Suite 7-330

West Sacramento, CA 95605

Email address: OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov

Department of Industrial Relations OIS Contracts and Procurement Attention: Procurement Officer 2180 Harvard Street, Suite 160

Sacramento, California 95815

Email: kshaw@dir.ca.gov mailto:OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov mailto:kshaw@dir.ca.gov

3.3 ABILITY TO PERFORM

Prior to award of the Contract, the State must be assured that the Bidder selected has all of the resources to successfully perform under the Contract. This includes, but is not limited to, personnel in the quantity and with the skills required; equipment of appropriate type and in sufficient quantity;

financial resources sufficient to complete performance under the Contract; and experience in similar endeavors. If, during the evaluation process, the State is unable to assure itself of the Bidder’s ability to perform under the Contract if awarded, the State has the option of requesting from the Bidder any information that the State deems necessary to determine the Bidder’s responsibility. If such information is required, the Bidder will be so notified and will be permitted five (5) state business days to submit the information requested in writing.

Examples of the type of financial responsibility information requested may include annual reports and current audited balance sheets for the Bidder’s firm.

3.4 PRIMARY BIDDER

An award, if made, will be to a primary Bidder. The awarded primary Bidder will be responsible for successful performance of all subcontractors and support services offered in response to this solicitation. All State policies, guidelines, and requirements that apply to the primary Bidder also apply to subcontractors, as applicable to the products and services they provide and to their role as a subcontractor. Furthermore, the State will consider the primary Bidder to be the sole point of contact regarding contractual matters for the term of the resulting Contract. The Bidder shall not assign financial documents to a third-party without prior written approval by the State, and an amendment to the resulting Contract.

3.5. SUBCONTRACTORS

Nothing contained in the resulting Contract shall create any relationship between the State and any subcontractors, and no subcontract shall relieve the Bidder of its responsibilities and obligations. The

Bidder is fully responsible to the State for the acts and omissions of its subcontractors and of persons either directly or indirectly employed by them.

The Contractor shall not change subcontractor(s) and/or DVBE subcontractor(s) if such changes conflict with the work to be performed under this Contract. For DVBE subcontractor changes, the Contractor shall utilize another DVBE subcontractor. The State recognizes that changes to subcontractor(s) may be necessary and in the best interests of the State, however, advance notification of a contemplated change and the reasons for such change must be made to the State no less than seven (7) business days prior to the existing subcontractor’s termination or addition of new subcontractor. If this should occur, the Contractor should be aware that the State Contract administrator or designee must approve any changes to the subcontractor(s) prior to the termination of the existing subcontractor(s) or addition of new subcontractor. This also includes any changes made between submittal of the proposal and actual start of the Contract.

Contractor understands and agrees to comply with the requirements set forth in Military and Veterans

Code, Section 999 et seq. that should award of this contract be based in part on their commitment to use the Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) subcontractor(s) identified in their bid or offer, per Military and Veterans Code, Section 999.5(f), a DVBE subcontractor may only be replaced by another DVBE subcontractor and must be approved by both the awarding department and the

Department of General Services (DGS) prior to the commencement of any work by the proposed subcontractor. Changes to the scope of work that impact the DVBE subcontractor(s) identified in the bid or offer and approved DVBE substitutions will be documented by Contract amendment.

Failure of Contractor to seek substitution and adhere to the DVBE participation level identified in the bid or offer may be cause for contract termination, recovery of damages under rights and remedies due to the

State, and penalties as outlined in MVC, Section 999.9; Public Contract Code (PCC), Section 10115.10.

The State will not compensate the Contractor for any of the Contractor’s time or effort to educate or otherwise make the new subcontractor(s) ready to begin work on the contract.

The Contractor's obligation to pay its subcontractors is an independent obligation from the State’s obligation to pay or to enforce the payment of any money to any subcontractor. Contractor is solely responsible for any payments to or claims made by subcontractors.

3.5.1. BIDDER DECLARATION FORM (M)

The Bidder must complete and submit ATTACHMENT 5: BIDDER DECLARATION GSPD 05-105, with its Proposal. When completing the declaration, the Bidder must identify all subcontractors proposed for participation in the Contract. The Bidder awarded the Contract is contractually obligated to use the subcontractors for the corresponding work identified, unless the Agency/state entity agrees to a substitution and it is incorporated, in writing. If the Bidder is not using subcontractors, the Bidder must still complete ATTACHMENT 5: BIDDER DECLARATION GSPD 05-105 answering the applicable questions on the form, and submit it with its proposal. The form is available at:

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

3.6. AMENDMENT

Any Contract executed as a result of this solicitation may be amended consistent with the terms and conditions of the Contract and by mutual consent of both parties, subject to approval by the DIR.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=999.&lawCode=MVC https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=999.5.&lawCode=MVC https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=999.9.&lawCode=MVC https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=10115.10.&lawCode=PCC https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/gs/pd/gspd05-105.pdf

3.7. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INFORMATION

In order to minimize the potential risk of default due to financial issues, the State reserves the right to request additional documentation throughout the life of the awarded Contract.

The State must be assured that the Contractor continues to have the financial resources to sustain its operations during the term of the Contract.

3.8. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GENERAL PROVISIONS

The Contract awarded as a result of this solicitation shall automatically incorporate by reference the following:

Information Technology General Provisions - Cloud (Revised and Effective 02/20/2025) https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Required- Language-for-Solicitations-and-Contracts

The Bidder is advised that deviations from the State-approved Terms and Conditions may be the basis for rejection of the Bidder’s proposal.

Per State’s Cloud Smart Computing Policy, Agencies/State entities must first consider California Department Technology (CDT) Managed Cloud Services or CDT approved cloud service offerings.

These service options include Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

Refer to EXHIBIT A: STATEMENT OF WORK, SECTION 7. State Data Center or Contractor Hosted Facility Environment.

3.9. CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS CERTIFICATION (M)

Pursuant to Public Contract Code section 2010, if a bidder or proposer executes or renews a contract over $100,000 on or after January 1, 2017, the bidder or proposer hereby certifies compliance with the following:

CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS: For contracts over $100,000 executed or renewed after January 1, 2017, the contractor certifies compliance with the Unruh Civil Rights Act (Section 51 of the Civil Code) and the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Section 12960 of the Government Code); and

EMPLOYER DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES: For contracts over $100,000 executed or renewed after

January 1, 2017, if a Contractor has an internal policy against a sovereign nation or peoples recognized by the United States government, the Contractor certifies that such policies are not used in violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act (Section 51 of the Civil Code) or the Fair Employment and

Housing Act (Section 12960 of the Government Code).

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Required-Language-for-Solicitations-and-Contracts https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Required-Language-for-Solicitations-and-Contracts

REFER to ATTACHMENT 6: CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS CERTIFICATION

3.10. INSURANCE COVERAGE (M)

In accordance to EXHIBIT A: STATEMENT OF WORK, SECTION 31. Insurance Requirements, the

Contractor must furnish insurance certificate(s) evidencing required insurance coverage acceptable to the State, including endorsements showing the State as an “additional insured” if required under the

Contract. Any required endorsements requested by the State must be separately provided; merely referring to such coverage on the certificates(s) is insufficient for this purpose. When performing work on State-owned or controlled property, Contractor shall provide a waiver of subrogation in favor of the

State for its workers’ compensation policy.

The prime Contractor shall agree to furnish the State with satisfactory evidence of insurance within ten

(10) calendar days of Contract award.

3.11. COVER LETTER (M)

The Bidder must complete and submit ATTACHMENT 7: COVER LETTER with their proposal.

A cover letter shall be considered an integral part of the proposal…