County of San Mateo

Request for Proposals (RFP) for General Liability Claims

Administration Services

Human Resources Department

RFP No. 2026-RFP-00429

RFP Contact: Sarah Prince sprince@smcgov.org

1. Introduction and Schedule

1.1. Summary

The County of San Mateo (the “County” or “SMC”) covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula. The region covers 744 mi2 and is home to nearly 800,000 residents and 20 incorporated cities. The County provides for the health and welfare of all people within its borders and serves as the local government for the unincorporated areas. Innovation thrives here in industries including bioscience, computer software, green technology, hospitality, financial management, health care, education, and transportation. The

County prides itself on how that prosperity fosters its commitment to protecting and enhancing the health, safety, welfare and natural resources of the community.

The County of San Mateo is soliciting quotes from qualified firms of third-party administration claim services to supervise and administer general liability claims against the County of San Mateo. The County is seeking to enter into a minimum one-year term agreement, not to exceed five-years term agreement.

The County’s current agreement is set to expire on December 31, 2026.

1.2. Contact Information

Sarah Prince Workers Compensation Manager Email: sprince@smcgov.org Phone: (650) 363-4633

Department:

Human Resources Department

Department Head:

Michelle Kuka Director

1.3. Timeline

RFP Released May 11, 2026

Deadline for Questions, Comments and

Contract Exceptions

May 22, 2026, 5:00pm

Proposal Due Date and Time June 19, 2026, 5:00pm

Interviews (tentative) July 2, 2026

Anticipated Contract Award Date July 16, 2026

2. Scope of Work mailto:sprince@smcgov.org tel:(650)363-4633

Page 3 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

Contractor will provide supervisory, administrative and adjustment services on all general liability claims that fall within the self-insured retained limit of the County, and as appropriate, work with applicable insurance carriers regarding claims that exceed this limit. County understands that this does not include the cost of field investigations or other services considered to be allocated loss expenses that erode the

County’s retained limit to their excess insurance program.

The County uses Origami Risk’s Risk Management Information Software (RMIS) for their claims database. The claims will be set up by County staff and the Contractor will be provided user access to the County’s RMIS for claims management and to run reports.

2.1. Contractor shall provide the following services:

A. Assume the adjusting of all existing open claims to closure including approximately 245 general liability claims.

B. Adjust and maintain claims files upon receipt of the claim, lawsuit or other equivalent information, and negotiate with claimant/plaintiff on those cases that have clear liability on the part of the County.

C. Conduct investigations of claims and/or lawsuits filed against the County of San Mateo in a manner that adheres to the Fair Claims Practices Act and in accordance with guidance from

County Risk Management and legal representatives. Investigations may include some or all of the following:

1. Contact and obtain information from the claimant(s), witnesses and other interested parties, as appropriate;

2. Obtain police reports;

3. Take pictures or prepare diagrams to illustrate the mechanism, cause or location of the incident;

4. Assess extent of liability

D. Manage claims data administration. The files should contain at least the following information or documentation, but not limited to:

1. All pertinent information regarding the claim including name of claimant, claim number, date of loss, description of loss, and involved department(s) and employee(s);

2. A reserve amount of the estimate of the potential cost of the claim;

3. A copy of the claim, lawsuit or other related documentation;

Page 4 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

4. An analysis of the potential exposure of the County including liability and estimated damages;

5. Written contact with the claimant or claimant’s representative;

6. Any follow-up recommendations to bring claim to conclusion/closure;

7. Documentation regarding the resolution including settlement agreements or releases;

8. Communication with the County Risk Manager and County Attorneys (in litigated matters) regarding the resolution or settlement of the case including letters pertaining to authorization for settlement;

9. Letters, correspondence, memos, legal documents and notes that pertain to the claim;

10. A full report of investigation including recorded or written statements from involved employees, managers, witnesses and claimant which may include photographs and any other visual information pertaining to the claim or lawsuit;

11. Correspondence or case notes regarding conversations with either claimant, plaintiff or his or her legal representative.

E. Conduct periodic review and adjustment of reserves on all open liability claims at least every 60 days.

F. Whenever investigation results in a determination that County sustained a liability to a third party, Contractor shall process any such claim or potential claim for settlement in accordance with instructions and policies of County for settlement of such claims.

G. Notify County's primary and excess coverage providers of all claims which exceed County’s retention, maintenance of liaison between the coverage providers and the County on matters affecting the adjustment of such claims and seek reimbursements for loss in excess of retention or deductible.

H. Act as primary point of contact for County with respect to communications with insurance carriers; coordinate, obtain and send responses to requests for information by insurance carriers.

I. Keep track of all County tenders to insurance carriers and all responses from insurance carriers;

evaluate responses by insurance carriers and make recommendations to County whether to dispute coverage positions of insurance carriers.

Page 5 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

J. Subrogation on the County's behalf against any party responsible or partially responsible for loss incurred by County, in accordance with instructions and policies of the County.

K. Obtain Release Agreement on settlements of any claims or potential claims as appropriate, unless client requests otherwise.

L. Provide County, during the term of this Agreement upon request, tabulated loss run reports on all active claims during the term of this Agreement, indicating the status of each reported claim assigned to Contractor, the details of each claim, the payments during the month and the reserve status.

M. On a quarterly basis, provide the County with a comprehensive listing of all open and closed claims including claim number; claimant name; date of loss; date reported to County; reserve amounts broken out by bodily injury, expense and property damage; total amounts paid broken out by bodily injury, expense and property damage; total reserves; and total incurred.

N. On a quarterly basis, provide the County with a listing of all open claims by claim number including claimant name, responsible department, and total reserve.

O. On a semi-annual and annual basis, provide the County with a summary report by fiscal year of all open and closed claims that includes the total number of reported claims; the number still open; the total reserves broken out by bodily injury, expense and property damage; the total amount of paid amounts including bodily injury, expense and property damage; the total reserve and total incurred.

P. Monitor loss run for litigation.

Q. Communicate with Risk Management, County Attorneys, and various departments regarding recommendation for further handling, investigation, resolution, settlement, or denial of liability.

R. Meet with County Risk Management and County Attorney no less than semi-annually to review open or complex claims.

3. Submission Requirements

Page 6 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

3.1. Submission Deadline

Proposals must be electronically received by 5:00 pm, on Friday, June 19, 2026 via eProcurement system.

Allow sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. Partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. The eProcurement system submission time will be the official submission time. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to slow internet connections or for any other failure of the eProcurement system.

NOTE: The County does not maintain the eProcurement system and is not liable for site failures or technical problems. To resolve technical issues, contact OpenGov Technical Support by using the real time chat located in the lower right hand corner of the screen, or via email at procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

3.2. Pre-submission Registration

Organizations or individuals interested in responding to this solicitation must register online with the

County of San Mateo at:

• https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

It is recommended that organizations complete this registration as soon as possible. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to a failure to register in the eProcurement system.

3.3. Submission via eProcurement Portal

Required Documents

Please refer to the Technical Proposal section for submittal documents and requirements.

Electronic Submissions

Include the proposer name and the RFP title and number in each filename. Submit proposals via the eProcurement website, allowing sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. As noted above, the eProcurement portal submission time will be the official submission time, and partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. Contact eProcurement Portal with technical questions regarding this site.

Conflicts between Certain Requirements

Prior to the submission deadlines and solely relating to a determination of the timeliness of questions, comments, and proposal submissions, information displayed on the eProcurement portal site will take precedence in the event of a discrepancy between that information and the information within the solicitation documents. For all other discrepancies, the information in the solicitation documents will take precedence.

Format mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov/projects/245784/document?section=2346819

Page 7 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

Documents should be created in the following format:

• Text should be Times New Roman (12-point minimum font size) and unjustified (i.e., with a ragged-right margin)

• Pages should have margins of at least one inch on all sides (excluding headers and footers)

• If the proposal is lengthy, a Table of Contents should be included.

• PDF format is preferred.

Errors in Proposals

The County will not be liable for any errors in proposals. Proposals may be rejected as unresponsive if they are late, incomplete, missing pages or information, or cannot be opened for any reason. The County may waive minor irregularities, but such waiver will not modify any remaining RFP requirements.

3.4. Procurement Preference for Local Businesses and Local Non-Profits

The County of San Mateo has adopted a Procurement Preference for Local Businesses Ordinance (County

Ord. Code Ch. 2.89.) The purpose of this Ordinance is to promote a strong local economy by giving preference to local businesses, local non-profits, local small and micro businesses, and local small and micro non-profits in County procurements, to the extent consistent with the law and interests of the public. The County’s process for applying local preferences to competitive procurements is set forth in

County Ordinance Code Section 2.89.030. The Ordinance and exemptions (e.g. the ordinance will be exempt when all bids or proposals received are from Non-Profit Organizations) can be reviewed here:

Chapter 2.89 - PROCUREMENT PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES | Code of Ordinances |

San Mateo County, CA | Municode Library

The requirements for bidders to establish eligibility for a local preference for this solicitation are detailed below in Section III (Submission Requirements) The Ordinance does not apply if a procurement is determined to be exempt (County Ord. Code sec. 2.89.050), and the County reserves the right to waive application of the Ordinance to this procurement if determined to be in the best interests of the County

(County Ord. Code sec. 2.89.060).

4. Minimum Qualifications, Local Preference Ordinance, and Technical Proposal

4.1. Minimum Qualifications

4.1.1. Has Proposer has been providing similar services for a minimum of four (4) years within the last seven (7) years?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.2. Account manager has a minimum of three (3) years of experience within the last five (5) years in providing account services?*

☐ Yes

☐ No https://library.municode.com/ca/san_mateo_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_ART2.8INFIPRCOCO_CH2.89PRPRLOBU https://library.municode.com/ca/san_mateo_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_ART2.8INFIPRCOCO_CH2.89PRPRLOBU

Page 8 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

*Response required

4.1.3. Is your firm registered with System for Award Management (SAM)?*

SAM.gov

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.4. If registered, what is the registered Business Name and Unique Entity ID (UEI) No.?

• UEI number can be obtained by registering your business through SAM.GOV

• Should you be in the process of obtaining your UEI number, please enter the digits ‘123’ temporarily for your response below in order to proceed with proposal. This temporary number should be replaced with the correct registration number for submission of the proposal.

4.2. Procurement Preference for Local Businesses and Local Non-Profits

4.2.1. Is the Proposer a "Local Business"?

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Business” means any for-profit business which has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo

County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response.

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

• SMC_LocalBusiness_self-atte...

4.2.2. Is the Proposer a Non-Profit?*

A Non-Profit is defined as a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section

501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

4.2.3. Is the Proposer a "Local Non-Profit"

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Non-Profit" means a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the

Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes, and has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response.

https://www.sam.gov/ https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/153456/a16ffdc0-a0ee-44ca-b6de-1fddd010042f_SMC_LocalBusiness_self-attestation_form_120424.pdf

Page 9 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

• SMC_LocalBusiness_self-atte...

4.2.4. Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Business?

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

“Small Business” means any business which holds a Small Business Certification awarded by the

California Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services (OSDS).

“Micro Business” means any Small Business certified by the OSDS which is automatically designated by the OSDS as a Micro Business due to gross annual receipts falling below the OSDS-designated dollar amount.

If the above designations apply, please provide the OSDS provided Certification ID.

If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

4.2.5. Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Non-Profit?

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

“Small Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of $1,000,000 to $2,500,000 according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

“Micro Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of less than $1,000,000, according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

If the above designations apply, please provide your latest filed IRS form 990. A filing from the last two calendar years is acceptable.

If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

4.3. Technical Proposal

4.3.1. Introduction and Executive Summary *

Submit a letter of introduction and executive summary of the proposal. The letter must contain:

• Name, title and contact information (email, phone, and address) for representative of proposer that is responsible for communication related to this RFP.

• Name, title, contact information, and signature of person authorized to obligate firm to perform the commitment contained in the proposal.

Submission of the letter will constitute a representation by proposer that it is willing and able to perform the commitments contained in the proposal and has not violated the terms of this RFP.

*Response required

4.3.2. Statement of Minimum Qualifications *

Describe how the proposer meets the minimum qualifications as set forth in Minimum Qualifications of this RFP.

https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/153456/80d29c2f-acda-4b87-837e-cb4ead1fb303_SMC_LocalBusiness_self-attestation_form_120424.pdf

Page 10 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

Submission of the Minimum Qualifications checklist is not a substitute for providing a detailed written response.

*Response required

4.3.3. Scope of Work*

Proposer should give a short summary describing how it will perform the relevant work, including the following:

• Meeting claims handling requirements

• Implementation strategy

• Any notable innovations or improvements that you expect to provide (with respect to, for example, efficiency, technology, sustainability, etc.).

• Suggested performance measures for tracking the quality of performance of the services contained in this RFP.

*Response required

4.3.4. Transition Plan*

Proposer shall outline how they will transition claims administration, reporting and processing from current TPA in a manner that will ensure continuity of uninterrupted service for the County. The plan description should include discussion regarding the following:

• Any previous experience taking over as Third Party Administrator

• Transition plan timeline

• Information you require of the County or its current Third Party Administration for transition purposes

• The method to be used to communicate the status of the transition plan to the County

*Response required

4.3.5. Firm Qualifications *

Attach information regarding background and qualifications, including the following:

• A brief description of the proposer.

• If subcontractors are anticipated, identify them (if known) and provide information on how they will be used.

• Describe the proposer’s strategy for a successful engagement with the County.

*Response required

4.3.6. Team Qualifications*

Provide a chart identifying:

Page 11 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

• Claims Administration team and reporting structure

• Project implementation team

• Role each person will play in the project

Provide a brief description of the experience and qualifications of the Claims Administration team members, including short resumes if desired. Proposer should describe any pertinent accreditations or licenses, and the experience of your firm in relation to the scope of work for other clients.

Provide a definition of the Proposer's roles, responsibilities and activities and how they will integrate with the County.

Written assurance that the key individuals listed and identified will be performing the work and will not be substituted or reassigned without the County’s prior approval.

What is the plan of action should you have an adjuster leave your team or become unavailable during the contract period?

*Response required

4.3.7. References*

Provide three (3) references, preferably other public agencies, including for each the name, email address, and telephone number of your references. References should be recent clients (within the last 12 months).

*Response required

4.3.8. Fee Proposal*

Please provide a proposed annual flat fee for all services and include the following:

1. A list of all services that will be provided within the basic annual flat fee

2. A list of all services that will be provided at an additional cost to the annual flat fee, and what the cost will be (e.g. one-time data conversion fee, field investigation, etc.)

The Fee Proposal should be submitted as a separate Excel file from the Technical Proposals detailed in

Required Documents.

The County reserves the right to accept other than the lowest priced offer and to reject any proposals that are not responsive to this request.

*Response required

5. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

The proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee with relevant expertise. The County intends to evaluate the proposals generally in accordance with the criteria itemized below. Proposers with the highest scoring proposals may be interviewed by the committee to make the final selection.

Page 12 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

N o.

Evaluation Criteria Scori ng

Meth od

Weig ht

(Point s)

1. Project Approach

A. Demonstrates a clear understanding of the project/proposed services detailed in Section II -

Scope of Work and the tasks to be performed.

B. Ability of the proposed Administrator to fulfill the functionality desired by the County.

C. Reasonableness of proposed staffing level and allocation plan

D. Strategy for successful engagement with the County.

E. Effective and cost saving innovations.

Points

Based

(22.1

% of

Total)

2. Firm Qualifications

A. Relevant expertise

B. Results of reference checks

Points

Based

(21.2

% of

Total)

3. Team Qualifications

Expertise of assigned staff in the subject area and description of the tasks to be performed by each staff person.

Points

Based

(21.2

% of

Total)

Page 13 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

4. Fee Proposal

Fee proposal will be scored on a combination of lowest cost and best value proposals for the full 5 year contract.

The table below explains the method by which the fee proposal is scored. The lowest cost proposal will receive the maximum number of points assigned to the fee proposal evaluation criteria. All other proposals will be assigned points by dividing the amount of the lowest total fee proposed by the amount of their respective total fee proposed and then multiplying the resulting number of the maximum number of points available to receive the contractor’s score.

For example, if a total of 25 points are assigned to evaluate the fee proposal, Firm A offers the lowest fee proposal of $1000 and receives all 25 points. Firm

B is the next lowest fee proposal that offers $1200 and receives a score of 20.8 points ($1000 divided by $1200 multiplied by 25 points). Firm C has the highest fee proposal that offers $1500 and receives a score of 16.7 ($1000 divided by $1500 multiplied by 25 points).

Firm Firm A Firm B Firm C

Total Cost $1000 $1200 $1500

Calculation - 1000

Points Achieved

1.0 0.83 0.66

Points (Max 25) 25 20.8 16.7

Points

Based

(26% of

Total)

5. Preferential Points

Where price is not the sole evaluation factor for a solicitation (e.g., in the case of a "best-value" solicitation), five percent (5%) of the total evaluation points awardable will be added to the proposal score for each Local Business or Local Non-Profit score for evaluation purposes. In the event of a tie between a

Local Business or Local Non-Profit and another bidder, the Local Business or Non-Profit shall be awarded the Contract, assuming agreement on other contract terms.

An additional three percent (3%) preference shall be given to a Local Business or Local Non-profit (for a total of eight percent (8%) of total points awardable) if the proposer is a Small Business or Small Non-

Profit, or an additional 5 percent preference (for a total of ten percent (10%) of total points awardable) if the proposer is a Micro Business or Micro Non-Profit.

Points

Based

(9.6% of

Total)

6. Instructions to Proposers

6.1. Instructions

There will be no pre-proposal conference or site visit for this project.

Page 14 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

6.2. Communications

A. As of the issuance date of this RFP and continuing until it is canceled or an award is made, no proposer or person acting on behalf of a prospective proposer may discuss any matter relating to the RFP with any officer, agent, or employee of the County, other than through eProcurement portal, to the Authorized Contact Person, or as outlined in the evaluation or protest procedures.

B. Proposers (including any agent, owner, employee, board members, or other such affiliates) shall not offer any gift, favor, or other personal benefit to any County officer or employee during the procurement process for this agreement, including during the solicitation period and contract negotiations.

Violation of the foregoing prohibitions may result in a proposer being found non-responsible and barred from participating in this or future procurements.

6.3. Contract Award

A. Award Procedure

Contract negotiations are neither an offer nor guarantee that a contract will be executed. A contract award, if any is made, will be to the responsive, responsible proposer offering the overall best value to the County for the services and goods described in this solicitation, or as applicable, for a specific portion of the services and goods described. Any agreement reached will be memorialized in a formal agreement using the attached template, executed by the appropriate authority.

B. Notice of Intent to Award

If a decision is made to take steps to enter into an agreement with one or more proposers, the

County will post a Notice of Intent to Award or otherwise notify proposers the remaining proposers of their non-selection. Notice may instead be provided by including approval of the agreement as an item on an agenda for a meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

C. Commencement of Performance

After all parties have signed the agreement, the County will notify the contractor and performance may proceed. Prior to execution of the agreement by the County, no County employee may authorize work under the agreement. Any work performed prior to the full execution of the Agreement may not be compensated.

D. Levine Act DisclosureThe Levine Act (California Government Code Section 84308) imposes certain requirements on parties contracting with the County of San Mateo related to campaign contributions to County “officers,” including elected County officers and candidates seeking elective office, who may participate in making a decision on certain County contracts. Elected

County officers in San Mateo County include: the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, County Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Sheriff, and Tax

Collector-Treasurer.Generally, under current County policy, approval by the Board of

Supervisors is required for any agreement for services above $200,000, and agreements for

Page 15 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026 services below that threshold may be approved by Department heads.If your proposal is selected, you will be required to certify compliance with the Levine Act.As part of this process, you will need to certify and warrant that you have fully complied, and will remain in full compliance, with all applicable requirements of the Levine Act in connection with the

Agreement, including making any required disclosures of campaign contributions to County

Officers, which includes but may not be limited to elected County Officers. Elected County

Officers include members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, as well as the

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Sheriff, and Tax

Collector-Treasurer. Any campaign contribution required to be disclosed under the Levine Act in connection with this Agreement shall be disclosed on the County of San Mateo Levine Act

Disclosure Form, a copy of which is available from the County upon request.Parties are solely responsible for accurate certification and disclosure. The Levine Act is complex, and this brief description is not legal advice. For example, certain contributions must be aggregated when determining whether contributions have exceeded the $500 threshold. If your proposal is selected, you are urged to review the Levine Act and consider consulting an attorney.

6.4. Term

Human Resources Departmentis issuing Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 2026-RFP-00429 for General

Liability Claims Administration Services.

The agreement shall have a term of three (3) years. In addition, the County shall have two (2) options to extend the term for an additional period not to exceed one year, which the County may exercise in its sole, absolute discretion. To exercise this option, the County shall provide written notice to the Contractor at least thirty days before the end of the agreement’s term.

The County’s standard contract template has been included with this solicitation. The awarded contractor will be expected to sign an agreement prepared by the County using this template. Please ensure that your firm has completed legal review of these contract terms. If your firm wishes to request exceptions to these standard terms, submit a Contract Exceptions Request by the Deadline for Questions, Comments and

Contract Exceptions listed in the Solicitation Schedule below. The County will consider Contract

Exceptions Requests but reserves the right to reject requested modifications to its standard terms.

7. Terms and Conditions for Receipt of Proposals

7.1. Errors, Omissions and Inquiries regarding the RFP

Proposers are responsible for reviewing all portions of this RFP. Proposers are to notify the department, in eProcurement portal, if the proposer discovers any ambiguity, discrepancy, omission, or apparent error in the RFP. Such notification should be made promptly after discovery, but in no event later than five business days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals. Modifications and clarifications will be made by addenda as provided below.

Inquiries regarding the RFP should be lodged in eProcurement portal.

Page 16 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

7.2. Objections to RFP Terms

Should a proposer object on any ground to any provision or legal requirement set forth in this RFP, the proposer must, not more than ten calendar days after the RFP is issued, provide written notice to the department, via eProcurement portal, setting forth with specific grounds for the objection.

7.3. Addenda

The County may cancel, revise, or reissue this RFP, in whole or in part, for any reason. Revisions will be posted as Addenda on eProcurement portal. No other revision of this RFP is valid. Proposers shall be responsible for ensuring that their proposals reflects any and all Addenda issued by the County prior to the proposal due date regardless of when a proposal is submitted. Therefore, the County recommends that proposers consult eProcurement portal frequently, including shortly before the proposal due date, to confirm that all Addenda have been downloaded.

7.4. Term of Proposal

Submission of a proposal signifies that the proposed services and prices are valid for the duration of the proposed agreement term and that the quoted prices are genuine and not the result of collusion or any other anti-competitive activity.

7.5. Revision or Withdrawal of Proposal

A proposer may revise a proposal on the proposer’s own initiative at any time before the deadline for submission of proposals. The proposer must submit the revised proposal in the same manner as the original on or before the proposal due date.

A proposer may withdraw a proposal at any time before the deadline for submission of proposals. After that time, whether or not a new RFP is issued for the same subject matter, withdrawal of a proposal may preclude the proposer from participating in the procurement as a proposer or subcontractor, except that an original equipment manufacturer may participate indirectly through a reseller.

7.6. Errors and Omissions in Proposal

The County will not be liable for any errors in proposals. Proposals may be rejected as unresponsive if they are incomplete, are missing pages or information, or cannot be opened for any reason. The County may waive minor irregularities, but such waiver will not modify any of the remaining RFP requirements.

7.7. No Commitment

Neither submission of a proposal nor the County’s receipt of proposal materials confers any right to the proposer nor any obligation on the County. This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract.

7.8. Financial Responsibility

The County shall have no financial responsibility for any costs incurred by a firm in responding to this

RFP or participating in any presentations or negotiations.

7.9. Estimated Quantity

If the RFP results in an indefinite quantity or a requirements agreement, the goods and services actually requested by the County may be less than the maximum value of the agreement and there is no guarantee, Page 17 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026 either expressed or implied, as to the actual quantity of goods and services that will be authorized under the agreement.

7.10. Public Record

A. General

1. All proposals, protests, and information submitted in response to this solicitation will become the property of the County and will be considered public records. As such, they may be subject to public review.

2. Any contract arising from this RFP will be a public record.

3. The County is not seeking proprietary information and will not assert any privileges that may exist on behalf of the proposer.

4. Submission of any materials in response to this RFP constitutes:

▪ Consent to the County’s release of such materials under the Public Records Act without notice to the person or entity submitting the materials; and

▪ Waiver of all claims against the County and/or its officers, agents, or employees that the

County has violated a proposer's right to privacy, disclosed trade secrets, or caused any damage by allowing the proposal or materials to be inspected; and

▪ Agreement to indemnify and hold harmless the County for release of such information under the Public Records Act; and

▪ Acknowledgement that the County will not assert any privileges that may exist on behalf of the person or entity submitting the materials.

7.11. Reservations of Rights by the County

The issuance of this RFP does not constitute an agreement by the County that any contract will actually be entered into by the County. The County expressly reserves the right at any time to:

• Waive or correct any defect or informality in any response, proposal, or proposal procedure;

• Reject any or all proposals;

• Reissue an RFP;

• Prior to submission deadline for proposals, modify all or any portion of the selection procedures, including deadlines for accepting responses, the specifications or requirements for any materials, equipment or services to be provided under this RFP, or the requirements for contents or format of the proposals;

• Procure any materials, equipment or services specified in this RFP by any other means; or

• Determine that no project will be pursued.

Page 18 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

7.12. No Waiver

No waiver by the County of any provision of this RFP shall be implied from any failure by the County to recognize or take action on account of any failure by a proposer to observe any provision of this RFP.

7.13. Cooperative Agreement (Piggyback)

This competitive solicitation is being conducted as a Cooperative Procurement. The services, terms and conditions of any agreement resulting from this solicitation may be used by other organizations as a

Cooperative Agreement.

This provision in no way commits any affiliate to procure services from any awarded contractor, nor does it guarantee that any additional orders will result. At their discretion, and subject to their own procurement policies, interested organizations may make use of this competitive procurement and contract directly from the awarded contractor.

8. Protest Procedures

8.1. Protest of Non-Responsiveness Determination

Within five (5) working days of the County's issuance of a notice of non-responsiveness, any firm that has submitted a proposal and believes that the County has incorrectly determined that its proposal is non-responsive may submit a written notice of protest. Such notice of protest must be received by the County on or before the fifth working day following the County's issuance of the notice of non-responsiveness. The notice of protest must include a written statement specifying in detail each and every one of the grounds asserted for the protest. The protest must be signed by an individual authorized to represent the proposer, and must cite the law, rule, local ordinance, procedure or RFP provision on which the protest is based. In addition, the protestor must specify facts and evidence sufficient for the County to determine the validity of the protest.

8.2. Protest of Contract Award

Within five (5) working days of the County's issuance of a notice of intent to award the contract, any firm that has submitted a responsive proposal and believes that the County has incorrectly selected another proposer for award may submit a written notice of protest. Such notice of protest must be received by the

County on or before the fifth working day after the County's issuance of the notice of intent to award.

The notice of protest must include a written statement specifying in detail each and every one of the grounds asserted for the protest. The protest must be signed by an individual authorized to represent the proposer, and must cite the law, rule, local ordinance, procedure or RFP provision on which the protest is based. In addition, the protestor must specify facts and evidence sufficient for the County to determine the validity of the protest.

8.3. Delivery of Protests

All protests must be received by the due date. If a protest is mailed, the protestor bears the risk of non-delivery within the deadlines specified herein. Protests should be transmitted by a means that will objectively establish the date the County received the protest. Protests or notice of protests made orally

(e.g., by telephone) will not be considered. Protests must be delivered to:

Page 19 of 19 Release date of May 11, 2026

Protests@smcgov.org

Subject: General Liability Claims Administration Services, 2026-RFP-00429