GO-Biz_Medical_Device_Accelerator_-_RFO_FINAL.pdf

California Medical Device Export Accelerator Request for Offer (RFO)

RFO Title California Medical Device Export Accelerator Issuing Agency Governor’s Office of Business and Economic

Development (GO-Biz) Division/Program International Affairs and Trade Agency Address 1325 J Street, Suite 1800, Sacramento, CA 95814 Contact Email international@gobiz.ca.gov RFO Release Date Monday, October 12, 2026 Submission Deadline Thursday, October 29, 2026, 17:00 Estimated Contract Term November 23, 2026 – September 30, 2027

Last Updated: 10/12/26 mailto:international@gobiz.ca.gov

Table of Contents RFO Overview

Key Dates

Questions and Answers

Offer Submission

Scope of Work

Performance Measures

Timeline

Minimum Qualifications

Organizational Qualifications

Organizational Capacity

Professional Experience

Payment Terms

Offer Content

Exhibit A - Cover Letter

Exhibit B - Key Personnel

Exhibit C - Resumes

Exhibit D – Technical Proposal

A. Organizational Experience: 3-5 pages

B. Implementation Plan: 10 pages

C. Implementation Timeline: 2-3 pages

D. Sample Work: 5-7 pages

Exhibit E – Cost Proposal

Exhibit G – References

Vendor Forms

GenAI Disclosure

Small Business and DVBE Incentive Program

Insurance Requirements

Evaluation and Selection Process

Administration

RFO Response Requirements

Reservation of Rights and RFO Amendments

Proposal Disclosure and Confidentiality Procedures

Standard Contract Terms

Authority

RFO Overview GO-Biz International Affairs and Trade is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to research, identify, and evaluate international markets for California medical-device companies.

The selected proposer will identify markets that offer strong commercial potential, feasible regulatory pathways, and appropriate market-entry opportunities for companies whose products have received applicable U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance, approval, authorization, or exemption. Using this research, the proposer will design and implement a market-acceleration strategy that provides participating companies with market intelligence, individualized market-fit assessments, coaching, and connections to qualified in-market partners.

The purpose of this RFO is to identify a proposer with the expertise, capacity, and experience necessary to successfully deliver the services outlined in this solicitation.

GO-Biz anticipates making a single award for the complete scope of work. However, GO-Biz reserves the right to make separate awards based on the phases of the program, if no single proposal demonstrates sufficient qualifications, capacity, or value to successfully deliver services for the full program. Contractors must therefore provide phase-specific technical approaches and pricing, in addition to the full approach and total cost for the integrated program.

If GO-Biz makes separate awards by phase, each selected proposer must cooperate with GO-Biz and any other selected proposer to ensure continuity between phases. This may include transferring approved methodologies, research, training materials, company assessment information, program records, and other work products developed under the agreement, subject to applicable confidentiality and data-protection requirements.

Issuance of this RFO does not constitute a commitment by GO-Biz to award a contract.

Key Dates Milestone Date

RFO Release Monday, October 12, 2026

Submission Deadline Thursday, October 29, 2026, 17:00

Deadline for Written Questions Friday, October 23, 2026

Award Notice (posted to Cal eProcure) Monday, November 2, 2026

Contract Start Date November 23, 2026 – September 30, 2027

Questions and Answers All questions regarding this RFO must be submitted in writing via email with the subject line “California Medical Device Export Accelerator: Questions - [Applicant Name]” to the Point of Contact to international@gobiz.ca.gov.

Questions must be received by the deadline identified in the Key Dates section.

Offer Submission Offers must be submitted electronically via email with the subject line “California Medical Device Export Accelerator: Proposal Submission - [Applicant Name]” to international@gobiz.ca.gov. No mailed/hard copy submittals will be accepted.

Offers must be received by the deadline stated in the Key Dates section. Late submissions will not be accepted.

If files exceed email limits, proposers may provide a secure file-sharing link, provided that all documents are accessible by the deadline.

Respondents are solely responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of their offer by the stated deadline.

It is recommended that applicants submit your offer at least two business days in advance of the final deadline to receive confirmation of receipt and avoid potential delays due to technical difficulties.

Scope of Work The selected proposer will perform the services described below.

Phase 1 – Project Initiation and Market Research: November 2026 - February 2027

In consultation with GO-Biz, the proposer will develop a market-evaluation methodology and use it to identify international markets that offer the strongest combination of commercial opportunity, regulatory feasibility, and market-entry potential for California medical-device companies. GO-Biz must review and approve the methodology before the proposer completes the market analysis.

The methodology must account for differences among medical-device categories and must not assume that the same markets are appropriate for every participating company.

The proposer may segment its analysis by device category, classification, clinical application, customer type, or other relevant factors. The proposer must clearly identify the limitations of its analysis and explain circumstances in which a market may be attractive for one device category but unsuitable for another.

• Research and identify top markets for California medical device manufacturers with FDA Clearance that offer the best market potential with the lowest barriers of entry. Proposer will consult with and receive approval from GO-Biz on methodology. Research, evaluate, and prioritize international markets that offer the strongest overall market-entry opportunity for California medical-device companies. Market prioritization must balance commercial opportunity with regulatory and operational feasibility. Markets should not be prioritized solely because they have less burdensome regulatory requirements.

o At a minimum, the methodology and market analysis must consider the following factors:

Market size and demand

• Target market size for relevant device categories (medtech market value, segment growth rate)

• Import volume and value of US-origin medical devices into that market

• Disease burden or procedure volume data supporting device categories where California companies have strength

Regulatory leverage

• Existence and terms of mutual recognition or reliance agreements with FDA

• Whether the target market accepts FDA clearance as sufficient or supporting evidence for local registration, and how much it shortens the local approval timeline

• Average local approval timeline with vs. without prior FDA clearance

Trade and policy environment

• Existing US free trade agreements or trade preference programs with the market

• Import tariffs and non-tariff barriers specific to medical devices

• Local content or manufacturing requirements that could disadvantage US exporters

• Requirements for local representation

Commercial feasibility

• Competitive landscape and market concentration

• Typical pricing, payment, and reimbursement conditions

• Public and private-sector healthcare procurement pathways

• Availability and structure of distributors, importers, agents, and other market-entry partners

• Estimated cost and time required to establish an initial commercial presence

Regulatory and operational requirements

• Applicable device classification and registration pathways

• Local testing, labeling, language, clinical-data, and post-market surveillance requirements

• Importer-of-record, authorized representative, or local entity requirements

• Data privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual-property, and product-liability considerations, where applicable

Risk and market-entry considerations

• Political, economic, currency, payment, and supply-chain risks

• Transparency and predictability of the regulatory environment

• Anti-corruption, sanctions, and other relevant compliance considerations

• Barriers faced by small and medium-sized U.S. exporters

• The proposer will prepare a draft and final market-prioritization report for GO-Biz and California companies. The report must:

o Describe the approved methodology and scoring criteria.

o Present a comparative assessment of the markets reviewed.

o Identify and explain the highest-priority markets.

o Distinguish opportunities by relevant device category, where appropriate.

o Provide a practical overview of regulatory, reimbursement, procurement, distribution, and market-entry requirements.

o Identify principal risks, limitations, and anticipated market-entry costs and timelines.

o Cite authoritative and current sources.

o GO-Biz will review the draft report and may require revisions before approving the final report and authorizing the proposerto proceed to Phase 2.

Phase 1 deliverables

1. Project work plan and schedule.

2. Market research methodology and scoring matrix.

3. Draft market prioritization report.

4. Final GO-Biz-approved market-prioritization report.

5. Executive summary and presentation suitable for California companies.

6. Source list and supporting research documentation.

Phase 2 – Virtual Training Delivery: February – March 2027

• Based on the approved Phase 1 research, the proposer will develop a virtual export readiness training program that presents an overview of the top five priority markets while also helping companies understand how product characteristics, regulatory status, business readiness, and market objectives affect market selection.

• Recruit companies to participate in the virtual training, which will be provided to companies at no cost. The proposer will prepare and implement a GO-Biz-approved recruitment plan that identifies target audiences, outreach partners, recruitment channels, and enrollment milestones. The proposer must provide regular recruitment updates and maintain records sufficient to verify company eligibility and participation.

• The proposer will deliver the training through a combination of pre-recorded instructional modules and live, interactive office hours. Recordings must include captions and transcripts and must be hosted on a platform that allows GO-Biz to track registration, module completion, and participation. GO-Biz must approve the curriculum, speakers, presentation materials, and recordings before their release to participating companies.

At a minimum, the training must address:

o Market characteristics and demand.

o Medical-device classification and regulatory pathways.

o Registration costs, documentation, and estimated timelines.

o Reimbursement and healthcare procurement.

o Distributor, importer, authorized representative, and other sales-channel options.

o Pricing, localization, labeling, and language requirements.

o Intellectual-property, contracting, data-privacy, and compliance considerations.

o Market partner due diligence and negotiation.

o Export logistics and after-sales support.

o Development of an actionable market-entry plan.

Phase 2 deliverables

• Recruitment and outreach plan.

• Training curriculum and session schedule.

• Pre-recorded modules, presentation materials, captions, and transcripts. The modules must be provided to GO-Biz in the MP4 format.

• Live office-hour sessions.

• Enrollment, attendance, and completion reports.

• Participant feedback summary and recommended program adjustments.

Phase 3 – Company Diagnostic and Market Fit Analysis: March-April 2027

For each eligible company that completes the required training activities, the proposer will conduct market-fit assessment. The proposer will assess up to three markets for each company, based on the company’s request. The markets should be selected from the Phase 1 priority markets.

Each company will receive a written market-fit report that compares the selected markets, identifies major regulatory and commercial requirements, describes key risks and estimated costs, and recommends a priority market and next steps. The proposer must review the findings with the company during an individual consultation.

Phase 3 deliverables

1. Written three-market comparison and recommendation for each company.

2. Individual 30-minute company consultations to review findings.

3. Aggregate report summarizing completed company market analyses and summary of contractor’s engagements with the companies.

Phase 4 – Medical Device Market Accelerator Delivery: April – September 2027

• From the companies that complete the training and market-fit assessment, the proposer will support GO-Biz in selecting up to 20 California small medical device companies to participate in hands-on coaching and matchmaking.

o Companies must meet GO-Biz’s eligibility requirements.

o Companies will pay a participation fee set and collected by GO-Biz.

• Each company will receive the following support for one market of their choice, based on the three markets analyzed in Phase 3.

o One-on-one coaching sessions to support regulatory and registration filings.

These sessions should be with the contractor, a regulatory advisor, and/or legal advisor.

o Virtual matchmaking with reputable and relevant in-market representatives.

Between Three to five virtual meetings will be arranged.

o The proposer will arrange for a legal seminar, from an in-market legal advisor, for each of up to five company-selected markets, grouping companies by shared market selections; unselected markets require no seminar.

GO-Biz must approve the legal advisor(s) used.

o If a participating company decides to move forward with establishing in-market representation within the period of GO-Biz’s contract performance period, the consultant’s identified legal partner will provide up to one hour of support for contract development and review.

Phase 4 deliverables

1. Accelerator recruitment and selection support.

2. Individual coaching plan and session record for each company.

3. Company-specific market-entry action plan.

https://export.business.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/STEP-Program-Guidelines.pdf

4. Partner research and due-diligence records.

5. Three to five qualified matchmaking meetings per company.

6. Meeting summaries and recommended follow-up actions.

7. Market-specific legal or regulatory seminars, as applicable.

8. Final company progress assessment.

9. Final program report summarizing services, outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations.

Performance Measures The proposer will propose performance measures and reporting procedures for GO-Biz approval. At a minimum, the proposer must track:

• Companies recruited, enrolled, and completing the training.

• Companies receiving market-fit assessments.

• Companies selected for the accelerator.

• Coaching sessions and advisory hours delivered.

• Qualified partner meetings completed.

• Follow-up discussions initiated.

• Market-entry plans completed.

• Regulatory, distribution, or commercial steps initiated.

• Agreements, partnerships, registrations, export sales, or other outcomes reported during the contract period.

• Participant satisfaction and reported usefulness of services.

The proposer will provide monthly progress reports during active program delivery and a final report at the conclusion of the agreement. Reports must distinguish completed deliverables from anticipated or self-reported outcomes.

Timeline

• The offer must include a detailed timeline for milestones and deliverables for each phase.

• The consultant will commence work immediately upon contract execution.

• The training program, including all training sessions and one-on-one coaching must be completed by the conclusion of the contract period, September 30, 2027

Minimum Qualifications Proposers must meet the following requirements to be considered responsive.

Organizational Qualifications

• Must not be presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in public procurement or contracting by State of California agency.

Organizational Capacity

• Demonstrated ability to manage projects of comparable scale and complexity

• Adequate staffing and operational capacity to effectively track and manage the workload required to actively support and successfully execute the required deliverables for up to nine companies.

• Maintain open and regular communication with the IAT team, providing updates and addressing any issues or concerns in a timely manner.

• If a consultant and/or front-facing support staff will be unavailable for an extended period of more than 72 hours during the work week, an alternative point of contact at the consulting company must be provided.

Professional Experience

• Demonstrated experience o Supporting US medical device companies entering into international markets o Evaluating commercial, regulatory, reimbursement, and distribution conditions in multiple international markets o Working with applicable FDA medical device regulatory pathways, including

510(k), PMA, and Quality System Regulation requirements o Navigating international medical device classification, registration, labeling, post-market, and local-representation requirements o Designing and delivering export readiness or market entry training programs, including cohort-based programs combining group instruction with individual company coaching o Identifying and vetting distributors, importers, authorized representatives, healthcare buyers, or other relevant market partners o Sourcing or providing subject matter experts, such as regulatory attorneys or reimbursement consultants, for specific training modules o Managing confidential company information and avoiding or disclosing conflicts of interest o Successful completion of similar projects and within established schedules and budgets

• Preferred Qualifications o Established relationships with medical device trade associations o Established relationships with in-market distributors, regulatory affairs consultancies, or reimbursement/Health Technology Assessment specialists in the report's target markets o Experience managing multi-market programs with divergent timelines across country tracks o Experience advising companies on healthcare reimbursement and public- or private-sector procurement o Demonstrated relationships with regulatory, legal, reimbursement, distribution, or healthcare-procurement specialists in multiple international market

Payment Terms Payment from GO-Biz will follow state of California processing requirements. Payments will be issued via a physical check in U.S. dollars. Electronic delivery is not available at this time.

Payment terms, including invoicing requirements and payment schedules, will be finalized during the contract negotiation state with the selected proposer.

Proposers located outside of the United States must include a statement in their offer acknowledging that they understand and accept the payment terms, and that they are responsible for ensuring they have the ability to receive, process, and deposit such payments.

Failure to include this acknowledgement may result in the offer being considered non-responsive.

Offer Content

Exhibit A - Cover Letter Page limit: 1

• Legal organization name

• Business address

• Website

• Year established

• Number of employees

• Proposal Contacts – include name, title, email, and phone number o Primary Contact (Authorized Representative) o Secondary Contact

Exhibit B - Key Personnel

Page limit: 1

Provide a table identifying staff responsible for project execution, include subcontractors. Must include the name, title, and role in the project. For consulting contracts, hourly rates and estimated hours are required.

Identify the designated Project Manager that will lead and coordinate efforts.

Exhibit C - Resumes Page limit: 1 page per staff member

Provide resumes for all key personnel listed. Each resume should include a summary of relevant experience, highlighting past projects similar in scope to the work outlined in this RFO.

Exhibit D – Technical Proposal Page Limit: 25 pages

A. Organizational Experience: 3-5 pages Describe relevant experience delivering similar projects.

B. Implementation Plan: 10 pages Describe how the proposer will complete the scope of work. The implementation plan must address:

• Proposed market research and scoring methodology.

• Approach to segmenting markets by device category.

• Training design and participant-engagement strategy.

• Company recruitment and eligibility screening.

• Company diagnostic and market-fit methodology.

• Coaching and market entry planning.

• In-market partner identification, vetting, and matchmaking.

• Use and qualifications of regulatory, legal, reimbursement, and other specialists.

• Confidentiality, data protection, and conflict-of-interest controls.

• Deliverable review and quality-assurance procedures.

• Performance measurement and reporting.

• Coordination and handoff procedures if GO-Biz makes awards by phase.

C. Implementation Timeline: 2-3 pages Provide an overview of the timeline for the items identified in the Scope of Work.

D. Sample Work: 5-7 pages Provide examples of similar work for similar types of contracts that were successfully concluded.

Exhibit E – Cost Proposal Proposers must provide the total cost of the project, with a detailed breakdown showing how the costs were determined by phase. GO-Biz may negotiate scope, pricing, or deliverables prior to final contract execution.

Proposed budgets over $150,000 total will not be considered. The recommended budget for this project is $120,000.

The budget should be provided as either Excel sheet or Word document that includes the following cost categories:

• Personnel o Must include all key personnel, percentage of time on the project and the total cost.

o For consulting contracts, provide the hourly rates and estimated hours for each individual.

• Materials, Supplies, & Equipment o Itemize in separate categories, including justification for the project’s need for each item.

• Subcontractors o Provide the subcontractor organization name, point of contact email address, CA

Certification (MB, SB, DVBE or None) Include link to Certification # if applicable, overview of work performed on the contract, and the total cost for each.

o Cost per additional advisory or coaching hour.

o Cost of each market-specific legal or regulatory seminar.

• Travel – if applicable o Provide the purpose, destination, travelers (name or position), and duration of each trip. Include details on airfare, lodging and mileage expenses if applicable.

• Other Direct Costs, including, but not limited to, o Any platform, translation, accessibility, licensing, or third-party research costs.

o Any costs that will vary depending on the number of participating companies or selected markets.

At a minimum, the cost proposal must separately identify:

• Fixed fee for Phase 1.

• Fixed fee for Phase 2.

• Per-company fee for Phase 3.

• Per-company fee for Phase 4.

• GO-Biz will pay only for services and deliverables authorized and accepted in accordance with the final agreement. The cost proposal must state how pricing will be adjusted if enrollment is lower than anticipated or if GO-Biz awards fewer than all phases.

Payment Terms Acknowledgement

Proposers located outside of the United States must include a statement in their offer acknowledging that they understand and accept that payment will be issued only by physical check in U.S. dollars mailed through standard postal services, and that they are responsible for ensuring they have the ability to receive, process, and deposit such payments.

Payment Terms Acknowledgement Statement (for proposers located outside of the United States):

“The proposer acknowledges and accepts that payments under any resulting agreement with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) will be issued by physical check in U.S. dollars and delivered by mail in accordance with State of California payment procedures. The proposer confirms that it has the ability to receive and process such payments.”

Exhibit G – References Provide at least three references for comparable work.

Include:

• Organization Name

• Contact Name/Title

• Email

• Phone

• Contract/Project Name

• Dates of Service

• Brief Description of Project

Vendor Forms

• STD 204 – Payee Data Record* o U.S.–based vendors or vendors accepting payment to a U.S. based address must complete and submit the STD 204 form o International or foreign vendors who possess a U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) are also required to complete and submit the STD 204 form o *Instructions to Foreign Vendors Without a U.S. TIN If the Respondent is an international or foreign vendor without a U.S. TIN, they must submit the appropriate IRS Form W-8 instead of the STD 204. The correct type of form will depend on the nature of your business and entity type W8BEN form for individuals W8BEN-E form for entities

• STD 21 – Drug-Free Workplace Certification

• CCC – Contractor Certification Clauses

• Darfur Contracting Act Certification

• Bidder Declaration

GenAI Disclosure The State of California seeks to realize the potential benefits of GenAI, through the development and deployment of GenAI tools, while balancing the risks of these new technologies.

Applicant must notify the State in writing if it: (1) intends to provide GenAI as a deliverable to the State; or (2), intends to utilize GenAI, including GenAI from third parties, to complete all or a portion of any deliverable that materially impacts: (i) functionality of a State system, (ii) risk to the State, or (iii) Contract performance. For avoidance of doubt, the term “materially impacts” shall have the meaning set forth in State Administrative Manual (SAM) § 4986.2 Definitions for GenAI.

Failure to report GenAI to the State may result in disqualification. The State reserves the right to seek any and all relief to which it may be entitled to as a result of such non-disclosure.

Upon notification by an applicant of GenAI as required, the State reserves the right to incorporate GenAI Special Provisions into the final contract or reject bids/offers that present an unacceptable level of risk to the State.

Government Code 11549.64 defines “Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)” as an artificial intelligence system that can generate derived synthetic content, including text, images, video, and audio that emulates the structure and characteristics of the system’s training data.

Small Business and DVBE Incentive Program Small Business Incentive Program

Current law encourages state departments to first consider a California-certified small business (SB) and microbusiness (MB) for contracting opportunities. The State of California is committed to supporting SB and MB participation in state contracting and seeks to use certified SBs and MBs whenever possible.

In accordance with GC Section 14835, et seq., certified small businesses and microbusinesses are encouraged to apply and can claim a five percent (5%) preference when submitting a bid on a state contract. A non-small business may receive a preference of five percent (5%) if the business commits to subcontracting at least twenty-five percent (25%) of its net bid price with one or more small businesses or microbusinesses and the subcontractor preference does not remove the award from a certified small business.

B) The SB preference provides certified SBs and MBs a calculation preference in the amount of five percent (5%) of the highest scored, responsible, and responsive proposal submitted by a proposing firm who is not a certified small business.

B) The five percent (5%) preference is used only for computation purposes, to determine the winning bidder and does not alter the amounts of the resulting contract. A contract awarded on the basis of the five percent (5%) preference is awarded to the small business or non-small business for the actual amount of its bid.

A complete copy of the firm’s current Small Business certification with the Department of General Services (DGS) must also accompany the response.

Helpful resources pertaining to the small business program may be found here:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion- List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business

Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE) Incentive Program https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion-List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion-List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business

Prime contractors, with the exception of a certified Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE), who subcontract work to DVBEs a minimum of five percent (5%) of its net bid price to meet the DVBE participation goal will receive a five percent (5%) preference during the evaluation. The preference is in addition to any small business preference that may apply.

In accordance with section 999.5(a) of the Military and Veterans Code, an incentive will be given to bidders who meet or exceed the DVBE program requirement. For evaluation purposes only, the State shall apply an incentive to bids that propose California-certified DVBE participation as identified on the Bidder Declaration and confirmed by the State. A five percent (5%) preference will be given. A contract awarded on the basis of the five percent (5%) preference is awarded to the DVBE for the actual amount of its bid.

A complete copy of the firm’s current DVBE certification with the Department of General Services (DGS) must also accompany the response.

Helpful resources pertaining to the DVBE program may be found here:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion- List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business

Insurance Requirements Insurance requirements may apply when the total contract value exceeds $100,000. Contractors may be required to maintain Commercial General Liability, Workers Compensation, and Professional Liability (applicable to contracts over $1,000,000).

Evaluation and Selection Process The project manager will review the offers based on relevant experience (30 points), technical approach (30 points), cost proposed (30 points), and references provided (10 points). The offer with the highest number of points will be selected. The lowest offer will not be automatically selected. Applications will be reviewed holistically and evaluated for the quality of their offering, in addition to the cost.

Administration

RFO Response Requirements This RFO and the Proposer’s response to this document will be made part of GO-Biz’s proposer’s file.

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion-List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion-List/OSDS/OSDS?search=small%20business

Plagiarism, including but not limited to taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own, and failure to cite someone else’s work or ideas, is prohibited and is grounds for disqualification. Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools to complete any portion of an application, without citation, may be considered plagiarism and may also be grounds for disqualification.

Reservation of Rights and RFO Amendments GO-Biz reserves the following rights, which may be exercised at its sole discretion and without liability to any Applicant:

1. Right to Amend, Supplement, or Cancel the RFO GO-Biz reserves the right to amend, supplement, clarify, revise, delay, or cancel this Request for Offer (RFO), in whole or in part, at any time prior to the offer submission deadline or prior to execution of a final agreement. Amendments may include, but are not limited to, changes to the scope of work, key dates, funding availability, evaluation criteria, or submission requirements. Issuance of this RFO does not obligate GO-Biz to make an award or to enter into any agreement.

2. Notice of Amendments All official amendments, addenda, and clarifications to this RFO will be posted on the GO-Biz website at: Cal eProcure

It is the sole responsibility of each Applicant to monitor the website for updates, amendments, or additional information related to this RFO. GO-Biz is not responsible for failure of an Applicant to receive notice of an amendment. Failure to acknowledge or respond to an amendment may result in disqualification.

3. Right to Reject Offers GO-Biz reserves the right to reject any or all offers, to waive minor irregularities or technical defects in offers received, and to request clarification of information submitted.

4. Right to Award in Whole or in Part GO-Biz reserves the right to:

a. Award funding in whole or in part;

b. Award less than the total amount requested;

c. Make multiple awards under this RFO;

d. Not award all available funds; or

e. Issue additional solicitations for similar services.

f. Selected Applicants may be required to negotiate scope or budget adjustments consistent with available funding.

5. Right to Negotiate and Request Additional Information

GO-Biz may request additional information, conduct interviews, seek clarifications, or https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/index.aspx enter into negotiations with one or more Applicants prior to final award. Failure to respond timely to such requests may result in disqualification.

6. Preparation Costs All costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an offer are the sole responsibility of the Applicant. GO-Biz shall not be liable for any costs incurred in connection with this RFO, including in the event of amendment or cancellation.

Proposal Disclosure and Confidentiality Procedures Proposers are advised that all proposals submitted pursuant to this RFO are subject to Public Contract Code section 10344, subdivision (c)(2), under which proposals, evaluations, and scoring materials become public records available for inspection at the conclusion of committee scoring. If a Proposer seeks to protect confidential, trade‑secret, or proprietary information in its proposal, the Proposer must clearly identify specific proposal portions as confidential at the time of submission. Note that blanket, whole‑document, or untethered (such as unclear or not page/provision specific) confidentiality designations will not be honored, and the submission will be treated as entirely public.

If a Proposer seeks to protect confidential information in its proposal, it shall flag or highlight such information in its proposal either in-text or via a separate page or attachment identifying the confidential information, submitted along with the proposal. Any separate confidentiality explanation document or attachment shall not count toward the maximum proposal page limit.

For purposes of any claimed confidentiality, confidential information is limited to material or information that falls under an exemption to the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 7920.000 et seq.), and the Proposer should identify which exemption applies to the confidential information flagged or highlighted in its proposal.

GO‑Biz retains sole discretion to determine whether any portion of a proposal is exempt from disclosure, though it will take into consideration the specific confidential information identified by the Proposer when making that determination.

Standard Contract Terms All agreements entered into with the State of California will include reference to General Terms and Conditions that may be viewed and downloaded here: Standard Contract Language.

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=general%20terms https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=general%20terms

Authority Assembly Bill 2832 Chapter 577 exempts from any contracting requirement applicable only to state contracts, including but not limited to Section 10295 of the Public Contract Code.