IFB__24-002_OCR-ICR_Voter_Registration_Cards.pdf

Contract Services | Management Services Division | 1500 11th Street, Suite 460

Sacramento, CA 95814 | Tel 916.653.5974 | www.sos.ca.go

INVITATION FOR BID (IFB)

Notice to Prospective Bidders

IFB #24-002

Printing & Distribution of OCR/ICR

Voter Registration Cards

May 23, 2024

You are invited to review and respond to this Invitation for Bid (IFB), entitled #24-002

Translation Services (Departmental). In submitting your bid, you must comply with these instructions.

THIS SOLICITATION REQUIRES ALL BIDDERS MEET THE MINIMUM DISABLED VETERANS

BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DVBE) 3% PARTICIPATION GOAL FOR THIS SOLICITATION.

HOWEVER, THIS SOLICITATION EXCLUDES THE DVBE INCENTIVE AND ADJUSTMENTS WILL

NOT BE APPLIED TO BIDS WITH MORE THAN 3% DVBE PARTICIPATION.

Note that all agreements entered into with the State of California will include by reference General Terms and Conditions (GTC 04/2017) and Contractor Certification

Clauses (CCC 04/2017) that may be viewed and downloaded at the following Internet site: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-

Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=GTC%2004/2017.

In the opinion of Secretary of State, this IFB is complete and without need of explanation.

However, if you have questions, or should you need any clarifying information, the contact for this IFB is:

Henry Vue, Contract Analyst

Contract Services Unit

Secretary of State

(916) 653-5974

ContractServices@sos.ca.gov

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

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=GTC%2004/2017 https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=GTC%2004/2017 mailto:ContractServices@sos.ca.gov

Secretary of State

Table of Contents

Section Page

A) Purpose and Description of Services

B) Bidder Mandatory Qualifications, Certifications/Resumes and

References

C) Bid Requirements and Information

1) Key Action Dates

2) Submission of Bid

3) Bid Opening, Evaluation, and Selection

4) Award and Protest

5) Disposition of Bids

6) Agreement Execution and Performance

D) Preference Programs

1) Small Business Preference

2) TACPA Preference

E) Required Attachments

1) Required Attachment Checklist

2) Bid/Bidder Certification Sheet

3) Cost Sheet

4) Bidder References

5) California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Program

Program Requirement…………………………………………………… ..18

6) California Civil Rights Laws Certification (DGS OLS 04) …………… .19

7) Darfur Contracting Act (if applicable) …………………………… ….20

8) DGS Approved Small Business Certification (if applicable)

9) Payee Data Record (STD 204) ............................................................. **

10) Contractor's Certification Clauses (CCC 04/2017) (page 1) ............ **

F) Sample Standard Agreement (STD 213)

1) Exhibit A – Scope of Work ............................................................... …23

2) Exhibit B – Budget Detail and Payment Provisions

3) Exhibit B-1 – Cost Sheet…………………………………………………. …38

4) Exhibit C – General Terms and Conditions

5) Exhibit D – Special Terms and Conditions

6) Exhibit E – Additional Provisions

** These documents are not required to be returned with the bid package but are required upon award of the contract. See Attachment 1 – Required Attachment Check List.

Please note: This solicitation does not include a formal “Questions & Answers” (Q&A) period. Therefore, any questions submitted regarding this IFB will be answered and/or addressed at the SOS’s discretion, depending upon the impact to the IFB based on the request for information/clarification and/or current workload. Please carefully review the attached IFB in its entirety before submitting questions, as inquiries may not be responded to if the information requested has been provided in the IFB.

A) Purpose and Description of Services

The purpose of this contract is to print and ship the following types/sizes of voter registration cards (VRCs) used by the Secretary of State and the fifty-eight (58) counties in California:

1. OCR/ICR 8x11 Voter Registration Card

2. OCR/ICR 8x17 Voter Registration Card

VRCs are to be printed in compliance with USPS regulations, state law, and are printed in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. For complete information and details, please refer to the Exhibit A

- Scope of Work, including complete purpose descriptions, estimated quantities and printing specifications for each type/size of VRC.

The proposed Blanket Contract is for twelve (12) Quarters, beginning July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027.

B) Bidder Mandatory Qualifications and References

1. Bidder must have a minimum of three (3) years experience performing similar services of a complexity similar to the services detailed in the attached Scope of Work (SOW) and provide that information in Attachment 4 – Bidder

References.

2. Bidder(s) must complete Attachment 4 – Bidder References, providing a list of three (3) customers for whom work has been performed within the last five (5) years, which is similar to the scope of work to be performed in this contract.

Reference information shall include company/organization name, contact representative name and telephone number, and a description of the job(s) performed (including quantities and delivery schedules). The description of the services performed must be detailed and comprehensive enough to permit the

State to assess the similarity of the project(s) to the minimum experience requirements outlined in the SOW. The SOS reserves the right to contact references prior to contract award. Additionally, SOS may elect to conduct an on-site inspection to verify bidder’s equipment and capacity claims.

NOTE: If the Bidder has performed these services for the SOS within the last five (5) years, the SOS must be listed as one (1) of the references provided in Attachment

3. Qualifications to Do Business in California

All corporations, limited liability companies (LLC) and limited partnerships (LP) are required to be registered with the California Secretary of State (SOS) in order to do business* in the state of California. Before contract award can be made, the Contractor must be currently registered and in “Active” status with the

California SOS, as required by law, to do business in California; this applies to domestic entities (organized or commercially domiciled in the state of

California) and foreign entities (organized or commercially domiciled outside of

California).

During the response evaluation process, the State will verify if the Bidder is currently registered and in good standing (i.e., “Active” status) with the

California SOS, as applicable, in order to ensure that all obligations due to the

State are fulfilled. Therefore, a certificate of status is not required to be submitted with the bidder’s response.

* “Doing business” is defined in the California Revenue and Taxation Code §

23101 as “actively engaging in any transaction for the purpose of financial or pecuniary gain or profit”. Although there are some statutory exceptions to taxation, rarely will a contractor performing within the state not be subject to the applicable franchise tax.

C) Bid Requirements and Information

1) Key Action Dates

Event Date/Time

IFB available to prospective bidders May 23, 2024

Final Date for Bid Submission June 7, 2024, 4:00 p.m.

Bid Opening June 12, 2024, 10: 30 a.m.

1500 11th St, Sacramento CA, 95814 (SOS Rotunda)

Anticipated Notice of Intent to Award June 14, 2024

Anticipated Notice of Award June 20, 2024

2) Submission of Bid

a) All bids must be submitted under sealed cover and sent/delivered to

Secretary of State by dates and times shown above in Section C, Bid

Requirements and Information, Item 1) - Key Action Dates. The sealed cover must be plainly marked with the IFB number and title, must show your firm name and address, and must be marked with "DO NOT OPEN", as shown in the following example:

Printing & Distribution of OCR/ICR

Voter Registration Cards

Secretary of State

1500 11th Street Room 460

Sacramento, CA 95814

DO NOT OPEN

NOTE: Bids not submitted under sealed cover may be rejected.

b) All bids must include the documents identified in Attachment 1 - Required

Attachment Checklist. Bids not including the proper “required attachments" shall be deemed non-responsive. A non-responsive bid is one that does not meet the basic bid requirements.

c) All documents requiring a signature must bear an original signature of a person authorized to bind the bidding firm.

d) Mail or deliver bids to the following address:

Attn: Contract Services

1500 11th Street, Room 460

e) Bids must be submitted for the performance of all the services described herein. Any deviation from the work specifications will not be considered and will cause a bid to be rejected.

f) A bid may be rejected if it is conditional or incomplete, or if it contains any alterations of form or other irregularities of any kind. The State may reject any or all bids and may waive an immaterial deviation in a bid. The State's waiver of an immaterial deviation shall in no way modify the IFB document or excuse the bidder from full compliance with all requirements if awarded the agreement.

g) Costs incurred for developing bids and in anticipation of award of the agreement are entirely the responsibility of the bidder and shall not be charged to the State of California.

h) It is unlawful for any person engaged in business within this state to sell or use any article or product as a “loss leader” as defined in Section 17030 of the Business and Professions Code.”

i) An individual who is authorized to bind the bidder contractually shall sign the

Attachment 2 - Bid/Bidder Certification Sheet. The signature should indicate the title or position that the individual holds in the firm. An unsigned bid may be rejected.

j) A bidder may modify a bid after its submission by withdrawing its original bid and resubmitting a new bid prior to the bid submission deadline. Bidder modifications offered in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered.

k) A bidder may withdraw its bid by submitting a written withdrawal request to the State, signed by the bidder or an authorized agent. A bidder may thereafter submit a new bid prior to the bid submission deadline. Bids may not be withdrawn without cause subsequent to bid submission deadline.

l) The awarding agency may modify the IFB prior to the date fixed for submission of bids by the issuance of an addendum to all parties who received a bid package.

m) The awarding agency reserves the right to reject all bids. The agency is not required to award an agreement.

n) Before submitting a response to this solicitation, bidders should review, correct all errors and confirm compliance with the IFB requirements.

o) Where applicable, bidder should carefully examine work sites and specifications. Bidder shall investigate conditions, character, and quality of surface or subsurface materials or obstacles that might be encountered. No additions or increases to the agreement amount will be made due to a lack of careful examination of work sites and specifications.

p) The State does not accept alternate contract language from a prospective contractor. A bid with such language will be considered a counter proposal and will be rejected. The State’s General Terms and Conditions (GTC) are not negotiable.

q) No oral understanding or agreement shall be binding on either party.

r) Priority Hiring Considerations for Contracts with a Value in Excess of $200,000:

Every contract for services in excess of $200,000 shall contain a provision requiring the contractor to give priority consideration in filling vacancies in positions funded by the contract to qualified recipients of aid under Welfare and Institutions Code § 11200 (PCC § 10353).

s) Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)

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.

Bidders/Offerors must notify the State in writing if their solution or service includes, or makes available, any GenAI technology, including GenAI from third parties or subcontractors.

The State has developed a GenAI Disclosure & Factsheet (Std. 1000) to be completed by the Bidder/Offeror.

Failure to disclose GenAI to the State and submit the GenAI Disclosure &

Factsheet will result in disqualification of the Bidder/Offeror and may void any resulting contract. The State reserves its right to seek any and all relief it may be entitled to as a result of such non-disclosure.

Upon receipt of a Bidder/Offeror GenAI Disclosure & Factsheet, 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

3) Bid Opening, Evaluation, and Selection

a) All bid packages properly received according to the IFB instructions on or before the bid due date will be publicly opened and read.

b) Bidders that would like to attend the in-person Bid Opening may do so per the date, time and location identified in Section C.1, Key Action Dates, Bid

Opening.

c) At the time of bid opening, each bid may be checked for the presence or absence of required information in conformance with the submission requirements of this IFB.

d) At the State’s option prior to award, bidders may be required to submit additional written clarifying information. Failure to submit the requested written information as specified may be grounds for bid rejection.

e) The State will evaluate each bid to determine its responsiveness to the published requirements. This is a pass/fail evaluation.

https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std1000.pdf

f) Bids that contain false or misleading statements, or which provide references, which do not support an attribute or condition claimed by the bidder, may be rejected.

g) Award if made, will be to the lowest responsive responsible bidder whose references substantiate similar work performed in a satisfactory manner. For the purposes of this solicitation, the lowest cost shall be evaluated based upon the lowest average cost per 1,000, due to the possible cost differences between the ordering amounts. (See Attachment 3 – Cost Sheet)

4) Award and Protest

a) The award, if made, will be to the responsive and responsible Bidder that offers the lowest cost.

b) Whenever an agreement is awarded under a procedure which provides for competitive bidding, but the agreement is not to be awarded to the low bidder, the low bidder shall be notified five (5) working days prior to the award of the agreement.

c) Upon written request by any bidder, notice of the proposed award shall be posted in a public place in the office of the awarding agency at least five (5) working days prior to awarding the agreement.

d) Any Bidder who submits a bid may file a protest if the Bidder believes it’s bid package is responsive to all IFB requirements and its bid is the lowest dollar bid.

Protests are limited to the grounds described in Public Contract Code (PCC)

Section 10345.

e) If any bidder, prior to the award of agreement, files a written protest with the

Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services, and the Secretary of State on the grounds that the (protesting) bidder is the lowest responsive responsible bidder, the agreement shall not be awarded until either the protest has been withdrawn or the Department of General Services has decided the matter.

f) Within five (5) days after filing the initial protest, the protesting bidder shall file with both the Department of General Services and the awarding agency a detailed written statement specifying the grounds for the protest if the original protest did not contain the complete grounds for the protest.

g) The written protest must be submitted to both of the following:

a. Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services

Attn: Bid Protest Coordinator

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

West Sacramento, CA 95605

Email: OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov

b. Secretary of State

Attn: Contract Services

1500 11th Street, 4th Floor, Room 460

Email: ContractServices@sos.ca.gov

The statement must contain the law, rule, regulation, practice, IFB number, name of the State agency involved, the agency contract person and detail reason(s) the protestant believes the awarding agency has improperly applied in awarding the Agreement.

h) Protests may be submitted by regular mail, email, courier, or personal delivery.

Protestants should include their email address if they have one and advise if they will accept service of documents pertaining to the protest via email.

i) Upon on resolution of the protest and award of the agreement, Contractor must complete and submit to the awarding agency the Payee Data Record

(STD 204), to determine if the Contractor is subject to state income tax withholding pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 18662 and 26131. This form can be found on the Internet at https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Forms. under the heading Office of State

Publishing (OSP) Standard (STD) forms. No payment shall be made unless a completed STD 204 has been returned to the awarding agency.

j) Upon resolution of the protest and award of the agreement, Contractor must sign and submit to the awarding agency, page one (1) of the Contractor

Certification Clauses (CCC 04/2017), which can be found on the Internet at:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-

Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language.

5) Disposition of Bids

a) By submitting a bid, bidder agrees to the terms and conditions stated in this

IFB, Exhibit A - SOW and the resulting Contract. Responses received after the

Response Due Date may not be assessed. Bids received in response to the

SOW will be valid for one hundred eighty (180) days after the Response Due

Date. Bidder agrees to have available Resource(s) with the appropriate skills to complete the resulting Contract for all goods and services as described in the solicitation and SOW.

b) Submitting responses that include assumptions, added conditional statements or statements regarding changes to the SOW in this IFB may result in the offer being found non-responsive.

mailto:OLSProtests@dgs.ca.g mailto:ContractServices@sos.ca.gov https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Forms 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

c) Submitting documents in the bid that are marked as “Confidential”, “Proprietary” or similarly labeled and/or appear to contain sensitive information, that at the State’s discretion, may be considered an information security issue; therefore, may be grounds for the bid being deemed non-responsive and the bid rejected. Bids rejected for this purpose will have all pages which contain such labels or information destroyed prior to Award of the contract pursuant to this IFB.

d) Upon review of the bids received and subsequent Contract Award, all documents submitted in response to this IFB shall become the property of the

State of California and shall be regarded as public records under the

California Public Records Act (Government Code Section 7920.000 et seq.), thereby subject to review by the public.

e) The State, at its discretion, reserves the right not to make an award or reject all offers, in the best interest of the State.

6) Agreement Execution and Performance

a) Performance shall start not later than thirty (30) days, or on the express date set by the awarding agency and the Contractor, after all approvals have been obtained and the agreement is fully executed. Should the Contractor fail to commence work at the agreed upon time, the awarding agency, upon five (5) days written notice to the Contractor, reserves the right to terminate the agreement. In addition, the Contractor shall be liable to the

State for the difference between Contractor's bid price and the actual cost of performing work by the second lowest bidder or by another contractor.

b) All performance under the agreement shall be completed on or before the termination date of the agreement.

D) Preference Programs

1) Small Business Preference:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-

Division-Resources-List-Folder/Notice-of-Rulemaking-Regulations-for-SB-DVBE

2) For bids in the amount of $100,000 and over, the following preference programs apply if your firm is qualified: Target Area Contract Preference Act

(TACPA).

Bidders wishing to take advantage of this preference will need to review the following website and submit the appropriate response with the bid:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/SearchResult?search=TACPA&divisionid=.

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Notice-of-Rulemaking-Regulations-for-SB-DVBE https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Notice-of-Rulemaking-Regulations-for-SB-DVBE https://www.dgs.ca.gov/SearchResult?search=TACPA&divisionid=

E) Required Attachments

Refer to the following pages for additional Required Attachments that are a part of this agreement.

ATTACHMENT 1

REQUIRED ATTACHMENT CHECK LIST

A complete bid or bid package will consist of the items identified below. Complete this checklist to confirm the items in your bid. Place a check mark or “X” next to each item that you are submitting to the State. For your bid to be responsive, all required attachments must be returned. This checklist also must be returned with your bid package.

Attachment Attachment Name/Description

_____ Attachment 1 Required Attachment Check List

_____ Attachment 2 Bid/Bidder Certification Sheet

_____ Attachment 3 Cost Sheet

_____ Attachment 4 Bidder References

_____ Attachment 5 California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE)

Program Requirement - Forms and Instructions

1. STD. 843 – DVBE Declaration

2. GSPD-05-105 – Bidder Declaration

_____ Attachment 6 California Civil Rights Laws Certification (DGS OLS 04)

_____ Attachment 7 Darfur Contracting Act (if applicable)

_____ Attachment 8 DGS Approved Small Business Certification (if applicable)

_____ Attachment 9 Payee Data Record (STD 204). **

_____ Attachment 10 Contractor Certification Clauses (CCC 04/2017). **

_____ GenAI GenAi Disclosure & Factsheet (Std 1000).***

** These documents are not required to be returned with the bid package, but are required upon award of the contract:

• The Payee Data Record (STD 204) can be found at:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Forms.

• The Contractor’s Certification Clauses (CCC 04/2017) can be found at:

Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language

*** This document is required to be returned with the bid package and can be found at:

https://cdt.ca.gov/technology-innovation/artificial-intelligence-community/genai-executive-order/ https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Forms 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://cdt.ca.gov/technology-innovation/artificial-intelligence-community/genai-executive-order/ https://cdt.ca.gov/technology-innovation/artificial-intelligence-community/genai-executive-order/

ATTACHMENT 2

BID/BIDDER CERTIFICATION SHEET

This Bid/Bidder Certification Sheet must be signed and returned along with all the "required attachments" as an entire package in duplicate with original signatures. The bid must be transmitted in a sealed envelope in accordance with IFB instructions.

Do not return the "Sample Standard Agreement" at the end of this IFB.

A. Our all-inclusive bid is submitted as detailed in Attachment 3, Cost Sheet.

B. All required attachments are included with this certification sheet.

C. The signature affixed hereon and dated certifies compliance with all the requirements of this bid document. The signature below authorizes the verification of this certification.

An unsigned Bid/Bidder Certification Sheet may be cause for rejection.

1. Company Name 2. Telephone Number 2a. Fax Number

3. Address

Indicate your organization type:

4. Sole Proprietorship 5. Partnership 6. Corporation

Indicate the applicable employee and/or corporation number:

7. Federal Employee ID

No.(FEIN)

8. California Corporation No.

9. Indicate applicable license and/or certification information:

10. Bidder’s Name (Print) 11. Title

12. Signature 13. Date

14. Email:

15. Are you certified with the Department of General Services, Office of Small Business and

Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services (OSDS) as:

a. California Small Business

Yes No

If yes, enter certification number:

b. Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise

Yes No

If yes, enter your service code below:

NOTE: A copy of your Certification is required to be included if either of the above items is checked “Yes”.

Date application was submitted to OSDS, if an application is pending:

Completion Instructions for Bid/Bidder Certification Sheet

Complete the numbered items on the

Bid/Bidder Certification Sheet by following the instructions below.

Item

Numbers

Instructions

1, 2, 2a, 3 Must be completed. These items are self-explanatory.

Check if your firm is a sole proprietorship. A sole proprietorship is a form of business in which one person owns all the assets of the business in contrast to a partnership and corporation. The sole proprietor is solely liable for all the debts of the business.

Check if your firm is a partnership. A partnership is a voluntary agreement between two or more competent persons to place their money, effects, labor, and skill, or some or all of them in lawful commerce or business, with the understanding that there shall be a proportional sharing of the profits and losses between them. An association of two or more persons to carry on, as co-owners, a business for profit.

Check if your firm is a corporation. A corporation is an artificial person or legal entity created by or under the authority of the laws of a state or nation, composed, in some rare instances, of a single person and his successors, being the incumbents of a particular office, but ordinarily consisting of an association of numerous individuals.

7 Enter your federal employee tax identification number.

Enter your corporation number assigned by the California Secretary of

State’s Office. This information is used for checking if a corporation is in good standing and qualified to conduct business in California.

Complete, if applicable, by indicating the type of license and/or certification that your firm possesses and that is required for the type of services being procured.

10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Must be completed. These items are self-explanatory.

If certified as a California Small Business, place a check in the "Yes" box, and enter your certification number on the line. If certified as a Disabled

Veterans Business Enterprise, place a check in the "Yes" box and enter your service code on the line. If you are not certified to one or both, place a check in the "No" box. If your certification is pending, enter the date your application was submitted to OSDS.

ATTACHMENT 3

Cost Sheet

Printing and Distribution of OCR/ICR Voter Registration Cards

The undersigned Contractor, as bidder, declares that he/she has carefully examined all documents contained or referenced within this Invitation for Bid and is familiar with all proposal requirements, and agrees, if the proposal is accepted, to complete the services as described in Section A, Purpose and Description of Service, in accordance with the Contract

Documents, for the complete term of the Agreement.

Bid amount to include and cover any insurance the furnishing of all materials, freight and performing of all the labor and the providing of all necessary machinery, tools, apparatus, and other means of service; also the performance and completion of all the work in the manner set forth, described herein. NOTE: Contractor must estimate freight charges and include in cost per thousand. No additional freight charges will be paid.

Do not include sales tax. The State will add the current percentage of CA sales tax to your figure when executing the final agreement. The State does not guarantee they will require the total quantity of work outlined herein.

OCR/ICR 8x11 VOTER REGISTRATION CARD

COST BREAKDOWN PER QUARTER:

Number of Cards (ordering amounts) Cost

A 50,000 – 250,000 Cost per 1,000: ________________

B 250,001 – 500,000 Cost per 1,000: ________________

C 500,001 – 1,000,000 Cost per 1,000: ________________

D 1,000,001 – 5,000,000 Cost per 1,000: ________________

E 5,000,001 – 10,000,000 Cost per 1,000: ________________

OCR/ICR 8x17 VOTER REGISTRATION CARD

COST BREAKDOWN PER QUARTER:

Number of Cards (ordering amounts) Cost

F 500,000 – 1,000,000 Cost per 1,000: ________________

G 1,000,001 – 5,000,000 Cost per 1,000: ________________

H 5,000,001 – 10,000,000 Cost per 1,000: ________________

I 10,000,001 – 15,000,000 Cost per 1,000: ________________

AVERAGE COST PER 1,000

Since the actual amount of cards needed [per card type/per quarter] is unknown at this time, and the variable cost between the ordering amounts of VRCs listed above, the Award will be to the responsible responsive bidder with the lowest average cost.

To obtain the average cost per 1,000, please add the amounts identified above in rows A through I for a combined total. Then, divide the combined total cost by 9 to obtain the average cost per 1,000. Mathematical formula: A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H+I = Combined total cost per 1,000; Combined total cost per 1,000 ÷ 9 = Average Cost per 1,000

Average Cost Per 1,000

The average costs per 1,000 indicated above will be used solely for computing the costs as a fair and equitable formula to determine the low bidder and is not binding on the contracting agency. However, the actual costs quoted for the cost breakdown [per card type/per quarter] listed above by the bidder shall be binding for the term of the Agreement.

Company Name:

Bidder’s Signature:

X

Title or Position

Address, City & Zip

Phone:

Fax:

E-mail:

Name of Firm Service Provided

(i.e. shipping, binding, packing, sorting)

Billing cycle: Monthly Quarterly Semi-Annually Annually

Note: All services performed are paid in arrears according to billing cycle indicated above.

ATTACHMENT 4

BIDDER REFERENCES

Submission of this attachment is mandatory. Failure to complete and return this attachment with your bid will cause your bid to be rejected and deemed nonresponsive.

Bidder must have a minimum of three (3) years experience performing similar services of a complexity similar to the services detailed in the attached Scope of Work (SOW). List below three (3) references for services performed within the last five (5) years, which are similar to the scope of work to be performed in this contract. Reference information shall include company/organization name, contact representative name and telephone number, and a description of the job(s) performed (including quantities and delivery schedules). The description of the services performed must be detailed and comprehensive enough to permit the State to assess the similarity of the project(s) to the minimum experience requirements stated above and outlined in the SOW. SOS reserves the right to contact references prior to contract award. NOTE: If the Bidder has performed these services for the SOS within the last five (5) years, the SOS must be listed as one (1) of the references. Additionally, SOS may elect to conduct an on-site inspection to verify bidder’s equipment and capacity claims.

REFERENCE 1 (Required)

Name of Firm

Street Address City State Zip Code

Contact Person Telephone Number

Email

Dates of Service Value or Cost of Service

Brief Description of Service Provided

REFERENCE 2

Name of Firm

Street Address City State Zip Code

Contact Person Telephone Number

Email

Dates of Service Value or Cost of Service

Brief Description of Service Provided

REFERENCE 3

Name of Firm

Street Address City State Zip Code

Contact Person Telephone Number

Email

Dates of Service Value or Cost of Service

Brief Description of Service Provided

ATTACHMENT 5

CALIFORNIA DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DVBE) PROGRAM REQUIREMENT

The State has established goals for Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE) participating in State contracts. The minimum DVBE participation percentage (goal) is

3% for this solicitation. Please review the DVBE program requirements and information at:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD-OSDS

The offeror must complete and return all the appropriate pages in order for the bid to be considered responsive. The following two (2) forms are required to be submitted as part of the response to this IFB. The forms can be found at the listed Internet website:

1. Std. 843 – DVBE Declaration:

2. DGS PD-05-105 – Bidder Declaration:

The Secretary of State’s Office has waived the application of the DVBE Incentive for this solicitation. Therefore, no additional incentive points will be applied during the evaluation process of this IFB; however, Bidders must still meet the minimum DVBE participation percentage (goal) of 3% for this solicitation and are required to submit the following as part of their response to this IFB: DGS PD Std 843 (DVBE Declarations), GSPD-05-105 (Bidder Declaration) and

At the State’s option prior to award, bidders may be required to submit additional written clarifying information. Failure to submit the requested written information as specified may be grounds for bid rejection.

All bidder’s must meet the 3% goal for this solicitation; failure to submit all required forms and fully document and meet the DVBE program requirement shall be considered non-responsive.

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD-OSDS

ATTACHMENT 6

California Civil Rights Laws Certification

ATTACHMENT 7

DARFUR CONTRACTING ACT CERTIFICATION

Public Contract Code Sections 10475 -10481 applies to any company that currently or within the previous three years has had business activities or other operations outside of the United States. For such a company to bid on or submit a proposal for a State of California contract, the company must certify that it is either a) not a scrutinized company; or b) a scrutinized company that has been granted permission by the Department of General Services to submit a proposal.

If your company has not, within the previous three years, had any business activities or other operations outside of the United States, you do not need to complete this form.

OPTION #1 - CERTIFICATION

If your company, within the previous three years, has had business activities or other operations outside of the United States, in order to be eligible to submit a bid or proposal, please insert your company name and Federal ID Number and complete the certification below.

I, the official named below, CERTIFY UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY that a) the prospective proposer/bidder named below is not a scrutinized company per Public Contract Code 10476; and b) I am duly authorized to legally bind the prospective proposer/bidder named below. This certification is made under the laws of the State of California.

Company/Vendor Name (Printed) Federal ID Number

By (Authorized Signature)

Printed Name and Title of Person Signing

Date Executed Executed in the County and State of

OPTION #2 – WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM DGS

Pursuant to Public Contract Code section 10477(b), the Director of the Department of General Services may permit a scrutinized company, on a case-by-case basis, to bid on or submit a proposal for a contract with a state agency for goods or services, if it is in the best interests of the state. If you are a scrutinized company that has obtained written permission from the DGS to submit a bid or proposal, complete the information below.

We are a scrutinized company as defined in Public Contract Code section 10476, but we have received written permission from the Department of General Services to submit a bid or proposal pursuant to

Public Contract Code section 10477(b). A copy of the written permission from DGS is included with our bid or proposal.

Company/Vendor Name (Printed) Federal ID Number

Initials of Submitter

Printed Name and Title of Person Initialing

ATTACHMENT 8

DGS APPROVED SMALL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION

If applicable, attach a copy of valid (expiration date has not elapsed) DGS approved Small Business Certification.

F) Standard Agreement Information

The Agreement resulting from this procurement will be prepared using the

State’s Standard Agreement (STD 213) form, including all required exhibits;

Exhibits will include a copy of the awarded Contractor’s response to this IFB, other provisions as applicable and references to the General Terms and

Conditions (GTC 04/2017) and this IFB document, as if attached. (See Exhibits A-

E)

a. Standard Agreement (STD 213) - https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Forms

b. General Terms and Conditions (GTC 04/2017) –

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

Exhibit A

SCOPE OF WORK

1. Contract Purpose and Description

The Contractor agrees to perform the following services, as outlined herein, on behalf of Secretary of State. The purpose of this contract is to print and ship the following types/sizes of voter registration cards (VRCs) used by the Secretary of State (SOS) and the fifty-eight (58) counties in California:

1. OCR/ICR 8x11 Voter Registration Card

2. OCR/ICR 8x17 Voter Registration Card

VRCs are to be in compliance with USPS regulations and state law and are printed in

English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and

Vietnamese. For complete information and details, please refer to the respective VRC specifications outlined herein, including complete purpose descriptions, estimated quantities and printing specifications for each type/size of VRC. SOS will provide current sample upon contract award. There forward Contractor should request samples from Office of State Publishing (OSP)/SOS to ensure receipt of the most current revisions of the VRCs.

The Contract is for twelve (12) Quarters, beginning July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027

2. Quarterly Schedule

1st Quarter - July 1 through September 30

2nd Quarter - October 1 through December 31

3rd Quarter - January 1 through March 31

4th Quarter - April 1 through June 30

Timeline Date SOS to forward the quarterly orders to Office of State

Publishing.

1st business day of each quarter

Spreadsheet detailing lots and order quantities due from

SOS to Office of State Publishing and Contractor.

1st business day of each quarter

Final files begin to flow from Office of State Publishing to

Contractor.

Approximately the 1st day of the 2nd month of quarter

Contractor to deliver final materials to arrive at County

Elections Offices and Secretary of State’s Office, as detailed in the spreadsheet provided by SOS.

On or before the last day of quarter

Quarterly deliveries must be on or before: March 31, June 30, September 30, and

December 31 of each calendar year. Must estimate freight charges and include in your price per thousand. No additional freight charges will be paid. Time is of the essence during this agreement. Delivery dates are critical. Contractor agrees to notify the Contract Manager immediately if deliveries will possibly be delayed for any reason and will obtain an agreement for back up with a sub-contractor for the services in order to meet these dates. Files will be supplied on an ongoing basis; Contractor must work each file as received.

3. Office of State of Publishing (OSP) Responsibilities

• OSP will supply electronic files of each lot to the Contractor.

• OSP will communicate revisions/additions from the SOS to the Contractor and shall make all requested changes and revisions.

• OSP will send English revisions/additions through their proof team prior to proofs being provided to SOS.

4. SOS Responsibilities

• SOS will notify the Contractor of any scheduling delays within 1 business day of initial delay identification by the Secretary of State’s Office.

• For quarterly orders exceeding 15,000,000; SOS will negotiate a revised schedule with the Contractor.

• SOS will return approved proofs to the Contractor within 24-48 hours of submission. SOS will return proofs requiring text corrections to the Contractor within 24-48 hours of submission. Any delay in proof approval or significant changes to these specifications may result in a significant delay of delivery, and thereby will hold blameless the Contractor for any project delays.

• SOS will collect, audit, and pay all invoices from the Contractor according to the provisions of Exhibits B, B-1, and billing information contained herein. Invoices may be disputed and payment may be delayed if the Contractor does not provide the documentation and materials requested herein.

• SOS may cancel the contract if it is determined that the Contractor cannot reasonably meet the deadline or statutory requirements of this contract or honor their original bid based on any change to the scope of work.

5. OCR/ICR 8x11 Voter Registration Card

Purpose:

The purpose of this contract is to print and ship OCR/ICR 8x11 VRC’s used by the

Secretary of State and the fifty-eight counties in California. They are to be in compliance with USPS regulations, state law and are printed in English. Printing specifications are below. SOS will provide current sample upon contract award.

Contractor should request samples from OSP/SOS to ensure receipt of the most current revisions of the VRCs.

Quantity:

Total annual printing is unknown but estimated to be between 30,000 – 1 million cards with multiple lots per order (from 1 to 300). The product is to arrive on a quarterly basis

(every 3 months) and deliver on or before March 31, June 30, September 30, and

December 31 of each calendar year. One lot equals one county or SOS shipment ranging between 1,000 - 999,999 plus. Delivery dates are firm pursuant to California

Administrative Code section 19053 and Elections Code section 2161.

PRINTING SPECIFICATIONS

DESCRIPTION:

This is an 8 x 11” form that prints 2 sides. Paper is white 100# Tag and prints in three colors on the front and two colors on the back.

The business reply portion of the affidavit of registration shall contain unique postal service designated ZIP+4 codes; the corresponding preprinted bar code, and FIM

Code. The business reply shall meet USPS physical standards for machine-ability, USPS readability standards and existing BRMA format requirements.

SIZE:

8 inches in width by 11 inches in length. Size after folding will be 8 x 3 11/16”.

PAPER STOCK:

Listed below are the paper specifications required to optimize scanning throughput and image quality:

• 100% bleached chemical wood pulp paper without watermarks, embossed or printed patterns, or fluorescent additives.

• Basis weight: 100 lb. (25x38-500) (+/- 5%)

• Color: White Tag

• Caliper: 0.007” minimum and 0.0095” maximum

• Brightness: 83 to 85 average

• Dirt count: less than 10 parts per million

• Opacity – Bausch & Lomb: 95% minimum

• Reflectance: 70% minimum

• Pick resistance: minimum 10, average 13

• Smoothness – Sheffield: 170 average

• Dimensional stability based upon the percent expansivity from 20% relative humidity to 80% relative humidity: Machine direction: 0.25% Cross direction: 0.75%

Representative samples of paper taken at uniform intervals throughout the millrun must be inspected to ensure that the paper reflectance levels are consistent, and that inherent differences in pulp used and variations created during the mill blending process have not effected the paper quality requirements.

A monitored quality control program must be used at the time the paper is manufactured.

INK:

All ink colors must be uniform throughout the entire printed production press run, within a single side of a form, and front to back on a single form. Scum, smears, offset, tracking, voids, hickeys, and extraneous printing are not acceptable. Each press run must be consistent quality and color.

Three color process: Warm red, black and green (OCR-S&V J-27976) on front; and black and warm red on back.

• All black ink printing must register a minimum Print Contrast Signal (PCS) of 0.71.

• All dropout ink printing intended for infrared scanners must register a maximum

Print Contrast Signal (PCS) of 0.36

• The combined reflectance of the dropout ink color printed at 100% density on the required paper stock must not exceed 10% beyond the reflectance of the paper stock alone.

• Samples of dropout color ink swatches must be available for inspection.

PRESS NUMBERS:

• Each voter registration card shall be press numbered according to the attached schedule.

• Forms are to be sequentially numbered to include a fixed two digit number, a fixed one or two letter prefix in black ink, and the six digit sequential number in warm red ink within the same box on the lower left of the affidavit below Box 17;

separate from the form number.

• The fixed two digit number and the fixed one or two letter prefix must be in the same font and size as the form number located at the lower right below box 17 and on the customer tear off receipt. They must maintain a ¼” opening on all sides of each digit for Optical Character Recognition (OCR).

• All six digits must be imprinted with no suppression of leading zeros. No duplicate numbers are permitted.

• All press numbers will be imprinted on the affidavit and the attached voter’s receipt stub.

PERFORATIONS:

There is one perforation across the 8” dimension at 9-15/16” from the top of the page.

Size after folding will be 8 x 3 11/16”.

ADHESIVE: None.

SCORE:

There shall be two horizontal folds/scores for folding on the affidavit. It shall be located at 3 11/16” and 7 3/8” mark. NOTE: The score cannot be on an Intelligent

Character Recognition (ICR), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), or Mark Sense printed area where the voter provides information.

FILES:

OSP to supply electronic files.

PRINTING REGISTRATION:

The printing vendor must guarantee the following tolerances for registration and image size.

• Consistent image location is placement of the printed image on the page in the same location and within tolerances within a press run, from one press run to the next, and from one press to another.

• The printed image must be consistently located on the impression throughout a single press run within +/- 0.015” in any direction.

• Color to color registration tolerances must be +/- 0.015”.

QUALITY ASSURANCE:

Due to the stringent requirements for paper and ink quality, and the requirement for total quality control of the files produced for plate-making, it is recommended, but not required, that printing contractors be certified under the ISO 9001 accredited quality standard. Please state in your bid response if your company is certified.

The printing contractor must provide support and consultative services, as necessary, to ensure that the printed documents meet all scanning, software, and equipment requirements. Additional costs for such services are not acceptable and shall be included in your bid.

Printing voids or hickeys must not break or remove more than 50% of the following elements:

• Mark sense response outlines

• Hand print character boxes printed in a scanner readable ink color for line removal

• OCR field constraints printed in a scanner readable ink color for line removal

• Anchor mark literals and cross line anchor marks

• Machine print (OCR) characters

• Bar code line segments

BILLING:

Each quarter when billing, the Contractor shall supply one invoice reflecting the total cost as well as a spreadsheet broken down individually by lot to identify each one’s

(county’s or SOS’) manufacture costs, postage costs, and freight costs per each lot order. Failure to comply with this term will result in non-payment until required paperwork is submitted.

PROOFS:

Proofs, front and back with color breakdowns, are required on all revised lots (jobs) for approval by the Secretary of State before printing. The original VRC submitted with each job shall accompany each proof submitted to the Secretary of State for approval.

PACKAGING:

Forms are to be boxed flat, snugly in cartons, 1,000 forms per carton, with numbers facing up with the lowest affidavit number stacked on top sequentially to the bottom. Stuffing empty space in carton is not acceptable. Each carton is to be clearly marked (labeled) with the (1) name of the product “8x11” voter registration cards (2) name of the county or the Secretary of State, (3) the language (English

Only), and (4) the serial number range of the forms (including the preceding two numbers and one or two letter prefix such as AB 01 000001 to AB 01 050000). Box labeling must be clearly readable through any pallet wrap or shipping materials.

Labels should be made with type no smaller than 24 point type, in Arial font, bold is required. Stack no more than 50 cartons per pallet with cartons interlocked in layers of ten (10) cartons each on a 46-1/2” x 35” pallet and the labels on cartons facing outward so they are clearly visible without opening the pallet or moving boxes.

Crushed cartons will not be accepted. Product identified at time of receipt as damaged must be removed and replaced immediately at the Contractor’s expense.

SHIPPING:

All forms shall be shipped according to shipping instructions provided with each order.

Shipping costs to specific counties will depend on orders and will be included in the bidder’s cost per thousand. Contractor should be aware that some deliveries may require an inside delivery to the shipping addresses. Orders delivered to the SOS office must be shipped with pallets facing forward.