Lead_Entity_for_Community-Based_Nonprofit_Capacity-Building_Initiative.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION

2025-PURB RFQual-0071

LEAD ENTITY FOR COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFIT CAPACITY-

BUILDING INITIATIVE

County of Sacramento

9660 Ecology Lane

Sacramento, CA 95827

RELEASE DATE: September 25, 2025

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: October 3, 2025

RESPONSE DEADLINE: October 8, 2025, 5:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/saccounty https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

County of Sacramento

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION

Lead Entity for Community-Based Nonprofit Capacity-Building Initiative

1. Introduction

2. General Rules

3. Scope of Work

4. Evaluation and Selection

5. SOQ Format and Content

6. Evaluation Phases

7. Vendor Submissions

Attachments:

A - RFP ATT Sample County Agreement

B - RFP ATT Proprietary Agreement

Request For Qualification #2025-PURB RFQual-0071 Title: Lead Entity for Community-Based Nonprofit Capacity-Building Initiative

1. Introduction

1.1. Summary

The County of Sacramento is soliciting qualifications from experienced and mission-aligned organizations to serve as the Lead Entity responsible for implementing a comprehensive community-based nonprofit capacity-building initiative.

This initiative is designed to strengthen the internal infrastructure and service delivery capacity of medium-sized community-based nonprofits, which are critical partners in advancing County priorities.

The overarching goal is to foster long-term sustainability in the nonprofit ecosystem and deepen impact in under-resourced communities.

The Lead Entity will be responsible for implementing the plan outlined in this RFQ, including establishing infrastructure, supporting selected nonprofits, coordinating technical assistance, and tracking outcomes over a 24-month program period.

1.2. Background

Community-based nonprofits play a critical role in addressing the County’s most urgent needs, including homelessness, food insecurity, and other community priorities. However, many organizations lack the internal infrastructure, financial strategies, and organizational systems needed to achieve sustainable impact.

This initiative seeks to:

• Strengthen organizational capacity of selected nonprofits.

• Foster nonprofit capacity-building that is consistent with the County’s policy framework and resource allocation priorities.

• Establish long-term sustainability strategies that allow nonprofits to thrive.

• Build a resilient, culturally responsive, and effective service delivery system.

1.3. Contact Information

Any inquiries or requests regarding this solicitation must be submitted via OpenGov. Contact with unauthorized County personnel during the selection process may result in disqualification.

Jonathan Martinez

Senior Contract Services Officer

Email: jhmartinez@saccounty.gov

Phone: (916) 876-6367

Department:

County Executive

Department Head:

David Villanueva

County Executive mailto:jhmartinez@saccounty.gov tel:(916)876-6367

1.4. Timeline

Release Project Date September 25, 2025

Question Submission Deadline October 3, 2025, 5:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline October 8, 2025, 5:00pm

Review and selection By October 14, 2025

Contract Execution (Tentative) November 4, 2025

Program Launch (Tentative) Within 2 months of contract execution

2. General Rules

2.1. Important Instructions for Electronic Submittal

The County is accepting electronic Statement of Qualifications ("SOQ") submissions. Responders shall create a FREE account with OpenGov Procurement by signing up at Sign Up (opengov.com). Once you have completed account registration, browse back to this page, click on "Draft Response", and follow the instructions to submit your SOQ electronically.

2.2. General Rules

2.2.1 Overview

This Request for Qualifications ("RFQual") is an invitation for responders to submit an SOQ to the

County. This RFQual does not commit the County to award a contract to any responder. Submission of an SOQ shall neither obligate nor entitle a responder to enter into a contract with the County.

2.2.2 SOQ format and content

When submitting an SOQ, responders must follow the format and contents detailed in Section

5. Failure to do so will likely prolong the evaluation process and could result in an SOQ not being considered.

2.2.3 SOQ submission

SOQs must be received BEFORE 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 electronically via OpenGov.

Failure to submit an SOQ on time may be grounds for rejection of the SOQ; however, the County reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to accept SOQs after the SOQ due date.

2.2.4 Questions and communication

Questions concerning this RFQual must be submitted in the project Q&A section in OpenGov

Procurement by 5:00 pmon Friday, October 3, 2025.

Questions received via phone or e-mail to direct points of contact for this RFQual will not be considered nor responded to. The County shall respond to questions properly submitted as described above via addenda.

2.2.5 Addenda

The County reserves the right to modify this RFQual at any time prior to the SOQ due date. The County will modify the RFQual only by written addenda. SOQs should be based on this RFQual document and any formal written addenda. Responders should not rely on oral statements. Addenda will be posted in

OpenGov Procurement. It is the responsibility of each prospective responder to assure receipt of all addenda.

2.2.6 County's right to withdraw, cancel, suspend and/or modify RFQual

The County reserves the right to withdraw, cancel, suspend, and/or modify this RFQual for any reason and at any time with no liability to any prospective responder for any costs or expenses incurred in connection with the RFQual or otherwise.

2.2.7 Responder's right to edit or cancel SOQ

https://procurement.opengov.com/signup

Responders may edit or cancel their SOQ in OpenGov Procurement prior to the due date.

2.2.8 SOQs will not be returned

Upon submission, SOQs will not be returned.

2.2.9 Public disclosure of SOQ documents

The County will treat all information submitted in an SOQ as available for public inspection once negotiations with the selected party have been completed. If copies of SOQs are included with Board materials, the County will make SOQs available for public inspection once staff has made a recommendation for award.

If a responder believes protected data is included in its SOQ, the responder shall clearly identify the data and provide the legal basis in support of the asserted classification. Responder must present such information separately as part of its SOQ OR type in bold red letters the term "CONFIDENTIAL" on that specific part or page of the SOQ which responder believes to be confidential. Classification of data as trade secret data will be determined pursuant to applicable law, and, accordingly, merely labeling data as "trade secret" does not necessarily make the data protected under any applicable law.

In order for the County to assert the confidentiality of any such information in the event a California

Public Record Act request is received, the responder must request, execute and submit a County-prepared written agreement to defend and indemnify the County for liability, costs and expenses incurred in asserting such confidentiality as part of the SOQ. A copy of that written agreement is included in the Attachments section.

The final determination of whether the County will assert a responder's claim of confidentiality shall be at the sole discretion of the County. Any information determined to be non-confidential shall be considered public record. If the County determines that your information does not meet the criteria for confidentiality, you will be notified of the County's intent to release the public record pursuant to any

California Public Records Act request.

Responder agrees, as a condition of submitting its SOQ, that the County will not, as between the parties, be liable or accountable for any loss or damage, which may result from a breach of confidentiality related to the SOQ. Responder agrees to indemnity and hold the County, its officials, agents, and employees harmless from all claims arising out of, resulting from, or in any manner attributable to any violation of any provision of the California Public Records Act, including legal fees and disbursements paid or incurred to enforce this provision.

2.2.10 Responder's costs

The County shall not be responsible for any costs incurred by responder in connection with this SOQ.

Responder shall bear all costs associated with SOQ preparation, submission, and attendance at interviews, or any other activity associated with this RFQual or otherwise.

2.2.11 Responder's ideas

To the extent permitted by law, the County reserves the right to use any or all ideas, concepts, or other information provided in any SOQs. Selection or rejection of the SOQ does not affect this right.

2.2.12 Collusion

If the County determines that collusion has occurred among responders, none of the SOQs of the participants involved in the collusion shall be considered. The County's determination shall be final.

2.2.13 Conflict of interest

Responder affirms that to the best of its knowledge the submission of its SOQ, or any resulting contract, does not present an actual or perceived conflict of interest. Responder agrees that should any actual or perceived conflict of interest become known, it will immediately notify the County and will advise whether it will or will not avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the conflict of interest.

The County may make reasonable efforts to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize a conflict of interest by a responder. To avoid a conflict of interest by a responder, the County may utilize methods including disqualifying a responder from eligibility for a contract award or cancelling the contract if the conflict is discovered after a contract has been issued. The County may, at its sole and absolute discretion, waive any conflict of interest.

2.2.14 Basis of Award

The County reserves the right to award zero contracts, a sole contract, or multiple contracts with firms that have submitted a Statement of Qualifications and are determined to be qualified to perform such services.

In the event of multiple contracts, firms may be expected to serve in Primary or Secondary contract roles, at County's discretion and direction.

2.2.14 Reservation of Rights

The County reserves the right to request additional documentation or clarification from applicants at any point during the RFQ review process, including but not limited to: financial records, governance documents, descriptions of prior programmatic work, etc.

3. Scope of Work

Scope of Work

The selected Lead Entity will be expected to:

A. Stand Up Capacity-Building Infrastructure

1. Collaborate with the County to identify two or more Priority Areas (e.g., homelessness, food insecurity, family strengthening/concrete supports) for capacity-building focus.

2. Develop and manage a transparent process to select nonprofit participants.

3. Establish agreements with mentoring organizations (large, established nonprofits) to provide guidance to participating organizations.

B. Engage Participants

1. Recruit and onboard medium-sized community-based nonprofits across two cohorts, with a focus on sustainability and deepened service to diverse and under-resourced populations.

2. Engage larger, established nonprofits as mentors.

3. Pair participating nonprofits with established nonprofits for mentorship.

4. Provide resources and stipends to compensate mentoring organizations.

C. Design and Deliver Programming

1. Conduct organizational assessments (including SWOT analyses) of participating nonprofits.

2. Develop individualized capacity-building plans tailored to each nonprofit.

3. Provide technical assistance, coaching, and mentorship in focus areas such as:

a. Organizational administration (finance, HR, compliance).

b. Staffing and leadership development.

c. Fundraising, grants management, and sustainability planning.

d. Storytelling, communications, and public partnerships.

4. Facilitate executive coaching, mentorship, peer learning and cohort-based knowledge exchange.

D. Evaluation and Reporting

1. Collect and track data on program activities, outputs, and outcomes.

2. Conduct baseline, mid-point, and final organizational assessments to measure growth and impact.

3. Prepare and provide reports to the County summarizing progress, lessons learned, and long-term recommendations for sustainability.

Eligibility to Serve as Lead Entity

Qualified applicants must demonstrate the following minimum requirements:

• Extensive Capacity-Building Experience o At least 7–10 years of experience designing and implementing nonprofit capacity-building initiatives at a regional or countywide scale.

o Demonstrated success in delivering technical assistance, coaching, or leadership development that results in measurable organizational strengthening.

• Fundraising Leadership o Proven experience of at least 10 years raising unrestricted funds on behalf of Sacramento

County nonprofit organizations.

o Demonstrated ability to coordinate and support nonprofits in fundraising activities, including donor cultivation, campaigns, or pooled funding efforts.

• Grantmaking Experience o Proven experience in administering multi-million-dollar grantmaking or regranting programs, including design, selection, monitoring, and reporting processes.

o Demonstrated ability to equitably allocate resources and track measurable outcomes across multiple subgrantees or partner organizations.

o Experience ensuring grantmaking processes are transparent, accessible, and aligned with equity goals.

• Fiscal Stewardship and Administrative Operations o Annual organizational operating budget of at least $10 million, with strong administrative and staffing capacity to support large-scale initiatives.

o Strong financial management systems and internal controls, including most recent seven years of clean independent audits.

o Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder funding streams while maintaining compliance with public-sector and philanthropic requirements.

• Community Leadership and Convening Authority o Established reputation as a trusted, neutral convener capable of building coalitions among nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and community stakeholders.

o Documented history of mobilizing cross-sector partners to advance equity-driven goals and align with policy priorities.

• Equity and Cultural Responsiveness o Demonstrated, organization-wide commitment to advancing racial equity and culturally responsive practices.

o Experience successfully engaging nonprofits serving under-resourced, diverse, and historically marginalized communities.

• Regional Knowledge and Credibility o Strong familiarity with Sacramento County’s nonprofit ecosystem, funding landscape, and key community priorities.

o Ability to leverage established networks to strengthen alignment with County strategies and maximize collective impact.

• Organizational Infrastructure o Sufficient staffing capacity, governance structures, and administrative systems to manage a complex, multi-stakeholder initiative.

o Dedicated leadership and program staff with expertise in nonprofit administration, fiscal management, fundraising, and organizational development.

• Collaborative Approach o Ability to structure and manage partnerships with larger, established nonprofits serving as mentors o Ability to coordinate effectively with County staff and other funders.

Applicants currently under contract with Sacramento County must be in good standing (e.g., timely reporting, no unresolved audit findings).

Compensation

The Lead Entity will receive a negotiated contract totaling approximately $1.8 million to manage the full scope of the program, including:

• Stipends for participating nonprofits.

• Compensation for mentoring organizations.

• Administrative and program delivery costs.

The final budget will be negotiated as part of the contracting process and is not required to be submitted as part of this solicitation. No more than 10% shall be allocated to administrative and overhead costs.

4. Evaluation and Selection

4.1 SOQ Evaluation and Recommendation for Selection

The County will evaluate Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) through a two-step process - a pass or fail stage, followed by a points-based evaluation -- to ensure that only highly qualified and viable firms are considered for contract award. The County reserves the following rights, to be exercised in its sole and absolute discretion:

A. To determine whether any aspect of an SOQ satisfactorily meets the criteria established in this

RFQual.

B. To seek clarification or additional information from any responder.

C. To negotiate simultaneously or sequentially with one or more qualified firms deemed most advantageous to the County.

D. To reject any or all SOQs with or without cause.

E. To waive any irregularities or informalities in a SOQ.

F. To cancel or amend this RFQual, in part or entirely, by addenda.

G. To award multiple contracts to one or more responders, if determined to be in the best interest of the County.

H. To reject any submittal deemed nonresponsive or non-responsible per Sections 4.2 and 4.3.

The evaluation of SOQs by the selection committee or other advisory groups is advisory only.

The final decision to award one or more contracts rests solely with the Sacramento County Board of

Supervisors or its designee(s).

Upon completion of the evaluation process, the County will issue a Notice of Intent to Award (NOIA) and/or Notice of Award (NOA), which will be posted on OpenGov Procurement.

4.2 Pass/Fail Screening – Mandatory Requirements

Before detailed scoring begins, each SOQ will be reviewed for compliance with mandatory minimum requirements.

Failure to meet any one of these requirements shall result in the SOQ being deemed nonresponsive and rejected without further evaluation.

4.2.1 Submission Requirements

• SOQ received by the published deadline.

• All required forms completed, signed, and included.

4.2.2 Organizational Minimums

The applicant organization must demonstrate:

• At least 7–10 years of experience delivering regional or countywide nonprofit capacity-building initiatives.

• At least 10 years of fundraising leadership experience on behalf of Sacramento County nonprofit organizations.

• Demonstrated grantmaking or regranting experience with annual budgets of $10 million or more.

• Submission of the two most recent independent financial audits, both showing clean findings with no unresolved audit issues.

4.2.3 Audit Integrity Requirement

The applicant organization must not be currently subject to an active audit investigation by any federal, state, or local government agency, funding entity, or regulatory body. Please review the question related to this requirement in Questionnaire and choose the applicable option.

4.2.4 References

• A minimum of three (3) professional references from the past five years including previous project partners, such as funders, public agencies, or nonprofit collaborators. References should reflect a range of funding sources and partnership types, and partners familiar with the applicant’s capacity-building, grantmaking, or convening work

4.2.5 Good Standing Requirement

• Applicant must be in good standing with the County, meaning no unresolved compliance issues, reporting delinquencies, or other performance concerns under current or prior County contracts.

Submittals failing to meet any mandatory requirement in Sections 4.2.1 through 4.2.5 will not advance to scoring or further consideration.

4.3 Evaluation of Responsibility

The County will assess each responsive firm’s capacity, integrity, and stability to determine responsibility.

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Financial responsibility and internal controls,

• Governance structures and staffing,

• Ethical standards,

• Past performance on comparable programs,

• Capacity to manage a multi-stakeholder, multi-million-dollar initiative.

SOQs from firms deemed non-responsible will not be considered for award, regardless of score.

4.4 Evaluation Panel, Weighted Criteria, and Minimum Cutoff

SOQs passing the pass/fail screening and responsibility review will be scored using the factors and point assignments noted in section 6. Evaluation Phases.

4.4.1 Minimum Score Threshold

To be considered for award, firms must achieve a minimum total score of 70 points out of 100. Firms failing to meet these thresholds will be disqualified from further consideration. The County sets no expectation that any or all firms meeting this threshold will be awarded a contract.

4.4.2 Selection and Multiple Awards

• Any firm meeting all mandatory requirements, deemed responsible, and scoring at or above the minimum threshold may be considered for award.

• The County may issue one or more contracts, based on:

o Available program funding, o Geographic or programmatic needs, o Firm capacity to deliver services, o Alignment with County priorities.

The County may negotiate simultaneously or sequentially with multiple firms. If a firm cannot agree to contract terms, the County may terminate negotiations and proceed with other qualified firms.

This RFQ is the sole solicitation phase. No subsequent solicitation will be issued prior to award of a contract. Qualified firms will be asked to provide a cost proposal and enter into negotiations with the

County for a contract.

4.5 Optional Interviews

At the County’s discretion, qualified firms may be invited to participate in interviews or presentations.

Interview results may:

• Clarify SOQ responses,

• Influence award decisions.

4.6 Contract Execution

The selected firm(s) must execute a contract using the County’s standard agreement form (see

Attachments).

Requested revisions to the sample agreement must be clearly identified in the SOQ for County review.

A contract is not binding until:

A. Reviewed and approved by County Counsel, and

B. Ratified by the Board of Supervisors or its designee.

Until both steps are complete, no binding obligations exist between the County and the selected firm(s).

5. SOQ Format and Content

Please note that late or incomplete submissions may not be considered. While there is no page count, please be mindful to be responsive to the content below and limit extraneous information from your proposal.

Interested applicants must submit a Statement of Qualifications that includes the following:

• Organizational Overview o Mission, history, governance structure, and role within the regional nonprofit or philanthropic ecosystem.

o Current organizational size (staff, budget, number of nonprofits supported annually).

o Demonstrated capacity to administer multi-million-dollar initiatives.

• Capacity-Building and Fundraising Leadership o Detailed examples of at least two Sacramento regional or countywide nonprofit capacity-building initiatives led within the past 7–10 years.

o Documentation of at least 10 years of fundraising leadership on behalf of Sacramento

County nonprofit organizations, including:

▪ Amount of unrestricted funds raised.

▪ Examples of coordinated fundraising efforts (e.g., pooled campaigns, collaborative appeals, community funds).

o Description of how the applicant will integrate fundraising capacity-building into this initiative.

• Grantmaking Experience o Description of prior grantmaking or regranting programs administered, including scope, total dollars awarded, number and types of subgrantees supported, and methods to ensure equitable allocation.

o Overview of grantmaking processes, such as application/review procedures, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation systems.

o Evidence of impact achieved through past grantmaking or regranting efforts (e.g., outcomes data, lessons learned, or systemic improvements supported).

• Fiscal Stewardship and Administrative Operations o Most recent two years of independent financial audits demonstrating clean findings.

o Narrative of fiscal systems, internal controls, and financial oversight capacity, including compliance with public-sector and philanthropic requirements.

o Description of organizational scale and capacity, including annual operating budget, staffing, and infrastructure to manage multi-million-dollar initiatives.

• Team Qualifications o Bios and roles for key staff, including leadership, program management, finance, and evaluation staff.

o Description of governance and oversight structures that will ensure accountability and quality program delivery.

• Equity and Community Engagement o Organizational track record of advancing racial equity and culturally responsive practices.

o Examples of successful engagement with nonprofits serving under-resourced, diverse, or historically marginalized communities.

• Convening and Collaboration Experience o Examples of successfully convening cross-sector partners (government, philanthropy, and nonprofits) around shared initiatives or community priorities.

o Approach for structuring partnerships with established nonprofits serving as mentors.

• References

At least three professional references from the past five years including previous project partners, such as funders, public agencies, or nonprofit collaborators. References should reflect a range of funding sources and partnership types, and be familiar with the applicant’s capacity-building, grantmaking, or convening work.

6. Evaluation Phases

Please also refer to Section 4, Evaluation and Selection for detail.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Organizational Experience

Demonstrated success designing and delivering large-scale, regional or countywide capacity-building initiatives.

Proven, measurable outcomes and demonstrated strengthening of nonprofit partners.

Experience managing multi-million-dollar programs.

N/A N/A

2. Fundraising Leadership & Sustainability

Expertise

Proven history of collaborative fundraising efforts for Sacramento County nonprofits.

Evidence of pooled campaigns, donor development, and sustainability planning.

N/A N/A

3. Grantmaking & Fiscal Stewardship

Experience administering equitable regranting programs.

Robust fiscal systems supported by clean, independent audits.

N/A N/A

4. Equity & Community Engagement

Commitment to racial equity and culturally responsive practices.

Track record engaging under-resourced and historically marginalized communities.

N/A N/A

5. Convening & Collaboration Capacity

Demonstrated ability to serve as a neutral, trusted convener.

Proven experience structuring partnerships with mentoring organizations and peer-learning cohorts.

N/A N/A

6. Quality and Completeness of SOQ

Clarity, professionalism, and compliance with

RFQ format and instructions.

N/A N/A

7. Vendor Submissions

7.1. Certification of Independent Contractor Status*

"I hereby certify that the Contractor/Consultant firm employs five or more full-time employees. “Full-time”, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, means persons employed for 20 or more hours per week, and excludes temporary employees whose term of employment will be less than one (1) month.

This certification satisfies the Internal Revenue Service criteria for treatment of the above-named consultant as an independent contractor, not an employee for tax withholding purposes."

☐ Yes, I certify that the firm has five (5) or more full-time employees.

☐ No, I certify that the firm does not have five (5) or more full-time employees, and the firm provides services to the general public. (The County will conduct a tax determination review if this option is selected.)

*Response required

7.2. Contractor Certification of Compliance, part 1*

WHEREAS it is in the best interest of Sacramento County that those entities with whom the County does business demonstrate financial responsibility, integrity and lawfulness, it is inequitable for those entities with whom the County does business to receive County funds while failing to pay court-ordered child, family and spousal support which shifts the support of their dependents onto the public treasury.

Therefore, in order to assist the Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services in its efforts to collect unpaid court-ordered child, family and spousal support orders, the following certification must be provided by all entities with whom the County does business:

Contractor/Consultant hereby certifies that either:

☐ the Contractor/Consultant is a government or non-profit entity (exempt), or

☐ the Contractor/Consultant has no Principals Owners (25% or more) (exempt), or

☐ each Principal Owner (25% or more) does not have any existing child support orders, or

☐ Contractor/Consultants Principal Owners are currently in substantial compliance with any court-ordered child, family and spousal support order, including orders to provide current residence address, employment information, and whether dependent health insurance coverage is available. If not in compliance, Principal Owner has become current or has arranged a payment schedule with the

Department of Child Support Services or the court.

*Response required

7.3. Contractor Certification of Compliance, part 2*

New Contract/Consultant shall certify that each of the following statements is true:

a. Contractor/Consultant has fully complied with all applicable state and federal reporting requirements relating to employment reporting for its employees; and

b. Contractor/Consultant has fully complied with all lawfully served wage and earnings assignment orders and notices of assignment and will continue to maintain compliance.

NOTE: Failure to comply with state and federal reporting requirements regarding a Contractor's employees or failure to implement lawfully served wage and earnings assignment orders or notices of assignment constitutes a default under the contract; and failure to cure the default within 90 days of notice by the County shall be grounds for termination of the contract. Principal Owners can contact the

Sacramento Department of Child Support Services at 1-866-901-3212, by writing to P.O. Box 269112, Sacramento, 95826-9112, or via the Customer Connect website at www.childsup.ca.gov .

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.4. Iran Contracting Act Certification*

(California Public Contract Code, sections 2202-2208)

When responding to a bid or proposal or executing a contract or renewal for a County of Sacramento contract for goods or services of $1,000,000 or more, a vendor must either:

A. certify it is not on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by the California Department of General Services (“DGS”) pursuant to Public Contract Code section

2203(b) and is not a financial institution extending twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) or more in credit to another person, for 45 days or more, if that other person will use the credit to provide goods or services in the energy sector in Iran and is identified on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS; or

B. demonstrate it has been exempted from the certification requirement for that solicitation or contract pursuant to Public Contract Code section 2203(c) or (d).

To comply with this requirement, please select one of the options below. Please note: California law establishes penalties for providing false certifications, including civil penalties equal to the greater of

$250,000 or twice the amount of the contract for which the false certification was made; contract termination; and three-year ineligibility to bid on contracts. (Public Contract Code section 2205.)

OPTION #1 - CERTIFICATION

I certify I am duly authorized to execute this certification on behalf of the vendor/financial institution, and the vendor/financial institution is not on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS and is not a financial institution extending twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) or more in credit to another person/vendor, for 45 days or more, if that other person/vendor will use the credit to provide goods or services in the energy sector in Iran and is identified on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS.

OPTION #2 – EXEMPTION

Pursuant to Public Contract Code sections 2203(c) and (d), a public entity may permit a vendor/financial institution engaged in investment activities in Iran, on a case-by-case basis, to be eligible for, or to bid on, submit a proposal for, or enters into or renews, a contract for goods and services. If you have obtained an exemption from the certification requirement under the Iran Contracting Act, please select http://www.childsup.ca.gov/

"EXEMPTION" below, and attach documentation demonstrating the exemption approval with your electronic submission.

☐ Certification

☐ Exemption

*Response required

7.5. SOQ (without cost proposal)*

Upload your complete SOQ here. Do not include your cost proposal in this section.

*Response required

7.6. Confidential sections of SOQ (if applicable)

The County will treat all information submitted in an SOQ as available for public inspection once the

County has awarded a contract. If you believe that you have a legally justifiable basis under the

California Public Records Act (Government Code section 6250 et. seq.) for protecting the confidentiality of any information contained within your SOQ, you must identify any such information, together with the legal basis of your claim in your SOQ, and present such information in this section as part of your

SOQ response package. The final determination of whether the County will assert a Responder's claim of confidentiality shall be at the sole discretion of the County. Click "file upload" below to upload any SOQ documents you consider to be confidential documents.

7.7. Proposed Contract Exceptions

If proposing any exceptions to the County's Sample Contract, upload a redlined revision of the Sample

Contract attached to this solicitation here. Any submissions are for negotiation purposes only.

If no exceptions are proposed, please skip this question.

7.8. Provide the full contact name, title, and e-mail of the signatory for your firm. Provide contact information for the contract manager for your firm in order to distribute contract documents, including other recipients requiring a copy, if awarded.*

Signatory: name, title, email

Contract manager/admin: name, phone, email

*Response required

7.9. PaymentWorks Contact*

Please provide the name and e-mail for a finance point-of-contact for your firm that will receive an invitation to complete the vendor registration process on the County's PaymentWorks portal.

To clarify, if you are set-up with other agencies using PaymentWorks, that information is not available to the County, so you must complete this process for the County.

7.10. Audit Integrity Certification*

Please indicate whether your organization is currently subject to any active audit investigation, inquiry, or review by any federal, state, or local government agency, funding entity, or regulatory body.

For purposes of this certification, an “audit investigation” includes any formal external review related to:

• Appropriate use of funds,

• Management of public or grant monies, or

• Compliance with contractual or statutory requirements.

The County reserves the right to rely on its own information, internal records, or other sources to make this determination, independent of the firm’s response.

Failure to disclose an active investigation, or providing false or misleading information, may result in immediate disqualification of the SOQ and/or termination of any awarded contract.

A response indicating "NO" will be understood to mean that the firm is not currently subject to any audit investigation, inquiry, or review as defined above.

A response indicating "YES" will be understood to mean that the firm is currently subject to an audit investigation, inquiry, or review as defined above and has provided details in the SOQ submission.

☐ Yes

☐ No