Nacimiento Water Project Unit G Repair Construction Management.pdf

COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

EXECUTIVE OFFICE – PURCHASING SERVICES

Revised March 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #1995

Nacimiento Water Project Unit G Repair Construction Management

September 29, 2026

The County of San Luis Obispo (County) is currently soliciting proposals for professional services for Nacimiento Water Project Unit G Repair Construction Management and Environmental Monitoring Services.

Each proposal shall specify each and every item as set forth in the attached specifications. Any and all exceptions must be clearly stated in the proposal. Failure to set forth any item in the specifications without taking exception may be grounds for rejection. The County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularity or informality in any proposal or in the RFP process, as long as, in the judgment of the County, such action will not negate fair competition and will permit proper comparative evaluation of the proposals submitted.

This RFP is posted on the County’s Purchasing website at:

https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/central-services/purchasing-services/services/bid-rfp-opportunities.

Any changes, additions, or deletions to this RFP will be in the form of written addenda issued by the County. Any addenda will be posted on the website. Prospective proposers must check the website for addenda or other relevant new information during the response period. The County is not responsible for the failure of any prospective proposer to receive such addenda. All addenda so issued shall become a part of this RFP.

If you or your firm is interested and qualified, please submit two (2) separate Adobe Acrobat Portable Data Format (.pdf) files, one (1) technical proposal and one (1) cost proposal, through the County’s Purchasing website at the address listed above by 3:00 p.m. on October 27, 2026.

If you have any questions about the proposal process, please contact the Buyer directly.

SAVANNAH PEREZ

Buyer – Executive Office – Purchasing Services sperez@co.slo.ca.us

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 2

Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION

A. PURPOSE

B. BACKGROUND

II. SCHEDULE AND SUBMITTAL

A. RFP SCHEDULE

B. QUESTIONS

C. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

D. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

III. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

A. COUNTY RIGHTS & OPTIONS

B. FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

C. CHANGES TO THE RFP

D. COMMUNICATIONS

E. INSURANCE

F. EXCEPTIONS & DEVIATIONS

G. AWARD AND STANDARD AGREEMENT

H. PREVAILING WAGE

I. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

J. FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE

K. DEBARMENT

IV. PROPOSAL FORMAT

V. PROPOSAL SELECTION & CONTRACT AWARD

A. SELECTION PROCEDURES

B. SELECTION CRITERIA

C. FINAL SELECTION

D. CONTRACT AWARD AND EXECUTION

E. PROTEST OF AWARD

VI. DEFINITIONS

APPENDIX A – SCOPE OF WORK

APPENDIX B – FEDERAL SAMPLE CONTRACT

APPENDIX C – LOCAL VENDOR PREFERENCE

APPENDIX D – CERTIFICATION REGARDING LOBBYING FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS,

LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 3

APPENDIX E – RISK ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

APPENDIX F – COUNTY TRAVEL POLICY

APPENDIX G – DESIGNATION OF SUBCONTRACTORS FORM

APPENDIX H – PROPOSER CHECKLIST

APPENDIX I – EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CERTIFICATION FORMS

APPENDIX J – SAMPLE COST PROPOSAL

I. INTRODUCTION

A. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit offers from qualified firms to establish a 130 working day contract, not including submittal and closeout phase work, for Construction Management and Environmental Monitoring Services to include, but not be limited to, the following: facilitating and attending the preconstruction meeting, taking preconstruction photos and documentation, responding to and managing requests for information and submittals, onsite inspection services with daily logs for 130 working days, change order management, tracking quantities and progress estimates, material testing, site documentation using photos and videos throughout project, maintaining stormwater permitting and compliance, maintaining safety protocols, completing the final inspection/punch list, completing all project closeout, reviewing as built drawings with the project engineer, facilitating worker environmental awareness training, inspecting biological and archeologic resources during construction and all related documentation.

B. BACKGROUND

During the 2023 storms, approximately 800 linear feet of Nacimiento Water Project pipeline was damaged. This project will repair and realign this section of pipeline to outside the floodplain and mitigate future storm damages. Construction of the project will involve installing approximately 5200 LF of pipeline using open trench and horizontal directional drilling methods.

The project is located just outside the city limits of Atascadero, CA. The realignment of the pipeline starts at the intersection of Salinas Rd and Santa Clara Rd then follows Salinas Road north and ultimately ends with an HDD section under the Salinas River on private property.

This project has been awarded FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant funds and all work eligible for reimbursement must be performed and documented in a manner to meet HMGP guidelines. The HMGP guidelines can be found in the FEMA Public Assistance Program

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 4 and Policy Guide (PAPPG). Construction Management and Environmental Monitoring work shall be completed in accordance with the PAPPG.

II. SCHEDULE AND SUBMITTAL

A. RFP SCHEDULE

The following represents the tentative schedule for this RFP. Any change in the scheduled dates for the Pre-Proposal Conference, Deadline for Final Questions, and Proposal Submission Deadline will be advertised in the form of an addendum to this RFP. The schedule for other milestones dates may be adjusted without notice.

RFP Schedule Date Issued September 29, 2026 Pre-Proposal Conference October 13, 2026 Deadline for Final Questions October 20, 2026 Proposal Submission Date October 27, 2026 Evaluation of Proposals November 10, 2026 Interviews (if needed) & Contract Negotiations

November 2026

Intent to Award Issued December 4,2026 Award by Board of Supervisors December 15, 2026 Notice to Proceed December 16, 2026

B. QUESTIONS

All questions (requests for interpretations or corrections) pertaining to the content of this RFP must be made in writing through the County’s Purchasing website by 3:00 p.m. on October 20, 2026. Requests submitted after said date may not be considered. Questions will receive a response within five (5) business days. Questions and responses will be posted (anonymously) on the Purchasing website and can be viewed by accessing the RFP. The County reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of comments/questions that will be posted on the website.

C. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

If you or your firm is interested and qualified, please submit two (2) separate Adobe Acrobat Portable Data Format (.pdf) files, one (1) technical proposal and one (1) cost proposal, through the County’s Purchasing website at the address listed on the title page by 3:00 p.m.

on October 27, 2026.

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 5

D. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A pre-proposal conference will be held on October 13, 26 at 2:00PM at 1120 Mill Street San Luis Obispo, CA or Microsoft Teams. Interested contractors must RSVP for this meeting to Andrew Pedroni via email at apedroni@co.slo.ca.us no later than 5 p.m. on October 9, 2026. This pre-proposal conference is not mandatory; however, it is highly recommended.

III. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

A. COUNTY RIGHTS & OPTIONS

1. All proposals must be submitted to the County’s Purchasing website in Adobe PDF format no later than 3:00 p.m. on October 27, 2026. Late proposals will not be considered.

2. All proposals shall remain firm for one hundred twenty (120) days following closing date for receipt of proposals.

3. The term of the contract will be three (3) years from date of award. Pricing will remain unchanged throughout the term of contract.

4. The County reserves the right to request any missing information in a proposal submitted in response to this RFP. Proposer shall have 24 hours to provide the information to the requesting Buyer.

5. All costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals and related documentation will be borne solely by the proposer.

6. This RFP does not constitute an offer of employment or to contract for services.

7. The County reserves the right to remedy technical errors, modify the published Scope of Work and approve or disapprove the use of all subcontractors.

8. The issuance of this RFP does not constitute an agreement by the County that any subsequent selection process will occur, or that any contract will be entered into by the County. Proposals and other materials will not be returned.

9. The County has the right to use any or all ideas or concepts presented in any proposal or interview without restriction, without conversation to all applicants.

10. All documents submitted to the County in response to this RFP will become the exclusive property of the County.

11. The County may, in its sole and absolute discretion, accept or reject any and all proposals, in whole or in part, with or without cause, in response to this RFP.

12. The County reserves the right to award the contract to the firms who present the proposal which, in the judgment of the County, best accomplishes the desired results.

13. Prices, terms and conditions of the contract may be extended to other County departments, as needed.

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14. Unforeseen additional items and/or services may be required. The County therefore reserves the right to negotiate with the successful proposer for additional items and/or services beyond what is described in Appendix A to be added to the final contract.

15. Under the provisions of the California Public Records Act (the “Act”), Government Code section 7920.000 et seq., the County may be obligated to provide a copy of any and all records that the proposer provides County relating to this RFP (hereafter “Records from Proposer”), including those records which the proposer believes constitute confidential information. If the County determines (in its sole discretion) that (i) a person/entity has requested a copy of records that would include Records from Proposer and (ii) the County does not have sufficient direct, first-hand knowledge to independently conclude that such Records from Proposer are exempt from disclosure under the Act, the County will provide the proposer written notice thereof (via mail and/or email). If the proposer does not, within seven court business days thereof, file the appropriate papers in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court (“Court”) seeking a Court order preventing the County from disclosing any such Records from Proposer to the requester, and have its request heard by the Court within 30 days thereof, the proposer shall be deemed to have waived any claim that the Records from Proposer are exempt under the Act. (The County reserves the right to issue a written extension of time if it determines (in its sole discretion) that one is appropriate.)

Under no circumstances shall the proposer be entitled to recover from County any of its court costs, attorney’s fees or other litigation expenses that are related in any way to whether any Records from Proposer are exempt under the Act. If any proposer believes that information contained in its response to this RFP should be protected from disclosure, the proposer MUST specifically identify the pages of the response that contain the information by properly marking the applicable pages and inserting the following notice in the front of its response:

NOTICE: The data on pages _ of this response identified by an asterisk (*) contain technical or financial information, which are trade secrets, or information for which disclosure would result in substantial injury to the proposer’s competitive position. Proposer requests that such data be used only for the evaluation of the response, but understands that the disclosure will be limited to the extent the County considers proper under the law. If an agreement is entered into with the proposer, the County shall have the right to use or disclose the data as provided in the agreement, unless otherwise obligated by law.

16. The County will not honor any attempt by proposer to designate its entire proposal as proprietary. If there is any dispute, lawsuit, claim or demand as to whether information within the response to the RFP is protected from disclosure under the Act, proposer shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless, the County arising out of such dispute, lawsuit, claim or demand.

17. The proposer warrants that no official or employee of the County has an interest, has been employed or retained to solicit or aid in the procuring of any contract resulting from this RFP, if any, and further warrants that such person will not be employed in the performance

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 7 of the contract without immediate written notice to the County.

18. Firms submitting proposals shall warrant that their offer is made without any previous understanding, agreement or connection with any person, firm or corporation submitting a separate proposal for the same project and is in all respects fair, without outside control, collusion, fraud or otherwise illegal action. This condition shall not apply to proposals which are submitted by firms who have partnered with others to submit a cooperative proposal that clearly identifies a primary contractor and the associated subcontractors.

19. Any proposer awarded a contract (“Contract”) pursuant to this RFP (“Contractor”) shall comply with all laws and regulations governing nondiscrimination in employment, including, without limitation, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Fair Employment and Housing Act (California Government Code §§ 12900, et seq.), and the applicable regulations promulgated thereunder, including but not limited to 2 California Code of Regulations §§ 11000, et seq.

19.1 Nondiscrimination. The Contractor, with regard to the work performed by them during the Contract, shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color or national origin or other legally protected criteria in employment or the selection and retention of subcontractors, including procurement of materials and leases of equipment. The Contractor shall not participate either directly or indirectly in the discrimination prohibited by Section 21.5 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, including employment practices when the Contract covers a program set forth in Appendix B of said regulations.

19.2 Solicitation for Subcontracts, Including Procurement of Materials and Equipment. In all solicitations, either by competitive bidding or negotiation, made by the Contractor for work to be performed under a subcontract, including procurement of materials or leases of equipment, each potential subcontractor or supplier shall be notified by the Contractor of the Contractor’s obligations under this Contract and the regulations.

20. Executive Order N-6-22 – Russia Sanctions. On March 4, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-6-22 regarding Economic Sanctions against Russia and Russian entities and individuals. “Economic Sanctions” refers to sanctions imposed by the U.S.

government in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, as well as any sanctions imposed under state law. By submitting a bid or proposal, proposer represents that it is not a target of Economic Sanctions. Should the State or County determine proposer is a target of Economic Sanctions or is conducting prohibited transactions with sanctioned individuals or entities, that shall be grounds for rejection of the proposer’s bid/proposal any time prior to contract execution, or, if determined after contract execution, shall be grounds for termination by the County.

21. Advanced Clean Fleets. Vehicles with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs. and light-duty package delivery vehicles operated in California may be subject to the California Air Resources Board Advanced Clean Fleets regulations. Such vehicles may therefore be subject to requirements to reduce emissions of air pollutants. For more information, please visit the CARB Advanced Clean Fleets webpage at: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/advanced-clean-fleets.

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 8

All fleets hired by the County shall be listed on the CARB Advanced Clean Fleets webpage as a compliant fleet or the fleet owner must provide a signed statement that its fleet is not subject to the High Priority and Federal Fleets regulations in title 13, CCR, sections 2015 through 2015.6 and the State and Local Government Fleets regulations in title 13, CCR, sections 2013 through 2013.4.

B. FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The County of San Luis Obispo intends to expend federal funds for contract(s) resulting from this solicitation; therefore, in accordance with Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulation §200.324, in the case that only one bid is received that is both responsive and received from a qualified and responsible bidder, the County shall perform a cost or price analysis for procurements over the simplified acquisition threshold. The County reserves the right to negotiate pricing and profit margin prior to award. Bidder agrees to provide sufficient cost and pricing information for such negotiations. “Cost plus a percentage of cost” and “percentage of construction costs” are not permitted.

Applicable federal clauses pertaining to this RFP are included in attached Appendix B – Federal Sample Contract.

C. CHANGES TO THE RFP

This RFP is posted on the County’s Purchasing website at:

https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/central-services/purchasing-services/services/bid-rfp-opportunities.

Any changes, additions, or deletions to this RFP will be in the form of written addenda issued by the County. Any addenda will be posted on the website. Prospective proposers must check the website for addenda or other relevant new information during the response period. The County is not responsible for the failure of any prospective proposer to receive such addenda. All addenda so issued shall become a part of this RFP. Any proposer who has already submitted their proposal and desires to make corrections, may remove and replace their proposal on the Purchasing website up to the date and time for which this RFP closes.

D. COMMUNICATIONS

All communications concerning this RFP shall be directed to Savannah Perez sperez@co.slo.ca.us. All other communication is not binding and shall in no way modify the RFP or the obligations of the County.

The proceedings of the Selection Committee are confidential, and members of the Selection Committee are not to be contacted by the proposers. After the solicitation has closed, proposers can view the RFP on the Purchasing website where any available award information will be posted and updated within the solicitation. Any questions and requests for information must be addressed to the Buyer.

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 9

E. INSURANCE

The selected proposer will be required to provide insurance coverage in the amount of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) Commercial General Liability (CGL) Insurance and Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) Professional Liability Insurance. See Appendix B – Federal Sample Contract for complete insurance and indemnification requirements.

INSURANCE REQUIRED AMOUNT

CGL & Property Damage $ 2.0 Million per occurrence Professional Liability (Professional Liability/Errors and Omissions coverage is required for medical and legal Contractors, as well as Contractors in non-traditional professions including, but not limited to accountants, appraisers, architects, billers, computer programmers, engineers, interpreters, staffing/ temporary services agencies, and Contractors. Remove if not needed)

$ 2.0 Million per occurrence / $ 4.0 Million aggregate

Auto Liability /Property Damage/Bodily Injury $ 1.0 Million per occurrence Workers Compensation & Disability Benefits $ 1.0 Million per occurrence

The selected proposer shall provide within five (5) days after the Notice of Award is issued a certificate of liability insurance naming the County of San Luis Obispo and its employees and officers as additionally named insured. This shall be maintained in full force and effect for the duration of the contract and must be in an amount and format satisfactory to the County.

F. EXCEPTIONS & DEVIATIONS

Any exceptions to or deviations from the requirements set forth in this RFP must be declared in the proposal submitted by the proposer. Such exceptions or deviations must be segregated as a separate element of the proposal under the heading “Exceptions and Deviations” as instructed below in section IV. The County may waive any immaterial deviation or defect in a proposal.

G. AWARD AND STANDARD AGREEMENT

The County reserves the right to make awards within one hundred twenty (120) days after the date of the RFP closing. The successful proposer is expected to execute a contract similar to the contract in Appendix B. This sample contract is for reference to the

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 10 anticipated terms and conditions governing the County and the successful proposer. The proposer must take exception in their proposal to any section of the attached contract they do not agree with. Failing to do so will be deemed as acceptance by the proposer to the terms spelled out in the sample contract. The County reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to add, delete, or modify, or negotiate additional terms and conditions to the attached contract. BEFORE BEGINNING ANY WORK OR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL IT IS

ADVISED THAT PROPOSERS READ THE COUNTY INSURANCE AND INDEMNIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS IN THE ATTACHED SAMPLE CONTRACT. The selected proposer will be asked to provide evidence that County insurance requirements have been met.

H. PREVAILING WAGE

At least a portion of this work is prevailing wage work. For any work done by the prime contractor or a subcontractor under the contract, in accordance with Labor Code Section 1720 et seq., prime contractor must pay employees at least the prevailing rate wages for public works performed on the Project. Prime contractor and any applicable subcontractors (any tier) must register with the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) prior to contract award, must remain registered for the entire term of the contract, and must submit certified payroll records to DIR at least monthly for such work. The work is subject to DIR monitoring and enforcement.

Contractors can register at:

https://services.dir.ca.gov/gsp?id=gsp_register_v1

I. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

1. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY CERTIFICATION

Proposers shall submit the certification required by the Equal Employment Opportunity Regulations of the Secretary of Labor (41 CFR 60-1.7(b)(1)). The certification is included in the Bid Forms section of the Contract Documents.

2. SUBCONTRACTOR’S EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY CERTIFICATION

Proposers shall submit the certification for each subcontractor required by the Equal Employment Opportunity Regulations of the Secretary of Labor (41 CFR 60-1.7(b)(1)). The certification is included in the Bid Forms section of the Contract Documents.

J. FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE

The Consultant and all subconsultants shall comply with all laws and regulations governing nondiscrimination in employment, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Fair Employment and Housing Act (California Government Code Section 12900 et seq.), and the applicable regulations promulgated thereunder Title 2, Division 4.1, Chapter 5 of the California Code of Regulations Section 11000 et seq.

The Consultant, with regard to the work performed by them during the Contract, shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, or military and

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 11 veteran status of any person in employment or the selection and retention of subcontractors, including procurement of materials and leases of equipment.

K. DEBARMENT

In accordance with 2 C.F.R. Part 180 and 2 C.F.R. Part 3000, consultants and subconsultant (any tier) shall not perform work on this Project if they are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in federal assistance programs. The Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) is maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA) and available at the following website:

https://sam.gov/SAM/

IV. PROPOSAL FORMAT

Technical Proposal:

A qualifying proposal must address all of the following points and shall be in the format outlined in this section:

A. Project Title

B. Applicant or Firm Name

C. Format and Firm Qualifications

To respond to the RFP, a proposer must submit a proposal on or before the deadline. The County requests that the submitted proposal be limited to five (5) pages in length, not including the Cost Proposal, resumes, table of contents, covers, dividers/tabs, cover letter, or the following forms which can be included in the appendices: Local Vendor Preference, Certification Regarding Lobbying, Risk Assessment Questionnaire, Designation of Subcontractors Form, or the Proposer Checklist. The proposal must be signed by a person authorized to bind the proposing firm to the representations, commitments and statements contained in the proposal. The proposal must contain the following information and documents:

a. A cover letter summarizing the key points of the proposal (2 pages max.)

b. Description of Firm. A description of the firm’s organizational structure, the jurisdiction in which the firm is organized and date of such organization. In addition, provide a brief description of the firm’s qualifications and experience on projects of similar nature to those described in the proposal as well as projects/clients where contractor has performed as an extension of staff.

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c. Authorized representative of the proposer. The name, address, telephone number, and email address of the person authorized to represent the proposer with respect to all notices, negotiations, discussions, and other communications relating to the proposal, including negotiation relating to the contract.

d. Staffing. Provide an organizational chart identifying: 1) the project manager for the work; 2) each key person who would be assigned to carry out the work, and their respective roles in performing the work. Provide a separate description of the experience and qualifications of such manager and key persons, including a summary of experience on similar projects to those described in the proposal.

Resumes should be included for all key individuals as an appendix to the submittal.

e. References. A list of no more than three references for the proposer and no more than three references for the subcontractor, including the names, addresses and telephone numbers of recent clients, preferably other public agencies and a listing of the specific projects and key individuals that have participated in them. Include the dollar amount related to the participation. Identify how much experience the firm and subcontractor has had with public agencies.

f. Scope. A clear concise statement of the proposer’s understanding of the nature and extent of the services required and a specific outline to demonstrate how personnel would be organized to handle these services.

D. Work Plan/Technical Services

a. This section should establish that the proposer understands the County’s objectives and requirements, demonstrate the proposer’s ability to meet those requirements and outline clearly and concisely the plan for accomplishing the specified work as outlined in Appendix A - Scope of Work.

b. Indication of information and participation the proposer will require from County staff.

E. Required Attachments Appendix

a. Resumes. In the Appendix, proposer shall include resumes for all key personnel, the specific projects and roles of the individuals, specialty licenses, certificates or relevant training. List all similar work.

F. Cost Proposal:

Price Propose a total firm-fixed price for the work described under Scope of Work. Detail the billing rates for each firm’s key individuals, other position’s overhead rates and other direct and indirect costs on the Sample Cost Proposal in Appendix J. Include any and all other costs for office, vehicle, travel, cell phones, per diem, etc using the Sample Cost Proposal in

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 13

Appendix J Travel cost reimbursement rates must conform to the County’s Travel Policy reimbursements; costs above these rates are not allowed. See Appendix F – County Travel Policy. Cost proposal must be submitted in a separate Adobe Acrobat Portable Data Format (.pdf) file and shall not be included within the technical proposal.

V. PROPOSAL SELECTION & CONTRACT AWARD

A. SELECTION PROCEDURES

Proposals will be evaluated by a Selection Committee comprised of one or more County departments and stakeholders. The Selection Committee will consider the completeness of a proposal and how well the proposal meets the needs of the County. Evaluations will be based on criteria as outlined in Section B (Selection Criteria) below. All proposals in response to this RFP will be evaluated using the same criteria.

The sole purpose of the selection procedure is to determine, from among the responses received, which one is best suited to meet the County’s needs. Any final analysis or weighted score does not imply that one proposer is superior to another, but simply that, in the Selection Committee’s judgment, the selected proposer appears to offer the best overall solution for the County’s current and anticipated needs.

B. SELECTION CRITERIA

The County will evaluate the proposals based on, but not limited to, the below criteria.

C. FINAL SELECTION

The Selection Committee will formulate its recommendation for award of the Contract and forward its selection to the appropriate parties for approval.

D. CONTRACT AWARD AND EXECUTION

The County reserves the right to enter into a contract without further discussion of the submitted proposal. Therefore, the proposal should be initially submitted on the most favorable terms the proposer can offer.

Selection Criteria – RFP (Phase One) Points Available

Understanding of Scope of Work 20

Communication Approach and Plan 10

Qualifications and experience of key staff 35

Familiarity with state and federal procedures 15

Demonstrated technical ability 20

Total Points Available Per Contractor 100

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 14

The County reserves the right to withdraw the RFP in whole or in part, at any time and for any reason. Submission of a proposal confers no rights upon a proposer and does not obligate the County in any manner. The County reserves the right to award no contract and to solicit additional offers at a later date.

Each proposer, by submitting a proposal, agrees that if the County accepts its proposal, such proposer will furnish all items and services upon the terms and conditions in this RFP and subsequent contract. Proposals that do not meet the mandatory requirements set forth in this RFP will be considered non-compliant. Proposers may be disqualified and the proposal may be rejected by the County for any of, but not limited to, the following reasons:

Failure to properly respond to the RFP;

Evidence of collusion among the proposers submitting the proposals;

Failure to comply with the specification requirements of the RFP.

Terms, conditions, prices, methodology, or other features of the Contractor’s proposal may be subject to negotiation and subsequent revision. As part of the negotiations, the proposer may be required to submit additional financial information and other data to allow for a detailed evaluation of the feasibility, reasonableness, and acceptability of the proposal.

The RFP document and the successful proposer’s proposal response, as amended by agreement between the County and the successful proposer, including e-mail or written correspondence relative to the RFP, may become part of the contract documents.

Additionally, the County may verify the successful proposer’s representations that appear in the proposal. Failure of the successful proposer to perform as represented may result in elimination of the successful proposer from competition or in contract cancellation or termination.

The requirements listed in this RFP are not negotiable and will remain unchanged unless the County determines that a change in such requirements is in the best interest of the County.

The County expressly reserves the right, in its sole judgment, to accept or reject any or all proposals, with or without cause, modify, alter, waive any technicalities or provisions, or to accept the proposal which, in its sole judgment, is determined to be the best evaluated offer resulting from negotiation and taking into consideration other evaluation factors set forth in the RFP. The successful proposer will be expected to enter into a contract with the County. If the successful proposer fails to sign a contract within fifteen (15) business days, unless the County grants an extension, following the delivery of the contract documents, the County may elect to negotiate a contract with the next-highest ranked proposer.

The County shall not be bound, or in any way obligated, until both parties have executed a contract. The selected proposer may not incur any chargeable costs prior to final contract

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 15 execution. The foregoing should not be interpreted to prohibit either party from proposing additional contract terms and conditions during the negotiation of the final Contract.

The supplies and services are to be provided in compliance with all applicable state and federal standards, rules and regulations. The County reserves the right to request additional written and/or oral information from proposers at any time before contract award, in order to obtain clarification of their responses.

E. PROTEST OF AWARD

Any objection to the County’s final decision will be handled according to applicable state and local procurement laws.

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VI. DEFINITIONS

Response: The written, signed and sealed complete document submitted according to the proposal instructions. Response does not include any verbal or documentary interaction apart from submittal of a formal Response.

Request/Proposal/Bid: The completed and released document, including all subsequent addenda, made publicly available to all prospective proposers.

We/Us/Our: Terms that refer to the County of San Luis Obispo, a duly organized public entity.

They may also be used as pronouns for various subsets of the County organization, including, as the context will indicate.

Purchasing: The Purchasing Services division within the County Executive Office.

Department/Division: The County department or division requesting the goods or services contained in this request, for which the proposal is prepared and which will be the end user of the requested goods or services.

You/Your: Terms that refer to businesses/individuals submitting a response. The term may apply differently as the context will indicate.

Supplier: A business entity engaged in the business of providing services.

Proposer: A business entity submitting a Response to this proposal. Suppliers which may express interest in this proposal, but who do not submit a Response, have no obligations with respect to the proposal requirements.

Contractor: The proposer(s) whose Response to this proposal is evaluated as meeting the needs of the County. Contractor(s) will be selected for award, and will enter into a contract(s) for provision of the services described in this proposal.

Contractor’s Employee: All persons who can be offered to provide the services described in the proposal. All employees of the Contractor shall be covered by the insurance programs normally provided to persons employed by a company (ex: Worker’s Comp, SDI, etc.).

Mandatory: A required element of this request/proposal/bid. Failure to satisfy any element of this request/proposal/bid defined as “mandatory” will disqualify the particular response.

Default: A failure to act as required by any contract resulting from this request, which may trigger the right to sue or may excuse the other party's obligation to perform under the contract.

Cancellation/Termination: A unilateral or mutual decision to not complete an exchange or perform an obligation under any contract resulting from this request.

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 17

“Or Equal”: A statement used for reference to indicate the character or quality desired in a requested product or service. When specified in a proposal document, equal items will be considered, provided the response clearly describes the article. Offers of equal items must state the brand and number, or level of quality. When brand, number, or level of quality is not stated by proposer, the offer will be considered exactly as specified. The determination of the Purchasing Agent as to what items are equal is final and conclusive.

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 18

APPENDIX A – SCOPE OF WORK

Attached as a separate document.

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 19

APPENDIX B – FEDERAL SAMPLE CONTRACT

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 20

APPENDIX C – LOCAL VENDOR PREFERENCE

The County has established a local vendor preference. When quality, service, and other relevant factors are equal, responses to Requests for Proposals will be evaluated with a preference for local vendors.

Note the following exceptions:

1. Those contracts which State Law or, other law or regulation precludes this local preference.

2. Public works construction projects.

A "local" vendor preference will be approved as such when, 1) The vendor conducts business in a fully staffed office with a physical address within the County of San Luis Obispo; 2) The vendor holds a valid business license issued by the County or a city within the County; and 3) The vendor has conducted business at the local address for not less than six (6) months prior to the due date of this Request for Proposal.

Proposals received in response to this Request for Proposal will be evaluated by the Selection Committee considering the local vendor preference described above when quality, service and other relevant factors are equal. The burden of proof will lie with proposers relative to verification of "local" vendor preference.

YES

NO

Do you claim local vendor preference?

Do you conduct business in an office with a physical location within the County of San Luis Obispo?

Business Address:

Years at this Address:

Does your business hold a valid business license issued by the County or a City within the County?

Name of Local Agency which issued license:

Business Name: __________________________________________________________________________________

Authorized Individual: ______________________________ Title: ________________________________________

Signature: ___________________________________________ Dated: ______________________________________

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 21

APPENDIX D – CERTIFICATION REGARDING LOBBYING FOR

CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

Type: Lobbying and Influencing Sources: 31 U.S.C. § 1352 – Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment / 2 CFR part 200, Appendix II(J) / 49 CFR part 20, Appendix A Description: Consultants and contractors that apply or bid for an award of $100,000 or more must certify that it will not and has not used Federal appropriated funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with obtaining any Federal contract, grant or another award covered by 31 U.S.C.

1352. Each tier must also disclose any lobbying with non-Federal funds that takes place in connection with obtaining any Federal award.

The undersigned bidder or offeror certifies by signing and submitting this bid or proposal, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:

(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the Bidder or Offeror, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of an agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.

(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form- LLL, “Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” in accordance with its instructions.

(3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all sub-awards at all tiers (including subcontracts, sub-grants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code. Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.

Signature Title Date

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 22

APPENDIX E – RISK ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

(Required Submittal)

1. List the full names of any partners, owners, officers or other persons occupying a position of authority or responsibility in your organization, as well as their Unique Entity ID (SAM) number.

Unique Entity ID (SAM) Number Organization

NOTE: A Unique Entity ID (SAM) number is not required but must be listed if the entity has one.

2. Have the individual(s) in item #1 been subject to bankruptcy, insolvency or receivership proceedings in the last five (5) years? Yes No If yes, please enclose details.

3. Has your business/company/organization filed for bankruptcy within the last five (5) years? Yes No If yes, please enclose details.

4. Has your business/company/organization/individual(s) in item #1 ever had a contract for the general type of services/product sought by the County terminated for non-compliance or inadequate performance? Yes No If yes, please enclose details.

5. Has your business/company/organization/individual(s) in item #1 ever defaulted on a contract for the general type of services/product being sought by the County?

Yes No If yes, please enclose details.

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 23

6. Has there been, in the last five (5) years, or is there now pending or threatened, any litigation, arbitration, governmental proceeding or regulatory proceeding involving claims in excess of $100,000 with respect to the performance of any services or the provision of any product by your business/company/organization/individual(s) in item #1? Yes No If yes, please enclose details.

7. Has your business/company/organization/individual(s) in item #1 ever defaulted in fulfilling all of its obligations relating to the payment of county taxes, fees, or other obligations?

8. In the last five (5) years, has your business/company/organization/individual(s) in item #1, been or currently involved in any action, audit or investigation brought by any federal government agency or authority or by any state or local governmental agency?

9. In the last five (5) years, has your business/company/organization/individual(s) in item #1 been debarred or suspended for any reason by any federal, state or local government or refrained from bidding on a project due to an agreement with such governmental agency? Yes No If yes, please enclose details.

10. In the past five (5) years, has your business/company/organization/individual(s) in item #1 had its surety called upon to complete any contract, whether government or private sector? Yes No If yes, please enclose details.

11. In the past five (5) years, has your business/company/organization/individual(s) in item #1 had a revocation, suspension or disbarment of any business or professional permit and/or license? Yes No If yes, please enclose details.

12. Has your firm or any of its owners, officers or partners ever been convicted of a federal or state crime of fraud, theft, or any other act of dishonesty?

Yes No If yes, identify on a separate signed page the person or persons convicted, the court (the county if a state court, the district or location of the federal court), the year and the criminal conduct.

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 24

Signature

THE UNDERSIGNED HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT THE RESPONSES PROVIDED ARE CORRECT AND

TRUTHFUL TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND FOR THOSE RESPONSES GIVEN WHICH ARE

BASED ON INFORMATION AND BELIEF, THOSE RESPONSES ARE TRUE AND CORRECT BASED ON

MY PRESENT BELIEF AND INFORMATION.

Dated this ______ day of __________________ of the year _________

Name of organization: _____________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________

Printed Name and title: _____________________________________________

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 25

APPENDIX F – COUNTY TRAVEL POLICY

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 26

APPENDIX G – DESIGNATION OF SUBCONTRACTORS FORM

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 27

APPENDIX H – PROPOSER CHECKLIST

Please check to ensure all documents listed below are included with your submittal.

Technical Proposal (Required)………………………………………………………………………………………..□ (Including resumes)

Cost Proposal (Required)………………………………………………………………………………………………..□

Local Vendor Preference………………………………………………………………………………………………..□

Certification Regarding Lobbying (Required)………………………………………………………………….□

Risk Assessment Questionnaire (Required)……………………………………………………………………□

Designation of Subcontractor Form (Required)………………………………………………………………□

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 28

APPENDIX I – EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CERTIFICATION FORMS

BIDDER’S EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY CERTIFICATION

The Bidder _________________________________________________________________ hereby certifies that he/she has ___ , has not ___ , participated in a previous contract or subcontract subject to the equal opportunity clauses, as required by Executive Orders 10925, 11114, or 11246, and that, where required, he/she has filed with the Joint Reporting Committee, the Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance, a Federal Government contracting or administering agency, or the former President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, all reports due under the applicable filling requirements.

Company:

Signed:

Printed Name:

Title:

Date:

Note: The above certification is required by the Equal Employment Opportunity Regulations of the Secretary of Labor (41 CFR 60-1.7(b)(1)) and must be submitted by bidders and proposed Subcontractors only in connection with contracts and subcontracts which are subject to the equal opportunity clause. Contracts and subcontracts which are exempt from the equal opportunity clause are set forth in 41 CFR 60-1.5. (Generally only contracts or subcontracts of $10,000 or under are exempt.)

Currently, Standard Form 100 (EEO-1) is the only report required by the Executive Orders or their implementing regulations.

Proposed Contractors and Subcontractors who have participated in a previous contract or subcontract subject to the Executive Orders and have not filed the required reports should note that 41 CFR 60-1.7(b)(1) prevents the award of contracts and subcontracts unless such contractor submits a report covering the delinquent period or such other period specified by the Federal Highway Administration or by the Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance, U.S. Department of Labor.

County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1995 September 29, 2026 Page 29

SUBCONTRACTOR’S EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY CERTIFICATION

The proposed Subcontractor _____________________________________________________ hereby certifies that he/she has ___ , has not ___ , participated in a previous contract or subcontract subject to the equal opportunity clauses, as required by Executive Orders 10925, 11114, or 11246, and that, where required, he/she has filed with the Joint Reporting Committee, the Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance, a Federal Government contracting or administering agency, or the former President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, all reports due under the applicable filling requirements.

Company:

Signed:

Printed Name:

Title:

Date:

Note: The above certification is required by the Equal Employment Opportunity Regulations of the Secretary of Labor (41 CFR 60-1.7(b)(1)) and must be submitted by bidders and proposed Subcontractors only in connection…