Online_Surplus_Auction_Services.pdf

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County of Napa, CA

CEO092503

ONLINE SURPLUS AUCTION SERVICES

RELEASE DATE: September 24, 2025 RESPONSE DEADLINE: October 21, 2025, 5:00 pm

Please refer to the project timeline in this document for all important deadlines.

Request For Proposal #CEO092503 Title: Online Surplus Auction Services

Table Of Contents

1. Calendar of Events

2. Scope of Work

3. Compensation

4. Product Demonstrations

5. General Conditions

6. Questions Regarding the RFP

7. RFP Addenda

8. Proposal Submission, Due Date and Late Proposals

9. Organization of Proposal and Proposal Organization Requirments

10. Evaluation and Award

11. Evaluation Criteria

12. Contract Agreement and Insurance Requirements

13. Local Vendor Preference Policy

14. Protests or Objections

15. Vendor Submissions

Attachments:

A - Contract Agreement Template Example

Calendar of Events

Release of Request for Proposal: September 24, 2025

Question Submission Deadline: October 7, 2025, 5:00pm

Question Responses Published By: October 9, 2025, 5:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline: October 21, 2025, 5:00pm

Proposal Review and Scoring Completion: October 30, 2025

Notify Respondents Invited to Demonstration:

October 31, 2025

Demonstrations From Top Respondent(s):

November 12-13, 2025

Virtual, Online. Access to be provided as necessary

Contract Negotiations and Development Completion:

December 10, 2025

Notification of Intent to Award: December 11, 2025

Contract Awarded: December 19, 2025

Commencement of Services: December 19, 2025

*These dates may be changed at the discretion of Napa County. Changes to the due date for questions or due date for proposal submittal will be made by addendum.

Scope of Work

DESCRIPTION OF DESIRED SERVICES

CONTRACTOR will provide a means for the COUNTY to list items for sale and for potential buyers to bid upon these items via an internet-based online auction system.

Auction system to be ADA Accessible and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for COUNTY auction management as well as for bidding activity.

Registration:

• CONTRACTOR to assist the COUNTY in setting up an account on their system. This registration will have no obligations or commitments associated with it and will be used at the COUNTY’s sole discretion for the duration of contract..

County Training/Support:

• CONTRACTOR to assist and provide online training for COUNTY employees on use of the online system. Training sessions to take place Monday-Friday, between the hours of 7:30 AM and 3:00 PM Pacific Time.

• CONTRACTOR will offer as-needed set-up support for the COUNTY, Monday-Friday.

Buyer Training/Support:

• CONTRACTOR will provide a buyers support team to assist any potential buyers interested in the COUNTY’s auctions at no charge by email or online chat Monday-Friday.

Auction Management:

• COUNTY Managed Auctions: The COUNTY will have ability for control of the auction process and will be responsible for taking the pictures and creating the listings on the CONTRACTOR’s system.

The COUNTY will be responsible for auction management.

• Ability for optional CONTRACTOR Managed Auctions. The CONTRACTOR would have full, or partial, control of the auction process including inventory, pictures, cataloging and creating listing on CONTRACTOR’s system. The CONTRACTOR would be responsible for auction management.

• Ability for multiple concurrent auctions, or ability for variable auction closing date-times.

• Ability to provide private, in-house, no-cost COUNTY property requests for the internal requesting and dispersal of surplus property, with ability to easily transfer private request feature to public auction.

• Ability to restrict auctions to certain or specific audiences, (i.e.….law enforcement or other government entities, vehicle dealers).

• Ability for minimum bid amounts, reserves, auctions by ‘lots’, allowance to set auctions containing multiples of the same item to be broken out into smaller bid quantities.

• Ability for COUNTY or CONTRACTOR to assign unique auction or lot numbers for the identification of inventory and auction transactions.

• CONTRACTOR to have ability to publish CONTRACTOR and COUNTY Terms and Conditions for auction sales.

• CONTRACTOR to provide assistance in the determination of values, starting prices, and bid increments as requested by COUNTY.

• Ability for As-is/Where-is and no warranty auctions.

• CONTRACTOR to provide marketing efforts and promote use of the site to potential buyers

• Ability for COUNTY to post CONTRACTOR’s auction site weblink and/or co-brand on COUNTY website.

Payment/Fees:

• CONTRACTOR will collect all payments from the buyers on COUNTY listings. CONTRACTOR will pay the COUNTY net proceeds within XX days after payment has been received and cleared from the buyer.

Auction Follow up:

• Upon successful payment, CONTRACTOR will provide proof of payment to COUNTY

• Upon successful payment, CONTRACTOR will notify the winning bidder that they need to contact the COUNTY to arrange pickup.

Account Administration:

• CONTRACTOR will assign the COUNTY a representative to assist with creating and managing surplus auctions, and with general account support. Representative to be generally available Monday-Friday X:XX AM to X:XX PM Pacific Time, with, ideally, an after-hours number for support.

• Ability for CONTRACTOR to provide, or COUNTY to access, reports and reporting functionality.

• Ability for multiple COUNTY users with unique log in credentials.

COMPLIANCE

Accessibility

• CONTRACTOR shall ensure that any reports, and any deliverable to the COUNTY be delivered in a manner to ensure non-discrimination and equal access to COUNTY services and digital properties such as websites, documents, and applications by persons with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and under § 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Successful respondent shall ensure that any deliverable, including but not limited to, reports, documents, videos, multimedia productions, live broadcasts and any and all other web content and information communications technology are fully accessible and in compliance with federal accessibility standards and laws and with the COUNTYS's Web Content Accessibility Standards.

Specifically, CONTRACTOR shall ensure that all websites, mobile applications, and digital content or services provided under this Agreement comply with the latest version of the U.S.

Department of Justice’s rule on Website and Mobile Application Accessibility, which currently requires conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

Compensation This competitive proposal process will evaluate the capability and affordability of the proposals. The selected vendor will be compensated as agreed upon during the contract negotiation process.

Continued funding is contingent on the vendor meeting contractually agreed upon project deliverables and milestones. The contract shall be awarded as soon as possible and shall continue through December 2030, subject to successful completion of the contract deliverables. Funding for this contract shall not exceed TBD.

Product Demonstrations Demonstrations and presentations will be conducted with the top ranked respondent(s), after scoring of Company History, Experience, Qualifications, and Approach to Scope of Work; and Pricing and Costs Information/Structure sections (Phase 1).

Only the firm with the highest ranked Proposal after scoring of the Phase 1 sections, and those firms scoring within eighteen (18) points of the highest ranked Proposal after scoring of the Phase 1 sections, will be asked to demonstrate their product and make a presentation

The demonstrations and presentations will be scored as part of the selection process and considered part of the Proposal.

Demonstrations will be done virtually online (e.g. Teams). It is anticipated that proposing entities will be notified of the opportunity to provide a demonstration on October 31, 2025, with demonstrations taking place November 12-13, 2025, as scheduled by COUNTY. If timeline for notification and demonstrations moves out beyond those dates, firms must be prepared within eight (8) business days from time of notification.

Notwithstanding the possibility of a request for demonstration and presentation, firms shall not rely on the possibility of such a request and shall submit a complete and comprehensive written response to this RFP. Any costs incurred for the demonstration and presentation are the responsibility of the firms

General Conditions

Proposal Process

The County reserves the right to:

• Accept proposals, award proposals and/or not award proposals on individual items listed, on group items, or on the proposal as a whole.

• Request clarification of information submitted.

• Request additional information from competitors.

• Waive any informality in the proposals.

• Waive any irregularity in the submission and review process.

• Reject any and all submittals.

• Accept the proposal that appears from all considerations to be in the best interest of the County.

• Modify the scope of work after the selection process without re-issuing the RFP.

The County may reject the proposal of any proposer who previously failed to perform properly, or complete on time, contracts of a similar nature, or to reject the proposal of a proposer who is not in a position to perform such a contract satisfactorily. The County may reject the proposal of any proposer who is in default of the payment of taxes, or other monies due to Napa County.

None of the materials submitted will be returned to the respondent unless they are not submitted within the timelines of the RFP.

This solicitation and related information can be found at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofnapa. Napa County does not guarantee the accuracy of information posted on or obtained from sources other than this e-procurement portal.

Provision of Information to Respondents

Proposals will become a public record and available for release to the public upon selection of a successful Respondent and an Intent to Award Notification is distributed. Proposers should not include proprietary, trade secret, or other confidential information in their Proposals, and do so at their own risk.

If such information is included, Proposers must clearly identify it as confidential, proprietary, or trade secret within the Proposal. The County will consider information so identified as a request to withhold it, but the County may nonetheless release, redact or withhold such information in its sole discretion. If the County redacts or withholds such information, the Proposer shall indemnity the County and defend, at its own expense, any legal actions or challenges seeking to obtain the redacted or withheld information from the County. Nothing in this RFP creates any obligation for the County to notify the Proposers or obtain the Proposer's approval or consent before releasing information subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act. Submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP shall constitute the Proposer’s acknowledgement and acceptance of these provisions regarding the Public Records Act.

Questions Regarding the RFP Proposers shall submit all inquiries regarding this bid via the County's e-Procurement Portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofnapa.

Please note the deadline for submitting inquiries in the Calendar of Events. All answers to inquiries will be posted on the Napa County e-Procurement Portal. Proposers may also click “Follow” on this RFP to receive an email notification when answers are posted. It is the responsibility of the Proposer to check the website for answers to inquiries.

No prior, current or post award verbal conversations or agreements with any officer, agent, or employee of the County or any other person or entity shall affect or modify any terms or obligations of this RFP or any agreement resulting from this process. Potential proposers should not contact Napa County officials or staff regarding any aspect of this RFP. If such contact is made, the County reserves the right to reject the Proposal.

RFP Addenda Proposers are required to register for an account via the County's e-Procurement Portal hosted by OpenGov. Once the Proposer has completed registration, they will receive addenda notifications to their email by clicking “Follow” on this project. Ultimately, it is the sole responsibility of each proposer to periodically check the site for any addenda at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofnapa.

It is the sole responsibility of the Proposer to ensure that they obtain information related to any Addenda, and acknowledge any and all Addenda electronically in the e-Procurement Portal as part of their Response. Failure to do so will result in rejection of the response.

Proposal Submission, Due Date and Late Proposals By submitting a proposal, the Proposer represents and warrants that:

The information provided is genuine and not a sham, collusive, or made in the interest or in behalf of any party not therein named, and that the proposer has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other proposer to put in a sham proposal, or any other proposer to refrain from presenting information and that the prospective provider has not in any manner sought by collusion to secure an advantage.

The proposer has not paid or agreed to pay any fee or commission, or any other thing of value contingent upon the award of an exclusive operating area, to any employee, official, or existing Contractor of the County of Napa.

Submit Electronic Responses via the County's e-Procurement Portal https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofnapa.

The deadline for submission of proposals in response to this RFP is 5:00 pm on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. Late proposals will not be accepted or considered.

The County reserves the right to request additional information not included in this RFP from any or all proposers after the Proposal Submission deadline.

Any modification, amendment, addition, or alteration to any submission must be presented, in writing, executed by an authorized person or persons, and submitted prior to the final date for submissions. No amendments, additions or alterations will be accepted after the time and date specified as the submission deadline unless requested by the County.

Organization of Proposal and Proposal Organization Requirments Proposals shall contain the following information and shall be organized in the same order as provided herein. See Vendor Submissions:

1. Cover Page. Cover page shall state Title and RFP number (Online Surplus Auction Services, RFP Number CEO092503), name of proposing company, and name and signature of the person who is authorized to make decisions and represent the submitting firm with respect to this RFP.

2. Company Information. This section shall state:

1. The legal name of the company which can enter into a contract with the County and any alternate names for which the company is known (D.B.A.);

2. Mailing, and physical address(es);

3. Remit-to billing address;

4. Phone, fax, and website (if applicable);

5. Organization type;

6. Federal I.D. number

7. Federal Unique Entity ID, if applicable

8. List of owners;

9. List of corporate officers with titles (if applicable); and

10. Name (first and last), title, mailing address, phone number, fax and email of the person to receive notices and who is authorized to make decisions or represent the company with respect to this RFP

3. Company History, Experience, Qualifications and Approach to Scope of Work. See Evaluation Criteria This section shall consist of the information requested in "Evaluation Criteria" to allow for review of company history, experience, qualifications, description of offered services, and approach to the Scope of Work. Each question/information section request should be copied into proposal with answers following each request.

4. Pricing and Costs Information/Structure. This section shall communicate your proposed price/cost structure for required services.

5. References. Provide 3 references (company, contact, phone number, date(s) and description of service(s) provided). References should be entities for which similar work has been completed. Data entry submission -See "Vendor Submissions".

6. Disclosures. Data entry submission -See "Vendor Submissions".

7. Contract Agreement and Insurance Acceptance or Exception. Data entry submission -See "Vendor Submissions".

All information provided as a response to this RFP should be in the context of the information requested in the RFP. Please do not submit additional flyers, brochures, marketing material, etc.

Proposals must be submitted through the County's e-Procurement Portal located at

Evaluation and Award

Evaluation

A panel will review all proposals submitted pursuant to the terms of the RFP and select the highest ranked proposal(s) for consideration based on the evaluation criteria noted below. After proposals have been received and reviewed, and Product Demonstrations completed, the highest ranked proposer, including total score with consideration of the Product Demonstrations, may be invited to meet with the evaluation panel at no cost to the County to discuss and clarify any questions concerning the proposer's proposal and the County’s requirements.

At any time during the evaluation process, the County may request “Best and Final” offers based upon the County’s improved understanding of the offers or changed scope of work. Based on the initial proposals, further clarification and/or revision of proposals, and Best and Final offers, if requested, the panel will select the proposal that provides the best value to the County. The County may negotiate final pricing and a contract form with the successful proposer.

Because this proposal is negotiable, all data shall remain confidential until after an award recommendation is made, and there shall be no public opening and reading of proposals.

The County reserves the right to award an agreement without further competition based on the responses received to this RFP.

Award

The County intends to award a contract to the firm who distinguish themselves as capable of the type and breadth of services provided for in the Scope of Work as evident in submitted Proposal and Product Demonstration. Selection and determination of qualifications is at the sole discretion of the County.

The County will attempt to negotiate a contract with the firm submitting the top ranked Proposal, after scoring and addition of the Product Demonstration phase. If no contract can be successfully negotiated with the top ranked Proposer, then the County may, at its election enter into negotiations with the next highest ranked Proposer; and move down the list of Proposers in order of scoring until a contract can be negotiated.

Upon selection of qualified Proposer, completion of successful negotiations, and distribution of the “Intent to Award Notification” has taken place, the contract will be presented to the appropriate authority level for authorization.

The County reserves the right to decline awarding a contract to any of the Proposers.

Evaluation Criteria Qualifications and experience will be evaluated to determine the proposal that provides the best value to the County.

Phase 1 - Program Criteria

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Company History and Background

Please provide a description and brief history/background of your company. Included in this should be the number of years in business; list of owners;

board of directors, if applicable; key company personnel; number of total employees (both company wide and those working out of the office, warehouse, or depot from where services for this contract will originate); and number of staff who provide the services as described in this RFP (both company wide and those working out of the office, warehouse, or depot from where services for this contract will originate).

Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

2. Background, Experience, Qualifications, and Approach to Scope of Work

Please describe background; experience;

qualifications; technical capabilities -including ADA accessibility; training programs; and expertise/approach/ability to provide the requested services. At minimum, the following should be included in this section:

• Experience and qualifications of key personnel.

• A description of your customer service approach and process, for both buyers and COUNTY.

• Any current or past contracts with government agencies can be listed and described in this section.

• Licensing and certifications, as applicable, shall also be described in this section.

• A detailed description of all offered services including, but not limited to, the approach/ability to provide the Desired Services as found in the Scope of Work.

• Examples of the required auction Terms and Conditions for buyers and County.

Attention to the details provided in the Scope of Work should be considered with your response.

Points Based 60 (60% of Total)

3. Environmental Sustainable Business Practices

Please describe any environmentally sustainable business practices that your company utilizes, whether in the office or in the field.

Points Based 5 (5% of Total)

4. Pricing and Costs Information/Structure

This Section shall communicate your proposed price and costs for required services. Please include all costs and options including, but not limited to, commissions and seller/buyer service fees.

Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

Phase 2 - Product Demonstrations

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Demonstrations

The firm with the highest ranked Proposal after scoring of the Phase 1 sections, and those firms scoring within eighteen (18) points of the highest ranked Proposal after scoring of the Phase 1 sections, will be asked to demonstrate their product and make a presentation.

The scoring of the Demonstrations (Phase 2) will be added to the score of the Program Criteria Sections (Phase 1) above to arrive at a total score.

Points Based 18 (100% of Total)

Contract Agreement and Insurance Requirements

Contract Agreement

The successful proposer will be expected to enter into a Contract Agreement with the County. The County’s standard General Terms and Conditions of the Contract Agreement is attached (see Attachments Tab) to this RFP for review by prospective Proposers. Proposers are not required to submit a signed copy of the County’s Contract Agreement with their proposal but are merely directed to review the Contract Agreement to ensure that all Proposers understand the County’s Contract Agreement requirements.

Proposers should clearly note in their proposals whether they take exception to any of the Contract Agreement requirements and should include a detailed explanation of the reason for the exception and a counterproposal or alternative suggestion(s) for the County’s review. However, after review of any proposer’s exceptions, the County reserves the right to reject any and all exceptions taken to the County’s Contract Agreement.

Insurance Requirements

Proposers are directed to review the County’s insurance requirements as detailed in the attached draft Contract Agreement, General Terms and Conditions (Article IV, Article V, and Exhibit C ) and are required to submit a written statement with their proposal indicating their willingness and ability to meet all the County’s insurance requirements. Additionally, required insurance endorsements must be scheduled endorsements specifically naming Napa County. Without prior written approval, blanket endorsements will not be accepted

Proposers who are unable to meet all the County’s insurance requirements may submit with their proposal an alternative plan for obtaining insurance that will adequately mitigate the risks associated with providing the services. Any alternative insurance coverage request is subject to review and approval by County Counsel and the County’s Risk Management Officer.

Failure to meet the County’s insurance requirements (as determined by County Counsel and County Risk Management) may be sufficient reason for disqualification from the selection process.

Local Vendor Preference Policy Napa County has a local vendor preference that covers the acquisition of requested services. Local vendors will be awarded contracts for services where qualifications are determined by the reviewing panel to be otherwise equal unless such preference is not allowable by law. For this matter, a local vendor is a vendor who has a billing address located within Napa County.

Protests or Objections The County’s appeals process is as follows:

A bidder or proposer who is not selected for contract award may protest the award of the contract to another bidder or proposer by submitting a written protest. Subcontractors, sub consultants, and members of the public may not submit a protest.

Protest Deadlines

(a) For contracts awarded pursuant to an RFP or RFQ (Request for Qualifications), the protest must be received by the Purchasing Agent no later than 5:00 p.m. on the seventh calendar day after the County notifies all proposers via the Intent to Award Notification.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, if a proposal or statement of qualifications is rejected as non-responsive or because the bidder is not a responsible bidder, the protest must be received by the Purchasing Agent no later than 5:00 p.m. on the seventh calendar day after the County notifies the bidder or proposer that their bid or proposal is being rejected.

(c) The County’s notification under subsections (a) and (b) above may be by any reasonable means, including but not limited to U.S. mail, e-mail, facsimile, or internet posting. The effective date of notice by mail is the date that the notice is deposited in the mail. The effective date of all other means of notice is the date it is transmitted.

(d) If the seventh calendar day falls on a weekend or County holiday, the deadline to submit a protest shall be extended to 5:00 p.m. on the first business day following such weekend or holiday.

(e) Written protests must be delivered to:

Napa County Purchasing Agent

County Administration Building

1195 Third Street, Suite 310

Napa, CA 94559

Content of Protest

The protest must be identified as a “RFP protest” in the subject line or title of the document and shall clearly state all legal and factual grounds claimed for the protest. Any grounds not raised in the written protest are deemed waived by the bidder or proposer.

Resolution Process

(a) Upon timely receipt of a written protest, the Purchasing Agent will convene a meeting with the protesting party and appropriate County staff to seek informal resolution and/or to clarify the issues.

(b) If the protest is not resolved at the informal meeting, the Purchasing Agent shall provide a written response to the protesting party within fifteen (15) business days following the informal meeting. County Counsel may be consulted before the written response is issued. The response shall state the Purchasing Agent’s decision and facts and law supporting that decision.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (b) above, if the protest is not resolved at the informal meeting and the protest is to the County’s determination that the bidder is not a responsible bidder, the bidder may request a hearing to present evidence contesting the County’s determination. The request for a hearing must be in writing and received by the Purchasing Agent no later than 5:00 p.m. on the third business day after the date of the informal meeting in subsection (a). The Purchasing Agent shall serve as the hearing officer and issue a written decision within fifteen (15) business days following the conclusion of the hearing.

(d) The County shall not award the contract being protested until after the Purchasing Agent issues a written decision on the protest, unless the Purchasing Agent, in consultation with County Counsel and the Director of the Department administering the contract, makes a written determination that the award of the contract without further delay is necessary to protect public health, safety, or welfare. The Purchasing Agent’s written decision on the protest shall be final and exhaust the protestor’s administrative remedies.

Exclusive Remedy

(a) The procedure and time limits set forth in this Section are mandatory and are the protester’s sole and exclusive remedy. Failure to comply with these procedures and time limits shall constitute a waiver of any right to further pursue a protest.

(b) The submission of a protest shall not preclude the County from rejecting all bids or proposals and re-advertising or canceling the contract. Rejecting all bids or proposals shall render a protest moot and terminate all protest proceedings.

Vendor Submissions Proposals must be submitted through the County's e-Procurement Portal located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofnapa

Cover Page and Company Information* See Organization of Proposal and Project Organization Requirements for Required Information.

*Response required

COMPANY HISTORY, EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS, and APPROACH TO

SCOPE OF WORK*

See Evaluation Criteria for required information that must be provided.

*Response required

Pricing and Costs Information/Structure* Please Provide Pricing and Costs Proposal Information

*Response required

References* Provide a minimum of three (3) current references for which your agency has provided services similar to those described in this Request for Proposals. References shall include entity, contact name, address, title, phone number, and term of contract.

The County reserves the right to contact references not provided in the submittals.

*Response required

You are required to disclose any alleged significant prior or ongoing contract failures, any civil or criminal litigation or investigation pending which involves the Proposer or a verification.*

Failure to comply with the terms of this provision may disqualify any proposal. The County of Napa reserves the right to reject any proposal based upon the Proposer’s prior history with the County of Napa or with any other party, which documents, without limitation, unsatisfactory performance, significant failures to meet contract milestones or other contractual failures.

Please disclose below. If you have no disclosures to report please write that you have no reportable disclosures.

*Response required

The proposer accepts the County’s standard Agreement; and is willing and able to meet the County’s insurance requirements, found in the draft Agreement, Sections IV, V, and Exhibit C ( Agreement attached)*

☐ Yes ☐ No

*Response required

When equals "No"

If no was selected, please provide reasons/exceptions:* PSA: Respondents should clearly note in their proposals whether they take exception to any of the PSA requirements and should include a detailed explanation of the reason for the exception and a counterproposal or alternative suggestion(s) for the County’s review. However, after review of any respondent’s exceptions, the County reserves the right to reject any and all exceptions taken to the County’s PSA.

Insurance: Respondents who are unable to meet all the County’s insurance requirements may submit with their proposal an alternative plan for obtaining insurance that will adequately mitigate the risks associated with providing the services. Any alternative insurance coverage request is subject to review and approval by County Counsel and the County’s Risk Management Officer.

Failure to meet the County’s insurance requirements (as determined by County Counsel and County Risk Management) may be sufficient reason for disqualification from the selection process.

*Response required