Plan_Check_and_Building_Permit_Services.pdf

County of San Mateo

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Plan Check and Building

Permit Services

Planning and Building

RFP No. 2027-38420-00056

RFP Contact: Amy Tang xtang@smcgov.org

1. Introduction and Schedule

The County of San Mateo (the “County” or “SMC”) covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula. The region covers 744 mi and is home to nearly 800,000 residents and 20 incorporated cities. The County provides for the health and welfare of all people within its borders and serves as the local government for the unincorporated areas. Innovation thrives here in industries including bioscience, computer software, green technology, hospitality, financial management, health care, education and transportation. The

County prides itself on how that prosperity fosters its commitment to protecting and enhancing the health, safety, welfare and natural resources of the community.

1.1. Summary

The County of San Mateo is seeking professional firms to provide independent plan check, building permit technician, and building inspector services on an as-needed basis for the Planning and Building

Department. The goal is to minimize response time and improve customer service by supplementing in-house staff with consulting services. The requested services may include onsite permit tech services, plan check review, and building inspections for both residential and commercial projects.

1.2. Background

The County of San Mateo (the "County" or SMC) covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula. The region covers 744 square mile and is home to nearly 800,000 residents. The County has 20 incorporated cities.

The County provides for the health and welfare of all people within its borders and serves as the local government for the unincorporated areas. Innovation thrives here in industries including bioscience, computer software, green technology, hospitality, financial management, health care, education, and transportation. The County prides itself on how that prosperity fosters its commitment to protecting and enhancing the health, safety, welfare, and natural resources of the community.

The Planning and Building Department serves the County and its communities by preparing, administering, and enforcing land use plans and development regulations that protect public safety, preserve agricultural and environmental resources, address housing and transportation needs, and create healthy and prosperous communities, in a manner that fosters community engagement and provides exceptional levels of service.

The Building Inspection Section of the County of San Mateo Planning and Building Department protects the health and safety of County residents, their property, and the public by ensuring that permitted construction within the unincorporated areas of the County of San Mateo meets current building code standards.

1.3. Contact Information

Project Contact:

Amy Ow Administrative Assistant II Email: aow@smcgov.org Phone: (628) 258-3164 mailto:aow@smcgov.org tel:(628)258-3164

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Procurement Contact:

Amy Tang Administrative Services Manager Email: xtang@smcgov.org Phone: (650) 363-4053

Department:

Planning and Building

Department Head:

Steve Monowitz Director

1.4. Timeline

RFP Released September 9, 2026

Deadline for Questions and Comments September 22, 2026, 5:00pm

Proposal Due Date and Time October 6, 2026, 5:00pm

Anticipated Contract Award Date January 1, 2027

2. Scope of Work

2.1. Building Plan Review Services

The Contractor shall review construction plans, calculations, specifications, and supporting documents for residential, multifamily, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, and other building projects.

Plan reviews shall determine compliance with applicable:

• County-adopted building codes, ordinances, policies, and procedures;

• California Building Standards Code, including Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire, Energy, Green Building, and Existing Building Code requirements;

• California Title 24 requirements, including energy conservation, accessibility, and CALGreen requirements, including Tier 1 measures when required;

• State and federal accessibility requirements, including Certified Access Specialist (CASp) review as requested;

• State Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance;

• International Code Council and National Fire Protection Association codes and standards adopted by the County;

mailto:xtang@smcgov.org tel:(650)363-4053

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• Grading, drainage, floodplain, stormwater, wildland-urban interface/fire severity zone, hazardous materials, noise, and other applicable land-use or construction requirements; and

• Applicable State housing laws, including Title 25 requirements for factory-built structures, when applicable.

2.2. Plan Review Turnaround Times

Contractor shall provide accurate, thorough, and timely plan review services:

Type of Review Initial Review

(Business Days)

Subsequent Review

(Business Days)

Residential New Construction Less than 10 Less than 5

Residential Addition Less than 10 Less than 5

Small Residential Remodels Less than 10 Less than 5

Commercial New Construction & Large/Complex Projects Less than 10 Less than 5

Commercial Additions Less than 10 Less than 5

Small Commercial Remodels/Tenant Improvements Less than 10 Less than 5

Expedited Services Less than 5 Less than 5

2.3. Plan Review Deliverables

For each plan submittal and resubmittal, the Contractor shall:

• Conduct accurate and timely plan reviews, using the County’s established plan review policies, procedures, and electronic review systems, including Bluebeam Studio when directed

• Provide an itemized, coordinated list of plan-check comments identifying applicable code sections and required corrections;

• Provide only relevant and necessary plan review comments for the project and refrain from extra or irrelevant comments;

• Review revised plans and responses to comments performed by the same Plan Examiner within the turnaround times provided;

• The same plan reviewer shall complete each review cycle;

• Coordinate with County staff and other reviewing agencies or disciplines as needed; and

• Wherever possible, assign resubmittals and revisions to the same plan reviewer who performed the initial review;

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2.4. Building Inspection Services

The Contractor shall provide onsite and, when authorized by the County, virtual building inspection services for construction, alteration, repair, and occupancy-related work within County limits. The contracted inspectors shall be certified by International Code Council (ICC) and/or California State Fire

Marshal (CSFM).

Inspection services may include review and inspection of:

• Structural systems and special construction;

• Architectural and life-safety elements;

• Plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and fire-protection systems;

• California Energy Code and CALGreen requirements;

• Accessibility requirements;

• Building materials, methods, and installation; and

• Other work necessary to verify compliance with applicable County, State, and federal requirements.

2.5. Inspection Response Times

Unless otherwise directed by the County, the Contractor shall provide personnel according to the following service levels:

Service Type Required Availability

Periodic Inspection Services Next Business Day

Part-Time Inspection Services Next Business Day

Full-Time Inspection Services Within two (2) Business Days or Less

Individual Inspection Requests Within 48 Hours' Notice

3. Submission Requirements

3.1. Submission Deadline

Proposals must be electronically received by 5:00 pm, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 via eProcurement system.

Allow sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. Partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. The eProcurement system submission time will be the official submission time. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to slow internet connections or for any other failure of the eProcurement system.

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NOTE: The County does not maintain the eProcurement system and is not liable for site failures or technical problems. To resolve technical issues, contact OpenGov Technical Support by using the real time chat located in the lower right hand corner of the screen, or via email at procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

3.2. Pre-submission Registration

Organizations or individuals interested in responding to this solicitation must register online with the

County of San Mateo at:

• https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

It is recommended that organizations complete this registration as soon as possible. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to a failure to register in the eProcurement system.

3.3. Submission via eProcurement Portal

Required Documents

Please refer to the Technical Proposal section for submittal documents and requirements.

Electronic Submissions

Include the proposer name and the RFP title and number in each filename. Submit proposals via the eProcurement website, allowing sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. As noted above, the eProcurement portal submission time will be the official submission time, and partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. Contact eProcurement Portal with technical questions regarding this site.

Conflicts between Certain Requirements

Prior to the submission deadlines and solely relating to a determination of the timeliness of questions, comments, and proposal submissions, information displayed on the eProcurement portal site will take precedence in the event of a discrepancy between that information and the information within the solicitation documents. For all other discrepancies, the information in the solicitation documents will take precedence.

Format

Documents should be created in the following format:

• Text should be Times New Roman (12-point minimum font size) and unjustified (i.e., with a ragged-right margin)

• Pages should have margins of at least one inch on all sides (excluding headers and footers)

• If the proposal is lengthy, a Table of Contents should be included.

• PDF format is preferred.

mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov/projects/295163/document?section=2838708

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Errors in Proposals

The County will not be liable for any errors in proposals. Proposals may be rejected as unresponsive if they are late, incomplete, missing pages or information, or cannot be opened for any reason. The County may waive minor irregularities, but such waiver will not modify any remaining RFP requirements.

3.4. Procurement Preference for Local Businesses and Local Non-Profits

The County of San Mateo has adopted a Procurement Preference for Local Businesses Ordinance (County

Ord. Code Ch. 2.89.) The purpose of this Ordinance is to promote a strong local economy by giving preference to local businesses, local non-profits, local small and micro businesses, and local small and micro non-profits in County procurements, to the extent consistent with the law and interests of the public. The County’s process for applying local preferences to competitive procurements is set forth in

County Ordinance Code Section 2.89.030. The Ordinance and exemptions (e.g. the ordinance will be exempt when all bids or proposals received are from Non-Profit Organizations) can be reviewed here:

Chapter 2.89 - PROCUREMENT PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES | Code of Ordinances |

San Mateo County, CA | Municode Library

The requirements for bidders to establish eligibility for a local preference for this solicitation are detailed below in Section III (Submission Requirements) The Ordinance does not apply if a procurement is determined to be exempt (County Ord. Code sec. 2.89.050), and the County reserves the right to waive application of the Ordinance to this procurement if determined to be in the best interests of the County

(County Ord. Code sec. 2.89.060).

4. Minimum Qualifications, Local Preference Ordinance, and Technical Proposal

4.1. Minimum Qualifications

A. Firm Experience o At least five (5) years of demonstrated experience providing building plan review and/or building inspection services for public agencies in California.

o Demonstrated experience reviewing and inspecting residential, multifamily, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, and alteration projects.

o Experience applying the California Building Standards Code, including Title 24 requirements, and local amendments and ordinances.

B. California Code ExpertiseDemonstrated working knowledge of applicable codes and standards, including:

o California Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire, Existing Building, Energy, and Green Building Standards Codes;

o California accessibility requirements and applicable federal accessibility requirements;

o CALGreen requirements, including Tier 1 measures when adopted or required by the County;

o California Energy Code, water-efficiency, and Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance requirements;

https://library.municode.com/ca/san_mateo_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_ART2.8INFIPRCOCO_CH2.89PRPRLOBU https://library.municode.com/ca/san_mateo_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_ART2.8INFIPRCOCO_CH2.89PRPRLOBU

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o Requirements related to grading, drainage, floodplain management, stormwater, wildfire/urban interface areas, hazardous materials, and factory-built structures, as applicable.

C. Personnel Certifications o Plan review and inspection personnel shall hold current, job-appropriate ICC certifications for their assigned disciplines.

o Fire-related inspection personnel shall hold current California State Fire Marshal

(CSFM) certification, where applicable.

o The Contractor shall make available a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) for accessibility plan review and related consultation when requested.

o Personnel performing specialized reviews or inspections shall have certifications, licenses, and experience appropriate to the assigned work.

4.1.1. Has Proposer has been providing similar services for a minimum of five (5) years?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.2. Account manager has a minimum of two (2) years of experience within the last five (5) years in providing account services?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.3. Please confirm your firm is registered with System for Award Management (SAM)*

SAM.gov

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

4.1.4. What is the registered Business Name and Unique Entity ID (UEI) No.?*

• UEI number can be obtained by registering your business through SAM.GOV

• Should you be in the process of obtaining your UEI number, please enter the digits ‘123’ temporarily for your response below in order to proceed with proposal. This temporary number should be replaced with the correct registration number for submission of the proposal.

*Response required

4.2. Procurement Preference for Local Businesses and Local Non-Profits

4.2.1. Is the Proposer a "Local Business"?

https://sam.gov/content/home

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As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Business” means any for-profit business which has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo

County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response.

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

• SMC_LocalBusiness_self-atte...

4.2.2. Is the Proposer a Non-Profit?*

A Non-Profit is defined as a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section

501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

4.2.3. Is the Proposer a "Local Non-Profit"

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Non-Profit" means a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the

Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes, and has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response.

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

• SMC_LocalBusiness_self-atte...

4.2.4. Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Business?

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

“Small Business” means any business which holds a Small Business Certification awarded by the

California Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services (OSDS).

“Micro Business” means any Small Business certified by the OSDS which is automatically designated by the OSDS as a Micro Business due to gross annual receipts falling below the OSDS-designated dollar amount.

If the above designations apply, please provide the OSDS provided Certification ID.

If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

4.2.5. Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Non-Profit?

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/153456/a16ffdc0-a0ee-44ca-b6de-1fddd010042f_SMC_LocalBusiness_self-attestation_form_120424.pdf https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/153456/80d29c2f-acda-4b87-837e-cb4ead1fb303_SMC_LocalBusiness_self-attestation_form_120424.pdf

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“Small Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of $1,000,000 to $2,500,000 according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

“Micro Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of less than $1,000,000, according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

If the above designations apply, please provide your latest filed IRS form 990. A filing from the last two calendar years is acceptable.

If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

4.3. Technical Proposal

4.3.1. Introduction and Executive Summary *

Submit a letter of introduction and executive summary of the proposal. The letter must contain:

• Name, title and contact information (email, phone, and address) for representative of proposer that is responsible for communication related to this RFP.

• Name, title, contact information, and signature of person authorized to obligate firm to perform the commitment contained in the proposal.

Submission of the letter will constitute a representation by proposer that it is willing and able to perform the commitments contained in the proposal and has not violated the terms of this RFP.

*Response required

4.3.2. Statement of Minimum Qualifications *

Describe how the proposer meets the minimum qualifications as set forth in Minimum Qualifications of this RFP.

Submission of the Minimum Qualifications checklist is not a substitute for providing a detailed written response.

*Response required

4.3.3. Project Approach*

This section should correlate to the Scope of Work . Proposer should give a short summary describing how it will perform the relevant work

*Response required

4.3.4. Scope of Work tasks/milestones*

Describe your proposed approach to tasks/milestones

*Response required

4.3.5. Proposed schedule *

Attach proposed schedule reference ability to complete the project within the County's required time frame

*Response required

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4.3.6. Innovations*

Refence any notable innovations or improvements that you expect to provide (with respect to, for example, efficiency, technology, sustainability)

*Response required

4.3.7. Performance Measures*

Describe a plan for achieving performance measures

*Response required

4.3.8. Firm Qualifications *

Attach information regarding background and qualifications, including the following:

• A brief description of the proposer.

• A description of not more than three (3) projects similar in size and scope conducted by the proposer, including the client, reference and telephone numbers, primary staff members involved, budget, schedule, and project summary. Descriptions should be limited to one (1) page for each project.

• If subcontractors are anticipated, identify them (if known) and provide information on how they will be used.

*Response required

4.3.9. Team Qualifications*

Provide a chart identifying:

▪ Project team and reporting structure

▪ Lead project manager

▪ Role each person will play in the project

Provide a brief description of the experience and qualifications of the project team members, including short resumes if desired.

Written assurance that the key individuals listed and identified will be performing the work and will not be substituted or reassigned without the County’s prior approval

*Response required

4.3.10. References*

Provide 3 references for each of the following, including the name, address, and telephone number of recent clients (preferably other public agencies):

*Response required

4.3.11. Fee Proposal*

The Fee Proposal should be submitted as a separate PDF file from the Technical Proposals detailed in

Required Documents.

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The Fee Proposal must include:

• A detailed fee structure on a project-by-project basis, including project phase (e.g. initial full review, 1st re-check, 2nd re-check, express reviews, etc.)

• Pricing for staff augmentation services, including the fully burdened hourly rate for each proposed staff classification/title;

• Onsite and offsite service rate;

• In-person and virtual meeting service fee if any, including travel cost related to in-person meeting;

• Any other direct and indirect costs as well as subcontractor cost, if any.

• A description of how the proposed fee structure will support the County in meeting applicable cost recovery requirements

The County reserves the right to accept an offer other than the lowest-priced proposal and to reject any proposal that is non-responsive to this request.

*Response required

5. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

The proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee with relevant expertise. The County intends to evaluate the proposals generally in accordance with the criteria itemized below. Proposers with the highest scoring proposals may be interviewed by the committee to make the final selection.

5.1. Phase 1

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Project Approach

• Understanding of County Needs

• Quality Control and Consistency

• Staffing and Continuity

• Customer Service

• Conflict of Interest

• Coordination and Communication

Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

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2. Firm Qualifications

• Years of Experience

• Customer Portfolio

• Reputation

Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

3. Team Qualifications

• Year of Experience

• Certification

• Knowledge of Specific County

Review Tools

• Communication and Coordination

Skills

• Timeliness

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

4. Price

• Comprehensiveness

• Competitiveness

• Reasonableness

Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

5.2. Phase 2

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

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1. Preferential Points

Where price is not the sole evaluation factor for a solicitation (e.g., in the case of a "best-value" solicitation), five percent (5%) of the total evaluation points otherwise awardable will be added to the proposal score for each Local

Business or Local Non-Profit score for evaluation purposes. In the event of a tie between a Local Business or Local Non-Profit and another bidder, the Local Business or Non-

Profit shall be awarded the Contract, assuming agreement on other contract terms.

An additional three percent (3%) preference shall be given to a Local Business or Local

Non-profit (for a total of eight percent (8%) of total points otherwise awardable) if the proposer is a Small Business or Small Non-

Profit, or an additional 5 percent preference (for a total of ten percent (10%) of total points otherwise awardable) if the proposer is a Micro

Business or Micro Non-Profit.

Points Based 10 (100% of Total)

6. Instructions to Proposers

6.1. Instructions

There will be no pre-proposal conference or site visit for this project.

6.2. Communications

A. As of the issuance date of this RFP and continuing until it is canceled or an award is made, no proposer or person acting on behalf of a prospective proposer may discuss any matter relating to the RFP with any officer, agent, or employee of the County, other than through eProcurement portal, to the Authorized Contact Person, or as outlined in the evaluation or protest procedures.

B. Proposers (including any agent, owner, employee, board members, or other such affiliates) shall not offer any gift, favor, or other personal benefit to any County officer or employee during the procurement process for this agreement, including during the solicitation period and contract negotiations.

Violation of the foregoing prohibitions may result in a proposer being found non-responsible and barred from participating in this or future procurements.

6.3. Contract Award

A. Award Procedure Contract negotiations are neither an offer nor guarantee that a contract will be executed. A contract award, if any is made, will be to the responsive, responsible proposer offering the overall best value to the County for the services and goods described in this solicitation, or as applicable, for a specific portion of the services and goods described. Any agreement reached will be

Page 15 of 19 Release date of September 9, 2026 memorialized in a formal agreement using the attached template, executed by the appropriate authority.

B. Notice of Intent to Award If a decision is made to take steps to enter into an agreement with one or more proposers, the

County will post a Notice of Intent to Award or otherwise notify proposers the remaining proposers of their non-selection. Notice may instead be provided by including approval of the agreement as an item on an agenda for a meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

C. Commencement of Performance After all parties have signed the agreement, the County will notify the contractor and performance may proceed. Prior to execution of the agreement by the County, no County employee may authorize work under the agreement. Any work performed prior to the full execution of the Agreement may not be compensated.

D. Levine Act Disclosure The Levine Act (California Government Code Section 84308) imposes certain requirements on parties contracting with the County of San Mateo related to campaign contributions to County

“officers,” including elected County officers and candidates seeking elective office, who may participate in making a decision on certain County contracts. Elected County officers in San

Mateo County include: the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Assessor-County Clerk-

Recorder, County Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Sheriff, and Tax Collector-Treasurer.

Generally, under current County policy, approval by the Board of Supervisors is required for any agreement for services above $200,000, and agreements for services below that threshold may be approved by Department heads.

If your proposal is selected, you will be required to certify compliance with the Levine Act.

As part of this process, you will need to certify and warrant that you have fully complied, and will remain in full compliance, with all applicable requirements of the Levine Act in connection with the Agreement, including making any required disclosures of campaign contributions to County

Officers, which includes but may not be limited to elected County Officers. Elected County

Officers include members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, as well as the

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Sheriff, and Tax

Collector-Treasurer. Any campaign contribution required to be disclosed under the Levine Act in connection with this Agreement shall be disclosed on the County of San Mateo Levine Act

Disclosure Form, a copy of which is available from the County upon request.

Parties are solely responsible for accurate certification and disclosure. The Levine Act is complex, and this brief description is not legal advice. For example, certain contributions must be aggregated when determining whether contributions have exceeded the $500 threshold. If your proposal is selected, you are urged to review the Levine Act and consider consulting an attorney.

6.4. Term

Planning and Building is issuing Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 2027-38420-00056 for Plan Check and

Building Permit Services.

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The agreement shall have a term of Five (5) years. The County’s standard contract template has been included with this solicitation. The awarded contractor will be expected to sign an agreement prepared by the County using this template. Please ensure that your firm has completed legal review of these contract terms. If your firm wishes to request exceptions to these standard terms, submit a Contract Exceptions

Request by the Deadline for Questions, Comments and Contract Exceptions listed in the Solicitation

Schedule below. The County will consider Contract Exceptions Requests but reserves the right to reject requested modifications to its standard terms.

7. Terms and Conditions for Receipt of Proposals

7.1. Errors, Omissions and Inquiries regarding the RFP

Proposers are responsible for reviewing all portions of this RFP. Proposers are to notify the department, in eProcurement portal, if the proposer discovers any ambiguity, discrepancy, omission, or apparent error in the RFP. Such notification should be made promptly after discovery, but in no event later than five business days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals. Modifications and clarifications will be made by addenda as provided below.

Inquiries regarding the RFP should be lodged in eProcurement portal.

7.2. Objections to RFP Terms

Should a proposer object on any ground to any provision or legal requirement set forth in this RFP, the proposer must, not more than ten calendar days after the RFP is issued, provide written notice to the department, via eProcurement portal, setting forth with specific grounds for the objection.

7.3. Addenda

The County may cancel, revise, or reissue this RFP, in whole or in part, for any reason. Revisions will be posted as Addenda on eProcurement portal. No other revision of this RFP is valid. Proposers shall be responsible for ensuring that their proposals reflects any and all Addenda issued by the County prior to the proposal due date regardless of when a proposal is submitted. Therefore, the County recommends that proposers consult eProcurement portal frequently, including shortly before the proposal due date, to confirm that all Addenda have been downloaded.

7.4. Term of Proposal

Submission of a proposal signifies that the proposed services and prices are valid for the duration of the proposed agreement term and that the quoted prices are genuine and not the result of collusion or any other anti-competitive activity.

7.5. Revision or Withdrawal of Proposal

A proposer may revise a proposal on the proposer’s own initiative at any time before the deadline for submission of proposals. The proposer must submit the revised proposal in the same manner as the original on or before the proposal due date.

A proposer may withdraw a proposal at any time before the deadline for submission of proposals. After that time, whether or not a new RFP is issued for the same subject matter, withdrawal of a proposal may preclude the proposer from participating in the procurement as a proposer or subcontractor, except that an original equipment manufacturer may participate indirectly through a reseller.

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7.6. Errors and Omissions in Proposal

The County will not be liable for any errors in proposals. Proposals may be rejected as unresponsive if they are incomplete, are missing pages or information, or cannot be opened for any reason. The County may waive minor irregularities, but such waiver will not modify any of the remaining RFP requirements.

7.7. No Commitment

Neither submission of a proposal nor the County’s receipt of proposal materials confers any right to the proposer nor any obligation on the County. This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract.

7.8. Financial Responsibility

The County shall have no financial responsibility for any costs incurred by a firm in responding to this

RFP or participating in any presentations or negotiations.

7.9. Estimated Quantity

If the RFP results in an indefinite quantity or a requirements agreement, the goods and services actually requested by the County may be less than the maximum value of the agreement and there is no guarantee, either expressed or implied, as to the actual quantity of goods and services that will be authorized under the agreement.

7.10. Public Record

A. General

1. All proposals, protests, and information submitted in response to this solicitation will become the property of the County and will be considered public records. As such, they may be subject to public review.

2. Any contract arising from this RFP will be a public record.

3. The County is not seeking proprietary information and will not assert any privileges that may exist on behalf of the proposer.

4. Submission of any materials in response to this RFP constitutes:

▪ Consent to the County’s release of such materials under the Public Records Act without notice to the person or entity submitting the materials; and

▪ Waiver of all claims against the County and/or its officers, agents, or employees that the

County has violated a proposer's right to privacy, disclosed trade secrets, or caused any damage by allowing the proposal or materials to be inspected; and

▪ Agreement to indemnify and hold harmless the County for release of such information under the Public Records Act; and

▪ Acknowledgement that the County will not assert any privileges that may exist on behalf of the person or entity submitting the materials.

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7.11. Reservations of Rights by the County

The issuance of this RFP does not constitute an agreement by the County that any contract will actually be entered into by the County. The County expressly reserves the right at any time to:

• Waive or correct any defect or informality in any response, proposal, or proposal procedure;

• Reject any or all proposals;

• Reissue an RFP;

• Prior to submission deadline for proposals, modify all or any portion of the selection procedures, including deadlines for accepting responses, the specifications or requirements for any materials, equipment or services to be provided under this RFP, or the requirements for contents or format of the proposals;

• Procure any materials, equipment or services specified in this RFP by any other means; or

• Determine that no project will be pursued.

7.12. No Waiver

No waiver by the County of any provision of this RFP shall be implied from any failure by the County to recognize or take action on account of any failure by a proposer to observe any provision of this RFP.

7.13. Cooperative Agreement (Piggyback)

This competitive solicitation is being conducted as a Cooperative Procurement. The services, terms and conditions of any agreement resulting from this solicitation may be used by other organizations as a

Cooperative Agreement.

This provision in no way commits any affiliate to procure services from any awarded contractor, nor does it guarantee that any additional orders will result. At their discretion, and subject to their own procurement policies, interested organizations may make use of this competitive procurement and contract directly from the awarded contractor.

8. Protest Procedures

8.1. Protest of Non-Responsiveness Determination

Within five (5) working days of the County's issuance of a notice of non-responsiveness, any firm that has submitted a proposal and believes that the County has incorrectly determined that its proposal is non-responsive may submit a written notice of protest. Such notice of protest must be received by the County on or before the fifth working day following the County's issuance of the notice of non-responsiveness. The notice of protest must include a written statement specifying in detail each and every one of the grounds asserted for the protest. The protest must be signed by an individual authorized to represent the proposer, and must cite the law, rule, local ordinance, procedure or RFP provision on which the protest is based. In addition, the protestor must specify facts and evidence sufficient for the County to determine the validity of the protest.

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8.2. Protest of Contract Award

Within five (5) working days of the County's issuance of a notice of intent to award the contract, any firm that has submitted a responsive proposal and believes that the County has incorrectly selected another proposer for award may submit a written notice of protest. Such notice of protest must be received by the

County on or before the fifth working day after the County's issuance of the notice of intent to award.

The notice of protest must include a written statement specifying in detail each and every one of the grounds asserted for the protest. The protest must be signed by an individual authorized to represent the proposer, and must cite the law, rule, local ordinance, procedure or RFP provision on which the protest is based. In addition, the protestor must specify facts and evidence sufficient for the County to determine the validity of the protest.

8.3. Delivery of Protests

All protests must be received by the due date. If a protest is mailed, the protestor bears the risk of non-delivery within the deadlines specified herein. Protests should be transmitted by a means that will objectively establish the date the County received the protest. Protests or notice of protests made orally

(e.g., by telephone) will not be considered. Protests must be delivered to:

Protests@smcgov.org

Subject: Plan Check and Building Permit Services, 2027-38420-00056