Printing_and_Mail_Processing_of_Invoices,_Notices,_and_Permits.pdf

County of San Mateo

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Printing and Mail

Processing of Invoices, Notices, and Permits

Health - Environmental Health Services

RFP No. 59000-25-001RFP

RFP Contact: Milen Ortega mortega@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

As outlined in more detail in Section II – Scope of Work, this Request for Proposals (RFP) seeks a provider for processing of invoices and health permits for the San Mateo County Environmental Health

Services Division.

The County of San Mateo (the “County”) is seeking expertise in processing “client-friendly” invoices.

The County’s goal is to minimize the number of “add on” and separate fees and to be able to pay the mail pre-sorted to five digits rate at cost.

The target start date and term for the proposed services is July 2025 through June 2030, subject to negotiation of a final agreement.

1.2. Background

The San Mateo County Environmental Health Services is committed to securing a safe and healthful environment in the County’s twenty cities and unincorporated areas through education, monitoring and enforcement of a variety of regulatory programs as well as ongoing services to the community.

The San Mateo County Environmental Health Services Division generates approximately 1,850 primary invoices per month and approximately 200 secondary, follow-up invoices for a total of 2,050 invoices per month (24,600/year). Growth is expected to be less than five percent per year during the life of the contract.

It is a goal under this RFP to significantly reduce undeliverable mail as a result of business owners not communicating mailing address changes in a timely manner. The contractor ultimately selected needs to know how to use National Change of Address Service and improve mail deliverability by providing current, standardized, delivery point coded addresses for individual, family, and business moves. It is also a goal under this RFP to review billing practices and identify additional efficiencies, which may further reduce the number of invoices generated.

1.3. Timeline

RFP Released January 29, 2025

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Deadline for Questions, Comments and

Contract Exceptions

February 10, 2025, 5:00pm

Proposal Due Date and Time February 19, 2025, 5:00pm

Anticipated Contract Award Date July 1, 2025

2. Scope of Work

2.1. Scope of Work

San Mateo County Environmental Health Services is contracting for printing and mail processing of invoices, billing statements, permits and notifications.

Please indicate pricing schedules for the following services, however, proposers are not discouraged from proposing additional services or services different in kind than those contained in this Scope of Work with a discussion of how the greater or different services proposed would improve processing and reduce costs.

A. One-time fees associated with startup of service, programming fees, consultant fees, labor fees or any other one-time fees.

B. First-class postage for mail pre-sorted to five digits with pre-sort bar code embedded in address field of invoice, fold and insert, sealed, metered and mailed.

First-class postage for mail pre-sorted to five digits of permit, fold and insert, sealed, metered and mailed.

C. Printing fees for converting electronic file to laser print invoice, including invoice barcode, black on white on #24 perforated paper. Prices are to include cost of folding and inserting invoice, and a maximum of two additional inserts provided by the County per envelope.

Printing fees of permits transmitted in .pdf format, color on #24 paper.

Printing Inserts on white and colored #24 paper, on as needed basis, sizes may vary.

D. Provide appropriate #10 windowed envelopes for invoices/inserts and permits (see address below). Options for Kraft envelopes.

E. Provide #9 return window envelopes with correct return address.

County of San Mateo Environmental Health 2000 Alameda de las Pulgas, Ste. 100 San Mateo, CA 94403

F. Provide hourly programming rate.

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G. Provide an account manager, support hours and response time. Mandatory 24-hr response time and resolution for invoice/permit processing and mailing.

H. Provide costs, if any, for address verification against established database and any additional computer related fees (e.g. FTP transfer, parity check, data integrity verification, etc.). Provide monthly reports of changes to electronic data resulting from address verification.

I. Provide costs, if any, for small changes in format or design

2.2. Additional Performance and Regulatory Compliance

A. Substitution:

Describe in detail a method that allows County, at its discretion, to substitute, new services introduced by proposer after the award, but before contract expiration, to more suitably meet County’s clinical, logistical and financial requirements. Specifically address potential cost calculation and methodologies that may be used. No substitution shall be made without a written agreement approved by County.

Emergency Service Capabilities: Include a description of local and regional service capabilities, including the number and qualifications of proposer’s personnel, their training, their base location, the locations of backup personnel, approximate response time for emergency and disaster related requirements (during and outside of regular business hours). Please include the location of primary and backup processing locations, the time for delivery of service after notifications and description of any additional capabilities.

B. Emergency Service Capabilities:

Include a description of local and regional service capabilities, including the number and qualifications of proposer’s personnel, their training, their base location, the locations of backup personnel, approximate response time for emergency and disaster related requirements (during and outside of regular business hours). Please include the location of primary and backup processing locations, the time for delivery of service after notifications and description of any additional capabilities.

2.3. I. Additional Requirements/Considerations

Contractors shall certify that it and any of its subcontractors shall adhere to all paper procurement requirements outlined in Attachment J.

Vendor must demonstrate that employees have undergone a background check and are provided training to handle confidential data, as applicable, including a yearly security training.

Vendor must adhere to all County policies and procedures and will utilize all reasonable means and due diligence to protect the confidentiality and security of the County's data/information.

3. Submission Requirements

3.1. Submission Deadline

Proposals must be electronically received by 5:00 pm, on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 via eProcurement system.

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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.

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) 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/113619/document?section=1038617

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• 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.

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.

4. Minimum Qualifications and Technical Proposal

4.1. Minimum Qualifications

Contractor is defined as the entity that is submitting a proposal for this RFP.

Any proposal that does not demonstrate that the Contractor meets these minimum requirements by the submission deadline may be determined to be non-responsive and not eligible for further consideration in the evaluation process.

4.1.1. . Technology Security Assessment: Completion of the Technology Security Assessment*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• technologysecurityassessmen...

*Response required

4.1.2. Has Proposer has been providing similar services for a minimum of four (4) years within the last seven (7) years?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.3. Is the proposer legally authorized to do business in the State of California?

☐ Yes

☐ No

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

SAM.gov

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

4.2. Technical Proposal (Maximum of 35 pages)

NOTE: Each one-sided letter-sized page is considered one page of content. Pages that exceed the maximum page limit may not be reviewed or scored. Contractors interested in responding to this RFP must submit the following information, in the order specified below:

https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/113619/c8c52173-329d-4ee5-be22-a9e14204f819_technologysecurityassessment.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4IGTK2GTA%2F20250129%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20250129T230000Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEI%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIFxDUvqVgtNVP9SLpY9a1M1clA32PM5ajMONd%2F5LkfwNAiEA%2BPeIYjhXmqzITEqzdyPMThJbnxtiP8YD%2Bg2mzsKUn%2FIqjAUImP%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDBa0xd3%2Br2AZk7uxDirgBASpmV1FLBW1rkY9ueqlqPkpF6yZvgjGjBouSaxdHaoYjkX0IZJA7XUEG4rsFSQhNMGYahqd86gofKNEt2pyyxtE3wcS8m0WljApDcjm3YyswldjAnUyfsjP%2BQ%2FAFxZKCxF7gyAZ3FmcnR6Qfe93pYRnqN2Shfqe8inbFNktgYVuHUhQaMSlkPknhB%2FK7gkfZ2IGi2Jloa6rzTKyeOoWDlOECeLcDsOK7Cp06fxQ0Yb3lOXrOc8kjj3y7vNFB14tlkBCA5L3qo8VFqE9zVoya4z9OWsINwvxeU2p0qEGFdeBNk6fKPkjUrAist%2B6Kp%2BwOXeh4dtMe2h9uAF2VkyI8B%2BkFTBX6q5HcD5TqdNXSrByXJjaH5r4Y%2F72Xuk6%2Fv0gCcaOO8PL%2BKGdc9X2LllbCO2SEd%2BlepPw2VjuB1956oOqZHvZRdA49fRZwzEWpSThXGSENmq1Ucj7vhqLF80SNtKigw9vC0QpYMQybLEpODMu0f7uePwCz1H8hGc%2BEyTx%2BNfuFIvpwY%2FuH8tb9ffowzgJwFRfXgmhmuJ9iLoV6hLqOSAXULbLsOP6hlp72SuxEwENqQz0SO6G2cLxdDaYV6dGEA7oMHhDxEEl%2B6%2FVxfyQv7LYy1WE%2FGfK8K2WS%2BtxIhDXYKn33s44fEAwWbIfC73wd%2B7RqAGUYWV8t%2FmFxPg8WFcuDMbwBJdYUVFCYCTdPcKK%2FXod5G79nxXfyC3rzVZ9%2Fy340eU9gDfFEFp0hNktpigTuJ0AAV%2BNQsyqUcONfVi79HWlHEd3QXnkS6YGs3l1BOMQHJDmq0KB784RJ9UfMJ7h6rwGOpsBRKnV7DdhfHe3i94%2BJ0qIbVu6de9gGX8Sbp8EzqJ%2B7MaagoZS7Ldf8N1CYuAnS6YxILSdQ3OFkPsz98gTel2FEuVrl6uW%2Fsqx0l4d5rAHfG%2FNi4Q2%2F64WODGn1bHP3A%2FInwuBqW7iJfOzybgjnjyBXe0v3N7JTCELc842paezWEmm93vQYYbddzpjjY7NzAKrcabpKP7%2BuFzxu0w%3D&X-Amz-Signature=e8844520a22010a76962af2317c8cf43a051e9094dddb43dbef4e48b90635602&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22technologysecurityassessment.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject https://sam.gov/content/home

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4.2.1. 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

4.2.2. 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

4.2.3. Project Approach*

Describe your proposed approach to performing the Scope of Work, including the following:

• Scope of Work tasks/milestones

• Meeting technical requirements

• Implementation strategy

• Proposed schedule and ability to complete the project within the County’s required time frame.

• Any notable innovations or improvements that you expect to provide (with respect to, for example, efficiency, technology, sustainability, etc.).

• Plan for supporting efficiencies to help the County achieve performance measures.

*Response required

4.2.4. 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.

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

*Response required

4.2.5. 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

4.2.6. 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

4.2.7. Are you able to provide required proof of liability insurance? Specific insurance coverage requirements will be provided upon award of an agreement.*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.2.8. Fee Proposal*

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

Required Documents.

The County reserves the right to accept other than the lowest priced offer and to reject any proposals that are not responsive to this request.

*Response required

4.2.9. The vendor must provide an online portal to allow seamless management of direct mail.

This includes, but not limited to, the ability to upload files, design mailers, ability to print documents from portal, view job history and track delivery status. The portal should support different user roles with customizable permissions, ensuring secure access to sensitive data.

5. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

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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.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Project Approach

a. Does the response demonstrate a clear understanding of the scope of services and products to be provided?

b. Is there a clear commitment to the timely response and support for a database management system designed for environmental health programs?

c. Does the overall approach and philosophy indicate a strong customer service philosophy, product strength and a clear definition of the contractor’s role, responsibility and activities? Does it clearly outline how they will work with the County?

d. Does the proposed implementation schedule clearly identify

County/vendor roles and responsibilities with clear and reasonable timelines?

0-10 Points 10 (10% of Total)

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2. Qualifications & References

a. Does the respondent have a history of providing similar services? Do they have experience managing contracts with public agencies similar in size and scope to the one identified in the

RFP?

b. Does the company demonstrate a reliable history? Has the company established itself by the length of time it has been in business?

c. Does the respondent proposed to do the work have sufficient qualifications, key personnel, and expertise to provide the services needed?

Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

3. Pricing

Is the overall net cost to the County, including incidental costs, reasonable?

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

4. Support

a. Are the proposed service delivery, availability and experience providing technical support and maintenance sufficient to provide services?

b. Are the overall services and response times sufficient to meet the County’s needs?

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

5. Submission Requirements

A. Did the proposal meet all the requirements for submission as outlined in the RFP?

B. Is it professionally presented and organized?

C. Is the information provided complete, accurate and applicable to the RFP?

Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

6. Instructions to Proposers

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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 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.

6.4. Term

Health - Environmental Health Services is issuing Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 59000-25-001RFP for

Printing and Mail Processing of Invoices, Notices, and Permits.

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

Page 12 of 15 Release date of January 29, 2025 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:

Protest@smcgov.org

Subject: Printing and Mail Processing of Invoices, Notices, and Permits, 59000-25-001RFP