Professional_and_Technical_Assistance_for_Homeownership_and_Community_Development_Program.pdf

COUNTY OF ORANGE

OC COMMUNITY RESOURCES

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

FOR

PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR

HOMEOWNERSHIP AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

RFP NO. RFP-2907304-IQ

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

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

County of Orange RFP

OC Community Resources - Professional and Technical Assistance for Homeownership and Community Development

Program, RFP-2907304-IQ Page 1 of 33

County of Orange

OC Community Resources

Procurement and Contract Services

601 N Ross St

Santa Ana, CA

92701

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Release of RFP Solicitation December 4, 2025

Question Submission Deadline December 18, 2025, 12:00pm

RFP Submittal Closing January 20, 2026, 12:00pm

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED ON

OR BEFORE

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

12:00 pm

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SECTIONS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 4. PROPOSAL SCORING CRITERIA

SECTION 5. PRICING PROPOSAL

SECTION 6. OCLSB AND DVBE PREFERENCE POLICIES CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 7. VENDOR RESPONSES

Attachments:

A - MODEL CONTRACT- RFP-012-2907304-IQ

B - PRICING TABLE

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SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The County intends that the successful Respondent shall provide Professional and Technical

Assistance for Homeownership and Community Development Program proposed in accordance with contract requirements set forth in the solicitation and Model Contract, including Attachments.

1.2 COUNTY HOLIDAYS DURING SOLICITATION PERIOD

During this solicitation period, the OC Community Resources will be closed on the following

County holidays:

• September 1, 2025, Labor Day

• September 26, 2025, Native American Day

• November 11, 2025, Veterans Day

• November 27, 2025, Thanksgiving Day

• November 28, 2025, Day after Thanksgiving

• December 25, 2025, Christmas Day

1.3 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTAL

A. Proposals are to be uploaded via the County's eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov. For assistance on uploading proposals via County’s eProcurement Portal, please contact procurement-support@opengov.com or https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/

B. Examine the Contract Documents and the site of the proposed work carefully before submitting a Proposal for the work contemplated. Investigate the conditions to be encountered, as to the character, quality, and quantities of work to be performed and materials to be furnished and as to the requirements of all Contract Documents.

The County has attempted to provide all information available. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to review, evaluate, and, where necessary, request any clarification prior to submission of a Proposal. If any person contemplating submitting a response to this

Request for Proposals is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the solicitation documents attached hereto or finds discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications, they may submit a written request for clarification/interpretation to the County Deputy

Purchasing Agent (DPA) via the County’s eProcurement Portal under the bid page for this solicitation.

If clarification or interpretation of this solicitation is considered necessary by County, an addendum shall be issued, and the information will be posted via the County’s eProcurement Portal. Any interpretation of, or correction to, this solicitation shall be issued https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/

OC Community Resources - Professional and Technical Assistance for Homeownership and Community Development

Program, RFP-2907304-IQ Page 4 of 33 by the DPA. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to periodically check the County’s eProcurement Portal to ensure that they have received and reviewed any and all addenda to this solicitation.

The County will not be responsible for any other explanations, corrections to, or interpretations of the documents, including any oral information. If an addendum is issued, proposers must acknowledge the addendum via the County’s eProcurement Portal.

All questions or requests for interpretations must be received within this solicitation by Thursday, December 18, 2025, before 12:00 pm. The DPA will provide all official communication concerning this solicitation. Any County response relevant to this solicitation other than through or approved by the DPA is unauthorized and will be considered invalid.

C. Proposals must be valid for a period of at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days from the closing date and time of receipt. No Proposal may be withdrawn after the submission date.

D. Each Respondent must submit their proposal electronically via the County’s eProcurement

Portal.

E. All pages must be numbered and identified sequentially by section. Proposals must be tabbed and indexed in accordance with the information requested in the Proposal Response

Requirements Section. It is imperative that all Respondents comply, exactly and completely, with the instructions set forth herein. All responses to this solicitation shall be type written or word-processed (except where otherwise provided or noted), concise, straightforward, and must fully address each requirement and question. Although not as a substitute for a complete written response, additional material, such as technical documents, may be referenced in any response if the material is included in the same section as additional information.

F. Proposals are not to be marked as confidential or proprietary. The County may refuse to consider any Proposal so marked. All Proposals and supporting documents will be subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (California Code

Government Code 7920.000 et seq.) (PRA) and will be disclosed or withheld in accordance therewith. The County shall not be liable in any way for disclosure of any such records.

Additionally, all Proposals shall become the property of the County.

Respondents should not request that certain information be treated as exempt, and statements in the Proposals should not be marked as confidential or proprietary. In the event that any information is marked as confidential or proprietary, as it may be absolutely necessary, Respondents have the sole responsibility of obtaining any applicable injunctive reliefs to prevent the disclosure of such confidential proprietary information in connection

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G. Each Respondent shall exercise reasonable care and diligence to avoid submitting a

Proposal that could result in a conflict of interest if Respondent were to be selected. This obligation shall apply to the Respondent, the Respondent’s employees, agents, and relatives, sub-contractors, and third parties associated with accomplishing work and services in Proposal. In the event Respondent has done work for the County on this Project in the past or has reason to believe that a conflict of interest may exist for Respondent in regard to this Project, Respondent should consult with its legal counsel prior to responding to this solicitation. Any Respondent who is found to have an actual conflict of interest may have its Proposal rejected on that ground.

Respondent, its employees and/or consultants may be subject to the provisions of the

California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the “Act”), which (1) requires such persons to disclose any financial interest that may be materially affected by services provided under this Contract, (2) prohibits such persons from making, or participating in making, decisions that could reasonably affect such interest; and (3) may require the filing a Statement of

Economic Interest (Form 700).

If subject to the Act, Respondent shall conform to all requirements of the Act. Failure to do so shall constitute a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of the

Contract by County. Respondent shall indemnify and hold harmless County for any and all claims for damages resulting from Respondent’s violation of this Section.

H. By submitting a Proposal, the Respondent represents that it thoroughly examined the

County’s requirements, is familiar with the services required under this solicitation and is qualified and capable of providing the services to achieve the County’s objectives.

I. Each Respondent must submit its Proposal in strict accordance with all requirements of this solicitation and compliance must be stated in the Proposal. Deviations, clarifications and/or exceptions must be clearly identified and listed separately as alternative items on additional information section for the County’s consideration as specified in the

Proposal Response Requirements Section, “Statement of Compliance.”

Note: Allow sufficient time to upload all required files. The County’s eProcurement Portal will not allow any uploads after the due date and time specified herein, e.g., if Part 1 and 2 uploaded successfully at 1:58:38 P.M. and Part 3 is in progress of being uploaded at 2:00:01

P.M., Part 3 will not upload successfully.

J. Pre-contractual expenses are not to be included in the Cost Proposal, Attachment B, Pricing and Compensation. Pre-contractual expenses are defined as including, but not limited to, expenses incurred by the Respondent in: a) preparing its Proposal in response to this solicitation; b) submitting that Proposal to the County; c) negotiating with the County any

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Respondent prior to the date of award and execution, if any, of the Contract.

K. Any Proposal may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the solicitation. Failure to comply with the technical features and acknowledgment of receipt of addenda are common causes for holding a Proposal nonresponsive.

L. Where two or more Respondents desire to submit a single Proposal in response to this solicitation, they must do so on a prime/subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture.

The County intends to contract with a single firm that may subcontract with multiple firms

(team) but not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.

M. County does not require and neither encourages nor discourages the use of lobbyists or other consultants for the purpose of securing business.

N. The County requires a valid D-U-N-S number prior to Contract Award. If needed, your company may obtain one at no cost at www.dnb.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a D-U-N-S number, please indicate so in your proposal/bid submission response.

O. The County requires a valid UEI number and full registration prior to Contract

Award. Your company must obtain one at no cost at www.usfcr.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a UEI number, please indicate so in your proposal submission response.

P. Effective from the issuance date of this solicitation until a Contract is awarded or the solicitation is withdrawn, all individuals or entities responding—including their employees, agents, representatives, proposed partners, subcontractors, members, lobbyists, or attorneys (collectively "Respondents")—are prohibited from engaging in any direct or indirect communication with County personnel involved in the selection process, except with the designated Deputy Purchasing Agent (DPA). Respondents may continue conducting business with the County on matters unrelated to this solicitation and may communicate with County staff, provided the solicitation is not discussed. Any attempt to engage in discussion regarding this solicitation with anyone other than the designated DPA will be presumed to create an unfair competitive advantage and may result in disqualification.

Q. After the closing date and time for receipt of proposals, evaluation, and if requested by the

County, interviews will commence. Respondents who submit proposals most responsive to the County’s requirements may be asked to give a presentation of their proposal to

County staff. The County makes no guarantee as to the number of Respondents selected for interviews. Selected Respondents should be prepared to make its presentation within http://www.dnb.com/ http://www.usfcr.com/

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Program, RFP-2907304-IQ Page 7 of 33 five (5) business days after notification and be prepared to discuss all aspects of its proposal in detail, including technical questions regarding the proposal. Respondents shall not be allowed to alter or amend its proposal through the use of the presentation process.

1.4 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Respondent’s Proposal shall meet the following minimum requirements and qualifications to proceed to the evaluation process. Failure to have the ability to, upon County request, provide any of the items requested below may result in disqualification of your Proposal. These qualifications must be maintained during the term of any resultant Contract.

A. Must have the ability to do business in Orange County, California;

B. Complete all required Vendor Response questions of the solicitation;

C. Provide all required information, complete all required Exhibits.

1.5 EVALUATION PROCESS

Proposals deemed to meet all minimum solicitation requirements will be scored based on the established evaluation criteria, and will be assigned points that measure the responsiveness to each identified criterion. The total number of points earned will be tallied for each Proposal, based upon the Respondent(s) submitted written materials.

Proposals shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel of job knowledge experts on the basis of the responsiveness to the requirements in this RFP. The County may request clarifications, or otherwise verify the contents of the Proposal, including information about the Respondent, Contractors and sub-contractors.

The scoring is based on evaluation of the Proposal as measured against the Proposal Scoring

Criteria, which includes County of Orange Procurement Preference Policy, in accordance with

Sections 1.8-103 and 4.3-112 of the 2024 County Contract Policy Manual (CPM). A copy of the

2024 CPM can be found at https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm. Proposals will be evaluated from the most advantageous to the least advantageous to the County.

1.6 SELECTION/AWARD PROCEDURES

Upon the completion of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee will make a recommendation for an award to the County’s DPA. Final award determination shall be subject to reference checks and past performance.

The Model Contract contained herein this RFP is the Contract proposed for execution. It may be modified to incorporate negotiated items and other pertinent terms and conditions set forth in this

RFP, including special conditions and requirements and those added by addendum, necessary attachments and/or exhibits, and to reflect Respondent’s Proposal and qualifications. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent after submission of its

Proposal may result in its elimination from further consideration.

https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm

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Exceptions to the terms and conditions of the proposed Contract or the statements regarding

Respondent’s inability to comply with any of the provisions thereof are to be declared in the response to the RFP in VENDOR RESPONSES - Statement of Compliance.

Negotiations may or may not be conducted with the finalist(s); therefore, the Proposal submitted should contain Respondent(s) most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without further discussion or need for clarification. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent(s) after submission of its proposal may result in elimination from further consideration.

The County will enter into negotiations with the selected Respondent and award a contract upon completion of negotiation of fees and contract terms. The award may be subject to/requires approval(s) by the County Board of Supervisors.

If a satisfactory Contract cannot be negotiated in a timely manner, County, in its sole discretion, may terminate negotiations with the selected Respondent and begin negotiations with the next

Respondent.

1.7 RIGHTS RESERVED TO COUNTY

The County reserves the right to:

A. Make use of any information or ideas in the Proposals submitted.

B. Request proposal revisions and hold discussions and negotiations with any Respondent as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

C. Seek publicly available information about the Respondents.

D. Conduct, or not to conduct, oral interviews and/or presentations with the highest-ranked

Respondent(s) and additional Respondents.

E. Waive, at its discretion, any procedural, non-material defects, irregularity, or informality, which

County deems correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the proposal that do not result in any unfair competitive advantage. Any waiver will not excuse a proponent from full compliance.

F. Verify and validate any information prior to Contract Award and during the entire term of the

Contract.

G. Negotiate the final Contract with any Respondent(s), including pricing/fee schedule, as necessary to serve the best interests of the County;

H. Withdraw or cancel in part or in its entirety this solicitation at any time without prior notice and furthermore makes no representations that any Contract will be awarded to any Respondent responding to this solicitation;

I. Award its total requirements to one Respondent or to apportion those requirements among two or more Respondents as the County may deem to be in its best interests;

J. Reject any Proposal if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates significantly from the services requested in this solicitation; and/or

K. Request Best and Final Offer from any Respondent determined to be within the competitive range.

Unless requested by the County, late Best and Final Offers will not be accepted by the County for any reason. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

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L. Make multiple awards to Respondent(s) for services requested in this solicitation, at its sole discretion, to serve the best interests of the County.

M. Defer award of this Contract for a period of 180 days after the solicitation opening. During this period of time, Respondent shall guarantee the prices quoted in their Proposals. County and the lowest responsive, responsible Respondent may mutually agree in writing to a longer deferral period.

Therefore, Proposals submitted shall contain the Respondent’s most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without discussion with any Respondent.

1.8 TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE

The County of Orange, in accordance with the provisions of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all

Respondents that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

1.9 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FORM

W-9/W-8 REQUIREMENTS

Effective June 3, 2006, all Contractors, entering into a Contract with County, who are not already established in Countywide ERP System as an Auditor-Controller vendor, will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign vendors. County will inform

Contractor, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 will be required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within ten (10) days of notification of selection of award of Contract but prior to official award of Contract, the selected Contractor agrees to furnish to Contract administrator, or the deputy purchasing agent (DPA) the required W-9 or W-

8.

1.10 LEVINE ACT REQUIREMENT

Effective January 1, 2023, all contractors entering into a contract with the County, will be required to submit the Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form for any contributions made on or after

January 1, 2023. In order to comply with this requirement, Respondent agrees to furnish the required Campaign Contribution Disclosure Information form as a required submittal with its

Proposal. Failure to include the form as required will render the Proposal nonresponsive.

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

PROTEST PROCESS

All protests shall be typed under the protestor’s letterhead and submitted in accordance with the provisions stated herein. All protests shall include at a minimum the following information:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor.

B. The signature of the protestor or the protestor’s representative.

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C. The solicitation or contract number.

D. A detailed statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest; and, E. The form of relief requested.

Protest of Solicitation Specifications:

A. All protests related to solicitation specifications must be submitted to the Deputy

Procurement Agent (DPA), Iris Qu at iris.qu@occr.ocgov.com, no later than five (5) business days prior to the Closing Date of the solicitation. Protests received after the five

(5) business-day deadline will not be considered by the County.

B. In the event the protest of specifications is denied, and the protestor wishes to continue in the solicitation process, the protestor must still submit a bid/response prior to the close of the solicitation in accordance with the solicitation submittal procedures provided in this solicitation.

Protest of Award of Contract:

A. All protests related to the award of a contract must be submitted to the Deputy

Procurement Agent, Iris Qu at iris.qu@occr.ocgov.com, no later than five (5) business days after the Notice of Intent to Award is provided by the DPA.

B. Protests relating to a proposed contract award received after the five (5) business day deadline will not be considered by the County.

Protest Process

A. In the event of a timely protest, the County shall not proceed with the solicitation or award of the contract until the DPA issues a decision on the protest.

B. Upon receipt of a timely protest, the DPA will, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest, issue a decision in writing which shall state the reasons for the actions taken.

C. The County may, after providing written justification, make the determination that an immediate award of the contract is necessary to protect the substantial interests of the

County. The award of a contract shall in no way compromise the protester’s right to the protest procedures outlined herein.

D. If the protestor disagrees with the decision of the DPA, the protestor may submit a written appeal to the County Procurement Officer requesting an appeal to the

Procurement Appeals Board, in accordance with the process stated below.

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APPEALS PROCESS

A. If the protestor wishes to appeal the protest decision of the Deputy Procurement Agent, the protestor must submit, within three (3) business days from receipt of the Deputy

Procurement Agent’s decision, a written appeal to the Office of the County Procurement

Officer.

Written appeals must be sent by mail to the address below with a courtesy copy by email;

County of Orange/County Executive Office

County Procurement Office

400 W. Civic Center Drive, 5th Floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: County Procurement Officer

CPOAppeals@ceo.oc.gov

B. Within fifteen (15) business days, the County Procurement Officer will review all materials in connection with the appeal, assess the merits of the protest and provide a written determination that shall contain his or her decision on whether the appeal shall be forwarded to the Procurement Appeals Board.

C. The decision of the County Procurement Officer on whether to allow the appeal to go forward will be final and there shall be no right to any administrative appeals of this decision.

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 INTRODUCTION

This Contract provides assistance to the OC Community Resources (OCCR) Department. The purpose of this Contract is to obtain professional and technical support for OCCR staff in the administration and implementation of homeownership programs and community development activities that utilize federal, state, and/or local funding sources, including but not limited to the

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and HOME

Investment Partnership (HOME) programs. Due to the finite amount of resources and the complexity of these programs, ongoing technical expertise is required to support affordable homeownership and community development initiatives. The provision of services herein requires special training, experience, and qualifications.

3.2 SCOPE OF SERVICES

Contractor shall perform services described in the Contract, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

mailto:CPOAppeals@ocgov.com

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A. Assist staff in developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating homeownership programs, which include, but are not limited to, the following services:

a. Assist in the identification and review of current and new federal, state, and local homeownership programs and regulations.

b. Assist in identifying new sources of homeownership funding opportunities to be implemented in Orange County.

c. Assist staff with development of Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) or other selection processes for lenders to participate in homeownership programs.

d. Assist staff in evaluating submitted proposals according to RFQs Procurement criterion.

e. Assist in reviewing, processing and coordination of individual homeownership loan applications for program compliance.

f. Assist staff in developing and evaluating overall program objectives.

g. Assist staff in reviewing all loan agreements and other documents associated with homeownership.

h. Attend and assist staff with Bidders Conferences, as needed.

i. Assist staff in evaluating program performance and procedural eva luation of homeownership programs.

j. Assist staff in updating and developing policies and procedures for homeownership programs.

k. Assist staff in developing and implementing monitoring requirements for homeownership programs.

l. Assist staff in preparation and submittal of funding applications for homeownership programs.

B. Provide on-call technical assistance and consultation to County Staff in utilization of community development funding (CDBG, ESG and HOME) programs.

a. Regulation interpretation and implementation.

b. Program compliance.

c. Feasibility analysis of new programs and funding.

d. Assist staff in developing policies and procedures.

e. Assist staff with general program questions.

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f. Assist staff with projects or reporting of CDBG, ESG, HOME or any new programs.

C. Attend meetings as needed to assist staff, where necessary, in presenting staff recommendations committees, boards and councils.

3.3 AMENDMENTS- CHANGES/ EXTRA WORK

The Contractor shall make no changes to this Contract without the County’s written consent. In the event that there are new or unforeseen requirements, the County with the Contractor’s concurrence has the discretion to request official changes at any time without changing the intent of this Contract.

If County-initiated changes or changes in laws or government regulations affect price, the

Contractor’s ability to deliver services, or the project schedule, the Contractor shall give the

County written notice no later than seven calendar days from the date the law or regulation went into effect or the date the change was proposed by the County and the Contractor was notified of the change. Such changes shall be agreed to in writing and incorporated into a Contract amendment. Said amendment shall be issued by the County assigned Deputy Purchasing Agent, shall require the mutual consent of all parties, and may be subject to approval by the County

Board of Supervisors. Nothing herein shall prohibit the Contractor from proceeding with the work as set forth in this Contract.

3.4 COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. County will assign a County Project Manager and coordinate work closely with

Contractor.

B. County Project Manager will monitor and track project status to ensure it is progressing within the project timeframe.

C. County Project Manager will review and approve all work, materials, reports, and deliverables required in this Contract.

3.5 ADDITIONAL WORK CLAUSE FOR APPLICABLE SERVICE CONTRACTS:

A. Upon County request, Contractor shall submit supplemental proposals for Additional

Work not called for under the Scope of Work of this Contract. Contractor must obtain

County Project Manager’s written approval prior to commencing any additional work.

B. County reserves the right to obtain supplemental proposals from, and use, alternate sources for completion of the additional work and to utilize the data provided under this

Contract to obtain necessary services.

C. If County authorizes work by an alternate source, Contractor may be relieved of responsibilities pertaining to the equipment affected by the project while work is being performed and during the subsequent warranty period.

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D. Contractor shall continue to provide services to all areas not affected by work provided by alternate sources.

E. Upon completion of any additional work, whether by Contractor or an alternative source, County’s Project Manager or designee and Contractor will inspect the finished product at no additional cost to County. Upon mutual acceptance of the additional work, Contractor shall again be responsible for all services originally covered under this Contract and the work performed under this section.

SECTION 4. PROPOSAL SCORING CRITERIA

Phase 1 - Written Proposal Scoring: 1000 points maximum

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

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1. Firm’s Background, Qualifications &

Experience

A. Company Background and Data

1. Include an overview of firm and brief description of the firm’s history including:

a. Length of time in business;

b. Services provided relevant to the RFP;

c. Describe the Respondent’s experience in performing work of a similar nature to that solicited in this RFP;

and

d. List certifications and/or affiliations that may be relevant to this RFP.

2. Provide the following information:

a. Name and title of person(s) authorized to bind the

Respondent;

b. Main office address; and

c. Telephone number

3. List any previous or current contracts with the County of

Orange within the last five (5) years. Include:

a. Agency/Department name, address and contact person;

b. Contract Number; and

c. Contract Amount

4. Provide a general description of the firm’s prime contractor (if applicable, subcontractor’s) financial condition and identify any conditions (e.g., bankruptcy, pending litigation, planned office closures, or impending

Points Based 335 (33.5% of Total)

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Respondent’s ability to complete the services.

B. Experience

1. Descriptions of at least three (3) recent similar projects that the firm has completed (public sector experience preferred).

a. Include project name, date, and location,

b. Include client name and describe the scope of work,

c. Describe any obstacles encountered and project outcome, and

d. Describe, including experience with successfully coordinating and maintaining project schedules while staying on budget.

2. Describe experience developing strategic plans for local governments and knowledge of real estate development including permitting, financing, design, construction, land-use, and environmental planning.

3. Describe experience conducting departmental needs assessment studies for office space planning, parking, etc.

4. Describe experience with infrastructure planning.

5. Describe comprehensive capabilities in public outreach and engagement.

6. Provide a description of

Respondent’s success in facilitating working sessions and distilling meeting content and

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7. Provide examples of creating executive-level visual collateral, such as reports and graphics.

8. Describe additional relevant information concerning the services offered in this RFP that it considers important in evaluating its services.

2. Quality/Effectiveness of Work Plan/Project

Approach

A. Proposal provides a detailed description of the approach and methodology used to fulfill each requirement of the SOW.

B. An implementation plan is included outlining a description of efforts the firm will undertake to achieve client satisfaction and to meet project deadlines.

C. Inclusion of innovative approaches for providing efficient, cost-effective operations that will increase performance capabilities.

Points Based 250 (25% of Total)

3. Organization/Completeness of Response

A. Proposal demonstrates understanding of project and objectives as it relates to the scope of work.

B. Proposal demonstrates requirements are addressed and adhered to.

C. Proposal is complete, comprehensive, and well-organized.

Points Based 165 (16.5% of Total)

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4. Key Personnel/Proposed Staffing

A. Proposal provides resumes of experienced personnel that are capable of and devoted to the successful accomplishment of work to be performed under this contract.

B. Staff members have been identified who would be assigned to act in key management and technical positions providing services described in the

SOW.

C. Proposal includes a description of the role for each identified staff member, including name, position, education, years of experience, and relevant projects on which they have worked.

Points Based 165 (16.5% of Total)

5. Compliance with the County Model

Contract

Proposal meets all criteria of the County

Model Contract.

*Note: Respondents submitting exceptions to the County Model Contract of this RFP, may receive a score of “0” for this criterion.

Points Based 85 (8.5% of Total)

SECTION 5. PRICING PROPOSAL

FEES/COST

Please include Classification/Title(s) and Hourly Rate. Respondents to provide separate sheets for their hourly rate (See Attachment B).

Line Item Classification/Title 1 HR Hourly Rate N/A

1 Please include Classification/ Title(s) and Hourly Rate.

1 HR

2 Please include Classification/ Title(s) and Hourly Rate.

1 HR

SECTION 6. OCLSB AND DVBE PREFERENCE POLICIES CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS

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County of Orange Local Small Business (OCLSB) Preference and Disabled Veteran

Business Enterprise (DVBE) Preference Policies Certification Requirements

6.1 OCLSB:

Effective January 1, 2020, County of Orange Board of Supervisors adopted the OCLSB

Preference policy. Implementation of the OCLSB Preference policy supports local businesses, the local economy and the development of the County’s tax base.

To be certified as a Local Small Business by the County of Orange, a business shall meet (1) and

(2) below:

A. Local Business Requirements:

1. maintains their principal center of operations (i.e. headquarters) within Orange

County, and:

2. has:

a. a business address located in the County of Orange that is not a post office box, or

b. a valid business license or certificate of occupancy issued by the County of

Orange or by an Orange County city, or other documentation acceptable to the

County of Orange.

B. Small Business Requirements:

1. Must be certified as a Small Business by the State of California Department of

General Services (DGS): and, C. Above requirements must be valid at the time of bid/proposal submittal.

6.2 DVBE:

Effective January 1, 2021, County of Orange Board of Supervisors adopted the DVBE Preference policy.

The DVBE Preference policy supports local business opportunity, economy and the development of

County’s tax base, and in addition recognizes the service and sacrifice given by the men and women of our Armed Forces.

To be certified as a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise by the County of Orange, a business shall meet

(A) and (B) below:

A. Must be certified as a DVBE by the State of California Department of General Services (DGS);

and, B. DGS DVBE requirements must be valid at the time of bid/proposal submittal.

To participate as an OCLSB and/or DVBE please read and follow the process outlined in COUNTY OF

ORANGE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS (OCLSB) AND DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESS

ENTERPRISE (DVBE) CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS in the VENDOR RESPONSES.

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*NOTE: DVBE PREFERENCE IS NOT APPLICABLE TO PUBLIC WORKS OR A-E

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

6.3 OCLSB/DVBE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

County Of Orange Local Small Business (OCLSB) Preference And Disabled Veteran

Business Enterprise (DVBE) Certification Requirements

A. To participate as an OCLSB and/or DVBE the following requirements must be met:

1. Must be certified with State of California the Department of General Services (DGS) as a Small Business. - https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx

2. Must be certified with DGS as a DVBE. - https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx

3. maintains their principal center of operations (i.e. headquarters) within Orange

County.

4. Certification must be valid at the date/time solicitation is closed, and it shall remain in effect at the time of contract award. County reserves the right to verify and/or reject incomplete documents.

5. Complete and sign the Affirmation form attached herein. The signed Affirmation form and the OCLSB Certification are required and must be returned with the solicitation response.

B. OCLSB or DVBE Preference provides for the following:

1. Invitation for Bid – IFB

A five percent (5%) deduction in the original bid price shall be applied to all confirmed OCLSB or DVBE bidders for evaluation purposes. If the lowest bidder is a certified OCLSB or DVBE bidder, the contract will be awarded at the certified

OCLSB or DVBE’s original bid price. The maximum allowable preference deduction is $100,000.

2. Request for Proposal - RFP

An additional five percent (5%) shall be applied to the tallied cost score of each certified OCLSB or DVBE to obtain their final score. If the final score of any OCLSB or DVBE matches the final score of a non-OCLSB or non-DVBE, preference shall be given to the certified OCLSB. If two or more OCLSB or DVBEs have the same final score, the County shall determine the contract award based on the County’s best interest.

C. Dual OCLSB and DVBE Preference provides for the following:

https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/sbdvbe-index.aspx

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1. Business Certified as OCLSB and DVBE

If a State-certified OCLSB is also a State-certified DVBE, the preference given to that business shall be 8% instead of 5%.

D. Subcontractors

If bidder is submitting subcontractors to qualify for the OCLSB or DVBE preference, bidder must demonstrate through the Staffing Plan that 20% of the total bid amount is allocated to the OCLSB and/or DVBE subcontractor(s).

*NOTE: DVBE PREFERENCE IS NOT APPLICABLE TO PUBLIC WORKS OR A-E

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

SECTION 7. VENDOR RESPONSES

Proposals must be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content with sufficient detail to allow for accurate evaluation and comparative analysis. Proposals (Part 3) are limited to 45 Page Maximum Page Maximum.

Note: Proposals that exceed the page limit noted above may be disqualified from further consideration.

Proposals are electronically organized into three (3) Parts and are indexed in the order outlined below. Complete all required questions within each part.

Part 1 - Compliance Statements (will not count against the page limit)

Part 2 - Company Profile & References (will not count against the page limit)

Part 3 - Respondent's Proposal (counts against the page limit, no exceptions)

7.1 PART 1: COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS

Some *required questions might not be applicable to your company. Do not leave any required fields blank. Please indicate "N/A" when necessary. A required field that is left blank will prohibit your response from being submitted.

*indicates that it is required.

7.1.1 Validity of Proposal*

The County requires that all Proposals be valid for at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days. Submissions not valid for at least three hundred sixty-five (365) days will be considered nonresponsive. The Respondent shall state the length of time for which the submitted Proposal shall remain valid below:

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Please state 365 calendar Days if your proposal will be valid for that period of time. If your proposal will be valid for a different period of time please list the appropriate number of calendar days.

Maximum response length: 100 characters

*Response required

7.1.2 Certification of Understanding*

The County assumes no responsibility for any understanding or representation made by any of its officers, employees or agents during or prior to the execution of any Contract resulting from this solicitation unless:

A. Such understanding or representations are expressly stated in the Contract; and

B. The Contract expressly provides that the County therefore assumes the responsibility.

Representations made but not expressly stated and for which liability is not expressly assumed by the County in the Contract shall be deemed only for the information of the Respondent.

Respondent certifies that such understanding has been considered in this response.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.1.3 Minimum Qualifications/Requirements Statement*

The Respondent certifies that it has thoroughly examined the County’s requirements and meets all minimum qualifications and requirements set forth in this RFP.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.1.4 Certificate of Insurance *

The Respondent shall certify its willingness and ability to provide the required insurance coverage and certificates as set forth in the Model Contract.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.1.5 Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 Requirements

All Contractors will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign vendors. County will inform Contractor, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 will be required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within ten (10) days of notification of selection of award of Contract but prior to official award of Contract, the selected Contractor agrees to furnish to the agency Deputy Procurement Agent (DPA) the required W-9 or W-8.

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You may upload the appropriate form here or comply within the ten (10) days as described above.

7.1.6 Conflict of Interest*

Does the Respondent have an existing relationship with the County, past or current, for any financial or business reasons, or any other reason?

An answer of "NO" shall be considered as Respondent certifying that no relationship exists or has existed as outlined below. An answer of "YES" will allow you to disclose the necessary information to the County.

Respondent with an existing or past relationship with the County, for any reason, shall answer "YES" to this question and disclose:

A. Any financial, business or other relationship with the County, any other entity that the

County Board of Supervisors governs, or any County Board member, officer or employee, which may have an impact, affect or influence on the outcome of the services you propose to provide. Provide a list of current clients, employees, principals or shareholders (including family members) who may have a financial interest in the outcome of services you propose to provide.

B. Any financial, business or other relationship within the last three (3) years with any firm or member of any firm who may have a financial interest in the outcome of the work.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

7.1.7 Conflict of Interest Follow Up Question 1*

Disclose any financial, business or other relationship with the County, any other entity that the County Board of Supervisors governs, or any County Board member, officer or employee, which may have an impact, affect or influence on the outcome of the services you propose to provide. Provide a list of current clients, employees, principals or shareholders (including family members) who may have a financial interest in the outcome of services you propose to provide.

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

7.1.8 Conflict of Interest Follow Up Question 2*

Disclose any financial, business or other relationship within the last three (3) years with any firm or member of any firm who may have a financial interest in the outcome of the work.

*Response required

7.1.9 Statement of Compliance*

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A statement of compliance with all parts of this RFP or a listing of exceptions and suggested changes must be submitted in response to this RFP.

• Yes = No Exceptions: This response is in strict compliance with said RFP, including, but not limited to, the terms and conditions set forth in the Contract and its Attachments, and no exceptions thereto are proposed.

• No = Exceptions: If there are any proposed exceptions, This response shall proceed to upload a list of any and all exceptions in accordance with the instructions provided after

"No" is selected.

Note: Respondents submitting exceptions to the County Model Contract listed in this RFP will receive a score of “0” for that criteria.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "No"

7.1.10 Attachment for each proposed exception must include:*

A. The RFP page number and section of the provision Respondent is taking exception to;

B. The complete provision Respondent is taking exception to;

C. The Respondent’s suggested rewording;

D. Reason(s) for submitting the proposed exception; and

E. Any impact the proposed exception may have on cost, scheduling, or other areas.

*Response required

7.1.11 Non-Collusion Affidavit*

Each Respondent must execute the Non-Collusion Declaration contained in the RFP and submit it with the Proposal.

The County of Orange may require that the Respondent, before awarding any subcontract, secure

Non-Collusion Declarations from proposed Subcontractors. The County of Orange does not conduct business with Respondents who engage in the act of Collusion.

• Non-Collusion_Declaration.pdf

• Non-Collusion_Affidavit.docx

*Response required https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/162680/a9315d92-1452-4c7c-8625-1385e0086ee6_Non-Collusion_Declaration.pdf https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/162680/a642b534-f828-4a1a-b1de-d818e33362df_Non-Collusion_Affidavit.docx

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7.1.12 Non-Collusion Declaration - A*

Has your firm ever initiated discussions with competing consulting firms about the payment structure of an existing or potential future contract with the County of Orange? Respondent must select one (1).

If Respondent selects Yes answer, Respondent must provide a brief explanation below. A

“Yes” answer may preclude you from moving forward in the RFP Process. Respondent must certify both questions below:

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

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