RFP_2025-591-OSG.docx

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) # 2025-591-OSG

Communications and Public Relations Consulting Services California Health and Human Services Office of the California Surgeon General

The State of California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) invites you to review and respond to this Request for Proposal (RFP) # 2025-591-OSG for communications and public relations consulting services. In submitting your proposal, you shall comply with the instructions found herein. In addition to those programs and preferences that are specified in this solicitation, Proposers are encouraged to consider programs and preferences that are available, such as those for the use of small businesses, disadvantaged businesses, disabled veteran businesses, and other businesses covered by programs and preferences.

The CalHHS is committed to meeting the State’s twenty five percent (25%) Small Business participation goal and wants to encourage Certified Small Businesses (SB), Microbusinesses (MB), and any Proposers willing to commit to subcontracting a minimum of twenty five percent (25%) of their net bid price to certified SB or MB to submit proposals. This RFP includes an incentive of 5% for SB/MB or Non-SB/MB willing to commit to subcontracting at least 25% to a certified SB/MB.

This RFP includes an incentive of at least three percent (3%) for Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE).

All agreements entered into with the State of California will include, by reference, the Department of General Services (DGS), General Terms and Conditions (GTC 02/2025) and Contractor Certification Clauses (CCC 04/2017) that may be viewed and downloaded at the following internet site:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language.

The Agreement resulting from this procurement shall not exceed $150,000. The term is eighteen (18) months, with a State option to extend the term of the Agreement for up to twelve (12) months, as necessary to receive complete performance.

Proposers submitting a proposal must comply with the instructions in this RFP.

This RFP is being conducted using the Secondary Method. This method requires evaluation of proposals by an evaluation team with the award made to the responsible and responsive proposer earning the highest score.

The designated contact person for this RFP is:

Procurement Official's Name: Faisal Aziz Agency Name: California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) Telephone Number: (279) 444-9155 Email: Faisal.Aziz@chhs.ca.gov

In the opinion of the CalHHS, this RFP is complete and without need of explanation. However, if you have questions, or should you need any clarification, please submit your questions in writing to the Procurement Official in accordance with the Questions and Answers portion of this RFP. Please note that no verbal information given will be binding upon the CalHHS unless such information is issued in writing as an official addendum.

Americans with Disabilities Act To comply with the nondiscrimination requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of the State of California to make every effort to ensure that its programs, activities, and services are available to all persons, including persons with disabilities.

For persons with a disability needing a reasonable accommodation to participate in the procurement process or for persons having questions regarding reasonable accommodations of the procurement process, you may contact the Procurement Official.

Important: To ensure that we can meet your need, it is best that we receive your request for reasonable accommodations at least 10 working days before the scheduled event, e.g., meeting, conference, workshop, etc., or procurement deadline/due-date.

1. KEY ACTION DATES

It is recognized that time is of the essence. All Proposers are hereby advised of the following schedule and will be expected to adhere to the required dates and times.

All dates after Final Date for Proposal Submission are approximate and may be adjusted as conditions indicate without addendum to this RFP.

2. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

2.1. Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing by the Written Questions Submittal date and time specified in the Section 1 Key Action Dates. Proposers must submit their written questions via e-mail.

2.2. Written questions must include the individual's name, firm name, and must reference RFP No. 2025-591-OSG. Questions must be sent to the following:

Email To: Faisal Aziz

Email: faisal.aziz@chhs.ca.gov

2.3. Written responses to all questions will be collectively compiled and posted, as an addendum, to the Cal eProcure website (https://caleprocure.com/pages/index.aspx). It is the responsibility of the Proposer to access the website for any changes or addenda that may be posted. Refer to Section 1 Key Action Dates, for the schedule of events and dates/times. It is the responsibility of the proposer to check Cal eProcure for all addenda.

2.4. CalHHS reserves the right to not provide a response to written questions submitted after the date and time for Written Questions Submittal specified in Section 1: Key Action Dates.

3. BACKGROUND

The role of California Surgeon General was created in 2019 by Governor Gavin Newsom with the understanding that some of the most pernicious, but least addressed health challenges are the upstream factors that eventually become chronic and acute conditions that are far more difficult and expensive to treat. The position’s responsibilities include advising the Governor, serving as a leading spokesperson on matters of public health, and driving solutions to our most pressing public health challenges.

4. SERVICES NEEDED

The CalHHS is seeking to procure communications and public relations consulting services for the Office of the California Surgeon General, from a highly qualified and well-rounded consultant team.

The tasks associated with the proposed Agreement will require a consultant(s) with a specific range of expertise. The detailed tasks associated with this effort can be found in this RFP, Section II, Exhibit A – Statement of Work, section 5, Scope of Services.

5. EVALUATION AND SELECTION

5.1. An evaluation team will be established to evaluate the proposals.

5.2. At the time of proposal opening, each proposal will be checked for the presence or absence of required information in conformance with the submission requirements of this RFP.

5.3. The evaluation team will evaluate each proposal to determine responsiveness to the published requirements.

5.4. Proposals that contain false or misleading statements, or which provide references, which do not support an attribute or condition claimed by the Proposer, may be rejected.

5.5. The following Evaluation Criteria summarizes the items, the weighting of importance for each item, and the maximum number of points to be awarded for each stage of the evaluation by the evaluation team. Proposals must be responsive in order to move to the next stage. Proposals that are determined to be non-responsive to a stage may not be eligible to receive an award.

Table 5-1 Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria

5.6. During the evaluation of the proposals, the evaluation team may request that the proposer clarify any area of the proposal that the evaluation team determined to be unclear, for example, if there are clerical or mathematical errors in the proposal.

5.7. Administrative Evaluation of proposals will be evaluated and scored on a pass/fail basis using Attachment 17: Criteria for Evaluation of Proposal. The Procurement Official and the Evaluation Team will review the Proposals to ensure the submission and completion of the required forms, documents, and certifications. The Administrative Evaluation will be scored on a Pass/Fail basis and only those Proposals that receive a passing score will proceed to the other evaluation phases.

5.8. The State evaluation team will use a consensus scoring model to score Sections 5.9 to 5.11 below. The consensus rating scale is shown in Attachment 17.

5.9. Firm Strengths and Experience Evaluation (50 Maximum Points). As stated in Attachment 13, Bidders must provide a brief narrative describing their Firm’s Strengths and Experience pertinent to accomplishing the tasks in Exhibit A - Statement of Work. The State Evaluation Team will score the narrative. Only scores that are fair or better will move on to the next stage of the evaluation.

5.10. Staff Experience Evaluation (200 Maximum Points). As stated in Attachment 13, Bidders must provide a brief narrative describing the experience of their proposed staff, and how their experience meets the needs of accomplishing the tasks in Exhibit A - Statement of Work. The State Evaluation Team will score the narrative along with information provided in the proposed staffs’ résumé. Only scores that are fair or better will move on to the next stage of the evaluation.

5.11. Bidder’s Understanding and Approach Evaluation (450 Maximum Points). As stated in Attachment 13, Bidders must describe the firm’s understanding and approach to accomplish the tasks in Exhibit A - Statement of Work. Bidders must also provide a timeline diagram or Gantt chart showing the tasks, milestones, and deliverables including task start and end dates and staff resources and hours allocated to each task. The State Evaluation Team will score the narrative. Only scores that are fair or better will move on to the next stage of the evaluation.

5.12. Cost Evaluation (300 Maximum Points). Bidders must provide their costs for the required services as shown in Attachment 14, Cost Worksheet. The cost evaluation is based on the Bidder’s total cost for Year 1. The responsive Bidder with the lowest costs will be awarded 300 points. All other Bidders will receive a score calculated on a percentage basis of the lowest cost.

5.13. Cost Scoring Example

Example

(Lowest Price ÷ Bidder’s Price) Cost Score (B x 300 = C)

Note: Decimals are rounded to the nearest hundredths.

5.14. Once scores are final, proposals will have applicable preferences and incentives applied as detailed in Section 12, Preference Programs.

5.15. Interview Evaluation (optional): The State, at its own discretion, may hold interviews as part of this evaluation. The State will determine, at a later date, which Bidders will be invited to participate in the interview evaluation. If interviews are held, a maximum of 200 points will be awarded for the interview evaluation component.

5.16. The award, if made, will be to the Proposer who submitted the highest-scored responsive and responsible proposal. A responsive proposal is one which meets or exceeds the requirements stated in this RFP.

6. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

6.1. Administrative Proposal Requirements

The following attachments are mandatory for proposers to complete and submit in their proposal (except if not applicable as indicated):

· Attachment #1 Proposal Checklist

· Attachment #2 Proposer/Proposal Certification Sheet

· Attachment #3 Contractor Certification Clauses (CCC-04/2017)

· Attachment #4 Bidder Declaration (GSPD-05-105)

· Attachment #5 DVBE Declarations (Std. 843)

· Attachment #6 Commercially Useful Function Documentation form

· Attachment #7 Darfur Contracting Act Compliance Certification

· Attachment #8 Iran Contracting Act Compliance Certification

· Attachment #9 Payee Data Record (Std. 204)

· Attachment #10 Civil Rights Form

· Attachment #11 Proposer Preferences and Incentives

· Attachment #12 Target Area Contract Preference Act (Std. 830) and Bidder’s Summary of Contract Activities and Labor Hours (GSPD-526) (if applicable)

6.2. Technical Proposal Requirements

The following attachments are mandatory for proposers to respond to and submit in their proposal:

· Attachment #13 Experience and Approach

· Attachment #14 Cost worksheet

· Attachment #15 Consultant Résumés

6.3. Cost Proposal Requirement

The following attachment is mandatory for proposers to complete and submit in their proposal:

· Attachment #14 Cost Worksheet

The Proposer shall propose costs to fully leverage the CalHHS efforts and funds. The CalHHS has a fixed budget and is seeking to maximize the Agreement dollars for the campaign. The Proposer is expected to provide labor costs for staff resources to perform the services, needed by the CalHHS, in the most cost-efficient way that allows for a sufficient quantity of hours.

7. Submission of Proposal

7.1. Proposals should provide straightforward and concise descriptions of the Proposer’s ability to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. The proposal must be complete and accurate. Omissions, inaccuracies, or misstatements may be cause for rejection of a proposal.

7.2. The proposal package should be prepared in the least expensive method.

7.3. Proposals must be submitted electronically to Faisal.Aziz@chhs.ca.gov by the date and times shown in Section 1 Key Action Dates. Proposals received after the date and time may not be considered. It is the responsibility of all Proposers to request and receive a message from the State Procurement Official indicating that their proposal was received by the required due date and time.

7.4. Proposals must be e-mailed to Faisal.Aziz@chhs.ca.gov. Proposals submitted to any other e-mail address shall not be accepted.

7.8. Costs incurred for developing proposals and in anticipation of award of the agreement are entirely the responsibility of the Proposer and shall not be charged to the CalHHS.

7.15. Where applicable, the Proposer should carefully examine work sites and specifications. No additions or increases to the agreement amount will be made due to a lack of careful examination of work sites and specifications.

7.18. No oral understanding or agreement shall be binding on either party.

7.19. Prior to approval of the agreement, the Proposer must furnish certificate(s) of insurance as listed in the Exhibit E.

8. AWARD AND PROTEST

8.1. Notice of the proposed award shall be posted in a public place at the following location for five (5) working days prior to awarding the agreement:

California Health and Human Services Agency 1215 O Street Sacramento, CA 95814

AND

Department of General Services Office of Legal Services Attention: Bid Protest Coordinator 707 Third Street, 7th Floor, Suite 7-330 West Sacramento, CA 95605 Bid Protest Coordinator Email address: OLSProtests@dgs.ca.gov

AND

California Health and Human Services Agency Attn: Faisal Aziz 1215 O Street, 11th Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 Email: Faisal.Aziz@chhs.ca.gov

8.4. Within five (5) days after filing the initial protest, the protesting Proposer shall file with the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services and the CalHHS a detailed statement specifying the grounds for the protest.

9. DISPOSITION OF PROPOSALS

9.1. Upon proposal opening, all documents submitted in response to this RFP will become the property of the State of California and will be regarded as public records under the California Public Records Act (Government Code Section 6250 et seq.) and subject to review by the public at the conclusion of the evaluation scoring process.

9.2. Proposal packages may be returned only at the Proposer’s expense, unless such expense is waived by the awarding agency.

10. TIE BIDS

In the event of a tie score, the award will be determined by a coin toss, by the Procurement Official, to break the tie. The affected Proposers will be invited. In the event of a precise tie between the responsible proposal of a certified small business and the responsible proposal of a certified disabled veteran owned business that is also a small business, the contract will be awarded to the disabled veteran owned small business. (GC § 14838 (f); 2 CCR 1896.8(f)).

11. AGREEMENT EXECUTION AND PERFORMANCE

11.1. Performance shall start not later than five (5) days, or on the express date set by the awarding agency and the Contractor, after all approvals have been obtained and the agreement is fully executed. Should the Contractor fail to commence work at the agreed upon time, the CalHHS, upon five (5) days written notice to the Contractor, reserves the right to terminate the agreement. In addition, the Contractor shall be liable to the CalHHS for the difference between Contractor’s proposal price and the actual cost of performing work by another contractor.

11.2. All performance under the agreement shall be completed on or before the termination date of the agreement.

12. PREFERENCE PROGRAMS

Qualified Proposers may earn preference and incentive points by claiming any of the following preferences. These preferences are not mandatory and are optional for the Proposer to claim:

1. DVBE

2. Small Business (SB) Preference

3. Non-Small Business (Non-SB) Preference

4. Target Area Contract Preference Act

Proposers claiming these preferences will be awarded preferential points as a percentage of the overall evaluation score.

12.1. DVBE Participation Program Requirement

The California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program requires that agencies take all practical actions necessary to meet or exceed a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation goal of three percent (3%) of the agency’s overall contract dollars.

Public Contract Code Section 10115 et seq. establishes a contract participation goal of at least three percent (3%) for Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE). This goal applies to a state agency’s overall contracting program.

THE DEPARTMENT ELECTS TO WAIVE DVBE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS SOLICITATION BUT OPTS TO INCLUDE THE DVBE INCENTIVE.

In accordance with §999.5 et seq. of the Military and Veterans Code, an incentive will be given to proposers who propose DVBE participation. For evaluation purposes only, the CALHHS shall apply an incentive amount based on the confirmed amount of DVBE participation.

The following incentive points shall apply to this solicitation:

(% of total points available) DVBE Incentive Points

12.2. Small Business Preference

A. As an incentive, a small business prime contractor who is a certified small business and is responsible for performing work that is at least 25% of its net bid price is eligible for a bid preference of five percent (5%) of the highest scored responsible proposal that is not eligible for the small business preference.

B. If you are in the process of obtaining your SB or DVBE certification, completed certification applications and required support documents must be submitted to the DGS’ Office of Small Business and DVBE Services (OSDS) no later than 5:00 p.m. on the final proposal submission date, and the OSDS must be able to approve the application as submitted.

12.3. Non-SB Preference

A. As an incentive, a non-small business prime contractor who uses certified small business subcontractors for at least 25% of its net bid price is eligible for a bid preference of five percent (5%) of the lowest responsible proposal when competing against another non-small business.

12.4. Target Area Contract Preference Act (TACPA)

The application of TACPA preference points may not displace an award to a Department of General Services (DGS) certified Small Business. However, a firm that receives a 5% non-small business subcontractor preference is not a certified Small Business and may be displaced by the application of the TACPA preferences.

The maximum preference allowed for TACPA is 9% and may not exceed $50,000.00 for any bid. In combination with any other preferences (TACPA, SB, non-SB subcontracting participation, recycled, etc.), the maximum limit of the combined preferences is 15% of the bid amount and, in no case, shall be more than $100,000.00 per bid.

Proposers’ questions regarding this preference are to be directed to:

Department of General Services Procurement Division – Dispute Resolution Unit

707 Third Street, Second Floor West Sacramento, CA 95605 Business Hours: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Email: TACPA@dgs.ca.gov

13. EXECUTIVE ORDER N-6-22 – RUSSIA SANCTIONS

On March 4, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-6-22 (the EO) regarding Economic Sanctions against Russia and Russian entities and individuals. “Economic Sanctions” refers to sanctions imposed by the U.S. government in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, as well as any sanctions imposed under state law. By submitting a bid or proposal, Contractor represents that it is not a target of Economic Sanctions. Should the State determine Contractor is a target of Economic Sanctions or is conducting prohibited transactions with sanctioned individuals or entities, that shall be grounds for rejection of the Contractor’s bid/proposal any time prior to contract execution, or, if determined after contract execution, shall be grounds for termination by the State.

14. GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (GenAI) REQUIREMENTS

The State of California seeks to realize the potential benefits of GenAI, through the development and deployment of GenAI tools, while balancing the risks of these new technologies. Bidder / Offeror must notify the State in writing if it: (1) intends to provide GenAI as a deliverable to the State; or (2), intends to utilize GenAI, including GenAI from third parties, to complete all or a portion of any deliverable that materially impacts: (i) functionality of a State system, (ii) risk to the State, or (iii) Contract performance. For avoidance of doubt, the term “materially impacts” shall have the meaning set forth in State Administrative Manual (SAM) § 4986.2 Definitions for GenAI. Failure to report GenAI to the State may result in disqualification. The State reserves the right to seek any and all relief to which it may be entitled to as a result of such non-disclosure. Upon notification by a Bidder / Offeror of GenAI as required, the State reserves the right to incorporate GenAI Special Provisions into the final contract or reject bids/offers that present an unacceptable level of risk to the State. Government Code 11549.64 defines “Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)” as an artificial intelligence system that can generate derived synthetic content, including text, images, video, and audio that emulates the structure and characteristics of the system’s training data.

15. LOSS LEADER

Pursuant to PCC Section 12104.5(b)(1), “It is unlawful for any person engaged in business within this state to sell or use any article or product as a “loss leader” as defined in Section 17030 of the Business and Professions Code.”

ATTACHMENT 1

PROPOSAL CHECKLIST

A complete proposal or proposal package will consist of the items identified below.

Complete this checklist to confirm the items in your proposal. Place a check mark or “X” next to each item that you are submitting in your proposal to the CalHHS. For your proposal to be responsive, all required attachments must be returned, (except if not applicable as indicated). This checklist must be returned with your proposal package.

Proposers shall organize their proposal with the attachments in the following order shown below. Failure to submit the attachments in the following order may cause your proposal to be rejected.

NOTE: The State does not guarantee that this checklist is comprehensive. Use of this checklist does not absolve proposers from reading the entire RFP nor will it excuse Proposers of any obligations set forth in this RFP.

ATTACHMENT 2

PROPOSAL/PROPOSER CERTIFICATION SHEET

This Proposal/Proposer Certification Sheet must be signed and returned along with all the required attachments in PDF format.

Firm Name:

Address:

Person Authorized to Bind Firm:

Email Address:

Phone Number

The signature affixed and dated hereon certifies compliance with all the requirements of this RFP. By signing this form, I (we) certify the following:

1. The information contained in this Response is accurate and all required Exhibits and information submitted as a part of this Response are certified to be true and binding upon the proposer.

2. This is a firm fixed cost and irrevocable proposal for one hundred and eighty (180) days following the RFP Response Due Date, as specified in the Key Action Dates and Times, and agree to execute an agreement, if awarded.

3. This firm’s ability and willingness to perform the services as described in the RFP.

4. The firm’s proposed staff resources are available to perform all services and providing all deliverables as described in this RFP.

5. The firm agrees to the State’s Terms and Conditions of this RFP and will comply with the requirements set forth in this RFP without change or modification.

ATTACHMENT 3

CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION CLAUSES (CCC-04/2017)

The CCC-04/2017 is located on the Internet at:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language

ATTACHMENT 4

BIDDER DECLARATION (GSPD-05-105)

The Bidder Declaration is located at:

https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/gs/pd/gspd05-105.pdf

ATTACHMENT 5

DVBE DECLARATIONS (STD. 843)

The Std. 843 is located at https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/gs/pd/pd_843.pdf

ATTACHMENT 6

COMMERCIALLY USEFUL FUNCTION DOCUMENTATION

All certified small business, micro business, or DVBE contractors, subcontractors or suppliers shall meet the commercially useful function requirements under GC Section 14837(d) (4)(A) (i-v) (for SB) and Military and Veterans Code Section 999(b)(5)(B) (i) (I-V) (for DVBE) as stated below.

VENDOR NAME:

SUBCONTRACTOR NAME:

Mark all that apply: DVBE |_| Small Business |_| Micro Business |_|

SECTION 1:

A person or entity is deemed to perform “a commercially useful function” if a person or entity does all of the following. (Please answer the following questions.)

NOTE: A response of “No” to any of the questions above may result in your response to be deemed non-responsive and disqualified.

SECTION 2:

The Vendor shall provide a written statement detailing the role, services and/or goods the subcontractor(s) will provide to meet the commercially useful function requirement.

SIGNATURE OF VENDOR (PRIME): DATE:

ATTACHMENT 7

DARFUR CONTRACTING ACT COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION

Public Contract Code §§10475 -10481 applies to any company that currently or within the previous three (3) years has had business activities or other operations outside of the United States. For such a company to bid on or submit a Proposal for a State of California contract, the company must certify that it is either: a) not a scrutinized company; or b) a scrutinized company that has been granted permission by the Department of General Services (DGS) to submit a Proposal.

If your company has not, within the previous three (3) years, had any business activities or other operations outside of the United States, you do not need to complete this form.

OPTION #1 – CERTIFICATION

If your company, within the previous three (3) years, has had business activities or other operations outside of the United States, in order to be eligible to submit a bid or Proposal, please insert your company name and Federal ID Number and complete the certification below.

I, the official named below, CERTIFY UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY that: a) the prospective Vendor/Bidder named below is not a scrutinized company per Public Contract Code §10476; and b) I am duly authorized to legally bind the prospective Vendor/Bidder named below. This certification is made under the laws of the State of California.

By (Authorized Signature)

Printed Name and Title of Person Signing

OPTION #2 – WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM DGS

Pursuant to Public Contract Code §10477(b), the Director of the DGS may permit a scrutinized company, on a case-by-case basis, to bid on or submit a Proposal for a contract with a state agency for goods or services, if it is in the best interests of the State. If you are a scrutinized company that has obtained written permission from the DGS to submit a bid or Proposal, complete the information below.

We are a scrutinized company as defined in Public Contract Code §10476, but we have received written permission from the DGS to submit a bid or Proposal pursuant to Public Contract Code §10477(b). A copy of the written permission from DGS is included with our bid or Proposal.

Initials of Submitter

Printed Name and Title of Person Initialing

ATTACHMENT 8

IRAN CONTRACTING ACT COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION

(Public Contract Code Sections 2202-2208)

Prior to bidding on, submitting an Proposal, or executing a contract or renewal for a State of California contract for goods or services of one million dollars ($1,000,000) or more, a Vendor must either: a) certify it is not on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by the California Department of General Services (DGS) pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 2203(b) and is not a financial institution extending twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) or more in credit to another person, for 45 days or more, if that other person will use the credit to provide goods or services in the energy sector in Iran and is identified on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS, or b) demonstrate it has been exempted from the certification requirement for that solicitation or contract pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 2203(c) or (d).

To comply with this requirement, the Vendor must insert its financial institution name and Federal Identification Number (if available) and complete one of the options below. Please note: California law established penalties for providing false certifications, including civil penalties equal to the greater of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) or twice the amount of the contract for which the false certification was made, contract termination, and three-year ineligibility to bid on contracts. (Public Contract Code Section 2205.)

OPTION #1 - CERTIFICATION

I, the official named below, certify I am duly authorized to execute this certification on behalf of the Vendor/financial institution identified below, and the Vendor/financial institution identified below is not on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS and is not a financial institution extending twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) or more in credit to another person/Vendor, for 45 days or more, if that other person/Vendor will use the credit to provide goods or services in the energy sector in Iran and is identified on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by the DGS.

By (Authorized Signature)

Printed Name and Title of Person Signing

OPTION #2 – EXEMPTION

Pursuant to Public Contract Code Sections 2203(c) and (d), a public entity may permit a Vendor/financial institution engaged in investment activities in Iran, on a case-by-case basis, to be eligible for, or to bid on, submit a Proposal for, or enters into or renews, a contract for goods and services. If a Vendor has obtained an exemption from the certification requirement under the Iran Contracting Act, fill out the information below, and attach documentation demonstrating the exemption approval.

By (Authorized Signature)

ATTACHMENT 9

PAYEE DATA RECORD (STD. 204)

The Std. 204 is located at https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std204.pdf

ATTACHMENT 10

CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS ATTACHMENT

The California Civil Rights Laws form is located at https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Forms

ATTACHMENT 11

PROPOSER PREFERENCES AND INCENTIVES

All Proposers: Complete All Sections Below and Submit with Your Proposal.

1. SMALL BUSINESS / NON-SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE:

Proposer must check the appropriate box from the choices below.

My DGS Small Business certification number is:

Proposer must complete and submit Attachment 4: GSPD-05-105 Bidder Declaration, indicating the percentage of the revenue that will be received by each DGS certified Small Business Subcontractor.

2. DVBE INCENTIVE:

Proposer must check the appropriate box from the choices below.

Proposer must submit a complete Attachment 4: GSPD-05-105, Bidder Declaration, indicating the percentage of the revenue that will be received by each DGS certified DVBE Subcontractor. Bidder must also submit an Attachment 5, Std. 843 DVBE Declarations, for each DVBE Subcontractor, signed by the DVBE owner/manager.

Name of Proposer:

Name of Person Signing:

Signature and Date:

ATTACHMENT 12

TARGET AREA CONTRACT PREFERENCE ACT

The policies and procedures specific to TACPA can be found at the link below:

https://tacpa.dgs.ca.gov/Home/About?Length=4

If claiming TACPA please submit both required forms below:

The STD 830 Target Area Contract Preference Act form is located at https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std830.pdf

The GSPD-526 Bidder’s Summary of Contract Activities and Labor Hours is located at:

https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/gs/pd/gspd0526.pdf

ATTACHMENT 13

EXPERIENCE AND APPROACH NARRATIVE

INSTRUCTIONS: Bidders must provide an Experience and Approach Narrative, not to exceed eight (8) pages in length, using 11-point font on 8 ½” X 11” paper.

This Narrative must address the following items:

1) Firm Strengths – Please describe the strengths of your firm, including historical accomplishments, unique services, and expertise. Describe in detail key contributions your firm would bring to CalHHS and why your agency should be considered for this consulting services contract.

2) Firm Experience – Please describe your firm’s relevant past experience with engagements similar to this one as described in Exhibit A - Statement of Work, Section 5, Scope of Services.

3) Staff Experience – Please describe your proposed consultant resources and how their experience meets the needs of the SOW described in Exhibit A - Statement of Work, Section 5, Scope of Services.

Desirable Staff Qualifications include but are not limited to:

1. Experience providing Communications and Public Relations services to Government entity(s).

1. Experience working with State and Local Government Stakeholders.

1. Experience working with Maternal Health initiatives.

Note: Bidders must separately provide Consultant Résumés and References as Attachment 15. The résumés do not count toward the 8-page narrative limit.

4) Bidder’s Understanding and Approach to completing the SOW tasks - Please describe your firm’s approach to completing the tasks described in Exhibit A - Statement of Work, Section 5, Scope of Services.

5) Please also provide work product samples for each of the categories below (this will not count against the 8 page limit):

a. Social Media Content (including one from each of the following social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn);

b. Talking points or Scripts; and

c. Fact Sheets

ATTACHMENT 14

COST WORKSHEET

INSTRUCTIONS: Bidders must complete this attachment and include it with the proposal response. Bidders must complete the yellow highlighted cells in Columns D, E, F, and G below. Bidders may insert rows to include additional Consultants in Column D including their Estimated Hours Needed, Hourly Rate and Extension Price. In Column F, Bidders must include Hourly Rate(s) which should be all-inclusive of direct and indirect costs. Bidders must include a blended rate for Task Group 10, Column F. The Extension Price for Task Group 10, Column G is 10% of the total Extension Price for Task Group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,and 8 combined plus an additional $10,000. After contract award, the State may shift costs in these tables as needed to complete services in this Agreement.

EXTENSION PRICE

(E x F)

SUB - CONTRACTOR

(Y/N)

Group 1 Contract Engagement Tasks

Total for Column G must not exceed $150,000

N/A

ATTACHMENT 15

CONSULTANT RÉSUMÉS

Bidders must provide a résumé for each key staff. Résumés must include all relevant experience and a Reference for each experience listed. Each résumé must not exceed 3 pages in length. See example below.

Resource Name: Jane Doe (XYZ, Inc.)

1/1/2020 – 12/31/2020

Managed project schedule.

John Smith

ATTACHMENT 16

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR REFERENCES

Bidders must provide contact information for the named reference associated with the job experiences listed in Attachment 15 as a separate attachment. CalHHS reserves the right to check references to verify the information submitted in Attachment 15 – Consultant Resumes.

ATTACHMENT 17

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF PROPOSAL

Proposals must be submitted by email to Faisal.Aziz@chhs.ca.gov by the dates and times shown in Section 1 Key Action Dates.

If the proposal is made under a fictitious name or business title, the actual legal name of proposer must be provided.

Cost Proposal Evaluation Example

(Lowest Price ÷ Bidder’s Price) Cost Score (B x 300 = C)

Note: Decimals are rounded to the nearest hundredths.

Scoring Summary

SECTION II- EXHIBIT A

STATEMENT OF WORK

1. PURPOSE

This Statement of Work (SOW) reflects the services to be provided by <Contractor>, hereinafter referred to as the “Contractor,” for the California Health and Human Services Agency, Office of the California Surgeon General (OSG), hereinafter referred to as “State” or “CalHHS”. The purpose of this Agreement is for the Contractor to provide communications and public relations consulting services. A detailed description of the services can be found in the Section 5 Scope of Services.

This SOW is governed by and incorporates by reference General Terms and Conditions (GTC 02/2025) and Contractor Certification Clause (CCC 04/2017) which can be found at the link below:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language

2. TERM

2.1. The term of this Agreement shall commence on February 2, 2026, or the date the Agreement is approved by the Department of General Services (DGS), whichever is later (referred to herein as the “Effective Date”), and continue through July 2, 2027.

2.2. If the Contractor has not completed performance of the services set forth in this Agreement within the term, the State reserves the option to extend the term of this Agreement, as necessary to receive complete performance by the Contractor for a period of up to twelve (12) months and at the originally agreed-upon costs specified in the Exhibit B Budget and Payment Detail.

2.3. The Contractor shall not be authorized to deliver goods or commence performance of services described in this Agreement prior to the Effective Date. Any delivery of goods or performance of services by the Contractor that commences prior to the Effective Date shall be considered gratuitous on the part of the Contractor.

3. WORK LOCATION

The Contractor will be required to perform the services, under this Agreement, onsite at the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) office located at 1215 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.