RFP_25-500-01_CalHR.Wellness.Program.FINAL.pdf

welcome to brighter

MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2025

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

CALHR WELLNESS RFP 25-500-01

CalHR Benefits Wellness Program Service

The State of California, Department of Human Resources (CalHR) invites you to review and respond to this Request for Proposal (RFP), titled CalHR Wellness RFP 25-500-01 for the workplace wellness program service. The anticipated term of this contract is three years, beginning January 1, 2026. In submitting your proposal, you must comply with these instructions.

Note that all contracts with CalHR, incorporate, by reference, the state’s General Terms and Conditions (GTC 02/2025) and Contractor Certification Clauses (CCC 04/2017) that may be viewed and downloaded at the Department of General Services websites:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources

The CCC package contains clauses and conditions that may apply to your contract and to anyone doing business with CalHR. The certification will be kept on file in a central location and must be renewed every three years or updated as changes occur.

In CalHR’s opinion, this RFP is complete and without need of explanation. However, if you have questions or need clarifying information, submit your question(s) no later than 4:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Friday, June 6, 2025, in accordance with the RFP instructions to:

Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com, Madeline.Adamy@mercer.com, and Josephine.Tang@mercer.com.

Completed proposals must be received by electronic submission in PDF format no later than 4:00 p.m. PST on Monday, June 23, 2025.

Please send documents asked in the RFP to Mercer referenced below. Additionally, if you experience technical difficulties contact:

Mercer Wellness RFP 25-500-01

Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com, Madeline.Adamy@mercer.com, and Josephine.Tang@mercer.com

Note that no verbal information given is binding upon CalHR unless such information is issued in writing as an official RFP addendum.

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources mailto:Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com mailto:Madeline.Adamy@mercer.com mailto:Josephine.Tang@mercer.com mailto:Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com mailto:Madeline.Adamy@mercer.com mailto:Josephine.Tang@mercer.com

RFP #: 25-500-01

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Description Page

Letter of Authorization 4

Purpose and Description of Services 5

Bidder Minimum Qualifications 7

Proposal Narrative 8

Proposal Questionnaire, Requirements, and Information 15

Proposal Key Action Dates 17

Location Where Work Will Be Performed 17

Questions and Answers 17

Submission of Proposal 17

Evaluation and Selection Process 21

Tax Delinquent Status Verification 26

Notice of Intent to Award and Protest 27

Disposition of Proposals 28

Standard Conditions of Service 28

Payee Data Record 28

Darfur Contracting Act Certification 28

Economic Incentive Program 29

Small Business Preference Program 29

Non-Small Business Preference Request Form and Instructions 31

Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Incentive 33

California Code of Regulations 1896.99.100 33

Proposal Checklist 36

Attachment I – Proposal/Proposing Firm Certification Sheet / Instructions 38

Attachment II – Proposing Firm References 40

Attachment III – Minimum Qualifications Certification 41

Attachment IV – Technical Proposal Questionnaire 43

Attachment V – Darfur Contracting Act Certification 44

Attachment VI – California DVBE Program Incentive Instructions and Forms 45

CalHR 661 and 662

Attachment VII – DVBE Declarations (STD 843) 55

Attachment VIII – Proposer Declaration (Form GSPD-05-105) 56

Sample Standard Contract (STD 213) 58

Exhibit A – Scope of Work 59

Exhibit B – Budget Detail and Payment Provisions 68

Exhibit C – General Terms and Conditions (GTC 610) 69

Exhibit D – Special Terms and Conditions 70

Exhibit E – Additional Provisions 75

Exhibit E, Attachment 1 – Protection of Confidential and Sensitive Information

Exhibit E, Attachment 2 – Non-Disclosure Certificate 83

Exhibit E, Attachment 3 – DVBE Activity Report Form (CalHR) 84

Exhibit E, Attachment 4 – Small Business/DVBE Subcontractor Payment Certification

Exhibit F – Technical and Procedural Directives 87

Exhibit G – Information Management Services Requirements 89

Acronym List 98

June 2, 2025

To Whom It May Concern, This letter authorizes Mercer, CA Insurance License # 0E75483 to act on behalf of the State of California, Department of Human Resources as its representative in conducting a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Wellness Program. This program is provided to active state employees.

Please cooperate and provide Mercer with any and all information they may require to complete this RFP process. All questions or concerns related to this process should be directed to Mercer at Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com.

Sincerely, Nicole Griffith, Chief

Benefits Division mailto:Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com

1. PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

The State of California, Department of Human Resources (CalHR) is releasing this Request for Proposal (RFP) to obtain bids for an online wellness program service (hereinafter referred to as “wellness program service” or “program”). The evidence-based wellness program service will provide all employees with opportunities to track and monitor health practices and access medically sound wellness resources.

A. Background

CalHR serves as the central human resources authority for the state of California, overseeing policies and programs that impact an estimated 240,000 eligible employees in over 150 departments, agencies and boards. Unlike a singular employer, the State operates as a group of diverse entities, each with unique missions and workforce needs.

CalHR’s role is to establish cohesive policies and provide strategic guidance that ensures consistency and equity across this landscape.

In alignment with Executive Order W-119-95, CalHR has been entrusted with leading the development and implementation of a comprehensive, statewide Employee Wellness Program. This initiative underscores the state’s commitment to fostering a healthier workforce, recognizing that employee wellbeing is integral to enhanced morale and productivity and reduced absenteeism. CalHR has implemented this wellness program service, called Healthier U, for all active employees (dependents or retirees are not included in cost). Of the total estimated pool, approximately 20 percent are currently participating. CalHR aims to increase employee participation and utilization of wellness program resources and initiatives.

To effectively administer this program, CalHR collaborates closely with designated Wellness Coordinators within each state department. These coordinators act as liaisons, tailoring wellness initiatives to their respective departmental cultures and needs, while aligning with the overarching objectives set forth by CalHR. This decentralized approach ensures that wellness programs are both relevant and responsive to the unique challenges faced by each department. However, each department is its own employer and eligibility files are not available. Appropriate alternatives need to be implemented to validate employees (e.g., utilize state department email suffixes). Some departments do not issue a state email address for their employees; therefore, alternatives would need to be developed.

CalHR has a current budget of $250,000 in ongoing annual funds. This funding does not include incentives for employee participation, and CalHR does not support the use of financial incentives. Bidder will identify intrinsic motivators (e.g., charitable donations within contract and use of virtual badges or certificates).

CalHR will award a three-year contract, with the option of two one-year extensions.

Since the program could potentially run for up to five years, the wellness program service must be visually refreshed and content updated, as determined jointly by CalHR and the contractor (e.g., new recipes, graphics, and educational resources).

B. Scope of Services https://www.calhr.ca.gov/Documents/exe-order-w-119-95.pdf

The evidence-based wellness program service will provide a mechanism for all employees with opportunities to track and monitor health practices and access medically sound wellness resources. The program service will provide wellness coordinators resources, tools, and structure to facilitate wellness activities in their departments, and deliver CalHR data and analytics to monitor program effectiveness.

The contractor should, among other things:

1) Respond to inquiries from CalHR and employees.

2) Provide and implement a marketing and implementation plan that is inclusive of all ability levels and is ADA compliant.

3) Assist CalHR to define elements and provide any data to determine effectiveness.

4) Develop and administer pre- and post-intervention surveys.

5) Increase employee participation and program engagement.

6) Resolve technical issues for employees.

7) Provide an online, evidence-based program for employees to engage in and track and monitor defined health behaviors.

8) Provide medically sound educational resources for employees.

9) Provide training and resources, such as but not limited to, through Microsoft Teams or Zoom, webinars, or conference calls to department wellness coordinators and employees on how to utilize the online service.

While the wellness program service will provide daily/weekly wellness communication, there will typically be no more than two targeted 8-week competitions annually. CalHR retains the right to change and determine the length and number of targeted competitions. The program will allow individuals or teams to participate.

NOTE: The sample Scope of Work is based on requirements outlined in the RFP for the contract award. The actual Scope of Work contained in the final contract between CalHR and the contractor may be amended to reflect any additions or modifications outlined in the RFP response from the selected contractor. If the final terms of the contract are not mutually agreed upon between CalHR and the selected contractor, CalHR retains the right to select the contractor with the next highest awarded points.

Performance guarantees (e.g., system availability, data accessibility or loss, transition services, other requirements pursuant to Exhibits A-G, reports, and timely administration of pre- and post-intervention surveys) and its related fiscal penalties will be included in the final contract.

2. BIDDER MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

All bidders for this RFP must satisfy all the minimum qualifications. Failure to satisfy the minimum qualifications at the time of bid submission will result in the immediate rejection of the submission. Bidders must complete the Minimum Qualifications Certification (Attachment IV). The contractor must continue to satisfy the minimum qualifications throughout the term of the contract.

a) Have a current online, evidence-based program that tracks and monitors health practices and provides access to medically sound wellness resources.

b) The wellness program service must have been operational for at least three years.

c) Provide three customer references who can be contacted to verify the responsiveness of quality, and efficiency of customer and employee service levels.

d) Have a current business license.

e) Demonstrate at least three years of experience in providing customer service to a large population (i.e., at least 50,000 customers).

3. BIDDER DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Provide information on the bidder’s experience performing work similar in scope and magnitude as required in this RFP. The desirable qualifications of a bidder are to:

a) Ability to control program access without an eligibility file.

b) Support at least five elements of wellbeing including physical, career, social, financial and community.

c) Provide health and lifestyle information, challenges, intrinsic incentive tracking, activity trackers and other self-directed wellbeing features and activities.

d) Provide access to healthy recipes, exercise videos, mindfulness activities.

e) Have the capability to integrate wearable tracking device data.

f) Have the capability for a group or department leader to initiate group challenges on the platform.

g) Provide a dedicated account management team to the State of California, including strategic and operational support on a regular basis.

h) Offer customer support (dedicated or designated) via a dedicated toll-free phone number at a minimum from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm PT, Monday through Friday.

i) Participate in a number of meetings throughout the year, including stewardship meetings, mid-year review, reporting, etc.

j) Have experience with branding and proactive promotion of the wellbeing initiative.

k) Have the ability to collect employee contact information and send direct information to members.

l) Remediate all digital materials for accessibility compliance for those using assistive technology, using CommonLook®.

m) Agree to begin implementation and pre-work prior to a January 1, 2026 “Go Live” with a Letter of Intent pending execution of the contract.

n) Agree to begin invoicing fees after the platform/program has gone live.

o) Agree to termination for convenience without penalty contract clause.

p) The bidder provides online interaction and access through a computer.

q) The bidder provides online interaction and access through a mobile app.

4. PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

This section is a request for confirmation that the bidder will meet specified standards and conditions in addition to those outlined in the Minimum Qualifications section. If the bidder is unable or unwilling to meet CalHR’s requirements as outlined below, it will impact the bidder’s overall score for this section.

If any information in your response is proprietary information, please include a separate sheet behind the cover letter that lists what items/pages are proprietary.

When providing narrative responses, make clear and concise statements. Tab or flag the following sections: Vendor Profile, Vendor Experience, Customer Service, Approach, Program Quality, Technical Capability, Quality of Training, Data Quality and Program Evaluation, and Optional.

A. VENDOR PROFILE EXPERIENCE

1. Contractor must provide an organizational chart with resumes that identifies key state contacts, including the implementation team, IT/developer team, and account team. Contractor must provide full legal name of the company and parent company, if applicable.

2. Contractor must provide the state with a designated account manager, including the percentage of the person’s time dedicated to CalHR, if shared with other clients.

3. Contractor shall utilize credentialed and/or certificated health professionals or organizations when providing any wellness coaching, blogging, advice, or discussion. If an individual, provide a resume. If an organization, identify key contacts and provide resumes.

4. Contractor must disclose if using a subcontractor and the work to be performed.

5. Contractor must identify and provide details on any litigation, arbitration, disciplinary, or other official actions not in the ordinary course of business related to your company. Contractor must provide the company’s most recent financial statements.

B. CUSTOMER SERVICE

1. Contractor shall inform CalHR in a timely manner of any material or technical issues related to delivering services during the course of the contract, including concerns raised by employees.

2. Contractor provides a designated state contact who shall be available during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PST, Monday – Friday) for CalHR.

3. Contractor provides customer success/support team for department wellness coordinators and employees at a minimum during normal business hours (8:00 a.m.

– 5:00 p.m. PST, Monday – Friday).

4. Contractor will respond to employee questions within 24 hours of inquiry (on normal business days) via a technical assistance email address, online chat, or phone number.

5. Contractor shall have the scalability to handle an increased number of employees (approximately 20,000 registered employees currently) during the course of the contract.

6. Contractor shall utilize credentialed and/or certificated health professionals for the wellness program service (e.g., wellness coaching, blogging, advice, or discussion).

7. Contractor will provide a defined process for notifying CalHR and making changes to the wellness program service.

C. APPROACH

1. Contractor shall provide a communication and marketing plan, implementation plan with timelines, and examples of marketing materials from previous campaigns.

2. Contractor shall provide CalHR and wellness coordinators with marketing materials, including emails, flyers, posters, and digital board for CalHR challenges, general promotion, and registration. Contractor shall use diverse and inclusive imagery.

3. Contractor shall remediate all digital materials for accessibility compliance for those using assistive technology, using CommonLook®.

4. Contractor shall assist CalHR in increasing employee participation and engagement.

5. Contractor shall identify and incorporate intrinsic motivators (e.g., charitable donations within contract and use of virtual badges or certificates).

D. PROGRAM QUALITY

1. Contractor shall deliver a sound, evidence-based approach to behavior change that serves a large and diverse employee population.

2. Contractor shall allow for individual and team participation, including tracking and monitoring health behavior progress.

3. Contractor shall provide a wellness program service that inspires and engages employees, including exercise videos, recipes, and individualized modules/curricula/challenges based on individual interest.

4. Contractor shall provide medically sound educational resources for employees to access wellness information. The wellness program service shall have the ability to share resources, including department wellness calendar with employees.

5. Contractor shall encourage all ability levels to participate, including persons with disabilities or limited mobility.

6. Contractor shall provide daily/weekly emails or tips with the option to unsubscribe or modify the number of emails.

7. Contractor shall address core health behaviors, including physical activity, nutrition, financial education, and stress management.

8. Contractor shall facilitate and cooperate with a third-party audit at CalHR’s discretion.

E. TECHNICAL CAPACITY

1. Contractor shall host, manage, and secure all data.

2. Contractor shall provide a list of compatible trackers and ability to sync fitness trackers to the program.

3. Contractor shall provide an alternative process to using eligibility files, which may include use of state department email suffixes, and other options for employees without state-issued email addresses.

4. Contractor shall provide CalHR the ability to test run the program prior to going live, including ADA compliance testing. Wellness program service and all materials must comply with all HIPAA, EEOC (ADA and GINA) and other privacy statutes.

5. Program shall be responsive design for viewing on PC, MAC, phone, tablet, etc.

Program must contain a mobile application or responsive design. Program shall utilize CalHR and Healthier U Connections logo or graphics.

6. Contractor shall transfer all data, including the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) from existing contractor to new contractor at CalHR’s direction.

7. Contractor shall ensure compatibility of program with the state supported web browser (i.e., Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge).

F. QUALITY OF TRAINING

1. Contractor shall deliver statewide training via Microsoft Teams or Zoom, webinars, and/or conference calls to department wellness coordinators and their team on programming, registration, implementation, and data analysis, as needed.

2. Contractor will adjust or customize training (e.g., registration and platform capabilities) to meet the needs of the state and provide recorded online tutorials for employees.

G. DATA QUALITY AND PROGRAM EVALUATION

1. Contractor will assist in determining both data elements to be included in the reporting and provide metrics on program effectiveness and participation.

2. Contractor shall collect, analyze, and provide an aggregated, comprehensive report to CalHR on a quarterly basis, or as determined and requested by CalHR’s contract manager(s) and a monthly participation report to department wellness coordinators.

Contractor shall deliver in a format where reports can be exported to Excel.

3. Contractor shall assist in developing questions and administer pre- and post-intervention surveys.

4. Contractor shall store and maintain historical data records in electronic format, accessible to CalHR for a period of seven years beyond the Agreement termination or expiration of the Agreement.

H. OPTIONAL

Contractor shall provide any additional services pursuant to the contractor’s RFP submission that have no added costs. This includes the following:

1. Contractor shall make the wellness program service available to all dependents at no additional cost. Once an employee is registered, dependents will be able to register and create their own account.

2. Contractor supports a wide variety of wellbeing initiatives that go beyond traditional physical activity and nutrition. These initiatives range from the ability for individuals to engage in personal, multi-week programs to the ability to engage in organization-wide initiatives customized for CalHR.

3. Contractor will allow CalHR to utilize the wellness program service for community initiatives, benefits communication and even compliance training if desired. There is no additional cost to add these sections to the portal if included as part of the initial launch.

4. Contractor will create a fully customized wellness program service that can be localized for different groups/regions. This allows the program to be further customized and managed in ways that support local initiatives or programming that are focused around specific employee groups. For example, employees could have a version of the program that allows inter-department competitions as well as compliance education specifically relevant to those employees.

I. PERMITS

1. Any wellness advice provided via customer service, training, blogs, or other methods shall be provided by credentialed and/or certificated health professionals.

J. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITES

The contractor shall comply with the Scope of Work, including any additions or modifications provided in the RFP response from the selected contractor. Contractor shall comply with performance guarantees (e.g., system availability, data accessibility or loss, transition services, other requirements pursuant to Exhibits A-G, reports, and timely administration of pre- and post-intervention surveys) and its related fiscal penalties. As noted in contractor’s response, the following will also be included:

1. Contractor compliance with ADA accessibility requirements includes ensuring color contrast throughout the wellness program service meets 508 compliance standards;

providing test equivalents for non-text elements; adding alt text to images; providing text captions for video files; appropriately structured row and column headers;

avoiding any content that causes flicker, and much more.

2. Contractor will provide administrators and wellness coordinators with training and assistance to drive the initiatives of CalHR. This training is included at no fee.

3. Contractor support includes all the initial program and portal design planning, drafting the initial communications, helping set up competitions, preloading all the initial content, holding weekly calls to review program progress, assisting administrators with all technology or program management questions, interpreting reports, making recommendations and making new content available throughout the program year.

4. Contractor will allow CalHR to launch custom surveys and polls at any time. CalHR can identify specific content to assemble into a course which can be supported by online content.

5. Contractor will provide annual performance reports based on CalHR’s strategic program goals.

Name Area Target Performance Guarantee

Description

Measurement % of Fees at Risk

Program Participation Operational

At least 40% of registered users use ≥ 4 times/year

Number of registered employees who use website/app/connected service ≥ 4 times per year divided by total registered employees.

Contractor reporting

4% of annual wellbeing/access fees

Implementation Delivery

Operational

All (100%) implementation Milestones will meet the agreed upon due date.

The due date will be the final agreed upon date, which will allow for agreed upon adjustments that occur post plan development and finalization of these guarantees.

Dates that are mutually agreed upon as not achievable, because of State of

California delays or factors outside of the

Contractor’s control, will not be factored into the guarantee

Mutually agreed upon action plan

Minimum of 50% of implementation fee, if any, plus 10% of first year annual program fees

Account Management Satisfaction

Operational

Achieve an average rating of 4 or better on a standard 5 point scale where 5 is very satisfied and 1 is very dissatisfied.

Stakeholders to complete an agreed upon survey.

Measured survey results include satisfaction with account team management

Survey results 5% annual wellbeing/access fees

Annual Employee

Satisfaction Operational

Achieve an average rating of 4 or better on a standard 5 point scale where 5 is very satisfied and 1 is very dissatisfied. A minimum response rate should be negotiated.

Employee satisfaction with contractor tools, resources, and services

Survey results 5% annual wellbeing/access fees

Platform Availability

Operational Website/Portal/App available 99% of time

(1) Web portal uptime is 99%, with the exception of scheduled maintenance

(2) State of California will be alerted of urgent updates to the web portal within 48 hours of when the update is scheduled to occur

(3) State of California will be alerted of scheduled updates to the web portal at least 30 days in advance of when the updates are scheduled to occur

1% annual fees

Customer Service: Email

Response Time

Operational 95% of emails responded to within 48 hours

Average time to respond to customer service email

2% of program fees for aggregate customer service response and resolution time

Customer Service

Resolution Time

Operational 90% of tickets resolved within 2 hours

Time to resolve initial issue

2% of program fees for aggregate customer service response and resolution time

On Demand Reporting

Operational 99% uptime

Incentive and challenge reporting will be available on demand

Measured and credited monthly at 1/12 of 2% of wellbeing/access fees

Population Level Issue

Management Operational

Issues brought forward have timely resolution

Critical issues resolved within 24 hours

5% of annual fees

K. STATE RESPONSIBILITES

1. Any branding or logos required for the contractor and/or program.

2. Determine which employees will have access to the program and their levels of access.

3. Use CalHR website and encourage state departments to use their intranet sites to help promote the program.

4. Provide any required background materials.

5. Define targeted health behaviors.

6. Provide and determine the total number of program survey questions. Approve survey questions.

7. Determine length of targeted challenges, which is proposed to be no more than two 8- week challenges annually.

8. Review and approve contractor marketing material

5. PROPOSAL QUESTIONNAIRE, REQUIREMENTS, AND INFORMATION

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

a) Technical Proposal Submission

1) For the Technical Proposal, the bidder must complete the Technical Proposal Questionnaire (Attachment IV). When completing the Technical Proposal Questionnaire, bidders must make clear, concise, and quantifiable replies to all questions. State your response (no smaller than 11-point font) with its response in the column directly to the right of the question. Some questions may provide pre-populated response options (e.g. multiple choice) in grey text. In these cases, state your response in the cell directly to the right of the response options.

2) The technical proposal should not include publications of the bidder such as published articles, directories, or client lists. Submit only information that is pertinent to the RFP.

3) Please title the Technical Proposal Questionnaire file with the following naming convention: Bidder Name_Wellness Technical Proposal_25-500-01.xlsx.

4) Any additional documents being submitted with technical proposals shall be clearly identified as to the name of the Bidder and the RFP number. Any materials submitted with your RFP will become the property of the state.

b) Proposals should provide straightforward and concise descriptions of the bidder's ability to satisfy the RFP requirements. Proposals must be complete and accurate.

Omissions, inaccuracies, or misstatements will be sufficient cause for rejection of the proposal.

c) All proposals and attachments must be submitted electronically via email to

Josephine.Tang@mercer.com no later than 4:00 p.m. (PST) on Monday, June 23, 2025. Include in the title of the email: CalHR Wellness RFP 25-500-01.

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

e) Proposals must be submitted for the scope of work requirements described herein.

Any deviation from the specifications will be grounds for rejection without consideration.

f) A proposal may be rejected if it is conditional or incomplete, or if it contains any alterations of form or other irregularities of any kind. CalHR may reject any or all proposals and may waive any immaterial deviation in a proposal. CalHR's waiver of immaterial defect shall in no way modify the RFP document or excuse the bidder from full compliance with all requirements if awarded the agreement.

g) Cost for developing proposals and in anticipation of award of the agreement are entirely the responsibility of the bidder and shall not be charged to CalHR.

h) A bidder may modify a proposal after its submission by withdrawing the original proposal and resubmitting a new proposal prior to the proposal submission deadline.

Proposal modifications offered in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered.

i) A bidder may withdraw its proposal by submitting a written withdrawal request to

Mercer, signed by the bidder or an authorized agent. A bidder may thereafter submit a new proposal prior to the proposal submission deadline. Proposals may not be withdrawn without cause subsequent to proposal submission deadline.

j) If a bidder discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this RFP, they shall immediately notify the RFP coordinator of such error in writing upon discovery. All proposals are submitted at the bidder’s own risk.

k) CalHR may modify this RFP, the Time Schedule, or any of its attachments prior to the date fixed for submission of proposals by the issuance of an addendum.

Addenda shall be numbered consecutively as a suffix to this RFP. The first number of an addendum shall be A1, if needed.

l) Interested parties or potentially interested parties are prohibited from initiating any communication with all CalHR staff and its consultants, concerning this RFP except as specified in the RFP. CalHR reserves the right to reject the proposal of any bidder violating this prohibition.

m) Bidders are cautioned not to rely on CalHR during the evaluation to discover and report to the bidder any defects or errors in the submitted documents. Bidders, before submitting their documents, should carefully review them for errors and adherence to the RFP requirements.

n) More than one proposal from an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association under the same or different names will not be considered. Reasonable grounds for believing that a bidder has submitted more than one proposal for the work contemplated herein will cause the rejection of all proposals submitted by that bidder. If there is reason to believe that collusion exists among the bidder(s), none of the participants in such collusion will be considered in this or future procurements.

6. PROPOSAL KEY ACTION DATES

All Bidders must adhere to the following time schedule:

RFP available to prospective bidders on June 2, 2025

Intent to bid must be submitted by June 4, 2025, by 4:00 p.m. (PST)

Bidder questions must be submitted to Mercer by June 6, 2025, by 4:00 p.m. (PST)

Answers to bidder questions will be disseminated by June 13, 2025, by 4:00 p.m. (PST)

Proposals must be received to Mercer by June 23, 2025, by 4:00 p.m. (PST)

Anticipated date of interviews in Sacramento (optional at CalHR’s discretion)

August 18, 2025 – August 22, 2025

Anticipated intent to award notification September 8, 2025

Anticipated Last Day to Protest the award September 12, 2025, by 5:00 p.m.

Anticipated award of the contract September 19, 2025

Anticipated Contract Start Date January 1, 2026

7. LOCATION WHERE WORK WILL BE PERFORMED:

Work can be performed offsite in a telework/hybrid work environment. The use of video telephony is required for meetings, with a camera on. In-person contractor meetings may be held in Sacramento, CA or held at:

Department of Human Resources 1810 16th Street Sacramento, CA 95811

8. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Bidder questions must be submitted in writing to Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com, Madeline.Adamy@mercer.com, and Josephine.Tang@mercer.com and received by Mercer on or before June 6, 2025, by 4:00 p.m. (PST). Mercer will provide answers in writing to all potential bidders by June 13, 2025, by 4:00 p.m. (PST).

9. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL

A. All proposals and attachments must be submitted electronically via email to

Josephine.Tang@mercer.com. Include in the title of the email: CalHR Wellness RFP 25-500-01.

B. All proposals must be received at Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com, Madeline.Adamy@mercer.com, and Josephine.Tang@mercer.com by 4:00 p.m.

(PT) on June 23, 2025. Proposals received after this date and time will not be accepted. Include in the title of the email: CalHR Wellness RFP 25-500-01.

C. Proposals should provide straightforward and concise descriptions of the bidder's ability to satisfy the RFP requirements. Proposals must be complete and accurate.

Omissions, inaccuracies, or misstatements will be sufficient cause for rejection of the proposal.

D. All proposals shall include the required documents identified in the Proposal Checklist. Proposals that don’t include the proper "required attachments" shall be deemed non-responsive. A non-responsive proposal is one that does not meet the basic proposal requirements.

E. Proposals must be submitted for the strategy and scope of work requirements described herein. Any deviation from the specifications will be grounds for rejection without consideration.

F. A proposal may be rejected if it is conditional or incomplete, or if it contains any alterations of form or other irregularities of any kind. CalHR may reject any or all proposals and may waive any immaterial deviation in a proposal. CalHR's waiver of immaterial defect shall in no way modify the RFP document or excuse the bidder from full compliance with all requirements, if awarded the Agreement.

G. If a bidder discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this RFP, they shall immediately notify Mercer (Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com, Madeline.Adamy@mercer.com, and Josephine.Tang@mercer.com) of such error in writing upon discovery. Include in the title of the email: “CalHR Wellness RFP 25- 500-01”. All proposals are submitted at the bidder’s own risk.

H. Cost for developing proposals and in anticipation of award of the Agreement are entirely the responsibility of the bidder and shall not be charged to CalHR.

I. A bidder may modify a proposal after its submission by withdrawing the original proposal and resubmitting a new proposal prior to the proposal submission deadline via email to Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com, Madeline.Adamy@mercer.com, and Josephine.Tang@mercer.com. Include in the title of the email: CalHR Wellness RFP 25-500-01. Modifications initiated by the bidder in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered. Mercer, at its sole discretion, may request information from the bidder as part of the Administrative Review. Information obtained from the bidder that was requested during the Administrative Review may be accepted at Mercer’s sole discretion as a proper modification to the original proposal. Additionally, Mercer’s acceptance of any modifications to the original proposal that was initiated by Mercer during the Administrative Review. shall not be considered a deviation, material or otherwise, from the requirements of this RFP.

J. A bidder may withdraw its proposal by submitting a written withdrawal request to Mercer via email to Melinda.Izbicki@mercer.com, Madeline.Adamy@mercer.com, and Josephine.Tang@mercer.com. Include in the title of the email: CalHR Wellness RFP 25-500-01. The withdrawal request must be signed by the bidder or an authorized agent. A bidder may thereafter submit a new proposal prior to the proposal submission deadline. Proposals may not be withdrawn without cause subsequent to the proposal submission deadline.

K. Mercer may modify this RFP, the Time Schedule, or any of its attachments prior to the date fixed for submission of proposals by the issuance of an addendum.

Addenda shall be numbered consecutively as a suffix to this RFP. The first number of an addendum shall be A1, if needed.

L. Interested parties or potentially interested parties are prohibited from initiating any communication with any and all CalHR/Benefits division staff, concerning this RFP except as specified in the RFP. CalHR reserves the right to reject the proposal of any bidder violating this prohibition.

M. Bidders are cautioned not to rely on CalHR during the evaluation to discover and report to the bidder any defects or errors in the submitted documents. Bidders, before submitting their documents, should carefully proof them for errors and adherence to the RFP requirements.

N. More than one (1) proposal from an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association under the same or different names will not be considered. Reasonable grounds for believing that a bidder has submitted more than one proposal for the work contemplated herein will cause the rejection of all proposals submitted by that bidder. If there is reason to believe that collusion exists among the bidders, none of the participants in such collusion will be considered in this or in future procurements.

O. All proposals are to be sent to Mercer within the timeframe indicated in the Proposal Key Action Dates. Proposals received after the due date and time will not be accepted.

P. Proposals must be submitted for the entire service described within the Scope of Work. Deviations from the specifications will not be considered and will be cause for rejection of the proposal.

Q. CalHR does not accept alternate language from the bidder. A proposal with such language will be considered a counter proposal and will be rejected. The state’s General Terms and Conditions (GTC) are not negotiable.

R. A proposal may be rejected if conditional or incomplete, or if it contains any alterations of form or other irregularities of any kind. CalHR may waive any immaterial deviation in a proposal. CalHR's waiver of immaterial defect will in no way modify the RFP document or excuse the bidder from full compliance with the objectives if awarded the Contract.

S. Costs for developing proposals and preparation of award of the Contract are entirely the responsibility of the bidder and will not be chargeable to CalHR.

T. This RFP must be signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the bidder contractually. The signature must indicate the title or position that the individual holds. An unsigned proposal will be rejected.

U. A bidder may modify a proposal after its submission by withdrawal and resubmission before the proposal due date. Modification of a proposal offered in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered.

V. A bidder may withdraw their proposal by submitting a written request to Mercer for its withdrawal, signed by the bidder or an agent authorized in accordance with paragraphs “N and O” above. A bidder may thereafter submit a new proposal before the proposal submission deadline. Proposals may not be withdrawn after the proposal’s due date. Proposals received after the due date and time will be returned unopened to the prospective bidder.

W. CalHR may modify the RFP prior to the date fixed for submission of proposals by the issuance of an Addendum to all parties who received a proposal package. This Addendum will also be posted on the state’s Caleprocure website found at caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/Events-BS3/event-search.aspx

X. If all proposals are too high, CalHR is not required to award a Contract.

Y. CalHR may reject all proposals if deemed necessary.

Z. The proposals submitted, including costs, will be considered public in accordance with the Public Records Act when CalHR has completed its evaluation and announces the responsible bidder who has been given the highest score.

AA. Bidders are cautioned not to rely upon CalHR during the evaluation to discover and report all defects and errors in the proposal documents. Bidders should carefully proofread documents for errors and adherence to the RFP requirements prior to proposal submittal.

BB. Where applicable, the bidder should carefully examine the worksite and specifications. The bidder will investigate the conditions, character, quality of surface, subsurface materials, or obstacles to be encountered. No additions to the Contract https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/Events-BS3/event-search.aspx amount will be made because of failure to thoroughly examine the worksite and specifications.

10. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

All proposals received by the stated deadline will be reviewed by the evaluation committee to determine those that meet the mandatory minimum qualifications. If the mandatory minimum qualifications are not met, the proposal will be considered “non-responsive” and disqualified. If the minimum qualifications are met, the technical proposal will be evaluated and scored. After the technical proposals that meet the minimum qualifications are evaluated and scored, the cost proposals will be opened.

The cost proposal with the lowest bid will receive the highest score, the next lowest will receive the next highest score and so on. Scores will be tallied for the technical and cost proposals (1,000 points possible). The bidders with the top three scores will move on to the Interview and Review (250 points possible). The RFP Committee may choose to conduct finalist interviews as part of their review. CalHR will award the contract to the bidder with the highest score (1,250 total points possible).

CalHR and the evaluation committee, at their own discretion, reserve the right to obtain additional information (but are not obligated to do so) orally or in writing, from the bidder or from any independent sources available to CalHR regarding qualifications or other submitted information.

The evaluation process will consist of five phases.

1. Phase I: Minimum Qualifications – Pass/Fail

In Phase I, proposals are reviewed to ensure that all documentation has been submitted in compliance with the requirements of this RFP. Mercer will review all of the following documents to determine that each is enclosed and properly completed.

Failure to meet these administrative requirements will cause a proposal to be deemed non-responsive and therefore ineligible for the next step of the RFP evaluation process.

a) Proposal Check List

b) Proposal/Bidder Certification Sheet (Attachment I)

c) Proposing Firm References (Attachment II)

d) Minimum Qualifications Certification (Attachment III)

e) Technical Proposal Questionnaire (Attachment IV)

f) Darfur Contracting Act Certification (Attachment V)

g) Small Business Certification (when applicable)

h) Completion of DVBE Incentive documentation, CalHR 661 and 662, if applicable (Attachment VI)

i) DVBE Declaration – Std. 843 (Attachment VII)

j) Proposer Declaration – GSPD-05-105 (Attachment VIII)

k) OSDS DVBE Certification from DGS

l) CalHR DVBE Advocate’s Notification of Compliance (if obtained in advance)

In Phase I, the Small Business Preferences and DVBE Incentive calculations will be applied as appropriate. The application of the Small Business Preference and DVBE Incentives may result in the displacement of a previously high scoring bidder.

2. Phase II: Evaluation of the Technical Proposal Questionnaire (625 points)

Mercer Evaluation Team will score the submittals based on percentages for levels of quality for each scoring criterion. The percentages will then be translated to points based upon the weight for each factor. For example, under “Communication and Promotion,” if a bidder’s response is considered “Excellent,” it will receive 90 points (0.9 x 100). The same approach will be used for all categories, except the scoring of the Cost Proposal.

Percentage of maximum points

Description

Non-Compliant

0%

Fails to address the component or the bidder does not describe any experience related to the component.

Poor

30%

Minimally addresses the section, but one or more major considerations of the component are not addressed, or so limited that it results in a low degree of confidence in the bidder’s response.

Fair

70%

The response addresses the section, but minor considerations may not be addressed. Acceptable degree of confidence in the bidder’s response.

Good

80%

The response fully addresses the section and provides a good quality solution. Good degree of confidence in the bidder’s response.

Excellent

90%

All considerations of the section are addressed with a high degree of confidence in the bidder’s response.

Outstanding

100%

All considerations of the section are addressed with the highest degree of confidence in the bidder’s response or proposed solution. The response exceeds the requirements in providing superior experience and creative approach.

3. Phase III: Cost Proposal (375 points)

Bidders shall submit their Cost Proposals as part of the Technical Proposal Questionnaire (Attachment IV). The Cost Proposal score will be based on the ratio of its total cost to the total cost associated with the lowest responsive proposal multiplied by the maximum number of cost points and divided by the bidder’s total cost. The Cost Proposal score will be rounded to the nearest whole integer. An example of this calculation is shown below:

Lowest Bidder’s Total Combined Cost x 125 = Bidder’s Cost Score Bidder’s Total Combined Cost

Cost Score Sample

Bidder Total Cost Proposal

Calculation Cost Proposal

Score

A $175,000 $100,000 (Bidder B) X 125

$175,000 (Bidder A)

B $100,000 $100,000 (Bidder B) X 125

$100,000 (Bidder B)

C $150,000 $100,000 (Bidder B) X 125

$150,000 (Bidder C)

4. Phase IV: Interview and Review (250 points) – interview optional at CalHR’s discretion.

The bidders with the top three scores will move on to the Interview and Review.

CalHR reserves the right to conduct finalist interviews, if necessary, at the bidder’s cost.

5. Phase V: Awarding the Bid

Scores will be tallied. CalHR will award the contract to the Bidder with the highest score.

RFP Scoring Criteria

Criteria Maximum Possible Score

Score

Web Portal and Mobile App 175

Provide holistic wellbeing offerings and content representing all five elements of wellbeing—physical, career, social, financial and community wellbeing

Compatible with state’s web browsers, Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome

Dedicated, co-branded, configurable website (web portal) that offers video/content streaming and is available via a mobile app, ideally customized for the State of California

Offer resources supporting physical wellbeing, such as healthy recipes, exercise videos, mindfulness activities, etc.

Ability to make locally and personally relevant 10

Upcoming events calendar 10

Ability to manage program access without an eligibility file 30

Ability to provide navigation to department-specific information 15

HIPAA and EEOC privacy and regulatory compliance 10

Reporting 50

Offers self-service reporting portal 10

Provides monthly, quarterly and annual standard reports for utilization, program effectiveness, etc.

Ability to provide reporting by department 15

Account Management 130

Experience with large, public agencies 20

Strategic support for program design, and communications 20

Proactive, comprehensive account management team dedicated to the State of California, including strategic and operational support on a regular basis

Ability to develop and support train-the-trainer for CalHR staff and departments on how to utilize the online service

Ability to have weekly account management meetings 20

Ability to attend and support onsite events 20

Customer Support 70

Customer support (dedicated or designated) with clear understanding of CalHR’s culture and demographics

Dedicated toll-free employee customer service number and customer service experience representatives who are trained on the nuances of the State of California

Customer service hours at minimum: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm PT, Mon- Fri

Resolves technical issues for employees within 24 hours 20

Campaigns and Challenges 100

Team and individual based challenges that can be selected and customized by CalHR and state departments

Ability for a designated group leader to configure and launch their own group challenge

Integration with wearable devices (e.g., Fitbit, Apple Health, Google Fit, etc.) and apps to track behaviors

Health assessment and/or behavioral health assessment tool and annual campaign

Reward badges, points system or potential for other non-monetary incentives (upon CalHR approval) to encourage engagement

Communications and Promotion 100

Ability to develop and provide co-branded educational and outreach materials specifically tailored to the State of California, such as brochures, supervisor/coordinator handbooks, posters, wallet cards, newsletters, and promotional items

Ability to remediate digital materials for accessibility compliance for those using assistive technology using CommonLook®

Ability to collect employee contact information and send direct…