RFP-BHS-FY26-0513-ILH Boilerplate rev 2.4.26.pdf

RFP-BHS-FY26-0513: Page 1 of 21 Template Reviewed by County Counsel on 1/15/2026

COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

FOR

INDEPENDENT LIVING HOME HABITABILITY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT

RFP-BHS-FY26-0513

ISSUE DATE:

1/20/2026

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS ACCEPTED THROUGH:

2/27/2026

3:00 PM PACIFIC TIME (PT)

SECTION II.A, TABLE 1 PROVIDES INFORMATION ON

SUBSEQUENT RESPONSE DEADLINES

RFP END DATE:

6/30/2027, OR UPON

EXHAUSTION OF AVAILABLE FUNDING,

WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST

828 South Bascom Avenue, Suite 200

San José, California 95128

THIS RFP SOLICITATION REQUIRES ALL RESPONSES TO BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH

EMAIL TO BHSD.SOLICITATIONS@HHS.SCCGOV.ORG. NO PAPER, FAX, OR BIDDINGO

SUBMISSIONS SHALL BE ACCEPTED – THESE SUBMISSIONS SHALL BE DEEMED NONRESPONSIVE.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTIONS

I. INTRODUCTION 3

II. SCHEDULE AND EXPLANATION OF EVENTS 5

III. EVALUATION, NEGOTIATIONS, AND AWARD PROCESS 10

IV. CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE PROCUREMENT 11

V. PROPOSER’S SUBMISISON 17

APPENDICES

All applicable Appendices must be submitted with the proposal.

Appendix A – Cover Sheet Appendix B – Application Checklist and Evaluation Criteria Appendix C – Proposer’s Questionnaire Appendix D – Declaration Submittal Form Appendix E – California Public Record Act - Confidential Information Appendix F –

Applicant's FEIN and License Information Form

ATTACHMENTS

The Attachments listed below are reference materials and do not have to be submitted with the proposal.

Attachment A – Scope of Work Attachment B – Contracting Principles Attachment C – Sample Agreement Attachment D1 – Sample Facility Use Agreement for Owner Attachment D2 – Sample Facility Use Agreement for Lessee Attachment E – Insurance Requirements for Standard Service Agreements Attachment F Attachment G

Sample Inspection Checklist Reporting and Data Collection Form

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I. INTRODUCTION

A. INVITATION

1. The County of Santa Clara Health System (“County” and/or “Health System”) Behavioral

Health Services Department (BHSD) seeks to award forgivable loans to qualified operators of unlicensed independent living homes serving individuals with Serious Mental Illness experiencing homelessness for future minor construction and rehabilitation improvements to improve habitability and safety, subject to available funding and program requirements.

The overall goal of the Independent Living Home (ILH) Habitability Improvements Project is to improve conditions and safety in shared independent living homes and recruit landlords to temporarily house County BHSD clients in homes that will meet the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development housing quality standards.

Habitability improvements may include, but are not limited to, updating bathrooms to comply with ADA requirements, minor renovations such as painting and flooring, repairing or replacing appliances such as water heaters and air conditioning equipment, fire system upgrades, bathroom and kitchen remodels, replacement of aging furniture and mattresses, and other improvements to expand bed capacity.

This funding opportunity requires the operator’s and the home’s owner’s willingness to give the County first right of refusal for future vacancies, assurance that improvements will prevent a closure and/or increase bed capacity, and that the home is operating legally and not providing the level of care and supervision required to be licensed.

Refer to Attachment A for a detailed description of the grant opportunity and requirements.

2. The County utilizes Biddingo, https://www.biddingo.com, as the eSourcing system to manage solicitations. All references to the County’s eSourcing system below refer to this service and URL.

3. The County will hold a pre-proposal conference on the date and time specified in Section II.A and Section II.C.2 of this RFP. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is optional, but highly recommended.

4. BHSD anticipates awarding forgivable loans to qualified applicants on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. Awards may be made in amounts less/more than the total funding requested. Applicants may be awarded funding for more than one eligible property, subject to available funding and County discretion. BHSD reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to fund more or fewer eligible properties or improvement projects per applicant, as deemed to be in the best interest of the County and consistent with available funding.

5. CONTRACT TERMS

a. This solicitation represents a one-time funding opportunity. The anticipated contract term shall commence upon execution of the Agreement and remain in effect through

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June 30, 2027, to allow for completion of County-approved habitability improvements, required inspections, and verification of compliance for loan forgiveness.

6. BUDGET

a. The County has allocated a total of $2,000,000 in one-time funding for the ILH Improvements Project. The County intends to maximize expenditure of funds during Fiscal Year 2025-26. Unexpended funds may be carried forward and expended during Fiscal Year 2026-27 pursuant to County-approved rollover authority, subject to continued availability and County approval. The funding sources for these services include funds from the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA).

b. The specific amount of funding allocated to the contract with each selected applicant shall be based on County-approved renovation and repair needs and other eligible improvements intended to increase or preserve bed capacity in ILHs. Award amounts may be adjusted during the negotiation phase based on final project scope, cost reasonableness, funding source requirements, and available funding, and may be modified during the term of the contract as necessary to complete the approved improvements.

c. This RFP is contingent on the appropriation of sufficient funding by the County for the services covered by this RFP. If funding is reduced or deleted for the purpose of this RFP, the County has the option to either cancel this RFP with no liability occurring to the County or to offer an addendum to the RFP that reflects the reduced amount of funding.

THIS RFP SOLICITATION REQUIRES ALL RESPONSES TO BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH

B. BACKGROUND

1. County of Santa Clara

Santa Clara County (SCC) is the sixth most populous county in California, with a population of

1.9 million people. SCC contains 168 distinct voting districts, 15 cities encompassing approximately 1,300 square miles and a large concentration of electronics, information technology, research, and manufacturing firms. SCC is the fifth-largest county government in the State.

SCC’s governmental structure includes a decentralized mix of approximately 50 agencies and departments. The County provides services such as public safety and justice, road construction and maintenance, parks and recreation, libraries, and environmental resource management. It also operates "enterprise" programs, which charge fees to users for services.

Two examples are the County Health System, which includes four hospitals, and the County airports. The County acts as an agent of the State in administering health, social services, and criminal justice programs that are of statewide concern.

Policy making and legislative authority are vested in the Board of Supervisors, which consists of an elected Supervisor from each of the County’s five districts. The Board’s responsibilities include passing ordinances and policies, adopting the budget, appointing committees, and

RFP-BHS-FY26-0513: Page 5 of 21 appointing the County Executive who manages the day-to-day operations of the County. For more information, please go to www.santaclaracounty.gov.

2. County of Santa Clara Health System, Behavioral Health Services Department

It is the mission of the Health System to provide leadership in developing and promoting a healthy community through a planned, integrated health care delivery system that offers prevention, education, and treatment programs to all residents of Santa Clara County, regardless of ability to pay. The Health System provides a wide range of primary and specialty medical services and oversees public programs for the health and well-being of all County residents.

BHSD’s missions include assisting individuals in the community affected by mental illness and serious emotional disturbance to achieve their hopes, dreams, and quality of life goals. To accomplish this, services must be delivered in the least restrictive, non-stigmatizing, and most accessible environment within a coordinated system of community and self-care.

Services must also be respectful to the client, their family and loved ones, and consider language, culture, ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity.

BHSD believes without reservation that:

All people have the right to mental health and well-being;

All people must be treated with fairness, respect, and dignity in a culturally and linguistically competent way;

With effective treatment and support, recovery from mental illness is achievable;

Clients will actively participate in their own recovery and treatment goals;

Clients and their families will be at the center in the development, delivery, implementation, and evaluation of their treatment;

The system of care must have a structure and process for ensuring access to needed services for potential and current consumers; and All people must have access to the highest quality and most effective integrated services.

BHSD system is successful in helping to ensure that residents in need of public behavioral health services are:

Physically and emotionally healthy, happy, and thriving;

In a safe and permanent living situation;

Part of a loving and supportive social network;

Involved in meaningful school, work, and daily activities;

Free from trouble or causing harm to others; and Safe from harm from the environment or others.

The services sought under this RFP must abide by the aforementioned County of Santa Clara, Health System, and BHSD missions and values.

II. SCHEDULE AND EXPLANATION OF EVENTS

This section of the RFP contains the anticipated schedule for the procurement and describes the procurement events as well as the conditions governing the procurement.

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A. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Dates, times, and/or the processes associated with this schedule may be changed by BHSD as necessary. BHSD will make every effort to adhere to the following anticipated schedule:

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Table 1. Anticipated Open RFP Schedule

EVENT DATE

1. Issuance of Open RFP Tuesday, January 20, 2026

2. Pre-Proposal Conference Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 2:30 PM

3. Submission of Written Questions Written questions can be submitted through January 29, 2027 by 3:00 PM PT

Refer to Section II.C.3 for more details.

4. Submission of Proposal via Email Initial Round of Proposals:

Friday, February 27, 2026 by 3:00 PM PT

Subsequent Proposals:

Following the initial round submission deadline, proposals may be submitted on a rolling basis with no fixed due date, subject to funding availability or until RFP closes, whichever occurs first.

5. Proposal Evaluations Initial Round of Proposals:

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 – Tuesday, March 31, Subsequent Proposals:

Proposals submitted after the initial round submission deadline will be evaluated on a rolling basis. Evaluation timeframes may vary based on submission volume and County review capacity. Evaluations will continue until available funds are exhausted or until RFP closes, whichever occurs first.

6. Interviews (County Option) Initial Round of Proposals:

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Subsequent Proposals:

Interviews for subsequent proposals, if deemed necessary by the County, will be scheduled on an as-needed basis following proposal evaluations.

7. Issue Notice of Intent to Award or Notice of Non-Selection

Initial Round of Proposals:

Monday, March 23, 2026

Subsequent Proposals:

Notices of Intent to Award or Non-Selection for subsequent proposals will be issued within approximately ten (10) business days following

RFP-BHS-FY26-0513: Page 8 of 21 completion of evaluation and/or interviews, if applicable.

8. Protest Deadline Initial and Subsequent Round of Proposals:

Five (5) business days by 5:00 PM PT. Applicant shall review the protest deadline indicated in the Notices of Intent to Award or Non- Selection sent via email.

9. Contract Negotiations Scheduled promptly after the notices of intent to award are sent.

10. Estimated Start Date of Contract Upon execution by the County.

11. Open RFP End Date June 30, 2027, or upon exhaustion of available funding, whichever occurs first. The County will issue an Addendum to formally close the RFP if earlier.

Important Note: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit proposals as early as possible, as funding is limited and awards will be made on a rolling basis until available funds are exhausted. The County may issue an Addendum to formally close the RFP prior to the stated open RFP end date if funding is exhausted. Proposals received after funding is exhausted and/or after the RFP is formally closed will not be accepted or evaluated.

For subsequent proposals submitted after initial round of submission deadline, all dates are approximate and subject to change based on funding availability, proposal volume, and County operational needs.

B. POINT OF CONTACT

Any inquiries or request regarding this procurement should be submitted in writing through the County’s eSourcing System. Applicants may ONLY submit inquiries through Biddingo regarding this RFP.

Communication with County Employees. As of the issuance date of this RFP and continuing until the final date of award of the contract(s), Applicant’s contact with County of Santa Clara employees is strictly limited. All personnel representing the County are specifically directed not to hold meetings, conferences, or technical discussions with any Applicant for purposes of responding to this RFP. All questions related to the RFP must be directed through Biddingo. Any potential Applicant found to be acting in any way contrary to this directive will be disqualified from entering into any contract that may result from this RFP.

C. EXPLANATION OF EVENTS

1. ISSUANCE OF RFP

This RFP is being issued by BHSD. Copies of this RFP, including supporting documents, may be obtained from https://biddingousa.com/santaclaracounty.

2. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

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☐ No pre-proposal conference is scheduled for this RFP. Please submit all questions by the due date listed in Item A of Section III.

☐ Mandatory. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is a prerequisite for submission of a proposal.

☒ Non-mandatory. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is strongly recommended but is not a prerequisite for submission of a proposal.

Pre-proposal Conference Date/Time/Location:

Date: 1/29/2026 Time: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM PT

Location: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NmFhNDZiYWEtMDE4NS00NTY2LWI3OWMtN2ZiYTZlZ jI0N2Q1%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%220ac3202f-c3e9- 4f56-830d-017d09d16b3f%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22db2fbbb7-1c1f-43cf- 8937-3dc0ab291ea6%22%7d

Meeting ID: 287 434 612 755 52

Passcode: pr9jM2SC

NO IN-PERSON CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE. BHSD WILL CONDUCT THE PRE-PROPOSAL

CONFERENCE VIA THE MICROSOFT TEAMS VIDEOCONFERENCE PLATFORM.

No audio, video, or written transcript record of the proceedings of this pre-proposal conference will be available after its conclusion. The County will attempt to tabulate a list of all questions and responses at the pre-proposal event but does not guarantee that the list will include every question asked at the event. Upon request, the County may publish a list of vendors attending the pre-proposal conference after the conclusion of the event.

The pre-proposal conference will include a review of the RFP and response to questions.

Although the pre-proposal conference is optional, Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend this conference.

Oral responses given at the conference are not binding on the County. Any responses submitted or provided at the conference that, in the County’s judgment, alter the content of the RFP, will be provided in writing, as an addendum to the RFP through the County’s eSourcing system.

3. RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS and RFP ADDENDA

All written questions must be submitted through the County’s eSourcing system by the due date listed in the schedule of events in Section II.A. The County will not respond to questions submitted in any other method or format.

When submitting questions, Applicant should reference the applicable RFP section, subsection. Example: [RFP Section III, subsections B & D.12]

The County will list answers to all questions asked in Section II.A.2, the Pre-Proposal Conference via an Addendum posted on the County’s eSourcing system. The County may, but is not required to, respond to questions at other times (e.g., prior to a scheduled pre-proposal conference).

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Responses to written questions submitted by the deadline will be posted directly in the County’s eSourcing system. The County does not guarantee responses to questions submitted after the deadline for written questions.

The County reserves the right to post additional addenda until the RFP closing date and time, including addenda that make material changes to the RFP.

4. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

All proposals shall be submitted via email at BHSD.Solicitations@hhs.sccgov.org on or before the due date and time identified in section II.A, Item 4 or the or the County may reject them as untimely.

a. NUMBER OF RESPONSES

Only one (1) proposal will be accepted from any one person, partnership, corporation, or other entity per forgivable loan request. County personnel will not merge, collate, or assemble proposal materials on behalf of applicants.

Applicants seeking consideration for additional funding, expanded improvements, or new loan requests not included in a previously submitted application must submit a separate, complete application in accordance with this RFP. Amendments or partial updates to previously submitted applications will not be accepted.

b. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND ORGANIZATION

The proposal should be organized and indexed in the following format and should contain, at a minimum, all listed items in the sequence indicated in RFP section V.

c. PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

Within each section of their proposal, Applicants should address the items in the order in which they appear in this RFP. All forms provided in the RFP should be thoroughly completed and included in the appropriate section of the proposal.

d. NON-CONFORMING SUBMISSIONS

A submission may be deemed by the County as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not conform to the requirements of the RFP.

5. PROPOSAL EVALUATIONS

Section III indicates details on the evaluation process.

6. INTERVIEWS

All Applicants must keep the dates available as indicated in section II.A, Item 6. Section III.E indicates a detailed description of the interview process.

7. ISSUE NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD AND/OR NOTICE OF NON-SELECTION

BHSD will email Intent to Award and/or Notice of Non-Selection notices to Applicants by the date indicated in section II.A, Item 7.

8. PROTEST

Section IV.O.1-2 indicates details of the protest procedures.

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9. CONTRACT NEGOTIATION AND AWARD

Section III.G-H indicates a detailed description of the contract negotiation and award process.

10. ESTIMATED STATE DATE OF CONTRACT

Section II.A. Item 10 indicates the estimated stare date of the awarded contract.

III. EVALUATION, NEGOTIATIONS AND AWARD PROCESS

A. REVIEW OF PROPOSALS FOR RESPONSIVENESS

Each proposal will be reviewed to determine if the proposal is responsive to the submission requirements outlined in the RFP. A responsive proposal is one which follows the requirements of this RFP, includes all documentation, is submitted in the format specified in this RFP, is timely submitted, and has the appropriate signatures as required on each document. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive, and therefore, rejected.

B. EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. Proposals will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee members who will independently evaluate, and score proposals based on the criteria described in this RFP. The criteria are itemized with their respective weights for a maximum total of one hundred (100) points per Evaluation Committee member.

2. The Evaluation Criteria listed and referenced in Section V. of this RFP will be utilized in the evaluation of Applicant’s written proposals and/or demonstration/presentation accordingly. Proposals in the competitive range may be considered for contract award.

Proposals should give clear, concise information in sufficient detail to allow for evaluation based on the criteria listed in this RFP.

3. Proposals which do not score a minimum of 70 percent of the total points available shall not move forward in the selection process.

i. Eligible Uses of Funds Maximum 20 points

ii. Loan Request and Financial Readiness Maximum 15 points

iii. Project Feasibility Maximum 20 points

iv. Compliance and Certifications Maximum 20 points

v. Benefit to BHSD Clients Maximum 25 points

C. OTHER FACTORS

The proposal(s) with the highest score(s) will not automatically be awarded a contract. In making the final selection, the Director will consider the Evaluation Committee’s recommendation, Applicant’s past performance, and the County’s overall needs. The funding level for the selected proposal will be determined in the overall needs of the County. The final selection and contract award will be within the sole judgment and discretion of the County.

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D. PROPOSAL EVALUATIONS

An Evaluation Committee will review, evaluate, and score the proposals. Proposals may be recommended for another round of evaluation at the County’s discretion. The County reserves the right to conduct as many rounds of evaluations as it deems to be reasonable or necessary in the public interest. Each round of evaluation may result in modification of scores, further clarification or addenda being issued, and changes in the RFP process. If a proposal is not in the competitive range, the County at its sole discretion may eliminate the proposal for further consideration.

E. INTERVIEWS

Upon evaluation of the criteria indicated above and the rating and ranking, the Evaluation Committee may choose to conduct an interview with any Applicant(s). Upon completion of the interview process, the Evaluation Committee members may re-evaluate, re-score and/or re-rank the proposals remaining in consideration.

F. BUDGET EVALUATION

The budget proposal(s) will be evaluated relative to the combination of the technical proposal, including an evaluation of how well it matches Applicant’s understanding of the County’s needs described in this RFP, the Applicant’s assumptions, and the value of the proposed solution and/or services. The budget evaluation is used as part of the evaluation process to determine the highest ranked Applicant, if points were assigned to pricing.

G. NEGOTIATIONS

The County may direct negotiations with the highest ranked Applicant, negotiations with multiple Applicants, and/or may request best and final offers. The discussions may include price and conditions attendant to price. Each Applicant agrees that its proposal shall constitute a firm offer that it is bound to, and that the County may accept for at least one (1) year after the closing of the Solicitation.

The County always reserves the right to terminate or suspend negotiations and may begin negotiations with other Applicant(s). This process may continue until a contract acceptable to the County has been executed or all proposals are rejected. No Applicant shall have any rights against the County arising from such negotiations, suspensions, or terminations thereof.

H. CONTRACT AWARD

Any proposed contract, resulting from this Solicitation, will be submitted to the Board of Supervisors, County Executive or designee. All Applicants will be notified in writing of the decision with respect to the contract award. The County’s decision of whether to make the award and to which Applicant shall be final.

IV. CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE PROCUREMENT

The County of Santa Clara allows the use of the County contract by other political subdivisions, municipalities, tax supported agencies and non-profit entities in the United States. Such participating agencies shall make purchases in their own name, make payments directly to the Contractor and shall be liable directly to Contractor holding the County of Santa Clara harmless.

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This Attachment contains the conditions governing the RFP process. Applicants are required to adhere to these conditions.

A. INCURRING COST

This RFP does not commit the County to award, nor does it commit the County to pay any cost incurred in the submission of the proposal, or in making necessary studies or designs for the preparation thereof, nor procure or contract for services or supplies. Further, no reimbursable cost may be incurred in anticipation of a contract award.

B. CLAIMS AGAINST THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA

Neither Applicant’s organization nor any of their representatives shall have any claims whatsoever against the County or any of its respective officials, agents, or employees arising out of or relating to this RFP or these RFP procedures, except as set forth in the terms of a definitive agreement between the County and Applicant’s organization.

C. BASIS FOR PROPOSAL

Only information supplied by the County in writing via the County’s eSourcing system in connection with this RFP should be used as the basis for the preparation of Applicant’s proposal.

D. NO PUBLIC PROPOSAL OPENING

There will be no public opening for this RFP.

E. CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS ACT (CPRA)

All proposals become the property of the County, which is a public agency subject to the disclosure requirements of the California Public Records Act (“CPRA”). If Applicant’s proprietary information is contained in documents submitted to County, and Applicant claims that such information falls within one (1) or more CPRA exemptions, Applicant must clearly mark such information “CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY,” and identify the specific lines containing the information. In the event of a request for such information, the County will make reasonable efforts to provide notice to Applicant prior to disclosure. If Applicant contends that any documents are exempt from the CPRA and wishes to prevent disclosure, it is required to obtain a protective order, injunctive relief or other appropriate remedy from a court of law in Santa Clara County before the County’s deadline for responding to the CPRA request. If Applicant fails to obtain such remedy within County’s deadline for responding to the CPRA request, County may disclose the requested information without penalty or liability.

Applicant further agrees that it shall defend, indemnify and hold the County harmless against any claim, action, litigation, damage or injury (including but not limited to all judgments, costs, fees, and attorney’s fees) that may result from partial or complete denial of access to, or non-disclosure or redaction of, documents arising from any representation, or any action (or inaction), by the Applicant.

F. CONFIDENTIALITY

All data and information obtained from the County of Santa Clara by the Applicant and their agents in this RFP process, including reports, recommendations, specifications and data, shall be treated by the Applicant and its agents as confidential. The Applicants and its agents shall

RFP-BHS-FY26-0513: Page 14 of 21 not disclose or communicate this information to a third party or use it in advertising, publicity, propaganda, marketing, or in another job or jobs, unless prior written consent is obtained from an authorized representative of the County. Generally, each proposal and all documentation, including financial information, submitted by an Applicant to the County is confidential until a contract is awarded, when such documents become public record under state and local law, unless exempted under CPRA.

G. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS OF THE RFP

1. This RFP is being made available by electronic means. As part of the RFP, Applicants will be required to download, complete and upload certain documents. Applicants acknowledge and accept full responsibility to ensure that no changes are made to the RFP. In the event of conflict between a version of the RFP in Applicant’s possession and the version maintained by BHSD, the version maintained by BHSD must govern.

2. All proposals must be submitted electronically through email to BHSD.Solicitations@hhs.sccgov.org in accordance with the County requirements or the County may reject the proposals as nonresponsive. Proposals submitted in any other form, including, but not limited, to hardcopy, email, fax, or verbal will not be accepted.

3. Applicants are solely responsible for ensuring their proposals are completed and submitted electronically through email to BHSD.Solicitations@hhs.sccgov.org prior to the closing date and time for this RFP.

4. Applicants should allow adequate time to submit proposals electronically. Submission of a proposal may not be instantaneous and may be affected by several events, such as temporarily losing connection to the internet.

5. Applicants may modify or withdraw their Responses submitted via email until the RFP closing date and time. The County shall only consider the latest version of the proposal submitted through email to BHSD.Solicitations@hhs.sccgov.org.

6. The County has the capability of viewing documents submitted in the following formats:

Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, portable document format file (PDF) only.

7. If the County is unable to open a file due to a virus or because the file has been corrupted, the proposal response may be considered incomplete or non-responsive and may be disqualified from further consideration.

8. Electronic proposal submissions may require uploading of electronic attachments. The submission of attachments containing embedded documents or proprietary file extension is prohibited. Each document should be attached as a separate file.

9. All information submitted is subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act as specified above.

10. Proposal forms requiring signature can be signed by means of “electronic signature” in accordance with the County requirements. This includes wet signature scanned via PDF or by applying an electronic signature using technology approved by the County such as DocuSign.

H. ASSIGNMENT OF CLAYTON ACT, CARTWRIGHT ACT CLAIMS

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In submitting a response to a solicitation issued by the County, the responding person and/or entity offers and agrees that if the response is accepted, it will assign to the County all rights, title, and interest in and to all causes of action it may have under Section 4 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 15) or under the Cartwright Act (Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 16700) of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code), arising from purchases of goods, materials, or services by the responding person and/or entity for sale to the County pursuant to the solicitation document. Such assignment shall be made and become effective at the time the County tenders final payment to the responding person and/or entity.

I. COUNTY RIGHTS

The County reserves the right to do any of the following at any time:

1. Reject any or all Response(s);

2. Waive or correct any minor defect, irregularity, or technical error in a Response, the RFP or evaluation process, or as part of any subsequent contract negotiation (Responses submitted after the date or time listed in the Schedule of Events Section II.A. Table 1 of the section of this RFP, for any reason, shall not be considered a minor defect, irregularity, or technical error);

3. Request that Applicants supplement or modify all or certain aspects of their Responses or other documents or materials submitted;

4. Terminate the RFP, and at its option, reissue a new RFP;

5. Procure any equipment or services specified in this RFP by other means;

6. Modify the selection process, the specifications or requirements for materials or services, or the contents or format of the Responses;

7. Extend a deadline specified in this RFP, including deadlines for accepting Responses, accept Responses through other sources (besides submission electronically through email to BHSD.Solicitations@hhs.sccgov.org) and beyond the due date and time at its sole discretion;

8. Negotiate with any or no Applicants;

9. Modify in the final agreement any terms and/or conditions described in this RFP;

10. Terminate failed negotiations with an Applicant without liability, and negotiate with other Applicants;

11. Disqualify any Applicants on the basis of a real or apparent conflict of interest, or evidence of collusion that is disclosed by the Response or other data available to the County;

12. Eliminate, reject, or disqualify a Response of any Applicants who is not a responsible Applicants or fails to submit a responsive offer as determined solely by the County;

13. Accept all or a portion of an Applicant’s Response;

14. Request that services be provided by certain staff of an Applicant, or request that certain staff of an Applicant be excluded from providing services, as determined by the County to be in its best interest;

15. Award multiple contracts if it is deemed necessary to provide the specified services;

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16. Reject a Response in whole or part if any of the RFP forms are left blank or are materially altered, in the judgment of the County;

17. Reject a Response in whole or part if any document or item necessary to the Response is incomplete, improperly executed, indefinite, ambiguous, or is missing, in the judgment of the County;

18. Reject a Response in whole or part for any attempt by Applicant to improperly influence any member of the Evaluation Committee;

19. Reject a Response if Applicant’s agency or a related agency is currently in litigation with the County, or the County is contemplating litigation against Applicant or a related agency relating to contract performance;

20. Reject a Response in whole or part for any false, misleading, or otherwise unresponsive statements, documents or information provided to the County either through disclosure or non-disclosure if, in the County’s judgment, the false, misleading, or otherwise unresponsive statements, documents, or information are material;

21. Reject a Response in whole or part if Applicant is in breach of, or in default under, any other agreement with the County;

22. Reject a Response in whole or part, if, in the County’s judgment, Applicant’s performance on a past or existing contract with the County is poor;

23. Reject a Response if Applicant’s agency or a related agency is currently being investigated by the County for non-performance of obligations under any contract with the County, and such non-performance or alleged non-performance has resulted in actual non-renewal or termination of Applicants or related agency’s contract with the County;

24. Increase the quantity of services procured under this RFP if, at a later date, the County secures new or additional funding for these services;

25. Complete contract negotiations to establish performance incentives based on, but not limited to the following measures: 1) any BHSD contract monitoring tool(s); 2) Applicant’s compliance with Medicaid (Medi-Cal) Managed Care rules and regulations (e.g., Network Adequacy requirements); and 3) outcomes, service performance/delivery, and metrics listed in a contract awarded as a result of this RFP; and

26. Reserve the right to complete contract negotiations and establish additional contracting terms in compliance with State, Federal Law, or Accrediting Agencies (e.g., payment and referral requirements coordinated by the Department of Health Care Services [DHCS] California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal [CalAIM] initiative).

J. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

An Applicant that becomes a Contractor is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local conflict of interest laws, regulations, and policies applicable to public contracts and procurement practices, including but not limited to California Government Code §1090, et seq.

and §81000, et seq.

If awarded this Contract, Contractor will covenant that it presently has no interest, and will not acquire any interest, direct or indirect, financial or otherwise, which would conflict in any

RFP-BHS-FY26-0513: Page 17 of 21 manner or degree with the performance of this Contract. Contractor will further covenant that, in the performance of this Contract, it will not employ any contractor or person having such a conflict of interest.

K. GUARANTEE OF PROPOSAL

Responses to this RFP, including proposal prices, will be considered firm and irrevocable for one-hundred and eighty (180) days after the due date for receipt of proposals and/or one-hundred eighty (180) days after receipt of a best and final offer, if one is submitted.

L. ELECTRONIC MAIL ADDRESS

A large part of the communication by the County to Applicant regarding this RFP will be conducted by electronic mail (email). Applicant agrees to provide a valid email address to receive this correspondence.

M. POLITICAL REFORM ACT DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

An Applicant that becomes a Contractor, including but not limited to the Contractor’s employees and subcontractors, may be subject to the disclosure and disqualification provisions of the California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the “Act”), that (1) requires such persons to disclose economic interests that may foreseeably be materially affected by the work performed under the Contract, and (2) prohibits such persons from making or participating in making decisions that will foreseeably financially affect such interests.

If the disclosure provisions of the Act are applicable to any individual providing service under the Contract, Contractor shall, upon execution of the Contract, provide the County with the names, description of individual duties to be performed, and e-mail addresses of all individuals, including but not limited to Contractor’s employees, agents and subcontractors, that could be substantively involved in “making a governmental decision” or “serving in a staff capacity and in that capacity participating in making governmental decisions or performing duties that would be performed by an individual in a designated position,” (2 CCR 18701(a)(2)), as part of Contractor’s service to the County under the Contract. Such individuals shall file Statements of Economic Interests within 30 days of commencing service under the Contract, annually by April 1, and within 30 days of their termination of service under the Contract.

N. COUNTY FACILITIES

The use of County-owned or County-leased facilities will require an applicable lease, license, or other written agreement (including provisions within the management or services agreement) which incorporates the terms of the facility use, including but not limited to rent, utilities, maintenance, and repairs. If Applicant will be responsible for facility use costs at County-owned or County-leased facilities, then County will work with Applicant to either adjust Applicant’s budget to include such costs or arrange to reimburse Applicant for such costs.

O. PROTEST PROCEDURES

1. The County’s Protest Process is available here:

https://prc.santaclaracounty.gov/policies/protest-policy.

2. A written protest shall be emailed to BHSD Procurement Officer below:

RFP-BHS-FY26-0513: Page 18 of 21

County of Santa Clara Health System Behavioral Health Services Department RFP-BHS-FY26-0513: Independent Living Home Habitability Improvements Project Procurement Officer: Angeleah Macatiag, Program Manager III 828 South Bascom Avenue, Suite 200 San José, California 95128 E-mail : BHSD.Solicitations@hhs.sccgov.org

V. PROPOSER’S SUBMISSION

THIS RFP SOLICITATION REQUIRES ALL RESPONSES TO BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH

This section contains requirements and relevant information Applicants should use for the preparation of their proposals. Applicants should thoroughly respond to each requirement.

A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. These instructions outline the guidelines governing the format and content of the proposal and the approach to be used in its development and presentation. Only information which is essential to the understanding and evaluation of the proposal should be submitted. No limitation on the content of the proposal is intended in these instructions and inclusion of any pertinent data or information is permitted within the page requirements.

2. All proposals must be submitted electronically via email to BHSD.Solicitations@hhs.sccgov.org.

B. NON-CONFORMING RESPONSES

Refer to RFP Section II.C.4.d

C. NUMBER OF RESPONSES

Refer to RFP Section II.C.4.a.

D. PROPOSAL FORMAT

1. Applicant shall format their proposals according to 8 ½ x 11-inch letter-sized pages, Times New Roman, 12-point font, single-spacing, and 1-inch margins. Only the Proposal Narrative and Miscellaneous Supporting Documents must be paginated. Each Proposal Narrative and each group of Miscellaneous Supporting Documents must be paginated independently.

2. Proposals and all appendices shall be in English and free of ambiguities, alterations, and erasures. Proposal packets should be signed by a duly authorized officer or agent of Applicant. In the event of conflict between words and numerals, the words shall prevail.

3. Do not include any information that is not requested. Additional information, including but not limited to letters of support, will be removed and not considered.

E. PROPOSAL SEQUENCE AND CHECKLIST

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1. Applicants should organize and present their proposals in the order in which BHSD outlined below. All forms provided in the RFP must be thoroughly completed and included in the appropriate section of the proposal. Applicants must submit all required forms, attachments, and supporting documentation identified in this RFP, including those specified in Appendix B- Application Checklist and Evaluation Criteria.

2. Appendix B-Application Checklist and Evaluation Criteria serves as both application checklist and the evaluation tool. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all required attachments identified in Appendix B-Application Checklist and Evaluation Criteria are submitted with their proposal. Failure to submit required attachments or supporting documentation may result in proposal being deemed non-responsive and ineligible for further consideration.

3. Applicants must respond to all the items listed below unless otherwise directed (e.g., to attach as an appendix). Proposals must comply with all requirements, standards, and specifications applicable to each service category. Applicants should thoroughly respond to each requirement as directed in a narrative format or on specified forms when required.

4. Each proposal submission must be organized and indexed according to the following structure. All documents must be included:

Table 2. Submission Structure for Appendices and Audited Financial Statements

Order Document Format/Instructions

1 Appendix A - Cover Sheet Word document provided on County’s eSourcing system.

2 Appendix B – Application Checklist and Evaluation Criteria

Word document provided on County’s eSourcing system. All amounts must be projected in U.S. dollars and shall be accompanied by a narrative.

3 Appendix C - Applicant’s Questionnaire Word document provided on County’s eSourcing system.

4 Appendix D - Declaration Submittal Form Word document provided on County’s eSourcing system.

5 Appendix E - California Public Record Act - Confidential Information

Word document provided on County’s eSourcing system.

6 Appendix F - Applicant's FEIN and License Information Form

Word document provided on County’s eSourcing system.

RFP-BHS-FY26-0513: Page 20 of 21

7 Insurance Exhibit and Endorsement Letter from Insurance Agent

Applicant-provided. Submit certificate of insurance or insurance declaration as written evidence of ability to meet the County insurance requirements.

Include a letter from an insurance agent (or authority) documenting willingness and ability to endorse policies naming the County as an additional insured.

8 Miscellaneous Supporting Documents

(e.g., Supporting documentation required by Appendix B- Application Checklist and Evaluation Criteria)

Applicant-generated. Start pagination at page 1. No page limit.

F. The County does not guarantee the accuracy of the formulas in these forms and is not responsible for any errors or omissions. Applicant assumes all responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided either on the forms included with this RFP or other formats.

G. INDEMNITY AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Applicant should provide a certificate(s) of insurance or a copy insurance declaration page(s) with their proposals as written evidence of their ability to meet the insurance certificate and other applicable County insurance requirements in accordance with the provisions listed in the County Insurance Requirements Exhibit of the RFP. In addition, Applicant should provide a letter from an insurance agent or other appropriate insuring authority documenting their willingness and ability to endorse their insurance policies naming the County as an additional insured.

H. APPLICANT’S TERMS AND CONDITIONS

If Applicant objects to any of the County’s terms and conditions listed in the County Standard Terms and Conditions Exhibit, Applicant must propose specific alternative language and indicate the reason for their objection. The County may or may not accept the alternative language. The County will not accept general references to Applicant’s terms and conditions or attempts at complete substitutions are not acceptable to the County. Applicant should provide a brief discussion of the purpose and impact, if any, of each proposed change followed by the specific proposed alternate wording.

In addition, Applicant must submit with their proposal any additional terms and conditions that they expect to have included in the contract negotiated with the County. Applicant should provide specific proposed wording and a brief discussion of the purpose and impact, if any. Applicant should also include any applicable agreement, such as license, service level, maintenance, etc.

RFP-BHS-FY26-0513: Page 21 of 21

Failure to specifically object to terms and conditions, propose additional terms or conditions, or provide any additional required agreement may be deemed by the County of a waiver of such items.