RFP-Group Purchasing Organization Membership-AGENCY26-PURC-6155 .pdf

Rev. 7/2025- Services

Request for Proposal No. AGENCY26-PURC-

Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) Membership

San Bernardino County Purchasing Department 777 East Rialto Avenue

San Bernardino, CA 92415-0760 November 2025

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

No. AGENCY26-PURC-6155

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Purpose The San Bernardino County, Purchasing Department (County), is seeking Proposals from interested and qualified Proposers to provide purchasing and acquisition solutions which meet or exceed the County’s purchasing requirements by taking advantage of volume purchase agreements and other services in an effort to cut costs and to streamline the procurement process. The number of awards will be determined by the quality of the proposals received.

B. RFP Contact All correspondence, including Proposals and questions (not bid questions), must be submitted to the person identified below (RFP Contact):

San Bernardino County Purchasing Department Attn: Veronica Pedace 777 East Rialto Avenue San Bernardino, CA 92415-0760

(909) 387-2464 Phone

(909) 387-2666 Fax veronica.pedace@pur.sbcounty.gov Email

Fax number and e-mail address may only be used to submit questions (not bid questions). Proposals will not be accepted by email or facsimile. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the County Electronic Procurement Network (ePro). The completed and signed proposal must be received by the Deadline for Proposals specified in Section II – Proposal Timeline. All Proposers must register with the ePro system prior to the date and time to submit the proposal or they will be disqualified.

C. Budget Annual expenditures are estimated at $80 million. The County, under the awarded contract, must have spending data.

D. Contract Term

Services to be provided under this Request for Proposals (RFP) are outlined under Section V, Scope of Work. The Contract period will be for a maximum of 7 years with three options to extend for additional one-year periods beginning on January 1, 2027 and ending on December 31, 2033.

E. Reserved

The Proposer must include in Proposal, Attachment E - Cost, all transportation, lodging, and per diem costs sufficient to pay its personnel and travel to the aforementioned locations.

F. Assistance to Proposers with a Disability

Proposers with a disability may request accommodation regarding the means of communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more information, contact the RFP Contact no later than ten (10) days prior to the Deadline for Proposals.

II. PROPOSAL TIMELINE

Release of RFP 9:00 AM November 26, 2025 Deadline for Submission of Questions 5:00 PM December 17, 2025 Deadline for Proposals 5:00 PM January 7, 2026 Presentation/Demonstration Week of January 19, 2026 Date for Tentative Contract Award April 2026 mailto:veronica.pedace@pur.sbcounty.gov

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

Contract Implementation January 1, 2027

Questions regarding the contents of this RFP must be submitted in writing in ePro on or before the Deadline for Submission of Questions. All questions will be answered, and both the question and answer will be posted as an Addendum to the RFP in ePro.

III. DEFINITIONS

Capitalized terms used in this RFP shall have the meanings given to them in the RFP and as defined below:

Board: The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Contract: The Contract between the County and the Proposer resulting from the award issued pursuant to this RFP to the successful Proposer.

Contractor: Any individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization to whom a contract award is made by the County.

Facilitator: A County Purchasing Department buyer or designated individual tasked with managing the processes of the evaluation panel.

Group Purchasing Organization (GPO): Is an entity that is created to leverage the purchasing power of a group of businesses to obtain discounts from vendors based on the collective buying power of the GPO members.

Integrated Delivery Network (IDN): A network of healthcare providers and facilities within a specific geographic region that offers a full range of healthcare services. An IDN is often designed to offer a full spectrum of care inclusive of primary care physicians, specialists, general acute care (i.e. inpatient services, outpatient services, detention health services, and/or behavioral health services), and home health services.

Proposal: The offer to provide specific goods or services at specified prices and/or other conditions specified in the RFP.

Purchasing Agent: The Director of the County Purchasing Department.

Request for Proposal (RFP): The request for an offer from Proposers interested in providing the identified services sought to be procured by the County. The RFP specifies the evaluation factors to be used and contains or incorporates by reference contractual terms and conditions applicable to the procurement.

Services: The requested services described in this RFP.

Subcontractor: An individual, company, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization, not in the employment of or owned by Contractor who is performing services on behalf of Contractor under the Contract or under a separate contract with or on behalf of Contractor.

IV. PROPOSAL CONDITIONS

A. Authorized Signatures

All proposals must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the Proposer to the provisions of the

RFP.

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

B. Term of Offer

Proposals shall remain open, valid and subject to acceptance anytime within nine (9) months after the Proposal submission.

C. Required Review Proposers should carefully review this RFP for defects and questionable or objectionable material.

Comments from Proposers concerning defects and objectionable material in this RFP must be made in writing and received by the RFP contact prior to the deadline for submission of questions identified in Section II or at least ten (10) calendar days before the Deadline for Proposals (whichever occurs last).

This will allow issuance of any necessary amendments or addendums to the RFP. It will also help prevent the opening of a defective RFP and exposure of Proposals upon which an award could not be made.

Protests based on any omission or error, or on the content of this RFP, may be disallowed if not submitted in writing to the attention of the RFP Contact, prior to the deadline for submission of questions identified in Section II or at least ten (10) calendar days before the Deadline for Proposals (whichever occurs last).

D. Incurred Costs

The County is not obligated to pay any costs incurred by Proposer in the preparation of a Proposal in response to this RFP. Proposers agree that all costs incurred in developing a Proposal are the Proposer’s responsibility.

E. Amendments/Addendums to RFP The County reserves the right to issue amendments or addendums to this RFP if the County considers that changes are necessary or additional information is needed.

Changes to a Proposal or withdrawal of a Proposal will only be allowed if a request is received prior to the Deadline for Proposals. No amendments or withdrawals will be accepted after the Deadline for Proposals.

F. Best Value Evaluation As established in this RFP, the County realizes that criteria other than price are important and will award contract(s) based on the Proposal that best meets the needs of the County. The County seeks the optimal combination of quality, price, and various qualitative elements of the required Services that will provide the County the greatest or best value for its money.

G. Right of Rejection Offers must comply with all of the terms of the RFP, and all applicable local, state, and federal laws, codes, and regulations. The County may reject as non-responsive any Proposal that does not comply with all of the material and substantial terms, conditions, and performance requirements of the RFP.

Further, the County may reject a proposal from any entity that is a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary, or that is under common ownership, control, or management with any other entity submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP.

A Proposer may not qualify the Proposal nor restrict the rights of the County. If Proposer does so, the Proposal may be determined to be a non-responsive counter-offer and the Proposal may be rejected.

No Proposal shall be rejected, however, if it contains a minor irregularity, defect or variation. If the irregularity, defect or variation is considered by the County to be immaterial or inconsequential, the County may choose to accept the Proposal.

Minor irregularities may be waived by the Purchasing Agent when they are any of the following:

1. Do not affect responsiveness;

2. Are merely a matter of form or format;

3. Do not change the relative standing or otherwise prejudice other offers;

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

4. Do not change the meaning or scope of the RFP;

5. Are trivial, negligible, or immaterial in nature;

6. Do not reflect a material change in the work; or

7. Do not constitute a substantial reservation against a requirement or provision.

In such cases the Proposer will be notified of the deficiency in the Proposal and given an opportunity to correct the irregularity, defect or variation or the County may elect to waive the deficiency and accept the Proposal. The decision to provide a waiver shall in no way modify or compromise the overall purpose of the submittal, nor excuse the Proposer from compliance with all requirements if awarded a Contract.

This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract. The County reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals if it is in the best interest of the County to do so. The County also reserves the right to terminate this RFP process at any time.

H. Local Preference

The San Bernardino County has adopted a Local Preference Policy. A local preference of five percent (5%) shall be applied in the cost evaluation of proposals or bids for goods, services, equipment, or a minor public work project, unless an exemption applies. In a price-based bid, five percent (5%) will be deducted from the local vendor’s proposed cost for the purpose of comparison when the local vendor’s proposed cost is not the lowest. If the local vendor’s bid is equal to or lower than the price of an otherwise successful non-local vendor after the 5% preference is applied, the local vendor will be given the opportunity to match the lowest quoted price. In a best value evaluation, five percent (5%) of the awardable points for cost will be added to the local vendor’s score. If the local vendor’s overall score is equal to or lower than that of an otherwise successful nonlocal vendor, the local vendor will be recommended for award.

“Due to the evaluation of qualitative elements along with cost in a best value evaluation, application of local preference for cost proposals may not result in award to a local vendor with the lowest cost after applying local preference.”

Local Vendor - A local vendor is any vendor, contractor or consultant (hereafter “vendor”) that meets all of the following requirements:

1. Vendor’s main office (headquarters) or a major regional office is located within the County;

2. Vendor employs a minimum of 25% of the vendor’s full-time management employees and 25% of its full-time regular employees working from the San Bernardino County location(s);

3. Vendor employs one full-time or two part-time employees with primary residence in the County;

4. Vendor’s “point of sale” for purposes of reporting sales tax to the State Board of Equalization is within the boundaries of the County. The payment of any local share of sales tax must go to the County or a city within the County. If the local business has more than one sales office in the State of California, the office located in the County shall be the point of sale for sales tax calculation;

5. Vendor is not delinquent in any taxes or other payments to the County;

6. Vendor possesses a valid and verifiable business license (if required);

7. Vendor has been open and established for at least six months prior to the issuance of the solicitation;

8. Vendor can demonstrate on-going business activity in the field of endeavor on which they are proposing from that office during the preceding six months;

9. Vendor has not within five years prior to the solicitation admitted guilt or been found guilty by any court or state or federal regulatory enforcement agency of violation of any criminal law or any law or regulation regarding fraud;

10. Vendor is not federally debarred; and

11. Vendor is not suspended or debarred from participation in doing business with the County, in the scope of work that is the subject of the solicitation.

12. Local Vendor Self-certification – Documentation provided

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

Local Vendor self-certification form is required for any bid or proposal when a local preference is claimed affirming that it meets each of the above stated criteria, and signed by a vendor representative with the authority to obligate the company under penalty of perjury. (See Attachment)

I. Clarification of Offers In order to determine if a Proposal is reasonably susceptible for award, communications by the Facilitator for the evaluation panel are permitted with a Proposer to clarify uncertainties or eliminate confusion concerning the contents of a Proposal. Clarifications may not result in a material or substantive change to the Proposal. The evaluation by the panel may be adjusted as a result of a clarification under this section.

J. Public Records Act All Proposals and other material submitted become the property of the County and are subject to release according to the California Public Records Act (Government Code § 7920.000). All Proposal information, including cost information, will be held in confidence during the evaluation and negotiation process.

Thereafter, Proposals are subject to becoming a non-exempt public record.

If a Proposer believes that any portion of its Proposal is exempt from public disclosure, it must indicate the specific portions believed to be confidential and not subject to disclosure on Attachment I - Public Records Act Exemptions. The Proposer also must include a brief description that sets out the reasons for exemption from disclosure. Each stated exemption must include a citation to supporting legal authority, including statutory authority or case law, to support exemption from the Public Records Act. Requested exemptions that do not meet the requirements of this section will not be considered.

The County will use reasonable means to ensure that such information is safeguarded, but will not be held liable for inadvertent disclosure of the information. Proposals marked “Confidential” in their entirety will not be honored, and the County might not deny public disclosure of any portion of Proposals so marked.

By submitting a Proposal with portions identified in Attachment I as “Confidential,” Proposer represents that it has a good faith belief that such portions are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act. Proposer may be requested to obtain legal protection from disclosure should a Public Records Act request be received. In the event the County does not disclose the information marked “Confidential,” Proposer agrees to reimburse the County for, and to indemnify, defend (with counsel approved by County) and hold harmless the County, its officers, employees, agents, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, suits, judgments, fines, penalties, costs and expenses, including without limitation, attorneys’ fees, expenses and court costs of any nature arising from or relating to the County’s non-disclosure of any such designated portions of a Proposal.

K. Employment of Former County Officials Information must be provided in Attachment G regarding former County Administrative Officials (as defined below) who are employed by or represent Proposer. The information provided must include a list of former County Administrative Officials who terminated County employment within the last five years and who are now officers, principals, partners, associates or members of Proposer and should also include the employment and/or representative capacity and the dates these individuals began employment with or representation of Proposer. For purposes of this section, “County Administrative Official” is defined as a member of the Board of Supervisors or such member’s staff, Chief Executive Officer or member of such officer’s staff, County department or group head, assistant department or group head, or any employee in the Exempt Group, Management Unit or Safety Management Unit.

Failure to provide this information may result in the Proposal being deemed non-responsive.

L. Iran Contracting Act of 2010

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

In accordance with Public Contract Code section 2204(a), the Proposer certifies upon submission that the Proposer signing the Proposal is not identified on a list created pursuant to subdivision (b) of Public Contract Code section 2203 (https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement- Division-Resources-List-Folder/List-of-Ineligible-Businesses)as a person (as defined in Public Contract Code section 2202(e)) engaging in investment activities in Iran described in subdivision (a) of Public Contract Code section 2202.5, or as a person described in subdivision (b) of Public Contract Code section 2202.5, as applicable.

Proposers are cautioned that making a false certification may subject the Proposer to civil penalties, termination of an existing contract, and ineligibility to bid on a contract for a period of three (3) years in accordance with Public Contract Code section 2205. Proposer agrees that signing the Proposal shall constitute signature of this Certification.

M. Disclosure of Criminal and Civil Proceedings The County reserves the right to request the information described herein from the Proposer selected for Contract award. Failure to provide the information may result in a disqualification from the selection process and no award of Contract to the Proposer. The County also reserves the right to obtain the requested information by way of a background check performed by an investigative firm. The selected Proposer may also be asked to provide information to clarify initial responses. Negative information provided or discovered may result in disqualification from the selection process and no award of Contract.

The selected Proposer may be asked whether the firm, or any of its partners, principals, members, associates or key employees (as that term is defined herein), within the last ten years, has been indicted on or had charges brought against it or them (if still pending) or convicted of any crime or offense arising directly or indirectly from the conduct of the firm’s business, or whether the firm, or any of it partners, principals, members, associates or key employees, has within the last ten years, been indicted on or had charges brought against it or them (if still pending) or convicted of any crime or offense involving financial misconduct or fraud. If the response is affirmative, the Proposer will be asked to describe any such indictments or charges (and the status thereof), convictions and the surrounding circumstances in detail.

In addition, the selected Proposer may also be asked to disclose whether the firm, or any of its partners, principals, members, associates or key employees, within the last ten years, has been the subject of legal proceedings as defined herein arising directly from the provision of services by the firm or those individuals. “Legal proceedings” means any civil actions filed in a court of competent jurisdiction, or any matters filed by an administrative or regulatory body with jurisdiction over the firm or the individuals. If the response is affirmative, the Proposer will be asked to describe any such legal proceedings (and the status and disposition thereof) and the surrounding circumstances in detail.

For purposes of this provision “key employees” includes any individuals providing direct service to the County. “Key employees” do not include clerical personnel providing service at the firm’s offices or locations.

N. Debarment and Suspension; California Secretary of State Business Entity Registration.

Proposer certifies in Attachment D that neither it nor its principals or subcontractors are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency. (See Attachment D and the following United States General Services Administration’s System for Award Management website https://www.sam.gov). Proposer also certifies in Attachment D that if it or any of the subcontractors listed in the Proposal are business entities that must be registered with the California Secretary of State, they are registered and in good standing with the Secretary of State.

O. Unsatisfactory Performance https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/List-of-Ineligible-Businesses https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/List-of-Ineligible-Businesses https://www.sam.gov/

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

Proposer affirms that it has no record of unsatisfactory performance with the County in the twenty-four

(24) month period immediately preceding the date of issuance of this RFP.

P. Final Authority The final authority to award a contract(s) as a result of this RFP rests solely with the County Board of Supervisors, or as delegated by the Board of Supervisors.

Q. Reserved

V. SCOPE OF WORK

A. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. General County Background San Bernardino County operates a regional medical facility known as Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, a 456-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital licensed by the State of California Department of Public Health.

ARMC is located on a 70-acre campus in Colton, California, from which it provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services and emergency care for approximately 130,460 County residents, 113,769 admissions and approximately 254,000 outpatient visits annually. These services include operating a regional burn center, a primary stroke center, a level II trauma center, four off-campus family health centers (FHCs), behavioral health inpatient services, and providing more than 40 outpatient specialty services.

2. Project Analysis and History San Bernardino County currently has GPO membership with Vizient, Inc. Competitively bid nationwide contracts for supplies and equipment under the Vizient membership are utilized with approval by the Purchasing Agent, when the competitive process meets County Procurement standards and are compliant with California Law. These contracts are available to all County Departments. Currently usage exists in the following departments: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), Public Health, Behavioral Health, Sheriff-Coroner, and Probation. Spend through the primary County Department (ARMC) is estimated at $80 million annually.

3. Scope for Contracts and Services Where there are contracts in place in the County for products and services such as furniture, office supplies, food service distribution, etc., GPO will not be used unless a market basket analysis is provided by the GPO or GPO contractor, and use of the GPO is approved by the County Purchasing Department.

Further, the use of services under a GPO have not historically met the County’s competitive process requirements because individual scopes of work are not provided as part of the GPO solicitation. If services other than those listed below are needed, the GPO may bid on those services during the term of the contract.

Contracts to be used under a resulting agreement are as follows:

a. Medical/Surgical supplies

b. Clinical laboratory supplies

c. Pharmaceuticals/Pharmacy supplies

d. Capital equipment

e. Minor medical equipment

f. Fee-based and value-added services for:

o Supply chain analytics o Pharmacy program analytics o Physician preference (functionality) item analytics

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership o Supply chain training and development programs

4. Constraints

Transition plans must allow for a lengthy cycle to accommodate contract pricing updates by the County.

Therefore, Proposals must include a comprehensive project plan with milestones in order to fully transition by December 2026. Please note that the current product line and market share data will be needed and must be provided by selected Contractor(s), with permission from user departments in the County.

B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1. Purpose of Project The County is seeking a partnership with a GPO whose philosophy is to provide its members with cost savings, volume discounts for special buys and standardization programs, participation extended to all County departments, and annual cash rebates. The County requires a GPO whose bidding process meets County policies and is compliant with California law. The County is interested in forming a virtual Integrated Delivery Network (IDN) combining purchase volume for like-item purchases. Proposals will need to reflect a plan for accomplishing a virtual IDN.

a. Procurement Goals

Realize savings and efficiencies by aggregating purchasing volume and using that advantage to negotiate discounts with manufacturers, distributors and other vendors.

• Use of GPO Contracts Contracts are subject to review of the solicitation process, and the County must have access to records and information pertaining to processes used by the GPO to establish contracts.

This includes but is not limited to weighted criteria matrices and score sheets.

• Access to GPO Contracts Contracts must be available to all County departments, with each department having its own account and ability to order directly from any contract that meets the County’s solicitation requirements. All contract documents including legal forms must be available upon request in a printable format such as Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word.

• Emergency Supply GPO Contractors must be willing to provide emergency supplies upon request, including emergency stockpiles during non-emergency time periods, without requirement for prior allocation.

• Purchasing Volume The County must be recognized as an IDN for the purpose of pricing, pricing negotiations, spending volume and rebates. All departments shall have access to discounted pricing, regardless of class of trade or industry classification.

b. Procurement Strategies

• Standardization of heavily used items

• Aggregation of spend across the GPO Members

• Volume discounts

• Enhanced pricing programs

• Value added programs that serve to improve healthcare quality and safety, efficiency, and mitigation of rising healthcare costs

• No cost, or fee-based value-added programs that serve to improve supply chain operations

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

2. Deliverables/Requirements:

a. Timeframe Proposals must include a comprehensive project plan with milestones in order to fully implement by December 2026

b. Project Exclusions

1. Membership in the GPO shall not bind the County to terms and conditions specified in individual supplier contracts

2. The GPO must agree to provide the regularly bid contract cycles not to exceed 5 years in length, including any extensions

c. Staffing Roles and Responsibilities Proposals shall:

1. Provide a proposed organization chart of all staff who will support the contract and account for the County.

2. Describe individuals key to the project

3. Specify the roles and responsibilities of each staff member

d. Account Support Proposers must be able to provide:

1. Account executive support which may include the following:

a) Assistance in resolving supplier/vendor issues with regards to GPO contract compliance

b) Providing for monthly status reports of GPO performance measures– or more frequent as requested that include and are not limited to, GPO 90-day contract expiration reports, standardization program compliance, group buys notifications, tier-level validations with tier adjustment recommendations, quarterly rebate reports

c) Providing staff for account analytics to support special projects

d) Providing complementary access to all GPO-related education programs and conferences for supply chain staff that support GPO provided programs and applications

2. Dedicated analyst to provide for contract expiration notifications in addition to providing lists of replacement contracts for consideration and management of standardization program compliance.

3. Live and remote training on GPO applications for County staff.

e. Specific Deliverables Proposer must be able to:

1. Provide documents and reports as requested (electronic and physical).

2. Provide quarterly reports of all items purchased and rebates paid (and/or unpaid).

3. Include on the report any unpaid rebate with justification for nonpayment. Provide quarterly reports showing past, present, and future trending in contract purchases.

4. Provide a detailed summary of compliance policy including levels of compliance, percentage of business that each level of compliance requires, and sole source contractors.

5. Describe significant “value added” (non-price related) programs and/or benefits available to your GPO members.

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

f. Rebate Structure Proposals shall:

1. Define any opportunity to offset the Administrative Fees through reinvesting a portion of the dollars saved. Rebates (aka fee share) to the County must be no less than 70% of fees collected.

2. Provide a flow chart of how the money flows within your GPO, e.g., member pays membership fee to

GPO; member pays invoices from suppliers for goods or services received, suppliers pay administrative fees to GPO for member purchases, GPO returns portion of administrative fee collected back to the GPO member.

g. Formal Scheduled Meetings

Proposers must be able to provide:

1. A quarterly business review with the assigned Buyer in each user department. Key Department staff will also be included for San Bernardino County.

2. Regular meetings with department staff are scheduled at the discretion of key department staff. All meetings must be scheduled, walk-ins are prohibited.

h. Additional Required Information Proposals must address the following:

1. Detail how you obtain and substantiate “best pricing” from vendors. Describe any programs for enhanced pricing for an acute care organization IDN or explain any requirements for attainment of enhanced pricing programs including the contract provisions for local market pricing and additional contract language additions.

2. Provide examples of current pricing contracts, tier level pricing, and pricing comparisons that demonstrate your GPO’s ability to negotiate and substantiate cost savings from a vendor.

3. Confirm that, upon award, you would be able to provide a list of all non-competitive contracts active in your GPO.

4. Detail the number of transitions your GPO has assisted clients with and describe the best practices identified.

I. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposers must meet the following requirements:

1. Must have experience in providing services requested in the RFP.

2. Must have experience working with hospitals similar in size and scope to Arrowhead Regional

Medical Center (ARMC).

3. Provide five (5) government hospitals as references served by your organization. For each reference, provide a brief summary of the type(s) of work performed and identify the role(s) played by the key individuals of the proposed project team in the work for that client. For each reference, indicate the name, address, email, and telephone number of a responsible official who could be contacted. (In the event the key individuals did not work on one or more of the above referenced clients, please provide additional references regarding clients of the key individuals).

4. Provide a 60-day transition plan with detailed events and milestones and estimated timeline.

5. Provide a list of your members that are of a unique configuration, e.g., university, for-profit, state, or county.

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

6. Provide information that indicates if your company is either privately or publicly held.

7. Disclose and describe the nature of any pending investigation or administrative action by any governmental agency that involves your company.

8. Disclose any complaints lodged against your company by the Attorney General of the State of

California or Federal Trade Commission. If applicable, provide the date the complaint was filed, the reason for the complaint, and the outcome.

9. Identify any mergers, sales, acquisitions or other changes in your company’s ownership that have occurred in the last three (3) years

10. Disclose any planned mergers, sales, acquisitions or other changes in ownership of your company that will affect over a twenty percent (20%) change in ownership of your company.

11. Identify how contractors are vetted through all required exclusion lists.

12. Allow for negotiation and flexible application of supplier terms and conditions.

13. Describe allocation assignment procedures including how priority is determined.

VI. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

A. General

1. All interested and qualified Proposers are invited to submit a Proposal for consideration. Submission of a Proposal indicates that the Proposer has read and understands the entire RFP, including all appendixes, attachments, exhibits, schedules, and addenda (as applicable) and that all concerns regarding the RFP have been resolved.

2. Proposals must be received by the designated date and time. All Proposers must register with the ePro system prior to the date and time to receive the proposal or they will be disqualified.

Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted. Electronic response must be submitted through the San Bernardino County Electronic Procurement Network (ePro) https://epro.sbcounty.gov/bso/view/login/login.xhtml. System-related issues in ePro shall be directed to the Purchasing Department at (909) 387-2060. For procurement questions involving ePro, please contact the RFP Contact identified in Section I, Paragraph B - RFP Contact.

3. The Proposer acknowledges that its electronic signature is legally binding. Submittals in ePro will be opened from the system’s encrypted lock box after the deadline and evaluated as stated in this RFP.

4. Reserved

5. Proposals must be submitted in the format described below. Proposals are to be prepared in such a way as to provide a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP.

6. Proposals must be completed in all respects as required in this section. A Proposal may not be considered if it is conditional or incomplete.

B. Proposal Format Responses to this RFP must be in the form of a Proposal package, which must be submitted in the following format:

1. Presentation https://epro.sbcounty.gov/bso/view/login/login.xhtml

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

Format the Proposal to fit on an 8-½ v 11 sheet of paper with margins of at least ¾ inches. Text should be single spaced and font size should be no smaller than 11 point. Each page, including attachments, must be clearly and consecutively numbered.

2. Cover Page Use Attachment A as the cover page.

This form must be fully completed and signed by an authorized officer of the Proposer.

3. Table of Contents All pages of the Proposal, including the enclosures, must be clearly and consecutively numbered and correspond to the Table of Contents.

4. Statement of Certification

Include the following on Attachment B:

a. A statement that the offer made in the Proposal is firm and binding for nine (9) months from the

Deadline for Proposals.

b. A statement that all aspects of the Proposal, including cost, have been determined independently, without consultation with any other Proposer (competitor) for the purpose of restricting competition.

c. A statement that all declarations in the Proposal and attachments are true and that this shall constitute a warranty, the falsity of which will entitle the County to pursue any remedy by law.

d. A statement that the Proposer agrees that all aspects of the RFP and the Proposal submitted shall be binding if the Proposal is selected and a Contract awarded.

e. A statement that the Proposer agrees to provide the County with any other information the County determines is necessary for an accurate determination of the Proposer’s ability to perform the Services as proposed.

f. A statement that the Proposer, if selected will comply with all applicable rules, laws and regulations.

g. A statement that the Proposer has reviewed the RFP and General Contract Terms in their entirety and have no exceptions to any requirements, terms or conditions, except as noted in Attachment

h. GPO Membership shall be used primarily for the procurement of supplies and minor equipment.

All other contract offerings not listed above shall require prior approval by the Purchasing Agent of the County except offerings that are noted in Attachment G.

5. Statement of Experience and Qualifications

Include the following in this section of the Proposal:

a. Business name of the Proposer and type of legal entity such as corporation, partnership, etc. If

Proposer is a business entity that must be registered with the California Secretary of State, Proposer shall provide the County the entity number assigned to it by the Secretary of State.

b. Number of years the Proposer has been in business under the present business name, as well as related prior business names.

c. Statement that the Proposer does not have any commitments or potential commitments that may impact the Proposer’s ability to perform the Contract, if awarded.

6. Licenses, Permits, and/or Certificates

Complete Attachment C

7. Reserved

8. Project Team Organization Chart Provide an organization chart illustrating the project team, and clearly show the organization of the team and the hierarchy of the members. It must include:

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

a. Organizational framework for the proposed project team.

b. Company name and staff name for each role identified in the chart.

c. Resumes of key personnel, including qualifications, education and project experience

9. Proposal Description The Proposal should include the following:

a. A brief synopsis of the Proposer’s understanding of the County’s needs and how the Proposer plans to meet them.

b. A detailed statement of the proposed Services.

c. An explanation of any assumptions or constraints.

d. Detailed 60 day transition plan

10. Reserved

11. Certification Regarding Debarment or Suspension

Complete Attachment D

12. Cost Reference Attachment E and provide current pricing for the contract types listed.

13. References Provide three (3) references from other entities, preferably public agencies, of same or similar size as the County, with whom you have established a contract on a project of this nature. Provide Contact Name, Address, Phone Number, email, and dates Services were provided on Attachment F.

14. Former County Officials

Complete Attachment G

15. Exceptions to RFP Complete Attachment H.

16. Public Records Act Exemptions

Complete Attachment I – Public Records Act Exemptions if applicable.

17. Indemnification and Insurance Requirements Affidavit Submit evidence of ability to insure as stated in Section X, Paragraph B – Indemnification and Insurance Requirements. Proposer must complete and submit Attachment J – Indemnification and Insurance Requirements Affidavit, and ensure the form is complete, including the signature from Proposer’s insurance broker/agent.

18. Compliance Policy Use Attachment L to provide a detailed summary of compliance policy including levels of compliance, percentage of business that each level of compliance requires, and sole source contractors.

19. Rebate Structure Use Attachment M for the following:

• Define opportunities to offset administrative fees

• Provide a flow chart of how money flows through Proposer’s GPO

• Confirm rebates will be no less than 70% of administrative fees

20. Pricing Procedures and Enhanced Pricing Use Attachment N to provide the following:

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

• Detailed description of how Proposer obtains and substantiates “best pricing” from vendors

• Description of any enhanced pricing programs for acute care organizations

• Explain requirements or participation in enhanced pricing programs

21. Transition Best Practices Use Attachment O to detail the number of transitions Proposer has assisted clients with and describe any best practices used.

22. Unique Members Use Attachment P to provide a list of your members that are of a unique configuration, e.g., university, for-profit, state, or county.

23. Allocation Procedures Use Attachment Q to describe allocation assignment procedures including how priority is determined.

24. Additional Questions Complete Attachment R

VII. EVALUATION

Proposals will be subject to an Initial Review to confirm responsiveness, by determining whether each Proposal includes the stipulated content, required certifications or licensing, etc., and is presented in the required format, in order for the Proposal to advance for evaluation. Any reasonable person reviewing for responsiveness must be able to ascertain that the Proposal meets these requirements.

The evaluation process includes the following categories, and may include additional specific criteria.

Likewise, the listed considerations are possible considerations, and may not be the only factors involved in the evaluation.

A. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Weight: 10% Considerations:

• Level of executive support offered

• Experience and depth of proposed team with key individuals noted

• Experience with public sector hospitals

• Demonstrated capacity to provide services stated in RFP

• Approximate number of transitions performed

• Presence of any pending investigations or administrative actions by any governmental agency

• Company reputation and strength in the industry

B. TECHNICAL REVIEW

Weight: 35% Considerations:

• Comprehensive transition plan

• Breadth of Proposer’s contract catalogue

• Flexibility of GPO’s individual supplier contracts (i.e. negotiability of discounts, enhanced pricing programs, volume discounts, terms and conditions)

• Competitive bidding process that meets State and County requirements

• Contract Cycle Length

• Reporting and Compliance

• Value Added Programs including supply chain/spend analytics

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

• Training plan, live and virtual, for system users and administrators, including supply chain training and other development programs for staff

• Hierarchy for service issues and escalation for problem resolution

• Availability of legal forms in a printable format

• Provision of account numbers for each County department and the ability to order and receive rebates directly

• Access to competitive bidding records for contracts including weighted criteria matrices and score sheets

• Description of process for substantiating best pricing from contractors

• Ability to provide list of non-competitive and sole source contracts

• Available standardization and private label programs

• Availability of emergency supplies during declared emergencies

• Description of allocation procedures during declared emergencies

• Recognition of San Bernardino as an IDN for volume pricing and rebates

• Description and flow chart of money flows within GPO

• Few or no exceptions to County requirements and contractual terms and conditions

C. COST/REVENUE/REBATE STRUCTURE

Weight: 35% Considerations:

• Administrative Fees

• Rebate Structure

• Enhanced Pricing Programs and requirements

• Competitiveness of provided contract pricing

D. INTERVIEW, PRESENTATION, OR DEMONSTRATION

Weight: 20% Considerations:

• Well organized and comprehensive presentation

• Presentation addressed understanding of hospitals needs

• Presenter inspired confidence in the GPO

• Presenter was able to answer all questions

The County may, at its sole discretion, create a shortlist of Proposals for further evaluation; require an oral interview, presentation, or demonstration; and utilize outside experts to assist in the evaluation process;

and/or issue a request for Best and Final Offer (BAFO) from one or more Proposers.

The County will establish an evaluation panel with responsibility for reviewing all Proposals and conducting the evaluation. A Facilitator will manage the integrity of the evaluation process and will not be a voting member of the evaluation panel. An initial meeting will be scheduled and held with the evaluation panel members, wherein the Facilitator will distribute all relevant information to the evaluators including the RFP, evaluation criteria , and evaluation instructions.

After the initial meeting, evaluators will independently review and score the Proposals. The evaluation panel will then convene again to discuss the individual scores to resolve questions and to discuss the basis for individual scores, but not for the evaluators to agree upon scoring. At the end of this discussion, each evaluator will be given an option to revise his/her scores.

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

Evaluators will make independent determinations for scores, including review and understanding of any additional information obtained by the group discussion. In the event a score is revised, the evaluator will, document the new score, and provide comments to support the revision.

If clarifying information is needed at any point, the Facilitator will contact Proposer(s) to obtain the necessary information. The Facilitator will then provide the information to the evaluation panel electronically or verbally, as appropriate.

If the evaluation process includes components such as oral interviews, product demonstration, and/or site visits, the Facilitator will coordinate those with evaluators. Individual scoring and any subsequent evaluation panel meetings with respect to such components must be conducted.

Once all ratings are finalized and documented, the Facilitator will create a final evaluation scoring worksheet.

VIII. NEGOTIATIONS AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

The County may require the potential Proposer(s) selected to participate in negotiations. This may include cost, technical, or other clarifications needed to make a decision.

A. Contract Negotiation

After selection, negotiations may be conducted with the Proposer(s) of the highest-ranked Proposal(s).

Negotiations, if held, shall be within the scope of work in the request for Proposals. If the contract negotiations take place in San Bernardino County, California, the Proposer will be responsible for its travel and per diem expenses of its personnel.

B. Failure to Negotiate

If the selected Proposer:

1. Fails to provide the information required to begin negotiations in a timely manner; or

2. Fails to negotiate in good faith; or

3. Indicates it cannot perform the Contract within the budgeted funds available for the Services; or

4. If the Proposer and the County, after a good faith effort, simply cannot come to terms;

Then the County may terminate negotiations with the Proposer initially selected and commence negotiations with the next highest rated Proposer.

C. Notice of Intent to Award (NOIA) – Proposer Notification of Selection

After the completion of Contract negotiations a written or electronic Notice of Intent to Award (NOIA) and denial letters (or a copy of the NOIA) will be issued to all Proposers. The issuance date of the NOIA is the date the NOIA was delivered by email or into the care of the United States Postal Service for delivery to the Proposer.

D. Reserved.

E. Award

A Contract will be awarded based on a competitive selection of Proposals received. The contents of the Proposal of the successful Proposer will become contractual obligations and failure to accept these obligations in a Contract may result in cancellation of the award.

IX. APPEAL AND AWARD

In the event a dispute arises concerning the Proposal process prior to the award of the Contract, the Proposer raising the dispute shall submit a request for resolution in writing to the Purchasing Agent. Proposer may appeal the recommended award or denial of award (Protest), provided the Protest:

Request for Proposal Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) Membership

1. Is submitted in writing.

2. Is submitted within ten (10) calendar days of the issuance date of the NOIA.

A Protest can only be brought on the following grounds:

1. Failure of the County to follow the selection procedures and adhere to requirements specified in the RFP or any addenda or amendments.

2. Violation of conflict of interest as provided by California Government Code Section 87100 et seq.

3. Violation of State or Federal law.

Protests will not be accepted for any other reasons than those stated above. All Protests must be sent to:

Pete Mendoza, Director

Purchasing Department 777 E. Rialto Avenue San Bernardino, CA 92415-0760

Upon receipt of the formal Protest, the Purchasing Agent, or his/her designee, will attempt to resolve the Protest. A Protest shall be disallowed when, in the judgment of the Purchasing Agent it has been submitted:

(1) as a delay tactic; (2) for the purpose of posturing the Proposer advantageously for future procurement;

(3) in a form that deviates from the one prescribed; (4) without adequate factual basis or merit; or (5) in an untimely manner.

The Purchasing Agent shall make a decision concerning the appeal, and notify the Proposer submitting the Protest, within a reasonable timeframe prior to the tentatively scheduled date for awarding the…