https://dtsc.ca.gov/

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES SHORT LIST

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS R-2526-06

October 8, 2025

Pursuant to the California Health and Safety Code sections 78590-78620 the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) may establish a prequalified list of professional engineering firms (Short List) to provide professional engineering and related incidental services. The purpose of this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is to establish the Short List. From this list, DTSC will negotiate, and award contracts equal to or less than $1,000,000.00 for projects.

DTSC may also use the Short List for contracts awarded pursuant to California Health and Safety Code sections 78870 and 78880 These contracts are not subject to the same conditions as contracts awarded pursuant to Health and Safety Code sections 78590-78620 and may be awarded to any firm on the Short List and may exceed $1,000,000.00.

DTSC has divided the State of California into four Geographic Regions (Regions), managed by the:

• Berkeley Office

• Chatsworth Office

• Cypress Office

• Sacramento/Clovis Office

See Section 10, Geographic Regions, for the counties covered by each Region.

The submitted bids will contain fixed rates and the term will be three (3) years. This RFQ explains what is required to submit a successful bid package. In submitting your bid, you must comply with these instructions and meet all requirements. Prior to submitting a bid, bidders shall review the Example Contract included in this RFQ to ensure they agree to all terms and conditions and have the ability and resources to complete the required work within the timeframes set out in the contract.

DTSC is not obligated to award any contract and reserves the right to reject all bids.

Respondents to this RFQ shall submit completed bids as outlined in this RFQ no later than November 12, 2025 by 12:00 p.m., Pacific Time.

Hunter Witt, Contract Development Analyst https://dtsc.ca.gov/

RFQ R-2526-06

Hazardous Substances/Materials Regional Site Remediation Contract

Contracts Unit Department of Toxic Substances Control

1. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Department of Toxic Substances Control

Professional Engineering Services Short List

Request For Qualifications R-2526-06

Events Anticipated Date of Event

RFQ Release Date October 8th, 2025

Deadline to Submit Written Questions and Request for Contract Modifications October 15th, 2025

Release Phase III Technical Scenarios as an addendum to the RFQ October 20th, 2025

Publish Response to Written Questions* October 29th, 2025

Bid Due Date November 12th, 2025 at 12:00PM

Phase I & II Evaluations November 12th, 2025 – December 10th, 2025

Notify Bidders who advance to Phase III* December 11th, 2025

Deadline to Submit Written Questions about Phase III December 15th, 2025

DTSC Response to Written Questions December 19th, 2025

Discussions January 12th – January 16th, 2026

Firms ranked and Short List announced* January 21st , 2026

*This date may be extended, if DTSC requires additional time.

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Schedule of Events 3

2. Table of Contents 4

3. Introduction 6

3.A. Authority 3.B. Follow-On Contracting Prohibition 3.C. Term of the Short List 3.D. Example Contract 3.E. Example Contract, Ex. E, Political Reform Act Requirements 3.F. Example Contract, Ex. D, Performance and Payment Bonds 3.G. Contact Information 3.H. Contact with Department During RFQ Process

4. Bidder Requirements 10 4.A. Bidder Certifying Statements 4.B. Minimum Qualifications 4.C. Technical Bid 4.D. Participation Requirements, Preference Programs, and Incentive Programs 4.E. Required Attachments

5. Bid Submission Requirements 18 5.A. Submission Format

6. Evaluation Process 20 6.A. Phase I: Minimum Qualifications Compliance Check 6.B. Phase II: Technical Bid 6.C. Phase III: Discussions 6.D. Contract Awards 6.E. Tie Breaker 6.F. Process of Awarding Contracts off the A&E Shortlist

7. General Information 28 7.A. Questions Regarding the RFQ 7.B. Request for Modifications to the Example Contract 7.C. Executive Order N-6-22 – Russia Sanctions 7.D. Errors and Omissions 7.E. Confidentiality 7.F. Addenda 7.G. Clarifications 7.H. Award and Dispute 7.I. Other Criteria

8. Attachment A: Required Personnel Descriptions 33

9. Attachment B: Technical Scenario 41

10. Regions in the A&E Shortlist 41

11. Attachments 42

Attachment 1: Required Documents Checklist

Attachment 2: Bid/Bidder Certification Sheet Attachment 3: Bidder Experience and Reference Form Attachment 4: A&E RFQ – Qualification Questionnaire Attachment 5: Bidder Cost Sheet Attachment 6: Professional Experience of the Bidder Attachment 7: Bidder References Form Attachment 8: Darfur Contracting Act Attachment 9: Contractor Certification Clauses 04/2017 Attachment 10: Payee Data Record – STD. 204 and STD 205 Attachment 11: California Civil Rights Laws Attachment 12: Iran Contracting Act Verification Attachment 13: Non-Collusion Declaration Attachment 14: Contract Language Modification Matrix Attachment 15: Federal From 330 Part II Attachment 16: Bidder Certifying Statements

12. Example A&E Contract 118

13. Conflict of Interest Disclosures Form 155

3. INTRODUCTION

The mission of DTSC is to protect California’s people, communities, and environment from toxic substances, to enhance economic vitality by restoring contaminated land, and to compel manufacturers to make safer consumer products. In carrying out this responsibility DTSC regulates the activities of hazardous waste generators, treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, and transporters of hazardous wastes. DTSC’s Site Mitigation and Restoration Program reviews and approves closure and post-closure maintenance plans;

conducts or oversees state orphan, Federal Superfund and other site cleanup activities;

coordinates emergency response actions; and conducts hazardous substances property evaluations and assessments of abandoned sites.

The firms on the Short List will provide professional engineering services in support of DTSC’s efforts to investigate and clean up hazardous substances and hazardous waste sites throughout California. Bidders shall be knowledgeable in all applicable laws and regulations including but not limited to California Health and Safety Code (H&SC) Division 20, Chapter 6.5 including Closure/Post-Closure and Corrective Action, H&SC Division 45 § 78000 et al, and 40 CFR Part 300, National Contingency Plan. The bidders shall demonstrate experience in conducting site and/or facility investigations (including air, soil, soil gas, groundwater, and surface water), risk assessments, feasibility studies, closures, remedial design for a specific response action or corrective action; (including, but not limited to, a corrective action carried out pursuant to H&SC, section 25200.10). The bidders shall be experienced in construction practices and oversight.

The firms shall be in responsible charge of a professional civil engineer licensed in the State of California. All work shall be performed by or under the direction and supervision of a qualified professional engineer or a qualified professional geologist licensed in the State of California, with expertise in hazardous substance site cleanups. Services for the projects may include, but are not limited to, preparing, or conducting the following:

• Site Screening

• Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)

• Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection Report (PA/SI)

• Preliminary Endangerment Assessment (PEA)

• Remedial, Site and/or Facility Investigations

• Risk Assessments (Human Health or Ecological)

• Treatability and/or Feasibility Studies

• Remedial Action Plans (RAP) and Removal Action Workplans (RAW)

• Closure and Post-Closure Plans and Corrective Actions

• Remedial Design and Implementation Plans

• Removal Action Designs

• Operation and Maintenance Evaluation or Plan

• Consultation Services

• Other related hazardous substances/wastes activities

• Interim Measures Workplan and Time Critical Removal Action

• Remedial/Removal Action Completion Report

• Construction Project Management o Construction Oversight and Management

• Added as incidental services, but not contracted for independently o Public participation assistance o California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) assistance o Potentially Responsible Party Searches

The firms on the Short List must be able and willing to provide all the services listed above.

3.A. AUTHORITY

Pursuant to the California Health and Safety Code Section 78590-78620, DTSC may establish a prequalified list of firms to provide professional engineering and related incidental services. Contracts will be negotiated and awarded to the firms on the Short List consistent with the requirements of Health and Safety Code Section 78590-78620 and this RFQ. The contract rates, terms and conditions, key personnel, and subcontractors are subject to the RFQ requirements and the bid that was submitted by the contractor pursuant to this RFQ. Contracts awarded pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 78590-78620 may not exceed $1,000,000.00. DTSC may also use the Short List for contracts awarded pursuant to California Health and Safety Code section 78870 and 78880. These contracts are not subject to the same conditions as contracts awarded pursuant to Health and Safety Code 78590-78620, may be awarded to any firm on the Short List, and may exceed $1,000,000.00.

3.B. FOLLOW-ON CONTRACTING PROHIBITION

Pursuant to California Health & Safety Code section 78605(d), once a firm is awarded a contract involving a site or facility investigation or characterization, a feasibility study, or a remedial design, for a specific response action or corrective action, including, but not limited to, a corrective action carried out pursuant to section 25200.10, DTSC is prohibited from entering into a contract with that firm for purposes of construction or implementation of any part of that same response action or corrective action. This prohibition does not apply to subsequent contracts when DTSC determines that there may be an imminent or substantial endangerment to the public health or welfare or to the environment because of a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance into the environment prior to entering into a contract with a firm on the Short List involving a site or facility investigation or characterization, a feasibility study, or a remedial design, for a specific response action or corrective action, pursuant to its authority in California Health and Safety Code sections 78870 and 78880.

3.C. TERM OF THE SHORT LIST

The Short List is valid for up to three years from the date it is established. A bidder may remain on the Short List up to three (3) years without resubmitting a qualification statement. DTSC may add additional bidders to the Short List and may annually rank these bidders. For purposes of annual adjustment to the ranking of bidders already on the Short List, DTSC shall rely on that bidder’s most recent annual qualification statement, if it is not more than three years old. DTSC may award a contract to a bidder on the Short List that is to be executed, including amendments, for a term that extends beyond the expiration date of the bidder’s tenure on the Short List.

3.D. EXAMPLE CONTRACT

Bidders must thoroughly review the Example Contract provided with this RFQ.

Bidders must agree to all applicable terms and conditions of the Example Contract, including STD 213 and Exhibits A, B, C, D, E, and F. Any firm refusing to agree to these terms and conditions in a contract awarded from the Short List may be removed from the Short List. Except as provided in Section 7.B, Request for Modifications to the Example Contract, DTSC will not accept bidder alterations to the Example Contract. Contracts awarded from the Short List will be subject to the rates, key personnel, and subcontractors included in the firm’s bid submitted in response to this RFQ and subject to all other requirements of this RFQ. Without limitation, the following documents will be incorporated by reference in contracts awarded under the Short List: Attachment 3, Bidder Experience and Reference Form; and Attachment 5, Bidder Cost Sheet, including any adjustments made in accordance with the terms of RFQ R-2526-06.

Notwithstanding a firm’s rates established pursuant to this RFQ, DTSC reserves the right to negotiate a fixed price, or the incorporation of additional fixed price contract elements, and establish performance milestones, in any contract awarded from the Short List, in compliance with Health and Safety Code section 78890.

Contracts that are federally funded, in whole or in part, will contain additional terms and conditions, and may contain additional exhibits, as required by the federal funding agency.

3.E. EXAMPLE CONTRACT, EX. E, POLITICAL REFORM ACT REQUIREMENTS

Firms on the Short List must comply with the Political Reform Act of 1974. A contract awarded from the Short List may include consulting services resulting in firm or subcontractor personnel acting as a public official or consultant within the meaning of Government Code section 82048 and Title 2, California Code of Regulations section

18700.3. Contracts determined to include such services will include Example Contract, Exhibit E, Political Reform Act Requirements. Firms will not be compensated for compliance with the Political Reform Act.

3.F. EXAMPLE CONTRACT, EX. D, PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS

DTSC will require payment and/or performance bonds for public works contracts as required by Public Contract Code sections 7103 and 10221, performance bonds for public works contracts in which progress payments are made, or as otherwise required by law.

DTSC may also require the firm to provide a payment and/or performance bond when not legally required, including for contracts that are not public works contracts.

If the cost of the payment or performance bond is excessive (more than two (2) percent of the cost of the contract for either bond), DTSC reserves the right to move to the next firm on the Short List. Failure to provide a payment or performance bond when required may cause a firm to be removed from the Short List. If DTSC elects to require a payment and/or performance bond, the applicable language in subsections

(1) and (2) below will be included in the contract. DTSC may elect to require less than a 100% payment bond or 100% performance bond. The firm will be notified of the requirements at the time the contract is negotiated.

1) Payment Bond

DTSC may require a payment bond in an amount not to exceed 100% of the total amount payable under the contract. The firm will be reimbursed for the actual cost of the bond. The following contract language will be included in all negotiated contracts requiring a payment bond. Any firm refusing to agree to these terms and conditions may be removed from the Short List.

“Pursuant to California Public Contract Code 7103, Contractor shall, through a company authorized by the California Insurance Commissioner to transact surety business in California (an admitted surety insurer) furnish DTSC with a Payment Bond on a form approved by the State of California Attorney General, due when Contractor delivers this signed Contract. The Payment Bond shall be in a sum not less than 100% of the total amount payable under the Contract and shall guarantee payment by Contractor of all materials, provisions, provender, supplies, and equipment used in, upon, for, or about the performance of its obligations under the Contract, and protect DTSC from any liability, losses, or damages arising therefrom. Upon the request of any person or entity appearing to be a potential beneficiary of the Payment Bond, the Contractor shall promptly furnish a copy of the Payment Bond or permit a copy to be made.”

An example of an approved format for a Payment Bond can be found here:

https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std807.pdf

2) Performance Bond

DTSC may require a performance bond in an amount not to exceed 100% of the total amount payable under the contract. The firm will be reimbursed for the actual cost of the bond. The following contract language will be included in all negotiated contracts requiring a performance bond. Any firm refusing to agree to these terms and conditions may be removed from the Short List.

“Contractor shall, through a company authorized by the California Insurance Commissioner to transact surety business in California (an admitted surety insurer) furnish DTSC with a Performance Bond on a form approved by the State of California Attorney General, due when Contractor delivers this signed https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std807.pdf

Contract. The Performance Bond shall be in a sum not less than one hundred percent 100% of the total amount payable under the Contract and guarantee the faithful performance of the Contract.”

An example of an approved format for a Performance Bond can be found here:

https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Library/Files/Public- Forms/156_a_y19.pdf

3.G. CONTACT INFORMATION

All communications regarding this RFQ should be directed to the following staff:

Hunter Witt Contract Development Analyst Department of Toxic Substances Control 1001 I Street, 21st Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 E-mail: contracts@dtsc.ca.gov

3.H. CONTACT WITH DEPARTMENT DURING RFQ PROCESS

Any contact with DTSC regarding this RFQ must be directed to the designated DTSC staff identified in Section 3.G. Prospective bidders, including any prospective subcontractors, shall NOT contact any other DTSC employees regarding the RFQ and/or the proposed work associated with this RFQ. Any discussion or inquiry regarding this RFQ in violation of this rule may result in the disqualification of your proposal or contract award. This requirement is to ensure a fair and equitable process in awarding a contract based upon merit. Any oral or written communications regarding this RFQ from any other DTSC employee may not be relied upon and are not binding on DTSC. Contacting DTSC staff for the sole purpose of requesting a reference for inclusion in bidder’s submission is permitted.

Please see Section 4.C for more information regarding reference requirements.

4. BIDDER REQUIREMENTS

Please properly label all information requested via this RFQ so that relevant information may be easily identified and scored.

Bids must describe the bidder’s qualifications and expertise in the format outlined in the RFQ. A bid will not be considered complete unless it contains all of the items described below. Bidders are not to alter or modify the forms other than by providing the required information; please note, adding your Company’s logo or letterhead to the form is not considered a modification or alteration of the form.

4.A. BIDDER CERTIFYING STATEMENTS

A cover letter is not required. The statements historically associated with DTSC cover letter requirements have been moved to the Bidder Certifying Statements Attachment (Attachment 16, which is a required attachment included on Attachment https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Library/Files/Public-Forms/156_a_y19.pdf https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Library/Files/Public-Forms/156_a_y19.pdf mailto:contracts@dtsc.ca.gov

A, Required Attachments Checklist). This integral part of the bid must be signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the Bidder contractually.

4.B. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The items listed below detail the Minimum Qualifications that the bidders must have in order to compete in this RFQ (Minimum qualifications are evaluated as pass/fail).

Bidders must demonstrate that they can meet or exceed the required qualifications.

Bidder shall have successful experience performing similar services to be provided as described above in Section 3. Introduction.

All required information must be included for the bid to be considered responsive.

1) Provide proof of a current Class A (General Engineering) license and Hazardous Substances License (Hazardous Waste Certification by the California State License Board). In lieu of proof of a Hazardous Substances License, DTSC will accept proof of bidder’s application submission for a Hazardous Substances License (Hazardous Waste Certification by the California State License Board).

However, bidder or its subcontractor must provide proof of having the Hazardous Substances License (Hazardous Waste Certification by the California State License Board) before entering into a site-specific contract awarded off of the Short List.

2) Proof of California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Registration.

3) Organization chart: Bidder shall include an organization chart that includes all key personnel listed in Section 4.B.5.

4) Federal Form 330 Part II for the bidder

5) Key Personnel Qualifications

Below is a list of the key personnel that will be evaluated with your RFQ. Bidder will be expected to use the key personnel proposed and evaluated as part of this RFQ in all contracts awarded off of the Short List. For further information on the education, experience, and job duties of each of the requested classifications, please refer to Section 8, Attachment A.

Bidder shall complete Attachment 3: Bidder Experience and Reference Form based on the minimum qualifications listed in Section 8, Attachment A. All key personnel that will be evaluated in Attachment 3 must be employed by the bidder and may not work for a subcontractor or be an independent contractor, except for the Toxicologist/Risk Assessor III, who can be filled through a subcontractor.

Bidder should provide one (1) dedicated individual for evaluation per key personnel role to ensure minimum staffing is available.

The required years of experience for each key personnel classification may be reduced as follows. A Master’s degree in a directly related field may be used to reduce the experience requirement by one (1) year; a Doctorate degree in a directly related field may be used to reduce the experience requirement by two

(2) years. Bidder must identify in Attachment 3: Bidder Experience and

Reference Form if they will be substituting any experience requirements by education.

All experience must be within the last 15 years. Attachment 3: Bidder Experience and Reference Form must substantiate the relevant experience. Partial years will be rounded down e.g., four (4) years and 10 months of relevant experience will not meet a five (5) year requirement. If Attachment 3: Bidder Experience and Reference Form does not clearly substantiate the dates of the experience, the evaluators will apply the most conservative interpretation of the information (e.g., the form includes a month but not a date in the month, only one (1) day of that month will be presumed worked) in determining whether the minimum qualifications are met. Please note that Attachment 3: Bidder Experience and Reference Form should be submitted in place of resumes and there should be no confidential projects/clients. Separate resumes should not be submitted as part of this solicitation and will not be reviewed or evaluated by DTSC.

Evaluated Classifications:

a) Principal II

b) Principal I

c) Program Manager

d) Registered Geologist

e) Registered Civil Engineer

f) Engineer/Geologist/Hydrogeologist IV

g) Engineer/Geologist/Hydrogeologist III

h) Scientist/Chemist/Biologist IV

i) Scientist/Chemist/Biologist III

j) Toxicologist/Risk Assessor III

4.C. TECHNICAL BID

1) References

The bidder shall have three (3) businesses or governmental agencies as references for which services similar to those detailed in Section 3 of this RFQ have been provided within the last five (5) years. Each reference must be for a different type of service as described in Section 3 of this RFQ. Service provided to the reference must include onsite work. DTSC staff are acceptable to use as references but cannot be used for all three (3) references.

The bidder shall provide Attachment 7: Bidder References Form, to each of the bidder’s three (3) references identified above. The bidder shall collect the

Reference Check Form from each of the three (3) references and include it in the bidder’s submission. A missing Reference Check Form or one (1) without the Reference’s signature will be scored zero.

DTSC may contact each Reference during the Phase II evaluation to verify the information provided in their Reference Check Form via the e-mail address provided, followed up by phone call as needed. If a Reference is non-responsive, then DTSC reserves the right to reach out to the bidder and request additional contact information.

DTSC will not accept any confidential references or projects in Attachment 7.

2) Professional Experience of the Bidder

Bidder shall complete Attachment 6: Professional Experience of the Bidder to describe their experiences doing the projects described in the Attachment. All experience described in Attachment 6 must be from the last 15 years.

DTSC will not accept any confidential projects.

3) Cost Detail Format and Requirements

Bidder must complete and return the Bidder’s Cost Sheet (Attachment 5).

Bidders must enter a reasonable and defensible bid price for each item on the Cost Sheet, regardless of the item’s weighting in the evaluation process, or whether the bidder intends to regularly use the item. DTSC may reject Cost Sheets that fail to meet this requirement or that are unbalanced, resulting in the bidder being disqualified. Unbalanced costs are costs that contain lump sum or unit bid items that do not reflect reasonable actual costs plus a reasonable proportionate share of anticipated profit, overhead costs, and other indirect costs.

Prior to disqualification of a bidder under this paragraph, at DTSC’s option, DTSC may request that a bidder provide an explanation as to why one or more bid prices on the Cost Sheet are reasonable and defensible and reflect the bidder’s reasonable actual costs plus a reasonable proportionate share of anticipated profit, overhead costs, and other indirect costs. DTSC will identify a format and timing for bidder’s response. Failure of a bidder to respond as directed may result in disqualification of the bidder. A determination by DTSC after receipt of all requested information that a bidder will not be disqualified under this paragraph shall not preclude DTSC from negotiating for a lower price for the item as provided in Section 6.D. Contract Awards. For those components that are left blank, bidder will be assigned a bid price of the highest bid cost plus 20% for evaluation purposes only. Firms are not required to currently employ personnel in all classifications listed on the cost sheet; however, firms must bid rates and be able to provide personnel meeting any of the classifications if DTSC determines they are needed for the performance of a particular contract. With the exception of the key personnel classifications evaluated in Attachment 3, firms may use subcontractors for this purpose. A firm may assign personnel in a higher paid classification to work that could be performed by a lower paid classification, but may not charge DTSC more than the bid rate for the lower paid classification.

If the same hourly rate will be billed to DTSC regardless of whether or not a labor classification is performing work covered by Prevailing Wage, then the applicable rate should be listed. The rate may be the same in both the “Labor_PW” and “Labor_Non PW” tabs.

Firms that are placed on the Short List as a result of this solicitation shall be entitled to a 3% price escalation for their Short List rates on an annual basis for the duration of the Short List, beginning one year from the date the Short List is announced.

The Cost Sheet contains a cover sheet and six (6) bid sheets for the following categories:

a) Cover Sheet

i. On the cover sheet, Bidder shall enter company name, contact person, email, and phone number. These blanks are colored orange.

b) Labor_Non-PW

i. Non-prevailing wage per hour (Column C): Hourly rate paid to employee for work that does not require prevailing wage. Bidder shall enter the basic hourly rate paid to employee, which does not include the benefits, taxes, administrative overhead, and profit.

ii. Benefits/Hour (Column D): Bidder shall enter in the benefits per hour rate.

iii. Employer-Paid Federal and State Payroll Taxes-per hour (Column E):

Bidder shall enter the average hourly total for employer-paid contributions for social security, Medicare, federal unemployment insurance, State unemployment insurance, and State training taxes

iv. Administrative overhead costs per hour (Column F): Average hourly charge for those costs not involved in the provision of services.

v. Profit per hour (Column G): Average hourly charge for firm profit.

vi. Non-Prevailing Salary/Wage Total Rate/Hour (Column H): Hourly rate paid to employee for work that does not require prevailing wage that includes the rates provided in Columns C, D, E, F, and G. Bidder should not alter Column H in any way, as it will auto-populate.

vii. Weighting Factor (hours in a hypothetical week) (Column I): Estimated hours in a hypothetical week for each classification.

viii. Non-Prevailing Salary/Wage Total Rate/Hour with Weighting (Column J):

Hourly rate paid to employee for work that does not require prevailing wage multiplied by the weighting factor in Column I. Bidder should not alter Column J in any way, as it will auto-populate.

c) Labor_PW

i. Prevailing wage per hour (Column C): Hourly rate paid to employee for work that does require prevailing wage. Bidder shall enter the basic hourly rate paid to employee, which does not include the benefits, taxes, administrative overhead, and profit.

ii. Benefits/Hour (Column D): Bidder shall enter in the benefits per hour rate.

iii. Employer-Paid Federal and State Payroll Taxes per hour (Column E):

Bidder shall enter the average hourly total for employer-paid contributions for social security, Medicare, federal unemployment insurance, State unemployment insurance, and State training taxes.

iv. Administrative overhead costs per hour (Column F): Average hourly charge for those costs not involved in the provision of services.

v. Profit per hour (Column G): Average hourly charge for firm profit.

vi. Prevailing Salary/Wage Total Rate/Hour (Column H): Hourly rate paid to employee for work that does require prevailing wage that includes the rates provided in Columns C, D, E, F, and G. Bidder should not alter Column H in any way, as it will auto-populate.

vii. Weighting Factor (hours in a hypothetical week) (Column I): Estimated hours in a hypothetical week for each classification.

viii. Prevailing Salary/Wage Total Rate/Hour with Weighting (Column J):

Hourly rate paid to employee for work that does require prevailing wage multiplied by the weighting factor in Column I. Bidder should not alter Column J in any way, as it will auto-populate.

d) Laboratory Testing

i. Bidder shall enter prices for each of the turnaround times listed. Please note: 10-day, 5-day, and 3-day turnaround times are measured in business days.

ii. Weighting Factor (Columns E, H, K, and N): Estimated usage of each lab test.

e) Equipment

i. Bidder shall enter prices in Columns C (Bid Price Per Day) and D (Bid Price Per Week) for each row of identified equipment. The items included in the Example Contract, Ex. B., Section 1.D shall be provided by the Contractor at no additional cost to the State as necessary to perform as required and in a manner consistent with normal industry standards.

f) Supplies

i. Charge for supplies per unit as specified in the Cost Sheet.

g) Total Summary

i. Bidder shall not complete anything on this tab. This tab will auto-populate based on the information in each of the tabs.

ii. Weighting factor: DTSC’s estimated cost allocation in contracts.

4.D. PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS, PREFERENCE PROGRAMS, AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

There will be no Small Business (SB) or DVBE incentive as part of this RFQ.

1) Small Business Participation Requirements

For each Contract awarded from the Short List, there is a mandatory 25% SB participation requirement. To be considered in compliance with this requirement, all participating SBs must be performing a Commercially Useful Function (CUF) that is relevant to the site-specific contract. For any contracts awarded under the Short List, firms must identify all certified SBs they may use to meet this requirement on the GSPD 05-105 Bidder’s Declaration Form and provide proof of SB certification from Cal eProcure.

Please note: A certification for Small Business for the Purpose of Public Works (SB-PW) can only be used for and counted toward small business participation requirements on “public works contracts” as defined under Public Contract Code section 1101 (PCC), but a SB-PW certification cannot be used to meet any small business participation requirements for contracts that are not classified as public works contracts under the PCC. Most of DTSC's A&E contracts are not public works contracts under the PCC, and only a small business (SB) certification (not an SB-PW) will count towards the mandatory participation goals for contracts that are not public works contracts under the PCC. DTSC will notify firms if a site-specific contract awarded from the Short List is a public works contract under the PCC.

2) Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Participation Requirements

For each Contract awarded from the Short List, there is a mandatory 3% DVBE participation requirement. To be considered in compliance with this requirement, all participating DVBEs must be performing a CUF that is relevant to the site-specific contract. For any contracts awarded under the Short List, firms must identify all certified DVBEs they may use to meet this requirement on GSPD 05- 105 Bidder’s Declaration Form and provide proof of DVBE certification from Cal eProcure.

3) State of California, Department of General Services, Procurement Division, Office of Small Business and DVBE Services (OSDS) offers many services that assist contractor/business owners with a variety of information designed to streamline the State contracting process. OSDS also certifies SB and DVBE contractors. For more information, please contact OSDS to find out more:

Office of Small Business and DVBE Services Department of General Services

Procurement Division 707 Third Street

West Sacramento, CA 95605 Phone: (916) 375-4940

Email: OSDSHelp@dgs.ca.gov

Access the list of all certified SBs and DVBEs by using the Department of General Services, Procurement Division (DGS-PD) online certified firm database at: https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/PublicSearch/supplier-search.aspx

Search by “Keywords” or United Nations Standard Products and Services Codes (UNSPSC) that apply to the elements of work you want to subcontract to a DVBE.

Access the Trade, Focus and Referral Organizations, which are entities and publications containing contracting opportunities by going to the “Resources” section at the bottom of this webpage:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division- Resources-List-Folder/Commercially-Useful-Function-for-Certified-Firms

Check for subcontractor ads that may be placed on the California State Contracts Register (CSCR) for this solicitation prior to the closing date. You may access the CSCR at: https://www.caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/index.aspx

Remember to verify each firm’s status as a California certified SB or DVBE.

4) Commercially Useful Function (CUF)

Information regarding CUF may be obtained at:

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division- Resources-List-Folder/Commercially-Useful-Function-for-Certified-Firms. For each Contract awarded from the Short List, firms must complete and submit the Commercially Useful Function Evaluation Form when a contract is awarded from the Short List. This form is available here:

https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/dgs/obas201.pdf.

4.E. REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS

1) Required Documents Checklist: Bidders must complete and return the Required Documents Checklist (Attachment 1).

2) Bid/Bidder’s Certification Sheet: Bidders must complete and return the Bid/Bidder’s Certification Sheet (Attachment 2).

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.documents.dgs.ca.gov%2Fdgs%2FFMC%2FGS%2FPD%2FPD_3.pdf&data=05%7C01%7CMelissa.Mojonnier%40calrecycle.ca.gov%7C7d12e66872b446aad7be08da9c010972%7Ca4c5f142282344b9a970816a20aaabee%7C0%7C0%7C637993825513464277%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Yj0jay1Glq8iNGvh2UeM68VZIOG3Rvhi2byL6BaNdLA%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcaleprocure.ca.gov%2Fpages%2FPublicSearch%2Fsupplier-search.aspx&data=05%7C01%7CMelissa.Mojonnier%40calrecycle.ca.gov%7C7d12e66872b446aad7be08da9c010972%7Ca4c5f142282344b9a970816a20aaabee%7C0%7C0%7C637993825513464277%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=xQvkotNE3PxUbl5b47b2zZBNJuzwHMnEhwrBEnEHogI%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcaleprocure.ca.gov%2Fpages%2FPublicSearch%2Fsupplier-search.aspx&data=05%7C01%7CMelissa.Mojonnier%40calrecycle.ca.gov%7C7d12e66872b446aad7be08da9c010972%7Ca4c5f142282344b9a970816a20aaabee%7C0%7C0%7C637993825513464277%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=xQvkotNE3PxUbl5b47b2zZBNJuzwHMnEhwrBEnEHogI%3D&reserved=0 https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Commercially-Useful-Function-for-Certified-Firms https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Commercially-Useful-Function-for-Certified-Firms https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/index.aspx https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Commercially-Useful-Function-for-Certified-Firms https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Resources-List-Folder/Commercially-Useful-Function-for-Certified-Firms https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/fmc/dgs/obas201.pdf

3) Bidder Experience and Reference Form: Bidders must complete and return the Experience and Reference Form (Attachment 3).

4) A&E RFQ – Qualification Questionnaire: Bidders must complete and return Contractor Questionnaire (Attachment 4).

5) Bidder Cost Sheet: Bidder must complete and return the Cost Sheet (Attachment 5).

6) Professional Experience of the Bidder: Bidders must complete and return the Professional Experience of the Bidder Form (Attachment 6).

7) Bidder References Form: Bidder must complete and return the Bidder References Form. (Attachment 7).

8) Darfur Contracting Act: Bidders must complete and return the Darfur Contracting Act Certification (Attachment 8). This form must be signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the bidder contractually.

9) Contractor Certification Clauses (CCC 04/2017): Bidders must complete and return Certification Clauses (Attachment 9).

10) STD 204 Payee Data Record: Bidder must complete and return the STD 204 Payee Data Record (Attachment 10). Bidder shall also complete the STD 205, if applicable. Please note: The bidder’s complete legal name of record on file with the California Secretary of State must be used on this and all forms in this section. The same name, or a defined alternative, must be used in the other bid documents.

11) California Civil Rights Laws: Bidders must complete and return the California Civil Rights Laws Certification (Attachment 11). This form must be signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the bidder contractually.

12) Iran Contracting Act Certification: Bidders must complete and return the Iran Contracting Act Certification (Attachment 12).

13) Non-Collusion Declaration: Bidders must complete and return the Non- Collusion Declaration (Attachment 13).

14) (Optional) Contract Language Modification Matrix (Attachment 14).

15) Federal Form 330 Part II for the bidder: https://www.gsa.gov/system/files/2024- 08/SF330-21a.pdf (Attachment 15).

16) Bidder Certifying Statements (Attachment 16).

5. BID SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Bidder must provide all required documents as reflected in the Required Documents Checklist (see Attachment 1) in the format prescribed. Omissions, inaccuracies, or misstatements may be deemed non-compliant. A non-compliant bid is one that does not meet the basic RFQ requirements and may be rejected. Bidder must also follow all format requirements and instructions provided in this section on how to submit a bid. The format is prescribed to enable DTSC to evaluate each bid uniformly and fairly.

5.A. SUBMISSION FORMAT

All bids must be submitted under sealed cover and sent to Department of Toxic Substances Control by dates and times shown in Schedule of Events Table found at the beginning of the RFQ. Bidders are required to submit two (2) complete paper sets and one (1) additional electronic copy on USB-flash drive containing the bid.

One (1) paper copy must be marked as the Original Bid. The Master Copy will be relied upon as the official bid, in the event there are any discrepancies between the Original Bid and the other paper or electronic copies.

If a bidder is interested in more than one (1) Region, then they must submit separate submissions for each Region. Within each submission, bidder must identify the Region - Berkeley Office, Chatsworth Office, Cypress Office, or Sacramento/Clovis Office to be covered by that submission. If a bidder wishes to submit a bid for more than one (1) DTSC Region, then DTSC requires that the identified Principal I and key technical professionals be unique to the bid submission for each Region. DTSC may disqualify one (1) or more of the bidder’s submittals when the Principal I and other key technical professionals are presented as the same in the bid for different DTSC Regions. DTSC may rank a bidder first in all the regions if they meet all the qualifications and are deemed to be the most qualified bidder for that region.

Please note: DTSC accepts e-signatures on all forms requiring signatures.

DTSC will not accept hand delivered bid submissions. Bids should be submitted as follows:

Via U.S. Postal Service Delivery

UPS, Express Mail, Federal Express

RFQ No. 2526-06 RFQ No. 2526-06 Contract Development Department of Toxic Substances Control Contracting Services Branch – 21st Floor P.O. Box 806 Sacramento, CA 95812-

Contract Development Department of Toxic Substances Control Contracting Services Branch – 21st Floor 1001 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814

A. All bids shall include the documents identified in Attachment 1, Required Documents Checklist. Bids not including the proper "required attachments" may be deemed non-responsive. A non-responsive bid is one that does not meet the basic bid requirements.

B. Bids must be submitted for the performance of all the services described herein.

Any deviation from the work specifications will not be considered and may cause a bid to be rejected.

C. A bid may be rejected if it is conditional or incomplete, or if it contains any alterations of form or other irregularities of any kind. DTSC may reject any or all bids and may waive an immaterial deviation in a bid. DTSC’s waiver of an immaterial deviation shall in no way modify the RFQ document or excuse the bidder from full compliance with all requirements if awarded the contract.

D. Costs incurred for developing bids in anticipation of award of the contract are entirely the responsibility of the bidder and shall not be charged to DTSC.

E. A bidder may modify a bid after its submission only by withdrawing its original bid and resubmitting a new bid prior to the bid submission deadline. Bidder modifications offered in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered.

F. A bidder may withdraw its bid by submitting a written withdrawal request via email to contracts@dtsc.ca.gov, signed by the bidder or an authorized agent. A bidder may thereafter submit a new bid prior to the bid submission deadline. Bids may not be withdrawn without cause subsequent to bid submission deadline.

G. The awarding agency may modify the RFQ prior to the date fixed for submission of bids by the issuance of an addendum to all parties who received a bid package.

H. The awarding agency reserves the right to reject all bids. The agency is not required to award any contracts.

I. Before submitting a response to this RFQ, bidders shall review, correct all errors and confirm compliance with the RFQ requirements.

J. No oral understanding or Contract shall be binding on either party.

6. EVALUATION PROCESS

A panel of DTSC employees will conduct the evaluation of the bids. Bids will be reviewed and scored based on their response to the information requested in this RFQ. A responsive bid is one (1) that meets or exceeds the requirements stated in this RFQ. The bids that meet the minimum qualifications and pass the compliance check will be evaluated and scored. All scoring will be consensus scoring and decimals will be rounded to the nearest hundredths. The evaluation process will be split into three (3) Phases:

• Phase I: Minimum Qualifications Review—A pass/fail review of all the minimum qualifications will be conducted. Bids that pass the Minimum Qualifications will move on to the Technical Evaluation.

• Phase II: Technical Evaluation— This evaluation will consist of the evaluation of References (Attachment 7), evaluation of the experience of the firm (Attachment 6), and evaluation of the Cost Sheet (Attachment 5). The top three (3) scoring bids for each region will move on to the Discussions phase.

• Phase III: Discussions—This will consist of an oral presentation on the firm’s qualifications and experience as evaluated with respect to the presentation Scenario in Attachment B. Each presentation will be scored using a comprehensive qualitative analysis of the submitted scenarios and cost rate sheet. The top three (3) bidders with the highest scores in this round will be ranked 1, 2, 3, etc. for each region.

6.A. PHASE I: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS COMPLIANCE CHECK

1) DTSC will conduct an initial bid compliance check for the presence of all required documents, as listed on the Required Documents Checklist (Attachment 1), and determine whether the bidder meets the Minimum Qualifications. DTSC will evaluate each bid to determine its responsiveness to the published requirements on a pass/fail basis. Bids that do not meet all Minimum Qualifications will be rejected.

2) Key Personnel Evaluation

DTSC will review Attachment 3: Bidder Experience and Reference Form and confirm that each of the key personnel’s experience meets the requirements. If bidder does not have the required number of years or relevant experience as described in Section 8. Attachment A for all of the key personnel, then bid shall be disqualified.

3) If the bidder meets all requirements of Section 4.B. Minimum Qualifications, then DTSC will continue to evaluate the bid.

6.B. PHASE II: TECHNICAL BID

Bids will be reviewed and scored based on the categories below.

Technical Bid Maximum Points References 15 points Professional Experience of the Firm 180 Points Cost Sheet Evaluation 135 Points

TOTAL 330 points

1) References

DTSC shall contact customer references to validate the information provided by the bidder and to determine the customer’s overall satisfaction with the services provided. Each reference will complete Attachment 7: Reference Form for a maximum total of 300 points (100 points per reference). From there, DTSC will apply the following formula to determine the maximum points received by the bidder for the references.

Bidders must receive at least 70% of the 15 points for DTSC to continue evaluating their bid.

If DTSC is unable to reach a reference, the bidder may be contacted to facilitate contact with the reference. If DTSC is unable to reach a reference or the reference information raises questions about whether a bidder is responsible or if

Score for all Reference Forms = Bidder’s Total Received Points X 15

Total Possible Points any information contained in the bid or otherwise made available to DTSC raises concerns about the bidder’s ability to perform the work under the contract, DTSC may investigate further and/or may reject the bid on the grounds that the bidder is not responsible. In that event, the bidder will be provided notice and opportunity for a hearing on the responsibility determination.

2) Professional Experience of the Bidder

DTSC will evaluate Attachment 6: Professional Experience of the Bidder using the following criteria and assign the applicable points based on the quality of the answer. Bidders may achieve a maximum of 180 cost points for this section.

Criteria Description Percent of Possible Points

Excellent

The response is well-organized, very clear and thoroughly addresses all the requirements.

The answer demonstrates a thorough understanding of the topic and two (2) of the following:

• details complex work;

• shows a high level of expertise; or

• innovation and/or involves advanced technology.

100%

Good

The response is organized, clear and mostly addresses all the requirements.

The answer demonstrates an adequate understanding of the topic and one (1) of the following:

• details complex work;

• shows a high level of expertise; or

• innovation and/or involves advanced technology.

75%

Fair

The response may be somewhat disorganized or lacking in clarity. The response inadequately or poorly addresses some of the requirements or demonstrates a poor understanding of the topic.

50%

Unsatisfactory The response is disorganized or unclear or fails to describe any relevant experience related to the requirements, or demonstrates a serious lack of understanding of the topic.

0%

3) Cost Evaluation

Bidders must complete the Cost Sheet (Attachment 5). Bidders may achieve a maximum of 135 cost points. This criterion allows staff to evaluate and compare the rates of each proposal relative to those of its competitors. The bid amount is the maximum allowable amount by DTSC for agreements awarded from the Short List.

On each one of the tabs on the Cost Sheet, the totals of the evaluated columns are auto-populated beneath the…