Salesforce_Test_Automation_(Addendum_#3_Revision).pdf

County of San Mateo

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Salesforce Test Automation

Office of Assessor-County Clerk- Recorder & Chief

Elections Officer

RFP No. 2027-RFP-00010

RFP Contact: Eddy Ching eching@smcacre.gov

1. Introduction and Schedule

The County of San Mateo (the “County” or “SMC”) covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula. The region covers 744 mi and is home to nearly 800,000 residents and 20 incorporated cities. The County provides for the health and welfare of all people within its borders and serves as the local government for the unincorporated areas. Innovation thrives here in industries including bioscience, computer software, green technology, hospitality, financial management, health care, education and transportation. The

County prides itself on how that prosperity fosters its commitment to protecting and enhancing the health, safety, welfare and natural resources of the community.

1.1. Summary

San Mateo County is a dynamic and diverse county on the San Francisco Peninsula, spanning approximately 455 square miles between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay and serving nearly

800,000 residents across 20 incorporated cities and communities that range from dense urban centers to suburban neighborhoods and rural coastal areas.

Established in April 1856, San Mateo County has grown into a nationally recognized hub of innovation and technology at the heart of Silicon Valley. The County boasts a thriving economy supported by industries such as bioscience, internet commerce, computer software, green technology, hospitality, financial management, health care, education, and transportation. What truly defines San Mateo County is its cultural, geographic, and economic diversity.

The County is deeply committed to preserving its natural assets, nearly three-quarters of its land is open space, and agriculture continues to contribute to its economy and culture. San Mateo County provides essential services that protect and enhance the health, safety, welfare, and quality of life of all people, while embracing a tradition of public service, inclusion, and forward-thinking approaches to meeting community needs.

The County has recently implemented a new Assessor Property Assessment System (APAS) to manage the assessment and valuation of properties with San Mateo County. As with any new system, changes and fixes are required as gaps and defects are identified through production usage. As these changes are deployed with new code, the staff within the Assessor Division of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Elections (ACRE) Department are currently performing highly complex UAT testing of highly detail multistep processes. Because the testing requires a high level of knowledge and expertise in the subject area, only a limited dedicated staff can perform such tests. And because the various modules are so intertwined with each other, a more thorough level of regression testing is also required. However, these staff also have other duties including operational support which limit available time to perform the testing. Thus, the Department is seeking an automated Salesforce testing solution which can increase their available bandwidth or possibly even offload the testing process to other less experienced staff.

1.2. Contact Information

Project Contact:

Eddy Ching IT Manager Email: eching@smcacre.gov Phone: (650) 599-1798 mailto:eching@smcacre.gov tel:(650)599-1798

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Procurement Contact:

Eddy Ching IT Manager Email: eching@smcacre.gov Phone: (650) 599-1798

Department:

Office of Assessor-County Clerk- Recorder & Chief Elections Officer

Department Head:

Director Mark Church

1.3. Timeline

RFP Released July 28, 2026

Deadline for Questions and Comments August 3, 2026, 5:00pm

Deadline for Contract Exceptions August 24, 2026, 5:00pm

Proposal Due Date and Time August 24, 2026, 5:00pm

Interviews (tentative) September 7, 2026

Anticipated Contract Award Date September 14, 2026

2. Scope of Work

2.1. Requirements

The proposer must provide automated test coverage for Salesforce platform with coverage of standard and custom objects, Apex code, and third-party integrations (e.g., DocuSign, MuleSoft, Talend).

Technical Requirements

SaaS/Cloud platform.

• Testers of all skill sets can build, run, and maintain tests for desktop and web apps.

• Human readable/Natural language editor with minimal technical expertise required for scripting tool

• No-Code/Low-Code: Create and maintain tests without deep coding knowledge.

mailto:eching@smcacre.gov tel:(650)599-1798

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• Recording for building test scripts

Automated End-to-End Enterprise Testing at Scale

• Seamless end-to-end functionality and across these different modules and changes from customization and with external services.

• AI-Powered Test Automation with failure analysis, screenshot and video playback allowing for

Streamlined Defect Tracking

• Adaptability across platforms and UI layers of the Salesforce’s dynamic frames, elements and database-driven tables.

• Selectable Datasets for testing variations using variables

• Automation Tool Capabilities: Ability to handle Shadow DOM, dynamic element IDs, and metadata-driven testing.

• End-to-End Coverage: Testing across APIs, UI, and backend databases.

• Scope of automating testing o Unit Testing: Focuses on individual components, typically Apex code and triggers, to ensure they work as expected. Salesforce requires a minimum of 75% code coverage for deployment.

o Integration Testing: Verifies seamless interaction between different modules or external services integrated with Salesforce.

o Regression Testing: Automates repetitive tests to quickly confirm that new changes haven't negatively impacted existing functionalities.

o End-to-End Testing (E2E): Validates complete business processes that span across multiple systems and applications from a user's perspective.

o API Testing support SOAP and REST

• CI/CD Integration: Testing framework must integrate with our existing DevOps pipeline.

2.2. Project Initiation

The Proposer shall present a preliminary implementation sequence and project schedule, identify foreseeable risks, and introduce their implementation team. The Proposer will present a high-level overview of each functional area covered by the licensed software. The current Salesforce environment will be presented by the Department staff and the project objectives and scope reiterated, discussed, and agreed upon resulting with a finalized success and acceptance criteria.

2.3. Analysis

The Proposer will schedule sessions to:

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• Provide product overview training and orientation of the various modules within the product.

• Review Department current testing methodology and Salesforce platform configuration to be supported by the standard configured software.

• Review the standard reports and other test results from within the product.

• Identify and suggest preferred business practices consistent with other similar implementations of the product and industry best practices.

2.4. Installation and Configuration

The Proposer will install and configure the software and prepare the system based on the outcome of

Analysis Phase in order to support the Department's business requirements. The system shall not require any customization outside the development of creating the individual test scripts for each test cases. The

Department will assist the Proposer and the Proposer will train all identified users to the extent that by the end of the implementation project, the Department will be self-sufficient in system configuration skills and knowledge.

2.5. Training

The Proposer will provide live training sessions of:

• Project Setup & Configuration

• Test job management

• Test case creation including unit, smoke and regression testing.

• Third-party library integration

• Data-driven testing

The Proposer will provide the following details for each available course (onsite or offsite; in person or web/video based; functional or technical):

• Target Audience

• Maximum number of attendees per session

• Course contents

• Prerequisites

• Instructional Medium (class room, self-study, computer tutorial, on-the-job instruction)

• Duration

• Materials required other than manuals (e.g., audiovisual equipment)

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• Facility requirements by course type:

All training will be performed during the County's working hours Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Pacific Time

2.6. System Acceptance Testing

The Proposer shall provide the Department with an Acceptance Test Plan as part of system implementation that demonstrates that the system fulfills the Department’s stated requirements. The

Acceptance Test Plan must identify how the specified tests will validate and meet the success criteria identified in the Project Initiation phase. The Acceptance Test Plan will be provided to the Department for review and approval.

The system will be deemed to have passed the Acceptance Test when all acceptance criteria defined in the

Acceptance Test Plan have been satisfied.

2.7. Support

The Proposer will prepare the system for live operation, including migration of system to production environment. The Proposer shall also support the Department for 90 days after Acceptance of going live.

The proposal shall include information and pricing associated with all aspects of ongoing support, training and other related activities. This proposed support must include standard software maintenance, product help desk, product fixes, product enhancements, and regular product releases based on a defined on-going maintenance or license fee. If there are alternatives to this level of support, please provide this detail and the corresponding pricing. The Proposer should discuss its upgrade policies and upgrade history of the proposed solution. The Proposer must have the ability to connect into the customer’s system to diagnose and correct problems real-time.

Product help desk support shall be provided during the County's office hours Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Pacific time.

3. Submission Requirements

3.1. Submission Deadline

Proposals must be electronically received by 5:00 pm, on Monday, August 24, 2026 via eProcurement system.

Allow sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. Partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. The eProcurement system submission time will be the official submission time. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to slow internet connections or for any other failure of the eProcurement system.

NOTE: The County does not maintain the eProcurement system and is not liable for site failures or technical problems. To resolve technical issues, contact OpenGov Technical Support by using the real time chat located in the lower right hand corner of the screen, or via email at procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

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3.2. Pre-submission Registration

Organizations or individuals interested in responding to this solicitation must register online with the

County of San Mateo at:

• https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov

It is recommended that organizations complete this registration as soon as possible. The County will not be responsible for and may not accept proposals that are late due to a failure to register in the eProcurement system.

3.3. Submission via eProcurement Portal

Required Documents

Please refer to the Technical Proposal section for submittal documents and requirements.

Electronic Submissions

Include the proposer name and the RFP title and number in each filename. Submit proposals via the eProcurement website, allowing sufficient time for the upload to complete by the Due Date and Time. As noted above, the eProcurement portal submission time will be the official submission time, and partial uploads will automatically terminate, and proposals will be rejected. Contact eProcurement Portal with technical questions regarding this site.

Conflicts between Certain Requirements

Prior to the submission deadlines and solely relating to a determination of the timeliness of questions, comments, and proposal submissions, information displayed on the eProcurement portal site will take precedence in the event of a discrepancy between that information and the information within the solicitation documents. For all other discrepancies, the information in the solicitation documents will take precedence.

Format

Documents should be created in the following format:

• Text should be Times New Roman (12-point minimum font size) and unjustified (i.e., with a ragged-right margin)

• Pages should have margins of at least one inch on all sides (excluding headers and footers)

• If the proposal is lengthy, a Table of Contents should be included.

• PDF format is preferred.

Errors in Proposals

The County will not be liable for any errors in proposals. Proposals may be rejected as unresponsive if they are late, incomplete, missing pages or information, or cannot be opened for any reason. The County may waive minor irregularities, but such waiver will not modify any remaining RFP requirements.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/smcgov/projects/256209/document?section=2452124

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3.4. Procurement Preference for Local Businesses and Local Non-Profits

The County of San Mateo has adopted a Procurement Preference for Local Businesses Ordinance (County

Ord. Code Ch. 2.89.) The purpose of this Ordinance is to promote a strong local economy by giving preference to local businesses, local non-profits, local small and micro businesses, and local small and micro non-profits in County procurements, to the extent consistent with the law and interests of the public. The County’s process for applying local preferences to competitive procurements is set forth in

County Ordinance Code Section 2.89.030. The Ordinance and exemptions (e.g. the ordinance will be exempt when all bids or proposals received are from Non-Profit Organizations) can be reviewed here:

Chapter 2.89 - PROCUREMENT PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES | Code of Ordinances |

San Mateo County, CA | Municode Library

The requirements for bidders to establish eligibility for a local preference for this solicitation are detailed below in Section III (Submission Requirements) The Ordinance does not apply if a procurement is determined to be exempt (County Ord. Code sec. 2.89.050), and the County reserves the right to waive application of the Ordinance to this procurement if determined to be in the best interests of the County

(County Ord. Code sec. 2.89.060).

4. Minimum Qualifications, Local Preference Ordinance, and Technical Proposal

4.1. Minimum Qualifications

4.1.1. Has Proposer has been providing similar services in the Salesforce Platform for a minimum of three (3) years within the last five (5) years?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.2. Account manager has a minimum of three (3) years of experience within the last five (5) years in providing account services?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

4.1.3. Please confirm your firm is registered with System for Award Management (SAM)*

SAM.gov

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

4.1.4. What is the registered Business Name and Unique Entity ID (UEI) No.?*

• UEI number can be obtained by registering your business through SAM.GOV

• Should you be in the process of obtaining your UEI number, please enter the digits ‘123’ temporarily for your response below in order to proceed with proposal. This temporary number should be replaced with the correct registration number for submission of the proposal.

https://library.municode.com/ca/san_mateo_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_ART2.8INFIPRCOCO_CH2.89PRPRLOBU https://library.municode.com/ca/san_mateo_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_ART2.8INFIPRCOCO_CH2.89PRPRLOBU https://sam.gov/content/home

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*Response required

4.2. Procurement Preference for Local Businesses and Local Non-Profits

4.2.1. Is the Proposer a "Local Business"?

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Business” means any for-profit business which has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo

County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response.

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

• SMC_LocalBusiness_self-atte...

4.2.2. Is the Proposer a Non-Profit?*

A Non-Profit is defined as a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section

501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

4.2.3. Is the Proposer a "Local Non-Profit"

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Non-Profit" means a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the

Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes, and has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response.

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

• SMC_LocalBusiness_self-atte...

4.2.4. Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Business?

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

“Small Business” means any business which holds a Small Business Certification awarded by the

California Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services (OSDS).

“Micro Business” means any Small Business certified by the OSDS which is automatically designated by the OSDS as a Micro Business due to gross annual receipts falling below the OSDS-designated dollar amount.

If the above designations apply, please provide the OSDS provided Certification ID.

https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/153456/a16ffdc0-a0ee-44ca-b6de-1fddd010042f_SMC_LocalBusiness_self-attestation_form_120424.pdf https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/153456/80d29c2f-acda-4b87-837e-cb4ead1fb303_SMC_LocalBusiness_self-attestation_form_120424.pdf

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If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

4.2.5. Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Non-Profit?

As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

“Small Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of $1,000,000 to $2,500,000 according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

“Micro Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of less than $1,000,000, according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

If the above designations apply, please provide your latest filed IRS form 990. A filing from the last two calendar years is acceptable.

If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

4.3. Technical Proposal

4.3.1. Introduction and Executive Summary *

Submit a letter of introduction and executive summary of the proposal. The letter must contain:

• Name, title and contact information (email, phone, and address) for representative of proposer that is responsible for communication related to this RFP.

• Name, title, contact information, and signature of person authorized to obligate firm to perform the commitment contained in the proposal.

Submission of the letter will constitute a representation by proposer that it is willing and able to perform the commitments contained in the proposal and has not violated the terms of this RFP.

*Response required

4.3.2. Statement of Minimum Qualifications *

Describe how the proposer meets the minimum qualifications as set forth in Minimum Qualifications of this RFP.

Submission of the Minimum Qualifications checklist is not a substitute for providing a detailed written response.

*Response required

4.3.3. Project Approach*

This section should correlate to the Scope of Work . Proposer should give a short summary describing how it will perform the relevant work

*Response required

4.3.4. Scope of Work tasks/milestones*

Describe your proposed approach to tasks/milestones

4.3.5. Proposed schedule *

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Attach proposed schedule reference ability to complete the project within the County's required time frame

*Response required

4.3.6. Innovations*

Refence any notable innovations or improvements that you expect to provide (with respect to, for example, efficiency, technology, sustainability)

*Response required

4.3.7. Performance Measures*

Describe a plan for achieving performance measures

*Response required

4.3.8. Firm Qualifications *

Attach information regarding background and qualifications, including the following:

• A brief description of the proposer.

• A description of not more than three (3) projects similar in size and scope conducted by the proposer, including the client, reference and telephone numbers, primary staff members involved, budget, schedule, and project summary. Descriptions should be limited to one (1) page for each project.

• If subcontractors are anticipated, identify them (if known) and provide information on how they will be used.

*Response required

4.3.9. Team Qualifications*

Provide a chart identifying:

▪ Project team and reporting structure

▪ Lead project manager

▪ Role each person will play in the project

Provide a brief description of the experience and qualifications of the project team members, including short resumes if desired.

Written assurance that the key individuals listed and identified will be performing the work and will not be substituted or reassigned without the County’s prior approval

*Response required

4.3.10. References*

Provide 2 references for each of the following, including the name, address, and telephone number of recent clients (preferably other public agencies):

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5. Pricing Proposal

Line Item Description Quantity Unit of

Measure Unit Cost Total

1. Annual License 3 Year

TOTAL

6. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

The proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee with relevant expertise. The County intends to evaluate the proposals generally in accordance with the criteria itemized below. Proposers with the highest scoring proposals may be interviewed by the committee to make the final selection.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Project Approach Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

2. Firm Qualifications Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

3. Team Qualifications Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

4. Price Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

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5. Preferential Points

Where price is not the sole evaluation factor for a solicitation (e.g., in the case of a "best-value" solicitation), five percent (5%) of the total evaluation points otherwise awardable will be added to the proposal score for each Local

Business or Local Non-Profit score for evaluation purposes. In the event of a tie between a Local Business or Local Non-Profit and another bidder, the Local Business or Non-

Profit shall be awarded the Contract, assuming agreement on other contract terms.

An additional three percent (3%) preference shall be given to a Local Business or Local

Non-profit (for a total of eight percent (8%) of total points otherwise awardable) if the proposer is a Small Business or Small Non-

Profit, or an additional 5 percent preference (for a total of ten percent (10%) of total points otherwise awardable) if the proposer is a Micro

Business or Micro Non-Profit.

Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

7. Instructions to Proposers

7.1. Instructions

There will be no pre-proposal conference or site visit for this project.

7.2. Communications

A. As of the issuance date of this RFP and continuing until it is canceled or an award is made, no proposer or person acting on behalf of a prospective proposer may discuss any matter relating to the RFP with any officer, agent, or employee of the County, other than through eProcurement portal, to the Authorized Contact Person, or as outlined in the evaluation or protest procedures.

B. Proposers (including any agent, owner, employee, board members, or other such affiliates) shall not offer any gift, favor, or other personal benefit to any County officer or employee during the procurement process for this agreement, including during the solicitation period and contract negotiations.

Violation of the foregoing prohibitions may result in a proposer being found non-responsible and barred from participating in this or future procurements.

7.3. Contract Award

A. Award Procedure

Contract negotiations are neither an offer nor guarantee that a contract will be executed. A contract award, if any is made, will be to the responsive, responsible proposer offering the overall best value to the County for the services and goods described in this solicitation, or as applicable, for a specific portion of the services and goods described. Any agreement reached will be

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B. Notice of Intent to Award

If a decision is made to take steps to enter into an agreement with one or more proposers, the

County will post a Notice of Intent to Award or otherwise notify proposers the remaining proposers of their non-selection. Notice may instead be provided by including approval of the agreement as an item on an agenda for a meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

C. Commencement of Performance

After all parties have signed the agreement, the County will notify the contractor and performance may proceed. Prior to execution of the agreement by the County, no County employee may authorize work under the agreement. Any work performed prior to the full execution of the Agreement may not be compensated.

D. Levine Act DisclosureThe Levine Act (California Government Code Section 84308) imposes certain requirements on parties contracting with the County of San Mateo related to campaign contributions to County “officers,” including elected County officers and candidates seeking elective office, who may participate in making a decision on certain County contracts. Elected

County officers in San Mateo County include: the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, County Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Sheriff, and Tax

Collector-Treasurer.Generally, under current County policy, approval by the Board of

Supervisors is required for any agreement for services above $200,000, and agreements for services below that threshold may be approved by Department heads.If your proposal is selected, you will be required to certify compliance with the Levine Act.As part of this process, you will need to certify and warrant that you have fully complied, and will remain in full compliance, with all applicable requirements of the Levine Act in connection with the

Agreement, including making any required disclosures of campaign contributions to County

Officers, which includes but may not be limited to elected County Officers. Elected County

Officers include members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, as well as the

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Sheriff, and Tax

Collector-Treasurer. Any campaign contribution required to be disclosed under the Levine Act in connection with this Agreement shall be disclosed on the County of San Mateo Levine Act

Disclosure Form, a copy of which is available from the County upon request.Parties are solely responsible for accurate certification and disclosure. The Levine Act is complex, and this brief description is not legal advice. For example, certain contributions must be aggregated when determining whether contributions have exceeded the $500 threshold. If your proposal is selected, you are urged to review the Levine Act and consider consulting an attorney.

7.4. Term

Office of Assessor-County Clerk- Recorder & Chief Elections Officeris issuing Request for Proposal

(RFP) No. 2027-RFP-00010 for Salesforce Test Automation.

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The agreement shall have a term of one (1) year. In addition, the County shall have one (1) option to extend the term for an additional period of two years, which the County may exercise in its sole, absolute discretion. To exercise this option, the County shall provide written notice to the Contractor at least thirty days before the end of the agreement’s term.

The County’s standard contract template has been included with this solicitation. The awarded contractor will be expected to sign an agreement prepared by the County using this template. Please ensure that your firm has completed legal review of these contract terms. If your firm wishes to request exceptions to these standard terms, submit a Contract Exceptions Request by the Deadline for Questions, Comments and

Contract Exceptions listed in the Solicitation Schedule below. The County will consider Contract

Exceptions Requests but reserves the right to reject requested modifications to its standard terms.

8. Terms and Conditions for Receipt of Proposals

8.1. Errors, Omissions and Inquiries regarding the RFP

Proposers are responsible for reviewing all portions of this RFP. Proposers are to notify the department, in eProcurement portal, if the proposer discovers any ambiguity, discrepancy, omission, or apparent error in the RFP. Such notification should be made promptly after discovery, but in no event later than five business days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals. Modifications and clarifications will be made by addenda as provided below.

Inquiries regarding the RFP should be lodged in eProcurement portal.

8.2. Objections to RFP Terms

Should a proposer object on any ground to any provision or legal requirement set forth in this RFP, the proposer must, not more than ten calendar days after the RFP is issued, provide written notice to the department, via eProcurement portal, setting forth with specific grounds for the objection.

8.3. Addenda

The County may cancel, revise, or reissue this RFP, in whole or in part, for any reason. Revisions will be posted as Addenda on eProcurement portal. No other revision of this RFP is valid. Proposers shall be responsible for ensuring that their proposals reflects any and all Addenda issued by the County prior to the proposal due date regardless of when a proposal is submitted. Therefore, the County recommends that proposers consult eProcurement portal frequently, including shortly before the proposal due date, to confirm that all Addenda have been downloaded.

8.4. Term of Proposal

Submission of a proposal signifies that the proposed services and prices are valid for the duration of the proposed agreement term and that the quoted prices are genuine and not the result of collusion or any other anti-competitive activity.

8.5. Revision or Withdrawal of Proposal

A proposer may revise a proposal on the proposer’s own initiative at any time before the deadline for submission of proposals. The proposer must submit the revised proposal in the same manner as the original on or before the proposal due date.

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A proposer may withdraw a proposal at any time before the deadline for submission of proposals. After that time, whether or not a new RFP is issued for the same subject matter, withdrawal of a proposal may preclude the proposer from participating in the procurement as a proposer or subcontractor, except that an original equipment manufacturer may participate indirectly through a reseller.

8.6. Errors and Omissions in Proposal

The County will not be liable for any errors in proposals. Proposals may be rejected as unresponsive if they are incomplete, are missing pages or information, or cannot be opened for any reason. The County may waive minor irregularities, but such waiver will not modify any of the remaining RFP requirements.

8.7. No Commitment

Neither submission of a proposal nor the County’s receipt of proposal materials confers any right to the proposer nor any obligation on the County. This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract.

8.8. Financial Responsibility

The County shall have no financial responsibility for any costs incurred by a firm in responding to this

RFP or participating in any presentations or negotiations.

8.9. Estimated Quantity

If the RFP results in an indefinite quantity or a requirements agreement, the goods and services actually requested by the County may be less than the maximum value of the agreement and there is no guarantee, either expressed or implied, as to the actual quantity of goods and services that will be authorized under the agreement.

8.10. Public Record

A. General

1. All proposals, protests, and information submitted in response to this solicitation will become the property of the County and will be considered public records. As such, they may be subject to public review.

2. Any contract arising from this RFP will be a public record.

3. The County is not seeking proprietary information and will not assert any privileges that may exist on behalf of the proposer.

4. Submission of any materials in response to this RFP constitutes:

▪ Consent to the County’s release of such materials under the Public Records Act without notice to the person or entity submitting the materials; and

▪ Waiver of all claims against the County and/or its officers, agents, or employees that the

County has violated a proposer's right to privacy, disclosed trade secrets, or caused any damage by allowing the proposal or materials to be inspected; and

▪ Agreement to indemnify and hold harmless the County for release of such information under the Public Records Act; and

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▪ Acknowledgement that the County will not assert any privileges that may exist on behalf of the person or entity submitting the materials.

8.11. Confidential Information

A. Proposers are responsible for asserting any applicable privileges or reasons why a document should not be produced in response to a public record request.

B. If submitting information protected from disclosure as a trade secret or any other basis, identify each page of such material subject to protection as “CONFIDENTIAL.” If requested material has been designated as confidential, the County will attempt to inform the proposer of the public records request in a timely manner to permit assertion of any applicable privileges.

C. Failure to seek a court order protecting information from disclosure within ten days of the

County’s notice of a request to the proposer will be deemed agreement to disclosure of the information and the proposer agrees to indemnify and hold the County harmless for release of such information.

D. Requests to treat an entire proposal as confidential will be rejected and deemed agreement to

County disclosure of the entire proposal and the proposer agrees to indemnify and hold the

County harmless for release of any information requested.

E. Trade secrets will only be considered confidential if claimed to be a trade secret when submitted to the County, marked as confidential, and compliant with Government Code Section 6254.7.

8.12. Reservations of Rights by the County

The issuance of this RFP does not constitute an agreement by the County that any contract will actually be entered into by the County. The County expressly reserves the right at any time to:

• Waive or correct any defect or informality in any response, proposal, or proposal procedure;

• Reject any or all proposals;

• Reissue an RFP;

• Prior to submission deadline for proposals, modify all or any portion of the selection procedures, including deadlines for accepting responses, the specifications or requirements for any materials, equipment or services to be provided under this RFP, or the requirements for contents or format of the proposals;

• Procure any materials, equipment or services specified in this RFP by any other means; or

• Determine that no project will be pursued.

8.13. No Waiver

No waiver by the County of any provision of this RFP shall be implied from any failure by the County to recognize or take action on account of any failure by a proposer to observe any provision of this RFP.

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8.14. Cooperative Agreement (Piggyback)

This competitive solicitation is being conducted as a Cooperative Procurement. The services, terms and conditions of any agreement resulting from this solicitation may be used by other organizations as a

Cooperative Agreement.

This provision in no way commits any affiliate to procure services from any awarded contractor, nor does it guarantee that any additional orders will result. At their discretion, and subject to their own procurement policies, interested organizations may make use of this competitive procurement and contract directly from the awarded contractor.

9. Protest Procedures

9.1. Protest of Non-Responsiveness Determination

Within five (5) working days of the County's issuance of a notice of non-responsiveness, any firm that has submitted a proposal and believes that the County has incorrectly determined that its proposal is non-responsive may submit a written notice of protest. Such notice of protest must be received by the County on or before the fifth working day following the County's issuance of the notice of non-responsiveness. The notice of protest must include a written statement specifying in detail each and every one of the grounds asserted for the protest. The protest must be signed by an individual authorized to represent the proposer, and must cite the law, rule, local ordinance, procedure or RFP provision on which the protest is based. In addition, the protestor must specify facts and evidence sufficient for the County to determine the validity of the protest.

9.2. Protest of Contract Award

Within five (5) working days of the County's issuance of a notice of intent to award the contract, any firm that has submitted a responsive proposal and believes that the County has incorrectly selected another proposer for award may submit a written notice of protest. Such notice of protest must be received by the

County on or before the fifth working day after the County's issuance of the notice of intent to award.

The notice of protest must include a written statement specifying in detail each and every one of the grounds asserted for the protest. The protest must be signed by an individual authorized to represent the proposer, and must cite the law, rule, local ordinance, procedure or RFP provision on which the protest is based. In addition, the protestor must specify facts and evidence sufficient for the County to determine the validity of the protest.

9.3. Delivery of Protests

All protests must be received by the due date. If a protest is mailed, the protestor bears the risk of non-delivery within the deadlines specified herein. Protests should be transmitted by a means that will objectively establish the date the County received the protest. Protests or notice of protests made orally

(e.g., by telephone) will not be considered. Protests must be delivered to:

Protests@smcgov.org

Subject: Salesforce Test Automation, 2027-RFP-00010

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