COUNTY OF ORANGE

OC COMMUNITY RESOURCES

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

FOR

SEED AMPLIFICATION AND COORDINATION SERVICES

RFP NO. 012-2859302-ST

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/ocgov https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

County of Orange RFP

OC Community Resources - Seed Amplification and Coordination Services, 012-2859302-ST

County of Orange

OC Community Resources

Procurement and Contract Services

601 North Ross Street 6th Floor

Santa Ana, CA

92701

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Release of RFP Solicitation September 29, 2026

Pre-Submittal Meeting and Site Visit

(Non-Mandatory)

October 13, 2026, 1:00pm

Virtual Teleconference Information

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/28570728431

808?p=CsEHQzbFFAWZOFjtOJ

Meeting ID:

285 707 284 318 08

Passcode:

kz6p7AT9

+1 949-543-0845,,572303529#

Phone conference ID:

572 303 529#

Question Submission Deadline October 29, 2026, 2:00pm

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED ON

OR BEFORE

Thursday, November 19, 2026

2:00 pm https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/28570728431808?p=CsEHQzbFFAWZOFjtOJ https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/28570728431808?p=CsEHQzbFFAWZOFjtOJ

RFP Submittal Closing November 19, 2026, 2:00pm

SECTIONS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 4. PROPOSAL SCORING CRITERIA

SECTION 5. PRICING PROPOSAL

SECTION 6. OCLSB AND DVBE PREFERENCE POLICIES CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 7. VENDOR RESPONSES

Attachments:

A - Model Contract 012-2859302-ST Seed Amplification and Coordination Services

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The County intends that the successful Respondent shall provide Seed Amplification and

Coordination Services proposed in accordance with contract requirements set forth in the solicitation and Model Contract, including attachments.

1.2 COUNTY HOLIDAYS DURING SOLICITATION PERIOD

During this solicitation period, the OC Community Resources will be closed on the following

County holidays:

• July 3, 2026, Independence Day

• September 7, 2026, Labor Day

• September 25, 2026, Native American Day

• November 11, 2026, Veterans Day

• November 26, 2026, Thanksgiving Day

• November 27, 2026, Day after Thanksgiving

• December 25, 2026, Christmas Day

1.3 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTAL

A. Proposals are to be uploaded via the County's eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov. For assistance on uploading proposals via County’s eProcurement Portal, please contact procurement-support@opengov.com or https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/

B. Examine the Contract Documents and the site of the proposed work carefully before submitting a Proposal for the work contemplated. Investigate the conditions to be encountered, as to the character, quality, and quantities of work to be performed and materials to be furnished and as to the requirements of all Contract Documents.

The County has attempted to provide all information available. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to review, evaluate, and, where necessary, request any clarification prior to submission of a Proposal. If any person contemplating submitting a response to this

Request for Proposals is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the solicitation documents attached hereto or finds discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications, they may submit a written request for clarification/interpretation to the County Deputy

Purchasing Agent (DPA) via the County’s eProcurement Portal under the bid page for this solicitation.

If clarification or interpretation of this solicitation is considered necessary by County, an https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/ addendum shall be issued, and the information will be posted via the County’s eProcurement Portal. Any interpretation of, or correction to, this solicitation shall be issued by the DPA. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to periodically check the County’s eProcurement Portal to ensure that they have received and reviewed any and all addenda to this solicitation.

The County will not be responsible for any other explanations, corrections to, or interpretations of the documents, including any oral information. If an addendum is issued, proposers must acknowledge the addendum via the County’s eProcurement Portal.

All questions or requests for interpretations must be received within this solicitation by Thursday, October 29, 2026, before 2:00 pm. The DPA will provide all official communication concerning this solicitation. Any County response relevant to this solicitation other than through or approved by the DPA is unauthorized and will be considered invalid.

C. Proposals must be valid for a period of at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days from the closing date and time of receipt. No Proposal may be withdrawn after the submission date.

D. Each Respondent must submit their proposal electronically via the County’s eProcurement

Portal.

E. All pages must be numbered and identified sequentially by section. Proposals must be tabbed and indexed in accordance with the information requested in the Proposal Response

Requirements Section. It is imperative that all Respondents comply, exactly and completely, with the instructions set forth herein. All responses to this solicitation shall be type written or word-processed (except where otherwise provided or noted), concise, straightforward, and must fully address each requirement and question. Although not as a substitute for a complete written response, additional material, such as technical documents, may be referenced in any response if the material is included in the same section as additional information.

F. Proposals are not to be marked as confidential or proprietary. The County may refuse to consider any Proposal so marked. All Proposals and supporting documents will be subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (California Code

Government Code 7920.000 et seq.) (PRA) and will be disclosed or withheld in accordance therewith. The County shall not be liable in any way for disclosure of any such records.

Additionally, all Proposals shall become the property of the County.

Respondents should not request that certain information be treated as exempt, and statements in the Proposals should not be marked as confidential or proprietary. In the event that any information is marked as confidential or proprietary, as it may be absolutely necessary, Respondents have the sole responsibility of obtaining any applicable injunctive reliefs to prevent the disclosure of such confidential proprietary information in connection with any request made to County pursuant to PRA or a subpoena for disclosure of such information.

G. Each Respondent shall exercise reasonable care and diligence to avoid submitting a

Proposal that could result in a conflict of interest if Respondent were to be selected. This obligation shall apply to the Respondent, the Respondent’s employees, agents, and relatives, sub-contractors, and third parties associated with accomplishing work and services in Proposal. In the event Respondent has done work for the County on this Project in the past or has reason to believe that a conflict of interest may exist for Respondent in regard to this Project, Respondent should consult with its legal counsel prior to responding to this solicitation. Any Respondent who is found to have an actual conflict of interest may have its Proposal rejected on that ground.

Respondent, its employees and/or consultants may be subject to the provisions of the

California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the “Act”), which (1) requires such persons to disclose any financial interest that may be materially affected by services provided under this Contract, (2) prohibits such persons from making, or participating in making, decisions that could reasonably affect such interest; and (3) may require the filing a Statement of

Economic Interest (Form 700).

If subject to the Act, Respondent shall conform to all requirements of the Act. Failure to do so shall constitute a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of the

Contract by County. Respondent shall indemnify and hold harmless County for any and all claims for damages resulting from Respondent’s violation of this Section.

H. By submitting a Proposal, the Respondent represents that it thoroughly examined the

County’s requirements, is familiar with the services required under this solicitation and is qualified and capable of providing the services to achieve the County’s objectives.

I. Each Respondent must submit its Proposal in strict accordance with all requirements of this solicitation and compliance must be stated in the Proposal. Deviations, clarifications and/or exceptions must be clearly identified and listed separately as alternative items on additional information section for the County’s consideration as specified in the

Proposal Response Requirements Section, “Statement of Compliance.”

Note: Allow sufficient time to upload all required files. The County’s eProcurement Portal will not allow any uploads after the due date and time specified herein, e.g., if Part 1 and 2 uploaded successfully at 1:58:38 P.M. and Part 3 is in progress of being uploaded at 2:00:01

P.M., Part 3 will not upload successfully.

J. Pre-contractual expenses are not to be included in the Cost Proposal, Attachment B, Pricing and Compensation. Pre-contractual expenses are defined as including, but not limited to, expenses incurred by the Respondent in: a) preparing its Proposal in response to this solicitation; b) submitting that Proposal to the County; c) negotiating with the County any matter related to the Respondent’s Proposal; and d) any other expenses incurred by the

Respondent prior to the date of award and execution, if any, of the Contract.

K. Any Proposal may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the solicitation. Failure to comply with the technical features and acknowledgment of receipt of addenda are common causes for holding a Proposal nonresponsive.

L. Where two or more Respondents desire to submit a single Proposal in response to this solicitation, they must do so on a prime/subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture.

The County intends to contract with a single firm that may subcontract with multiple firms

(team) but not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.

M. County does not require and neither encourages nor discourages the use of lobbyists or other consultants for the purpose of securing business.

N. The County requires a valid D-U-N-S number prior to Contract Award. If needed, your company may obtain one at no cost at www.dnb.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a D-U-N-S number, please indicate so in your proposal/bid submission response.

O. The County requires a valid UEI number and full registration prior to Contract

Award. Your company must obtain one at no cost at www.usfcr.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a UEI number, please indicate so in your proposal submission response.

P. Effective from the issuance date of this solicitation until a Contract is awarded or the solicitation is withdrawn, all individuals or entities responding—including their employees, agents, representatives, proposed partners, subcontractors, members, lobbyists, or attorneys (collectively "Respondents")—are prohibited from engaging in any direct or indirect communication with County personnel involved in the selection process, except with the designated Deputy Purchasing Agent (DPA). Respondents may continue conducting business with the County on matters unrelated to this solicitation and may communicate with County staff, provided the solicitation is not discussed. Any attempt to engage in discussion regarding this solicitation with anyone other than the designated DPA will be presumed to create an unfair competitive advantage and may result in disqualification.

Q. After the closing date and time for receipt of proposals, evaluation, and if requested by the

County, interviews will commence. Respondents who submit proposals most responsive to the County’s requirements may be asked to give a presentation of their proposal to http://www.dnb.com/ http://www.usfcr.com/

County staff. The County makes no guarantee as to the number of Respondents selected for interviews. Selected Respondents should be prepared to make its presentation within five (5) business days after notification and be prepared to discuss all aspects of its proposal in detail, including technical questions regarding the proposal. Respondents shall not be allowed to alter or amend its proposal through the use of the presentation process.

1.4 MANDATORY PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING AND SITE VISIT

Attendance of Pre-Submittal Meeting and Site Visit is required and will be held on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 1:00 pm local time, no one will be admitted 10 minutes after meeting has started. The meeting will be located at Virtual Teleconference Information Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/28570728431808?p=CsEHQzbFFAWZOFjtOJ

Meeting ID: 285 707 284 318 08 Passcode: kz6p7AT9 +1 949-543-0845,,572303529# Phone conference ID: 572 303 529#. At this meeting, County staff will discuss the scope of work, general contract issues and respond to questions from the attendees. The Pre-Submittal Meeting and Site

Visit will be conducted one time only. Attendance and sign-in at the pre-submittal meeting is required. Contractor must stay until the meeting has ended. Failure of any Respondent to attend this Mandatory Pre-Submittal Meeting and Site Visit shall constitute a substantial variation from the requirements of the Contract Documents and the Proposal of any Respondent not in attendance will be rejected as nonresponsive. All questions will need to be submitted in writing through the

County’s online eProcurement system at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov. The

Respondent will have until Thursday, October 29, 2026 before 2:00 pm to submit questions.

• Please confirm your attendance by replying via the RSVP feature in the County's eProcurement Portal.

• Respondents are responsible for securing parking and payment of parking fees (if applicable)

• Respondents are encouraged to arrive early to ensure a parking space

1.5 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Respondent’s Proposal shall meet the following minimum requirements and qualifications to proceed to the evaluation process. Failure to have the ability to, upon County request, provide any of the items requested below may result in disqualification of your Proposal. These qualifications must be maintained during the term of any resultant Contract.

A. Must have the ability to do business in Orange County, California; and

B. Complete all required Vendor Response questions of the solicitation.

1.6 EVALUATION PROCESS

Proposals deemed to meet all minimum solicitation requirements will be scored based on the established evaluation criteria, and will be assigned points that measure the responsiveness to each https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov identified criterion. The total number of points earned will be tallied for each Proposal, based upon the Respondent(s) submitted written materials.

Proposals shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel of job knowledge experts on the basis of the responsiveness to the requirements in this RFP. The County may request clarifications, or otherwise verify the contents of the Proposal, including information about the Respondent, Contractors and sub-contractors.

The scoring is based on evaluation of the Proposal as measured against the Proposal Scoring

Criteria, which includes County of Orange Procurement Preference Policy, in accordance with

Sections 1.8-103 and 4.3-112 of the 2024 County Contract Policy Manual (CPM). A copy of the

2024 CPM can be found at https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm. Proposals will be evaluated from the most advantageous to the least advantageous to the County.

1.7 SELECTION/AWARD PROCEDURES

Upon the completion of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee will make a recommendation for an award to the County’s DPA. Final award determination shall be subject to reference checks and past performance.

The Model Contract contained herein this RFP is the Contract proposed for execution. It may be modified to incorporate negotiated items and other pertinent terms and conditions set forth in this

RFP, including special conditions and requirements and those added by addendum, necessary attachments and/or exhibits, and to reflect Respondent’s Proposal and qualifications. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent after submission of its

Proposal may result in its elimination from further consideration.

Exceptions to the terms and conditions of the proposed Contract or the statements regarding

Respondent’s inability to comply with any of the provisions thereof are to be declared in the response to the RFP in VENDOR RESPONSES - Statement of Compliance.

Negotiations may or may not be conducted with the finalist(s); therefore, the Proposal submitted should contain Respondent(s) most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without further discussion or need for clarification. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent(s) after submission of its proposal may result in elimination from further consideration.

The County will enter into negotiations with the selected Respondent and award a contract upon completion of negotiation of fees and contract terms. The award requires approval(s) by the

County Board of Supervisors.

If a satisfactory Contract cannot be negotiated in a timely manner, County, in its sole discretion, may terminate negotiations with the selected Respondent and begin negotiations with the next

Respondent.

1.8 RIGHTS RESERVED TO COUNTY

The County reserves the right to:

https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm

A. Make use of any information or ideas in the Proposals submitted.

B. Request proposal revisions and hold discussions and negotiations with any Respondent as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

C. Seek publicly available information about the Respondents.

D. Conduct, or not to conduct, oral interviews and/or presentations with the highest-ranked

Respondent(s) and additional Respondents.

E. Waive, at its discretion, any procedural, non-material defects, irregularity, or informality, which

County deems correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the proposal that do not result in any unfair competitive advantage. Any waiver will not excuse a proponent from full compliance.

F. Verify and validate any information prior to Contract Award and during the entire term of the

Contract.

G. Negotiate the final Contract with any Respondent(s), including pricing/fee schedule, as necessary to serve the best interests of the County;

H. Withdraw or cancel in part or in its entirety this solicitation at any time without prior notice and furthermore makes no representations that any Contract will be awarded to any Respondent responding to this solicitation;

I. Award its total requirements to one Respondent or to apportion those requirements among two or more Respondents as the County may deem to be in its best interests;

J. Reject any Proposal if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates significantly from the services requested in this solicitation; and/or

K. Request Best and Final Offer from any Respondent determined to be within the competitive range.

Unless requested by the County, late Best and Final Offers will not be accepted by the County for any reason. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

L. Make multiple awards to Respondent(s) for services requested in this solicitation, at its sole discretion, to serve the best interests of the County.

M. Defer award of this Contract for a period of 180 days after the solicitation opening. During this period of time, Respondent shall guarantee the prices quoted in their Proposals. County and the lowest responsive, responsible Respondent may mutually agree in writing to a longer deferral period.

Therefore, Proposals submitted shall contain the Respondent’s most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without discussion with any Respondent.

1.9 CONTRACTOR SAFETY

Contractor shall comply with the County’s Safety and Loss Prevention Policy and Procedure#306

(“Contractor Safety Responsibilities”) and submit a copy of their Injury and Illness Prevention

Program (IIPP) and Contractor Safety-Activity Checklist to the County’s Project Manager prior to the start of any work performed under the Contract. Contractor will notify County Project Manager of any revisions to the Safety-Activity Checklist and will provide a new Safety-Activity Checklist upon County request. The IIPP shall comply with California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section

1509 or 3203(whichever applies). Contractor shall submit other safety programs that pertain to the type of job that will be performed on site. County reserves the right to conduct inspections and audits as necessary for the purpose of evaluating any aspect of safety performance under this

Contract.

1.10 TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE

The County of Orange, in accordance with the provisions of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all

Respondents that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

1.11 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FORM

W-9/W-8 REQUIREMENTS

Effective June 3, 2006, all Contractors, entering into a Contract with County, who are not already established in Countywide ERP System as an Auditor-Controller vendor, will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign vendors. County will inform

Contractor, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 will be required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within ten (10) days of notification of selection of award of Contract but prior to official award of Contract, the selected Contractor agrees to furnish to Contract administrator, or the deputy purchasing agent (DPA) the required W-9 or W-

8.

1.12 LEVINE ACT REQUIREMENT

Effective January 1, 2023, all contractors entering into a contract with the County, will be required to submit the Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form for any contributions made on or after

January 1, 2023. In order to comply with this requirement, Respondent agrees to furnish the required Campaign Contribution Disclosure Information form as a required submittal with its

Proposal. Failure to include the form as required will render the Proposal nonresponsive.

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

Any actual or prospective bidder or respondent who alleges an error or impropriety in the solicitation or award of a contract may submit a grievance or protest to Shannon Thoene at shannon.thoene@occr.ocgov.com, as set forth herein.

PROTEST PROCEDURES

All protests shall be typed under the protestor’s letterhead and submitted in accordance with the provisions stated herein. All protests shall include at a minimum the following information:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor;

B. The signature of the protestor or the protestor’s representative;

C. The solicitation or contract number;

D. A detailed statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest; and, E. The form of relief requested.

Protest of Solicitation Specifications:

A. All protests related to solicitation specifications must be submitted to the Deputy

Procurement Agent (DPA), Shannon Thoene at shannon.thoene@occr.ocgov.com, no later than five (5) business days prior to the Closing Date of the solicitation. Protests received after the five (5) business-day deadline will not be considered by the County.

B. In the event the protest of specifications is denied, and the protestor wishes to continue in the solicitation process, the protestor must still submit a bid/response prior to the close of the solicitation in accordance with the solicitation submittal procedures provided in this solicitation.

Protest of Award of Contract:

A. Protests related to the award of a contract must be submitted to the Deputy Procurement

Agent, Shannon Thoene at shannon.thoene@occr.ocgov.com, no later than five (5) business days after the Notice of Solicitation Results is provided by the DPA.

B. Protests relating to a proposed contract award received after the five (5) business day deadline will not be considered by the County.

C. If the five (5) business day period expires without the receipt of a protest, the department may move forward with the contract award or if necessary, file the item for approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Protest Process

A. In the event of a timely protest, the County shall not proceed with the solicitation or award of the contract until the DPA issues a decision on the protest.

B. Upon receipt of a timely protest, the DPA will, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest, issue a decision in writing which shall state the reasons for the actions taken.

C. The County may, after providing written justification, make the determination that an immediate award of the contract is necessary to protect the substantial interests of the

County. The award of a contract shall in no way compromise the protester’s right to the protest procedures outlined herein.

D. If the protestor disagrees with the decision of the DPA, the protestor may submit a written appeal to the County Procurement Officer requesting an appeal to the

Procurement Appeals Board, in accordance with the process stated below.

APPEALS PROCESS

A. If the protestor wishes to appeal the protest decision of the Deputy Procurement Agent, the protestor must submit, within three (3) business days from receipt of the Deputy

Procurement Agent’s decision, a written appeal to the Office of the County Procurement

Officer.

Written appeals must be sent by mail to the address below with a courtesy copy by email;

County of Orange/County Executive Office

County Procurement Office

400 W. Civic Center Drive, 5th Floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: County Procurement Officer

CPOAppeals@ceo.oc.gov

B. Within fifteen (15) business days, the County Procurement Officer will review all materials in connection with the appeal, assess the merits of the protest and provide a written determination that shall contain his or her decision on whether the appeal shall be forwarded to the Procurement Appeals Board.

C. The decision of the County Procurement Officer on whether to allow the appeal to go forward will be final and there shall be no right to any administrative appeals of this decision.

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

Exhibits referenced in the scope of work can be found in Attachment A - Model Contract.

3.1 OVERVIEW

A. The County is seeking a Contractor to facilitate seed amplification and provide coordination services to ensure a consistent and reliable supply of critical native plant materials for ecological restoration and enhancement in support of preserving and enhancing the County’s natural resources, aligned with the ecological approach and best practices developed by the Orange County

Native Seed Partnership (Seed Partnership). Native seed amplification involves specialized expertise, long lead times, and coordination with seasonal growing cycles. A standing contract provides a dependable source and allows for flexibility to meet project-specific demands while protecting sensitive habitats and preserving genetic integrity of locally and regionally adapted seed stock.

B. The Seed Partnership includes Orange County land managers (e.g., OC Parks, California State

Parks, University of California Irvine, and others). OC Parks, along with other County Agencies, participates in Seed Partnership coordination meetings aimed at developing best practices for native mailto:CPOAppeals@ocgov.com seed and enhancing the supply of native seeds with genetic origins in the Orange County Seed

Collection Zone (Exhibit 1). Seed amplification is also known as “seed multiplication,” “seed increase,” “seed bulking,” or “seed farming.” The Contractor will address the County’s seed needs by subcontracting with qualified growers to fulfill seed orders and identify and recommend opportunities for regional collaboration, cost efficiency, quality improvement, and reliable supply development, supporting a consistent and reliable supply of genetically suitable native seed for

County restoration and enhancement projects. Genetic suitability is determined by genetic provenance and protocols for collection and amplification of seed. The goal of genetic management within a native seed program is to maximize the success of restoration plantings while protecting the genetic diversity of natural populations.

3.2 PROJECT GOALS

A. Increased availability of appropriate native seeds for County ecological restoration and enhancement projects.

B. Support restoration and enhancement projects in the County by leveraging economies of scale and strengthening supply reliability.

C. Natural resource protection via reduced reliance on wild seed collection from sensitive vegetation assemblages, achieved by amplifying small amounts of wild-collected seed.

D. Development and refinement of seed collection and amplification best practices that draw on scientific research in conservation biology, restoration genetics, and population genetics.

E. Promote species richness, genetic diversity, and ecological suitability in seed production.

F. Development and refinement of plant materials best practices, including a list of appropriate seeding rate ranges in pure live seed pounds per acre.

G. Coordinate wild seed collection activities and requests for seed-related access permits as directed by the County.

H. Increased availability of ecologically appropriate native seed to support County compliance with the Nature Reserve of Orange County’s Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Plan (HREP).

3.3 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Coordinate and facilitate collaboration to support County seed planning and restoration needs among County staff, propagule producers, regional land managers, and stakeholders.

B. Provide seed to the County by coordinating amplification through qualified growers, using seed provided by the County, and using methods such as field production (“seed farming”) and/or containerized increase, as appropriate.

C. Work with the County to develop ecologically sound, genetically informed practices for seed amplification, collection, management, and ecotype development. Ecotypes reflect a representative range of genetic diversity for a given species within a defined Seed

Collection Zone. Amplified ecotypes produced for the County may be subwatershed scale, subregional (e.g., coastal, central, southern) and/or regional (i.e., encompassing the entire Orange County Seed Collection Zone).

3.4 SEED AMPLIFICATION AND COORDINATION SERVICES SCOPE

A. The Contractor shall amplify native seeds. The County will request seed amplification grow-outs by identifying the annual desired amount of pure live seed (PLS) pounds by species as a multi-year seed demand forecast. The Contractor will determine an appropriate plot size to yield the requested amount in coordination with the County.

Standardized grow-out plots will include 50 square feet, 200 square feet, 500 square feet, 0.25-acre, 0.5-acre, and 1.0-acre sizes. There are hundreds of species of plants that grow on County property. Plants are organized into different groups by growth form and life history, including annuals, geophytes, perennial herbs, and perennial woody shrubs. Seed amplification shall occur in accordance with the County’s current best practices (Exhibit

2). Contractor shall maintain relevant knowledge as best practices adapt.

B. The Contractor shall utilize wild seed provided by the County to sow into container pots, planting beds, or farmland for custom amplification grow-outs. All equipment, materials, and labor needed to produce amplified seed are included in the Contractor’s pricing for the amplification services. All seed shall be grown in southern California under environmental conditions similar to Orange County (e.g., temperature range, rainfall, elevation). The Contractor shall provide supplemental watering (e.g., irrigation) as needed to support successful plant establishment and maturation. The plants that grow will mature and produce seed, and the resulting seed will be collected by the Contractor.

C. The Contractor shall clean, process, conduct initial seed testing at no extra charge on all amplified seed lots* (*A seed lot is defined as the harvested seed from a single year, representing a unique combination of species, year, and location.). All seed shall be cleaned using industry best practices, with all Stipa species de-awned. Very small lots, where seed testing would destroy an undesirable percentage of the available seed will be exempted from seed testing and labelled as such. The Contractor shall forgo seed testing on small lots only after consultation with the Manager. Seed testing shall be conducted by qualified labs familiar with testing seeds native and exotic to southern California and shall include a full evaluation of purity, germination, and a tetrazolium test. A tetrazolium test will be required for applicable species; otherwise, an alternative dormancy test will be conducted. Seed testing should include the type of seed, test date, the name of the supplier, live seed count per pound, results of a tetrazolium test, and percentage of the following: pure seed, crop seed, inert matter, weed seed, noxious weeds, and total germination content.

D. The Contractor shall deposit seed into refrigerated storage. Seed will be stored in a protected, refrigerated indoor location that is dark and cool. The seed will not be allowed to become damp.

E. County has first right of refusal on excess seed and focused coordination will occur as needed to make this determination. Discussion of excess seed between Contractor and

County will occur as part of periodic coordination meetings.

F. The Contractor shall keep an inventory spreadsheet up to date and provide it to the

County Project Manager when requested. For each seed lot, the inventory spreadsheet will include at a minimum the original wildland collection location, collection dates, number of bulk pounds of seed, number of PLS pounds of seed, purity, germination, live seed count per pound, date entered into storage, and the date of the most recent seed test.

G. The Contractor shall prepare (e.g., weighing, mixing, labeling, and bagging) and ship custom seed mixes and/or seed of individual species to County-designated destinations, including park facilities, nurseries, seed testing laboratories, etc. Upon County request, bran or sand may be added as a seed mix filler. The Contractor shall provide all materials needed for preparation and packaging/shipping, as applicable, including bags/containers, labels, and humidity/moisture control materials.

H. In addition to County-requested custom seed amplification grow-outs, the Contractor shall offer amplified seed from its general inventory for County purchase at a cost per

PLS pound. The Contractor shall maintain an updated list of all available amplified seed, with pricing per PLS pound of each species, and provide it to the County Project

Manager annually and upon request. “Off-the-shelf” purchases of amplified seed by PLS pound must be approved by the County Project Manager or designee.

I. The Contractor shall package and deliver seed to the County. Each seed bag must have a label that includes species name(s), Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) number(s), bulk pounds, PLS pounds, collection locations, and if the seed is an admixed ecotype the label shall include percent PLS from each collection location.

J. The Contractor shall create a Species Production Plan (Production Plan) for each species prior to amplification and provide it to the County Project Manager.

K. The Contractor shall perform restoration genetics due diligence by creating a concise (<1 page) Species Amplification Profile (Amplification Profile) for each ecotype, to be included with the Production Plan and used to guide County seed sourcing/collection and mixing strategies from natural populations. The purpose of the Amplification Profile is to ensure native seed amplification is ecologically appropriate and genetically sound. Each

Amplification Profile will:

o Summarize relevant species-specific knowledge, including key life history traits (e.g., dispersal syndromes), pollinator interactions, and population distributions.

o Document the subwatershed and subregional origin of seed collections, including the percent PLS admixture in any composite ecotype.

o Reference relevant scientific literature that informs the ecotype’s composition and restoration use.

L. The Contractor shall develop a Species Amplification Yield Estimation Table (SAYET) that identifies plant material types and quantities needed to establish bulking plots of various sizes and provides a method to estimate the plot size required to produce a target quantity of PLS pounds by species.

M. The Contractor shall coordinate proposed seed collection on County property and implement quality assurance protocols, including Calflora tracking, as follows:

o Coordinate and review proposed seed collection activities on County property for

County review and approval. Encroachment permits will be evaluated and processed by OC Parks.

o Review seed collection documentation and deliverables as directed by the County.

o Review Calflora seed collection observation entries for accuracy and completeness.

o Review historical Calflora records to help prevent overcollection, consistent with

Exhibit 3 - Seed Collection Best Management Practices.

N. The Contractor shall provide once every two months a Bi-Monthly Progress Update and once every year an Annual Summary Report. Each Bi-Monthly Progress Update and

Annual Summary Report shall be provided via a Microsoft Teams post. The Bi-Monthly

Progress Update and the Annual Summary Report Progress will both be uploaded to a

Microsoft Teams Channel that is created by the County Project Manager for the purposes of this Contract.

O. The Contractor shall attend six virtual meetings per year: one kickoff, four coordination meetings, and one closeout. At the beginning of each Contract Year, the County and

Contractor will meet to allocate the annual budget across seed production and other

Contract tasks and confirm the work plan.

P. The Contractor shall coordinate with regional subject-matter experts, as directed by the

County, to develop and refine Best Management Practices (BMPs) for native seed collection, amplification, and storage. See Exhibit 2 – for amplification BMPs.

Q. The Contractor shall work with the County and, as directed by the County, regional practitioners to develop and maintain guidance documents for sowing native seed in wildlands.

R. The Annual Summary Report format will be developed in coordination with the County and shall be submitted in the last month of each Contract Year. At minimum, the Annual

Summary Report shall include:

o Seed Needs o Summary of Seed Production for the Contract by grower o Summary of Calflora data related to seed collection o Species Production Plans for any species currently being amplified, including current status o Species Amplification Profiles for any species currently being amplified o Current Inventory Spreadsheet

S. The Contractor shall develop a Quality Assurance and Quality Control Protocol with

Geospatial Tracking that is compatible with the Calflora Weed Manager application

(https://www.calflora.org/entry/weed-mgr.html) and integrated with the seed inventory to meet the goals of OC Parks such as preventing over-collection and tracking collection provenance.

T. The Contractor shall develop a Seeding Rate Recommendations Table to track estimated and field-tested PLS lbs/acre seeding rates for species appropriate for direct seeding in restoration projects. The purpose of the Seeding Rate Recommendations Table is to guide the County to use the lowest effective seeding rate for successful establishment of species from seed to maximize cost efficiency and restoration project success. Seeding rate recommendations will be presented as a range for each species.

U. The Contractor shall develop a Plant Species Restoration Guide that summarizes species-specific best practices, including a Direct Seeding vs. Container Planting

Recommendations Table indicating the preferred establishment method by species. The

Guide shall be developed using input from subject-matter experts (e.g., ecologists, native plant propagators) and existing literature, as coordinated with the County, to support cost-effective restoration outcomes.

V. The Contractor shall develop a Seed Pricing Database in PLS pounds by compiling southern California industry pricing and documenting actual production costs for species amplified under this Contract.

W. The Contractor shall prepare a Provenancing Approach Guide, including a table of recommended sourcing scales (e.g., regional, subregional, watershed) for ecotype development by species.

X. The Contractor shall prepare a Plant Species Supply Optimization Guide (table format) identifying, by species, when to use wild-collected plant material (including seed and, where applicable, non-seed propagules such as bulbs/corms/tubers) versus amplified plant material for restoration projects. The Guide shall include suggested decision thresholds (if applicable) and a brief justification prioritizing minimizing impacts to natural populations and maintaining genetic suitability.

Y. The Contractor shall prepare a Species Collection and Tribal Harvesting Guide (table format), by species, identifying recommended timing windows for wild seed collection.

Any information on seasonal Tribal harvesting periods shall be included by species only when provided/approved by regionally appropriate Tribes and as directed by the County.

The Guide shall include citations for referenced information, and each entry shall include the associated reference/source.

Z. The Contractor shall prepare Standardized Plant Species Lists outlining planting and seeding palettes for restoration and enhancement project types as directed by the County.

Each list shall include at least 15 species and identify no more than 4 core species.

Project types may include the following:

o Coastal CSS o Interior CSS o Native Grassland o Native Forbland o Post-fire Recovery o North-facing Slopes / Lemonade Scrub o Chaparral o Oak Woodland Understory o Elderberry Shrubland o Emergent Wetland o Transitional Riparian o Riparian Woodland Understory o Erosion Control Mix o Showy Wildflower Mix o Trailside for Restoration Projects (10-foot buffer) o Tribal Use/Tribal Priorities, as directed by the County and regionally appropriate

Tribes o OCFA compatible Fuel Modification Mix

The Contractor shall develop and refine Best Management Practices Guidelines for Wild Seed

Collection, Seed Amplification, and Seed Storage, as directed by the County.

3.5 SEED AMPLIFICATION AND COORDINATION SERVICES DELIVERABLES

All deliverables shall be submitted annually unless otherwise directed in the Scope of Work.

Works in progress that improve over time are acceptable.

A. Annual Summary Report

B. Bi-Monthly Progress Update

C. QA/QC Protocol with Geospatial Tracking (Calflora)

D. Seeding Rate Recommendations Table

E. Species Amplification Yield Estimation Table

F. Seed Pricing Database

G. Plant Species Restoration Guide

H. Guide to Provenancing Approach

I. Plant Species Supply Optimization Guide

J. Species Collection and Tribal Harvesting Guide

K. Standardized Plant Species Lists (at least 17)

L. Wild Collection Best Management Practices Guidelines

M. Seed Amplification Best Management Practices Guidelines

N. Seed Storage Best Management Practices Guidelines

O. Off-the-Shelf Availability/Pricing List

3.6 ADDITIONAL WORK

A. Upon County request, Contractor shall submit supplemental proposals for Additional

Work not called for under the Scope of Work of this Contract. Additional Work may include, but is not limited to: developing other seed-related guidelines, BMPs, and other documents, including workflow/process documentation; strategic planning for the County

(considering seed users, seed need, stakeholders, etc.), and coordination of County access to seed on non-County lands within the Orange County Seed Collection Zone. Additional

Work may also include exceptional cases in which plants are maintained in production for more than three years to amplify seed. Contractor must obtain County Project

Manager’s written approval prior to commencing any additional work.

B. County reserves the right to obtain supplemental proposals from, and use, alternate sources for completion of the additional work and to utilize the data provided under this

Contract to obtain necessary services.

C. If County authorizes work by an alternate source, Contractor may be relieved of responsibilities while work is being performed and during the subsequent warranty period.

D. Upon completion of any additional work, whether by Contractor or an alternative source, County’s Project Manager or designee and Contractor will inspect the finished product at no additional cost to County. Upon mutual acceptance of the additional work, Contractor shall again be responsible for all services originally covered under this Contract and the work performed under this section.

3.7 MISCELLANEOUS CLAUSE

A. Miscellaneous commodities may be obtained at County’s request. County requests may include, but are not limited to, off-the-shelf seed from Contractor’s standing inventory.

Contractor shall provide a written quote and obtain authorized County approval.

Contractor under no circumstance shall provide any commodities without prior written authorized County approval. Additional delivery locations may be added or deleted at any time with no penalty to County.

B. County may elect to accept substitute like commodities, commodities of equal or better quality and/or brand, costing equal or less than the original contracted commodities as set forth in this Contract with written authorized County approval. Substitute like commodities that cost more will require prior authorized approval from County before any substitution will take place.

3.8 OPTION TERM (YEAR 6 THROUGH YEAR 8)

A. The contract is anticipated to be solicited every five years. Figure 1, below, illustrates the two potential transition scenarios. Scenario 1 shows what happens when a different contractor (Contractor B) wins the subsequent 5-year solicitation. In this scenario, the optional 3-year extension term with Contractor A is utilized, providing an overlap period so OC Parks can continue receiving seed from the established contract while Contractor

B establishes new custom seed amplification grow-outs. Scenario 2 illustrates the situation where the original contractor (Contractor A) wins the subsequent 5-year solicitation and the 3-year Option Term is not utilized.

B. If the 3-year Option Term is utilized with Contractor A, preexisting custom seed amplification grow-outs from the original 5-year term may extend into the 3-year Option

Term (as maintenance, harvesting, delivery, etc.).

Figure 1 – Seed Amplification Contract Timeline Scenarios (5-year Base Term + 3-year Option

Term)

3.9 PROJECT CLOSEOUT PROCESS

A. Materials and documents delivered by the Contractor for County shall become property owned by County without restriction or limitation on their use. Contractor remains responsible for fulfilling orders placed for materials and services ordered prior to the date of expiration, completion or termination of the Contract and shall be fully compensated for those orders delivered to County. Contractor shall not be entitled to compensation for any surplus property, inventory, or services not ordered or requested by County.

B. County maintains ownership of seeds and living plant materials developed from seeds provided to Contractor and shall be returned to County upon expiration, completion or termination of the Contract in a manner that protects their continued growth and/or viability in coordination with the County. If Contractor fails to timely return any remaining seeds or living plant materials upon expiration, completion or termination of the Contract, then the Contractor shall be liable to fully reimburse the County for any seeds or living plant materials not returned, and/or for reimbursement of any costs associated with the County retrieving its property unless County exercises its first right of refusal on excess seed pursuant to Section 4, Paragraph E above. If Contractor closes for business or otherwise fails to perform pursuant to the terms and conditions of the

Contract prior to the date of expiration, completion or termination of Contract, then

County may choose to deem ordered and undelivered seed as excess seed and County shall exercise its first right of refusal on excess seed pursuant to Section 4, Paragraph E.

If the Contractor closes for business or otherwise fails to perform pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Contract prior to the date of expiration, completion or termination of the Contract, and County agrees to accept any partially completed order, then County shall be invoiced at a discounted rate based on percent progress minus any costs incurred by the County.