26-0101 Northern California Pre-employment Polygraph Examinations

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is requesting bids for pre-employment polygraph examinations for ABC Agent candidates across Northern California under IFB 26-0101, with bids due July 10, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. via email. A 5% Small Business preference and a Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise incentive of 1% or more of the bid total apply.

Bidders must meet minimum qualifications: at least three consecutive years of experience conducting pre-employment polygraph examinations for California law enforcement agencies and membership in good standing with the California Association of Polygraph Examiners, American Polygraph Association, American Association of Police Polygraphists, or National Polygraph Association. Sound business integrity is required.

The scope encompasses comprehensive pre-employment polygraph examinations including pre-polygraph questionnaire reviews, examination administration using ABC-approved equipment, detection of deception and inconsistencies, pre-test through post-test interviews, written report delivery within three working days, and record retention for four years. Examinations will be conducted primarily in the Sacramento area but must be available throughout the 44-county Northern California region. A cancellation fee may be charged for no-shows without 24-hour advance notice.

The contract award for the initial 24-month term shall not exceed $40,000, with pricing calculated on a per-polygraph examination basis inclusive of all costs such as travel. The contract term commences September 1, 2026, with the possibility of one 12-month extension at the State's option. Invoices are submitted monthly in arrears with payment due under Government Code Chapter 4.5 timeframes.

Evaluation criteria are administrative assessment (pass/fail), reference verification assessment (maximum 50 points based on quality, timeliness, scheduling responsiveness, dependability, and issue resolution), and cost assessment (maximum 50 points based on comparative pricing). Written questions are due June 24, 2026. Bid opening for administrative and cost assessment is scheduled for July 15, 2026, with a notice of intent to award anticipated July 20, 2026.