Animal disposal services

The County of Orange, OC Community Resources, is soliciting competitive sealed bids for Animal Disposal Services through an electronic procurement process with Invitation for Bid (IFB #012-3048501-DT). The primary objectives are to remove deceased animals from the OC Animal Care Shelter located at 1630 Victory Road, Tustin, California, and provide weekly pick-up services three days per week to dispose of approximately 10,000 animals annually while serving fourteen contract cities and unincorporated Orange County areas. The successful Contractor must supply ten sanitized, leak-proof plastic or metal drums (55 gallons or greater) for storage between pick-ups, maintain a valid California Dead Haulers Permit, provide 24/7 emergency telephone contact availability, and be available for additional Saturday pick-up services during May through August as needed, with potential requirements for daily emergency pick-ups for up to thirty days in situations such as cold storage box failure or natural disasters. Required qualifications include possession of a valid California Dead Haulers Permit, comprehensive insurance coverage (Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Automobile Liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, statutory Workers' Compensation, and Employers Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per accident), and the ability to provide monthly verifiable written documentation of legal disposal such as landfill receipts. Evaluation will be based on firm fixed-fee pricing submitted as monthly rates for both three times per week and two times per week pick-up services, with additional daily pick-up rates available but not subject to award criteria; bids will be evaluated and awarded to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder with bids remaining valid for 365 days following the solicitation closing date. The bid submission deadline is May 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., submitted electronically through the County's eProcurement Portal, and all questions must be submitted through the solicitation's Question & Answer section by Friday, May 22, 2026, before 2:00 p.m.

The County of Orange provides a five percent price deduction for evaluation purposes to Local Small Business (OCLSB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) certified bidders, with the maximum allowable preference deduction capped at $100,000. The contract is a firm fixed-fee agreement with a five-year term running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, with renewal contingent upon County Board of Supervisors approval, and the contract is available to all Orange County departments under a cooperative program with a 2 percent administrative rebate on subordinate contracts with other entities. The Contractor must comply with all County and State laws, submit proof of the California Dead Haulers Permit within thirty days of contract award, maintain sanitized drums through off-County premises washing and chemical disinfection after each use, and ensure vehicles are enclosed or barrels fully covered to prevent public exposure of deceased animals, with the Contractor responsible for all transportation costs and vehicle maintenance. Payment shall be made in arrears within thirty days of invoice receipt, contingent upon submission of verifiable written documentation of legal disposal. No incumbent vendors or specific budget ranges are identified in the solicitation documents; the specific fee amounts in the model contract are listed as "TBD" (to be determined) based on competitive bidding.