EUPD90926 Consulting Services - Digital Financial Assets

The State Controller's Office (SCO) in California is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for consulting services to integrate digital financial assets (cryptocurrency, virtual currency, and digital currency) into the state's unclaimed property program, as mandated by Senate Bill 822. The scope of work encompasses conducting needs assessments, analyzing custody models, designing custody frameworks, developing policies and procedures, drafting technical specifications, assisting with procurement planning, and supporting implementation of the Kelmar Abandoned Property System (KAPS) to enable the state to receive, safeguard, administer, and return digital financial assets in compliance with California Code of Civil Procedure. Deliverables must be completed promptly to integrate standard operating procedures into the current unclaimed property holder reporting period for 2026, with holder reports due by October 31, 2026. Minimum qualifications require proposing firms to demonstrate at least five years of experience within the past ten years supporting public-sector entities with program assets exceeding $250 million in designing and implementing unclaimed property operations, and at least three years of experience providing guidance and policy on digital assets to similar entities. Additionally, firms must identify three key staff members who collectively meet specified minimum qualifications, including two years' experience providing guidance on administering digital assets, five years' experience providing consulting services related to unclaimed property operations, three years' experience designing and supporting implementation of KAPS with organizational change management, and possession of a relevant bachelor's degree (computer science, information systems, finance, business administration, Juris Doctor, or closely related field). The evaluation process allocates 300 points for technical proposal scoring, 150 points for interviews, and 450 points for cost proposals, totaling 900 possible points. Proposals are due May 8, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time, with interviews scheduled for May 20-28, 2026, a notice of intent to award on June 1, 2026, and an anticipated award date of June 9, 2026, with contract commencement expected July 8, 2026, or upon Department of General Services approval.

California offers three preference programs applicable to this opportunity: Small Business (5 percent), Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (up to 5 percent), and Target Area Contract Preference Act preferences, which may enhance scoring for qualifying organizations. The RFP prohibits the use of internal organizational clients as references and restricts projects marked as classified, confidential, or subject to non-disclosure agreements from being counted toward minimum qualifications. Proposers must comply with comprehensive insurance requirements, including general liability of $1 million per occurrence with $2 million aggregate, workers' compensation coverage, and professional liability of $1 million per claim with $2 million aggregate, and must ensure all staff accessing SCO data meet NIST SP 800-53 compliance standards for information security and pass Live Scan background checks. The contract is structured as a two-year base agreement with one optional one-year extension, covering 2026 through 2028, though specific contract values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the RFP documentation provided. Proposals must include firm and key staff qualifications, client references, completed cost worksheets from the FMQ and KSMQ workbooks, and various certifications as detailed in the RFP attachments, with the SCO reserving the right to reject any proposal deemed nonresponsive due to insufficient information demonstrating compliance with stated requirements.