IFB 25-E0032 Water Sampling Services

The California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB 25-E0032) for water sampling services to support microplastics research in drinking water as mandated by Senate Bill 1147. The procurement requires a qualified contractor to collect contamination-controlled, high-volume tap water samples from nine state-owned California facilities, comprising 162 total field collections that include 108 in-line filtration samples and blanks plus 54 grab samples and blanks. Key deliverables include prepared sampling equipment under controlled laboratory conditions, complete chain-of-custody documentation, a detailed sampling plan due by August 31, 2026, and the transfer of all materials to an OEHHA-designated analytical laboratory for microplastics characterization. Minimum qualifications require bidders to demonstrate three years of microplastics or comparable trace particulate laboratory analysis experience, two years of QA/QC contamination-control experience, two years performing work per written procedures and sampling plans, and two years maintaining sample documentation and chain-of-custody records. Bidders must be in good standing with the California Secretary of State and possess a valid California business license. The submission deadline for questions and clarifications is May 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PST, with bid submissions due May 29, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. PST via email. The public bid opening will occur June 1, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PST via Microsoft Teams, with a Notice of Intent to Award expected June 3, 2026, and a proposed contract start date of June 15, 2026.

No mandatory Small Business or Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise participation goals have been established for this procurement, although bidders may voluntarily participate in these socio-economic preference programs if certified by the California Department of General Services. Required bid attachments include certifications, minimum qualifications narratives, bidder references, cost worksheets identifying unit rates for each sample and blank type, and evidence of a clean workspace with recent air blank monitoring data from the bidder's microplastics laboratory facility. The total contract budget shall not exceed $49,999.00, with $2,000.00 reserved for unanticipated tasks, and pricing must be submitted on the provided cost worksheet. No incumbent vendors or technology integration requirements are specified in this procurement. This contract represents an opportunity for qualified environmental sampling firms with specialized microplastics laboratory experience and contamination-control protocols to contribute to California's leadership in advancing microplastics research and policy development.