Medical Waste Disposal Services IFB 26-20039-000

The California Department of State Hospitals (DSH) – Metropolitan is requesting bids for medical waste disposal services at six DSH facility locations, with bids due June 8, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. and public opening at 11:30 a.m. A 5% small business preference applies to certified California small businesses, microbusinesses, or non-small businesses with 25% small business subcontracting; a disabled veteran business enterprise (DVBE) incentive of 1% to 5% is available based on participation level, capped at $50,000 or 5% of the lowest bid.

Scope covers weekly Thursday pickups (8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) of biohazardous/sharps waste, non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste, and trace chemotherapy waste across DSH-Atascadero, DSH-Coalinga, DSH-Metropolitan (Norwalk), DSH-Patton, DSH-Sacramento, and DSH-Napa, plus quarterly RCRA pharmaceutical waste pickup on a mutually agreed schedule. The contractor must supply all personnel, equipment, vehicles, insurance, permits, and licenses. Estimated monthly volumes are 2,040 pounds biohazardous/sharps waste, 240 pounds non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste, 60 pounds trace chemotherapy waste, and 12 eight-gallon containers in FY 2026/2027 (15 in FY 2027/2028) of RCRA pharmaceutical waste. Container specifications are mandatory: red for biohazardous/sharps, blue for non-hazardous pharmaceutical, black for RCRA pharmaceutical, and yellow for trace chemotherapy waste. All related costs—containers, absorbent materials, and manifest fees—must be incorporated into bid rates with no separate line items.

Minimum qualifications include California business license, good standing with the California Secretary of State, Hazardous Waste Transporter Registration, EPA ID number, medical waste transfer station permit, DMV motor carrier permit, county permit or sealer of weights and measures certificate, three references within the past two years, tuberculosis screening, background check, and COVID-19 vaccination documentation. The contractor must comply with California Health and Safety Code sections 117600-118360, RCRA, and DOT requirements.

The incumbent is MediWaste Disposal, LLC. The contract term runs July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. Questions were due May 29, 2026. Addendum 1 and Version 3 Q&A (issued June 1, 2026) clarified container specifications, rate sheet updates for FY 2027/2028, and pricing methodologies.