NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD RFP - Election Services - 267000SR

The California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) issued Request for Proposal #267000SR for Election Services under open market competitive procurement, with the intent to award the contract to the American Arbitration Association (AAA). The procurement seeks a contractor to administer both mailed ballot elections and electronic voting elections of varying sizes utilizing the contractor's online election platform. Key services include establishing election parameters, preparing ballots, distributing voting credentials, managing helpdesk support via phone and email, processing voted ballots, tabulating results, and providing voter participation reporting. The contract term runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029 (three years), with a total budget allocation of $250,000. Bidders must submit three professional references for similar election services performed within the last ten years, with a minimum of one reference from a California state entity preferred. The proposal submission deadline was May 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM PST, with written questions due by May 1, 2026, and the notice of intent to award issued on May 15, 2026. Evaluation criteria consist of technical factors (70 points maximum) and cost factors (30 points maximum), with award made to the responsive and responsible proposer achieving the highest total evaluated score based on a sliding scale cost worksheet for both mailed and electronic ballot elections across eight ballot range categories.

This procurement includes a 5% Small Business preference under California Government Code Section 14835 et seq., and a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) incentive providing bonus points for qualified DVBE participation: +1 point for less than 2% DVBE participation, +3 points for less than 4%, and +5 points for 4% or more (0% participation required). Contractors must maintain general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, workers' compensation coverage, professional errors and omissions insurance, cyber/data breach insurance with a $1,000,000 minimum, and crime/fidelity coverage. Travel and parking expenses are excluded from contract reimbursement. The intended awardee, American Arbitration Association (AAA), has been identified in the notification of intent to award, though formal award execution remains pending. All required bid documents, certifications, resumes, and insurance evidence must accompany proposals. Inquiries regarding this procurement should be directed to the PERB Procurement office at PERBProcurement@PERB.CA.GOV.