RFQ-ITS 26-0044 HR Grievance Tracking System Refresh Project

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is requesting quotes for professional services to design, develop, test, and deploy an HR Grievance Tracking System on a time-and-materials basis, with proposals due October 2, 2026 by 2:00 p.m. PT. A Small Business preference of 5 percent applies; non-small businesses subcontracting at least 25 percent to certified California small businesses also receive a 5 percent preference, and a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise incentive of up to 5 percent is available based on confirmed participation.

The scope encompasses intake, tracking, reporting, and analysis of public employee grievances and complaints across multiple review levels (local, regional, departmental, and state). The system must support multi-level workflows, custom data fields, role-based access controls, audit logs, and version tracking. The contractor must achieve SOC 2 Type II attestation or equivalent (FedRAMP or StateRAMP) and maintain Information Security, Risk Assessment, and Incident Response programs meeting or exceeding CAL FIRE standards. Work is performed remotely within the continental United States with all electronic data stored in continental U.S. cloud data centers.

The contract term is one year from execution with two optional one-year renewal periods. Pricing is based on actual hours worked at rates specified in the Cost Worksheet (Exhibit C), with invoices submitted monthly in arrears and payment due within 45 days of receipt. All line items in the cost worksheet must be completed; incomplete or indeterminate costs may result in disqualification. Evaluation comprises 60 points for technical requirements (references, resumes, and proposed solutions) and 40 points for cost. Written questions are due September 8, 2026, with CAL FIRE responses due by September 18. Travel costs are not reimbursable. The contract is subject to termination within 30 days' written notice.