CITY OF FULLERTON
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
RFP #2526-RFP-009
ON-CALL CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
(CEQA) REVIEW & ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING SERVICES
PROPOSAL DUE:
MARCH 27, 2026, 4:00 PM
For more information, please visit our online supplier portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityoffullerton
2 Table Of Contents
1. SECTION I
1.1. NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
2. SECTION II
2.1. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
2.2. SCOPE OF SERVICES
3. SECTION III
3.1. INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS
3.2. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
4. SECTION IV
4.1. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
5. SECTION V
5.1. EVALUATION AND AWARD
5.2. EVALUATION CRITERIA
6. SECTION VI
6.1. VENDOR QUESTIONNAIRE
6.2. ATTACHMENTS
Attachments:
A - PSA - Standard -Master-SAMPLE
3 1. SECTION I
1.1. NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
1.1.1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
The City of Fullerton is requesting Proposals from qualified consultants and firms for On-Call California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Review & Environmental Planning Services. Proposals are due no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, March 27, 2026. This Request for Proposals (RFP) provides information on the City of Fullerton, the required scope of services, the consultant/contractor selection process, and the minimum information that must be included in the RFP Response.
The City is seeking to award multiple on -call professional services agreements with the firms selected to perform the required scope of services based on a number of qualifying and determinable factors, as outlined in this RFP. Proposals will be evaluated on a firms' qualifications and experience, ability to perform scope of services , implementation plan, cost proposal, and any other criteria set out herein this RFP. The City shall be the sole judge of the qualifications and services and reserves the right to select firm(s) on any basis or weighted criteria that is in the best interests of the City.
1.1.2. BACKGROUND
The City of Fullerton is located 22 miles southeast of metropolitan Los Angeles, in the center of North Orange County. Fullerton is a full -service, general law city that was incorporated in 1904. Fullerton is renowned for its unique mix of residential, commercial, industrial, educational, and cultural environments and is known for being “the Education Community”. Fullerton has 52 City parks, a museum, a cultural center, a public library, a golf course, and 29 miles of recre ational trails. Fullerton provides an outstanding quality of life for both residents and businesses. At 22.4 square miles, Fullerton is also one of the largest cities in Orange County by area and is the sixth most populous.
1.1.3. SUBMITTAL DEADLINE
COMPLETE ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN Friday, March 27, 2026 at 4:00 pm PST via the City’s eProcurement portal, OpenGov at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityoffullerton. Proposals submitted by email, mail, or fax, will not be accepted nor considered. Failure to upload due to electronic glitches is not a legitimate reason for proposals submitted after the deadline. The City may extend the deadline at its di scretion.
Please see instructions in Section 3 for details on how to submit a proposal to this RFP.
It is not the responsibility of the City to notify potential bidders. Prospective bidders shall be notified via the City’s eProcurement portal, OpenGov at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityoffullerton.
Registration is free and prospective bidders and firms may select to be notified of all future bids posted by the City of Fullerton.
Proposed RFP Schedule
** Proposed RFP Schedule is “Tentative” and may be changed at the City’s discretion.
Interviews will be scheduled if required **
Release of RFP: February 12, 2026
4 Pre-Proposal Meeting (Non-Mandatory): February 20, 2026, 11:00am https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/29138
37267418?p=s1u4iAh5mATUtdHo0E
Password: rz66Ve7C
Question Submittal Deadline: February 27, 2026, 4:00pm
Response to Questions Posted: March 13, 2026, 4:00pm
RFP Submittal Deadline: March 27, 2026, 4:00pm
Agreement/Contract Award: April 14, 2026
2. SECTION II
2.1. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Only those firms with qualified experience as it relates to the services requested in this solicitation will be considered during the evaluation process. Firm staff assigned to execute the scope of services must have relevant experience in providing the necessary services as described under the scope of services.
All personnel assigned to complete the scope of work shall possess appropriate certifications or registrations as required by state and local agencies.
2.2. SCOPE OF SERVICES
2.2.1. SCOPE OF SERVICES
The City will contract with one or more qualified consulting firms (“Consultants”) to provide on-call, as-needed professional environmental consulting services to the Planning Division for the preparation, review, and support of environmental documentation pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Services will be performed primarily, but not exclusively, in support of the City’s review of private development projects, as well as City-initiated or City- sponsored projects when requested.
Consultants shall furnish all labor, professional expertise, project management, technical studies, materials, equipment, and documentation necessary to complete the services described herein. All work shall be performed in full compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including CEQA, the CEQA Guidelines, applicable court decisions, and City policies and procedures.
Selected Consultants will be placed on a pre-approved on-call consultant list and may be assigned work on a project-by-project basis through task orders or similar authorizations issued by the City.
Selection for the on-call list does not guarantee a minimum amount of work.
All environmental documents, technical studies, correspondence, data, and work products prepared under this RFP shall become the property of the City of Fullerton.
General CEQA Services
5 On-Call Professional Services related to CEQA compliance may include, but are not limited to, the preparation, review, and support of the following environmental documents and activities:
• Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), including Program, Project-level, Tiered, and Subsequent EIRs
• Initial Studies (IS) and Negative Declarations / Mitigated Negative Declarations (ND/MND) • Addenda to previously adopted CEQA documents
• Consistency and Checklist Analyses supporting reliance on:
o Previously certified EIRs
o Previously approved IS/MNDs
• CEQA Exemption Documentation, including but not limited to:
o Class 1–33 Categorical Exemptions
o Class 32 Infill Exemptions
o Streamlining exemptions and statutory exemptions pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15182–15183.3, SB 35, SB 375, SB 226, SB 330, or other applicable statutes • Technical studies and analyses in support of CEQA documents • Peer review of environmental documents and technical studies prepared by third parties • CEQA advisory and procedural support to City staff throughout project processing
Technical Analysis and Environmental Topics
Consultants may be required to prepare or manage technical analyses addressing, as applicable:
• Aesthetics and visual resources
• Air quality and greenhouse gas emissions
• Biological resources and habitat assessments
• Cultural, historical, and tribal cultural resources
• Energy use and conservation
• Geology, soils, and seismic hazards
• Hazards and hazardous materials
• Hydrology and water quality
• Land use and planning consistency
• Noise and vibration
6 • Population and housing
• Public services and utilities
• Recreation
• Transportation, traffic, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) • Tribal consultation support pursuant to AB 52
• Cumulative impacts and growth-inducing impacts
• Alternatives analysis
• Mitigation development and feasibility analysis
Consultants may also be asked to prepare Health Risk Assessments (HRA), noise modeling, or other specialized analyses evaluating the surrounding environment’s effect on a proposed project, even where such analysis may not be strictly required by CEQA but is requested by the City to inform decision-making.
Project Management and Coordination
Consultants shall provide comprehensive project management services, including but not limited to:
• Management of CEQA tasks from project initiation through certification or adoption • Development and maintenance of project schedules aligned with City review timelines • Coordination with City project managers and interdepartmental staff • Oversight and integration of sub-consultants and technical specialists • Budget tracking and task order management
• Preparation of status reports and milestone updates
Document Preparation and Processing
Consultants shall be responsible for preparing draft and final environmental documents, including all supporting materials, which may include:
• Notices of Preparation (NOP)
• Initial Studies
• Draft and Final EIRs or IS/MNDs
• Notices of Availability (NOA)
• Responses to Comments
• Findings of Fact and Statements of Overriding Considerations
7 • Mitigation Measures and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Programs (MMRP) • Notices of Determination (NOD) and Notices of Exemption (NOE) • Tribal consultation correspondence and documentation
• Administrative record support materials
All documents shall be prepared to a level suitable for public review, decision-maker consideration, and legal defensibility.
Public Review, Notices, and Hearings
Consultants shall support the public review and noticing process, including:
• Preparation and coordination of public notices
• Filing and posting documents on CEQAnet
• Coordination with the State Clearinghouse and responsible agencies • Participation in community meetings, workshops, and public hearings • Preparation of presentation materials and visual exhibits • Attendance at Planning Commission, City Council, or other hearings as requested • Responding to public, agency, and decision-maker questions
Peer Review and Advisory Services
Consultants may be tasked with independent peer review services, including:
• Review of applicant-prepared CEQA documents
• Review of technical studies for accuracy, completeness, and compliance • Written comment letters and memoranda
• Participation in meetings with applicants and City staff • Advisory support regarding CEQA strategy, streamlining opportunities, and risk mitigation
Schedule, Responsiveness, and Performance Standards
Consultants shall:
• Comply with City-established timelines and statutory CEQA deadlines • Respond promptly to City requests for revisions or clarifications • Coordinate efficiently with applicants, City staff, and agencies • Maintain flexibility to address varying project sizes, complexities, and priorities
8 3. SECTION III
3.1. INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS
3.1.1. Examination of Proposal Documents
By submitting a proposal, firm(s) represents that it has thoroughly examined and become familiar with the work required under this RFP and is capable of performing quality work to achieve the City’s objectives.
3.1.2. Addenda
Any changes to the requirements will be made by written addendum to this RFP and will be posted on OpenGov and City of Fullerton Bid Webpage. Any written addenda issued pertaining to this RFP shall be incorporated into the terms and conditions of any resulting Agreement. City will not be bound to any modifications to or deviations from the requirements set forth in this RFP as the result of oral instructions. Firms shall acknowledge receipt of addenda in their proposals.
If a Proposer discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in the RFP, the proposer should immediately provide the City written notice of the problem and request that the RFP be clarified or modified. Without disclosin g the source of the request, the City may modify the documents prior to the date fixed for submission of proposals by issuing an addendum.
If prior to the date fixed for submissions, a firm(s) knows of or should have known of an error in the RFP but fails to notify the City of the error, the firm shall submit a proposal at their own risk, and if awarded a contract, shall not be entitled to additional compensation or time by reason of the error or its later correction.
3.1.3. Request for Information
Submitting Questions
All questions must be submitted and received by the City no later than 4:00 pm PST on Friday, February 27, 2026.
Request for clarifications, questions and comments must be submitted through the City’s eProcurement Portal at OpenGov ( https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityoffullerton). Registration is free and interested proposers can select to receive automatic bid notifications from the City.
City Responses
Responses from the City will be posted as an Addendum to this RFP on the City’s e -Procurement Portal, OpenGov to be posted no later than Friday, March 13, 2026.
City’s eProcurement Portal – OpenGov:
https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityoffullerton
General Inquiries
General questions regarding this RFP are to be directed to the City’s Purchasing Division as follows:
Vanessa Slouka, Buyer
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: (714) 738-6533
9 ** Any contact outside of the City staff/representative shall be cause for disqualification **
3.1.4. California Public Records Act (CPRA)
All proposals submitted in response of this RFP become the property of th e City and under the Public Records Act (Government Code Section 7920.000 el. Seq.) are public record, and as such, may be subject to public review. However, the proposals shall not be disclosed until final negotiations are complete and/or recommendation for action is made to City Manager and/or the City Council.
If a proposer claims a privilege against public disclosure for trade secret or other proprietary information, such information must be clearly identified in the proposal. Note that under California Law, price proposal to a public agency is not a trade secret.
3.1.5. Acceptance of Proposals
A. City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals, or any item or part thereof, or to waive any informalities or irregularities in proposals.
B. City reserves the right to withdraw or cancel this RFP at any time without prior notice, and the City makes no representations that any contract will be awarded to any Proposer responding to this RFP.
C. City reserves the right to postpone proposal openings for its own convenience.
D. Submitted proposals are not to be copyrighted.
E. City does not guarantee any work upon award of an agreement.
3.1.6. Pre-Contractual Expenses
City shall not, in any event, be liable for any pre-contractual expenses incurred by firm in the preparation of its proposal. Firm shall not include any such expenses as part of its proposal.
Pre-contractual expenses are defined as expenses incurred by firm(s) in:
A. Preparing its proposal in response to this RFP;
B. Submitting that proposal to the City;
C. Negotiating with the City any matter related to this proposal; or any other expenses incurred by firm prior to date of award, if any, of the Agreement.
3.1.7. Joint Offers
Where two or more firms desire to submit a single proposal in response to this RFP, they should do so on a prime-sub-consultant basis rather than as a joint venture. City intends to do business with a single firm per awarded agreement and not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.
3.1.8. Professional Services Agreement
The selected firm shall enter into an agreement with the City based upon the contents of the RFP and the firm’s proposal. The City’s standard form of agreement is included as Attachment A. The firm shall carefully review the agreement, especially with regard to the indemnity and insurance provisions, and include with the proposal a description of any exceptions, technical or contractual, requested to the standard contract. If there are exceptions or are no exceptions, a statement to the effect shall be included in the proposal as well. See ATTACHMENTS.
10 3.1.9. City Business License
The successful consultant(s) and sub-consultants are required to obtain and maintain a City of Fullerton business license. The City business license shall be maintained for the duration of the Agreement. A current business license is not a prerequisite for submittal of the qualifications.
3.2. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
3.2.1. Commercial General Liability Insurance.
Consultant shall maintain commercial general liability insurance coverage in a form at least as broad as ISO Form #CG 00 01, with a limit of not less than $2,000,000 each occurrence. If such insurance contains a general aggregate limit, it shall apply separately to the Agreement or shall be twice the required occurrence limit.
3.2.2. Business Automobile Liability Insurance.
Consultant shall maintain business automobile liability insurance coverage in a form at least as broad as ISO Form # CA 00 01, with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 each accident. Such insurance shall include coverage for owned, hired and non-owned automobiles.
3.2.3. Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Insurance.
Consultant shall maintain workers’ compensation insurance as required by the State of California and employers’ liability insurance with limits of not less than $1,000,000 each accident.
3.2.4. Professional Liability Insurance
Consultant shall maintain professional liability insurance appropriate to Consultant’s profession with a limit of not less than $2,000,000. Architects’ and engineers’ coverage shall be endorsed to include contractual liability. If policy is written as a “claims made” policy, the retro date of the policy shall be prior to the start of the contract work.
3.2.5. Employee/Officer Fidelity Bond
Consultant shall maintain a fidelity bond with a minimum limit of $1,000,000, providing coverage for the acts of all employees, officers and directors of Consultant.
3.2.6. Cyber Liability Insurance
Consultant shall maintain cyber liability insurance coverage with a limit of not less than $2,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 aggregate. Coverage shall be sufficiently broad to respond to the duties and obligations as is undertaken by Consultant in this Agreement and shall include but not be limited to claims involving infringement of intellectual property, including but not limited to infringement of copyright, trademark, trade dress, invasion of privacy violations, information theft, damage to or destruction of electronic information, release of private information, alteration of electronic information, extortion and network security. The policy shall provide coverage for breach response costs as well as regulatory fines, penalties and credit monitoring expenses with limits sufficient to respond to these obligations.
3.2.7. Deductibles and Self-Insured Retentions
Any deductible or self-insured retention must be declared to and approved by City.
3.2.8. Other Insurance Provisions
The required insurance policies shall contain or be endorsed to contain the following provisions:
11 A. Commercial General Liability. City, its elected or appointed officials, officers, employees and volunteers are to be covered as additional insureds with respect to liability arising out of work or operations performed by or on behalf of Consultant, including materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection with such work or operations. Such coverage as an additional insured shall not be limited to the period of time during which Consultant is conducting ongoing operations for City but rather, shall continue after the completion of such operations. The coverage shall contain no special limitations on the scope of its protection afforded to City, its officers, employees and volunteers.
B. Commercial General Liability. This insurance shall be primary insurance as respects City, its officers, employees and volunteers and shall apply separately to each insured against whom a suit is brought or a claim is made. Any insurance or self-insurance maintained by City, its officers, employees and volunteers shall be excess of this insurance and shall not contribute with it.
C. Professional Liability. If the Professional Liability policy is written on a “claims made” form, the Retroactive Date must be shown and must be before the date of the contract or beginning of contract work. The insurance must be maintained and evidence of insurance must be provided for at least (5) years after completion of the contract work. If the coverage is canceled or non-renewed and not replaced with another claims-made policy form with a Retroactive Date prior to the contract effective date, the Consultant must purchase “extended reporting coverage” for a minimum of five (5) years after completion of work.
D. Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Insurance. Insurer shall waive their right of subrogation against City, its officers, employees and volunteers for work done on behalf of City.
E. Employee/Officer Fidelity Bond, City shall be named as third party beneficiary for losses arising from work done on behalf of City.
F. All Coverages. Each insurance policy required by this clause shall be endorsed to state that coverage shall not be canceled, except after thirty (30) days’ prior written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, has been given to City.
G. If Consultant maintains higher limits or has broader coverage than the minimums shown above, City requires and shall be entitled to all coverage, and to the higher limits maintained by Consultant. Any available insurance proceeds in excess of the specified minimum limits of insurance and coverage shall be available to City.
H. Subcontractors. Consultant shall require and verify that all subcontractors maintain insurance meeting all the requirements stated herein and Consultant shall ensure that City is an additional insured on insurance required from subconsultants.
I. Special Risks or Circumstances. City reserves the right to modify these requirements, including limits, based on the nature of the risk, prior experience, insurer, coverage or other special circumstances.
12 4. SECTION IV
4.1. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
Proposal Format and Content
This section provides the requirements which the City will look for and expect to be included in the proposal.
Electronic proposals shall be submitted electronically in a format that will print on 8 ½” x 11" size paper. Charts and schedules must adhere to this requirement as well. Proposals should not include any unnecessary elaborate or promotional material. Lengthy narrative is discouraged, and presentations should be brief and concise. Links to sample work should be clearly labeled and identified in the proposal.
The Proposal should be presented in the order shown and include the following:
4.1.1. Letter of Transmittal
The Letter of Transmittal shall be high-level and concise (recommended no more than 1 page), addressed to the City of Fullerton, and at a minimum contain the following:
A. Express the firm’s intent and formal interest in applying for this RFP and why their firm’s services are advantageous/beneficial to the City.
B. Identification of proposer that will have contractual responsibility with the City. Identification shall include legal name of company, corporate address, and telephone number. Include name, title, address, email and telephone number of the contact person identified during period of proposal evaluation.
C. Identification of all proposed sub-consultants (if applicable) including legal name of company, contact person’s name and address, and phone number.
D. Acknowledgment of receipt of all RFP addenda, if any.
E. A statement to the effect that the proposal shall remain valid for a period of no less than 120 days from the date of submittal.
F. Signature of a person authorized to bind proposer to the terms of the proposal.
G. Signed statement attesting that all information submitted with the proposal is true and correct.
4.1.2. Qualifications & Experience
This section of the proposal should establish the ability of the firm(s) to satisfactorily perform the required work by reasons of: experience in performing work of the same or similar nature; demonstrated experience working with other public agencies; strength and stability of the firm(s); staffing capability; work load; record of meeting schedules on similar contracts; and supportive client references. Most recent references are preferrable.
Proposer to provide:
13 A. An overview of the proposal (including the firm’s relevant experience), a summary of the firm’s understanding of the requested Scope of Work, and its approach to providing those services.
B. A brief description of your firm’s background, size, office locations in California, including a narrative addressing performance record, experience in similar advisory services, quality of work, and ability to commit necessary time and resources to perform the Scope of Services described herein.
C. Qualifications of individuals to be assigned to perform the functions described in the Scope of Services herein.
D. List any disciplinary or investigative action, including audits, in the past five (5) years conducted by any professional body or local, state, or federal branch of government of your Firm.
E. List any and all litigation, pending or final, to which you are a party that is related or similar to the services being solicited in the past five (5) years.
F. References – Please provide at least three (3) client references for whom your firm has performed similar work to that requested in this RFP during the past five (5) years. For each client, please provide the name, title, street address, telephone number, and email address.
G. Other Services – Please provide list of other services that your firm provides which are not identified in the Scope of Work but could be beneficial to the City.
4.1.3. Proposed Staffing and Organization
This section of the proposal should establish the method that will be used by the firm to manage the contract as well as identify key personnel assigned. Proposed staffing and organization are to be presented by firm identified in the Scope of Work.
Proposer to:
A. Provide education, experience and applicable professional credentials of contract staff. Include applicable professional credentials of “key” contract staff.
B. Identify primary Project Manager, role they will have with the City and primary office contact information.
C. Furnish brief resumes (no more than one page each) for key personnel.
D. Identify key personnel proposed to perform the work in the specified tasks and include major areas of subcontract work. Include the person's name, current location, and proposed position for this project, current assignment, and level of commitment to that assignment, availability for this assignment and how long each person has been with the firm.
E. Include an organization chart that clearly delineates communication/reporting relationships among the staff, including sub-consultants.
14 4.1.4. Detailed Work Plan
Proposer shall provide a narrative that addresses the Scope of Work and demonstrates the Proposer’s understanding of the City’s on-call CEQA consulting needs, regulatory environment, and expectations for responsiveness, quality, and legal defensibility.
The Proposer shall address, at a minimum, the following:
1. Proposed Approach and Work Plan
Describe the proposed overall approach to providing on-call CEQA consulting services to the City.
The narrative shall clearly demonstrate the Proposer’s ability to deliver high-quality environmental review services on a task order, as-needed basis for a range of private development and City- related projects.
The Proposer shall:
• Describe how CEQA services will be initiated, scoped, and delivered in response to City- issued task orders
• Describe methods for evaluating project complexity, level of CEQA review required, and opportunities for streamlining or tiering
• Explain how the Proposer will ensure consistency with CEQA Guidelines, applicable case law, and City procedures
• Describe how the Proposer will coordinate with City staff, project applicants, and responsible agencies throughout the CEQA process
• Demonstrate experience preparing legally defensible environmental documents suitable for public review and decision-maker action
2. Task Order Structure and Execution
Describe the Proposer’s understanding of and approach to the City’s task order-based on-call contracting structure, including:
• How individual projects will be initiated through written task orders issued by the City • How task orders will define:
o Scope of services
o Deliverables
o Schedule and milestones
o Budget or not-to-exceed amounts
• Procedures for developing task order scopes and cost estimates in coordination with City staff • Approach to modifying task orders when project scope, schedule, or regulatory requirements change
15 • Methods for tracking task order progress, budgets, and deliverables across multiple concurrent assignments
The Proposer shall demonstrate flexibility and capacity to manage multiple task orders simultaneously, with varying timelines and levels of complexity.
3. Schedule and Timeline Management
Describe the Proposer’s approach to developing and managing project-specific schedules for task orders, including:
• Anticipated timelines for common CEQA deliverables (e.g., IS/MND, EIR milestones, Addenda, Exemptions, Peer Review)
• Methods for meeting statutory CEQA deadlines and City-adopted processing timeframes • Strategies for maintaining schedule adherence during public review, agency consultation, and response-to-comments phases
• Procedures for identifying and addressing schedule risks early in the process
4. Resource Management and Staffing Plan
Describe the Proposer’s approach to managing staffing and technical resources for on-call CEQA services, including:
• Identification of key personnel who will support task orders, including project managers, technical specialists, and senior reviewers
• Description of the roles and responsibilities of any proposed sub-consultants, including areas of expertise and anticipated tasks
• Explanation of how sub-consultants will be supervised and integrated into the overall work effort
• Demonstration of the Proposer’s capacity to scale staffing up or down in response to City needs and workload fluctuations
5. Quality Assurance, Budget Control, and Performance Management Describe the Proposer’s quality control and performance management practices, including:
• Internal quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures for CEQA documents and technical studies
• Methods for ensuring consistency, accuracy, and legal defensibility of environmental documentation
• Budget management and cost-control practices for task order work, including tracking of labor hours and expenses
16 • Communication protocols for keeping City staff informed of progress, risks, and budget status • Approach to incorporating City comments and direction efficiently and responsively
6. Communication and Coordination
Describe how the Proposer will maintain effective communication with City staff throughout the duration of each task order, including:
• Primary points of contact
• Meeting and reporting practices
• Responsiveness to City requests
• Coordination with applicants, agencies, and the public as directed by the City
4.1.5. Appendices
Information considered by Proposer to be pertinent to this agreement and which has not been specifically solicited in any of the aforementioned sections may be placed in a separate appendix section. Please note that this does not constitute an invitation to submit large amounts of extraneous materials. Appendices should be relevant and brief.
4.1.6. Fee Schedule / Cost Proposal
The City is seeking a Fee Schedule or Cost Proposal that is fixed for the original term (3 years) of the Agreement, with annual costs or cost escalators being clearly described every year of the Agreement, including optional years. For additional or optional services, please provide all-inclusive Fee Rates of key personnel performing services or additional services during this engagement. If applicable, Cost Proposal should include all reimbursable or direct costs related to this agreement.
Adjustment of the fee schedule or fee rates can be negotiated at the beginning of each Agreement year. However, the maximum increase shall be based on and not exceed the applicable consumer price index (CPI) of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area all urban consumers rate for preceding year. Rate increases must be requested and approved in writing by the City.
As fees and cost proposal may not be the only determinative factor (and other weighted factors may be considered), please submit your most competitive Fee Schedule.
5. SECTION V
5.1. EVALUATION AND AWARD
5.1.1. Evaluation Criteria
City will evaluate the proposals received based on the following criteria outlined below and may utilize various weighting factors for different criteria or sub-criteria. Respondents who are not actively engaged in providing services of the nature proposed in their response to this request and/or who cannot clearly demonstrate to the satisfaction of the City their ability to satisfactorily perform the work in accordance with the requirements set forth in this request will not be considered. The City shall b e the sole judge of the qualifications and services and its decision shall be final. Discussions may be conducted with respondents who submit qualifications determined to be reasonably acceptable of being selected for award.
17 City will evaluate the proposals received based on the criteria listed in the Evaluation Criteria Section.
The City will select a firm based upon the completeness and adherence to RFP instructions, responding firms’ qualifications and experience, project management approach and work pla n or implementation plan, as well as responses to any requests for information as set forth herein to this RFP. If any addenda are made to the RFP, the information provided will be considered as well. It should be noted that none of these factors in and of themselves are determinative, and the City reserves the right to select a firm on any basis that is in the best interests of the City.
The City may contact firms in response to questions raised in their proposals and the City reserves the right to cancel this solicitation without selecting any firms.
5.1.2. Evaluation Procedure
An Evaluation Committee will be selected to review and evaluate all proposals. The Evaluation Committee will be comprised of City staff and may include outside consultants to review all proposals submitted. The City of Fullerton reserves the right to request clarification of additional information from any firm at any time. After the proposals are evaluated, the City may elect to interview all, some, or none of the firms to help clar ify and better evaluate each proposal. Firms may be asked to submit additional documentation at or after the interview stage or prepare a presentation. Please note that Interviews are at the City’s sole discretion and are not a requirement to make any reco mmendation to award an agreement.
Based upon evaluation of the proposals and any interviews (if conducted), the Evaluation Committee will recommend the top-ranked firm to award an agreement to the City Manager and/or City Council (if necessary).
The City reserves the right to select a firm without conducting interviews or abandon this RFP. Final selection of firm and authority awarding agreements to proceed with these services shall be at the sole discretion of the City and if required, City Council.
5.1.3. Award
After conclusion of the evaluation period, a “Notice of Intent to Award” will be sent to all proposers to this RFP identifying the top firm selected. Award to any firm selected is contingent upon the successful negotiation of final agreement terms and the approval of City. The City reserves the right to negotiate final agreement terms with the selected firm prior to award, and expressly reserves the right to negotiate with several firms simultaneously. However, since the selection and award may be ma de without discussion with any firm, the Proposer’s proposal submitted should contain firm's most favorable terms and conditions.
Negotiations shall be confidential and not subject to disclosure to competing Proposers until an agreement is reached. If cont ract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully, the City may negotiate an agreement with the next best qualified Proposer or withdraw the RFP. In the event the City does not approve the recommendation to award, the RFP may be cancelled without any cos t or obligation of City.
City Manager and/or City Council action will be requested by City staff to award agreements to the selected firm
18 5.1.4. Notification of Award
Firms who submit a proposal in response to this RFP shall be notified regarding the firm(s) awarded an agreement. Such notification shall be made within seven (7) days of the date the agreement is awarded.
Notice of Intent to Award will be sent to all firms who submitted a proposal via OpenGov, the City’s eProcurement platform, and will also b e available on the City’s Bid Webpage www.cityoffullerton.com/business/bids-rfps.
5.2. EVALUATION CRITERIA
No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)
1. Adherence to RFP Instructions
Presentation, completeness, clarity,
organization, and conformance to the RFP
content.
Pass / Fail 1
(1% of Total)
2. Qualifications of the Firm
Technical experience in performing work of
a similar nature; experience working with
public agencies is mandatory; strength and
stability of the firm; and assessment by
client references.
Points Based 20
(19.8% of Total)
3. Project Management Approach
Qualifications of proposed key personnel;
logic of organization; and adequacy of
labor commitment and resources to
satisfactorily perform the requested
services and meet the City’s needs.
Points Based 20
(19.8% of Total)
4. Work Plan
Thorough understanding of the City's
requirements and objectives; logic, clarity,
specificity, and overall quality of work plan.
Points Based 40
(39.6% of Total)
5. Fee/Cost Proposal
Reasonableness of proposed fees and/or
most cost-effective rates to City.
Points Based 20
(19.8% of Total)
6. SECTION VI
6.1. VENDOR QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Status of Past and Present Contract Form*
Firm shall list the status of past and present contracts where either the firm has provided services as a prime contractor or a sub-consultant during the past five (5) years and the contract has ended or will end in termination, settlement or litigation.
A. Public Agency city/county/other:
B. Contact Name:
19 C. Phone:
D. Project Award Date:
E. Original Contract Value:
F. Term of Contract:
1. Status of Contract:
2. Identify claims/litigation or settlements associated with the contract:
(If preferred, you may utilized "Status of Past and Present Contract Form" or your own document in Question #2 and upload your response. Please answer "See Question #2" in the space below if selecting this option.
*Response required
2. Status of Past and Present Contracts (Download)
Please download the document below, complete, and upload in leu of answering Question #1. You may also upload your own document provided the information requested is included. • Status_of_Past_and_Present_...
3. Exceptions*
If your company is taking exception to any of the specifications, terms or conditions (including insurance indemnification and/or proposed contract language) stated in this Request for Proposal, please indicate below and describe details:
A. No exceptions taken
B. Exception taken to the scope of work or specifications C. Exception taken to indemnification and insurance requirements D. Exception to proposed contract language
E. Other
Please explain in detail:
(If preferred, you may utilized "Exceptions Form" or your own document in Question #4 and upload your response. Please answer "See Question #4" if selecting this option. *Response required
4. Exceptions Form (Download)
Please download the document below, complete, and upload in leu of answering Question #3. You may also upload your own document provided the information requested is included. • Exceptions_Form.pdf
5. Technical Proposal*
Please submit your COMPLETE proposal, NOT to include the Fee Proposal, according to the instructions in REQUIRED PROPOSAL CONTENT.
20 *Response required
6. Fee Proposal*
Please submit your Fee Proposal, according to the instructions in REQUIRED PROPOSAL CONTENT.
*Response required
7. Confirmation*
The Firm confirms that all the information provided is true and accurate. ☐ Please confirm
*Response required