RFP No. 902718 Purchasing Card Program

It is the intent of these specifications, terms, and conditions to describe the purchasing card (P-Card) program being requested by the County. The program must provide an efficient, cost-effective method of purchasing and paying for small purchases (currently identified as purchases valued up to and including $3,000), simplify the purchasing process, reduce paperwork, lower administrative costs, and increase the County’s ability to monitor P-Cards. The County intends to award a three-year contract (with the option to renew for two years) to the Bidder selected as the most responsive and responsible Bidder whose response conforms to the RFP and meets the County’s requirements. 

Background

The County of Alameda implemented a purchasing card program in 1997 to provide an alternative procurement tool for the purchase of goods and services, as required, by some of its approximately 9,000 employees.  The County’s current purchasing card program consists of approximately 2,786 cardholders across 25 County business units, with 6,265 primary points of contact/managing accounts (Department Purchasing Card Administrators).  The County’s current program allows charges of up to $3,000 per single transaction and averages over $7,000,000 in annual purchases.  The County earns an incentive payment in the form of a rebate check on program activity.  The County may require changes to the single-transaction limit during the proposed term of any contract awarded as a result of this RFP

Project Details

• Reference ID: 902718
• Department: General Services Agency-Procurement
• Department Head: Detra Dillon (Purchasing Administrator)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-06-05T00:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-06-03T17:00:00.000Z — N/A - One Bidder's Conference only for this RFP

Meetings & Milestones

Evaluation Criteria

• Completeness of Response (1 pts) —

  Responses to this solicitation must be complete.  Responses must address all the requirements identified within this solicitation and all related documents, including any Addenda. Failure to meet the Bidder Minimum Qualifications may also be considered an incomplete response and may result in the disqualification of the Bidder.

• Debarment and Suspension (1 pts) —

  Bidders, its principal, and named subcontractors are not identified on the list of Federally debarred, suspended, or other excluded parties located at www.sam.gov/SAM.

• Cost (75 pts) —

  The points for Cost will be computed by dividing the amount of the lowest responsive and responsible bid received by each Bidder’s total proposed cost.
  Cost evaluation points may be adjusted by considering:
  1.    Reasonableness (i.e., how well does the proposed pricing accurately reflect the Bidder’s effort to meet requirements and objectives?)
  2.    Realism (i.e., is the proposed cost appropriate to the nature of the products and/or services to be provided?).
  3.    How competitive and advantageous is Bidder’s proposed rebate structure based on the County’s anticipated annual spend volume?

• Description of Proposed Services (100 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated considering the RFP specifications below:

  1.    How well does the proposal demonstrate a comprehensive and integrated P-Card solution that meets the County’s functional and technical requirements?
  2.    To what extent does the proposed system provide robust controls, security features, and fraud prevention capabilities?
  3.    How effectively does the solution support real-time monitoring, reporting, and data analytics (including Level I, II, III data)?
  4.    How flexible and configurable is the proposed card-management system to accommodate County-specific workflows, hierarchies, and policy changes?
  5.    How well does the proposal address system integration with the County’s Financial Management System (FMS) and future scalability needs?
  6.    How well does the bidder demonstrate a dedicated customer service team, including knowledgeable call center resources available during required business hours, a defined process for responding to customer requests (including user interface updates), and clear after-hours emergency support procedures?

• Implementation Plan and Schedule (75 pts) —

  Evaluation will include the likelihood that Bidder’s implementation plan and schedule will meet the County’s schedule and is reasonable. Identification and planning for mitigation of risks that Bidder believes may adversely affect any portion of the County’s schedule may be considered.

  1.    How clear, detailed, and feasible is the proposed transition and implementation plan, including timelines and key milestones?
  2.    To what extent does the plan minimize disruption to current County operations and ensure continuity of P-Card usage?
  3.    How well does the bidder define roles, responsibilities, and resources (e.g., transition manager, support team) for implementation?
  4.    How comprehensive is the approach to data migration, system configuration, and integration with existing County systems?
  5.    How effective is the proposed training plan in preparing administrators and cardholders for successful adoption?

• Relevant Experience and Community Involvement (100 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated, including considering the RFP specifications and the questions below:

  1.    How well does the Bidder demonstrate experience managing P-Card programs of similar size, complexity, and public-sector scope?  
  2.    To what extent do the Bidder’s referenced clients align with the County’s scale (e.g., number of employees, cardholders, departments)?
  3.    How strong is the Bidder’s track record in delivering successful implementations and transitions for comparable organizations?
  4.    How relevant is the bidder’s experience with system integrations (e.g., ERP/API connections) similar to the County’s environment?
  5.    How effectively does the bidder demonstrate past performance in delivering measurable outcomes such as cost savings, rebates, or process efficiencies?
  6.    Philosophy on Community Investments - Does the organization show demonstrated experience with programs that implement and promote a corporate philosophy of community investments and healthy communities?  
  7.    Does the bidder’s electronic online customer interface allow for a scalable, flexible, and fully automated solution for the County P-Card administrative back office services? 

• References (50 pts)
• Understanding of the Project (100 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated considering the RFP specifications and the questions below:

  1.    How clearly does the Bidder demonstrate an understanding of the County’s operational needs, challenges, and goals for the P-Card program?
  2.    To what extent does the Bidder address key risks (e.g., fraud, system downtime, transition issues) and propose practical mitigation strategies?
  3.    How well does the Bidder align their proposed solution with the County’s priorities for efficiency, transparency, and accountability?
  4.    How effectively does the Bidder reflect an understanding of stakeholder roles (e.g., Countywide Administrator, Agency Administrators, cardholders)?
  5.    How well does the Bidder demonstrate awareness of compliance requirements, reporting expectations, and public-sector constraints?
  6.    How well has the Bidder demonstrated it has a robust electronic user interface that will is easy to use and will be easy to use by County employees to administer the County P-Card for Agencies and Departments?

• Small Local Emerging Business Preference (ADMIN SCORING) (25 pts) —

  Points equaling 5% of the Bidder’s total score for the above Evaluation Criteria will be added.  This will be the Bidder’s final score for purposes of award evaluation.

• Local Preference (ADMIN SCORING) (25 pts) —

  Points equaling 5% of the Bidder’s total score for the above Evaluation Criteria will be added.  This will be the Bidder’s final score for purposes of award evaluation.

Submission Requirements

• Submit Bid Response and Bid Form (required) —

  Please confirm that both your response and the Bid Form have been uploaded here.

• Submit Response (required) —

  Please confirm that your response has been uploaded here.

• Has your response addressed all the requirements identified within the solicitation and all related documents, including any addenda? Failure to meet the Bidder Minimum Qualifications may also be considered an incomplete response and may result in the disqualification of your bid. (required)
• Your company, its principal, and named subcontractors are not identified on the list of Federally debarred, suspended, or other excluded parties located at www.sam.gov/SAM. (required)
• Is your P Card Program and all related services fully inclusive and provided at no cost to the County (required)
• Confirm you correctly filled in the pricing table with a decimal number for the rebate being provided to the County (required)
• I certify that I have read, understood and agree to the terms in this solicitation, and that I am authorized to submit this response on behalf of my company. (required)
• Pricing (required) —
  • Choose Option 1 when you have set line items, for example:
    • This is a quote for goods or commodities.
    • This is a public works bid, with a pricing table that can be uploaded into OpenGov Procurement from an Excel spreadsheet.
    • Seeking services for hourly rate schedules.
  • Choose Option 2 when you need vendors to provide you with the line items. 
• Evaluation Committee? (required) —

  Will there be an evaluation committee to review the proposals and score them based on weights and multiple criteria?

• Procurement and/or Project Contact (required) —

  Select the information you would like display.