HOPE01-26 - Audit Services

The California HOPE for Children Trust Account Program Board is soliciting audit services under RFP HOPE01-26 for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2025, 2026, and 2027, with the contract potentially extending to June 30, 2029. Proposals must be submitted as sealed hard copies by 4:00 p.m. PT on July 6, 2026, to the designated Sacramento address, with no electronic submissions accepted. The scope includes annual financial statement audits in compliance with GASB standards, GAAP, SAS No. 142, and California law, with required deliverables including audited reports due by August 1 each year, evaluations of internal controls, confirmation of eligible expenses, and strict confidentiality of all state data. The contract has a maximum total value of $140,000 across the base and optional years, with cost proposals evaluated alongside technical qualifications using a trade-off methodology: 35 points for firm qualifications, 35 points for cost, and 30 points for personnel qualifications, with technical performance weighing equally to cost and serving as the tiebreaker. Proposers must submit fourteen attachments, including certifications for small business status, DVBE participation, Darfur Contracting Act compliance, and generative AI use, along with resumes of key personnel, cost worksheets, and the required Payee Data Record and Bidder Declaration. Key personnel must be pre-approved, and any change triggers potential immediate termination. The contractor is prohibited from having affiliations with HOPE’s investment managers, must safeguard all data as state property, and cannot subcontract without prior mutual approval. Compliance with California Civil Rights Laws, Political Reform Act, and recordkeeping requirements for three years is mandatory. The contracting agency requires physical delivery only, with no electronic submission allowed, and proposals must adhere to strict formatting guidelines including 12-point font and consecutively numbered pages. The award will go to the most highly ranked offeror based on combined technical and cost scores, with no reliance on low-price technically acceptable criteria.