RFP - EDIS90126 Electronic Payment Services

The State Controller’s Office of California is seeking a contractor to provide comprehensive Electronic Payment Services through Solicitation EDIS90126, with proposals due by September 9, 2026. The scope encompasses processing a wide array of electronic disbursements including Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) transactions, digital checks, physical paycards, returned item handling, and addenda record processing, serving all state agencies under the Disbursements Bureau. The contract, structured as a fixed-price arrangement with an estimated value of $8 million over a six-year base term, includes two optional two-year extensions, though pricing for those options is not specified. Performance is strictly limited to California, with all services required to be delivered and supported within the state, ensuring compliance with California laws regarding data confidentiality, accessibility, and civil rights. The contractor must support high-volume transactions—over 500 million payment items annually—with guaranteed 24-hour turnaround for returned items and same-day or next-business-day fund availability through integration with ACH, wire transfers, or ERP systems. Proposals must adhere to rigid submission criteria including a 100-page narrative response, a 70-page work plan, and all 20 mandatory attachments, such as security disclosures, DVBE and CSBE certifications, GenAI disclosure, confidentiality agreements, and detailed cost worksheets. Evaluation follows a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) model, where proposals must score a minimum of 1,130 out of 1,570 possible technical points—earned through narrative depth, interview performance, security readiness (Green/Yellow/Red flag ratings), and organizational qualifications—before cost becomes the deciding factor. Security requirements are extensive, mandating FIPS-compliant encryption for all data in transit and at rest, adherence to NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, FedRAMP or StateRAMP compliance, and ATO validation, with all systems hosted exclusively within the continental United States. All payment cards must be issued under major networks like Visa or Mastercard, individually labeled with recipient names, and delivered through neutral packaging with real-time tracking. Invoicing is monthly, submitted via email to ADMAP@sco.ca.gov on contractor letterhead with full line-item detail, and payment remittance is processed by the State Controller’s Departmental Accounting Office. No federal contract clauses are formally incorporated; instead, administrative and state-specific requirements govern the agreement, with no security clearances required for personnel but strong emphasis on