RFI 10-2025-DRPA Request for Interest Alternative Dispute Resolution Program For...

Location:	California
Posted:	May 11, 2026
Due:	May 18, 2026
Agency:	Superior Court of California, County of Fresno
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	U - Education and Training Services
Solicitation No:	RFI 10-2025-DRPA
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Request for Interest

Alternative Dispute Resolution Program

For

Superior Court of California, County of Fresno

RFI 10-2025-DRPA

The Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, is seeking qualified vendors to provide Dispute

Resolution Services (hereinafter “DRPA”) as defined in the Dispute Resolution Programs Act (California

Business and Profession Code §§ 465, et seq., hereinafter “Act”) and its implementing regulations (Title 16

California Code of Regulations §§3600 et seq., hereinafter “Regulations”) whose services assist parties in

resolving disputes without the necessity of formal judicial proceedings. The Act and Regulations may be

found as follows:

Act: California Business and Profession Code §§ 465, et seq.

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/drpa_statutes.shtml

Regulations: Title 16 California Code of Regulations §§3600 et seq., Title 16, Division 36

https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Browse/Home/California/CaliforniaCodeofRegulations?guid=I00

F3AED0D49111DEBC02831C6D6C108E&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=Defau

lt&contextData=(sc.Default)

The Court seeks the services of a qualified person(s) or entity(s) with expertise in the following: a) in-court

mediations including small claims, unlawful detainers, civil harassment, and family law property disputes

and b) external mediations including business disputes, neighbor disputes, community disputes and

interpersonal conflicts. Qualified vendors must meet the eligibility requirements set forth in section 3605 of

the Regulations, including but not limited to organizational status, the ability to encumber at least 51% of

their budget for the provision of dispute resolution services, and to submit community support letters at

the time of application. The successful vendor(s) will provide a Dispute Resolution Program that meets the

Court’s specific goals, objectives and priorities as will be described in a following Request for Proposals, if

solicited. Mediators must be trained in mediation according to the Act and Regulations and in any legal

guidelines or processes related to the delivery of dispute resolution services for the Court. Mediations will

be conducted at the B.F. Sisk, M Street and Juvenile Justice courthouses, as well as offices of the contracted

vendor(s).

The vendor(s) will provide, at minimum, the following deliverables, as directed by the Act, Regulations,

and the Court:

 Dispute resolution services for self-represented litigants,

 General survey information collected from disputants served by the program, and

 Monthly activity reports including statistical data regarding the operating budget; the number of

contacts for services; the source of the referrals; the number of mediation cases opened and/or in

progress; the time expended on each case; the nature of the issues presented in mediation; the

number of disputants served by the program; the number of partial and/or complete agreements

reached in mediation; and the number of neutral persons providing services along with the time

each spent providing services.

If yours is a business whose primary service is mediation, you are appropriately familiar with and trained in

the Act and Regulations with regard to mediation services, and are interested in providing these services to

the Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, please submit a letter expressing your interest with the

required information listed on Page 2 of this RFI.

Request for Interest

RFI 10-2025-DRPA

Page 2

Letters of interest should include the following information, at minimum, to assist the Court in

determining vendor/bidder eligibility for a potential solicitation:

1) Contact name, address, telephone number, and email.

2) Confirmation of your organizational status.

3) An explanation of your eligibility for funding as set out in 16 CCR §3605.

4) Confirmation of your ability to provide 51% of the approved estimated cost of the program.

5) A list of the case types for which your business is able to provide mediation services.

6) Ability to meet caseload and reporting requirements.

7) Ability to begin services July 1, 2026, or other date as proposed by vendor (to be approved by the

Court).

To assist in the preparation of the letter the following pertinent information is being provided:

1) The attached Appendix A provides a description of services and caseload.

2) The attached Appendix B provides general program administration and reporting requirements.

Letters must be received on or before 4 p.m. on May 18, 2026, in the following mailbox:

Solicitations@fresno.courts.ca.gov

Thank you.

Appendix A

Services and Caseload

Description of Services. The successful contractor shall perform the following services (“Services”) in the

manner and at the times and places described below:

The successful contractor will offer conciliation and mediation services for Fresno County. Services may be

initiated by interested parties directly through the successful contractor, by referrals from other agencies,

and by referral from the Court. Services will be offered on the day-of-trial at designated court sessions

and by in-office appointments.

Contracted Case Types: Below is a general description of services provided for each case type.

Calendar coverage and caseloads are subject to change due to Court need and fluctuating

calendars.

Small Claims Court

Small Claims Court calendars are generally held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays with morning

and afternoon sessions at the M Street Courthouse and Juvenile Justice Campus. Caseloads will vary but

the number of yearly mediations for this case type is approximately 100 cases.

Unlawful Detainer (UD) Court

Unlawful Detainer calendars are generally held once a week on Tuesdays with morning and periodic

afternoon sessions at the M Street Courthouse. Caseloads will vary but the number of yearly mediations

for this case type is approximately 115 cases.

Civil Harassment Court

Civil Harassment calendars are generally held once a week on Monday mornings in two courtrooms at the

M Street Courthouse. Two mediators are typically needed to cover these cases as the calendars run

simultaneously. Caseloads will vary but the number of yearly mediations for this case type is

approximately 100 cases.

Family Law – Marital Dissolution (Non-Custody)

The successful contractor will provide regular mediation services by appointment for Family Law cases

(marital or domestic partnership disputes), as needed. Mediators draft marital settlement agreements for

litigants when appropriate, and provide resource and referral information to assist in the finalization of

their family law case. Caseloads will vary but the number of yearly mediations for this case type is

approximately 100-120 cases.

General Dispute Resolution Services-Annual Caseload

The successful contractor will provide ongoing, out of court, community conciliation, and mediation

services to Fresno County residents. These services shall include dispute resolution services and processes

conducted at the Contractor’s offices and other alternate locations as deemed appropriate. The yearly

caseload for combined case types (in court & office sessions) is approximately 400 cases.

Appendix B

General Program Administration & Reporting Requirements

The general requirements below include, but are not limited to, the following:

A. The successful contractor will provide on-going case management and follow-up ADR services to

program participants. Such services shall include, but are not limited to, assistance in payment

facilitation for transactional mediation agreements, additional mediation session coordination and

agreement compliance monitoring and retention.

B. The successful contractor shall conduct exit and follow-up surveys of disputants who have used its

services. These surveys shall be conducted in compliance with Section 3635 of the Regulations. General

survey information collected from disputants served by the program shall be provided to the Court in

accordance with the Act and Regulations.

C. The successful contractor shall maintain monthly activity reports including statistical data regarding its

operating budget; fees collected; the number of contacts for services; the source of the referrals; the

number of mediation cases opened and/or in progress; the time expended on each case; the nature of

the issues presented in mediation; the number of disputants served by the program; the number of

partial and/or complete agreements reached in mediation; the number of neutral persons providing

services, and time each spent providing services. The monthly activity report information shall be

compiled into an annual report in accordance with Section 471.5 of the Act.

D. The successful contractor shall maintain an adequate number of properly trained staff and mediators

to provide all of the services in compliance with the Act and Regulations. Staff and mediators shall be

trained in all relevant areas of the law and have access to a legal advisor to address legal questions. The

Contractor will comply with any additional substantive training requirements for specific case types

deemed necessary by the Court.

E. The successful contractor shall comply with sections 3640, 3642, 3644 and 3648 of the Regulations

regarding in-kind donations, yearly fiscal reports, record keeping practices and personnel policies.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

RFI 10-2025-DRPA Request for Interest Alternative Dispute Resolution Program For Superior Court of California, County of Fresno

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