After-Hour Answering Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Specification No. 25-11694-C

FOR

AFTER-HOUR ANSWERING SERVICE

PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE OPENED AND READ PUBLICLY

Dear Proposer:

The City of Berkeley is soliciting written proposals from qualified firms or individuals for after-hour answering services. As a Request for Proposal (RFP) this is not an invitation to bid and although price is very important, other factors will be taken into consideration.

The project scope, content of proposal, and vendor selection process are summarized in the RFP (attached). Proposals must be received no later than 2:00 pm, on , February 12, 2026. Proposals are to be sent via email with the “Specification No. 25-11694-C and After-Hour Answering Services” clearly indicated in the subject line of the email. Please submit one (1) PDF of the technical Proposal with the filename saved as, “Proposal: Vendor Name - 25-11694-C, After-Hour Answering Service.” Corresponding pricing proposal shall be submitted as a separate document with the filename saved as, “Pricing: Vendor Name - 25-11694-C, After-Hour Answering Services.”

Email Proposals to:

City of Berkeley

Finance Department/General Services Division

Solicitations@berkeleyca.gov

Proposals will not be accepted after the date and time stated above. Incomplete proposal or proposals that do not conform to the requirements specified herein will not be considered. Issuance of the RFP does not obligate the City to award a contract, nor is the City liable for any costs incurred by the proposer in the preparation and submittal of proposals for the subject work. The City retains the right to award all or parts of this contract to several bidders, to not select any bidders, and/or to re-solicit proposals. The act of submitting a proposal is a declaration that the proposer has read the RFP and understands all the requirements and conditions.

For questions concerning the anticipated work, or scope of the project, please contact Tucker Brofft, Senior Management Analyst via email at tbrofft@berkeleyca.gov and Erika Barros, Associate Management Analyst via email at ebarros@berkeleyca.gov no later than January 22, 2026. Answers to questions will not be provided by telephone or email. Answers to all questions or any addenda will be posted on the City of Berkeley’s site at Bid & Proposal Opportunities | City of Berkeley (berkeleyca.gov) . It is the vendor’s responsibility to check this site. For general questions concerning the submittal process, contact purchasing at 510-981-7320.

We look forward to receiving and reviewing your proposal.

Sincerely,

Henry Oyekanmi

Finance Director

I. BACKGROUND/SUMMARY/or INTRODUCTION

The City is seeking proposals from qualified firms for after-hour answering services to support of the City’s operations, activities and programs during night, holiday, weekend hours, or on an as-needed basis. In instances of urgent service requests, the re-routing of telephone calls requiring immediate attention or an emergency response will be required by the firm. The answering service requires both traditional phone answering and dispatch to on-call staff. Highly trained operators who understand the services provided and can give attention to detail in messaging and reporting are necessary to provide accurate and customized call reporting. Firm will also be required to work with the City’s IT Department to access the City’s CRM system for inputting, tracking and triaging service calls.

Term of the agreement will be for three years, not to exceed $350,000, with the option for two 1-year optional extensions, upon mutual agreement by the contractor(s) and the City Manager.

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES

A. Hours of Service.

The City of Berkeley has multiple Departments and Divisions that perform 24-hour services and require answering services to receive and dispatch on-call staff appropriately beyond the normal business hour. It is estimated that the answering service will receive approximately 200-400 calls per month.

Anticipated Contractor hours:

1. 4:00 pm to 8:00 am Monday through Friday, Saturday 24 hours, Sunday 24 hours.

2. Firm will be required to answer calls for the below City Departments and service areas:

a. Parks and Forestry

i. Forestry, Recreation Centers & Programs, Marina Operations, Parks, Landscape

b. Public Works

i. Electrical, Radio, Telephone, Equipment Maintenance, Janitorial, Streets & Utilities, Illegal Dumping, Sewer, Storm, Sandbags, Sidewalks, Traffic Maintenance Meters, Facilities, Building Maintenance, Graffiti, Spills

c. Planning – Toxics

i. Hazardous Materials Incidents

d. Health, Housing, and Community Services – Environmental Health

i. Senior Centers, Food Facility Fires, Large Sewer Spills, Medical Waste, other City Departments requesting assistance including Police, Fire, etc.

e. Information Technology – 311 Customer Service

i. Coverage includes all incoming calls to 311 Customer Service line. (City Clerk, City Center, City Attorney, Finance Admin, Finance CS, Finance Refuse, PW Transportation, PW Street & Sewer, Vital Stats) Calls will be logged and transmitted to 311 Customer Service Catalis CRM interface.

3. Outside of weekends, 24-hour coverage will be provided for the below listed holidays:

New Year's Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Lincoln's Birthday

Washington's Birthday (aka President's Day)

Malcolm X Day

Memorial Day

Juneteenth Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Indigenous People's Day (aka Columbus Day)

Veteran's Day

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Holiday

Christmas Day

B. Service.

1. Vendor’s staff answer all calls with the standard greeting, “Thank you for calling the City of Berkeley after hours answering service, my name is ____, how may I help you?”

2. After hours operator to contact City staff based on caller situation and provide staff with necessary information for follow-up.

3. Page, text, call, or email employee as directed.

4. Update and maintain a City emergency contact list daily – City to provide information.

a. Firm will email the City quarterly to confirm current contact list for accuracy. Firm will update the contact list per instructions from the City.

5. Provide each account with a monthly report of usage broken out by topic.

6. Attend periodic billing and service review meetings.

7. Work with City staff to update and change information as schedules and work assignments change.

8. In addition to the above, vendor will be required to enter call information into the City of Berkeley’s 311 Catalis Customer Relationship Management (CRM) interface. Training and documentation on this will be provided by the City.

9. For 311 coverage: For urgent Public Works, Forestry or Toxic situations occurring during coverage period, contact department agency directly after logging and documenting case in the Catalis CRM interface.

10. Vendor must be available to meet with the Contract Project Manager(s) or designee on a quarterly basis, where and when specified by the City to review the previous performance periods.

11. For services not already specified, services will be outlined, and timing and pricing will be agreed upon by both parties prior to start of additional services.

C. Documentation.

1. A detailed list of all calls received, and actions taken will be emailed to each City of Berkeley account on the next business day for follow-up by city staff during normal business hours.

2. Call detail requirements will be outlined by each Department, but should at a minimum include:

a. Time

b. Name of Caller & Contact information

c. Location

d. Nature of problem

e. To whom the call was dispatched and the time including all attempts.

3. For 311 Coverage: Document call information to 311 Customer Service via email and into the Catalis CRM.

4. Provide a monthly report to each account of total number of calls by type.

5. The firm must have the ability to bill each account separately. The vendor will provide each City account with a monthly activity report attached to the invoice. The report will contain dates, time and actions taken to ensure that calls were properly handled.

D. Emergencies.

1. If an emergency event is called by the City, City staff may continue to answer the phones past the scheduled time until the emergency is ended before turning phones over to the answering service.

2. Calls shall be routed to a back-up location or answered by out-of-state staff in case of an emergency at your location or in the City of Berkeley to the best of your abilities.

3. Email warnings regarding hazardous material spills from the California Office of Emergency Services will be sent to firm. Depending on the nature and severity of the spill, Environmental Health, Toxics, and Public Works will need to be notified for staff to respond.

E. Restrictions

1. Vendors may not use AI as a substitute for having human agents answering and dispatching calls. AI may be used as an internal tool to support the vendor’s agents, but it may not replace the use of human agents. Vendor will also follow all applicable California State laws and regulations regarding usage of AI.

2. Vendor may not outsource calls to human agents residing outside the United States.

III. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All proposals shall include the following information, organized as separate sections of the proposal. The proposal should be concise and to the point.

1. Contractor Identification:

Provide the name of the firm, the firm's principal place of business (see section VII, F. – Local Vendor Preference), the name and telephone number of the contact person and company tax identification number.

2. Client References:

Provide a minimum of four (4) client references. References should be California cities or other large public sector entities. Provide the designated person's name, title, organization, address, telephone number, and the project(s) that were completed under that client’s direction.

3. Price Proposal:

The proposal shall include pricing for all services. Pricing shall be all inclusive unless indicated otherwise. Pricing proposals shall be a separate document. The Proposal shall itemize all services, including hourly rates for all professional, technical and support personnel, and all other charges related to completion of the work shall be itemized. Evaluations of price proposals are subject to the local vendor business preference (see section VII.F.).

4. Operations Start-up Plan:

Describe in detail the vendor’s Operational Start-up Plan. This plan should include the vendor’s timelines and methods to accomplish the following prior to execution of the contract:

1. Establishment and implementation of operational procedures

2. Commencement of services

3. If awarded, how long would it take Contractor to begin work with full staff dedicated to the project.

5. Service Delivery Plan

Describe in detail the vendor’s Service Delivery Plan to successfully accomplish the services required in the Scope of Services. Include a detailed breakdown of the following:

1. Management Plan: Describe how the vendor will manage the proposed program to ensure all performance standards are met. Include a description of the vendor’s management structure, how answering staff are trained, what resources staff have access to and how the vendor will engage the City continually throughout the contract to improve service outcomes.

2. Quality of Service: Describe how the Contractor performs quality control and assessment of services provided. Include how the vendor will response to any complaints from the City regarding service issues.

3. Communications and Invoicing: Describe how vendor will provide usage reports and itemized invoices to the City. If applicable, please provide example reports and invoices

6. Organization & Team Experience:

Provide a description of your firm’s experience as an answering service, including years of operations and organizational structure. Provide a listing of each key staff member who will be assigned to the proposed contract and background information demonstrating their capabilities and qualifications. For each individual, provide current professional registrations, related experience, educational background, and years of experience with the firm.

7. Contract Terminations:

If your organization has had a contract terminated in the last five (5) years, describe such incident. Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the vendor’s non-performance or poor performance and the issue of performance was either (a) not litigated due to inaction on the part of the vendor, or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the vendor was in default.

Submit full details of the terms for default including the other party’s name, address, and phone number. Present the vendor’s position on the matter. The City will evaluate the facts and may, at its sole discretion, reject the proposal on the grounds of the past experience.

If the firm has not experienced any such termination for default or early termination in the past five (5) years, so indicate.

IV. SELECTION CRITERIA

The following criteria will be considered, although not exclusively, in determining which firm is hired.

1. Operations Start-up Plan 20 Points

2. Service Delivery Plan 20 Points

3. Expertise, Bid Quality & References 30 Points

4. Costs* 15 Points

5. Organizational Experience 15 Points

* Effective 1/1/2022. Local Vendor Preference. For the purpose of comparing pricing as part of this competitive RFP for goods up to $100,000 or non-professional services up to $250,000, 5% shall be deducted from the bid price proposal from any local Berkeley vendor.

A selection panel will be convened of staff to evaluate and score submittals. Vendors may also be asked to take part in a formal interview with the selection panel, where the vendor will present their proposal and answer questions from the City.

V. PAYMENT

Invoices: Invoices must be fully itemized and provide sufficient information for approving payment and audit. Invoices must be accompanied by receipt for services in order for payment to be processed. Email invoices to Accounts Payable and reference the contract number.

City of Berkeley

Accounts Payable

P.O. Box 700

Berkeley, CA 94710-700

Email: AccountsPayable@berkeleyca.gov

Phone: 510-981-7310

Payments: The City will make payment to the vendor within 30 days of receipt of a correct, approved and complete invoice.

Exhibit A: Price Proposal

Minutes Per Month	Monthly Base Rate Year 1	Monthly Base Rate Year 2	Monthly Base Rate Year 3	Cost Per Additional Minute
200 Minutes
600 Minutes
1200 Minutes

VI. CITY REQUIREMENTS

A. Non-Discrimination Requirements:

Ordinance No. 5876-N.S. codified in B.M.C. Chapter 13.26 states that for contracts worth more than $3,000 bids for supplies or bids or proposals for services shall include a completed Workforce Composition Form. Businesses with fewer than five employees are exempt from submitting this form. (See B.M.C. 13.26.030)

Under B.M.C. section 13.26.060, the City may require any bidder or vendor it believes may have discriminated to submit a Non-Discrimination Program. The Contract Compliance Officer will make this determination. This applies to all contracts and all consultants (contractors). Berkeley Municipal Code section 13.26.070 requires that all contracts with the City contain a non-discrimination clause, in which the contractor agrees not to discriminate and allows the City access to records necessary to monitor compliance. This section also applies to all contracts and all consultants.

Bidders must submit the attached Non-Discrimination Disclosure Form with their proposal.

B. Nuclear Free Berkeley Disclosure Form:

Berkeley Municipal Code section 12.90.070 prohibits the City from granting contracts to companies that knowingly engage in work for nuclear weapons. This contracting prohibition may be waived if the City Council determines that no reasonable alternative exists to doing business with a company that engages in nuclear weapons work. If your company engages in work for nuclear weapons, explain on the Disclosure Form the nature of such work.

Bidders must submit the attached Nuclear Free Disclosure Form with their proposal.

C. Oppressive States:

The City of Berkeley prohibits granting of contracts to firms that knowingly provide personal services to specified Countries. This contracting prohibition may be waived if the City Council determines that no reasonable alternative exists to doing business with a company that is covered by City Council Resolution Nos. 59,853-N.S., 60,382-N.S., and 70,606-N.S. If your company or any subsidiary is covered, explain on the Disclosure Form the nature of such work.

Bidders must submit the attached Oppressive States Disclosure Form with their proposal.

D. Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance:

Chapter 13.105 of the Berkeley Municipal Code prohibits the City from granting and or retaining contracts with any person or entity that provides Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the United States Department of Homeland Security (“ICE”).

Bidders must submit the attached Sanctuary City Compliance Statement with their proposal.

E. Conflict of Interest:

In the sole judgment of the City, any and all proposals are subject to disqualification on the basis of a conflict of interest. The City may not contract with a vendor if the vendor or an employee, officer or director of the proposer's firm, or any immediate family member of the preceding, has served as an elected official, employee, board or commission member of the City who influences the making of the contract or has a direct or indirect interest in the contract.

Furthermore, the City may not contract with any vendor whose income, investment, or real property interest may be affected by the contract. The City, at its sole option, may disqualify any proposal on the basis of such a conflict of interest.

Please identify any person associated with the firm that has a potential conflict of interest.

F. Berkeley Living Wage Ordinance:

Chapter 13.27 of the Berkeley Municipal Code requires that contractors offer all eligible employees with City mandated minimum compensation during the term of any contract that may be awarded by the City. If the Contractor is not currently subject to the Living Wage Ordinance, cumulative contracts with the City within a one-year period may subject Contractor to the requirements under B.M.C. Chapter 13.27. A certification of compliance with this ordinance will be required upon execution of a contract. The current Living Wage rate can be found here: Information for Vendors | City of Berkeley (berkeleyca.gov) . The Living Wage rate is adjusted automatically effective June 30th of each year commensurate with the corresponding increase in the Consumer Price Index published in April of each year. If the Living Wage rate is adjusted during the term of your agreement, you must pay the new adjusted rate to all eligible employees, regardless of what the rate was when the contract was executed.

G. Berkeley Equal Benefits Ordinance:

Chapter 13.29 of the Berkeley Municipal Code requires that contractors offer domestic partners the same access to benefits that are available to spouses. A certification of compliance with this ordinance will be required upon execution of a contract.

H. Statement of Economic Interest:

The City’s Conflict of Interest Code designates “consultants” as a category of persons who must complete Form 700, Statement of Economic Interest, at the beginning of the contract period and again at the termination of the contract. The selected contractor will be required to complete the Form 700 before work may begin.

VII. OTHER REQUIREMENTS

A. Insurance

The selected contractor will be required to maintain general liability insurance in the minimum amount of $2,000,000, automobile liability insurance in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 and a professional liability insurance policy in the amount of $2,000,000 to cover any claims arising out of the performance of the contract. The general liability and automobile insurance must name the City, its officers, agents, volunteers and employees as additional insured.

B. Worker’s Compensation Insurance:

A selected contractor who employs any person shall maintain workers' compensation insurance in accordance with state requirements. Sole proprietors with no employees are not required to carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance.

C. Business License

Virtually every contractor that does business with the City must obtain a City business license as mandated by B.M.C. Ch. 9.04. The business license requirement applies whether or not the contractor has an office within the City limits. However, a "casual" or "isolated" business transaction (B.M.C. section 9.04.010) does not subject the contractor to the license tax. Warehousing businesses and charitable organizations are the only entities specifically exempted in the code from the license requirement (see B.M.C. sections, 9.04.295 and 9.04.300). Non-profit organizations are granted partial exemptions (see B.M.C. section 9.04.305). Persons who, by reason of physical infirmity, unavoidable misfortune, or unavoidable poverty, may be granted an exemption of one annual free license at the discretion of the Director of Finance. (See B.M.C. sections 9.04.290).

Vendor must apply for a City business license and show proof of application to Purchasing Manager within seven days of being selected as intended contractor.

The Customer Service Division of the Finance Department located at 1947 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704, issues business licenses. Contractors should contact this division for questions and/or information on obtaining a City business license, in person, or by calling 510-981-7200.

D. Recycled Paper

Any printed reports for the City required during the performance of the work shall be on 100% recycled paper and shall be printed on both sides of the page whenever practical.

E. State Prevailing Wage:

Certain labor categories under this project may be subject to prevailing wages as identified in the State of California Labor Code commencing in Section 1770 et seq. These labor categories, when employed for any “work performed during the design and preconstruction phases of construction including, but not limited to, inspection and land surveying work,” constitute a “Public Work” within the definition of Section 1720(a)(1) of the California Labor Code requiring payment of prevailing wages.

Wage information is available through the California Division of Industrial Relations web site at:

http://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/statistics_and_databases.html

F. Local Vendor Preference

City of Berkeley applies a local vendor preference for comparing pricing submittals in RFP responses (City Council Resolution No. 69,890-N.S.)

A local business is defined as “a business firm with fixed offices or distribution points located within the City of Berkeley boundaries and listed in the Permits and License Tax paid file, with a Berkeley business street address.”

VIII. SCHEDULE (Dates are subject to change)

◊ Issue RFP to Potential Bidders: 01/08/26

◊ Questions Due 01/22/26

◊ Proposals Due from Potential Bidders 02/12/26

◊ Complete Selection Process 03/09/26

◊ Council Approval of Contract (over $50k) 04/21/26

◊ Award of Contract 04/22/26

◊ Sign and Process Contract 05/15/26

◊ Notice to Proceed 06/01/26

Thank you for your interest in working with the City of Berkeley for this service. We look forward to receiving your proposal.

Attachments:

• Check List of Required items for Submittal Attachment A

• Non-Discrimination/Workforce Composition Form Attachment B

• Nuclear Free Disclosure Form Attachment C

• Oppressive States Form Attachment D

• Sanctuary City Compliance Statement Attachment E

• Living Wage Form Attachment F

• Equal Benefits Certification of Compliance Attachment G

• Right to Audit Form Attachment H

• Insurance Endorsement Attachment I

ATTACHMENT A

CHECKLIST

◊ Proposal describing service (one (1) PDF of proposal)

◊ Contractor Identification and Company Information

◊ Client References

◊ Costs proposal by task, type of service & personnel (as a separate document from the proposal)

◊ The following forms, completed and signed in blue ink (attached):

o Non-Discrimination/Workforce Composition Form Attachment B

o Nuclear Free Disclosure Form Attachment C

o Oppressive States Form Attachment D

o Sanctuary City Compliance Statement Attachment E

o Living Wage Form (may be optional) Attachment F

o Equal Benefits Certification (EBO-1) (may be optional) Attachment G

ADDITIONAL SUBMITTALS REQUIRED FROM SELECTED VENDOR AFTER COUNCIL APPROVAL TO AWARD CONTRACT.

◊ Provide original-signed in blue ink Evidence of Insurance

o Auto

o Liability

o Worker’s Compensation

◊ Right to Audit Form Attachment H

◊ Commercial General & Automobile Liability Endorsement Form Attachment I

◊ Berkeley Business License (Current Year Certificate)

For informational purposes only, see the Sample of Personal Services Contract .

NON-DISCRIMINATION/WORKFORCE COMPOSITION FORM FOR NON-CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS

To assist the City of Berkeley in implementing its Non-Discrimination policy, it is requested that you furnish information regarding your personnel as requested below and return it to the City Department handling your contract: Organization: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________ Business Lic. #: ___________

Occupational Category: __________________________ (See reverse side for explanation of terms)

Total Employees

White Employees

Black Employees

Asian Employees

Hispanic Employees

Other Employees

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Official/Administrators

Professionals

Technicians

Protective Service Workers

Para-Professionals

Office/Clerical

Skilled Craft Workers

Service/Maintenance

Other (specify)

Totals:

Is your business MBE/WBE/DBE certified? Yes: _____ No: _____ If yes, by what agency? _______________________

If yes, please specify: Male: _____ Female: _____ Indicate ethnic identifications: ___________________________

Do you have a Non-Discrimination policy? Yes: _____ No: _____

Signed: ________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________

Verified by: _____________________________________________________________ Date: __________________

City of Berkeley Contract Compliance Officer

Contract Description/Specification No: After-Hours Answering Services/25-11694-C Attachment B (page 1)

Occupational Categories

Officials and Administrators - Occupations in which employees set broad policies, exercise overall responsibility for execution of these policies, or provide specialized consultation on a regional, district or area basis. Includes: department heads, bureau chiefs, division chiefs, directors, deputy superintendents, unit supervisors and kindred workers.

Professionals - Occupations that require specialized and theoretical knowledge that is usually acquired through college training or through work experience and other training that provides comparable knowledge. Includes: personnel and labor relations workers, social workers, doctors, psychologists, registered nurses, economists, dietitians, lawyers, systems analysts, accountants, engineers, employment and vocational rehabilitation counselors, teachers or instructors, and kindred workers.

Technicians - Occupations that require a combination of basic scientific or technical knowledge and manual skills that can be obtained through specialized post-secondary school education or through equivalent on-the-job training. Includes: computer programmers and operators, technical illustrators, highway technicians, technicians (medical, dental, electronic, physical sciences) and kindred workers.

Protective Service Workers - Occupations in which workers are entrusted with public safety, security and protection from destructive forces. Includes: police officers, fire fighters, guards, sheriffs, bailiffs, correctional officers, detectives, marshals, harbor patrol officers, and kindred workers.

Para-Professionals - Occupations in which workers perform some of the duties of a professional or technician in a supportive role, which usually requires less formal training and/or experience normally required for professional or technical status. Such positions may fall within an identified pattern of a staff development and promotion under the “New Transporters" concept. Includes: library assistants, research assistants, medical aides, child support workers, police auxiliary, welfare service aides, recreation assistants, homemaker aides, home health aides, and kindred workers.

Office and Clerical - Occupations in which workers are responsible for internal and external communication, recording and retrieval of data and/or information and other paperwork required in an office. Includes: bookkeepers, messengers, office machine operators, clerk-typists, stenographers, court transcribers, hearings reporters, statistical clerks, dispatchers, license distributors, payroll clerks, and kindred workers.

Skilled Craft Workers - Occupations in which workers perform jobs which require special manual skill and a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the processes involved in the work which is acquired through on-the-job training and experience or through apprenticeship or other formal training programs. Includes: mechanics and repairpersons, electricians, heavy equipment operators, stationary engineers, skilled machining occupations, carpenters, compositors and typesetters, and kindred workers.

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