Section 14838 Of Article 1. General Provisions From California Government Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 5.5. >> Chapter 6.5. >> Article 1.
14838
. In order to facilitate the participation of small business,
including microbusiness, in the provision of goods, information
technology, and services to the state, and in the construction
(including alteration, demolition, repair, or improvement) of state
facilities, the directors of the department and other state agencies
that enter those contracts, each within their respective areas of
responsibility, shall do all of the following:
(a) Establish goals, consistent with those established by the
Office of Small Business Certification and Resources, for the extent
of participation of small businesses, including microbusinesses, in
the provision of goods, information technology, and services to the
state, and in the construction of state facilities.
(b) Provide for small business preference, or nonsmall business
preference for bidders that provide for small business and
microbusiness subcontractor participation, in the award of contracts
for goods, information technology, services, and construction, as
follows:
(1) In solicitations where an award is to be made to the lowest
responsible bidder meeting specifications, the preference to small
business and microbusiness shall be 5 percent of the lowest
responsible bidder meeting specifications. The preference to nonsmall
business bidders that provide for small business or microbusiness
subcontractor participation shall be, up to a maximum of 5 percent of
the lowest responsible bidder meeting specifications, determined
according to rules and regulations established by the Department of
General Services.
(2) In solicitations where an award is to be made to the highest
scored bidder based on evaluation factors in addition to price, the
preference to small business or microbusiness shall be 5 percent of
the highest responsible bidder's total score. The preference to
nonsmall business bidders that provide for small business or
microbusiness subcontractor participation shall be up to a maximum 5
percent of the highest responsible bidder's total score, determined
according to rules and regulations established by the Department of
General Services.
(3) The preferences under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not be
awarded to a noncompliant bidder and shall not be used to achieve any
applicable minimum requirements.
(4) The preference under paragraph (1) shall not exceed fifty
thousand dollars ($50,000) for any bid, and the combined cost of
preferences granted pursuant to paragraph (1) and any other provision
of law shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). In
bids in which the state has reserved the right to make multiple
awards, this fifty thousand dollar ($50,000) maximum preference cost
shall be applied, to the extent possible, so as to maximize the
dollar participation of small businesses, including microbusinesses,
in the contract award.
(c) Give special consideration to small businesses and
microbusinesses by both:
(1) Reducing the experience required.
(2) Reducing the level of inventory normally required.
(d) Give special assistance to small businesses and
microbusinesses in the preparation and submission of the information
requested in Section 14310.
(e) Under the authorization granted in Section 10163 of the Public
Contract Code, make awards, whenever feasible, to small business and
microbusiness bidders for each project bid upon within their
prequalification rating. This may be accomplished by dividing major
projects into subprojects so as to allow a small business or
microbusiness contractor to qualify to bid on these subprojects.
(f) Small business and microbusiness bidders qualified in
accordance with this chapter shall have precedence over nonsmall
business bidders in that the application of a bidder preference for
which nonsmall business bidders may be eligible under this section or
any other provision of law shall not result in the denial of the
award to a small business or microbusiness bidder. In the event of a
precise tie between the low responsible bid of a bidder meeting
specifications of a small business or microbusiness, and the low
responsible bid of a bidder meeting the specifications of a disabled
veteran-owned small business or microbusiness, the contract shall be
awarded to the disabled veteran-owned small business or
microbusiness. This provision applies if the small business or
microbusiness bidder is the lowest responsible bidder, as well as if
the small business or microbusiness bidder is eligible for award as
the result of application of the small business and microbusiness
bidder preference granted by subdivision (b).