Article 4. Bids And Bidders of California Public Contract Code >> Division 2. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 4.

The department may require from prospective bidders answers to questions contained in a standard form of questionnaire and financial statement including a complete statement of the prospective bidder's financial ability and experience in performing public works. When completed, the questionnaire and financial statement shall be verified under oath by the bidder in the manner in which pleadings in civil actions are verified. Whenever prequalification is required of any bidder on a contract, it shall be required for all prospective bidders to that contract.

The department may also require from prospective bidders the completion, under penalty of perjury, of a standard form of questionnaire concerning the past safety record of each prospective bidder, any officer of such bidder, and any managing employee of such bidder. The department may refuse to prequalify any prospective bidder who fails to submit a completed questionnaire when required, or for the reason that the information contained in the submitted questionnaire or otherwise known to the department indicates a continuing unsatisfactory safety record. The director of the department shall prescribe guidelines listing criteria which will be utilized administratively in determining an unsatisfactory safety record. A refusal by the department to prequalify a prospective bidder shall be issued only after the department has granted such bidder a hearing. This section shall in no way abridge or restrict the right of the department to later determine whether the low bidder on a particular project is the lowest responsible bidder for purposes of award of the contract, including the holding of hearings thereon. The Director of Industrial Relations shall approve the standard form of questionnaire and the guidelines listing criteria which will be utilized administratively by the department in determining an unsatisfactory safety record prior to their use by the department.

The department shall require from all prospective bidders the completion, under penalty of perjury, of a standard form of questionnaire inquiring whether such prospective bidder, any officer of such bidder, or any employee of such bidder who has a proprietary interest in such bidder, has ever been disqualified, removed, or otherwise prevented from bidding on, or completing a federal, state, or local government project because of a violation of law or a safety regulation, and if so to explain the circumstances. A bid may be rejected on the basis of a bidder, any officer of such bidder, or any employee of such bidder who has a proprietary interest in such bidder, having been disqualified, removed, or otherwise prevented from bidding on, or completing a federal, state, or local project because of a violation of law or a safety regulation.

The department shall adopt and apply a uniform system of rating bidders, on the basis of the standard questionnaires and financial statements, in respect to the size of the contracts upon which each bidder is qualified to bid. When bids for more than one project are to be received at the same bid opening, the department may permit a bidder to submit bids for each project within such bidder's prequalification rating, even though such rating is insufficient to permit the bidder to be awarded the contract for each project bid upon. In no event shall any bidder be awarded a contract if such contract award would result in the bidder having under contract work for which prequalification is required in excess of that authorized by his prequalification rating. In determining whether an award of a contract would result in a bidder having under contract work in excess of that authorized by his prequalification rating, the department may use its estimated cost of such contract rather than the amount of the bidder's bid. If the department determines that a bidder would be awarded the contract for two or more projects but cannot be awarded the contract for all such projects because of the inadequacy of his prequalification rating, the department shall determine which of the bids of such bidder are to be accepted and the contract awarded thereon and which of the bids of such bidder are to be disregarded. In making its decision the department shall be guided by the combination of contract awards which will result in the lowest total cost for the projects involved.

In all state projects where federal funds are involved, no bid submitted shall be invalidated by the failure of the bidder to be licensed in accordance with the laws of this state. However, at the time the contract is awarded, the contractor shall be properly licensed in accordance with the laws of this state. The contract shall not be awarded unless the state agency has verified that the contractor has a valid license in the appropriate classification for the work performed. Any bidder or contractor not so licensed shall be subject to all legal penalties imposed by law, including, but not limited to, any appropriate disciplinary action by the Contractors State License Board. The department shall include a statement to that effect in the standard form of prequalification questionnaire and financial statement. Failure of the bidder to obtain proper and adequate licensing for an award of a contract shall constitute a failure to execute the contract as provided in Section 10181 and shall result in the forfeiture of the security of the bidder.

The questionnaires and financial statements are not public records and are not open to public inspection.

The department shall furnish to each bidder a standard proposal form, which, when filled out and executed may be submitted as his bid. Bids not presented on forms so furnished shall be disregarded. The department shall not furnish proposal forms to any person who is required to submit and has not submitted a questionnaire and financial statement for prequalification at least five days prior to the date fixed for publicly opening sealed bids and been prequalified for at least one day prior to that date.

(a) All bids shall be presented under sealed cover and accompanied by one of the following forms of bidder's security:
  (1) An electronic bidder's bond by an admitted surety insurer submitted using an electronic registry service approved by the department advertising the contract.
  (2) A signed bidder's bond by an admitted surety insurer received by the department advertising the contract.
  (3) Cash, a cashier's check, or certified check received by, and made payable to, the director of the department advertising the contract.
  (b) The required bidder's security shall be in an amount equal to at least 10 percent of the amount bid. A bid shall not be considered unless one of the forms of bidder's security is enclosed with it.
  (c) All bids submitted pursuant to this section shall also comply with the provisions of Section 1601 of the Public Contract Code.

Whether or not bids are opened exactly at the time fixed in the public notice for opening bids, a bid shall not be received after that time.

Any bid may be withdrawn at any time prior to the time fixed in the public notice for the opening of bids only by written request for the withdrawal of the bid filed with the director of the department or the chief of the division under which the work is to be performed. The request shall be executed by the bidder or his duly authorized representative. The withdrawal of a bid does not prejudice the right of the bidder to file a new bid. This section does not authorize the withdrawal of any bid after the time fixed in the public notice for the opening of bids.