Multi-Vendor Licensing, Subscription Management, and Support Services - Q&A

California Mental Health Services Authority
(CalMHSA)
Request for Proposals (RFP) for
Multi-Vendor Licensing,
Subscription Management, and
Support Services
Applications due by 5 p.m. PST on July 2, 2026
Potential responders must submit proposals only through CalMHSA's
e-Procurement Portal at https://calmhsa.bonfirehub.com/
Potential responders must submit proposals only through CalMHSA's e-Procurement
Portal (Bonfire) at https://calmhsa.bonfirehub.com/
The RFP does not constitute a contract or an
offer. In addition, any contract awarded because
of this RFP is subject to any additional restrictions,
limitations, or conditions required by CalMHSA in
any manner. CalMHSA reserves the right to make
one award, multiple awards, or to reject all
proposals, in whole or in part, submitted in
response to this RFP.
CalMHSA reserves the right to amend this RFP
via written addendum. addendum or cancel the
RFP at any time.

CalMHSA Request for Proposal
1. Multi-Vendor Licensing, Subscription Management, and Support Services
RFP Summary
The California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) is a Joint Powers of Authority
- an independent government entity - formed in 2009 by counties and cities throughout
the state to focus on collaborative, multi-county projects that improve behavioral health
care for all Californians. By pooling resources, forging partnerships, and leveraging
technical expertise on behalf of counties, CalMHSA develops strategies and programs
with an eye toward transforming community mental health; creates cross-county
innovations; and is dedicated to addressing equity to better meet the needs of our most
vulnerable populations.
CalMHSA is seeking proposals from qualified and experienced resellers and service
providers to provide licensing, subscription management, and related advisory and
support services across a range of technology vendors and platforms. The selected
vendor or vendors will support CalMHSA's enterprise technology environment by helping
to ensure cost-effective licensing, ongoing compliance, optimized subscription
management, and access to appropriate vendor support resources.
Requested services may include, but are not limited to, the procurement of software
licenses, cloud subscriptions, and related services; lifecycle and entitlement
management; licensing optimization and cost analysis; billing consolidation; renewal
management; and technical advisory support across multiple platforms and vendors.
CalMHSA intends to select one or more vendors with the capability to support its
operational, security, scalability, and governance requirements in alignment with public-
sector best practices.
This RFP does not commit CalMHSA to contract for any supply, product or service
whatsoever. In addition, applicants are advised that CalMHSA will not pay for any
information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFP; all costs associated
with responding to this RFP will be solely at the applicant's expense. Not responding to
this RFP does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued.
2. Project Scope of Work
CalMHSA is seeking qualified vendors with the expertise and capacity to provide licensing
reseller services, subscription management, and related support services across a range
of technology platforms and vendors. The goal of this engagement is to ensure that
CalMHSA maintains compliant, cost-effective, and well-managed licensing and
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CalMHSA Request for Proposal
subscription environments while benefiting from expert guidance on licensing models,
renewals, vendor management, and optimization opportunities.
I. Deliverables
The deliverables expected for this scope of work include, but are not limited to:
* Procurement and resale of software licenses, cloud subscriptions, and related
services.
* License and subscription entitlement tracking, inventory management, and
documentation.
* Consolidated, accurate, and transparent billing and invoicing.
* Renewal planning, co-terming strategies, and license true-up support.
* Licensing and subscription optimization, including cost analysis and usage
recommendations.
* Access to vendor support resources and escalation management, as
applicable.
* Periodic reporting on license and subscription utilization, costs, and
optimization opportunities.
II. Requirements
The primary requirements of the RFP are as follows:
* Vendor must be an authorized reseller, distributor, or service provider for the
products and services proposed.
* Demonstrated experience supporting public-sector, government, or similarly
regulated entities.
* Ability to manage enterprise licensing agreements, subscription programs, and
related renewals across multiple vendors.
* Expertise in cloud services, subscription administration, and cost management.
* Compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and
contractual requirements.
* Ability to provide responsive customer support, technical assistance, and
dedicated account management.
3. Requested Information
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CalMHSA Request for Proposal
The following response components are required to be submitted with applicant's
submitted application. CalMHSA is not responsible for costs associated with the
development of responses or delivery of the same.
The applicant's proposal must not exceed 15 pages maximum, including attachments.
Please submit the following components:
1. Cover sheet
2. Narrative description of applicant's background information, to include, but
not be limited to, previous experience providing multi-vendor licensing,
subscription management, and support services within, healthcare, public-
sector, or similarly complex enterprise environments, including oversight of
enterprise agreements, cost optimization, compliance with public-sector
requirements, and coordination across clinical, administrative, and IT
stakeholders. Vendors should describe their capabilities, approach, and
experience in delivering these services with examples of relevant previous
work similar in scope and complexity.
3. Implementation roadmap and high-level tasks/milestones, including a
timeline to begin providing services based on the scope of work and
timeframe provided in this RFP.
4. A proposed total budget for the project scope of work described above. The
budget must include the total cost, a breakdown by billing frequency, and all
relevant cost components. Any related services included with the
subscription, including design, consultation, implementation support, or
resource allocation, must be included at no additional cost unless separately
identified and approved under a separate Statement of Work.
5. Three (3) signed letters of support, including references from organizations
with whom the applicant has contractual or other business relationships who
can substantiate the applicant's capacity to provide such services as
described in the project scope of work.
4. Minimum Requirements
Applicant must meet the requirements below; otherwise, they may be considered non-
responsive, and the proposal may be rejected at CalMHSA's sole discretion.
1. Applicant must have a minimum of five (5) years of demonstrated experience
providing licensing reseller services, subscription management, and related
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CalMHSA Request for Proposal
support services across diverse technology platforms and vendors, including
ensuring compliance, cost-effectiveness, and optimization of licensing
environments, as well as managing renewals and vendor relationships.
2. Applicant's staff assigned to perform services under this agreement must be
located within the continental United States. This requirement applies to
support, implementation, administrative, technical, and any other personnel
who may access CalMHSA systems, environments, data, or related
operational information. Vendors located outside the United States may be
considered only if they can demonstrate a strong U.S. presence and confirm
that all work under this agreement will be performed solely by staff located
within the continental United States.
3. Applicant must not currently have a settlement agreement or claim against
them with any of CalMHSA's member counties or any state agency. If there
are current claims against the applicant in excess of $10,000 within the last
five (5) years, applicant must disclose claims information as part of their
response submittal.
4. Financial information: Applicant is required to submit copies of their most
recent audited financial statements.
5. All applicants must provide the information and/or
documents requested below before the proposal due date of July 2, 2026.
* Organization name, address, and telephone number (head office and
local office).
* Organization structure (i.e., what type of entity).
* Is the organization a sole proprietorship? (provide name, address and
phone numbers of owner)
* Is the organization a 501c3 entity?
* Number of employees.
* Lead representative (name, role within the organization, contact
information).
* Key management staff (names, roles, and whether they will be a part of
the services provided, if awarded a contract).
* Organization's public website URL address.
* How long has the organization been in business? (minimum two years
is required).
6. If requested, and prior to contract execution, the applicant must provide the
following items:
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CalMHSA Request for Proposal
* W9
* Certificate of Insurance (meeting the contract template requirements
available in the "Files" section of the RFP portal)
* Applicable licenses
* CalMHSA security questionnaire
* Relevant IT security-related documentation
7. Applicant must be able to meet the anticipated project start date of August
1, 2026.
5. CalMHSA Rights and Responsibilities
CalMHSA is not responsible for representations made by any of its officers or employees
prior to the execution of an agreement unless such understanding or representation is
included in this RFP or any written addenda to this RFP.
CalMHSA has the right to amend the RFP by written addendum. CalMHSA is responsible
only for that which is expressly stated in the solicitation document and any authorized
written addendum thereto. Such addendum shall be made available to each person or
organization which CalMHSA records indicate has received this RFP. Should such
addendum require additional information not previously requested, failure to address the
requirements of such addendum may result in the applicant's proposal package not being
considered, as determined in the sole discretion of CalMHSA. CalMHSA is not
responsible for and shall not be bound by any representations otherwise made by any
individual acting or purporting to act on its behalf.
6. CalMHSA Option to Reject Proposal Packages
CalMHSA, at its sole discretion, may reject any or all responsive proposal packages
submitted in response to this solicitation. CalMHSA shall not be liable for any cost incurred
by an applicant in connection with preparation and submittal of any proposal package.
7. Truth and Accuracy of Representations
False, misleading, incomplete, or deceptively unresponsive statements in connection with
a proposal package shall be sufficient cause for rejection of the proposal package. The
evaluation and determination in this area shall be at CalMHSA's sole judgment and its
judgment shall be final.
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CalMHSA Request for Proposal
8. Submission Instructions and Requirements
Proposal Timeline
EVENT Key Dates
RFP Issued May 19, 2026
RFP Questions Due June 2, 2026
RFP Questions Answered June 18, 2026
Deadline for Responses to be Submitted July 2, 2026 by 5 p.m. PST
Application Review July 8, 2026 to July 10, 2026
Notice of Intent to Award July 14, 2026
Submittal Address
All submissions must be made electronically using CalMHSA's e-procurement portal,
Bonfire, at https://calmhsa.bonfirehub.com/.
9. RFP Questions and Clarifications
All questions and requests must be submitted through CalMHSA's e-procurement portal
at https://calmhsa.bonfirehub.com/. The deadline to submit questions for this RFP is June
2, 2026. The FAQ responding to the questions will be posted on June 18, 2026, at
https://calmhsa.bonfirehub.com/ and on the CalMHSA website at
https://www.calmhsa.org/bids-contracting-opportunities/.
To ensure all parties have access to the same information at the same time, except as
stated below, CalMHSA will NOT respond to questions as they are received and will not
accept telephonic questions.
It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to refer to the FAQs, which will be posted on
CalMHSA's e-procurement portal at https://calmhsa.bonfirehub.com/.
If applicant is unable to submit questions via thee-procurement portal, the applicant must
provide CalMHSA with an email justification at info@calmhsa.org outlining why the
applicant is unable to do so.
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CalMHSA Request for Proposal
If a question relates to a proprietary or trade secrets aspect of a proposal and the question
would expose proprietary information if disclosed to competitors, the applicant must mark
the question as "CONFIDENTIAL." With the question, the applicant must submit a
statement explaining why the question is sensitive. If CalMHSA concurs that the
disclosure of the question or answer would expose proprietary information, the question
will be answered by email reply, and both the question and answer will be kept
confidential. If CalMHSA does not concur regarding the proprietary nature of the question,
the question will not be answered in this manner, and the applicant will be notified and
asked whether they would like the question to receive a public response or no response
at all.
10. Withdrawal/Proposal Amendment
Applicant may withdraw or amend its proposal, but only before the application
submission deadline, directly on CalMHSA's e-procurement portal at
https://calmhsa.bonfirehub.com/.
11. Review of Applications
CalMHSA will receive all applications for completeness and adherence to the RFP rules
stated in this document. Following the initial review, all qualified applications will be
reviewed and scored by a review panel. The evaluation panel will conduct a fair and
impartial evaluation of proposals received in response to this RFP.
CalMHSA may select one or more applicants to provide all or part of the services sought
in this procurement. Selection of a proposal will not be based exclusively on price. Other
factors will be considered including, but not limited to, applicant's experience, proposed
implementation timeline, and demonstrated ability to meet necessary deadlines.
CalMHSA will negotiate with one or more applicants who, in the opinion of the review
panel, have submitted the best proposal(s) when all factors are considered. If no
agreement is reached, CalMHSA may negotiate with other applicants or may choose to
extend the proposal period and invite additional proposals. After initial review of all
proposals, CalMHSA reserves the right to meet with selected applicants to gather
additional information. Additional information may include, but is not limited to, a
demonstration of skills or services described in the proposal.
12. Protest Procedures
Protests must be received no later than five (5) business days after the Notice of
Intent to Award is posted on the CalMHSA website. The sole bases for protest are
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CalMHSA Request for Proposal
that the award was (1) in violation of law, (2) in violation of the provisions of this RFP, or
(3) in violation of CalMHSA's procurement process. All protests must be in writing and (1)
state in detail each and every ground asserted for the protest, citing to the law, RFP
provision, or particular provision of the procurement policy on which the protest is based;
(2) explain why the error prevented the aggrieved organization from being awarded the
contract; and (3) identify the remedy sought.
Written protests can be sent to the following:
Via Email:
info@calmhsa.org
Via Certified Mail:
CalMHSA
Attn: Senior Corporate Counsel
1610 Arden Way, Suite 175
Sacramento, CA 95815
Within fourteen (14) days of receipt of any protest, CalMHSA's Executive Director will
provide a written decision which shall be final upon transmission to the protesting party.
If the Executive Director determines that the error identified by the protesting party has
deprived that party from receiving the contract, the Executive Director may act to rectify
the error, including but not limited to: cancellation of the RFP or proposed contract,
correction or other revision of the awarded contract, termination of an improperly awarded
contract, or affirmation of an existing contract if the discovered defect is immaterial or the
Executive Director determines that affirmation is in the best interest of CalMHSA.
13. Notice Regarding Public Records Act Requests
CalMHSA is subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act and the California Public Records Act. All
proposals received for this RFP are ultimately subject to public review; however, during
the competitive bid process, all proposals will be kept confidential. Upon award and
execution of the contract by awardee(s), all proposals and supplemental information will
be subject to public review, with the exception of those elements of a proposal which
contain elements that are clearly marked as confidential or trade secrets. Any such
designation should be accompanied by a brief explanation of the reason the information
is non-public and protected from disclosure under California law. CalMHSA reserves the
right to disregard such designations if they have been applied indiscriminately to non-
protected information, and in no event shall CalMHSA, its agents, representatives,
consultants, Directors, or Officers be liable to a responding party for the intentional or
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CalMHSA Request for Proposal
inadvertent disclosure of all or a portion of a proposal submitted under this RFP,
regardless of whether it was marked as confidential or trade secret.
Although the California Public Records Act allows certain confidential or trade secret
information to be protected from disclosure, CalMHSA may not be in a position to
establish that the information submitted is protected. If CalMHSA receives a request for
public disclosure of all or any portion of a proposal that has been designated as exempt
from disclosure, CalMHSA will use reasonable efforts to notify the responding party of the
request and give such party an opportunity to assert, at its own expense, a claimed
exception under the California Public Records Act or other applicable law within the time
period specified in the notice issued by CalMHSA and allowed under the California Public
Records Act.
14. CalMHSA Contract
The selected applicant (or applicants for multiple awards) must be able to execute a
services contract with CalMHSA based on CalMHSA's paper and terms prior to the project
start date (or as otherwise specified by CalMHSA). A Certificate of Insurance in alignment
with CalMHSA's contract terms will be required prior to contract execution.
15. Format of Proposals
Proposals must be submitted through CalMHSA's e-procurement portal at
https://calmhsa.bonfirehub.com/. Submissions by other methods will not be accepted.
Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox are
recommended. JavaScript must be enabled.
Browser cookies must be enabled. Applicants should contact Bonfire at
Support@GoBonfire.com for technical questions related to submissions or visit Bonfire's
help forum at https://bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc.
Submission materials should be prepared in the file formats listed under Requested
Information for this opportunity in the Bonfire portal. All PDFs documents must be
formatted in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double spaced, unless otherwise indicated
in the Requested Information. The maximum upload file size is 1000 MB. Documents
should not be embedded within uploaded files, as the embedded files will not be
accessible or evaluated.
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