NIGP 71095: Speech Training Equipment (for the Hearing Impaired)

NIGP 71095 Speech Training Equipment (For The Hearing Impaired) is an Item code under which state and local governments procure interpreting services for deaf and hard-of-hearing populations in educational and municipal settings. Recent activity shows that jurisdictions are soliciting qualified sign language interpreters, oral interpreters, and transliterators to serve students, staff, and public employees on an as-needed basis, with interpreters required to maintain professional certifications such as EIPA level 3.5 or RID National Certification. The work spans educational districts, municipal safety programs, and cooperative purchasing arrangements that consolidate demand across multiple member organizations. Issuing bodies include independent school districts, city governments, and regional purchasing cooperatives. Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, Florida is a standout repeat buyer seeking contracted interpreters to fill approximately 75 full-time-equivalent positions for deaf and hard-of-hearing students across 235 schools.

Recent opportunities cluster in Florida and Texas. Hillsborough County Public Schools issued RFP 26041-DST (due April 15, 2026) to procure sign language interpreting, oral interpreting, transliteration, and tactile interpreting services on a 24/7 basis with a 30-minute response requirement and two-hour fulfillment mandate; the estimated annual budget is $950,000 with intent to award one primary contractor and multiple alternates, and the solicitation emphasizes Small Business Encouragement Program (SBEP) compliance with a 20 percent reinvestment goal for certified small businesses in the Tampa Bay area. The City of Pasadena issued RFP 2026RFP0519 (due September 25, 2026) seeking Cal-OSHA safety training consultants, though this opportunity focuses on safety instruction rather than interpreting services per se and may represent a misclassification. Region 7 Purchasing Cooperative in Kilgore, Texas issued IFB SPE2628 (due October 1, 2026) for a catalog discount bid on special education and supplies with an estimated two-year expenditure of $2,713,541 and prior awards to 99 vendors, serving multiple member organizations across the cooperative's footprint.