5-ITB - Sign Language Interpreter Services - Re-Bid - SOW.pdf

Invitation to Bid (ITB) for

Sign Language Interpreter Services – Re-Bid

City of Little Rock, Arkansas

City of Little Rock, 500 W. Markham St., Little Rock Arkansas 72201 (501) 371-4510

City of Little Rock ITB – Sign Language Interpreter Services – Re-Bid

This bid solicitation was issued by the City of Little Rock Procurement Division.

Product or Service Sign Language Interpreter Services –

Re-Bid

Department Office of Executive Administration Release to Prospective

Contractors 10/01/2025 Time 10:00 am

Proposal Due Date 10/29/2025 Time 10:00 am

Deadline for Vendor Questions

10/22/2025 Time 10:00 am

Tentative Proposal Evaluation Date

11/12/2025 10:00 am

Pre-Bid Discussion Meeting N/A

Bid Opening Teams Meeting

10/29/25 @ 10:15 am

ITB - Sign Language Interpreter Services Re-Bid Bid Opening | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

Tentative Consensus Meeting N/A

Procurement Website Little Rock Business Portal | City of Little Rock

The City of Little Rock has issued this Invitation To Bid (ITB) to businesses authorized in the State of Arkansas and qualified to provide the requested service(s) outlined in this bid document.

Bidders must submit responses to this request online at LRProcure on or before the designated due date and time. Any responses received after this deadline will be considered late and returned to the Bidder without further review.

Responses should comply with all requirements stated in this bid request. If a conflict is found to apply to a key term (for example, quantity or type of work to be done) of this bid, the Bidder's response shall be disqualified at the City of Little Rock's sole discretion.

The City reserves the right to revise the ITB before the proposal submission deadline. If the City needs to make changes or revisions, an addendum will be posted on the Organization Portal. Only questions and answers in an addendum shall be considered part of the ITB.

The City has worked hard to make sure this request is correct, but it is up to you to check everything carefully because the City and its team are not responsible if there are mistakes or missing information. The responsibility for determining the full extent of the exposure to risk and verifying all information herein shall rest solely on those parties’ making proposals. The City, its representatives, and its agents shall not be responsible for any error or omission in this ITB, nor shall they be responsible for any https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YWY5NGI0YjEtZDIzMS00ODRlLTg4ZjktMzQwOTZlNTM4ZDhj%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2284d336e2-3cb3-4ee8-91ca-5e4f107776ce%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220482e7ca-b0e2-4a95-9ca7-449438c919bf%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YWY5NGI0YjEtZDIzMS00ODRlLTg4ZjktMzQwOTZlNTM4ZDhj%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2284d336e2-3cb3-4ee8-91ca-5e4f107776ce%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220482e7ca-b0e2-4a95-9ca7-449438c919bf%22%7d https://www.littlerock.gov/business/little-rock-business-portal/ https://account.bonfirehub.com/login?flow=d07483ac-ae06-48ec-b504-3bf624cf49ef

Bidders or representatives' failure to verify the information herein and to determine the full extent of that exposure.

1. Background – City of Little Rock

Little Rock is the State Capital and the largest city in Arkansas. It was chartered in 1835 and is in the central part of the state, approximately 135 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee. The city has a population of 202,591 according to the 2020 census certified by the Arkansas State Treasurer. The 2025 operating budget revenues as approved by Ordinance No. 22079 are $338,231,579 including the General Fund revenue budget of $263,108,099.

2. Definitions

The City has made every effort to use industry-accepted terminology in this solicitation.

a) The words “must” and “shall” signify a requirement of this solicitation and that vendor’s agreement to and compliance with that item is mandatory.

b) “Prospective Vendor” means a person who submits a bid in response to this solicitation.

c) “Vendor” means a person who sells or contracts to sell commodities and/or services.

d) “Responsive bid” means a bid submitted in response to this solicitation that conforms in all material respects to this ITB.

e) “Bid Submission Requirement” means a task a Prospective Vendor must complete when submitting a bid response. These requirements will be distinguished by using the term “shall” or “must” in the requirement.

f) “Requirement” means a specification that a vendor’s product and/or service must perform during the term of the contract. These specifications will be distinguished by using the term “shall” or “must” in the requirement.

g) “City” means the City of Little Rock, Arkansas. When the term “City” is used herein to reference any obligation of the City under a contract that results from this solicitation.

h) Change Order” means a written order to the City authorizing an addition, deletion or revision of the work within the general scope of the contract documents or authorizing an adjustment in the contract price or contract time.

i) “Agreement” - Contract between the City and contractor regarding the project.

j) “Addenda” - Written or graphic instruments issued prior to the time of opening the bids which modify or interpret the contract documents, drawings and specifications, by additions, deletions, clarifications, or corrections.

k) “Bonds” - Bid, Performance, and Payment Bonds, and other instruments of security, furnished by the contractor and their surety in accordance with the contract documents.

l) “Notice of Award” - The written notice of the acceptance of the bid from the City to the successful vendor.

m) “Notice to Proceed” - Written communication issued by the City to the contractor authorizing them to proceed with the work and establishing the date of commencement of the work.

n) “Specifications" - A part of the contract documents consisting of written descriptions of a technical nature of materials, equipment, construction systems, standards, and workmanship.

o) “Supplementary Conditions” - Modifications to adapt the specific requirements of the project and that may be imposed by applicable federal, state, and local laws.

p) “Work” - All labor necessary to produce the construction required by the contract documents, and all materials and equipment incorporated or to be incorporated in the project. The contractor shall, if required, furnish satisfactory evidence as to the kind and quality of materials.

q) “Written Notice” - Any notice to any party relative to any part of this Agreement shall be in writing and considered delivered and the service thereof completed, when posted by certified or registered mail to the said party or his authorized representative.

3. Desired Outcome

The desired outcome of this Invitation to Bid (ITB) is to secure the services of qualified and certified sign language interpreters to ensure effective communication access for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals during public meetings and city sponsored events.

4. Scope of Services

4.1 Goal

The City of Little Rock Department of Executive Administration is seeking a qualified and experienced vendor to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter services for in-person and video remote interpreting (VRI) Services.

4.2 Terms of Award

A. This bid shall be awarded to the lowest qualified bidder(s) who meets all specified requirements, and who has the absolute capability to provide the required services. Responses to this bid solicitation will be used by the City of Little Rock to determine if the vendor has the appropriate experience, licensures, and qualifications to be considered for the work.

B. The contract term of this agreement will be for one (1) year. Upon mutual agreement, the contract may be extended for two (2) additional one (1) year periods or a portion thereof.

C. The vendor must have a business license to operate in the State of Arkansas.

D. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informality or irregularity in any bid.

E. The City of Little Rock Treasury Management Division will determine validity of all business licenses.

F. Bidder must provide a signed copy of the Combined Certification for Contracting with the City of Little Rock form prior to contract award.

4.3 Services Requested

The vendor shall provide American sign language (ASL) interpreter services for in-person and video remote interpreting (VRI) Services to the following events:

A. Regular Board Meetings are held on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m., unless otherwise noted.

B. Agenda Board Meetings are held on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m., unless otherwise noted.

C. During the months with five (5) Tuesdays, the Agenda Board Meeting will be held on the fifth Tuesday.

D. Interpreter services may be required for other City-sponsored events, such as press conferences, public meetings, etc., that might require ASL Interpreter Services.

4.4 Minimum Qualifications

A. The vendor shall have at least three (3) years of experience providing American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services to a government organization.

B. The vendor shall verify credentials, background, and experience of interpreters before entering into an agreement with the City and must ensure that each interpreter employed meet or exceed the following minimum qualification standards:

1. Possess current certification by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or the National

Association of the Deaf (NAD) (Level 3 or above)

2. Possess current Quality Assurance Screening Test (QAST) certification. (Level 2 or above)

3. Two (2) or more years interpreting experience

4. Skilled in sign-to-voice and voice-to-sign interpreting; strong voicing skills needed;

5. Ability to interpret between English and ASL, as well as transliterate between spoken English and forms of signed English.

C. Minimum Requirements

A. The vendor shall provide interpreters who are proficient in American Sign Language (ASL) with the ability to sign for specialized and complex medical and/or legal terms

B. The vendor shall provide qualified and certified interpreters who demonstrate proficiency in language and vocabulary.

C. The vendor shall use certified interpreters for the area of expertise requested.

D. The vendor shall provide qualified substitute interpreters, as appropriate. If an interpreter is to be absent, it is the vendor’s responsibility to find a substitute interpreter who meets the certifications and qualifications of the assignments.

E. The vendor shall notify the Executive Office as soon as possible, not less than eight (8) hours, in the event that an interpreter will be late or absent and no substitution can be found.

F. The vendor shall assume full responsibility for the quality of service provided.

G. The interpreters shall interpret the message accurately. The interpreters shall never add or subtract anything that is being communicated.

H. The interpreters shall maintain impartiality and confidentiality.

I. The interpreters shall be familiar with and show respect in both attire and conduct to rules of a professional environment.

J. The interpreters shall arrive on time for all assignments.

4.5 Payment Structure

A. The vendor shall submit all invoicing resulting from contract purchase order to the City of Little

Rock’s Accounts Payable Division, Department of Finance, Room 315, 500 West Markham, Little Rock, AR 72201 at accountspayable@littlerock.gov. Email invoice preferred.

B. The contract price may be changed only by a Change Order. The value of any work covered by a Change Order or of any claim for increase or decrease in the contract price shall be determined by one or more of the following methods in the order of precedence listed below:

(A) Unit prices previously approved.

(B) An agreed lump sum.

4.6 Pricing

A. Any cost not identified by the successful vendor but subsequently incurred in order to achieve successful operation shall be borne by the vendor.

B. To allow time to evaluate responses, prices shall be valid for ninety (90) days following the bid opening.

C. Pricing shall include all associated costs. The City shall not be obligated to pay any costs that are not included in the vendor’s price proposal even though such cost is subsequently incurred by the vendor to provide the contracted services or equipment or to achieve the required quality of service unless agreed to in writing by the City.

D. The City should receive any discounts offered by, or available to the vendor. For term contracts the beginning date for computing discounts will be the date of invoice or the date of delivery and acceptance, whichever is later.

E. Prices quoted are to be net prices. If the vendor makes an error in extending total prices, the City may accept the lesser amount whether reflected by extension or by the correct multiple of the unit price.

F. The prices in the response have been arrived at without collusion.

mailto:accountspayable@littlerock.gov

G. All bid pricing shall be in United States dollars and cents.

5. Performance Metrics and Contract Management

5.1 The City seeks to collaborate with the Vendor and other stakeholders to enhance accountability and contract management, improve results, and adjust the delivery of products and/or services based on learning what works.

Metric Data Source Data Frequency

Responsibility Review Cadence

1. On a linear scale rating from 1 to 5, how well did the vendor provide services within the agreed work schedule 85% of the time?

Department Records

Weekly City of Little Rock Department of

Executive Administration

Quarterly

2. On a linear scale rating from 1 to 5, how well did the vendor provide services adhere to the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Code of Professional Conduct for the interpreting profession 85% of the time?

Department Records

Weekly City of Little Rock Department of

Executive Administration

Quarterly

3. On a linear scale rating from 1 to 5, how well did the vendor provide services effectively, accurately, and impartially 80% of the time?

Department Records

Weekly City of Little Rock Department of

Executive Administration

Quarterly

4. Vendor Performance Report (Ad-hoc) Vendor Performance Review Form

As Needed – At Least Once Per Contract

City of Little Rock Procurement

Division

Annually

5. Vendor Performance Review Bonfire

Annually City of Little Rock Procurement

Division

Annually

5.2 Contract Management

A. Communication Plan

1. To manage this contract and the goals outlined in sections herein, the City will collect performance data and regularly discuss with the selected vendors the performance metrics.

2. The monthly update meeting shall occur at an agreed-upon time and date each month.

Upon mutual agreement, the parties may move this meeting if necessary to avoid scheduling conflicts, holidays, or similar occurrences. Any changes or cancellations to a meeting shall be communicated at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance.

5.3 Joint Ventures

A. A joint proposal submitted by two or more vendors is acceptable.

1. In the event of a joint venture, documentation must be submitted with the proposals identifying all participating business entities.

2. Prior to award, a binding agreement between the participants must be provided. The City will recognize both companies as one entity.

3. The City shall have a single point of operational contact with the entity that is formed pursuant to this provision.

4. Two companies with the same physical address or with a single point of operational contact will be considered one entity.

6. Supplemental Documentation

6.1 Pertinent supplemental documentation is available on the bid event in the supplier portal.

6.2 City of Little Rock Ordinance 20,482 § 1, 10-3-11, Sections 18.51 – 18.53:

https://library.municode.com/ar/little_rock/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH18MI

PROF_ARTIIOFINPUPEOR

6.3 Act 1068 – “To Repeal The Arkansas Prevailing Wage Law; And To Provide Flexibility To Cities And Counties For Capital Construction Projects; And To Declare An Emergency:

https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?ddBienniumSession=2017%2F2017R&measureno=sb60

7. Contract

7.1 Issuance of Contract.

A. Any resultant contract of this bid solicitation is subject to City approval processes which may include board review.

7.2 Cooperative Use

https://library.municode.com/ar/little_rock/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH18MIPROF_ARTIIOFINPUPEOR https://library.municode.com/ar/little_rock/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH18MIPROF_ARTIIOFINPUPEOR https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?ddBienniumSession=2017%2F2017R&measureno=sb601 https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?ddBienniumSession=2017%2F2017R&measureno=sb601

A. The City of Little Rock, as the issuing office for this solicitation, shall be the lead agency for this contract. Other governmental entities may participate in any contract resulting from this solicitation that falls under its scope of work throughout the life of the contract.

B. The vendor shall agree to offer the same pricing, terms, and conditions to participating governmental entities as outlined in this solicitation.

C. There is no obligation for any agency to purchase from the awarded contractor, nor does it guarantee any additional orders will result. However, it does allow entities at their discretion, to make use of the City of Little Rock’s competitive procurement process directly from the awarded contractor. All purchases made shall be understood to be transactions between that entity and the awarded vendor.

7.3 The City of Little Rock shall not assume liability or obligation on behalf of any other governmental entity that may use any contract resulting from this solicitation. All purchases and payment transactions shall be made directly between the vendor and the requesting entity.

8. Inquiries and Submission Instructions

8.1 The responsive bid must be submitted through online bidding at LRProcure .

8.2 For any system-related questions, technical errors or help, please contact Bonfire Technical

Support or using the Help Button or at support@gobonfire.com Mon-Fri 8:00am-8:00pm EST. For all other assistance, staff is available at (501) 371-4560. Bidder acknowledges that support may not be readily available the day of or the hours/minutes prior to a bid closing date/time.

8.3 All responsive bids will be subject to public information pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of

Information Act.

Opening Bid Teams Meeting link:

ITB - Sign Language Interpreter Services Re-Bid Bid Opening | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

9. Terms and Conditions

All prospective Vendors who submit a proposal agree to be bound by the City of Little Rock Standard Terms and Conditions for Bidders and the online Bonfire Terms & Conditions.

http://www.littlerock.bonfire.hub.com/ mailto:support@gobonfire.com https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YWY5NGI0YjEtZDIzMS00ODRlLTg4ZjktMzQwOTZlNTM4ZDhj%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2284d336e2-3cb3-4ee8-91ca-5e4f107776ce%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220482e7ca-b0e2-4a95-9ca7-449438c919bf%22%7d https://www.bonfire.com/terms-and-conditions/