6-Small Procurement Bid - Audio Description Services - K26-0026-25 .pdf

Solicitation No. K26-0026-25 – Audio Description Services – mdcourts.gov/procurement

Rev. 03/25/2025

STATE OF MARYLAND

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS

PROCUREMENT, CONTRACT AND GRANT ADMINISTRATION

187 HARRY S. TRUMAN PARKWAY

ANNAPOLIS, MD 21401

SMALL PROCUREMENT

FOR

Audio Description Services

Solicitation No. K26-0026-25

The sole point of contact for this solicitation is the Procurement Officer. Bidders are specifically directed NOT to contact any other Maryland Judiciary personnel or its contracted consultants for meetings, conferences, or discussions that are specifically related to this Small Procurement at any time prior to any award and issuance of a Purchase

Order. Unauthorized contact with any Maryland Judiciary personnel or the Maryland Judiciary’s contracted consultants may be cause for rejection of the Bidder’s bid.

Unless otherwise stated in this solicitation, the Maryland Judiciary's Procurement Portal will be the sole method of communication during all phases of the solicitation and award process. We encourage Bidders to whitelist emails from the Procurement Portal to ensure relevant emails are not blocked and/or marked as spam. Additionally, Bidders are strongly encouraged to access the Procurement Portal on a regular basis to view and respond to relevant communications.

Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) are encouraged to respond to this Small Procurement.

KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET

Small Procurement

Audio Description Services

Solicitation No. K26-0026-25

Issue Date: August 5, 2025

Issuing Office: Procurement, Contract and Grant Administration

Procurement Officer: Theodore King

Maryland Judiciary, Administrative Office of the Courts

Department of Procurement, Contract and Grant Administration

187 Harry S. Truman Parkway

Annapolis, MD 21401

410-260-2557 theodore.king@mdcourts.gov

Bid Submission: Submissions are exclusively accepted electronically via the Procurement Portal.

Important Events: Refer to the project details and important events on the Procurement Portal for the date and time of the pre-proposal conference (as applicable), site visit(s) (as applicable), deadline for questions, and solicitation closing date & time.

Purchase Order Term: The Purchase Order term will be from the date of Purchase Order issuance until project completion, or 12/31/2025, whichever is sooner.

mailto:theodore.king@mdcourts.gov https://www.mdcourts.gov/procurementportal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. PURPOSE

B. ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS

C. PROCUREMENT OFFICER

D. CONTRACT MANAGER

E. DURATION OF BID

F. REVISIONS TO THE SMALL PROCUREMENT

G. CANCELLATIONS

H. PROTESTS/DISPUTES

I. MULTIPLE OR ALTERNATE BIDS

J. ARREARAGES

K. FALSE STATEMENTS

L. PRESS RELEASES

M. PAYMENTS TO SUCCESSFUL BIDDER

N. NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

O. DAMAGE TO STATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY

P. BIDDER SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Q. ACCESS TO AOC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

R. ACCESS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS

S. REQUIRED POLICIES, GUIDELINES, AND METHODOLOGIES

T. SUBSTITUTION OF PERSONNEL

SECTION II. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

A. PURCHASE ORDER TYPE

B. PROCUREMENT METHOD

C. AWARD BASIS

D. PRE-BID CONFERENCE

E. QUESTIONS

F. BID CLOSING DATE & TIME

G. INCURRED EXPENSES

H. ECONOMY OF PREPARATION

I. PUBLIC ACCESS TO JUDICIAL RECORDS

J. BIDDER RESPONSIBILITIES

K. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS & CONDITIONS

L. ACCEPTANCE OF SERVICES

M. INSURANCE

SECTION III. SCOPE OF WORK

A. SUMMARY

B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

C. BIDDER MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

D. SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION IV. BID SUBMISSION

A. BID SUBMISSION

B. BID SUBMITTALS

C. EVIDENCE OF BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment D – Pre-Bid/Proposal Conference Form

Attachment E – Bid/Price Proposal Form

Attachment F – Non-Disclosure Agreement Sample

Attachment G – Standard Terms and Conditions for Small Procurements

Attachment L – Bidder/Offeror Profile

Attachment M – Bidder/Offeror Experience

SECTION I. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. PURPOSE

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) issues this Small Procurement on behalf of Maryland Judicial

Center to procure the services of a qualified offeror to provide Audio Description Services.

B. ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS

For this Small Procurement, the following abbreviations or terms have the meanings indicated below:

1. AOC – Administrative Office of the Courts.

2. Bidder – An entity that submits a bid in response to this Solicitation.

3. Contract Manager – The AOC representative that serves as the technical manager for the resulting

Purchase Order. The Contract Manager monitors the daily activities of the Purchase Order and provides technical guidance to the Successful Bidder.

4. Diversity & Outreach Programs – Judiciary Program established to encourage and increase participation in Judiciary procurement by underrepresented or disadvantaged groups. The Program includes Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises

(VSBE).

5. eMMA – eMaryland Marketplace Advantage online procurement platform used to connect the supplier community with contracting opportunities from within the state, county, and local government entities.

6. Extraordinary Personal Event – Leave under the Family Medical Leave Act; an incapacitating injury or incapacitating illness; or, other circumstances that in the sole discretion of the AOC warrant an extended leave of absence such as extended jury duty or extended military services that precludes the individual from performing their job duties under the Purchase Order.

7. Local Time – Time in the Eastern Time Zone.

8. MBE – Minority Business Enterprise means any legal entity, other than a joint venture, organized to engage in commercial transactions, that is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are in a minority group (African American, Native American, Hispanic, women, or the physically or mentally disabled) that is socially and economically disadvantaged, and managed and operated by one or more of the socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who own it, and is so certified by the Maryland Department of Transportation.

9. Purchase Order – Written document issued to a Successful Bidder formalizing the terms and conditions of a proposed transaction, such as a description of the requested items, delivery schedule and terms of payment.

10. Procurement Officer – The AOC representative responsible for this solicitation, for the determination of Purchase Order scope issues, and the only AOC representative who can authorize changes to the

Purchase Order.

11. Procurement Portal – Strategic sourcing software allowing the Judiciary to receive and evaluate bids and proposals electronically.

12. Small Procurement – The use of the procedures set forth in the Procurement Procedures Manual to obtain items reasonably expected by the Procurement Officer to cost $100,000 or less.

13. Successful Bidder – The awarded Bidder.

14. VSBE - Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprise means any legal entity that meets the requirements set by the United States Small Business Administration, that is organized to engage in commercial transactions and is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are Veterans, and who manage the operations of the business, and is so designated in eMMA.

C. PROCUREMENT OFFICER

The sole point of contact in the AOC for purposes of this Small Procurement is the Procurement Officer noted on the Key Information Summary Sheet. The AOC may change the Procurement Officer at any time by written notice. Only information communicated by the Procurement Officer shall be deemed the official position of the AOC. No other State of Maryland or AOC employee, official, or representative has the authority to change the requirements of this solicitation. Attempts by the Bidder to circumvent this procedure in any manner may be grounds for disqualification.

D. CONTRACT MANAGER

The Contract Manager for post-award activities will be disclosed to the Successful Bidder. The AOC may change the Contract Manager at any time by written notice to the Successful Bidder.

E. DURATION OF BID

Bids submitted in response to this Small Procurement shall be valid and irrevocable for 90 days following the closing date for this Small Procurement. This period may be extended at the Procurement Officer’s request only with the Bidder’s written agreement.

F. REVISIONS TO THE SMALL PROCUREMENT

1. The AOC reserves the right to amend this Small Procurement at any time prior to the bid closing date and time. If the Small Procurement is revised prior to the bid closing date and time, the AOC shall post any addenda to the Small Procurement on the Procurement Portal and shall attempt to provide such addenda to all prospective Bidders that received the Small Procurement or are otherwise known by the Procurement Officers to have obtained this Small Procurement. It remains the responsibility of all prospective Bidders to review the Procurement Portal for any addenda issued prior to the submission of bids.

2. If one (1) or more than one (1) addenda are issued to this Small Procurement, Bidders shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda on the Procurement Portal.

3. Failure to acknowledge receipt of an addendum does not relieve the Bidder from complying with the terms, additions, deletions, clarifications, or corrections set forth in the addendum, and may cause the bid to be rejected.

G. CANCELLATIONS

The AOC reserves the right to cancel this Small Procurement; accept or reject any and all bids, in whole or in part, received in response to this Small Procurement; or, waive or permit cure of minor irregularities.

Bidders, whose bids are not accepted, will be notified in writing.

H. PROTESTS/DISPUTES

Any protest or dispute related to this solicitation, or the resulting Purchase Order shall be subject to the provisions of the Judicial Branch Procurement Policy.

I. MULTIPLE OR ALTERNATE BIDS

Neither multiple nor alternate bids will be accepted.

J. ARREARAGES

By submitting a bid in response to this Small Procurement, the Bidder shall be deemed to represent that it is not in arrears in the payment of any obligation due and owing the State of Maryland, including the payment of taxes and employee benefits, and that it shall not become so in arrears during the term of the Purchase

Order if selected for Purchase Order award.

K. FALSE STATEMENTS

Bidders are advised that in connection with a procurement Purchase Order, a person may not willfully:

Falsify, conceal, or suppress a material fact by any scheme or device; make a false or fraudulent statement or representation of a material fact; use a false writing or document that contains a false or fraudulent statement or entry of a material fact; or, aid or conspire with another person to commit any of these acts.

L. PRESS RELEASES

The Successful Bidder shall issue no press release to any publication, including newspapers and social media outlets, regarding work being conducted under the resulting Purchase Order from this Small Procurement, or utilize the Maryland Judiciary brand mark in any marketing materials, without the express written consent of the AOC.

M. PAYMENTS TO SUCCESSFUL BIDDER

1. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the Bidder agrees to accept payments by electronic funds transfer unless the State Comptroller’s Office grants an exemption. The selected Bidder shall register using the COT/GAD X-10 Vendor Electronic Funds (EFT) Registration Request Form. Any request for exemption must be submitted to the State Comptroller’s Office for approval at the address specified on the COT/GAD X-10 form and must include the business identification information as stated on the form and include the reason for the exemption. The COT/GAC X-10 form can be downloaded at: https://www.marylandtaxes.gov/forms/state-accounting/static-files/GADX10Form.pdf

2. Payments to the Successful Bidder shall be made not later than thirty (30) days after the acceptance of deliverables, and receipt of a proper invoice from the Bidder. Any charges of interest or the like for late payment are prohibited.

N. NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

All Bidders are advised that if a Purchase Order is awarded as a result of this Small Procurement, the

Successful Bidder may be required to complete a Non-Disclosure Agreement. A sample of this Agreement is included for informational purposes as Attachment F of this Small Procurement.

O. DAMAGE TO STATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY

1. The Bidder, their employees, subcontractors, and agents shall be held directly responsible to repair, replace, or restore to its original condition, to the satisfaction of the AOC, curbs, roadway surfaces, wheel stops, shrubbery, trees, buildings, bollards, gates, light pole, sign poles or any other State-owned property which is damaged by the actions of the above-mentioned representatives.

2. The Bidder, their employees, subcontractors, and agents shall be held directly responsible for any damage caused by their action or inaction to privately-owned property and shall hold the State of

Maryland harmless for such damages.

P. BIDDER SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

1. The Successful Bidder, and all Successful Bidder personnel and subcontractor personnel assigned to the Purchase Order, must comply with all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, policies, and

AOC policies and procedures for the duration of the Purchase Order.

2. The Successful Bidder must comply with the Judicial Information Systems (JIS) Information

Security Policy. The Information Security Policy closely aligns with guidelines published by the

National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Information Security Policy is available online at: http://www.mdcourts.gov/procurement/index.html.

3. The AOC reserves the right to monitor all applicable computer and electronic equipment usage for compliance with its policies.

Q. ACCESS TO AOC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

1. The Successful Bidder’s personnel shall complete all required paperwork as directed for access to any AOC information systems.

2. The Successful Bidder shall ensure the list of authorized Bidder personnel is always maintained and accurate. The system access rights of Successful Bidder personnel must be updated no later than twenty-four (24) hours after notification of the change in status; therefore, the Successful Bidder https://www.marylandtaxes.gov/forms/state-accounting/static-files/GADX10Form.pdf http://www.mdcourts.gov/procurement/index.html shall immediately notify the Contract Manager and JIS Information Security of any termination of

Successful Bidder personnel or if any approved Successful Bidder personnel no longer require access to an AOC system. The AOC security identification badge and all issued AOC assets must be immediately returned to the Contract Manager.

3. To ensure compliance with the JIS Information Security Policy, the approval, configuration, and monitoring of secured remote access into AOC systems will be processed by JIS staff. All remote connections that utilize a shared infrastructure must utilize encryption for transmission of data and authentication.

4. Any software used to meet the requirements of this solicitation, on any AOC system, must be included in the Bidder’s bid. Software must be assessed by JIS and approved by the JIS Chief

Information Officer. At the discretion of JIS, proposed software may be determined to be a risk to system and information integrity security controls and therefore rejected. If software is to be used remotely, the Judiciary shall control the method of access to our network via Virtual Private Network

(VPN), firewall configurations, and/or segregating remote machine access within our environment.

5. Bidders using an As-a-Service (e.g., infrastructure, software, platform, hardware) subservice hosting provider (e.g., Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform) must submit a current Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type II report, or equivalent (as determined by the

AOC), for the subservice and for the As-a-Service service provider. A SOC 2 Type II report for the subservice alone does not meet the requirements of this solicitation.

R. ACCESS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS

1. Successful Bidder may be required to submit the following information for AOC engagements for

Successful Bidder personnel, subcontractors, third-party resources, temporary employees, and training candidates:

a. Full Name.

b. Phone Number.

c. Personal/Private email with no connection to employer.

d. Emergency contact information

2. Site visits to any AOC location must be coordinated by AOC staff with the designated site personnel in advance of any visit.

3. Any Successful Bidder personnel working at AOC locations, or on AOC systems or projects, or who have access to AOC or State criminal data or systems, must be approved in writing by the

Procurement Officer prior to beginning work.

4. All Successful Bidder personnel working on AOC premises, property, systems or projects, contracts, or who have access to AOC or State criminal data or systems, may be required to obtain a Criminal

Justice Information System (CJIS) State and Federal criminal background check prior to beginning work. The AOC reserves the right to refuse to allow any Successful Bidder personnel to begin work based upon criminal records.

5. All Successful Bidder personnel assigned to work at AOC locations may be required to obtain an

AOC security identification badge prior to beginning work, and annually thereafter. The Successful

Bidder is responsible for any fees that may be incurred for initial issuance of the badge and for any replacement.

6. The security identification badge shall always be displayed while on AOC premises. To verify identity, the Successful Bidder personnel shall be prepared to provide photo identification upon request by an AOC employee.

7. Successful Bidder personnel are required to immediately notify the Contract Manager, the

Administrative Official of the respective department or office or the Contract Manager, if their security identification badge is lost or stolen.

8. The Successful Bidder personnel must notify the Contract Manager and the Administrative Official of the respective department or office, within one (1) business day if any personnel have been arrested, indicted, served with a criminal summons, named in a peace or protective order, or named as a defendant in any civil case. The Successful Bidder personnel are also required to provide regular updated information regarding the status of any of these court actions.

9. The Contract Manager, in conjunction with the Chief of the Office of Security Administration and the Procurement Officer, may impose restrictive conditions in response to prior criminal convictions, pending criminal charges, or a violation of AOC procedures, including removal from the Purchase

Order, and/or restricted access to AOC locations or systems.

10. In the event of a security incident or suspected security incident, the Successful Bidder personnel shall immediately notify the Contract Manager:

11. The Successful Bidder personnel shall cooperate fully in all security incident investigations.

12. During the Purchase Order, if necessary, for the delivery of goods and services, the Successful Bidder may be provided an AOC asset in the form of a cell phone, laptop, or other electronic device. All

AOC devices are the property of the AOC and must be returned in working, acceptable condition at the Purchase Order’s conclusion. If said devices are not in working acceptable conditions, Successful

Bidder may be responsible for the cost of said device(s). All devices must be regularly updated as specified by the manufacturer and JIS and must adhere to all confidentiality guidelines as provided by JIS and the AOC.

13. If the AOC determines that there is cause for the Successful Bidder’s work to be suspended, the

Successful Bidder shall take the following steps:

a. Immediately cease to represent itself as providing services to the AOC.

b. Deliver to the AOC: (a) a report describing the current state of the Deliverables provided by the Successful Bidder under this Agreement and any applicable Statements of Work outstanding as of the date of termination; (b) all AOC Confidential information in its possession or, at AOC’s option, destroy all such AOC Confidential information; and, (c) all work product to the AOC within seven (7) business days as of the date of termination. Work product includes, but is not limited to, works for hire and materials as described in §29.3.

c. The Successful Bidder is responsible for all AOC assets (including but not limited to, laptops, tablets, computers, cell phones, other portable electronic devices, accessories, and peripherals, etc.), that have been provided to the Successful Bidder at the AOC’s cost. All

AOC issued assets are required to be surrendered to the AOC within five (5) business days of the termination of services. Assets will be subject to evaluation and can include normal and expected wear and tear but must be functional and operable. Assets that do not meet this condition may be subject to additional charge to the Successful Bidder. Successful Bidder shall be liable to the AOC for all assets not surrendered.

S. REQUIRED POLICIES, GUIDELINES, AND METHODOLOGIES

The Bidder shall be required to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines affecting information technology projects, which may be created or changed periodically by the

AOC. The Bidder shall adhere to and remain abreast of current, new, and revised laws, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines affecting project execution. These may include, but are not limited to:

1. A System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology and framework based on best practices and industry standards, such as the incremental waterfall methodology, and the agile software development framework.

2. The Administrative Office of the Courts Judicial Information Systems Security Policy.

T. SUBSTITUTION OF PERSONNEL

1. Successful Bidder personnel may not be removed from working under the Purchase Order without the express written approval of the Contract Manager, or designee, and shall be subject to the same requirements set forth in Access and Background Check Section of this Small Procurement.

2. The Contract Manager may direct the Successful Bidder to replace any Successful Bidder personnel who, in the sole discretion of the Contract Manager, are perceived as being unqualified, non-productive, unable to fully perform the job duties, disruptive, or known, or reasonably believed, to have committed a major infraction(s) of law, AOC policies, or Purchase Order requirements.

END OF SECTION I.

SECTION II. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

A. PURCHASE ORDER TYPE

The Purchase Order that results from this Small Procurement shall be based on Fixed Price.

B. PROCUREMENT METHOD

The Purchase Order resulting from this Small Procurement shall be awarded in accordance with the Small

Procurement process under the Judicial Branch Procurement Policy.

C. AWARD BASIS

After obtaining all required approvals, a Purchase Order shall be awarded to the responsive and responsible

Bidder(s) submitting the most favorable bid. The AOC intends to make a single award under this Small

Procurement.

D. PRE-BID CONFERENCE

1. A Pre-bid Conference and site visit (as applicable) may be held on the date and time, and at the location (i.e., virtual or on-premises) indicated in the project details and important events sections of the solicitation on the Procurement Portal.

a. If the Pre-bid Conference is to be held on-premises, Bidders are encouraged to bring a copy of this Small Procurement and a business card to help facilitate a more efficient sign-in process. To ensure adequate seating and other accommodations at the Pre-bid Conference, please email the Pre-bid/proposal Conference Response Form (Attachment D) to the attention of the Procurement Officer no later than one (1) business day prior to the scheduled

Pre-bid Conference date and time.

b. If the Pre-bid Conference will be held virtually, Bidders shall register using the registration link located in the important events section of the solicitation on the Procurement Portal.

2. Bidder’s attendance at the Pre-bid Conference is mandatory, in order to facilitate better preparation of bids.

3. All potential subcontractors are encouraged to submit as an interested subcontractor on the

Procurement Portal for this specific opportunity under the Interested Contractor section.

4. If there is a need for sign language interpretation or other special accommodations due to a disability, please notify the Procurement Officer at least five (5) business days prior to the Pre-bid Conference.

The AOC will make a reasonable effort to provide such special accommodations.

E. QUESTIONS

1. Bidders shall direct all communication regarding this Small Procurement to the Procurement Officer.

Submit questions to the Procurement Officer through the opportunity Q&A section on the

Procurement Portal, no later than the date indicated on the solicitation.

2. The Procurement Officer, based on the availability of time to research and communicate, shall answer questions at their discretion prior to the bid closing date.

3. Answers to all substantive questions that are not clearly specific only to one (1) Bidder will be answered via Addenda and will be furnished to all potential Bidders known to have received the

Small Procurement as posted on the Procurement Portal.

4. The statements and interpretations contained in responses to any questions, whether responded to verbally or in writing, are not binding on the AOC unless issued in writing as an addendum.

F. BID CLOSING DATE & TIME

1. Bids must be received through the Procurement Portal not later than the date and time indicated on the solicitation. Bidders shall allow sufficient time to complete the submission process on the

Procurement Portal. Untimely bids will not be considered.

2. Bids may be modified or withdrawn by the Bidder through the Procurement Portal any time before the date and time set forth in the solicitation.

3. Unless specifically requested, bids not submitted electronically through the Procurement Portal will not be accepted.

G. INCURRED EXPENSES

The AOC will not be responsible for any costs incurred by a Bidder in preparing and submitting a bid in response to this Small Procurement.

H. ECONOMY OF PREPARATION

Bids shall be prepared simply and economically providing a straightforward, concise description of the

Bidder’s ability to meet the requirements of this Small Procurement.

I. PUBLIC ACCESS TO JUDICIAL RECORDS

1. Bidders shall specifically identify those portions of its bid that it considers confidential, proprietary commercial information, or trade secrets and provide justification why such materials, upon request, shall not be disclosed by the AOC under Title 16, Chapter 900 of the Maryland Rules.

2. The inspection of Judiciary procurement documents shall be governed exclusively by the Judicial

Branch Procurement Policy. Procurement documents are presumed to be open to the public for inspection, except as otherwise provided by the Judicial Branch Procurement Policy.

J. BIDDER RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Bidders shall be responsible for all goods and/or services and requirements set forth in this Small

Procurement including the Purchase Order performance of any subcontractor participation.

2. All subcontractors must be identified and a complete description of their role relative to the bid must be included in the Bidder’s bid. If the Successful Bidder requires the use of a subcontractor during the life of the Contract that was not identified in the bid or the role of an identified subcontractor otherwise changes, the Successful Bidder shall obtain approval from the Contract Manager. If applicable, subcontractors utilized in meeting the established MBE or VSBE participation goal(s) shall be identified as provided in the appropriate MBE/VSBE forms attached to this Small

Procurement.

3. If a Bidder that seeks to perform or provide the services required by this Small Procurement is the subsidiary of another entity, all information submitted by the Bidder such as, but not limited to, references and financial reports, shall pertain exclusively to the Bidder, unless the parent organization will guarantee the performance of the subsidiary. If applicable, the Bidder’s bid must contain an explicit statement, signed by an authorized representative of the parent organization, stating that the parent organization consents to the terms of the Small Procurement and will guarantee the performance of the subsidiary.

4. A parental guarantee of the performance of the Bidder under this section will not automatically result in crediting the Bidder with the experience or qualification of the parent under any evaluation criteria pertaining to the actual Bidder’s experience and qualifications. The Bidder will be evaluated on the extent to which the AOC determines that the experience and qualifications of the parent are applicable to and shared with the Bidder, any stated intent by the parent to be directly involved in the performance of the Purchase Order, and the value of the parent’s participation as determined by the AOC.

5. The Successful Bidder will be required to follow all current Judiciary protocols referencing pandemic flu or other infectious diseases including, but not limited to, proof of vaccination, producing negative

COVID tests, completing/passing an initial screening questionnaire, non-contact temperature taking, the wearing of personal protective equipment (e.g., face mask), and practicing appropriate social distancing. Failure to comply with any of the Judiciary’s protocol could result in being denied entry into Judiciary workspace, and mitigation up to and including Purchase Order termination.

K. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. By submitting a bid in response to this Small Procurement, the Bidder, if selected for award, shall be deemed to have accepted the terms and conditions of this Small Procurement and the Standard Terms and Conditions for Small Procurements attached hereto as Attachment G.

2. A bid that takes exception to these terms and conditions may be rejected.

3. By submitting a bid in response to this Small Procurement, the Bidder, if selected for award, agrees that it will comply with all federal, State, and local laws applicable to its activities and obligations under the Purchase Order.

L. ACCEPTANCE OF SERVICES

1. The Contract Manager or his/her designated representative has sole authority to determine the acceptable level of service.

2. When the Contact Manager or his/her designee determines that the Successful Bidder service is unsatisfactory, the Successful Bidder shall return to the site at the request of the AOC, or an authorized designee, and resolve the issue at no additional cost to the AOC.

M. INSURANCE

1. The Successful Bidder shall maintain, at minimum, the insurance coverages outlined in this section, or any minimum requirements established by law, if higher, for the duration of the Purchase Order including option periods, if exercised. Evidence that the required insurance coverage has been obtained may be provided by Certificates of Insurance duly issued and certified by the insurance company or companies furnishing such insurance.

2. All insurance policies shall be endorsed to provide that the insurance carrier will be responsible for providing immediate notice to the AOC in the event of cancellation or restriction of the insurance policy by either the insurance carrier or the Successful Bidder, at least sixty (60) days prior to any such cancellation or restriction. All insurance policies shall name as an additional insured the

Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts.

3. The requiring of any and all insurance as set forth in this Small Procurement, or elsewhere, shall be in addition to and not in any way in substitution for all the other protection provided under the

Purchase Order for acceptance and/or approval of any insurance by the Procurement Officer, and shall not be construed as relieving or excusing the Successful Bidder from any liability or obligation imposed upon it by the provisions of the Purchase Order.

4. The following type(s) of insurance and minimum amount(s) of coverage are required and may be satisfied by either individual policies or a combination of individual policies and an umbrella policy:

a. Commercial General Liability

(1) $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury, and $2,000,000 annual aggregate.

(2) A combined single limit per occurrence of $2,000,000 is acceptable.

b. Worker’s Compensation

(1) $500,000 each accident.

(2) $500,000 each disease for each employee.

(3) $500,000 each disease per policy limit.

(4) Coverage must be valid in all states where work is performed.

c. The AOC reserves the right to modify, or remove in its entirety, any of the required coverages when in the best interest of the AOC.

5. The insurance required above shall provide adequate protection for the Successful Bidder against claims which may arise from the Purchase Order, whether such claims arise from operations performed by the Successful Bidder or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by the Successful

Bidder, and against any special hazards which may be encountered in the performance of the

Purchase Order. In addition, all policies required must not exclude coverage for equipment while rented to others.

6. If any of the work under the Purchase Order is subcontracted, the Successful Bidder shall require any subcontractors to obtain and maintain comparable levels of coverage and shall provide the

Procurement Officer with the same documentation as is required of the Successful Bidder.

END OF SECTION II.

SECTION III. SCOPE OF WORK

A. SUMMARY

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is seeking bids from prospective Bidders to provide Audio

Description Services for existing videos to comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.

B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Maryland Court Help Video Library contains all the videos that require audio description services to be performed. The videos are available on YouTube. The YouTube link to Court Help library is below.

Court Help Video Library: https://www.mdcourts.gov/reference/videolibrary

C. BIDDER MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Bidders shall meet the following minimum qualifications:

1. Three (3) years’ experience providing audio description services comparable in scope, type, size, magnitude, and complexity as required in this Small Procurement.

D. SCOPE OF WORK

The Successful Bidder shall provide all labor, equipment, materials, and supervision to complete the following:

1. Process and deliver audio descriptions for one hundred and seventy-one (171) videos that reside on the Maryland Judiciary managed YouTube channel(s).

a. The number of videos for each language are as follows:

(1) One hundred and thirty-eight (138) English-language.

(2) Seventeen (17) Spanish-language.

(3) Four (4) Russian-language.

(4) Four (4) Mandarin-language.

(5) Four (4) Korean–language.

(6) Four (4) French-language.

b. The total approximate run-time for all non-English language videos is as follows:

(1) Spanish: 100 minutes

(2) Russian: 27 minutes

(3) Mandarin: 27 minutes

(4) Korean: 25 minutes

(5) French: 29 minutes

Links to sample videos are below:

https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/courthelp/restrictedinfo https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/selfhelp/expungement-series-guilty-disposition https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/courthelp/divorce-basics https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/courthelp/remote-hearings-participate https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/selfhelp/como-solicitar-un-interprete

2. Bidder shall provide narrative descriptions of physical actions and scene changes, as needed, during gaps in dialogue or through extended audio descriptions.

3. Bidder shall provide voice talent, fluent in the target language, that will match the style, tone, and pace of the individual video program.

a. Synthesized speech that sounds natural may be accepted only after a voice sample is approved by the AOC Contract Manager.

https://www.mdcourts.gov/reference/videolibrary https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/courthelp/restrictedinfo https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/selfhelp/expungement-series-guilty-disposition https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/courthelp/divorce-basics https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/courthelp/remote-hearings-participate https://www.mdcourts.gov/video/selfhelp/como-solicitar-un-interprete

b. The Bidder shall provide the AOC Contract Manager the script for audio descriptions for approval prior to starting any recordings.

c. The AOC Contract Manager shall approve both the script and the voice talent prior to any recordings.

(1) The Bidder shall anticipate at least three (3) rounds of revisions prior to acceptance of a script at no additional cost to the AOC.

(2) The AOC reserves the right to request a revision of the recorded audio if a deficiency exists (e.g., unintelligible, low volume).

4. The AOC requires a separate audio file with the audio descriptions for use on YouTube.

a. The Bidder shall provide audio files in MP3 format.

b. The Bidder shall name the files to match the title of the video.

c. The Bidder shall provide a download link for the AOC to access and download the files.

d. Audio descriptions may be standard or, if necessary, extended.

(1) If extended audio descriptions are necessary, the AOC requires the separate video file with the extended audio descriptions.

i The extended file format must be MP4.

ii The Bidder shall name the files to match the title of the video.

5. The AOC shall utilize any videos produced under this Small Procurement at its sole discretion, without restriction, and own all rights to all scripts, voice recordings, and edited files.

a. Any music, voice talent, or other elements (e.g., images, footage) utilized must either be royalty free or be licensed by the Bidder in a manner that will not result in any restriction, forced ad placements, partial or full audio muting or any similar instance on any platform. If this occurs, the Bidder shall immediately remediate such issues at no cost to the AOC.

6. The Bidder shall ensure all deliverables are free from errors, mispronunciations, or timing issues.

Any errors identified by the AOC shall be corrected at no additional cost within ten (10) business days notification.

7. The AOC reserves the right to add additional videos for audio description services under this Small

Procurement at the unit pricing included on the Attachment E – Bid/Price Proposal Form. The videos may be newly produced or previously overlooked videos, at the AOC’s discretion.

8. The Bidder shall complete all work not later than December 31, 2025.

END OF SECTION III.

SECTION IV. BID SUBMISSION

A. BID SUBMISSION

Bidders shall submit their bid in accordance with the required and optional submittals as defined in Section

IV.B of this Small Procurement, and the Procurement Portal. By submitting a response in the Procurement

Portal, the submitting individual certifies they are authorized to bind the Bidder to the requirements of this

Solicitation, including all addenda.

B. BID SUBMITTALS

Each bid must include the following:

1. Addenda Acknowledgment: Bidder shall acknowledge receipt of any addenda on the Procurement

Portal. Failure to acknowledge addenda may result in your proposal being found not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award.

2. Insurance Acknowledgment: Bidders shall acknowledge they have reviewed the insurance requirements, as written in Section II of this Small Procurement, on the Procurement Portal. Bidders are reminded that only the Successful Bidder is required to meet the insurance requirements, and the

Successful Bidder is not required to provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI) meeting the written insurance requirements until receiving notification from the AOC that they are the Apparent

Awardee. If the Bidder requires additional insurance coverage to meet the written insurance requirements in this Small Procurement, the Bidder shall ensure that such potential additional insurance expenses are reflected and included in their Bid. Failure to acknowledge insurance requirements may result in your Bid being determined non-responsive.

3. Claim of Confidentiality: Any information which is claimed to be confidential and/or proprietary shall be so identified. An explanation for each claim of confidentiality shall be included. The entire bid cannot be given a blanket confidentiality designation.

4. Attachment L – Bidder/Offeror Profile: Bidder shall complete Attachment L – Bidder/Offeror Profile included on the Procurement Portal and enclose with their Bid.

5. Attachment M – Bidder/Offeror Experience: Bidder shall complete Attachment M – Bidder/Offeror

Experience included on the Procurement Portal and enclose with their Bid. Experience/References shall include not less than three (3) references, within the past five (5) years, from customers/clients who can document the Bidder’s ability to provide the goods and/or services specified in this Small

Procurement. A reference may not be submitted from an employee of the Maryland Judicial Branch of government.

6. Subcontractors: For all subcontractors that will work on the contract if the Bidder receives an award, including those utilized in meeting the MBE and VSBE subcontracting goal(s) (as applicable), Bidder shall include a full description of the duties each subcontractor will perform and why/how each subcontractor was deemed the most qualified for this project.

7. IRS Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number & Certification: Bidder shall submit a completed IRS Form W-9 and enclose with their Bid.

8. Bid/Price Proposal Form

a. The Bidder shall complete the Bid/Price Proposal Form and/or the requested total price in the format specified on the Bid/Price Proposal Form and/or the Procurement Portal. The

Bidder shall not amend, alter, or leave blank (as applicable) any items on the Bid/Price

Proposal Form, or include any clarifying or contingent language on or attached to the

Bid/Price Proposal Form. Failure to adhere to any of these instructions may result in the Bid being determined non-responsive and rejected by the AOC.

(1) Per Section III.D.7. of this Small Procurement, the AOC is requesting unit pricing for AD services through Lines 2 through 7 of the Attachment E – Bid/Price Proposal

Form. This pricing is only requested for use for any out-of-scope work identified after award of this Small Procurement.

(2) Bidders shall provide a lump sum price on Line 1 of the Attachment E – Bid/Price

Proposal Form for all the work identified in this Small Procurement. Bidders shall enter this total price where requested (i.e., Total Price prompt) in the Procurement

Portal.

b. The Bidder will not be reimbursed for any travel expenses including but not limited to transportation, meals, and hotel accommodations, except as approved in advance by the

Contract Manager.

C. EVIDENCE OF BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY

The AOC may require any Bidder to furnish additional information regarding past performance, financial capacity, technical expertise, or other qualifications bearing on performance of the Purchase Order and reserves the right to consider any information otherwise available, or to make such additional investigations as it deems necessary to confirm the responsibility of any Bidder. In the absence of information clearly indicating that the prospective Bidder is responsible, the Procurement Officer shall make a determination of non-responsibility.

END OF SECTION IV.