8 28425-KH RFB.docx

REQUEST FOR BID

Statewide Interpretation and Translation Services

RFB#: 28425-KH

Issued: June 6, 2024 Responses Due: August 5, 2024 2:00 PM CT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

The State of Wisconsin, as represented by the Department of Administration, intends to use the results of this procurement to Contract for Statewide Foreign Language and American Sign Language Interpretation and Translation services. This document provides interested parties with all relevant information to enable them to prepare and submit an official response. Contracts that are established through this Request for Bid (RFB) will be utilized by State Agencies including University of Wisconsin campuses and eligible participants in the State of Wisconsin’s cooperative purchasing services.

DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Request for Bid and resulting Contract(s), the following definitions of terms shall apply, unless otherwise indicated.

For the purposes of assignment cancellation policies in this RFB, the cancellation deadline is based on the scheduled assignment time; for example, for an assignment scheduled for 1:00 PM CT on a Thursday, the two-business-day cancellation deadline is on Tuesday of that same week at 1:00 PM CT.

Contract Manager:

The employee of an Agency responsible for 1) resolving contractual matters that cannot be resolved with the Contract Administrator; and 2) facilitating and/or completing all official actions under the Contract including but not limited to amendments, renewals, and termination.

Contractor:

The person or entity that has been awarded the Contract as a result of this Bid, and who is required to provide equipment, materials, supplies, contractual Services, or leasing real property to the State.

Core In-Person Languages for the purposes of this RFB are: Arabic, Burmese, Hmong, Karen Languages, Pashto, Rohingya, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Swahili.

Core Remote Languages for the purposes of this RFB are: Albanian, Arabic, Burmese, Chin Languages, Dari, French, Hakka Chinese, Hindi, Hmong, Karen Languages, Kinyarwanda, Lao/Laotian, Lingala, Malay, Mandarin, Pashto, Punjabi, Rohingya, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

In-Person American Sign Language Interpretation Services are provided at various on-site locations throughout the State of Wisconsin. The Contractor's Interpreter mediates between the buying Agency's staff and the buying Agency's deaf or hard of hearing client to interpret the conversation.

In-Person Foreign Language Oral Interpretation Services are provided at various on-site locations throughout the State of Wisconsin. The Contractor's Interpreter mediates between the buying Agency's staff and the buying Agency's non-English speaking or LEP client to interpret the conversation.

Notice of Intent to Award:

A writing issued by the State notifying all Bidders of the State's intent to award a Contract to the successful Bidder(s).

accomplish or to provide under this RFB.

• Additional holidays as adopted by the State of Wisconsin

Subcontractor:

A company, including but not limited to a franchisee, that assumes by secondary contract some or all of the obligations of an original Contractor.

Telephone Foreign Language Oral Interpretation Services are required 24/7/365 via a toll-free number provided by the Contractor. The Contractor's Interpreter mediates between the buying Agency's staff and the buying Agency's non-English speaking or LEP client to interpret the conversation.

· Major words: Nouns, verbs (including linking verbs), adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and all words of four letters or more are considered major words.

· Minor words: Short (i.e., three letters or fewer) conjunctions, short prepositions, and all articles are considered minor words.

Video Remote American Sign Language Interpretation Services are provided via various online video platforms. The Contractor's Interpreter mediates between the buying Agency's staff and the buying Agency's deaf or hard of hearing client to interpret the conversation.

Video Remote Foreign Language Oral Interpretation Services are provided via various online video platforms. The Contractor's Interpreter mediates between the buying Agency's staff and the buying Agency's non-English speaking or LEP client to interpret the conversation.

Written Foreign Language Translation Services are provided by Contractors who translate documents from English to non-English languages or from non-English languages to English. This Contract will not provide for printing of translated materials.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE REQUEST FOR BID

The State of Wisconsin, Department of Administration, requests Bids for the purchase of American Sign Language and foreign language interpretation and written translation services and intends to use the results of this process to award one or more Contracts. The Bidder(s) awarded Contract(s) will provide Statewide interpretation and translation services on an as-needed basis for State of Wisconsin Agencies including University of Wisconsin campuses and eligible participants in the State of Wisconsin’s cooperative purchasing service. The resulting Contract(s) will be mandatory use by State Agencies and optional for University of Wisconsin Campuses. Authorized municipalities may optionally utilize the Contract(s). The exact time and location for performance will be established for the Contractor by the State Agency requesting the services.

OVERVIEW OF PROCURING AGENCY, BACKGROUND, AND OBJECTIVES

This Request for Bid (RFB) is issued by the Department of Administration, State Bureau of Procurement, which is the sole point of contact for the State of Wisconsin during the selection process.

The State does not guarantee it will purchase any specific quantity or dollar amount. Bids that require a minimum dollar amount including time or quantities, other than stated in the RFB documents, for these services to be ordered will be rejected. There will be no guarantee to purchase any specific quantity or pay any minimum Contract price during the term of the Contract.

This Bid will be split into six (6) Lots:

· In-Person American Sign Language Interpretation

· In-Person Foreign Language Interpretation

· Video Remote American Sign Language Interpretation

· Video Remote Foreign Language Interpretation

· Telephone Foreign Language Interpretation

· Written Foreign Language Translation

Total spend for previous Contract years is as follows:

*Video Remote Foreign Language Interpretation was previously an optional service offered under the Video Remote ASL Interpretation Contract, and separate spending for each service was not captured. Historical spend for the VRI Contract appears artificially low due to previous contractual requirements that limited Contract usage and resulted in a large portion of VRI services being procured outside of the Statewide Contract.

Clients of State Agencies may include, but are not limited to, mental health patients; children; families affected by domestic violence, child abuse and neglect; sexual assault victims; convicted and/or incarcerated individuals; the elderly; criminal witnesses and defendants; individuals with disabilities; students; customers; employees; and individuals with various immigration statuses.

Core languages are those deemed most likely to be used under this Contract based on previous Contract usage and State demographics; however, any language currently in use could be needed at any time. Core Languages are a mandatory requirement of this Bid.

Core In-Person Languages are:

· Arabic

· Burmese

· Hmong

· Karen Languages

· Pashto

· Rohingya

· Russian

· Somali

· Spanish

· Swahili

Core Remote Languages are:

· Albanian

· Arabic

· Burmese

· Chin Languages

· Dari

· French

· Hakka Chinese

· Hindi

· Hmong

· Karen Languages

· Kinyarwanda

· Lao/Laotian

· Lingala

· Malay

· Mandarin

· Pashto

· Punjabi

· Rohingya

· Russian

· Somali

· Spanish

· Swahili

· Ukrainian

· Urdu

· Vietnamese

The State of Wisconsin has been divided into eight (8) Regions for the In-Person Lots included in this Bid. Reference attached Attachment C – Bid Cost Sheet and Attachment G – Wisconsin Regions.

CONTRACT TERM

This Contract will run for an initial one (1)-year period. The State and the Contractor(s), upon written mutual agreement, may renew the Contract for up to four (4) additional one (1)-year periods. The Contract shall be effective on 10/1/2024 or the date it is signed by the State, whichever is later.

The original Contract term or any renewal period may be extended at the State’s request on a month-to-month basis for a period not to exceed six (6) months for the purpose of completing a future solicitation or transition to new Contractor(s). Contract conditions, terms, and pricing shall not be modified during such a month-to-month extension, unless prior approval of the justification is obtained in writing by the Contract Manager.

MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACT

The Contract shall not be used for purchasing Commodities or Services outside of the general scope and intent of the original Request for Bid. Any modifications made to the Contract shall fall within the scope of the Bid and be rendered in writing and signed by both parties or those modifications will be void.

ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

In the event of a Contract award, the contents of this RFB (including all attachments), RFB addenda and revisions, the Bid response from the successful Bidder as accepted by the State, and any additional terms agreed to in writing by the parties shall be incorporated into the Contract. Failure of the successful Bidder to accept these elements into the Contract will result in the cancellation of the Contract award.

In the event of conflict with the incorporated elements of the Contract, the following order of precedence will prevail:

· Final Signed Contract with clarifications included

· Bid Response as accepted by the State of Wisconsin

· Request for Bid

A sample State of Wisconsin Contract (Attachment D – Sample Contract) has been attached as a Supporting Document to this RFB. It represents the terms and conditions the State expects to execute with the successful Bidder(s).

COOPERATIVE PURCHASING SERVICES

Commodities and Services shall be made available to Municipalities upon agreement of the Contractor. Where requested by the State, and agreed to by the Contractor(s), Municipalities shall be able to obtain the commodities and Services procured under the Contract at the same rates agreed to by the State and the Contractor. The Contractor shall be responsible for confirming the status of potential Municipalities with the State and providing appropriate documentation and support and reporting Contract usage by Municipalities. Reference ATTACHMENT A, DOA-3832, Section 5 to complete the required information.

RESPONDING TO BID REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory Bidder qualifications and/or requirements in this RFB document must be minimally met without exception; failure to meet such may disqualify your Bid. Before the award of any Contract, the State shall be satisfied that the Bidder has sufficient qualified resources available for performing the work described in this Bid. It is the Bidder's responsibility to acquaint the State with these qualifications by submitting appropriate or supporting documentation.

Certain qualifications/Specifications will be presented by the State in the eSupplier portal as itemized questions (Bid Factors) that require an affirmative response from the Bidder indicating that they can be met (e.g., "yes/no" prompt, dropdown menu, required attachment). Other requirements may be presented in a grouped manner (e.g., "Does your company meet requirements 2.1-2.8?"). For any itemized or grouped requirements that cannot be met, the Bidder must check "no" and provide a supplemental document as an attachment to explain.

Failure to meet a qualification will disqualify a Bid. However, in the event that no Bidder is able to meet an individual mandatory requirement, the State reserves the right to continue the review of Bids and to select the Bid that most closely meets the requirements specified in this RFB.

BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Experience The State will rely on the Bidder’s attestation to meeting these qualifications to ensure responsiveness with the requirements. For purposes of this section, adherence to the requirements can be construed to include actions as the current vendor/company or any previous iteration of said vendor/company. Bidder attests that they have performed all of the following functions for a Current Customer, as defined in the RFB Definitions, utilizing Interpretation or Translation services, at least once within the last two (2) years. These requirements are a Bid Factor that must be answered either “yes” or “no” that the Bidder attests that they have the experience as listed below and can provide information to support their answer if requested by the Contract Manager.

2.1.1 – Bidder has provided the Interpretation or Translation services being bid and has the capacity to successfully fulfill such requirements as requested by multiple customers at the same time period.

2.1.2 – Bidder has provided detailed and timely reporting to customers.

2.1.3 – Bidder has provided detailed invoicing to Current Customers with multiple billing accounts.

MANDATORY SPECIFICATIONS OF BID

All requirements in this section are mandatory and shall be met at no additional cost above the pricing provided in the Bid.

Bidder must use Attachment B – Performance and Support Requirements to respond to this section. Each Lot as defined in RFB Section 1.3 has its own Performance and Support Requirements spreadsheet tab. Bidders must complete the tab for each Lot they submit a Bid (price) on in Attachment C – Cost Sheet; do not complete the Performance and Support Requirement tab for any Lot that is not being Bid on in Attachment C – Cost Sheet.

GENERAL MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Bidder shall use Attachment B – Performance and Support Requirements to respond to this section. All General Mandatory Requirements are mandatory. Submission of a Bid means the Bidder agrees that they comply with the requirements detailed by the State in this section. Failure to meet a mandatory requirement may disqualify your Bid or may result in the cancellation of a Contract Award. In the event that no Bidder is able to meet an individual mandatory requirement, the State reserves the right to continue the review of Bids and to select the Bid that most closely meets the requirements specified in this RFB.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Bidder shall use Attachment B – Performance and Support Requirements to respond to this section. All Technical Requirements are mandatory. Submission of a Bid means the Bidder agrees that they comply with the requirements detailed by the State in this section. Failure to meet a mandatory requirement may disqualify your Bid or may result in the cancellation of a Contract Award. In the event that no Bidder is able to meet an individual mandatory requirement, the State reserves the right to continue the review of Bids and to select the Bid that most closely meets the requirements specified in this RFB.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

Bidder shall use Attachment B – Performance and Support Requirements to respond to this section. All Performance Requirements are mandatory. Submission of a Bid means the Bidder agrees that they comply with the requirements detailed by the State in this section. Failure to meet a mandatory requirement may disqualify your Bid or may result in the cancellation of a Contract Award. In the event that no Bidder is able to meet an individual mandatory requirement, the State reserves the right to continue the review of Bids and to select the Bid that most closely meets the requirements specified in this RFB.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Bidder shall use Attachment B – Performance and Support Requirements to respond to this section. All Reporting Requirements are mandatory. Submission of a Bid means the Bidder agrees that they comply with the requirements detailed by the State in this section. Failure to meet a mandatory requirement may disqualify your Bid or may result in the cancellation of a Contract Award. In the event that no Bidder is able to meet an individual mandatory requirement, the State reserves the right to continue the review of Bids and to select the Bid that most closely meets the requirements specified in this RFB.

INVOICING REQUIREMENTS

Bidder shall use Attachment B – Performance and Support Requirements to respond to this section. All Invoicing Requirements are mandatory. Submission of a Bid means the Bidder agrees that they comply with the requirements detailed by the State in this section. Failure to meet a mandatory requirement may disqualify your Bid or may result in the cancellation of a Contract Award. In the event that no Bidder is able to meet an individual mandatory requirement, the State reserves the right to continue the review of Bids and to select the Bid that most closely meets the requirements specified in this RFB.

SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BID

The State reserves the right to negotiate special terms and conditions when it is in the best interest of the State to do so. The Bidder shall not submit its own Contract document as a substitute for the State's Special Terms and Conditions.

Bidders shall accept all terms and conditions or submit point-by-point exceptions along with proposed alternative language for each point. The State may or may not consider any of the Bidder's suggested revisions. Any changes or amendment to any of the terms and conditions will occur only if the change is in the best interest of the State.

FRATERNIZATION/AGENCY WORK RULES

All Contractors and their subcontractors (if applicable) working on-site are subject to departmental rules. A copy of these rules may be obtained by written request to the State's Procurement Manager identified in this RFB.

PAYMENT TERMS

Payment will not be made until the service is determined to meet all Specifications, requirements, deliverables, and has been accepted/signed off by the receiving Agency.

CANCELLATION AND TERMINATION

TERMINATION FOR CAUSE

The State may terminate this Contract after providing the Contractor with sixty (60) calendar days written notice of the Contractor's right to cure a failure of the Contractor to perform under the terms of this Contract. The Contractor may terminate this Contract after providing the State a one hundred and twenty (120) calendar day notice of the State's right to cure a failure of the State to perform under the terms of this Contract.

Upon termination of this Contract for any reason, or upon Contract expiration, each party shall be released from all obligations to the other party arising after the date of termination or expiration, except for those that by their terms survive such termination or expiration.

TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE

Either party may terminate this Contract at any time, without cause, by providing a written notice; the State of Wisconsin by providing at least a sixty (60) calendar day notice to the Contractor, and the Contractor providing at least a one hundred and twenty (120) calendar day notice to the State in advance of the intended date of termination.

In the event of termination for convenience, the Contractor shall be entitled to receive compensation for any fees owed under the Contract. The Contractor shall also be compensated for partially completed Services. In this event, compensation for such partially completed Services shall be no more than the percentage of completion of the Services requested, at the sole discretion of the State, multiplied by the corresponding payment for completion of such Services as set forth in the Contract. Alternatively, at the sole discretion of the State, the Contractor may be compensated for the actual Service hours provided. The State shall be entitled to a refund for goods or Services paid for but not received or implemented, such refund to be paid within thirty (30) days of written notice to the Contractor requesting the refund.

CONTRACT CANCELLATION

The State reserves the right to cancel this Contract in whole or in part without penalty if the Contractor:

· Fails to perform any material obligation required under the Contract.

· Files a petition in bankruptcy, becomes insolvent, or otherwise takes action to dissolve as a legal entity.

· Allows any final judgment not to be satisfied or a lien not to be disputed after a legally-imposed, 30-day notice.

· Makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors.

· Fails to follow the sales and use tax certification requirements of §77.66 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

· Incurs a delinquent Wisconsin tax liability.

· Fails to submit a non-discrimination or affirmative action plan as required in the Standard Terms and Conditions (DOA-3054).

· Fails to follow the non-discrimination or affirmative action requirements of subch. II, Chapter 111 of the Wisconsin Statutes (Wisconsin's Fair Employment Law).

· Becomes a federally debarred Contractor.

· Is excluded from federal procurement and non-procurement contracts.

· Fails to maintain and keep in force all required insurance, permits and licenses as provided in this Contract.

· Fails to maintain the confidentiality of the State's information that is considered to be Confidential Information, proprietary, or containing Personally Identifiable Information.

· Contractor performance threatens the health or safety of a State employee or State customer.

COST STRUCTURE AND COST SHEET INSTRUCTIONS

METHOD OF BID

Attachment C – Bid Cost Sheet contains six (6) Lots on six (6) separate tabs. Lot 1, In-Person American Sign Language Interpretation, and Lot 2, In-Person Foreign Language Interpretation, are further divided into eight (8) Regions as outlined in attachment G – Wisconsin Regions. The Bidder shall submit pricing for any or all Lots/Regions; however, they must bid on all mandatory pricing for each Lot/Region to be considered for award.

Bidder shall use Attachment C – Bid Cost Sheet to submit all Bid pricing for each Lot being bid. The Bid Cost Sheet is a mandatory “Bid Factor” in eSupplier and must be submitted with the Bid.

Bidders are encouraged to provide optional pricing for additional services they provide, as outlined below in RFB Section 5.2 Cost Sheet Instructions and the instructions included in Attachment C – Bid Cost Sheet. Optional pricing will not be a factor or a part of the determination of award to potential Contractors.

COST SHEET INSTRUCTIONS

Attachment C – Bid Cost Sheet contains six (6) Lots, each on a separate tab within the Excel document. A Bidder may submit a Bid for any or all of these Lots.

Each Lot has mandatory pricing as outlined below. Additionally, each Lot allows the Bidder to include optional pricing for other standard services they provide. These optional fees will not be a factor or a part of the determination of award to potential Contractors. No optional pricing shall override mandatory pricing, and any optional fees provided by the Bidder that the State determines are not within the scope of the Contract may be rejected by the State.

Examples of suggested optional pricing is included in the Cost Sheet; the Bidder is not required to provide a price on these optional items. Any optional services may only be billed with prior approval by the buying Agency. If a Bidder provides optional pricing for a certification or license, the certificate or license must be provided after the Notice of Intent to Award and prior to signing a Contract. Contracts or licenses must be provided upon request from the Contract Manager or any buying Agency during the course of the Contract. If the license or certificate is not maintained, that fee will be removed from the Contractor's pricing. Contractor pricing may be reinstated if the certificate or license is reinstated upon approval by the Contract Manager. The Contractor may only charge any fees that are submitted on the original Bid Cost Sheet for the duration of the Contract and may not charge the State any fees that are not included in this Cost Sheet.

Lot 1: In-Person American Sign Language Interpretation Bidders must bid on one or more Regions to be considered for award. Bidders are not required to bid on all Regions. See Attachment G – Wisconsin Regions for region breakdown by map and county.

For each Region bid, Bidders must provide an hourly rate for ASL Interpretation for normal business hours, outside normal business hours/holidays, and a flat fee for services requested with less than 24 hours’ notice. All three (3) of these mandatory prices must be included for each Region being bid or the Bid will be disqualified.

In-Person Interpretation is billed by the hour, with a minimum of two (2) hours. Billing shall be rounded to the next half hour increment thereafter.

Lot 2: In-Person Foreign Language Interpretation Bidders must bid on one or more Regions to be considered for award. Bidders are not required to bid on all Regions. See Attachment G – Wisconsin Regions for region breakdown by map and county.

For each Region bid, Bidders must provide hourly rates for Foreign Language Interpretation for both Core Languages and Non-Core languages for normal business hours, outside normal business hours/holidays, and a flat fee for services requested with less than 24 hours’ notice. All five (5) of these mandatory prices must be included for each Region being bid or the Bid for that Region will be disqualified. Bidders must provide Interpretation services for all In-Person Core Languages as outlined in RFB Section 1.3.

In-Person Interpretation is billed by the hour, with a minimum of two (2) hours. Billing shall be rounded to the next half hour increment thereafter.

A list of all Non-Core Languages provided by the Bidder shall be provided to the State upon Contract award.

Lot 3: Video Remote American Sign Language Interpretation Bidders must provide hourly rates for ASL Interpretation for normal business hours and for outside normal business hours/holidays. Both of these two (2) mandatory prices must be included or the Bid for that Lot will be disqualified.

Video Remote Interpretation is billed by the hour, with a minimum of one (1) hour. Billing shall be rounded to the next quarter hour increment thereafter.

Lot 4: Video Remote Foreign Language Interpretation Bidders must provide hourly rates for Foreign Language Interpretation for both normal business hours and for outside normal business hours/holidays, for both Core Languages and Non-Core Languages, for both Consecutive Interpretation and Simultaneous Interpretation. All eight (8) of these mandatory prices must be included or the Bid for that Lot will be disqualified. Bidders must provide Interpretation services for all Remote Core Languages as outlined in RFB Section 1.3.

Video Remote Interpretation will be billed by the hour, with a minimum of one (1) hour. Billing shall be rounded to the next quarter hour increment thereafter.

A list of all Non-Core Languages provided by the Bidder shall be provided to the State upon Contract award.

Lot 5: Telephone Foreign Language Interpretation Bidders must provide a 24/7/365 per-minute rate for both Core Language and Non-Core Languages. Both of these two (2) mandatory prices must be included or the Bid for that Lot will be disqualified. Bidders must provide Interpretation services for all Remote Core Languages as outlined in RFB Section 1.3

Telephone Interpretation is billed by the minute, with no minimum billing requirement allowed. Billing shall be rounded to the next full minute.

A list of all Non-Core Languages provided by the Bidder shall be provided to the State upon Contract award.

Lot 6: Written Foreign Language Translation Bidders must provide a per-word rate for both standard turnaround and for rush turnaround for both Remote Core and Non-Core Languages as outlined in RFB Section 1.3.

Bidders must be able to meet the following minimum standard turnaround times:

Up to 1,000 words: 5 business days 1,001-5,000 words: 10 business days 5,001 to 10,000 words: 15 business days

Bidders must be able to provide rush turnaround upon request, the timing of which shall be determined by the Contractor at the time of the assignment.

Bidders must also provide a per-word rate for both Core and Non-Core Languages for proofreading translations already completed by others, an hourly rate for layout services, and a percentage discount for translating one document into multiple languages. All eight (8) of these mandatory prices must be included or the Bid for that Lot will be disqualified. Bidders must provide Translation services for all Remote Core Languages as outlined in RFB Section 1.3.

Written Translation is billed by the word, with a 100-word minimum.

A list of all Non-Core Languages provided by the Bidder shall be provided to the State upon Contract award.

BID PROCEDURE AND INSTRUCTIONS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Listed below are important dates and times by which actions related to this Request for Bid shall be completed. In the event that the State finds it necessary to change any of these dates and times (except estimated dates and times), it will do so by posting an amendment to this RFB on Wisconsin eSupplier Portal.

CORRESPONDENCE, CLARIFICATIONS, AND QUESTIONS

Bidders must submit any questions, exceptions, or additions they have concerning the RFB document by June 20, 2024 2:00 PM CT. A second round of questions will be due on June 27, 2024 at 2:00 PM CT. If at any time prior to the Bid due date a Bidder discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this RFB, the Bidder shall immediately notify the State Bureau of Procurement representative named below of the issue in writing and request modification or clarification of the RFB document.

All communication and/or questions on all matters regarding this Bid shall be made either through the "Ask Question" function in the solicitation on eSupplier Portal or in writing via email directed to Kristina Harris at kristina.harris@wisconsin.gov. Include Request for Bid 28425-KH on all communications, including the email subject line.

In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of the RFB, supplements or revisions will be posted to the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal.

All contact or communication with any employee or officer of the State of Wisconsin concerning this RFB, except Kristina Harris, is strictly prohibited during the period from the date this RFB is released until the date the Notice of Intent to Award is issued. Kristina Harris may authorize in writing contact or communication with another State employee or officer as circumstances may dictate. Prospective Bidders who hold a current Contract with the State may continue to communicate with the State Contract Manager regarding the performance of that current Contract only.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

Upon request, the State Bureau of Procurement shall provide reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for individuals with a disability. If accommodations are needed at a Bid opening or Bidders' Conference, please contact: Kristina Harris Telephone: 608-266-2313; email: kristina.harris@wisconsin.gov.

WISCONSIN eSUPPLIER PORTAL REGISTRATION Only Bidders registered with the State of Wisconsin’s eSupplier Portal (the State’s electronic purchasing information system) will receive future official notice for this Service/Commodity. The State of Wisconsin purchasing information and Bidder notification service is available to all businesses and organizations that want to sell to the State. Anyone may access the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal on the internet at https://eSupplier.wi.gov to register as a Bidder with the State of Wisconsin. Bidders may use the same internet address for inclusion on the Bidders list for goods and Services that the organization wants to sell to the State. A subscription with notification guarantees the organization will receive an email message each time a State Agency, including any campus of the University of Wisconsin System, posts a Request for Bid in their designated Commodity/service area(s) with an estimated value over $50,000. Organizations without internet access receive paper copies in the mail.