Addendum 1_Q & A.pdf

ADDENDUM NO. 1 R00B6600234

Title: Real-Time Live Captioning RFQ eMMA Reference No. BPM057679

This Addendum provides answers to questions submitted by potential bidders.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1. Are captioners expected to provide services in person at event locations, or would remote captioning solutions also satisfy the contract requirements?

A1. This RFQ is for remote captioning services only.

Q2. Could you confirm whether eMMA vendor registration is sufficient for submission purposes, or whether the Maryland Business Express registration must be completed prior to the June 29 deadline?

A2. If your firm is in the process of registering with Maryland Business Express at the time of bid submission, please indicate your registration status. You may submit a bid before registration is complete, but a contract cannot be awarded until your firm is fully registered to do business in the State of Maryland.

Q3. Can the Maryland State Department of Education confirm that only remote live captioning is requested, not in-person live captioning?

A3. Correct. This solicitation is to procure remote captioning services only.

Q4. Are vendors required to submit relevant certifications like the CRR and CCP along with the bid?

A4. Yes. Vendors should submit relevant certifications, including the Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) and Certified CART Provider (CCP), as part of the bid to document qualification and competence.

Q5. Are vendors allowed to record events for cleanup and quality control purposes?

A5. Yes, they will need to sign an NDA.

Q6. Can you give an example of how the 130 hours of work will be divided? (Will it be in 2-3 hour events, etc.?) Could some events be less than one hour long?

A6. 130 hours is just a sample and the duration of each event is based on program needs.

Events my range from 30 minutes to multiple days.

Q7. Will cleanup be required after every event?

A7. Yes, MSDE is requiring caption files that are accurate to industry standards, that can be directly aligned to the recording

Q8. How long after the event will post-event deliverables (transcripts, etc.) be expected?

A8. This will vary depending on the amount of time needed to clean up the initial file.

Q9. Can you specify which video platforms will require live captioning?

A9. MSDE uses Zoom, Google Meets, and Microsoft Teams.

Q10. Will prep materials be provided to vendors before each event (scripts, run-of-shows, agendas, etc.)?

A10. This will depend on the event and should be asked/requested to the requester by the vendor when scheduling.

Q11. How many minutes before each event will captioners be expected to log in to the video platform?

A11. 5-10 mins before the event starts to ensure they are set-up appropriately.

Q12. Should the proposed hourly rate reflect only the duration of the event? Or should it include check-in and clean-up time? For example, if a meeting is 60 minutes long, will the vendor only be able to bill for an hour of captioning, even if the captioner has to arrive 15 minutes beforehand and has to spend additional time after the event cleaning up the transcript?

A12. Cleaning up the captions and the transcript should be included in the price; if the captioner arrives 15 minutes before the event that time should be billed. For example, a

60-minute meeting, with the Captioner logging on 15 minutes before the start would result in billing for 75 minutes. This should be reflected in any quotes provided.

Q13. Will this contract go out for bid again next year, or will there be an option to renew the contract for a certain number of years?

A13. This contract will not have renewal options and will be resolicited for a new term.

Q14. The RFP states, “The vendor shall provide a written quote based on the anticipated length and duration of the meeting.” – Does this mean that every event will require a formal quote before it’s booked?

A14. Yes, if the event is longer or shorter than the anticipated length quoted, an updated quote should be provided after the event.

Q15. “Caption remediation to industry standards, achieving a minimum accuracy rate of 99%.”

– Please clarify “industry standards”. Does this mean the captions will need to be cleaned-up, reformatted, and resynced in order to meet standard broadcast specs? Live captions aren’t formatted the same way as post-production captions, nor are they as accurate. Please clarify exactly what’s expected after each event.

A15. See Q7

Q16. “The vendor shall provide MSDE with documentation or evidence demonstrating compliance with accessibility requirements and standards.” – Can you clarify exactly the type of documentation that will be expected?

A16. Vendor Attestation is sufficient with MSDE reserving the right to verify the work

Q17. Are there any specific service challenges, performance concerns, or operational requirements that prompted the issuance of this solicitation that vendors should be aware of when preparing their quotes?

A17. No specific service challenges, performance concerns, or operational requirements

Q18. Please clarify the intended use of the .SRT and/or .VTT files referenced in Section III.C.

Would MSDE accept a real-time captioning transcript as the post-event deliverable in lieu of .SRT and/or .VTT files?

A18. .SRT and/or .VTT are required to ensure that recorded content has accurate captions

Q19. If .SRT and/or .VTT files are required, does MSDE expect these deliverables following every event covered under this contract, or only when specifically requested by MSDE?

A19. Yes .SRT and/or .VTT are required after every event

Q20. Can MSDE provide historical usage information, including the approximate number of events and hours requiring real-time captioning services during the previous contract term?

A20. Over 30 events in the past 18 months, total number of hours varies per event but it is usually between 1 to 3 hours and never more than 8 hours. Events are usually Townhalls, Trainings, Information Sessions, or conferences.

Q21. Late Requests: Highly qualified CART writers are in high demand which means they are able to book themselves weeks or months in advance. As such, there is a very real cost to locate available CART writers with less than 5 business days. The pricing chart provided does not have CLINs for short notice CART requests. Can MSDE add short notice CLINs for less than 5 business days’ notice and less than 1 business days’ notice?

A21. Exhibit A Bid Form has been updated to include pricing for short notice (less than 5 business days).

Q22. The RFQ states that the vendor shall schedule the event only after receiving a PO referencing the applicable BPO. What is the estimated turnaround time for MSDE to issue event-specific POs after a request is made?

A22. The average turnaround time to generate a purchase order is approximately 3 business days.

Q23. If MSDE requests services before a PO is fully issued, should the vendor decline to schedule the event until the PO is received, or will written authorization from MSDE be sufficient?

A23. Written authorization that a requisition has been issued and posted and that a purchase order is processing would be sufficient.

Q24. Will MSDE provide agendas, speaker names, presentation decks, acronyms, technical terminology, and other preparation materials in advance of each event?

A24. Yes MSDE can provide any necessary materials prior to the event. Specific details can be discussed when arranging and securing the services.

Q25. How far in advance of each event will preparation materials be provided?

A25. This will be at the discretion of the requesting office but should be made available prior to the event. Specific details can be discussed when arranging and securing the services.

Q26. Post-Event Deliverables- The RFQ requires post-event caption remediation, caption files, a detailed transcript, and an accessible PDF transcript at no additional cost. For pricing purposes, please clarify whether post-event caption remediation is required for every event or only when specifically requested by MSDE.

A26. See Q7

Q27. Would MSDE consider revising Exhibit A to allow vendors to price live captioning, post-event remediation, transcript production, and accessible PDF preparation as separate line items?

A27. No

Q28. Please specify the required turnaround time for post-event deliverables.

A28. See Q8

Q29. Please identify the primary platforms expected to be used, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex, or others.

A29. See Q9

Q30. Will MSDE provide meeting access, host permissions, captioner roles, API/token access, or third-party captioning integration information when required by the platform?

A30. Yes

Q31. Will MSDE require caption output through embedded platform captions, a StreamText-style external link, or both?

A31. Not required but preferred

Q32. Exhibit B appears to include requirements for digital tools, web content, mobile apps, VPAT audits, remediation, and unlimited accessibility liability. Please confirm whether these provisions apply only to vendor-owned software platforms/tools supplied under the contract, or also to the live captioning service itself.

A32. VPAT do not apply to the service provided

Q33. If the vendor uses third-party caption delivery software, will MSDE require a VPAT for that software?

A33. The digital tool used to deliver the caption should have an ACR (VPAT)

Q34. Please confirm whether annual VPAT audits are required for this service contract, and whether the requirement applies when the vendor is not providing a software product or hosted application to MSDE.

A34. The services do not require a VPAT

Q35. The RFQ requires one invoice per event and also states the contractor shall bill monthly.

Please clarify whether MSDE requires monthly consolidated billing, one invoice per event, or one invoice per event submitted monthly.

A35. MSDE requires that one invoice per event be submitted.

Q36. Page 14 appears to reference RFQ #FY25-OIT-018 / R00B5600086 rather than the current RFQ number R00B6600234. Please clarify.

A36. This has been updated.

YOU MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE ADDENDUM WITH YOUR PROPOSAL

All communication must be routed through the Procurement Officer. Thank you for your time and attention.

Received By______________________________________________________

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