Amendment 1.docx

SAP

State of South Carolina

Fixed Price Bid

Amendment 1

Solicitation:

Date Issued:

Procurement Officer:

Phone:

E-Mail Address:

5400023768 08/17/2022 Donald Stewart

(803) 898-1844 donald.stewart@dss.sc.gov

DESCRIPTION: American Sign Language Interpreters

USING GOVERNMENTAL UNIT: South Carolina Department of Social Services

_SUBMIT ONE (1) ORIGINAL HARD COPY TO THE PHYSICAL ADDRESS; AND SUBMIT YOUR OFFER ON-LINE AT THE FOLLOWING URL: http://www.procurement.sc.gov

MAILING ADDRESS:

SC Department of Social Services Attn: Procurement Office – Room 421 PO Box 1520 Columbia SC 29202-1520

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:

SC Department of Social Services Attn: Procurement Office – Room 421-2 1535 Confederate Avenue Ext Columbia, SC 29202 - 1520

SUBMIT OFFER BY (Opening Date/Time): 08/19/2022 08/23/2022 2:00:00 PM (See "Deadline For Submission Of Offer" provision)

QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY: 08/8/2022 5:00:00 PM (See "Questions From Offerors" provision)

NUMBER OF COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED:

CONFERENCE TYPE: Pre-Bid

DATE & TIME: 08/8/2022 10:00AM

(As appropriate, see "Conferences - Pre-Bid/Proposal" & "Site Visit" provisions) LOCATION: Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 266 048 427 672 Passcode: hkiMZJ

You must submit a signed copy of this form with Your Offer. By signing, You agree to be bound by the terms of the Solicitation. You agree to hold Your Offer open for a minimum of thirty (60) calendar days after the Opening Date. (See "Signing Your Offer" provision.)

NAME OF OFFEROR

(full legal name of business submitting the offer) Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the Offeror. The entity named as the offeror must be a single and distinct legal entity. Do not use the name of a branch office or a division of a larger entity if the branch or division is not a separate legal entity, i.e., a separate corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc.

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

(Person must be authorized to submit binding offer to contract on behalf of Offeror.)

DATE SIGNED

TITLE

(business title of person signing above)

STATE VENDOR NO.

(Register to Obtain S.C. Vendor No. at www.procurement.sc.gov)

PRINTED NAME

(printed name of person signing above)

STATE OF INCORPORATION

(If you are a corporation, identify the state of incorporation.)

OFFEROR'S TYPE OF ENTITY: (Check one) (See "Signing Your Offer" provision.)

___ Sole Proprietorship ___ Partnership ___ Other_____________________________

___ Corporate entity (not tax-exempt) ___ Corporation (tax-exempt) ___ Government entity (federal, state, or local)

COVER PAGE - ON-LINE ONLY (MAR. 2015)

SAP

PAGE TWO

(Return Page Two with Your Offer) HOME OFFICE ADDRESS (Address for offeror's home office / principal place of business)

NOTICE ADDRESS (Address to which all procurement and contract related notices should be sent.) (See "Notice" clause)

_________________________________________________ Area Code - Number - Extension Facsimile

_______________________________________________ E-mail Address

PAYMENT ADDRESS (Address to which payments will be sent.) (See "Payment" clause)

____Payment Address same as Home Office Address ____Payment Address same as Notice Address (check only one) ORDER ADDRESS (Address to which purchase orders will be sent) (See "Purchase Orders and "Contract Documents" clauses)

____Order Address same as Home Office Address ____Order Address same as Notice Address check only one)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS

Offerors acknowledges receipt of amendments by indicating amendment number and its date of issue. (See "Amendments to Solicitation" Provision)

DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See "Discount for Prompt Payment" clause)

PREFERENCES - A NOTICE TO VENDORS (SEP. 2009): Preferences do not apply to Fixed Price Bids per SC Consolidated Procurement Code Section 11-35-1524, E (3)

PREFERENCES - ADDRESS AND PHONE OF IN-STATE OFFICE: Preferences do not apply to Fixed Price Bids per SC Consolidated Procurement Code Section 11-35-1524, E (3)

PAGE TWO (SEP 2009)

End of PAGE TWO

AMENDMENTS TO SOLICITATION

(a) THE SOLICITATION MAY BE AMENDED AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO OPENING. ALL ACTUAL AND PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES FOR THE ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENTS, (b) OFFERORS SHALL ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF ANY AMENDMENT TO THIS SOLICITATION (1) BY SIGNING AND RETURNING THE AMENDMENT, (2) BY IDENTIFYING THE AMENDMENT NUMBER AND DATE IN THE SPACE PROVIDED FOR THIS PURPOSE ON PAGE TWO, (3) BY LETTER, OR (4) BY SUBMITTING A BID THAT INDICATES IN SOME WAY THAT THE BIDDER RECEIVED THE AMENDMENT. (c) IF THIS SOLICITATION IS AMENDED, THEN ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS WHICH ARE NOT MODIFIED REMAIN UNCHANGED. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR IF ANY CONFUSION OR UNCERTAINTY ARISES AS A RESULT OF THIS AMENDMENT, IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFEROR TO CONTACT THE PROCUREMENT OFFICER FOR CLARIFICATION. CONTACT INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE COVER PAGE OF THIS AMENDMENT. REFERENCE THE “DUTY TO INQUIRE” CLAUSE IN THE ORIGINAL REQUEST FOR BID PROPOSAL.

QUESTIONS FROM OFFERORS – AMENDMENT (JUN 2017)

THE SOLICITATION IS AMENDED AS PROVIDED HEREIN. INFORMATION OR CHANGES RESULTING FROM QUESTIONS WILL BE SHOWN IN A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER FORMAT. ALL QUESTIONS RECEIVED HAVE BEEN REPRINTED BELOW. THE “STATE’S RESPONSE” SHOULD BE READ WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE QUESTIONS. THE QUESTIONS ARE INCLUDED SOLELY TO PROVIDE A CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE POTENTIAL OFFEROR THAT SUBMITTED THE QUESTION. QUESTIONS DO NOT FORM A PART OF THE CONTRACT; THE “STATE’S RESPONSE” DOES. ANY RESTATEMENT OF PART OR ALL OF AN EXISTING PROVISION OF THE SOLICITATION IN AN ANSWER DOES NOT MODIFY THE ORIGINAL PROVISION EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS: UNDERLINED TEXT IS ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL PROVISON. STRICKEN TEXT IS DELETED. [02-2A097-1]

NOTICE

AMENDMENT #1

Invitation for Bid Solicitation No. 5400023768 American Sign Language Interpreters is hereby amended to include the following;

THERE ARE MODIFICATIONS TO SOLICITATION. ALL RESPONSES MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE OPENING DATE TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 AT 2:00 PM.

MODIFICATIONS

I. SCOPE OF SOLICITATION

The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a Qualified Provider List (QPL) of service providers for on-site interpreting services for South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS) employees and providers to communicate with clients who are Sensory Impaired (Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deafblind). The service providers may be individuals or entities with multiple interpreters. SCDSS is required to provide these services 24 hours per day, seven days per week, year-round for all SCDSS programs statewide. Interpreters and Businesses participating in this QPL are asked to disclose their availability for on and off business hours.

SCDSS will select interpreters for assignment from this QPL. Being placed on the QPL does not guarantee any level of usage of a provider’s service.

Offers will be opened and considered for award semiannually per the following schedule:

2022: Initial Contract Award Awards will be done twice a year We will accept bids year-round.

The length of time necessary to evaluate offers and post contract awards will be dependent on the number of offers received.

VIII. BIDDING SCHEDULE / PRICE-BUSINESS PROPOSAL

BIDDING SCHEDULE (NOV 2007)

The established maximum fixed prices for interpreting services for this contract are based on the date and time of the assignment and the presence of the interpreter when the service is provided. Fixed prices for each are as follows:

PLEASE COMPLETE THE BIDDING SCHEDULE BELOW FOR ALL SERVICES YOU WILL OFFER.

It is preferred that information be typed, but if not typed, please write legibly. Offerors must enter the rate they will charge for the listed services in the area marked “Unit Price”. Rates may not exceed those listed above. Offerors have the option to submit lower rates. Any offers received at rates that exceed the maximum will be rejected as non-responsive. Submit the completed form with your bid response packet. Enter your rates below in the online bidding system. **Bidders are not required to bid on all line items. **

Product Catalog: 96167 – Sign Language Services for the Hearing Impaired

Item Description: ASL Interpreters - Onsite Business Hours Base Rate M-F 8:00am – 6:00pm

Internal Item Number: 1

Tendering Text: Onsite-Base Rate: $75.00 per hour with a two-hour minimum for onsite interpreting services provided from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. This is a fixed price bid. Bids with a higher base rate will be rejected.

Product Catalog: 96167 – Sign Language Services for the Hearing Impaired

Item Description: ASL Interpreters – Onsite Evening and Weekend Rate

Internal Item Number: 2

Tendering Text: Onsite Evening and Weekend Rate: $90.00 per hour with a two-hour minimum for onsite interpreting services provided from Monday through Friday from 6:01 PM to 7:59 AM for evening rates and from 12:00AM Saturday through 11:59PM Sunday for weekend rates. This is a fixed price bid. Bids with a higher evening and weekend rate will be rejected.

Product Catalog: 96167 – Sign Language Services for the Hearing Impaired

Item Description: ASL Interpreters – Onsite Holiday Rate

Internal Item Number: 3

Tendering Text: Onsite Holiday Rate: $110.00 per hour with a two-hour minimum for onsite interpreting services provided on State Holidays regardless of time. State holidays are listed at: https://www.admin.sc.gov/dshr/holiday. This is a fixed priced bid. Bids with a higher holiday rate will be rejected.

N/A

Product Catalog: 96167 – Sign Language Services for the Hearing Impaired

Item Description: ASL Interpreters – Onsite Assignments exceeding the two-hour minimum

Internal Item Number: 4

Tendering Text: All charges for onsite interpreting services over the two-hour minimums are rounded to quarter hour increments. For example, an assignment that lasts from 3:00 PM to 5:05 PM would be billed for 2.25 hours. This line item is for informational purposes only.

Product Catalog: 96167 – Sign Language Services for the Hearing Impaired

Item Description: ASL Interpreters – VRI Business Hours Base Rate M-F 8:00am – 6:00pm

Internal Item Number: 5

Tendering Text: VRI Base Rate: $75.00 per hour with a one-hour minimum for video remote interpreting services provided from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. This is a fixed priced bid. Bids with a higher base rate will be rejected.

Product Catalog: 96167 – Sign Language Services for the Hearing Impaired

Item Description: ASL Interpreters – VRI Evening and Weekend Hourly Rate

Internal Item Number: 6

Tendering Text: VRI Evening and Weekend Rate: $90.00 per hour with a one-hour minimum for video remote interpreting services provided from Monday through Friday from 6:01 PM to 7:59 AM for evening rates and from 12:00AM Saturday through 11:59PM Sunday for weekend rates. This is a fixed price bid. Bids with a higher evening and weekend rate will be rejected.

Product Catalog: 96167 – Sign Language Services for the Hearing Impaired

Item Description: ASL Interpreters – VRI Holiday Rate

Internal Item Number: 7

Tendering Text: VRI Holiday Rate: $110.00 per hour with a one-hour minimum for video remote interpreting services provided on State Holidays regardless of time. State holidays are listed at: https://www.admin.sc.gov/dshr/holiday. This is a fixed priced bid. Bids with a higher holiday rate will be rejected.

N/A

Product Catalog: 96167 – Sign Language Services for the Hearing Impaired

Item Description: ASL Interpreters – VRI Assignments exceeding the one-hour minimum

Internal Item Number: 8

Tendering Text: VRI Assignments exceeding the one-hour minimum: All charges for video remote interpreting services over the one-hour minimum are rounded to quarter hour increments. For example, an assignment that lasts from 3:00 PM to 4:05 PM would be billed for 1.25 hours. This is a fixed priced bid. Bids with a higher impact fee will be rejected. This line item is for informational purposes only.

Product Catalog: 96167 – Sign Language Services for the Hearing Impaired

Item Description: ASL Interpreters – Impact Fee

Internal Item Number: 9

Tendering Text: Impact Fee: Providers who accept unscheduled or emergency assignments with less than 24-hours’ notice may bill $55 as an impact fee with the assignment charge. This is a fixed priced bid. Bids with a higher impact fee will be rejected.

QUESTIONS FOR SOLICITATION

1. Request you consider removing the word Impaired from this entirely. Just as we would not call a person with Diabetes, “Insulin Impaired,” the Deaf community requests people label them in a way that refers to something being broken or lacking. They are proudly, culturally: Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing.

State’s Response: The words, “Sensory Impaired” and “Hearing Impaired” have been removed.

2. During the time of the DSS 5-year contract, the Interpreters Act will come into effect (Jan 2024). At that time, there will be a statewide registry maintained of SC licensed interpreters. Those interpreters will be certified by RID OR OTHER TESTING BODIES so the language referring to RID certification may become outdated. The way the law is written, qualified interpreters must have certification recognized by RID, SCAD, or SC RID. It would likely make your life easier if you added those to your criteria now as well.

State’s Response: SC RID is a state chapter of RID and they were consulted about the credentialing language in the solicitation. They did not offer any other verbiage, so we can reconsider the language when the act becomes law. SCAD is not considered as a credentialing institution, so their input was not sought. If it becomes necessary during the life of the contract, the State will issue a change order to reflect changes in certification requirements.

3. How do I go about making sure my invoices are approved for use rather than using the DSS one so I may continue accounting as usual?

State’s Response: For approval, your form will need to include all the information required in the provided form. Please send a copy of your current form to Josue.rodriguez@dss.sc.gov for approval.

4. Could you consider DSS creating and maintaining a directory of contacts at each office who are responsible for processing our invoices? As you've likely seen from messages I cc'd you on, chasing down payments from various stateside DSS offices remains a cumbersome task and one of the reasons I considered not bidding on this contract.

State’s Response: The Office of Civil Rights tries to keep an internal document for this purpose. It’s not public because turnover issues make it challenging to maintain and share an accurate copy.

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