IFB 3160007466 LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION TRANSLATION SERVICES.pdf

ROBERT G. ANDERSON

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)

LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION & TRANSLATION SERVICES

IFB No. 3160007466

Issue Date: August 18, 2025

CLOSING LOCATION

Mississippi Department of Human Services

200 South Lamar Street Jackson, Mississippi 39201

PROCUREMENT COORDINATOR

Kimbley Hendrix

(601) 359-4500 procurement.services@mdhs.ms.gov

CLOSING DATE & TIME

Bids must be received by September 18, 2025, at 2:00 PM, Central Time

IFB No. 3160007466

SECTION 1

1.1. Bid Acceptance Period

The original copy of the bid package shall be signed and submitted (mailed or hand-delivered) in a sealed envelope or package to 200 South Lamar Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39201 no later than the time and date specified for receipt of bids. In addition, bidder shall also submit one (1) copy of the bid package on a USB Flash Drive as a single document in a searchable Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.

Timely submission of the bid package is the responsibility of the bidder. Bids received after the specified time shall be rejected and shall remain unopened in the procurement file. The envelope or package shall be marked with the bid opening date and time, and the number of the invitation for bid. The time and date of receipt shall be indicated on the envelope or package by MDHS staff. Each page of the bid form and all attachments shall be identified with the name of the bidder. Failure to submit a bid on the bid form provided shall be considered just cause for rejection of the bid. Modifications or additions to any portion of the procurement document may be cause for rejection of the bid. The MDHS reserves the right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether to reject a bid with modifications or additions as non-responsive.

As a precondition to bid acceptance, the MDHS may request the bidder to withdraw or modify those portions of the bid deemed non-responsive that do not affect quality, quantity, price, or delivery of the service. Bids submitted via facsimile (faxes) will not be accepted.

1.1.1. Timeline

Invitation for Bids Issue Date/1st Advertisement: Monday, August 18, 2025 Invitation for Bids Issue Date/2nd Advertisement: Monday, August 25, 2025 Questions and Requests for Clarification Deadline: Friday, August 29, 2025, by 2:00p.m., CT

Anticipated Posting of Written Answers to Questions: Friday, September 5, 2025

Bid Package Submission Deadline: Thursday, September 18, 2025, by 2:00p.m., CT Bid Opening Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 2:30p.m., CT Anticipated Date of the Notice of Intent to Award: Thursday, October 2, 2025 Anticipated Request for Reconsideration Due Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2025, by 2:00p.m., CT

Note: MDHS reserves the right to adjust this schedule as it deems necessary. MDHS also has the right to reject any and all bids during any step of the procurement or awarding process (even after negotiations have begun).

1.1.2 Late Submissions

Bids received at the place designated in the solicitation for receipt of Bids after the exact time specified for receipt will NOT be considered.

1.2. Expenses Incurred in Preparing Bid

All parties participating in the procurement process with regard to this solicitation shall bear their own costs of participation, pursuant to Section 1.4.4 of the Public Procurement Review Board (PPRB) Office of Personal Service Contract Review (OPSCR) Rules and Regulations.

1.3. Bid Form

All pricing must be submitted on the bid form (Attachment B). Failure to complete and/or sign the bid form may result in the bidder being determined nonresponsive.

1.3.1 Bidder Certification

The bidder agrees that submission of a signed bid form is certification that the bid der will accept an award made to it as a result of the submission.

1.3.2 Certification of Independent Price Determination

By submitting a bid, the bidder certifies that the prices submitted in response to the solicitation have been arrived at independently and without any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other bidder or competitor for the purpose of restricting competition.

1.4. Registration with Mississippi Secretary of State

By submitting a bid, the bidder certifies that it is registered to do business in the State of Mississippi as prescribed by Mississippi law and the Mississippi Secretary of State or, if not already registered, that it will do so within five (5) business days of being offered an award. Sole proprietors are not required to register with the Mississippi Secretary of State.

1.5. Debarment

By submitting a bid, the bidder certifies that it is not currently debarred from submitting bids for con-tracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of Mississippi or Federal government and that it is not an agent of a person or entity that is currently debarred from submitting bids for contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of Mississippi or federal government. The bidder shall submit a completed MDHS Debarment Verification Form, attached to this IFB as Attachment F.

Attachment F shall be received by MDHS, in the bid packet submitted by the bidder, no later than 2:00 PM CST, on September 18, 2025. MDHS reserves the right to deem any bid packet not containing an executed MDHS Debarment Verification Form, as non-responsive to the IFB.

1.6. Registration with Mississippi’s Accountability System for Governmental Information and Collaboration (MAGIC) If the respondent is not already registered as a supplier in MAGIC, the respondent should register as a supplier with the State of Mississippi. Registering as a supplier with the State of MS allows businesses to register for upcoming opportunity notifications by the products they supply, search the system for up-coming solicitations, respond to solicitations electronically, and receive purchase orders via e-mail. The registration can be completed at the following link:

http://www.dfa.ms.gov/dfa-offices/mmrs/mississippi-suppliers-vendors/supplier-self-service/

1.7. Proprietary Information

Any bidder claiming that its response contains information exempt from the Mississippi Public Records

Act (Mississippi Code Annotated §§ 25-61-1, et. seq., and 79-23-1), shall segregate and mark the infor-mation as confidential and provide the specific statutory authority for the exemption. The bidder shall submit a completed Proprietary Information Form, attached to this IFB as Attachment E.

1.8. Additional Information

All questions and requests for clarification concerning this procurement document must be submitted in writing via email to Kimbley Hendrix at procurement.services@mdhs.ms.gov by the deadline reflected in Section 1.1.1. MDHS will not be bound by any verbal or written information that is not contained within this IFB unless formally noticed and issued by MDHS. Bidders are cautioned that any statements made by contact persons that cause a material change to any portion of the bid document shall not be relied upon unless subsequently ratified by a formal written amendment to the bid document. At no time shall any bidder or its personnel contact, or attempt to contact, any MDHS staff regarding this IFB except the contact person as set forth and, in the manner, prescribed in this section.

http://www.dfa.ms.gov/dfa-offices/mmrs/mississippi-suppliers-vendors/supplier-self-service/ mailto:procurement.services@mdhs.ms.gov

1.9 Acknowledgement of Amendments: Bidders shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to the IFB in writing. The acknowledgement shall be submitted by signing and returning the amendment with the bid package, by identifying the amendment number and date in the space provided for this purpose on the bid form, or by letter. Each bidder shall submit a written acknowledgement of every amendment to the MDHS on or before the submission deadline. Should an amendment to the IFB be issued, it will be posted on the MDHS website (www.mdhs.ms.gov) in a manner that all bidders will be able to view. It is the bidder’s sole responsibility to monitor the website for amendments to the IFB.

All questions, requests for clarification, and answers pertaining to this IFB will be published on the Mis-sissippi Contract/Procurement Opportunity Search Portal and the Mississippi Department of Human Ser-vices (hereinafter “MDHS”) website (http://www.mdhs.ms.gov) in a manner that all bidders will be able to view by the date reflected in Section 1.1.1.

1.10 Type of Contract

Compensation for services will be in the form of a Fixed Price Contract.

SECTION 2

2.1 Purpose

MDHS is seeking to establish a contract with a vendor to provide Language Interpretation & Translation Services.

2.2 Scope of Services

The Contractor shall provide language interpretation and translation services to Limited English Pro-ficient (LEP) and Hearing-Impaired individuals to provide meaningful access to services offered by

MDHS.

Qualified Interpreters:

The Contractor shall provide qualified interpreters proficient in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Mandarin and/or Cantonese), Arabic, French (including Patois and Cajun), Tagalog, Hindi, Korean, German, Rus-sian, and other languages as required. Each interpreter must possess a minimum of two (2) years of expe-rience in comprehensive language interpretation services and demonstrate proficiency through independ-ent assessment. Acceptable proof of proficiency includes passing scores on language/interpretation tests (defined as Interagency Language Roundtable scores of 2+ or equivalent) or current certification from one of the following entities: Federal interpreting services, State interpreting services, or the National Associ-ation of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) Judiciary Interpreters and Translators Certification Examination (JITCE).

Qualified Translators:

The Contractor shall provide qualified translators proficient in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, French (including Patois and Cajun), Tagalog, Hindi, Korean, German, Russian, and other languages as required. Each translator must possess a minimum of two (2) years of experience in comprehensive lan-guage translation services and demonstrate proficiency through independent assessment. Acceptable proof of proficiency includes passing scores on language/translation tests (defined as Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scores of 2+ or equivalent) administered by the federal government or an equivalent qualified professional organization. The Department accepts current certifications from the National As-sociation of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), the American Translators Association (ATA), http://www.mdhs.ms.gov/ and the Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) through its testing branch Language Testing International (LTI).

With each category listed below, the Contractor must be able to accommodate the request of trans-lators coming on-site should there be a need. Contractor shall provide the following categories of services:

• Telephonic Interpretation: The contractor shall provide telephonic interpretation via a sin-gle, toll-free 800 number, within the United States, to access all services. Conference call-ing services and capabilities. Available during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Central Time, and after normal business hours as needed and mutually approved for all divisions of MDHS office locations throughout the state. Pro-vide telephonic interpretation services from foreign language to English and from English to foreign language. MDHS will not be required by Contractor to purchase or obtain any specific equipment to access telephonic interpretation services.

• Written Document Translation: The contractor shall provide written translation services for MDHS forms, notices, and documents into appropriate non-English language. Provide translation services for any other documents presented by LEP persons that are related to MDHS offered services. Available during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Central Time. Available as requested by MDHS for emergency situations outside of normal business hours.

The Contractor shall provide written document translation services from foreign language to English and from English to foreign language. Turnaround time for document transla-tions as set in business days according to the following:

Document Size Translation Turnaround (Business Days) 0 to 1,000 Words 2 days 1,001 to 2,500 Words 5 days 2,501 to 7,500 Words 7 days More than 7,500 Words 7 days plus 1 additional day per each additional 500 words.

• Hearing Impaired: The Contractor shall provide comprehensive interpretation services for hearing-impaired individuals, including on-site interpretation with tactile signing, Video Re-mote Interpretation (VRI) with real-time American Sign Language (ASL), and Communica-tion Access Real-time Translation (CART/caption services) delivered either on-site or re-motely. Oral transliteration services shall be provided as directed by MDHS. Services shall be delivered Monday through Friday during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., Central Time. Services scheduled or extending beyond regular business hours shall be provided at standard business hour rates. The Contractor must accommodate applicants and participants from diverse cultural backgrounds whose sign language may reflect cultural variations, partic-ularly among Hispanic and Asian populations.

The Contractor shall ensure VRI service compatibility with MDHS technology infrastructure, including but not limited to PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and standard web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari) and video conferencing platforms such as Zoom.

VRI services must maintain continuous and effective communication throughout each inter-preting session.

All interpreters must hold current certification or credentials from one of the following organizations:

• National Association of the Deaf (NAD)

• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)

• Other national certifying organizations recognized by the Mississippi Office on Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH)

• Valid ODHH-approved quality assurance screening level

Additionally, interpreters must adhere to professional standards and the Code of Ethics established by the National Association of the Deaf and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.

Contract Administration and Reporting: The Contractor shall assign a Direct Representative re-sponsible for assisting with data reports, including response times and performance reports. Addi-tionally, the Contractor shall provide an Administrator role to the Agency that allows direct access to performance data.

Reporting Requirements: The Contractor shall provide monthly reports to MDHS. These reports should include, at a minimum, the following information:

• Language interpreted/translated

• Total minutes of interpretation per language

• Length of each individual interpretation call

• Division and County requesting interpretation services

• Staff member requesting interpretation services

For American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation services, the following information is required:

• Division and county requesting ASL services

• The staff member requesting ASL services

Reports must be submitted in a format approved by MDHS and provided at the frequency determined by the Agency. The Contractor shall ensure data accuracy and timely delivery of all reports.

The Contractor must be able to provide invoicing separately by Division usage

SECTION 3

3.1 Term

The anticipated term of the contract shall be for a period of two (2) years. The contract may be renewed at the discretion of MDHS upon written notice to Contractor at least thirty (30) days prior to each contract anniversary date for a period of three (3) one-year periods under the same prices, terms, and conditions as in the original contract, and subject to approval by the PPRB. The total number of renewal years permitted shall not exceed three (3).

Renewal years are subject to the needs of MDHS, as well as the availability and appropriation of funds.

The Chief Procurement Officer shall notify the contractor, on a timely basis, that funds are or are not available for the continuation of the contract for each succeeding fiscal period. A multi-term contract will be canceled if funds are not appropriated or otherwise made available to support the continuation of per-formance in any fiscal period succeeding the first; however, this does not affect either the State’s rights or the contractor’s rights under any termination clause in the contract.

Compensation for services will be in the form of a Fixed Price Contract.

3.2 Insurance

Contractor represents that it will maintain workers’ compensation insurance in compliance with Missis-sippi law which shall inure to the benefit of all Contractor’s personnel provided hereunder, comprehensive general liability or professional liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000.00 per occurrence, and fidelity bond insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000.00. All general liability, professional liability, and fidelity bond insurance will provide coverage to the MDHS as an additional insured. The MDHS reserves the right to request from carriers, certificates of insurance regarding the required cover-age. Insurance carriers shall be licensed or hold a Certificate of Authority from the Mississippi Department of Insurance.

Contractor will furnish MDHS a certificate of insurance providing the aforesaid coverage, prior to the commencement of performance under this Agreement and upon request by MDHS at any time during the contract period. Such certificate shall contain provisions that coverage afforded under the policies shall not be cancelled, terminated, or materially altered until at least thirty (30) days prior notice has been given to the MDHS. Cancellation of the above mentioned referenced insurance shall be grounds for termination of this contract. Failure on the part of the Contractor to procure or maintain the required insurance and provide proof thereof to MDHS shall constitute a material breach of the contract upon which the MDHS may immediately terminate this Contract.

3.3 Bid Evaluation

Bids will be evaluated based on the requirements set forth in IFB No. 3160007466, which may include criteria to determine acceptability, such as, inspection, testing, quality, workmanship, delivery, and suita-bility for a particular purpose. Those criteria that will affect the bid price and be considered in evaluation for award shall be objectively measured where possible. This IFB sets forth the evaluation criteria to be used. No criteria will be used in an evaluation that is not set forth in this IFB. Only bidders who are found responsive and responsible will have their bids considered.

3.4 Responsive Bidder

Bidder must submit bid which conforms in all material respects to this IFB No. 3160007466, as deter-mined by MDHS.

3.5 Responsible Bidder

Bidder must have capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements and the integrity and reliability which will assure good faith performance, as determined by MDHS.

3.5.1 Minimum Qualifications to be Deemed Responsible

3.5.1.1 Bidder must have been in business and provided Language Interpretation & Translation

Services similar in requirements and scale to those described in this IFB, for a minimum of two (2) years.

3.5.1.2 These minimum qualifications are in addition to a minimum score of six (6) on the Refer-ence Score Sheet (Attachment D) from reference interview by MDHS staff with two (2) bidder references for a total minimum scoring requirement of twelve (12) points), as well as all other requirements of this IFB. (See Attachment C & Attachment D.)

3.6 Exceptions

Bidders taking exception to any part or section of the solicitation shall indicate such exceptions on the bid form. Failure to indicate any exception will be interpreted as the bidder’s intent to comply fully with the requirements as written. Conditional or qualified bids, unless specifically allowed, shall be subject to re-jection in whole or in part.

3.7 Minor Informalities & Irregularities

The MDHS has the right to waive minor defects or variations of a bid from the exact requirements of the specifications that do not affect the price, quality, quantity, delivery, or performance of the services being procured and if doing so does not create an unfair advantage for any bidder. If insufficient information is submitted by a [bidder, offeror, applicant] for the MDHS to properly evaluate the offer, the MDHS has the right to require such additional information as it may deem necessary after the submission deadline, provided that the information requested does not change the price, quality, quantity, delivery, or perfor-mance time of the services being procured and such a request does not create an unfair advantage for any bidder. (Information requested may include, for example, a copy of business or professional licenses, or a work schedule.)

3.8 Cancellation of Solicitation

At the Agency’s sole discretion, an IFB may be canceled, all bids may be rejected, or individual bids may be rejected when the Agency determines that it is in the Agency’s best interest to do so. A memorandum stating the reasons for the cancellation or rejection shall be made part of the Agency Procurement File.

3.9 Rejection of Bids

A bid response that includes terms and conditions that do not conform to the terms and conditions in the bid document is subject to rejection as non-responsive. MDHS reserves the right to permit the bidder to withdraw nonconforming terms and conditions from its bid response prior to a determination by MDHS of non-responsiveness based on the submission of nonconforming terms and conditions. Furthermore, if a bidder’s price is substantially higher than those of other bidders, meaning those in excess of a twenty-five percent (25%) differential, the bidder’s price will be deemed non-responsive.

Reasons for rejecting individual bids include but are not limited to:

• the bid was non-responsive to the solicitation;

• the bidder is deemed non-responsible;

• the Agency – in its sole discretion – determined the proposed price is unreasonable even if it was the lowest responsive and responsible bid;

• lack of competitiveness by reason of collusion or knowledge that reasonably available competition did not occur.

3.10 Bid Withdrawals

If the price bid is substantially lower than those of other bidders, a mistake may have been made. A bidder may withdraw its bid from consideration if certain conditions are met:

a. The bid is submitted in good faith.

b. The price bid is substantially lower than those of other bidders because of a mistake

c. The mistake is a clerical error, not an error of judgement.

d. Objective evidence drawn from original work papers, documents, and other materials used in the preparation of the bid demonstrates clearly that the mistake was an unintentional error in arithmetic or an unintentional omission of a quantity of labor or material.

e. To withdraw a bid that includes a clerical error after Bid Opening, the bidder must give notice in writing to MDHS of its claim of right to withdraw a bid. Within two (2) business days after the bid opening, the bidder requesting withdrawal must provide to MDHS, all original work papers, documents, and other materials used in the preparation of the bid.

f. A bidder may also withdraw a bid, prior to the time set for the opening of bids, by simply making a request in writing to MDHS. No explanation is required.

3.11 Conditioning Bid Upon Other Awards

Any bid which is conditioned upon receiving award of both the particular contract being solicited and another Mississippi Contract shall be deemed non-responsive, and not be acceptable.

3.12 Bid Submission Format

The bid package must be sealed and must contain the following:

• Bid Cover Sheet (Attachment A)

• Bid Form (Attachment B)

• References (Attachment C)

• Proprietary Form (Attachment E)

• Debarment Form (Attachment F)

• Other (as required within specifications)

3.13 References

Each bidder must furnish a listing of at least three (3) trade references along with the contact person, address, and phone number for each. These references must be familiar with the bidder’s abilities in the areas involved with this solicitation. MDHS will use these references to determine the bidder’s ability to perform the services. It is the responsibility of the bidder to ensure that the reference contact information is correct and current. Bidders should verify before submitting their bid that the contact person and phone number are correct for each reference. MDHS staff must be able to reach two (2) references for a bidder within two (2) business days of bid opening to be considered responsive. Further, the bidder must score a minimum of six (6) points on each Reference Score Sheet which will be used by the MDHS staff when interviewing the two (2) references (for a total minimum scoring requirement of twelve (12) points) to be considered responsive and/or responsible. (See Section 3.5.1 and Attach-ments C and D.) Only bidders who are found responsive and responsible will have their bids considered.

The bidder may submit as many references as desired. MDHS will begin contacting references at the top of the list and will continue down the list until MDHS completes Reference Score Sheets for two (2) references.

3.14 Bid Opening

Bid opening is not open to the public.

3.15 Award

The Contract will be awarded by written notice to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in this IFB on date specified as reflected in Section 1.1.1. Any bids received may be rejected in whole or in part when in the best interest of the State.

3.16 Notification

All participating bidders will be notified of MDHS’ intent to award a contract. Notice of award is made available to the public which will identify the selected vendor. The winning bidder will be notified via e-mail of the award.

3.17 Contract Management

If contractor fails to adhere to the services’ schedule, or if Contractor fails to satisfactorily provide the prescribed service to all or any service area, MDHS will inform Contractor, and Contractor shall complete corrective action within twenty-four (24) hours. No payment shall be made to Contractor until all defi-ciencies have been corrected. If Contractor exhibits a pattern of non-performance as shown by repeated deficiencies, MDHS may terminate the Contract without further obligation to Contractor.

SECTION 4

4.1 Request for Reconsideration of the Terms of the Solicitation Any potential bidder has an opportunity to request that the procuring Agency reconsider the terms of the solicitation. Any such request shall be filed with Kimbley Hendrix and the Director of OPSCR within three business days following the date of public notice as defined in Section 5.2.1 of PPRB OPSCR Rules and Regulations. It shall be the sole responsibility of the requesting vendor to ensure the request is timely received by all required parties. Failure to timely request reconsideration in compliance with this Section results in waiver of any claim regarding the terms of the solicitation.

The request shall contain the requesting vendor’s name, a single contact person, all contact information for the contact person, the RFx number of the solicitation, and the date the IFB was issued. The request shall identify which of these rules and regulations the requesting vendor believes to have been violated by the solicitation, as written. The request may not be based on anything other than the solicitation document and these rules and regulations. Exhibits shall not be included with the request. Rather, the requesting vendor shall clearly identify the section(s) of the solicitation document at issue in its request. The request shall not be supplemented.

4.2 Required Contract Terms & Conditions

Any contract entered into between MDHS and a vendor/bidder shall include the required clauses found in Attachment G and those required by the Mississippi Public Procurement Review Board Office of Per-sonal Service Contract Review Rules and Regulations.

4.3 Optional Contract Terms & Conditions

Any contract entered into between MDHS and a vendor/bidder may have, at the discretion of the MDHS, the optional clauses found in Attachment H and those within the Mississippi Public Procurement Review Board Office of Personal Service Contract Review Rules and Regulations.

4.4 Attachments

The attachments to this IFB are made a part of this IFB as if copied herein in words and figures.

ATTACHMENT A

BID COVER SHEET

The Mississippi Department of Human Services (hereinafter "MDHS," "Agency," or "State") is soliciting bids from qualified bidders to provide Language Interpretation & Translation Services for MDHS. The vendor will perform services as outlined in IFB No. 3160007466.

PLEASE MARK YOUR ENVELOPE:

Language Interpretation & Translation Services IFB No. 3160007466 Opening: September 18, 2025, 2:30 p.m., CT Mississippi Department of Human Services Division of Procurement Services Attention: Kimbley Hendrix 200 South Lamar Street Jackson, Mississippi 39201

SEALED BID—DO NOT OPEN

Name of Company:

Quoted By:

Signature:

Address:

City/State/Zip Code:

Company Representative:

Telephone:

Fax:

E-Mail:

FEIN/EIN # (if company, corporation, or partnership):

SSN (if individual):

In addition to providing the above contact information, please answer the following questions regarding your company:

What year was your company started?

How many years and/or months has your company been in the business of performing the services called for in this IFB?

Please provide the physical location and mailing address of your company’s home office, principal place of busi-ness, and place of incorporation.

If your company is not physically located in Mississippi, how will you supply Language Interpretation & Trans-lation Services to MDHS Offices in Mississippi?

Is your company currently for sale or involved in any transaction to expand or to become acquired by another business entity? If yes, please discuss the impact both in organizational and directional terms.

List all licenses or permits your company possesses that are applicable to performing the services required in this

IFB.

For how many customers has your company provided Language Interpretation & Translation Services in the past two (2) years?

Is your company licensed and/or certified to perform Language Interpretation & Translation Services as required by any and all applicable federal and state law(s)?

Describe any specific services which your company offers along with any specialized experience, certification, and/or education of your current staff.

List all the equipment that your company has available or that is intended to be used to perform the services required in this Invitation for Bids. ________________________________________

ATTACHMENT B

BID FORM FOR LANGUAGE INTERPRETING & TRANSLATION SERVICES

Company Company Representative Telephone

Bidders shall acknowledge which of the following statements is applicable regarding release of its bid document as a public record. A bidder may be deemed non-responsive if the bidder does not acknowledge either statement, acknowledges both statements, or fails to comply with the requirements of the statement acknowledged.

Choose one:

____ Along with a complete copy of its bid, bidder has submitted a second copy of the bid document in which all information bidder deems to be confidential commercial and financial information and/or trade secrets is redacted in black. Bidder acknowledges that it may be subject to exclusion pursuant to Chapter 15 of the PPRB OPSCR Rules and Regulations if the Mississippi Department of Human Services or the Public Procurement Review Board determine redactions were made in bad faith in order to prohibit public access to portions of the bid which are not subject to Mississippi Code Annotated §§ 25-61-9, 75-26-1 through 75-26-19, and/or 79-23-1. Bidder acknowledges and agrees that Mississippi Department of Human Services may release the redacted copy of the bid document at any time as a public record without further notice to bidder. A bidder who selects this option but fails to submit a redacted copy of its bid may be deemed non-responsive.

____ Bidder hereby certifies that the complete unredacted copy of its bid may be released as a public record by the Mississippi Department of Human Services at any time without notice to bidder.

Bidder explicitly waives any right to receive notice of a request to inspect, examine, copy, or re-produce its bid as provided in Mississippi Code Annotated § 25-61-9(1)(a). The bid contains no information bidder deems to be confidential commercial and financial information and/or trade secrets in accordance with Mississippi Code Annotated §§ 25-61-9, 75-26-1 through 75-26-19, and/or 79-23-1. A bidder who selects this option but submits a redacted copy of its bid may be deemed non-responsive.

The pricing quoted must be inclusive of, but not limited to the following:

• All required labor

• All required profit

• All required overhead

• All required insurance

• All required transportation

• All required fuel and mileage

• All required equipment and materials

• Any and all other costs associated with per-forming the services

• All required business and professional li-censes, permits, fees, etc. (if any)

Pricing Structure: All pricing for Language Interpretation & Translation Services includes all associated costs with no additional or hidden fees. Compensation for services will be in the form of a Fixed Price Contract.

Language Interpretation & Translation Services

Phone Interpretation (Spanish) $ ______________ Per-Minute

Phone Interpretation (all other languages) $ ______________ Per-Minute

Phone Interpretation (on-site) $ ______________ Per-Minute

Written Translation (Spanish) $ ______________ Per-Word

Written Translation (all other languages) $ ______________ Per-Word

Written Translation (on-site) $ ______________ Per-Word

In Person Interpretation (Spanish) $ _______________ Per-Hour

In Person Interpretation (all other languages) $ _______________ Per-Hour

In Person Interpretation (on-site) $ _______________ Per-Hour

By signing below, the Company Representative certifies that he/she has authority to bind the company, and further acknowledges on behalf of the company:

1. That he/she has thoroughly read and understands this IFB and the attachments thereto;

2. That the company meets all requirements and acknowledges all certifications contained in this IFB and the attachments thereto;

3. That the company agrees to all provisions of this IFB and the attachments thereto;

4. That the company will perform, without delay, the services required at the prices quoted in this Attachment B; and

5. That, to the best of its knowledge and belief, the cost or pricing data submitted is accurate, complete, and current as of the submission date.

6. That the company has, or will secure, at its own expense, applicable personnel who shall be qualified to perform the duties required to be performed under this IFB.

7. That the company can and will meet all required laws, regulations, and/or procedures related to Language Interpretation & Translation Services and represents that it is licensed, certified and possesses the requisite credentials to perform these services. Further, if the company is the successful bidder and the material, equip-ment, etc., delivered is subsequently found to be deficient pursuant to any federal and state laws and regula-tions in effect on the date of delivery, all costs necessary to bring the material, equipment, etc. into compliance with aforementioned requirements shall borne solely by Company.

8. NON-DEBARMENT By submitting a bid, the bidder certifies that it is not currently debarred from submitting bids for contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of Mississippi or federal govern-ment and that it is not an agent of a person or entity that is currently debarred from submitting bids for con-tracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of Mississippi or federal government.

9. CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION - By submitting a bid, the bidder certi-fies that the prices submitted in response to the solicitation have been arrived at independently and without any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other bidder or competitor for the purpose of restricting com-petition.

10. PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR’S REPRESENTATION REGARDING CONTINGENT FEES - The pro-spective contractor represents as a part of such Contractor’s bid or proposal that such Contractor has/has not (please circle applicable word or words) retained any person or agency on a percentage, commission, or other contingent arrangement to secure this contract.

11. REPRESENTATION REGARDING CONTINGENT FEES - The Contractor represents that it has/has not (please circle applicable word or words) retained a person to solicit or secure a State contract upon an agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage, or other contingent fee, except as disclosed in the Con-tractor’s bid or proposal.

12. REPRESENTATION REGARDING GRATUITIES - Offeror represents that it has not, is not, and will not offer, give, or agree to give any employee or former employee of MDHS a gratuity or offer of employment in connection with any approval, disapproval, recommendation, development, or any other action or decision related to the solicitation and resulting contract. Offeror further represents that no employee or former em-ployee of MDHS has or is soliciting, demanding, accepting, or agreeing to accept a gratuity or offer of employment for the reasons previously stated; any such action by an employee or former employee in the future, if any, will be rejected by offeror. Offeror further represents that it is in compliance with the Missis-sippi Ethics in Government laws, codified at Mississippi Code Annotated §§ 25-4-101 through 25-4-121, and has not solicited any employee or former employee to act in violation of said law.

Signature: Date:

Name:

Title:

Company Name: ___________________________________________________________________________

Note: Please be sure to circle the applicable word or words on numbers 10 and 11 (Prospective Contractor’s Representa-tion Regarding Contingent Fees) and (Representation Regarding Contingent Fees) above. Failure to circle the applicable word or words and/or to sign the bid form may result in the bid being rejected as non-responsive. Modifications or additions to any portion of this bid document may be cause for rejection of the bid.

ATTACHMENT C

REFERENCES

REFERENCE 1

Name of Company: ____________________________________________________________ Dates of Service: ______________________________________________________________ Contact Person: _______________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ________________________________________________________________ Telephone Number: ____________________________________________________________ Cell Number: _________________________________________________________________ E-mail: _______________________________________________________________________ Alternative Contact Person (optional):

Telephone Number: ____________________________________________________________ Cell Number:__________________________________________________________________ E-mail:

REFERENCE 2

Name of Company: ____________________________________________________________ Dates of Service: _______________________________________________________________ Contact Person: _______________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ________________________________________________________________ Telephone Number: ____________________________________________________________ Cell Number: _________________________________________________________________ E-mail: _______________________________________________________________________ Alternative Contact Person (optional):

Telephone Number: ____________________________________________________________ Cell Number: _________________________________________________________________

REFERENCE 3

Name of Company: ___________________________________________________________ Dates of Service: _______________________________________________________________ Contact Person: _______________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: _______________________________________________________________ Telephone Number: ____________________________________________________________ Cell Number: _________________________________________________________________ E-mail: _______________________________________________________________________ Alternative Contact Person (optional):

Telephone Number: ____________________________________________________________

REFERENCE 4

Name of Company: ____________________________________________________________ Dates of Service:_______________________________________________________________ Contact Person: _______________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ________________________________________________________________ Telephone Number: ___________________________________________________________ Cell Number: _________________________________________________________________ E-mail: ______________________________________________________________________ Alternative Contact Person (optional):

Telephone Number: ____________________________________________________________

REFERENCE 5

Name of Company: ___________________________________________________________ Dates of Service:_______________________________________________________________ Contact Person: _______________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ________________________________________________________________ Telephone Number: ____________________________________________________________ Cell Number: _________________________________________________________________ E-mail: ______________________________________________________________________ Alternative Contact Person (optional):

Telephone Number: ____________________________________________________________

Bidder may submit as many references as desired by submitting as many additional copies of Attachment C, References, as deemed necessary. References will be contacted in order listed until two references have been interviewed and Reference Score Sheets completed for each of the two references. No further references will be contacted; however, bidders are encouraged to submit additional references to ensure that at least two references are available for interview. MDHS must be able to contact two references within two (2) business days of bid opening to be considered responsive.

ATTACHMENT D

REFERENCE SCORE SHEET

**TO BE COMPLETED BY MDHS STAFF ONLY**

Name of Bidder: ___________________________________________________________________________

Reference Name: ___________________________________________________________________________

Person Contacted, Title/Position: _______________________________________________________________

Date/Time Contacted: _______________________________________________________________________

Contacted By: _________________________________________ Position: ____________________________

Services From/To Dates: _____________________________________________________________________

Questions Response (Circle One)

Was the vendor able to provide Language Interpretation & Translation Services when requested? Yes No

Were you satisfied with the services provided? If no, please explain. Yes No Vendor easy to work with when scheduling Language Interpretation & Trans-lation Services?

Yes No

Were the services completed on time and within your budget? Yes No Did the vendor listen when you had an issue and readily offered a solution? (If never had an issue, please check here ___.)

Yes No

Would you enter into a contract with this vendor again, if services were needed? Yes No Would you recommend MDHS using this vendor? Yes No

Each “yes” is one point; each “no” is zero points. Bidder must have a minimum score of “6” from two references (total of “12” points) to be considered responsible and for its bid to be considered.

Score: _________

Do you have any business, professional or personal interest in the bidder’s organi-zation? If yes, please explain.

Yes No

Notes:

ATTACHMENT E

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION FORM

The Respondent should mark any and all pages of this response considered to contain proprietary information.

Such pages may remain confidential in accordance with Mississippi Code Annotated §§25-61-9 and 79-23-1 (1972, as amended). Each page of this response considered, by the Respondent, to contain trade secrets or other confidential commercial/financial information should be marked in the upper right-hand corner with the word “CONFIDENTIAL.” Any pages not marked accordingly will be subject to review by the general public after the award of the contract. Requests to review the proprietary information will be handled in accordance with appli-cable legal procedures. Failure to clearly identify trade secrets or other confidential commercial/financial infor-mation may result in that information being released in a public records request.

For all procurement contracts awarded by state agencies, the provisions of the contract which contain the personal or professional services provided, the price to be paid, and the term of the contract shall not be deemed to be a trade secret, or confidential commercial or financial information, and shall be available for examination, copying, or reproduction.

If applicable, please indicate which parts/pages below that the contractor wishes to designate as proprietary. In addition, provide the specific statutory authority for the exemption. If this is not applicable, please indicate with “N/A” below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

By signing below, I understand failure to clearly mark proprietary information as identified above may result in disclosure of such information as it will be subject to review by the general public after the award of the contract.

Signature of Authorized Official/ Title Date (No stamped signature)

ATTACHMENT F

DEBARMENT VERIFICATION FORM

Please Print/Type Clearly in Blue Ink

Contractor’s Name

Authorized Official’s Name

Address

Phone Number

Are you currently registered with www.sam.gov (Respond Yes or No)

If no, please know if awarded, you will be asked to complete registration before final award.

If yes, complete the following:

o UEI Number o Registration Status (Type Active or Inactive) o Active Exclusions (Type Yes or No)

Federal Debarment Certification:

By signing below, I hereby certify that _____________________________________________ is not on the list (Subgrantee’s Name/Contractor’s Name) for federal debarment on www.sam.gov –System for Award Management.

State of Mississippi Debarment Certification:

By signing below, I hereby certify that _____________________________________________ is not on the list (Subgrantee’s Name/Contractor’s Name) for debarment for doing business within the State of Mississippi or with any Mississippi State Agencies.

Partnership Debarment Certification:

By signing below, I hereby certify that all entities who are in partnership through this contract with MDHS (sub-contractors, subrecipients, et al.) are not on the federal debarment list on www.sam.gov – System for Award Management or the State of Mississippi debarment list. Proof of documentation of partnership verification with SAM shall be kept on file and the debarment status shall be checked prior to submission of every contract/subgrant and modification to MDHS.

Signature of Authorized Official Date (No stamped signature) http://www.sam.gov/

ATTACHMENT G

REQUIRED CLAUSES FOR SERVICE CONTRACTS RESULTING FROM THIS IFB

1. Acknowledgment of Amendments. Bidders shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to the IFB in writing. The acknowledgement shall be submitted by signing and returning the amendment with the bid package, by identifying the amendment number and date in the space provided for this purpose on the bid form, or by letter. Each bidder shall submit a written acknowledgement of every amendment to the MDHS on or before the submission deadline. Should an amendment to the IFB be issued, it will be posted on the MDHS website (www.mdhs.ms.gov) in a manner that all bidders will be able to view. It is the bidder’s sole responsibility to monitor the website for amendments to the IFB.

2. Applicable Law. The contract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Mississippi, excluding its conflicts of laws provisions, and any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the courts of Hinds County, Mississippi.

3. Approval. It is understood that if this contract requires approval by the Public Procurement Review Board

(“PPRB”) and/or the Department of Finance and Administration Office of Personal Service Contract Re-view (“OPSCR”), and this contract is not approved by PPRB and/or OPSCR, it is void and no payment shall be made hereunder.

4. Availability of Funds. It is expressly understood and agreed that the obligation of MDHS to proceed under this agreement is conditioned upon the appropriation of funds by the Mississippi State Legislature and the receipt the appropriated funds. If the funds anticipated for the continuing time fulfillment of the agreement are, at any time, not forthcoming or insufficient, regardless of the source of funding, MDHS shall have the right upon 10 business days written notice to Contractor, to terminate this agreement without damage, pen-alty, cost or…