ITB01FY27.pdf

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INVITATION TO BID(ITB) – COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDDING

SOLICITATION INFORMATION

ITB No. ITB01FY27 Title Translation and American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting Services

Issuing Authority APS Procurement Resolutions Section 4-101

Issue Date October 30, 2026

Pre-bid conference November 5, 2026, at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time

Questions Deadline November 06, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET

Bid Closing Date and Time November 13, 2026, at 3:00 PM ET

Public Bid Opening Date and Time November 16, 2026, at 4:00 PM ET

Public Bid Opening Location / Method

Virtually via Teams:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2578915668365770?p=893xvqCG4C9e33yLty Meeting ID: 257 891 566 836 577 0 Passcode: p8N2cd7m

Procurement Contact Edrees Sultani Procurement Specialist edrees.sultani@apsva.us

Bid Submission Method and Address Bids shall be submitted electronically through Egnyte

Contract Type (anticipated) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity/Labor hour

Initial Contract Term One (1) year from the date of award.

Renewal Options four (4) additional one-year periods under the same terms and conditions, subject to satisfactory performance and available funding.

IMPORTANT PROCUREMENT NOTICE

This ITB is issued using Competitive Sealed Bidding. Competitive Sealed Bidding includes issuance of an Invitation to Bid, public notice, public opening and announcement of Bids received, evaluation of Bids, and award to the lowest Responsive and Responsible Bidder. The solicitation shall not provide for discussions or negotiations with Bidders except where specifically authorized by the APS Procurement Resolution or applicable law.

Bid Closing and Bid Opening are separate procurement events. All Bids must be received before the Bid Closing deadline and will be opened and announced publicly at the Bid Opening identified above.

APS may cancel the ITB or reject any or all Bids for reasonable grounds consistent with the APS Procurement Resolution. APS may waive Informalities in Bids where permitted.

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES

2110 Washington Boulevard • Arlington, VA 22204 • Phone: (703) 228-7652

Arlington Public Schools https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2578915668365770?p=893xvqCG4C9e33yLty https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2578915668365770?p=893xvqCG4C9e33yLty https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapsva.egnyte.com%2Ful%2FGbA6oB0QzC&data=05%7C02%7Cedrees.sultani%40apsva.us%7C48780bdd57704b2f62a308df36be0249%7C313708a6b7e9492cac7af19734f3f702%7C0%7C0%7C639289861838643930%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RjN9B7hM60wPKUsyw5%2B0tWqOOoJ5MxCZqrx45SMzGYM%3D&reserved=0

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SECTION 1 — PURPOSE

Arlington Public Schools ("APS") is soliciting sealed bids from qualified bidders to provide services in two categories as described in this Invitation to Bid (ITB):

• Translation Services

• American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting Services

Bidders may submit a bid for one or both service categories. APS anticipates awarding at least contract for each category under this solicitation.

SECTION 2 — BACKGROUND

APS consists of twenty-three (23) elementary schools, six (6) middle schools, and four (4) high schools, an alternative 6-12 secondary program, a high school continuation program, and a special education center serving persons aged two (2) through twenty-two (22). The Human Resources department administers ASL interpretation access to APS employees and the Language Access Services Office provides multilingual communications, educational information, and related materials to students, families, employees, and community stakeholders.

APS requires professional translation services and ASL interpretation services to support effective communication and to ensure access to information for individuals with limited English proficiency.

APS seek qualified contractors(s) to provide written translation editing, proofreading, quality assurance review, other related translation and ASL interpreting services, support services in accordance with the requirements of this Invitation to Bid.

SECTION 3 — SCOPE OF WORK / TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The Contractor shall provide professional written translation services, and ASL interpreting services, that are equipped to provide the necessary staff to meet APS support services requirement in accordance with this scope of work.

3.1 General Requirements

The Contractor shall:

a. Provide professional translation services for APS documents and communications.

b. Maintain confidentiality of APS information and all documents received for translation.

c. Perform services in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local requirements.

d. Provide sufficient staffing and resources to perform the required services.

e. Maintain quality control procedures to ensure accuracy and consistency of translated materials.

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f. Comply with APS requirements regarding data security, confidentiality, and records management.

3.2 Specification of services

The Contractor shall:

a. Translate APS documents from English into designated target languages and from designated target languages into English, as requested by APS.

b. Provide editing, proofreading, review, and quality assurance services.

c. Maintain terminology consistency across translated materials.

d. Utilize qualified translators knowledgeable in educational terminology and public-sector communications.

e. Support translation projects of various sizes and formats, including forms, letters, notices, reports, informational materials, web content, and educational communications.

f. Provide translated documents in formats requested by APS.

g. Meet APS-established delivery schedules and turnaround requirements.

h. Maintain APS-owned translation memories, glossaries, terminology databases, and linguistic assets in accordance with Contract requirements.

3.3 ASL Interpreting Services

a. Provide in-person ASL interpretations and virtual interpretations with the ability to navigate virtual interpreting platforms.

b. Provide sign-to-voice and voice-to-sign interpretations.

c. Interpret in confidential employment-related settings, including personnel, disciplinary, investigatory, workplace accommodation, and other sensitive meetings.

d. Use and interpret school-related and academic vocabulary.

e. Provide sign language interpretation services, including teacher consultation, appropriate to meet the needs of individual students as determined by Individualized Education Plan (IEP) teams.

f. Ensure assigned interpreters have the technical capability to effectively participate in virtual platforms utilized by APS and maintain appropriate privacy and confidentiality standards during virtual assignments.

g. Arrive fifteen (15) minutes prior to each assignment and remain up to twenty (20) minutes after the scheduled start time if participants are delayed.

h. Follow the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and/or Cued Language Translator (CLT) code of conduct.

3.4 Contractor & Personnel Requirements

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The Contractor shall:

a. Demonstrate experience providing translation services for educational, governmental, or public-sector organizations.

b. Demonstrate experience providing professional American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services for educational institutions, public agencies, or similar organizations.

c. Maintain personnel qualified to provide translation services in the languages requested by APS.

d. Maintain the staffing and resources necessary to perform the services both online and in person.

e. Designate a contract representative responsible for communication and coordination with APS.

f. Demonstrate the ability to provide secure transmission and storage of documents when required.

g. Maintain quality assurance procedures for translation review and verification.

h. Demonstrate experience supporting educational institutions, public agencies, or similar organizations.

i. Demonstrate the ability to provide translation services in the languages identified by APS.

j. Demonstrate quality assurance and review procedures for translated materials.

k. Possess certifications include Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), National

Association of the Deaf (NAD), Educational Interpreters Performance Assessment Score of 4-5 (EIPA 4-5), and/or Cued Language Translator (CLT) national certification

3.5. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Offerors must meet all minimum qualifications outlined below. Failure to meet minimum qualifications may result in disqualification.

3.5.1 Contractor Qualifications

The Contractor shall:

a. Have a minimum of three (3) years of experience providing professional translation services for educational institutions, public agencies, or similar organizations.

b. Have at least three years’ experience providing American Sign Language (ASL)

c. Have adequate personnel with at least two years of experience providing interpretation services and possess the required certification highlighted above.

d. Have adequate personnel with at least two years of experience providing ASL services.

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SECTION 4 — DELIVERABLES / PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

Translation and Interpretation Services

Deliverable Description Frequency

Deliverable #1 – Written Translation Services

Translated APS documents and communications in requested languages. As Requested

Deliverable #2 – Edited and Proofread Deliverables

Completed translations including editing, review, and proofreading. As Requested

Deliverable #3 – Final Translation Deliverables Final translated files in APS-required formats. As Requested

Deliverable #4 – Translation Memory and Terminology Support

Maintenance and application of APS-approved glossaries, terminology databases, style guides, and translation memories.

Throughout Contract Term

Deliverable #5 – Secure File Handling

Secure receipt, storage, transmission, and management of APS documents.

Throughout Contract Term

Deliverable #6 – Project Coordination

Project management, APS communications, scheduling, and issue resolution.

Throughout Contract Term

Deliverable #7 – Translation Activity Reports

Reports identifying volume, languages, turnaround times, rework, and performance metrics.

Quarterly and As Requested

Deliverable #8 – Compliance with Service Levels

Compliance with APS turnaround requirements and performance measures.

Throughout Contract Term

ASL services

Deliverable Description Delivery Format

Due Date

Acceptanc e Criteria

Emergency Service Coverage

Availability for urgent or same-day requests

E-mail/Phon e

Ongoing

Response Within Agreed Timeframe

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Deliverable Description Delivery Format

Due Date

Acceptanc e Criteria

Service Issue Resolution

Written Response and Corrective Action Plan for Service Complaints

E-mail/PDF

Within 5 Business Days of Complain t

APS

Approval

Detailed Monthly Invoice

Itemized invoice identifying name of staff member receiving service, service dates, service type, hours, location, and provider assigned

PDF Monthly

APS

Director of Employee Relations

Service Request Acknowledgeme nt

Confirmation of receipt of APS interpretation/accessibili ty request

E-mail

Within 1 business day of request

APS

Director of Employee Relations

• All deliverables must be submitted in a format acceptable to APS and approved by the Project Officer.

SECTION 5 — PRICING SCHEDULE

Bidders shall provide pricing exactly as requested below. Prices shall include all labor, materials, equipment, overhead, profit, transportation, insurance, and other costs necessary to perform the Work, unless expressly stated otherwise.

APS is a tax exempt public entity. Any tax included in a Bid must be separately identified and will be excluded for evaluation purposes.

• Translation rates shall include formatting of system-generated special education PDFs and editable source documents. No separate Desktop Publishing (DTP) fee shall be charged for routine formatting associated with such documents.

• Desktop Publishing services may only be billed for scanned documents, image-based documents, graphics with embedded text, design files, and other non-editable source files requiring additional formatting work.

• Flat-rate DTP fees per document are not permitted.

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Translation and Interpretation Services

Item No. Description Unit of Measure Unit Price

Base Year

Translation Services (including formatting of system-generated special education PDFs and editable source files)

Per Word $_____

Base Year Master Template Development Per Document $_____

Base Year

Desktop Publishing (DTP) Services for scanned documents, image-based documents, graphics with embedded text, design files, and other non-editable source files

Per Page $_____

Year Two

Translation Services (including formatting of system-generated special education PDFs and editable source files)

Per Word $_____

Year Two Master Template Development Per Document $_____

Year Two

Desktop Publishing (DTP) Services for scanned documents, image-based documents, graphics with embedded text, design files, and other non-editable source files

Per Page $_____

Year Three

Translation Services (including formatting of system-generated special education PDFs and editable source files)

Per Word $_____

Year Three Master Template Development Per Document $_____

Year Three

Desktop Publishing (DTP) Services for scanned documents, image-based documents, graphics with embedded text, design files, and other non-editable source files

Per Page $_____

Year Four

Translation Services (including formatting of system-generated special education PDFs and editable source files)

Per Word $_____

Year Four Master Template Development Per Document $_____

Year Four

Desktop Publishing (DTP) Services for scanned documents, image-based documents, graphics with embedded text, design files, and other non-editable source files

Per Page $_____

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Item No. Description Unit of Measure Unit Price

Year Five

Translation Services (including formatting of system-generated special education PDFs and editable source files)

Per Word $_____

Year Five Master Template Development Per Document $_____

Year Five

Desktop Publishing (DTP) Services for scanned documents, image-based documents, graphics with embedded text, design files, and other non-editable source files

Per Page $_____

The labor hour rates shall be fully burdened and inclusive of all direct and indirect costs, including overhead, administrative expenses, profit, travel, and any other costs associated with performing the services.

ASL Services

Item No. Description Unit of Measure Unit Price

Base Year ASL Interpreting Services (In Person) Hourly Rate $_____

Base Year ASL Interpreting Services (Virtual) Hourly Rate $_____

Year Two ASL Interpreting Services (In Person) Hourly Rate $_____

Year Two ASL Interpreting Services (Virtual) Hourly Rate $_____

Year Three ASL Interpreting Services (In Person) Hourly Rate $_____

Year Three ASL Interpreting Services (Virtual) Hourly Rate $_____

Year Four ASL Interpreting Services (In Person) Hourly Rate $_____

Year Four ASL Interpreting Services (Virtual) Hourly Rate $_____

Year Five ASL Interpreting Services (In Person) Hourly Rate $_____

Year Five ASL Interpreting Services (Virtual) Hourly Rate $_____

The Bidder certifies that all prices submitted in response to this solicitation shall remain firm and irrevocable for a period of ninety (90) calendar days following the Bid due date, unless otherwise specified in the solicitation. The Bidder further agrees that its Bid shall remain valid and available for acceptance by Arlington Public Schools during this period.

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SECTION 6 — BIDDER ELIGIBILITY, RESPONSIVENESS, AND RESPONSIBILITY

6.1 Mandatory Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for award, the Bidder must meet the following minimum requirements:

a. Be legally authorized to conduct business in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

b. Have a minimum of three (3) years of experience providing professional translation services and or ASL services.

c. Demonstrate experience providing ASL, and or translation services for educational institutions, public agencies, or organizations of similar size and complexity.

d. Demonstrate the ability to provide ASL and or translation services in the languages required by APS.

e. Maintain qualified translators, editors, and proofreaders with demonstrated experience translating educational content and or ASL interpretation.

f. Demonstrate the ability to work within a client-controlled CAT/TMS environment and utilize translation memory and terminology resources.

g. Demonstrate the ability to provide translation, editing, proofreading, and quality assurance services in accordance with this ITB.

h. Demonstrate the organizational capacity and staffing necessary to meet APS turnaround requirements.

i. Demonstrate experience providing professional American Sign Language (ASL)

j. Demonstrate ability to provide Interpreters with certifications (such as RID, NAD, EIPA 4-

5, or CLT).

6.2 Responsiveness

A Responsive Bid is one that conforms in all material respects to this ITB. Mandatory Bid requirements must be clearly identified in this ITB. A Bid that fails to satisfy a mandatory requirement may be rejected as non-responsive, subject to applicable law and the APS Procurement Resolution.

6.3 Responsibility

APS will determine whether the apparent low Bidder is Responsible. In addition to price and the requirements stated in this ITB, APS may consider the Bidder's ability, capacity, skill and financial resources; ability to perform promptly; character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience and efficiency; prior performance; compliance with applicable laws; ability to provide future maintenance and service; financial obligations to APS; and other information bearing on the award decision.

6.4 Bidder Investigation

Before submitting a Bid, each Bidder shall investigate all conditions and requirements affecting performance. Failure to do so does not relieve the successful Bidder of its obligations under the Contract.

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SECTION 7 — QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ADDENDA, AND PRE-BID CONFERENCE

All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing via email to Edrees.sultani@apsva.us with the subject line (ITB01FY27) no later than November 06, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET. The Procurement Office will issue written responses to all substantive questions received by the deadline through an addendum.

Bidders are responsible for monitoring all official APS solicitation postings and Addenda before Bid Closing.

Pre-Bid Conference: APS will conduct virtual pre-bid conference to review the requirements of this ITB and answer vendor questions. Attendance is optional and is not required for Bid submission.

Date/Time: November 5, 2026, at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time Location/Method: Microsoft Teams:

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2868344735899870?p=LbQIQVQm2IOOUSwEPt Meeting ID: 286 834 473 589 987 0 Passcode: Pa9xr2Zu

SECTION 8 — BID OPENING, WITHDRAWAL, AND BID SECURITY

All Bids received before Bid Closing will be opened and announced publicly at the Bid Opening identified in the Solicitation Information. The Bid Opening shall occur at the date, time, and location stated in the ITB.

Withdrawal for error shall be handled in accordance with the applicable provisions of APS Procurement Resolution § 4-101. For Goods or Services other than Construction, a written request to withdraw before Bid Opening may be made to the Procurement Agent; after Bid Opening, the request must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the first full business day following Bid Opening and must satisfy the Resolution's requirements for a clerical or arithmetic mistake supported by objective evidence.

For Construction procurements, the ITB shall state the Resolution-compliant withdrawal procedure, including the applicable two-business-day written notice and original work-paper requirements.

SECTION 9 — EVALUATION AND AWARD

APS will evaluate Bids for responsiveness and responsibility in accordance with this ITB, the APS Procurement Resolution Section 4-101(10), and applicable Virginia law.

Award will be made to the lowest Responsive and Responsible Bidder whose Bid conforms in all material respects to the ITB. Where the ITB expressly provides for multiple awards, awards may be made to more than one Bidder.

If the lowest Responsive and Responsible Bid exceeds available funds, APS may negotiate with the apparent low Bidder solely to obtain a Contract price within available funds, but only under the circumstances and procedure authorized by the APS Procurement Resolution and stated in this ITB.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2868344735899870?p=LbQIQVQm2IOOUSwEPt https://apsva.egnyte.com/navigate/file/04883722-d100-4aca-8f68-f7b0ddf2f305 https://apsva.egnyte.com/navigate/file/04883722-d100-4aca-8f68-f7b0ddf2f305

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If award is not made to the apparent lowest Responsive and Responsible Bidder, the Procurement Agent shall provide the required notice and maintain the required statement of reasons in the procurement file.

If Best Value concepts are used for Goods or Non-Professional Services, the criteria, factors, basis, and process must be expressly stated in the solicitation before Bids are received. Best Value concepts do not apply to Construction or Professional Services unless specifically authorized by the APS Procurement Resolution.

SECTION 10 — REJECTION, CANCELLATION, AND INFORMALITIES

APS may cancel this ITB or reject any or all Bids when reasonable grounds exist, consistent with the APS Procurement Resolution. APS will not cancel or reject a solicitation solely to avoid awarding a Contract to a particular Responsive and Responsible Bidder. The reasons for cancellation or rejection shall be maintained in the procurement file.

The Procurement Agent may waive Informalities in Bids where permitted by the APS Procurement Resolution.

SECTION 11 — PUBLIC ACCESS / FOIA / PROCUREMENT RECORDS

Procurement records shall be handled in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the Virginia Public Procurement Act, and APS Procurement Resolution § 4-113. Bid records are subject to the timing and disclosure rules applicable to competitive sealed bidding.

Qualifying trade secrets or proprietary information must be specifically identified and protected as required by the Resolution.

SECTION 12 — REQUIRED CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The resulting Contract shall incorporate the APS Standard Terms and Conditions, the APS Procurement Resolution, and all provisions required by applicable law, each of which is incorporated herein by reference and available through the hyperlinks provided.

SECTION 13 —INSURANCE

The successful Bidder shall procure and maintain the insurance coverages and limits set forth below. For complete insurance requirements, including all terms, conditions, and endorsements, refer to Clause 49 of the APS Contract Terms and Conditions, incorporated herein by reference.

Type of Insurance Limit Per Occurrence Aggregate Limit Commercial

General Liability

$ 1,000,000.00 $ 3,000,000.00

Subcontractors Commercial General Liability

$ 1,000,000.00 $ 3,000,000.00

Worker’s Compensation

Statutory Limit Statutory Limit

Employer’s Liability $ 1,000,000.00 $ 1,000,000.00 https://apsva.egnyte.com/navigate/file/65d25c39-905a-4416-b841-9cc5dc791e97 https://apsva.egnyte.com/navigate/file/65d25c39-905a-4416-b841-9cc5dc791e97

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Commercial Automobile Liability

$1,000,000 $3,000,000

SECTION 14 — SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

APS intends to facilitate participation by small businesses, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, and employment services organizations as provided by Article 8 of the APS Procurement Resolution. The solicitation shall be advertised and administered in accordance with applicable APS requirements.

SECTION 15 — COOPERATIVE PROCUREMENT

Arlington Public Schools (APS) reserves the right to extend the use of any resulting Contract to other public bodies, public agencies, public institutions of higher education, and school divisions authorized to participate in cooperative procurements under the Virginia Public Procurement Act and the APS Procurement Resolution. Participation by any other public body shall be at the sole discretion of that public body and the Contractor and shall be governed by the same terms, conditions, specifications, and pricing established under the resulting Contract unless otherwise mutually agreed in writing by the participating public body and the Contractor. APS assumes no responsibility or liability for purchases made by other participating public bodies.

SECTION 16 — BID SUBMISSION AND CERTIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

Each Bidder shall complete all required certifications and submit copies of such certifications, together with all documents required by this solicitation. APS reserves the right to make an award based solely on the initial bids received. Failure to submit required certifications, documents, or information may result in the Bid being deemed non-responsive.

a. Signed Appendix 1: Bid Form/Bidder Certification

i. Completed Pricing Schedule

ii. Acknowledgment of all Addenda

iii. Acknowledgement of ability to fulfil insurance requirement

iv. References Demonstrating School-Based Experience

b. SCC Registration Information or Exemption

c. Audit financial Report or IRS tax transcript from the most recent year,

d. Required Licenses and Certifications

e. Contractor Certification Regarding Criminal Convictions

f. Resume of Proposed personnel

g. Non-Disclosure and Data Security Agreement

h. Student Data Usage and Privacy Agreement

i. Copy of Arlington County Business License (contractor)

j. Interpreters certifications (such as RID, NAD, EIPA 4-5, or CLT).

Do not label an entire Bid as proprietary or trade secret. A Bidder seeking protection for qualifying proprietary information must invoke the protection at or before submission, specifically identify the protected material, and state why protection is necessary. Line-item and total Bid prices may not be designated as trade secrets or proprietary information.

https://apsva.egnyte.com/navigate/file/047d39ad-84c3-42b6-9661-fcbc91d17d0e https://apsva.egnyte.com/navigate/file/45e95218-f2ed-46d8-803b-1f09463d84fc https://apsva.egnyte.com/navigate/file/ffa7a4fe-30ef-40f8-a130-d134ea5602b4

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SECTION 17 — PROTESTS AND REMEDIES

Any Bidder or Offeror desiring to protest an award or decision to award shall submit a written protest to the Procurement Agent no later than ten (10) calendar days after the award or announcement of the decision to award, whichever occurs first, in accordance with APS Procurement Resolution § 7-104.

A Bidder contesting a determination that it is not a Responsible Bidder shall proceed under APS Procurement Resolution § 7-103 and may not protest the award or proposed award on that basis under § 7-104.

The ITB should identify the official posting location(s) for the award or decision to award. The Procurement Resolution governs the applicable protest, appeal, and stay procedures.

SECTION 18 — POST-SOLICITATION COMMENTS

Following award of any Contract or cancellation of this solicitation, all Bidders, and potential Bidders are invited to provide APS written comments regarding the manner in which the solicitation was conducted and suggested modifications that may make future APS solicitations more efficient, productive, and attractive to potential Bidders.