THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

TRIAL COURT

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE TRIAL COURT

John Adams Courthouse 1 Pemberton Square

Boston, MA 02108

PROJECT MANAGEMENT/INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN CONSULTANT

REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS (RFQ)

PRF76 CATEGORY 3

Document Number: BD-27-1107-1107T-TRC01- 133135

Published: September 3rd, 2026

Please Note: This is a single document associated with a complete Solicitation that can be found on COMMBUYS. All Bidders are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information, forms, and requirements found in all tabs and related forum records for the entire Solicitation. To locate the Solicitation associated with this document, go to www.COMMBUYS.com, select the “Search for solicitations” link, enter the above Document Number in the “Document Number” field, and select the “Search” button. Bidders who need help regarding COMMBUYS navigation may refer to the COMMBUYS Resource Center at www.mass.gov/osd for documents and guides. Bidders may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1- 888-627-8283. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight Time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

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Massachusetts Trial Court Executive Office of the Trial Court

Request for Quotations (RFQ)

SUMMARY SHEET

Purchasing Entity:

Massachusetts Trial Court Executive Office of the Trial Court

Address:

1 Pemberton Square Boston, MA 02108

Telephone:

(617) 878-0394

RFQ File Name/Title:

Project Management/Instructional Design Consultant RFQ

Primary Contact Person:

Mary Corcoran, Acting ACFO for Grants Administration Christine Guerin-Lampila, Procurement Coordinator

RFQ Summary:

The Executive Office of the Trial Court (EOTC) is issuing a Request for Quotations (“RFQ”) under OSD’s PRF76 for the creation of two new multilingual informational videos, focusing specifically on the distinctions between c. 209A and c. 258E orders. We would like these videos to be available for plaintiffs and defendants in domestic and sexual violence cases by January 1, 2027.

The contractor selected through this solicitation will assist the EOTC, specifically the Chairs of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force and the Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordinator, in developing two approximately 20-minute videos, with translations and subtitles in 11 languages: Haitian-Creole, Vietnamese, Khmer, Cape Verdean, Chinese Cantonese (simplified), Spanish (Latin), Arabic, Chinese (traditional), Russian, Portuguese (Brazil), English.

Official Publication Solicitation and Related Documents:

The Commonwealth’s sole official online procurement record site is “COMMBUYS”, http://www.commbuys.com. All clarifications, notifications, addenda or other documents or information related to this solicitation are officially published through the COMMBUYS website. Hardcopy communications from the Office of Court Management to any vendor are provided as a courtesy. Vendors should access the COMMBUYS website frequently for official communications related to this solicitation from the Office of Court Management, Judicial Information Services Division.

***Quote Submission Deadline*** September 25th, 2026, at 2:00pm (ET) http://www.commbuys.com/

1. Procurement Information

1.1 General Summary

The Massachusetts Trial Court is committed to: fair and impartial administration of justice;

protection of constitutional and statutory rights and liberties; equal access to justice for all in a safe and dignified environment with policies and practices that strengthen and support diversity, equity, and inclusion; efficient, effective, and accountable resolution of disputes;

prompt and courteous service to the public by committed and dedicated professionals utilizing best practices in a manner that inspires public trust and confidence.

Courts play an essential role and hold a key responsibility in maximizing both victim safety and offender accountability in cases of domestic and sexual violence. The Trial Court has continued to prioritize addressing domestic and sexual violence, working to ensure that coordination and communication across all seven Trial Court departments on these complex cases occurs so that knowledge and experience is shared and cultivated.

The Trial Court serves as an avenue by which many victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, criminal harassment, dating violence, and/or stalking seek assistance.

The numerous points of interaction within the Trial Court with those impacted by domestic and sexual violence make it imperative to develop and strengthen educational access to trauma-informed information and guidance for court users to ensure that survivors, families, and other court users are informed and supported as they navigate c. 209A and c. 258E proceedings.

The Trial Court is utilizing a portion of its FFY2025 VAWA STOP funds to develop two new multilingual informational videos, focusing specifically on the distinctions between c. 209A and c. 258E orders and the judicial process in cases concerning domestic and sexual violence, which will be available to plaintiffs and defendants over the next year. This RFQ seeks proposals from qualified vendors who can provide Professional Development Services to finalize the creation, development, and publication of these new resources.

1.2 Purpose and Scope

The EOTC has been awarded funding for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Service, Training, Officers, Prosecutors (STOP) Formula Grant Program, distributed by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants and Research (OGR). The VAWA STOP Formula Grant Program enhances the capacity of local communities to develop and strengthen effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to combat violent crimes against women and to develop and strengthen victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women. Under law, each state and territory must allocate five percent of its VAWA STOP funding to state and local courts. The Trial Court’s VAWA funding supports the continual development and enhancement of educational materials and outreach strategies to inform court users of the various stages of abuse and harassment prevention order proceedings.

The purpose of this procurement is to select one Contractor to develop two approximately 20-minute Protective Order Instructional Videos and related materials. The final resources must be accurate, trauma-informed, accessible, understandable to court users, culturally appropriate, and suitable for public distribution.

1.3 Eligible Bidders

This RFQ is restricted to Bidders that are active contractors under Statewide Contract PRF76, Category 3. All applicable terms and conditions of PRF76 are incorporated into and apply to this RFQ and any resulting contract.

Activities supported by the STOP Formula Grant Program are determined by statute, federal regulations, and Office on Violence Against Women policies. The awarded Contractor and the funded project will be subject to all applicable VAWA STOP Grant Program requirements, the DOJ Grants Financial Guide, including applicable updates, and the subrecipient or grant conditions identified in the resulting contract or related attachments.

1.4 Acquisition Method

The services under this RFQ will be acquired on a fee-for-service basis through the PRF76 Statewide Contract. The selected Contractor will be responsible for providing all project management, instructional design, video production, editing, translation, captioning, accessibility, quality assurance, and related services necessary to complete the Scope of Services identified in this RFQ.

The Trial Court will receive all final, published, and editable work products, source files, licenses, releases, and other materials required under this RFQ and the resulting Statement of Work.

1.5 Compensation Structure

The resulting contract will be based on one all-inclusive, firm-fixed total project price for completion of all services and delivery of the final work products required by this RFQ.

The Contractor will be eligible to invoice for one hundred percent of the total contract price following completion, delivery, and written acceptance by the Trial Court of the two approximately 20-minute Protective Order Instructional Videos and any related materials.

Project meetings, design development, storyboarding, filming, editing, reviewing, translating, captioning, and other activities required to complete the project are included within the firm-fixed total project cost and will not be separately billable or eligible for partial payment.

All Bidders must provide pricing in accordance with Section 4.5 of this RFQ.

1.6 Anticipated Contract Duration

Initial Term

The Trial Court anticipates a total project duration through the end of December 2026.

Renewal Options

There are no renewal options anticipated for this project. Any extension to complete the initial contract work will be made at the sole discretion of the Trial Court. Any extension of the performance period must be permitted under the applicable grant requirements, approved in writing by the Trial Court, and documented through an executed amendment.

An extension will not authorize additional compensation unless the Trial Court separately approves additional work and compensation in writing.

Completion Deadline

The Contractor must complete and obtain Trial Court acceptance of all required deliverables no later than December 31, 2026, unless the Trial Court provides a revised deadline in writing consistent with applicable grant requirements.

1.7 Single or Multiple Contractors

The Trial Court anticipates awarding one contract to a single Contractor that will serve as the prime contractor and single point of responsibility for all services and deliverables described in this RFQ. The Trial Court reserves the right to award contracts to multiple Contractors if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the Trial Court.

1.8 Subcontractors

Vendors' use of subcontractors is subject to the Commonwealth's Terms and Conditions, Standard Contract Form, and applicable terms of PRF76. The Trial Court has the right to approve subcontractors and to request copies of subcontracts. Vendors may not subcontract more than 80% of the work as measured by dollar amount. The Bidder must identify all proposed subcontractors, the services each subcontractor will perform, and the percentage or dollar value of the work to be subcontracted. The awarded Contractor will remain fully responsible for all subcontractor performance, quality, compliance, and payment.

2. Scope of Work

2.1 Scope Overview

The purpose of this project is to develop two approximately 20-minute Protective Order Instructional Videos for public distribution. The Contractor will be expected to:

• Schedule and host regularly scheduled project meetings

• Provide at least two design approaches for consideration and selection by the Trial

Court

• Create a full storyboard based on the selected design approach and Trial Court-provided content outlines

• Film and edit both videos, including two rounds of Trial Court review

• Test the final draft materials with up to 10 project stakeholders

• Provide transcripts and closed captioning for the final videos, together with required translations and subtitles in the languages identified in this RFQ.

The Contractor will be responsible for delivering one complete final project package consisting of two approximately 20-minute Protective Order Instructional Videos and all related materials required by this RFQ. Related materials include final transcripts and closed-caption files, translated subtitles and related language-access files, scripts & storyboards, graphics & other production elements, editable video & production files, and any other materials necessary for the Trial Court to publish, maintain, and use the completed videos.

The final deliverable package must incorporate all Trial Court-approved revisions and feedback and must be suitable and accessible for public distribution.

2.2 Contractor Responsibilities

i. Provide all personnel, project management, instructional design, production, editing, translation, captioning, software, equipment, travel, and other resources necessary to complete the quoted scope, except for resources expressly identified as Trial Court responsibilities.

a. Translations and subtitles in 11 languages: Haitian-Creole, Vietnamese, Khmer, Cape Verdean, Chinese Cantonese (simplified), Spanish (Latin), Arabic, Chinese (traditional), Russian, Portuguese (Brazil), English.

b. Bidders are encouraged, but not required, to subcontract with approved vendors on OSD’s statewide contract PRF88: Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation Services, as needed.

ii. Obtain and maintain all required licenses, permissions, releases, and clearances for any third-party media, talent, or other materials used in the final deliverables.

iii. Ensure that all staff and subcontractors understand the sensitive nature of the subject matter and use trauma-informed, respectful, and culturally responsive practices throughout the engagement.

2.3 Trial Court Responsibilities

i. Provide available content outlines, legal and procedural guidance, existing reference materials, and timely substantive review of scripts, storyboards, translations, and draft deliverables.

ii. Identify the Trial Court project manager, project sponsors, subject matter experts, stakeholders, and final approval authority.

iii. Coordinate access to Trial Court personnel and locations, as applicable and mutually scheduled.

iv. Provide final approval of all legal content, branding, language-access terminology, and public-facing deliverables.

2.4 Technical Requirements

i. Final videos must be provided in a high-resolution, web-ready format approved by the

Trial Court, including MP4/H.264 or another mutually approved standard format, together with editable project/source files.

ii. Audio must be clear, balanced, and suitable for public viewing on common computers and mobile devices. Text and graphics must remain readable at typical web-viewing sizes.

iii. Closed captions, transcripts, and subtitle files must be provided in formats approved by the Trial Court, including SRT, WebVTT, or another commonly supported format as requested.

iv. Final videos and associated materials must be designed and delivered in an accessible manner appropriate for public-facing content. This includes accurate captions and transcripts, readable text and graphics, adequate color contrast, and other accessibility features applicable to the final content.

v. The Contractor must use qualified translators and reviewers. Machine translation may not be used as the sole translation or quality-assurance method. The Contractor must describe its translation review process, including how legal terminology and culturally sensitive content will be validated.

vi. The Trial Court retains final approval over translated terminology, subtitles, captions, graphics, branding, and all public-facing content.

2.5 Review, Revision, and Acceptance

Within ten (10) Business Days of receipt of each deliverable, the Trial Court will notify the Contractor, in writing, of acceptance or rejection. A rejection will include a written description of the defects of the deliverable. If the Trial Court does not respond with acceptance or rejection within ten (10) Business Days of receipt, the Contractor shall provide a reminder notice to the Trial Court. If the Trial Court fails to respond after the receipt of the reminder notice, Contractor must notify the Trial Court, and the Parties must agree to a new deadline for acceptance or rejection of the deliverable. Upon receipt of rejection of a deliverable, Contractor will act diligently to correct the specified defects and deliver an updated version of the deliverable to the Trial Court. Acceptance or rejection of the updated version of the deliverable will be subject to the process described in this paragraph. In no event will a deliverable be deemed accepted without affirmative written acceptance.

The Trial Court will review draft materials throughout the project and the final deliverable package for accuracy, completeness, quality, accessibility, conformance with the approved design and scope, and readiness for public distribution. The project will not be considered complete until the Trial Court provides written acceptance. Payment will not be authorized until such acceptance has been provided.

The Contractor must correct errors, omissions, formatting defects, inaccurate captions or translations, broken links or functionality, and other nonconforming work at no additional cost. Requested revisions that materially expand the approved scope will be handled only through a written amendment or other written authorization by the Trial Court.

3. Procurement Process

3.1 Procurement Calendar

The following schedule of events for this RFQ identifies the key events and deadlines for this process, some of which are set forth in more detail in the sections that follow:

EVENT DATE

Request for Quotation (RFQ) Issued September 3, 2026

Deadline for Submission of Questions Through COMMBUYS “Bid Q&A”

September 10, 2026, 2:00

PM ET

Official Responses from EOTC Published Through COMMBUYS “Bid Q&A”

September 15, 2026

Deadline for Quotes/Bid Responses (“Bid Opening Date/Time”) Uploaded to COMMBUYS

September 25, 2026, 2:00

PM ET

Vendor Selected (Estimated) October 2026

EVENT DATE

Contract Start Date (Estimated) October 2026

Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as displayed on the COMMBUYS system clock displayed to Bidders after logging in. If there is a conflict between the dates in this Procurement Calendar and dates in the Bid’s Header, the dates in the Bid’s Header on COMMBUYS shall prevail. Bidders are responsible for checking the Bid record, including Bid Q&A, on COMMBUYS for Procurement Calendar updates.

The Trial Court reserves the right to amend or delay any of the dates or times reflected above, as well as any other timeframes or deadlines referenced throughout this solicitation, if such a change is in the best interests of the Trial Court.

3.2 Correspondence

All correspondence, including Vendor Inquiries and Submissions related to this RFQ should be submitted through the Bid Q&A Tool on COMMBUYS.

3.3 Vendor Inquiries

Vendors may submit questions concerning this RFQ through the Bid Q&A Tool on COMMBUYS no later than the dates and times specified in the Procurement Calendar in Section 3.1.

Vendors are advised that EOTC restricts submission of questions to the Bid Q&A tool and requires all responses to be submitted using the online submission tools available to active COMMBUYS account holders only. No telephone or in-person inquiries will be accepted.

EOTC will review only properly submitted vendor questions received by the deadline for submission and will provide answers for those questions deemed appropriate. Submission of a question does not guarantee a response to that question. The EOTC reserves the right to provide consolidated responses to similar questions. The responses to Vendor Questions will be made available electronically via COMMBUYS to all vendors.

Communication restrictions on vendors (i.e., communications limited to vendor questions submitted through COMMBUYS) do not restrict the OCM’s right to request additional information, clarifications, supplemental responses, etc., during the procurement process.

EOTC reserves the right to defer answers to questions regarding the status of this procurement process or any response to it, except for any information officially published via COMMBUYS, until a contract has been executed with the successful Bidder and/or a formal Notice of Award has been released.

4. Submission Requirements Vendors responding to this RFQ must submit the required response documents electronically through COMMBUYS. At a minimum, the submission must include:

• A Technical Proposal addressing the requirements of Sections 4.1 through 4.4; and

• A separate Pricing Proposal as described in Section 4.5.

Pricing information must not be included in the Technical Proposal.

Bidders must identify all assumptions regarding filming locations, on-camera participants, narration, voice talent, graphics, music, stock media, travel, and Trial Court support in the Technical Proposal and Pricing Proposal.

4.1 Technical Proposals

Responses submitted to this RFQ must detail the Bidder's ability to perform all tasks and functions described in this RFQ. At a minimum, the Technical Proposal must include:

• A cover letter or statement of interest identifying the Bidder and the individual authorized to bind the Bidder;

• A detailed description of the proposed approach to project management, instructional design, script and storyboard development, video production, editing, stakeholder testing, translation, captioning, accessibility, quality assurance, and final delivery.;

• A description of how the Bidder will work as a partner with the Chairs of the Trial Court's Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordinator, the Trial Court project manager, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders;

• A description of how the Bidder will develop evidence-informed, trauma-informed, accessible, and culturally responsive content based on Trial Court-provided outlines and substantive guidance;

• A description of how the Bidder will facilitate meetings and stakeholder review in a way that maximizes participation, openness, collaboration, creative thinking, and sensitivity to cultural diversity; and

• A description of the Bidder's approach to maintaining the project schedule, identifying risks, documenting decisions, managing revisions, and obtaining timely approvals.

4.2 Experience and Sample Work Products

The Bidder must describe its relevant experience providing project management, instructional design, video production, translation, captioning, and related services.

Consideration may be given to experience with public sector entities, judicial organizations, legal or procedural education, domestic or sexual violence subject matter, public-facing instructional content, multilingual production, and accessibility.

Bidders must include sample work products or secure links to instructional videos, multilingual media, or similar public-facing educational materials. Samples should be accompanied by a brief explanation of the Bidder's role, the intended audience, the services performed, and the relevance of the sample to this RFQ. Demonstrations or additional access to samples must be available if requested.

4.3 Proposed Staff, Subcontractors, and References

The Bidder must identify the in-house staff and subcontractors proposed for, and committed to being available for, the services to be provided under the resulting contract. For each proposed team member, the Bidder must provide:

• Name and position title;

• Proposed role and responsibilities

• Area or areas of expertise

• Relevant qualifications, certifications, and years of experience

• Relevant experience with comparable projects

• Employment or subcontractor relationship with the Bidder; and

• Availability during the anticipated project period.

Note: Vendors’ use of subcontractors is subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth’s Terms and Conditions and Standard Contract Form, as well as other applicable terms of PRF76. OCM has the right to approve/reject any subcontracts and the right to a copy of the subcontract documents. Vendors may not subcontract more than 80% of the work as measured in the dollar amount of the quote.

Bidders must provide three business references for projects of comparable scope or complexity, preferably involving public-sector instructional content, video or eLearning development, multilingual production, accessibility, or sensitive subject matter. References must include the client organization, contact name and title, telephone number, email address, project description, dates of performance, and the Bidder’s role.

4.4 Detailed Project Plan and Timeline

The Bidder must provide a detailed Project Plan describing the processes, strategies, and project management methodology that will be used to complete the required services. The Project Plan must identify the proposed team structure, key activities, dependencies, decision points, review periods, and schedule for completing the project.

The EOTC expects to have two approximately 20-minute Protective Order Instructional Videos, translations, subtitles, captions, transcripts, source files, and all other required deliverables completed and accepted no later than December 31, 2026. The Bidder must clearly explain how its proposed schedule will achieve that deadline and identify any Trial Court actions or decisions required to maintain the schedule.

4.5 Pricing Proposal

Bidders must submit a Pricing Proposal identifying one all-inclusive, firm-fixed total project price for completion of all services and delivery of all final work products required by this

RFQ.

The Total Firm-Fixed Project Price must include all labor, project management, design, filming, production, editing, translation, captioning, accessibility work, quality assurance, equipment, software, travel, subcontractor expenses, overhead, administrative expenses, and all other costs necessary to complete the required scope.

The selected Contractor will be eligible to invoice for one hundred percent of the Total Firm- Fixed Project Price following completion, delivery, and written acceptance by the Trial Court of the final deliverable package.

Supporting Cost Breakdown

Bidders must provide a cost breakdown of the major cost components below:

• Project management and instructional design;

• Scriptwriting, storyboarding, and preproduction;

• Filming and video production;

• Editing, graphics, animation, and post-production;

• Transcription and captioning;

• Translation and multilingual production;

• Accessibility and quality-assurance testing;

• Travel, equipment, software, licenses, and releases;

• Subcontractor costs; and

• Any other costs necessary to complete the project.

The cost breakdown will be used to evaluate the completeness and reasonableness of the proposed price and will not establish separately reimbursable cost items.

By submitting a Pricing Proposal, the Bidder certifies that its Total Firm-Fixed Project Price is complete and includes all costs necessary to perform the required services and deliver the final work products described in this RFQ. Pricing must remain valid for at least ninety (90) days following the quote submission deadline unless a longer period is stated in the Bidder's proposal.

5. Evaluation of Bid Responses

5.1 Evaluation Process

The Evaluation Process will be a phased review consisting of the following:

1. Receipt of Final Responses;

2. Mandatory Documentation Compliance Review;

3. Evaluation of Technical Proposal;

4. Review of References and Experience;

5. Pricing Proposal Review;

6. Clarifications, Interview, or Presentations, if requested; and

7. Best and Final Offers, if necessary.

The Evaluation Committee may request clarifications or supplemental information when necessary to understand a response or facilitate a fair comparison. The Committee will document the results of the evaluation in the procurement file.

5.2 Evaluation Criteria

Responsive proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria. The Trial Court may use a numerical scorecard and narrative evaluation. A proposal that fails to meet a material requirement may lose points or be deemed non-responsive.

• Technical and Instructional Design Approach

• Relevant Experience and Sample Work

• Project Plan and Ability to meet Deadline

• Proposed Personnel and Subcontractors inclusive of the outline in Section 4.3

Identification of the team members

• Cost

5.3 Rule for Award

The Trial Court intends to award one contract to the responsive and responsible Bidder whose proposal offers the best value to the Trial Court based on the evaluation criteria identified above. Award will not be made on the basis of lowest price alone. The Trial Court will consider the relationship between the quality, feasibility, risk, schedule, experience, and price of each proposal. The Trial Court may reject any proposal that does not demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of completing the required work within the available time and funding.

5.4 Interviews, Presentations, and Demonstrations

At its discretion, the Trial Court may invite one or more Bidders whose responses have been judged competitive and responsive to participate in an interview, facilitated presentation, or demonstration of relevant sample work. Bidders should provide prior experience highlighting the processes, approach, and strategies employed by the bidder when providing Project Management/Instructional Design or related services to public sector entities. The Trial Court may use the session to clarify aspects of a Bidder's proposal or to inquire regarding the Bidder's approach, proposed personnel, experience, production process, translation process, accessibility practices, schedule, and risk management. The Trial Court may adjust scores within the applicable evaluation criteria based on the information provided during the session.

The Trial Court may establish restrictions regarding the structure, duration, participants, and content of any interview or presentation. The session is not an opportunity for a Bidder to materially modify its proposal or submit an entirely new approach unless specifically requested by the Trial Court.

5.5 Clarifications & Corrections

If the Evaluation Committee requires clarification of a section of a Response, then all Bidders will be provided with the same opportunity for clarification of the identified section. Clarifications are explanations of what is stated in a Response and may not be used as an opportunity to submit supplemental information or a change to a Response, unless the Department specifically requests these submissions or changes as part of the clarification of all Responses.

The Evaluation Committee may allow the correction of minor informalities in a Response.

Minor informalities are matters of form rather than substance and include clerical errors or minimal or insignificant mistakes that can be corrected without prejudice to other Bidders. If the mistake is obvious to the Evaluation Committee, they may note the correction on the Response.

5.6 Best and Final Offer (BAFO)

As part of the evaluation process, the EOTC, at its sole discretion, may elect to conduct a Best and Final Offer process with one or more Bidders. If a BAFO process is used, pricing, technical considerations, and overall value may be re-evaluated based on the BAFO responses. The EOTC is not required to conduct a BAFO process and Bidders should submit their best technical and pricing proposals by the original deadline.

5.7 Statement of Work and Other Contract Documents

A draft or sample Statement of Work may be uploaded as part of this RFQ. The final Statement of Work will be completed with the selected Contractor and will incorporate the final scope, project schedule, required services, final deliverable and acceptance criteria, firm-fixed total project price, project responsibilities, and other contract terms.

6. Contract Management

6.1 Roles & Responsibilities

The Trial Court’s Project Manager (the “Department PM”) is the department employee responsible for managing and administering the contract upon award. The Department PM will be the point of contact for the Contractor concerning day-to-day operational matters and the performance of contractual duties. The Prial Court will designate the Project Manager(s) who will work with the Contractor regarding day-to-day operational matters.

The RFQ Manager is the point of contact for interested Bidders during the procurement process. Bidders may contact the RFQ Manager if the Bidder is having trouble accessing any required attachments electronically. Bidders are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of the procuring department or any member of the evaluation committee regarding this bid except as specified in this bid, and no other department employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry regarding this bid during the active solicitation period.

The Contractor Project Manager (the “Contractor PM”) will (i) be responsible for administering the resulting SOW and the managing of the day-to-day operations under said SOW, (ii) serve as an interface between the Department PM and all Contractor personnel participating in this engagement; (iii) develop and maintain the Project Management Plan in consultation with the Department PM; (iv) facilitate regular communication with the Department PM, including [as necessary] status reports/updates, and review the project performance against the project plan and facilitate [as necessary] project status meetings for the duration of the engagement; (v) update the Project Management Plan on an [as necessary] basis and distribute it at [as necessary] meetings for the duration of the engagement; (vi) sign acceptance forms to acknowledge receipt; and (vii) be responsible for the management and deployment of Contractor personnel.

The PMs bear the primary responsibility for issue resolution. The PMs shall be responsible for coordinating a meeting with department and contractor leadership to review and resolve any issues, as needed.

6.2 Ownership and Use of Deliverables

All final deliverables and materials developed specifically for the Trial Court under the resulting contract, including scripts, storyboards, recordings, edited videos, translations, subtitles, captions, transcripts, graphics, and other project files, will become the property of the Trial Court upon payment, to the maximum extent permitted by law and the applicable contract documents.

The Contractor must provide the Trial Court with all rights necessary to use, reproduce, publish, distribute, display, revise, excerpt, translate, archive, and create derivative works from the final deliverables for governmental and public-service purposes. The Contractor must identify any pre-existing or third-party material included in the deliverables and provide documentation showing that the Trial Court has sufficient perpetual rights to use the material as intended without additional fees. The Contractor shall complete this prior to publishing and distribution of the final phase of the project. The Contractor represents and warrants that all original content created under the resulting contract will be original, free from plagiarism, accurate, and compliant with applicable copyright and intellectual property requirements. The Contractor may not use the Trial Court's name, seals, project materials, or final deliverables for marketing or portfolio purposes without prior written approval.

6.3 Confidentiality, Privacy, and Sensitive Information

The Contractor and all assigned staff and subcontractors must protect confidential, non-public, sensitive, or personally identifiable information received or created during the project. The Contractor may not record, retain, disclose, or use information regarding court users, cases, survivors, defendants, employees, or internal Trial Court operations except as authorized in writing and necessary to perform the contract. The Trial Court may require confidentiality agreements, background checks, security reviews, or other safeguards before work begins.

6.4 Contract Management and Reporting

The Contractor must designate a project manager who will serve as the primary point of contact throughout the engagement. The Contractor must participate in regularly scheduled project meetings; provide concise written status reports; identify completed and upcoming work; report schedule risks, issues, and decisions requiring Trial Court action; and maintain an up-to-date project schedule. The Trial Court project manager will be responsible for day-to-day contract administration, review coordination, and acceptance of deliverables, subject to final approval by designated Trial Court officials.

6.5 Invoicing

The Contractor may submit one invoice for one hundred percent (100%) of the firm-fixed total project price following completion, delivery, and written acceptance by the Trial Court of the final deliverable package.

The invoice must identify the contract, total contract amount, accepted final deliverable, amount due, and any other information required by the Trial Court or applicable grant requirements.

The Trial Court may reject or withhold payment for incomplete or nonconforming work. No partial payment will be made for project activities, draft materials, work in progress, or other incomplete portions of the required scope.

7. Miscellaneous Provisions

7.1 Availability of Funding

Any contract resulting from this RFQ, and any amendment thereto, and any performance hereunder, is subject to the availability, and continued availability, of funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The determination of whether funding is available is solely within the Trial Court’s judgment.

7.2 Appropriation of Payments

Appropriations for expenditures by eligible entities of the Commonwealth (such as the Trial Court), and authorizations to spend for a particular purpose, are made on a fiscal year basis. The Commonwealth’s fiscal year is a twelve (12) month period that begins July 1st and ends June 30th the following calendar year. The obligations of the Trial Court under any contract executed with a vendor selected through this RFQ shall be subject to the appropriation of funds sufficient to discharge the Trial Court’s obligations that accrue in each fiscal year of the contract, and authorization to spend such funds for the purposes of the contract.

7.3 Promotional Materials

No marketing or promotional materials using the Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Seal of the Trial Court of Massachusetts or listing the Trial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a customer of Contractor may be released, issued, distributed, or otherwise published in any form of media, including but not limited to print media, radio, television, world-wide web, by Contractor without the prior written approval of the Trial Court of Massachusetts. Use of Flag, Coat of Arms, and/or the Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for promotional or marketing purposes is prohibited. See 950 CMR 34.12.

Contractor may use the said marks in connection with performing their obligations under the resulting Contract, for non-marketing, non-promotional purposes.

7.4 Pending Litigation

Bidder must affirm that there is no pending litigation involving the Bidder that may impair or interfere with the Massachusetts Trial Court’s right to use the requested services. Bidder must warrant that there are no actual or threatened actions arising from, or alleged under, any intellectual property rights of any third party.

The Bidder shall submit information on any and all investigations, indictments or pending litigation by a federal, state, or local jurisdiction relating to the bidder, any officer, director, partner, or member thereof, any affiliate or any related company and any other requested information.

7.5 Review Rights

Responses to this RFQ may be reviewed and evaluated by any person(s) at the discretion of the Trial Court including non-allied and independent consultants retained by the Purchasing Entity for the sole purpose of evaluating and analyzing proposals.

7.6 Costs of Bidder Proposals to RFQ

A bidder shall bear all costs associated with their proposal, including preparation, photocopying, postage, delivery costs and any travel expenses that may be incurred during the solicitation process. No costs or expenses incurred by a vendor in responding to this RFQ, or by participating in the RFQ process, will be borne by the Trial Court.

7.7 Ownership, Use, and Availability of Submitted Proposals

All materials submitted by a bidder in response to this RFQ become the property of the Trial Court.

The Trial Court considers the responses to this RFQ to be internal, working documents, which will become the property of the Trial Court, and it will not agree to any statements or endorsements in proposals or related documents submitted in response to this RFQ that conflict with Trial Court practices related to such documents and material.

The Trial Court shall be under no obligation to return any proposal or materials submitted by a vendor in response to this RFQ.

7.8 Amendment or Cancellation of RFQ

The Trial Court may amend, suspend, cancel, or reissue this RFQ, in whole or in part, at any time if determined to be in the best interests of the Trial Court. The Trial Court may accept or reject any and all responses, waive minor informalities, negotiate with one or more responsive Bidders, or contract for some, all, or none of the services offered, subject to applicable requirements.

8. Attachments Attachment A – VAWA Stop Grant Documents Attachment B – Sample Statement of Work (SOW)

8. Attachments