THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE

1 ASHBURTON PLACE, 5TH FLOOR, BOSTON, MA 02108

Request for Quote (RFQ) PRF75: Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation Services

Telephonic Translation and Video Remote Interpretation Services

COMMBUYS Bid#: BD-26-1112-WEL60-60000-127864

April 21, 2026

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

Department of Transitional Assistance

PRF75 – Telephonic Translation Services

BD-26-1112-WEL60-60000-127864

RFQ Template Version 4.0 (Updated 12/19/2024) Page 1 of 16

Table of Contents

1. Procurement Background and Purpose

2. Authorizing Statewide Contract

3. Procurement Information Summary

4. Estimated Procurement Calendar

5. COMMBUYS and Procurement Process

5.1 COMMBUYS Market Center

5.2 COMMBUYS Registration

5.3 Online Questions (Bid Q&A)

5.4 Bid Amendments

5.5 Oral Presentations

5.6 Best and Final Offer

5.7 Reasonable Accommodation

5.8 Public Records

5.9 Costs

5.10 Bidder Communication

6. Single or Multiple Contractors

7. Engaging Vendors after Initial Contract Award

8. Expected Duration

9. Work Schedule and Location

10. About the Department of Transitional Assistance

11. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

12. Performance and Business Specifications

12.1 Purchase Objectives

12.2 Required Scope of Work

12.3 Projected Volume

12.4 Issue Resolution

13. Performance Standards

13.1 Required Service Measures

13.2 Corrective Action

13.3 Penalties

14. Required Bidder Experience and Qualifications

15. Payment Structure

16. Billing Procedures

17. Communication Between DTA and Vendor

18. Funding

19. Response Requirements

20. Review, Evaluation, Award, and Engagement Process

21. Instructions for Submission of Responses

22. RFQ Attachments

23. Acceptable Forms of Signature

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Figures Figure 1. Procurement Information Summary Figure 2. Procurement Calendar Figure 3. DTA Households by Primary Spoken Language Figure 4. Monthly Estimated Call Volume Figure 5. Required Service Measures Figure 6. Service Penalties

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1. Procurement Background and Purpose

The Department of Transitional Assistance (“DTA” or “the Department”) is seeking vendors to provide telephonic translation services. Selected vendors through this Request for Quotes (“RFQ”) will sign a Statement of Work (“SOW”) under which the scope of work described within this RFQ will be authorized.

2. Authorizing Statewide Contract

This RFQ is being issued under Statewide Contract PRF75: Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation Services. All of the terms and conditions of the Statewide Contract PRF75 are incorporated herein and made a part hereof. Conflicting or additional terms, conditions or agreements shall be considered to be superseded and void. Only vendors that have been awarded the PRF75 contract by Operational Services Division (“OSD”) in the category named in this RFQ are eligible to respond.

3. Procurement Information Summary

Figure 1. Procurement Information Summary

Purchasing Department Department of Transitional Assistance Address One Ashburton Place, 5th Floor City, State Zip Code Boston, MA 02108 Procurement Contact Person Maxence Metayer E-Mail Address maxence.metayer2@mass.gov RFQ Name/Title Telephonic Translation and Video Remote Interpretation

Services Authorizing Statewide Contract

PRF75: Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation Services

Authorizing Statewide Contract Category (if applicable)

Category 3: Telephonic Interpretation Category 4: Video Remote Interpretation

COMMBUYS Bid Number BD-26-1112-WEL60-60000-127864

4. Estimated Procurement Calendar

The following calendar reflects DTA’s estimated timeframes for this procurement. All dates below are estimates and are subject to change. All times are represented in Eastern Standard Time (EST). Late actions or submissions from vendors on any of the following deadlines will not be considered. Bidders are required to monitor COMMBUYS for changes to the Estimated Calendar for this Bid.

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Figure 2. Procurement Calendar

Activity Date Time RFQ Release Date April 21, 2026 N/A Deadline for Submission of Questions through COMMBUYS “Bid Q&A”

May 1, 2026 3:00 PM

Official Answers for Bid Q&A Published (Estimated) May 6, 2026 3:00 PM Deadline for Quotes/Bid Responses (“Bid Opening Date/Time” in COMMBUYS)

May 12, 2026 3:00 PM

Notification of Successful Bidder(s) June 1, 2026 N/A Estimated Contract Start Date July 1, 2026 N/A

5. COMMBUYS and Procurement Process

5.1 COMMBUYS Market Center

COMMBUYS is the official source of information for this Bid and is publicly accessible at no charge at www.commbuys.com. Information contained in this document and in COMMBUYS, including file attachments, and information contained in the related Bid Questions and Answers (Q&A), are components of the Bid, as referenced in COMMBUYS, and are incorporated into the Bid and any resulting contract.

Bidders are solely responsible for obtaining all information distributed for this Bid via COMMBUYS. Bid Q&A supports Bidder submission of written questions associated with a Bid and publication of official answers.

It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for:

Any amendments, addenda, or modifications to this Bid, and Any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid.

The Commonwealth accepts no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

5.2 COMMBUYS Registration

Bidders may elect to register for a free COMMBUYS Seller account which provides value-added features, including automated email notification associated with postings and modifications to COMMBUYS records. However, to respond to a Bid, Bidders must register and maintain an active COMMBUYS Seller account.

All Bidders submitting a Quote (previously referred to as Response) in response to this Bid (previously referred to as Solicitation) agree that, if awarded a contract: 1) they will maintain an active seller account in COMMBUYS; 2) they will, when directed to do so by the procuring entity, RFQ Template Version 4.0 (Updated 12/19/2024) Page 5 of 16 activate and maintain a COMMBUYS-enabled catalog using Commonwealth Commodity Codes;

3) they will comply with all requests by the procuring entity to utilize COMMBUYS for the purposes of conducting all aspects of purchasing and invoicing with the Commonwealth, as added functionality for the COMMBUYS system is activated; and 4) in the event the Commonwealth adopts an alternate e-procurement platform, successful Bidders will be required to utilize such system, as directed by the procuring entity. Commonwealth Commodity Codes are based on the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC).

COMMBUYS uses terminology with which bidders must be familiar to conduct business with the Commonwealth. To view this terminology and to learn more about COMMBUYS, please visit the Learn about COMMBUYS Resources page: https://www.mass.gov/learn-about-commbuys-resources.

5.3 Online Questions (Bid Q&A)

Written Questions must be entered using the “Bid Q&A” tab for the Bid in COMMBUYS no later than the “Deadline for Submission of Questions” date and time indicated in the Estimated Calendar (above). The issuing department reserves the right to not respond to questions submitted after this date. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to verify receipt of questions.

It is the responsibility of the prospective Bidder and awarded Contractor to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from DTA, including requests for clarification. DTA and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s computer, network, or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/Awarded contractor and DTA to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering.

Written questions and responses will be posted on the Bid Q&A Tab for this Bid in COMMBUYS.

5.4 Bid Amendments

DTA reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after initial publication. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for amendments, addenda, or modifications to this Bid, and any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid. DTA and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

5.5 Oral Presentations

If determined to be in the best interest of the Commonwealth, DTA may require Bidders to present detailed information regarding their proposal prior to award.

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5.6 Best and Final Offer

Bidders are expected to present their best offer in their initial proposal. At the sole discretion of DTA, DTA may negotiate a change in any element of performance or cost which better meets the needs of the agency or results in lower costs or a more cost effective or better value. DTA is in no way obligated to negotiate any aspect of a Bidder’s proposal and may accept any proposal without negotiation.

5.7 Reasonable Accommodation

Bidders with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of RFQ information in an alternative format, must communicate such requests in writing to the Procurement Contact Person. Requests for accommodation will be addressed on a case by case basis. A bidder requesting accommodation must submit a written statement which describes the bidder’s disability and the requested accommodation to the contact person for the RFQ. DTA reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests.

5.8 Public Records

All responses and information submitted in response to this RFQ are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., c. 66, s. 10, and to c. 4, s. 7, ss. 26. Any statements in submitted responses that are inconsistent with these statutes, including marking by bidders of information as confidential during the quote submission process in COMMBUYS, shall be disregarded.

5.9 Costs

Costs which are not specifically identified in the bidder’s response and accepted by DTA as part of a contract will not be compensated under any contract awarded pursuant to this RFQ. The Commonwealth will not be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by bidders responding to this RFQ.

5.10 Bidder Communication

Bidders are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of the procuring department or any member of the SSST regarding this RFQ except as specified in this RFQ, and no other individual Commonwealth employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this RFQ. Bidders may contact the contact person for this RFQ in the event this RFQ is incomplete or the bidder is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through COMMBUYS.

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6. Single or Multiple Contractors

DTA is looking to engage with one (1) qualified vendor for this contract. However, DTA may award more or fewer contracts, if it is in the best interests of the Commonwealth to do so.

7. Engaging Vendors after Initial Contract Award

If, over the life of the contract, DTA determines that additional vendors may be needed, these may be drawn from other qualified Bidders that responded to this RFQ. If necessary to meet the requirements of DTA, the RFQ may be reopened to obtain additional Bids.

8. Expected Duration

The contract start date will be July 1, 2026. The contract term will be for one (1) year with three (3) options to renew in one (1) year increments.

The PRF75 will not permit departments to enter into contract terms extending beyond June 30, 2027. In the event that the vendor selected through this procurement is on the successor to the PRF75, DTA will continue services procured through this RFQ on the successive statewide contract. In the event that the vendor selected through this procurement is not on the successor to the PRF75, DTA will terminate this contract as of June 30, 2027.

9. Work Schedule and Location

The Contractor shall provide both scheduled and on-demand remote services seven (7) days per week between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

10. About the Department of Transitional Assistance

DTA’s mission is to assist and empower low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, improve their quality of life, and achieve long-term economic self-sufficiency. DTA offers a comprehensive system of programs and supports to help individuals and families achieve greater economic self-sufficiency, including food and nutritional assistance, economic assistance, and employment supports.

DTA is the state agency responsible for administering certain programs that assist and empower low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, improve their quality of life, and achieve long term economic self-sufficiency. Among many programs that support this goal, DTA operates the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which works to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing access to food and a healthful diet. In addition, DTA provides economic assistance through the Transitional Aid for Families with Dependent Children (“TAFDC”) program and the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) program. DTA also manages other unique benefit types issued via the EBT system, such as the State Supplement Program (“SSP”) and the Healthy Incentive Program (“HIP”).

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DTA is organized into 21 local transitional assistance offices and three (3) administrative offices.

Transitional assistance offices are responsible for providing direct services to clients. The agency’s central office houses the Office of the Commissioner, senior management, policy, quality management, program integrity, operations, legal, finance and other administrative units.

11. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Over the last several years, DTA has renewed its focus on incorporating DEI benchmarks and standards into its work and ensuring that policies and procedures are developed with an equitable lens.

Specifically, DTA is committed to:

a. Fostering an inclusive culture where staff and clients from all backgrounds and abilities are welcome and supported in their goals;

b. Respecting and valuing the diverse experiences and backgrounds of our employees and clients;

and

c. Striving to develop a work environment where performance, achievement, and diversity are a strategic advantage and will support the agency’s ability to improve service delivery to our clients.

12. Performance and Business Specifications

12.1 Purchase Objectives

DTA provides food and cash benefits to nearly one million low-income individuals across the Commonwealth. DTA’s policy is to provide meaningful access to programs and services to persons who are non-English speakers and those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).

12.2 Required Scope of Work

Bidders are required to provide the following services:

Provide scheduled and on demand telephonic and video translation services in a broad range of languages.

o In the event that any language becomes temporarily or permanently unavailable during the term of the contract, the selected bidder is required to notify DTA’s Contract Manager in writing of the change and any subsequent related updates.

Provide telephonic translation services through a dedicated, toll-free phone number. All costs associated with the toll-free number are the responsibility of the selected bidder.

All interpreters provided by the selected bidder shall be pre-qualified, tested and trained for industry standard terminology and the Selected bidder should ensure that all interpreters agree to adhere to the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard interpretation guide.

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All interpreters must provide translation services while located in a private space without background noise. Interpreters may not perform other tasks or functions while providing translation services.

The selected bidder may not terminate the conference call prior to the call ending, regardless of whether the services of the interpreter are no longer needed (i.e. the selected bidder must maintain the conference call connection if at least 2 parties are still connected). A representative from DTA will announce the end of call so all parties can disconnect.

The selected bidder must provide written training materials for use by DTA staff to learn how to access the translation service and interact with translators.

The selected bidder shall provide an Account Team that is dedicated to support the activities provided under this initiative.

The selected bidder shall supply real time reporting of activities on the line including the Transitional Assistance Office initiating the call, the DTA staff person initiating the call, the language, time to answer the call, duration of the call, etc. The selected bidder must provide detailed data on demand and on a monthly basis accompanying the invoice.

Further, the selected bidder must provide these same summarized data points in a user-friendly dashboard for use by DTA management.

The selected bidder shall comply with all federal and state wiretapping and recording statutes, including MGL Chapter 272, Section 99 by not directly or indirectly monitoring, taping, intercepting, or recording conversations with explicit consent.

The selected bidder shall not require DTA to purchase or obtain any specific types of equipment to access the selected bidder’s services.

The selected bidder is required to meet the performance standards, and is subject to damages for non-performance, as defined in Attachment 1: Service Level Agreement.

12.3 Projected Volume

The following table provides the volume and percentage of DTA clients by primary spoken language:

Figure 3. DTA Households by Primary Spoken Language

Primary Language Spoken by DTA Household

# of DTA Households Who Speak Language

% of DTA Households Who Speak Language

English 426,023 78.4% Spanish 65,100 12.0% Haitian Creole 13,949 2.6% Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, etc.)

9,176 1.7%

Portuguese 4,760 0.9% Vietnamese 4,657 0.9%

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Primary Language Spoken by DTA Household

# of DTA Households Who Speak Language

% of DTA Households Who Speak Language

Russian 3,726 0.7% Khmer (Cambodian) 2,761 0.5% Arabic 2,647 0.5% Cape Verdean Creole 2,459 0.5% Other* 8,286 1.5

The following table provides representative actual monthly utilization. Projected utilization is provided for planning purposes only, is subject to change, and is not binding.

Figure 4. Monthly Estimated Call Volume

Row Labels Count of Calls Spanish 4,995 Creole 4,054 Portuguese 926 Cape Verdean 344 Arabic 309 Cantonese 236 Mandarin 226 Vietnamese 226 Russian 175 Cambodian/Khmer 93 Swahili 88 French 66 Dari/Farsi 56 Pashto 45 Turkish 40 Albanian 37 Amharic 29 Somali 25 Nepali 22 Bengali 21 Kinyarwanda 17 Khmer/Cambodian 16 Ukrainian 16 Sign Language - American 15 Farsi - Afghan - Dari 10

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Row Labels Count of Calls Korean 8 Hindi 8 Tigrinya 7 Iranian Farsi / Persian 6 Gujarati 6 Polish 5 Italian 5 Greek 5 Rohingya 5 Armenian 5 Thai 3 Toishan/Taishanese 3 Tibetan 3 Lao 3 Sudanese 3 Urdu 2 Azerbaijani 2 Tagalog 2 Burmese 2 Kirundi 2 Fulani-Guinea 1 Twi 1 Luganda 1 Hmong 1 Kurdish 1 Karen Segaw 1 Uzbek 1 Akan 1 Karenni 1 Kongo/Kikongo 1 Grand Total 12,182

12.4 Issue Resolution

In the event that DTA experiences problems during a translation call (including but not limited to translators not following required procedures, inaccurate translation, unprofessional behavior, etc.), DTA may escalate such complaints for investigation by the selected bidder by sending a summary of the issue and relevant details to the selected bidder’s Contract Manager for review.

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The selected bidder will follow their standard resolution process for such performance problems, including but not limited to the following:

Temporarily suspending the translator’s access to the call queue for DTA;

Investigating the details of the call to determine what occurred;

Sharing the results of their investigation with DTA; and If substantiated, taking reasonable and necessary steps to prevent the issue from recurring. This may include but is not limited to, retraining and retesting of the translator.

DTA retains the right to require that any individual translator not be permitted to take calls from the agency.

13. Performance Standards

Given the importance of the services provided by DTA, it is critical for the selected bidder to adhere to the performance measures defined herein.

The selected bidder will monitor Required Service Levels and provide a monthly report of compliance. The selected bidder will not be responsible for its failure to meet any Required Service Levels due to the acts or omissions of DTA or any other third party or due to any other event outside of the selected bidder’s control.

13.1 Required Service Measures

The selected bidder’s performance will comply with the following:

Figure 5. Required Service Measures

Required Service Measures

Description

Measure 1 Respond to incoming calls or requests for services within an average of 15 seconds (for a live agent or operator) or 5 seconds (for an automated voice response system).

Measure 2 Maintain an average monthly successful connection (to interpreter) time, for all languages provided, of 30 seconds or less.

Measure 3 Maintain a minimum of 99% fulfillment rate for all languages.

Measure 4 Maintain system uptime of 99.9%.

13.2 Corrective Action

In the event that any of the Required Service Levels are not met, DTA and the selected bidder will review the circumstances of the noncompliance. The selected bidder will establish a Corrective Action Plan to remediate the issue, subject to DTA approval.

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In the event that DTA identifies performance issues beyond the scope of the Required Service Levels that present an operational hardship for DTA, DTA will require the selected bidder to establish a Corrective Action Plan to remediate those issues, subject to DTA approval.

13.3 Penalties

If after 30 days from the date of DTA approval of the Corrective Action Plan for violation of any of the Required Service Levels, the selected bidder has a repeated instance of non-compliance with that Required Service Level, DTA, in its sole discretion, may assess the following penalties:

Figure 6. Service Penalties

Measure Calculation Penalties Measure 1: Respond to incoming calls or requests for services within an average of 15 seconds (for a live agent or operator) or 5 seconds (for an automated voice response system).

The time from when the call was placed to when the call was answered by either an operator or an automated voice response system

1% of total invoice amount for the service month

Measure 2: Maintain an average monthly successful connection (to interpreter) time, for all languages provided, of 30 seconds or less.

The time from when the call was either connected to an operator or the caller selected the required language from the automated voice response system to when the caller was connected with a translator.

1% of total invoice amount for the service month

Measure 3: Maintain a minimum of 99% fulfillment rate for all languages.

The number of calls, out of total calls for the service month, when a translator could not be found

2% of total invoice amount for the service month

Measure 4: Maintain system uptime of 99.9% system uptime.

The total number of hours each month when the system is unavailable. This is calculated by 24 hours per day multiplied by the number of days per service month and divided by the number of hours in the service month

2% of the total invoice amount for the service month

DTA will calculate the value of any assessed damage and offset the relevant service month’s payment by the amount of said penalties.

14. Required Bidder Experience and Qualifications

To be considered eligible for award, bidders must be approved on the PRF75 statewide contract and must have provided services of similar scope and scale to government entities.

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15. Payment Structure

The selected bidder will submit a monthly invoice for billable services and will bill DTA the approved billing rate per minute for each language. The selected bidder may bill only for the actual time an interpreter participates on a call. The time required to set up the conference call prior to the interpreter joining the call and any continuation of the conference call once the interpreter has dropped off will not be chargeable time.

16. Billing Procedures

To receive payment for the scope of work described in this RFQ, the vendor must submit an invoice electronically to dta.electronic-invoices@massmail.state.ma.us and cc the DTA Contract Manager.

Invoices must also identify the contract number (Doc ID) that will be provided on the final contract to the selected bidder. DTA may establish special invoicing requirements during the close of the state fiscal year or based on relevant reporting deadlines. The successful vendor must comply with these deadlines.

17. Communication Between DTA and Vendor

The selected vendor(s) must designate a single staff member to serve as the primary point of contact for DTA regarding day-to-day management of this contract, scheduling, quality management, and billing.

This person will be considered the vendor’s Contract Manager.

18. Funding

Funding for this contract is subject to appropriation.

19. Response Requirements

Bidders must submit proposals using the following format and including the following information:

• Section 1: Transmittal Letter (maximum 1 page) - This section must identify the Bidder’s primary point of contact who is authorized to enter into a contract on behalf of the organization (including their name, title, email, and phone number). If the Bidder wishes, they may also identify a separate individual to serve as the primary point of contract related to functional questions regarding the proposal. This section must also identify the vendor’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) and Vendor Customer (VC) Code.

• Section 2. Organizational Experience (maximum 2 pages) – This section must summarize the

Bidder’s relevant experience and expertise that qualifies them to implement the required services. Bidders must summarize past experience providing services for government agencies in similar scope and scale as requested in Section 12: Performance and Business Specifications.

• Section 3. Staffing (maximum 2 pages) – In this section, bidders must identify a Project

Manager who will be responsible for day-to-day execution of this scope of work. Bidders must

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• Section 4. Approach (maximum 5 pages) – This section must describe the bidder’s approach to providing services required in Section 12: Performance and Business Specifications. This section must list all languages available for translation through the bidder’s proposal, describe its operating hours, and describe the reporting options available to the department.

• Section 5. Business Reference Form – Bidders must provide three (3) references who can attest to the bidder’s ability to implement the required scope of services using this form:

https://www.mass.gov/doc/business-reference-form-for-bidders/download.

• Section 6. Contractor Authorized Signature Listing (CASL) – Bidders must complete the CASL form identifying employees authorized to enter into contracts on the organization’s behalf using this form: https://www.macomptroller.org/announcement/updated-contractor-authorized-signatory-list-casl-policy/.

• Section 7. Cost Proposal – Bidders must provide pricing per minute per language. Bidders may not assess any setup or equipment costs.

This procurement will be subject to the Supplier Diversity Program requirements for non-POS contracts.

Bidders are not required to submit a Supplier Diversity Plan. As described below, DTA will award points for the Supplier Diversity Plan based on each bidder’s percentage commitment provided in the PRF75.

20. Review, Evaluation, Award, and Engagement Process

The Review Team will consist of DTA staff. Any submission that fails to meet the response requirements of the RFQ will be found non-responsive without further evaluation unless the evaluation team, at its discretion, determines that the non-compliance is insubstantial and may be corrected. In these cases, the evaluation team may allow the Bidder to make minor corrections to the submission.

The Review Team will evaluate each section of the bidder’s proposal, taking into consideration its comprehensiveness, responsiveness and clarity, as it pertains to the bidder’s qualifications and approach in providing the required services outlined in Section 12: Performance and Business Specifications. The selected Bidder will be chosen based on its ability to meet the SOW requirements and a determination that contracting with the Bidder will provide best value to the Commonwealth. DTA will award the following maximum points to each response section:

Section 1: Transmittal Letter - Not Scored Section 2: Organizational Experience - 10 points Section 3: Staffing – 5 points Section 4: Approach – 25 points Section 5: Business References – 10 points Section 6: CASL – Not Scored

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Section 7: Cost Proposal – 25 points Supplier Diversity Plan – 25 points (bidders will be scored based on the bidder’s SDP commitment percentage provided in the PRF75)

DTA will execute the SOW, per the PRF75 requirements, with the top scoring bidder. Once the SOW is signed, the selected bidder is authorized to deliver the required scope of work.

DTA retains the option to amend the SOW for the services requested in this RFQ as long as PRF75 remains in effect and the selected bidder continues to be qualified thereunder. The decision to amend will be based on available appropriation(s), service needs, and selected bidder’s performance. In the event DTA intends to amend this SOW, DTA will negotiate the amendment directly with the selected bidder at that time. Any future amendment will use the labor rates provided in the selected bidder’s response to this RFQ; non-labor rates will be negotiated at the time of the amendment.

21. Instructions for Submission of Responses

Only electronic quotes submitted via COMMBUYS will be accepted in response to this RFQ. Responses must be sent via the “Create Quote” functionality in COMMBUYS. For instructions concerning how to submit a Quote, please see Appendix B.

22. RFQ Attachments

Appendix A: Electronic Quote Submission Instructions https://www.mass.gov/doc/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids

Appendix B: Commonwealth Terms & Conditions https://www.macomptroller.org/wp-content/uploads/form_commonwealth-terms-and-conditions.pdf

23. Acceptable Forms of Signature

Effective June 15, 2021, for all 1) CTR forms, including the Standard Contract Form, W-9s, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) forms, ISAs, and other CTR-issued documents and forms, or 2) documents related to state finance and within the statutory area of authority or control of CTR (i.e. contracts, payrolls, and related supporting documentation), CTR will accept signatures executed by an authorized signatory in any of the following ways: 1. Traditional “wet signature” (ink on paper); 2. Electronic signature that is either: a. Hand drawn using a mouse or finger if working from a touch screen device; or Page 2 b. An uploaded picture of the signatory’s hand drawn signature 3. Electronic signatures affixed using a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign. If using an electronic signature, the signature must be visible, include the signatory’s name and title, and must be accompanied by a signature date. Please be advised that typed text of a name not generated by a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign, even in computer-generated cursive script, or an electronic symbol, are not acceptable forms of electronic signature.