The Connecticut General Assembly

Joint Committee on Legislative Management

Martin M. Looney Senate President Pro Tempore

Bob Duff, Senate Majority Leader

Stephen Harding, Senate Republican Leader

Michael Harrington Executive Director

Matthew Ritter Speaker of the House

Jason Rojas, House Majority Leader

Vincent J. Candelora, House Republican Leader

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

TRANSCRIPTION SERVICES

JCLM26REG0007

PROPOSAL DUE DATE: October 23, 2026 TIME: 12:00 pm (noon)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART A CONTRACT INFORMATION

A.1 CONNECTICUT GENERAL ASSEMBLY

A.2 OFFICIAL AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

A.3 SUPPLIER REGISTRATION

A.4 STATE CONTRACTING PORTAL

A.5 PROCUREMENT TIMELINE

PART B SCOPE OF WORK

B.1 PROJECT SCOPE

B.2 PROJECT PLAN

B.3 REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

B.4 CONTRACT TERM

PART C PAYMENT TERMS

C.1 COMPENSATION AMOUNT

C.2 CONTRACT NEGOTIATION

C.3 INVOICE GUIDELINES

C.4 FREQUENCY OF BILLING

C.5 PAYMENT TERMS

PART D PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

D.1 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

D.2 REQUIRED PROPOSAL DOCUMENTATION

D.3 DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED SUBSEQUENT TO CONTRACT AWARD

PART E EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

E.1 MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

E.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA

E.3 PRESENTATIONS

E.4 CONTRACT AWARD

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment A Pricing Page Attachment B Proposal Response Format Attachment C CGA Terms and Conditions Attachment D Style Guide Attachment E House and Senate Session and Public Hearing Transcript Example

PART A CONTRACT INFORMATION

A.1 Connecticut General Assembly The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the legislative branch of government of the State of Connecticut. Through statutory enactments, the Joint Committee on Legislative Management (JCLM) is responsible for the coordination and management of legislative affairs and the supervision and approval of any and all legislative expenditures.

A.2 Official Agency Contact Information Sandra De La Cruz Office of Legislative Management Procurement Services Contracting Group CGAContracting@cga.ct.gov 860-240-0124

A.3 Supplier Registration Please register as a supplier with CT Source in order to view and respond to business opportunities issued by the Connecticut General Assembly. You may quickly register by creating a username and password at the following website https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/Registration.

A.4 State Contracting Portal All documents and notifications for this procurement will be posted on the CT Source web page hosted by the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). The CT Source Portal can be found at the following web address https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/CTSource. To find this solicitation:

• Click on link above

• Select CTsource Bid Board

• Enter the Contract Number in the search field

• Scroll to this procurement and select the solicitation number

A.5 Procurement Timeline

Milestone Description of Milestone Date Issue the RFP Posted on the DAS State Contracting Portal. September 24, 2026

Question Deadline Questions shall be submitted via email to

CGAContracting@cga.ct.gov.

October 2, 2026 12:00 pm (noon)(ET)

Answers & Amendments to RFP

All amendments to the RFP and response to written questions will be published on the DAS State Contracting Portal.

October 12, 2026 5:00 pm (ET)

Proposal Delivery All Proposals must be submitted to the CGA Contracting Group at CGAContracting@cga.ct.gov. No hard copy Proposals will be accepted.

October 23, 2026 12:00 pm (noon) (ET) https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/Registration https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/CTSource mailto:CGAContracting@cga.ct.gov

PART B SCOPE OF WORK

B.1 Project Scope The Office of Legislative Management on behalf of the Connecticut General Assembly is soliciting proposals for transcription services for the Connecticut General Assembly. The awardee respondent shall transcribe all House and Senate Regular Sessions, Special Sessions, Veto Sessions, Technical Sessions, Public Hearings, and Listening Sessions.

Committee meetings shall not be transcribed unless specifically requested by the CGA. The following is the Scope of Work that the CGA anticipates including in the Contract with the awarded respondent.

B.1.1 Proceedings to be Transcribed The awarded respondent shall transcribe all House and Senate Regular Legislative Sessions, Special Sessions, Veto Sessions, Technical Sessions, Public Hearings, Listening Sessions and any other proceedings as requested by the CGA during the term of the contract. These proceedings will be transcribed based on the receipt of digital recordings with accompanying background documentation from the CGA.

(a) Regular Sessions

The awarded respondent shall transcribe all Regular Legislative sessions. Regular Legislative Sessions begin on the Wednesday following the first Monday of January in odd-numbered years and on the Wednesday following the first Monday of February in the even-numbered years, and at such other times as the CGA shall judge necessary. The CGA shall adjourn each Regular Session in the odd-numbered years not later than the first Wednesday after the first Monday in June and in the even-numbered years not later than the first Wednesday after the first Monday in May and shall adjourn each Special Session upon completion of its business. The actual sessions are scheduled individually during this time period.

(b) Special Sessions The awarded respondent shall transcribe all Special Sessions. A Special Session may be called by the Governor or by a majority of legislators and can be held outside of the Regular Legislative Session at the discretion of the CGA. Special Sessions are held after the regular session concludes but before the next regular session commences and are called for a particular purpose.

(c) Veto Sessions The awarded respondent shall transcribe all Veto Sessions. A Veto Session can be held about six (6) weeks after the Regular or Special Legislative Session to consider whether to override gubernatorial vetoes.

(d) Technical Session The awarded respondent shall transcribe all Technical Sessions. A Technical Session is defined as a brief formal convening of the House or Senate held purely to advance bills on the calendar and make pro forma referrals. There is no debate or voting on bills. It usually lasts a few minutes and involves only two members and the Clerk.

(e) Public Hearings The awarded respondent shall transcribe all Public Hearings including Listening Sessions. Public Hearings are meetings which members of the public and representatives of state agencies have the opportunity to testify to a legislative committee on bills, resolutions, or issues before the committee. Requirements for Public Hearings are set forth in the Joint Rules and can occur on a year-round basis, with the majority of hearings occurring during the first half of the Regular Legislative Session period referenced in Section B.1.1.(a).

(f) On Demand Requests The awarded respondent shall transcribe additional proceedings or excerpted portions of the aforementioned proceedings, upon request by the CGA.

(g) Duration and Frequency The duration of House and Senate sessions as well as Public Hearings can vary widely. The longest session recorded recently exceeded (24) twenty-four hours and the longest Public Hearing recorded also approached (24) twenty-four hours. The average duration of sessions and hearings is between (3) three and (4) four hours.

The Regular and Technical House and Senate Sessions occur between the following dates listed below. The highest frequency of actual sessions days occurs in the beginning of the time period below and then within the final few months. More specifically in long (odd numbered) session years there is a higher incidence of sessions in the months of January, May and June. In short (even numbered) session years there is a higher incidence of sessions in the months of February, April, and May.

i. 2027: January 6, 2027 – June 9, 2027

ii. 2028: February 9, 2028 – May 3, 2028

iii. 2029: January 3, 2029 – June 6, 2029

iv. 2030: February 6, 2030 – May 8, 2030

v. 2031: January 8, 2031 – June 4, 2031

Special Sessions are held on an as needed basis by the majority of the legislators or the governor throughout the year outside of the actual legislative sessions period. Veto sessions can be held after Regular or Special legislative sessions. The frequency and duration of Special and Veto sessions can also vary widely.

B.1.2 Transcription Procedures The transcription process that will be followed by the awarded respondent is a paperless process. CGA staff records all Legislative Sessions and Public Hearings. Once the recording is completed, an email will be sent to the awarded respondent providing a link to the audio file and supporting documentation also prepared by the CGA.

The awarded respondent shall retrieve the audio file and supporting documentation from which the awarded respondent shall create a transcript. The awarded respondent will then email the completed transcription to the designated CGA email address.

No hard copies of supporting documentation should be sent to the awarded respondent; however, the awarded respondent agrees to return any hard copy supporting documentation received for the preparation of any transcription. The CGA shall withhold any outstanding payments at the end of the Contract until all hard copy supporting documentation is returned to the CGA.

(a) Supporting Documentation for Legislative Sessions

The CGA shall provide the following supporting documentation for Legislative Sessions to the awarded respondent:

i. House and Senate Journals which are daily summaries of legislative activity that has occurred in both chambers.

ii. Names taken during points of personal privilege during House proceedings.

iii. Senate Agenda

(b) Supporting Documentation for Public Hearings The CGA shall provide the following supporting documentation for Public Hearings to the awarded respondent:

i. Transcript Information Sheet

ii. Public Hearing Agenda

iii. Committee Member Attendance Sheet

iv. Public Hearing Speaker Order

v. Supplemental Speaker ListPublic Hearing Transcript (Zoom)

(c) Issue Resolution

The awarded respondent shall address questions to appropriate CGA staff as they arise. The awarded respondent shall seek clarification when it is unclear how to proceed rather than making judgement calls or assumptions without CGA direction.

(d) Managing Volume of Transcripts The awarded respondent shall carefully monitor the activities of the legislature throughout the year so as to provide for sufficient staffing and manage staff workloads in order to meet the turnaround times outlined in this RFP. The awarded respondent shall utilize the Daily Bulletin and the Interim Bulletin to anticipate upcoming transcription needs and provide sufficient staffing and manage staff workloads accordingly. The Daily Bulletin is posted on all Normal Business days during the Regular legislative session and outlines the Legislative Sessions and Public Hearings for the upcoming week. The Interim Bulletin is posted weekly during the Interim. The Interim is defined as the period between the Regular Legislative Sessions of the CGA.

B.1.3 Formatting The awarded respondent shall return through email the completed transcriptions in Office 365 Word format. The CGA will then convert the completed transcription from Office 365 Word into a .pdf format. The awarded respondent shall use Office 365 Word and be able to accommodate future upgraded versions of Microsoft Word if they are implemented by the CGA during the term of the Contract. The CGA currently saves all its files to .DOCX format. All documents received from the awarded respondent shall be in .DOCX format.

The awarded respondent shall format all transcripts in accordance with the Style Guide included in Attachment D. The awarded respondent shall also refer to example transcripts provided in Attachment E for additional guidance regarding formatting.

B.1.4 Quality Control The awarded respondent shall conduct an independent quality review of every transcript that is prepared prior to returning it to the CGA as complete. This quality review shall ensure that the transcript provided is prepared in accordance with the Style Guide and the supporting documentation and is free of typographical errors. This review shall ensure that the following information is correct: dates, names of speakers, names of the presiding officers, removal of off the record conversations, etc. The independent review shall also ensure that all transcripts are complete and are not missing portions of the proceeding.

B.1.5 Technology Requirements The awarded respondent shall maintain appropriate equipment and software to accept recorded files from the CGA. The recorded files can range in length from under one hour to exceeding twenty-four (24) hours. The Contractor shall also have the capability to electronically transfer unzipped Word files to administrative mailboxes set up at the CGA. The current recording equipment used by the CGA includes a digital recorder in the House chamber and Senate chamber in the State Capitol building as well as a conferencing sound system with digital recording capability in the Legislative Office Building hearing rooms. A multi-channel digital audio recording system is in place and currently records the audio from all ten hearing rooms in the Legislative Office Building and two chambers in the State Capitol. Digital audio files will be provided in a .M4A or .WAV format.

Although infrequent, the awarded respondent shall also be equipped and staffed to transcribe from video recording of the proceedings as needed. Video recording may be provided through email in either CT-N link or YouTube links.

B.1.6 Turnaround Times The awarded respondent shall adhere to the following turnaround times:

(a) Legislative Sessions (Regular, Technical, Veto, and Special) and Public Hearings:

The awarded respondent shall provide transcripts for Legislative Sessions and Public Hearings within a maximum of ten (10) business days. The clock for the turnaround time begins the day after receipt of the file/supporting documentation, no matter what the time of day.

(b) Returned Transcript:

The awarded respondent shall revise and return transcripts that are returned for corrections within seven

(7) Normal Business Days. The clock for the turnaround time begins the day after receipt of the corrections, no matter what the time of day.

(c) Rush Transcript:

The awarded respondent shall provide “rush” transcripts within twenty-four (24) hours. The CGA does not often request “rush” transcriptions, but when the “rush” transcriptions are requested, there is usually not any advance notification. The clock for the turnaround time begins the day after receipt of the file/supporting documentation, no matter what the time of day.

(d) Faulty Supporting Materials:

The awarded respondent shall immediately contact the appropriate CGA to request corrected supporting materials, if the awarded respondent determines that that supporting materials are found to be incorrect or missing. The awarded respondent shall provide transcriptions within a maximum of ten (10) Normal Business Days. The clock for the turnaround time begins the day after receipt of the corrected supporting documentation is received, no matter what the time of day.

(e) Logging and Tracking Procedures:

The awarded respondent shall email weekly status reports to the CGA noting when files were received to transcribe, the due date, estimated completion date and whether or not the transcription has been completed. Daily status updates may be required during session. The awarded respondent and the CGA shall establish a mutually acceptable format for the status reports as well as logging and tracking procedures for the entire transcribing process upon contract award.

B.1.7 Staffing The awarded respondent shall maintain a pool of available transcriptionists to perform the work outlined in this RFP with a minimum of five (5) years of transcription experience. The awarded respondent shall also provide a designated primary contact person during the contract term.

B.1.8 CGA Provided The CGA shall provide:

(a) Virtual training for all staff involved in the transcription process;

(b) Designated contacts from the Office of Legislative Management, Committee Administrators, Information

Technology Services and the House and Senate Clerk; and

(c) Guidance regarding the preparation of acceptable invoices based on page counts of all transcripts.

B.1.9 Warranty All work performed under the Contract shall be warranted as outlined below:

(a) The CGA and the awarded respondent must be able to access and maintain transcripts created during the contract period for the purpose of making corrections if necessary, when proofreading is done by the Clerks’ Offices and Connecticut State Library during the summer/fall months. Any corrections to any transcript required as a result of this review due to the awarded respondent error must be made by the awarded respondent at no additional charge. Corrected transcripts shall be returned electronically and so labeled as “Corrected”.

(b) The parties agree and hereby state that any findings, written documentation, and research performed in whole or in part in connection with this awarded respondent shall be the sole property of the CGA and copies of all information and materials developed in connection with the Contract shall be provided to the CGA immediately upon completion or upon request by the CGA.

B.1.10 Quality Control Plan The awarded respondent will be required to provide a Quality Control Plan (QCP) upon contract award and maintain this QCP throughout the term of the contract by making regular updates as required. The QCP shall clearly delineate the methodology by which transcription quality will be provided and sustained throughout the term of the Contract. This QCP is the property of the CGA.

B.1.11 Style Guide The awarded respondent shall utilize the Style Guide provided in Attachment D and updated as necessary throughout the term of the Contract. This Style Guide and any updates are the property of the CGA.

B.2 Project Plan The awarded respondent will be required to provide a Baseline Project Plan upon contract award and provide regular progress updates to this Baseline Project Plan throughout the term of the contract. The Baseline Project Plan shall clearly delineate the methodology to accomplishing the Scope of Work, lead times and deliverable milestones.

B.2.2 Status Meetings The awarded respondent shall meet virtually with CGA on a regular basis, or more frequently as requested by either party, to coordinate this work outlined in this Contract. At these meetings, the awarded respondent shall provide the CGA with detailed status reports and an updated Project Timeline reflecting project progress, lead times, installation timelines, and schedule changes. The Contractor shall work closely with the CGA throughout this project to prioritize project components and ensure the desired workflow is achieved.

B.3 Required Qualifications B.3.1 Respondent Qualifications Respondents, as well as individuals assigned to perform the work, shall demonstrate at least (5) five years of experience performing work similar to that listed in the Scope of Work.

B.3.2 Subcontractor All subcontractors shall demonstrate at least (5) five years of experience performing work similar to that listed in the Scope of Work. Subcontractors must be approved in writing by the CGA prior to the subcontractor starting any work on this project. The awarded respondent shall assume responsibility for all services of the subcontractor. The awarded respondent shall be the sole point of contact with regards to all matters, including subcontractor performance and supporting document for invoices. The awarded respondent shall ensure the subcontractor complies with all specifications, applicable prevailing rates, applicable licensing requirements, and appropriate insurance requirements.

B.4 Contract Term The Contract will be in effect from the date this Contract is executed by both Contractor and the CGA (the “Effective Date”) through December 31, 2031. The CGA reserves the right to extend this Contract upon mutual agreement of both parties for additional terms beyond the original term, prior to termination or expiration, one or more times for a combined total period not to exceed the complete length of the original term.

PART C PAYMENT TERMS

C.1 Compensation Amount Respondents shall submit a completed Pricing Page Form included in Attachment A of this solicitation along with their Proposals. Respondents shall include all costs to perform the work set forth in this RFP and any payment discounts in their Pricing. The submission of a Proposal will be considered conclusive evidence that the Respondent has fully reviewed the RFP. No allowance will be made to a Respondent because of lack of such review.

All costs of all consumable materials and shipping shall be included in the Pricing provided in response to this RFP. There shall be no reimbursement for travel and/or travel-related expenses. Compensation under the Contract will be contingent upon funding being available for this purpose.

C.1.1 Escalation No pricing escalation will be applied to this Contract.

C.1.2 Retainage The awarded respondent acknowledges that the preparation and delivery of accurate transcripts are a basic requirement of this RFP and the contract. The CGA shall retain ten percent (10%) of the amount of each invoice for all House and Session transcripts completed through June 30th of each year. The Clerks’ Offices and the Connecticut State Library staff review all completed transcripts during the months following the close of each year’s legislative session. The awarded respondent shall correct all errors found in each House and Senate Regular Session, House and Senate technical, Special and Veto Sessions, Public committee hearings transcription at no additional charge within seven business days. Retainage will be released upon completion of said corrections. The CGA withholds retainage from the total billed amount for that transcript less any liquidated damages which are assessed.

C.1.3 Liquidated Damages Liquidated damages will be incurred as a result of a Contract breach. By law, the three requisite conditions to establish any liquidated damages are that: (1) the damage from a breach of Contract was uncertain in amount or difficult to provide; (2) there was an intent by the parties to liquidate damages in advance; and (3) the amount stipulated was reasonable. Hanson Development Co. v. East Great Plains Shopping Center, Inc., 485 A.2d 1296, 1300 (Conn. 1985). Recovery of Liquidated Damages shall be construed as cumulative and does not prevent the CGA from recovery of any other remedy provided for in the Contract or at law or in equity.

The awarded respondent acknowledges that failure to deliver accurate transcripts within the required time frames as indicated in Section B.6, would constitute a breach of the awarded respondent’s obligation to the CGA and that the CGA would be harmed by such failure to deliver. If such default occurs in the timeliness of any said transcript, the awarded respondent shall forfeit twenty-five percent (25%) of the payment due for that transcription. It is understood by both the awarded respondent and the CGA that this amount has been established due to the difficulty in determining and establishing damages in the event that the awarded respondent does not meet the timelines established by this RFP and the contract. The liquidated damages of 25% will be assessed against the total billed amount for that transcript, less any liquidated damages which are assessed.

C.2 Contract Negotiation The CGA reserves the right to negotiate our contract for all or any portion of the services proposed in this RFP. The CGA further reserves the right to contract with one or more respondent for such services. After reviewing the scored criteria, the CGA may seek Best and Final Offers (BAFO) on cost from proposers. The CGA may set parameters on any BAFOs received.

C.3 Invoice Guidelines

C.3.1 Properly Prepared Invoice The Contractor shall submit a Properly Prepared Invoice to the CGA for the performance of the work outlined in this Contract. A Properly Prepared Invoice is defined as an invoice that is dated subsequent to the date the goods/services have been received and that is accompanied by all the required information and supporting documentation. A Properly Prepared Invoice shall include:

(a) Invoice date and number;

(b) Purchase order number;

(c) Remittance Address;

(d) Separate invoice lines itemized by type and source of transcript, the page count for each transcript, including the transcript file name, and the date the transcript was sent back to CGA (itemized by type and source of transcript);

(e) Charges for Legislative Sessions and Public Hearings should be submitted on separate invoices.

The CGA reserves the right to utilize records from the sign-in and sign-out system in lieu of signed work tickets to verify dates and hours on invoices. The awarded respondent is responsible for obtaining signed work tickets as well as ensuring that all contractor staff on site sign in and sign out with the State Capitol Police upon entering and leaving the premises. No reimbursements shall be made for travel or travel-related expenses.

C.3.2 Consumable Materials and/or shipping No additional compensation will be made to the Contractor for consumable materials and/or shipping.

C.3.3 Payment Guidelines The CGA will pay based on the CGA page count, not the awarded respondent page count. Invoices will be paid once a “FINAL” version of the transcription, not a draft, is returned to the CGA via email within the prescribed turnaround time.

The CGA will only pay for transcriptions of: (a) House and Senate Regular Sessions; (b) House and Senate Technical, Special and Veto sessions; (c) Public Hearings, and (d) Additional proceedings and excerpted portions of the aforementioned upon CGA request. The CGA will not pay for transcription of any Committee Meetings, unless specifically requested by the CGA. The awarded respondent shall monitor recordings and stop transcribing proceedings when the recording transitions from a proceeding that is covered by the Contract to one that is not covered under the Contract.

C.4 Frequency of Billing The awarded respondent shall submit invoices on a bi-weekly basis for all work performed and returned during the preceding period.

C.5 Payment Terms Payment for goods and/or services shall be due forty-five (45) days in arrears in accordance with Conn. Gen. Stat. §4a-71 or twenty-five (25) days in arrears if the Contractor is a certified small contractor or minority business enterprise as defined in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4a-60g. In arrears is defined as payment after acceptance of the goods and/or services and receipt of a properly prepared invoice.

PART D PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

D.1 Proposal Submission Guidelines Respondents shall submit (1) one soft copy of the proposal via email to CGAContracting@cga.ct.gov in Portable Document Format (.pdf). which clearly indicates Transcription Services-JCLM26REG0007 Proposal in the Title of the email.

Respondents shall send a separate follow-up email to CGAContracting@cga.ct.gov to confirm receipt of the proposal submission by the CGA. It is the respondents' responsibility to follow-up with CGA via email or telephone if a confirmation email from the CGA is not received. Please be advised that any email with an attached proposal that is 25MB or larger will be rejected.

ALL HARD COPY PROPOSALS WILL BE REJECTED.

D.2 Required Proposal Documentation Respondents shall submit the following documentation in the following order and format. The CGA reserves the right to disqualify any Proposal which does not include the following documentation.

D.2.1 Pricing Page All respondents SHALL include a completed Pricing Page in the Proposals; (Attachment A)

D.2.2 Forms Respondents shall complete and submit the following forms along with the electronic copy of the proposal only.

The forms listed below include links to the fillable forms which can be completed and submitted electronically.

Proof of Authorization Certification Form Campaign Contribution Certification CHRO Contract Compliance Monitoring Report Vendor Profile W-9 Form

D.2.3 Transcription Procedures The awarded respondent shall acknowledge the transcription procedures outlined in Section B and describe plans to allow for efficient issue resolution throughout the term of the Contract.

D.2.4 Formatting The awarded respondent shall describe how the formatting outlined in the Style guide will be incorporated into their transcription process.

D.2.5 Quality Control The awarded respondent shall describe their independent quality control review process and describe their commitment to careful proofreading for logic, spelling and grammar.

D.2.6 Technology Requirements The awarded respondent shall demonstrate that the software and equipment they intend to utilize can handle the following:

(a) Access and transcribe from digital files on an established FTP site.

(b) Accommodate file length of files produced by the CGA.

(c) Compatible with the CGA's recording equipment for legislative session and Public Hearing transcripts and mailto:CGAContracting@cga.ct.gov mailto:CGAContracting@cga.ct.gov https://www.cga.ct.gov/olm/lbd/docs/procurement/forms/Proof_of_Authorization.pdf https://www.cga.ct.gov/olm/lbd/docs/procurement/forms/Certification_Form.pdf https://cga.ct.gov/olm/lbd/docs/procurement/Forms/Campaign%20Contribution%20Certification.pdf https://www.cga.ct.gov/olm/lbd/docs/procurement/forms/CHRO_Contract_Compliance_Form.pdf https://www.cga.ct.gov/olm/lbd/docs/procurement/forms/Vendor_Profile_Form.pdf https://www.cga.ct.gov/olm/lbd/docs/procurement/forms/W-9_Form.pdf

(d) Access and transcribe from video files.

D.2.7 Turnaround Time The awarded respondent shall acknowledge the transcription procedures outlined in Section B and describe plans to allow for efficient issue resolution throughout the term of the Contract.

D.2.8 Staffing Experience and Knowledge Respondents shall demonstrate they meet the following qualifications:

(a) Are an established transcription services company operating on a full-time business for at least five years, with an established office facility, staff and equipment to support the services required in this RFP;

(b) Maintain the necessary staff resources proficient in the transcription, proof reading and editing of audio recordings;

(c) Experienced with legal documents and terminology used by the State of Connecticut and the CGA. Accuracy is extremely important in preparing all transcriptions for the CGA. Transcripts of all proceedings are retained by the Connecticut State Library, and are used by several parties for historical background and legislative history.

D.2.9 Warranty The awarded respondent shall acknowledge the warranty requirements listed in Section B.1.9.

D.2.10 Confidential Information The respondent shall clearly specify which information contained in the Proposal response is respondent Information and therefore should be considered exempt by the CGA from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The respondent may not merely state generally that the materials are proprietary or confidential in nature and not, therefore, subject to release to third parties. Those particular sentences, paragraphs, pages or sections that the respondent believes are exempt from disclosure under the FOIA must be specifically identified as such. Convincing explanation and rationale sufficient to justify each exemption consistent with the FOIA must accompany the request. The rationale and explanation must be stated in terms of the prospective harm to the competitive position of the respondent that would result if the identified material were to be released and the reasons why the materials are legally exempt from release pursuant to the FOIA.

D.2.11 Terms and Conditions Acknowledgement or Specific Exceptions All respondents shall provide either (1) an acknowledge that all the CGA Terms and Conditions included in this RFP in Attachment C will be included in the awarded contract or (2) provide specific, red-lined markups to the CGA Terms and Conditions included in this RFP in Attachment C.

D.3 Documentation Required Subsequent to Contract Award The following shall be provided subsequent to the Contract award.

D.3.1 Insurance Certificate Please see minimum required levels listed in the Terms and Conditions section of this RFP. The awarded respondent must name the State of CT/CT General Assembly as an additional insured;

PART E EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

E.1 Mandatory Requirements Prior to submitting a Proposal, each respondent shall examine the RFP and may visit the site of the work. Each respondent shall fully inform themselves prior to submitting the Proposal as to the existing conditions and limitations under which the work is to be performed, and shall include in the Proposal a sum to cover the cost of items necessary to perform the work as set forth in this RFP. No allowance will be made to a respondent because of lack of such examination or knowledge. The submission of a Proposal will be considered conclusive evidence that the respondent has made such an examination. The CGA will determine if Proposals include all the mandatory requirements and are complete submissions. The CGA has the sole discretion to decide if Proposals are nonresponsive to this RFP.

E.2 Evaluation Criteria The Proposals will be evaluated to determine which is submitted by the “lowest responsible and qualified bidder.”

Pursuant to General Statute § 4b-92, “lowest responsible and qualified bidder" shall mean the bidder who is prequalified pursuant to General Statute §4a-100, and whose bid is the lowest of those bidders possessing the skill, ability and integrity necessary to faithful performance of the work based on objective criteria considering past performance and information contained in the update bid statement submitted pursuant to §4b-92.

Complete Proposals will be given to the Evaluation Committee for review. The following Evaluation Criteria will be scored by the Evaluation Committee. Each factor will be scored using a scale of 1 through 5. The individual ratings for each member of the Evaluation Committee will be averaged and then by the criteria weights. The criteria weights are confidential until subsequent to contract award.

Evaluation Criteria Price

Demonstrated ability to meet the turnaround time requirements

Quality Control Plan and demonstrated ability to meet all quality control requirements

Demonstrated ability to meet all formatting requirements

Demonstrated ability to meet all technology requirements

Applicable professional experience and references of business entity and staff

TOTAL

E.3 Presentations After review of the Proposals by the Evaluation Committee, the CGA may schedule times for some or all respondents to make presentations. During these presentations, the respondents may be asked to provide an overview of their written Proposal, answer questions and/or provide clarifications.

E.4 Contract Award All respondents will be notified of the Contract award once approved by the Legislative Leaders. The CGA will notify all respondents once a Contract is awarded.

ATTACHMENT A

PRICING PAGE

Contract Title: Transcription Services Contract Number: JCLM26REG0007

Compensation

Fixed Price Transcription (Turnaround maximum of ten (10) Normal Business Days)

$ _________________________________per page

Rush Request (Turnaround within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt)

$ _________________________________per page

The Proposer must include all applicable costs necessary to satisfy the requirements of the solicitation. Prices quoted by the Contractor shall include all freight and/or delivery charges (FOB Destination). The CGA shall not guarantee any minimum or maximum amount of the contractor’s products/services that may be required under the contract. The contractor shall provide products/services on an as needed, if needed basis. It shall be at the CGA's sole discretion as to which products/components are purchased and when (if at all) during the contract. The CGA makes no guarantees about single order quantities or total aggregate order quantities.

The undersigned agrees to furnish all services and/or commodities to the CT General Assembly as described in Contract at the prices listed above.

Company Name:

Company Address:

Signature: Date:

Name (Printed): Title:

Email: FEIN#:

Office Phone #: Cell Phone #:

Payment Terms: % Discount Days Connecticut SBE/MBE MBE SBE

ATTACHMENT B

PROPOSAL RESPONSE FORMAT

Please email one complete proposal response as a .PDF to CGAContracting@cga.ct.gov. Please structure your Response, specific to the following outline, clearly identifying each section, and numbering your pages:

1. Pricing Page

2. Forms: Submit all completed forms

3. Transcription Procedures

4. Formatting

5. Quality Control

6. Technology Requirements

7. Turnaround Time

8. Staffing Experience and Knowledge

9. Warranty

10. Confidential Information

11. Terms and Conditions/Specific Exceptions

Attachment C: Terms and Conditions

Contract Table of Contents

1. Definitions

2. Contracting Vehicle

3. Description of Goods and Services

4. Rejected Items; Abandonment

5. Order and Delivery

6. Contract Amendments

7. Assignment

8. Termination

9. Cost Modifications

10. Breach

11. Waiver

12. Open Market Purchases

13. Purchase Orders

14. Indemnification

15. Forum and Choice of Law

16. Contractor Guaranties

17. Implied Warranties

18. Goods, Standards and Appurtenances

19. Delivery

20. Goods Inspection

21. Emergency Standby for Goods and/or Services

22. Setoff

23. Force Majeure

24. Advertising

25. Americans With Disabilities Act

26. Representations and Warranties

27. Representations and Warranties Concerning

Motor Vehicles

28. Disclosure of Contractor Parties Litigation

29. Entirety of Contract

30. Attachments

31. Non-Discrimination

32. Tangible Personal Property

33. Whistleblowing

34. Insurance

35. Headings

36. Number and Gender

37. Parties

38. Contractor Changes

39. Further Assurances

40. Audit and Inspection of Plants, Places of

Business and Records

41. Background Checks

42. Continued Performance

43. Working and Labor Synergies

44. Contractor Responsibility

45. Severability

46. Confidential Information

47. References to Statutes, Public Acts, Regulations, Codes and Executive Orders

48. Cross-Default

49. Disclosure of Records

50. Summary of State Ethics Laws

51. Sovereign Immunity

52. Time of the Essence

53. Certification as Small Contractor or Minority

Business Enterprise

54. Campaign Contribution Restriction

55. Protection of Confidential Information

56. Audit Requirements for Recipients of State

Financial Assistance

57. Anti-Trust

58. Representation for Contractor

59. Representation for Official or Employee

60. Iran Energy Investment Certification

61. Campaign Contribution Restriction

62. Access to Contract and State Data

The following provisions will be included in the Contract awarded as a result of this Request for Proposal.

1. Definitions. Unless otherwise indicated, the following terms shall have the following corresponding definitions:

(a) Bid: A Bid submitted in response to a Solicitation.

(b) Claims: All actions, suits, claims, demands, investigations and proceedings of any kind, open, pending or threatened, whether mature, unmatured, contingent, known or unknown, at law or in equity, in any forum.

(c) Confidential Information: This shall mean any name, number or other information that may be used, alone or in conjunction with any other information, to identify a specific individual including, but not limited to, such individual's name, date of birth, mother's maiden name, motor vehicle operator's license number, Social Security number, employee identification number, employer or taxpayer identification number, alien registration number, government passport number, health insurance identification number, demand deposit account number, savings account number, credit card number, debit card number or unique biometric data such as fingerprint, voice print, retina or iris image, or other unique physical representation. Without limiting the foregoing, Confidential Information shall also include any information that the CGA classifies as “confidential” or “restricted.” Confidential Information shall not include information that may be lawfully obtained from publicly available sources or from federal, state, or local government records which are lawfully made available to the general public.

(d) Confidential Information Breach: This shall mean, generally, an instance where an unauthorized person or entity accesses Confidential Information in any manner, including but not limited to the following occurrences: (1) any Confidential Information that is not encrypted or protected is misplaced, lost, stolen or in any way compromised; (2)one or more third parties have had access to or taken control or possession of any Confidential Information that is not encrypted or protected without prior written authorization from the CGA; (3) the unauthorized acquisition of encrypted or protected Confidential Information together with the confidential process or key that is capable of compromising the integrity of the Confidential Information; or (4) if there is a substantial risk of identity theft or fraud to the CGA, the Contractor, or the State.

(e) Contract: The agreement, as of its Effective Date, between the Contractor and the CGA for any or all Goods or Services at the Solicitation price.

(f) Contractor: A person or entity who submits a Solicitation response and who executes a Contract.

(g) Contractor Parties: A Contractor’s members, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, managers, principal officers, representatives, agents, servants, consultants, employees or any one of them or any other person or entity with whom the Contractor is in privity of oral or written contract and the Contractor intends for such other person or entity to Perform under the Contract in any capacity.

(h) Day: All calendar days other than Saturdays, Sundays and days designated as national or State of Connecticut holidays upon which banks in Connecticut are closed.

(i) Force Majeure: Force Majeure is defined as events that materially affect the cost of the Goods or Services or the time schedule within which to Perform and are outside the control of the party asserting that such an event has occurred, including, but not limited to, labor troubles unrelated to the Contractor, failure of or inadequate permanent power, unavoidable casualties, fire not caused by the Contractor, extraordinary weather conditions, disasters, riots, acts of God, insurrection, epidemic, pandemic or war.

(j) Goods: For purposes of the Contract, all things which are movable at the time that the Contract is effective and which include, without limiting this definition, supplies, materials and equipment, as specified in the Solicitation and set forth in Attachment A.

(k) Goods or Services: Goods, Services or both, as specified in the Solicitation and set forth in Attachment A.

(l) Records: All working papers and such other information and materials as may have been accumulated by the Contractor in performing the Contract, including but not limited to, documents, data, plans, books, computations, drawings, specifications, notes, reports, records, estimates, summaries and correspondence, kept or stored in any form.

(m) Services: The performance of labor or work, as specified in the Solicitation and set forth in Attachment A.

(n) Solicitation: A State request, in whatever form issued, inviting bids, proposals or quotes for Goods or Services, typified by, but not limited to, an invitation to bid, request for proposals, request for information or request for quotes. The Solicitation and this Contract shall be governed by the statutes, regulations and procedures of the State of Connecticut, Department of Administrative Services, even if the CGA has statutes, regulations and procedures which overlap DAS’s. However, to the extent that the CGA has statutes, regulations or procedures which the CGA determines in its sole discretion to be inconsistent with DAS’s, the CGA’s shall control over those of DAS’s.

The Solicitation is incorporated into and made a part of the Contract as if it had been fully set forth in it if, but only if, the Solicitation is in the form of an invitation to bid, request for information or request for quotes. A Solicitation in the form of a request for proposals is not incorporated into the Contract in its entirety, but, rather, it is incorporated into the Contract only to the extent specifically stated in Attachment A.

(o) State: The State of Connecticut, including the CGA and any office, department, board, council, commission, institution or other CGA of the State.

(p) Termination: An end to the Contract prior to the end of its term whether effected pursuant to a right which the Contract creates or for a breach.

(q) Title: all ownership, title, licenses, rights and interest, including, but not limited to, perpetual use, of and to the Goods or Services.

2. Contracting Vehicle. The Solicitation may involve an invitation to bid, request for proposals, request for information or request for quotes, each of which may be governed by different statutory, regulatory and administrative procedures. ALTHOUGH THIS CONTRACT USES THE TERMS “SOLICITATION” AND “BID” IT’S USE OF THOSE TERMS IS INTENDED ONLY FOR PURPOSES OF CONVENIENCE AND SHALL NOT BE DEEMED TO BE A CONTROLLING STATEMENT AS TO THE TYPE OF

SOLICITATION USED OR THE RESPECTIVE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES. THE

IDENTIFICATION IN THE SOLICITATION OF THE PARTICULAR PROCUREMENT VEHICLE THE STATE IS USING TO SOLICIT GOODS OR SERVICES SHALL CONTROL. Therefore, if the Solicitation identifies the procurement vehicle as something other than an Invitation to Bid, the terms “Solicitation” and “Bid, “as used in this Contract shall be read to mean “Request for Proposals,” “Proposal” and “Proposer” or to mean such other terms as are consistent with the Solicitation in order to preserve the integrity of the statutory, regulatory and procedural distinctions among the various procurement vehicles and their corresponding principles.

3. Description of Goods or Services and Additional Terms and Conditions. The Contractor shall perform as set forth in Attachment A. For purposes of this Contract, to perform and the performance in Attachment A. is referred to as “Perform” and the “Performance.”

4. Rejected Items; Abandonment.

(a) The Contractor may deliver, cause to be delivered, or, in any other way, bring or cause to be brought, to any CGA premises or other destination, Goods, as samples or otherwise, and other supplies, materials, equipment or other tangible personal property. The CGA may, by written notice and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Contract, direct the Contractor to remove any or all such Goods (the “Rejected Goods”) and any or all other supplies, materials, equipment or other tangible personal property (collectively, the “Contractor Property”) from and out of the CGA premises and any other location which the CGA or State manages, leases or controls. The Contractor shall remove the Rejected Goods and the Contractor Property in accordance with the terms and conditions of the written notice. Failure to remove the Rejected Goods or the Contractor Property in accordance with the terms and conditions of the written notice shall mean, for itself and all Contractor Parties, that:

(1) they have voluntarily, intentionally, unconditionally, unequivocally and absolutely abandoned and left unclaimed the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property and relinquished all ownership, title, licenses, rights, possession and interest of, in and to (collectively, “Title”) the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property with the specific and express intent of (A) terminating all of their Title to the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property, (B) vesting Title to the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property in the State of Connecticut and (C) not ever reclaiming Title or any future rights of any type in and to the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property;

(2) there is no ignorance, inadvertence or unawareness to mitigate against the intent to abandon the Rejected Goods or Contractor Property;

(3) they vest authority, without any further act required on their part or the CGA’s part, in the CGA and the State to use or dispose of the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property, in the CGA’s sole discretion, as if the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property were the CGA’s or State’s own property and in accordance with law, without incurring any liability or obligation to the Contractor or any other party;

(4) if the CGA or State incur any costs or expenses in connection with disposing of the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property, including, but not limited to, advertising, moving or storing the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property, auction and other activities, the CGA shall invoice the Contractor for all such cost and expenses and the Contractor shall reimburse the CGA no later than thirty (30) days after the date of invoice; and

(5) they do remise, release and forever discharge the CGA and all State employees, departments, commissions, boards, bureaus, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions and their respective successors, heirs, executors and assigns (collectively, the “State and Its Agents”) of and from all Claims which they and their respective successors or assigns, jointly or severally, ever had, now have or will have against the CGA and the State and Its Agents arising from the use or disposition of the Rejected Goods and Contractor Property.

(b) The Contractor shall secure from each Contractor Party, as appropriate, such document or instrument as necessary or appropriate as will vest in the Contractor plenary authority to bind the Contractor Parties to the full extent necessary or appropriate to give full effect to all of the terms and conditions of this section.