QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - Translation and Interpretation Services - RFP W81K0026RA042_7 Aug.pdf

Translation and Interpretation Services at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC)

Questions and Answers

RFP# W81K0026RA042

## Question Government Response 1 Can you advise if this a new contract or a follow-on / recompete?

There is a contract currently in place, however it was awarded as a purchase order in August 2025. The intent is to award this requirement as the IDIQ to accommodate unpredictable schedule and increase in scope.

2 If this is a recompete, are you able to provide the contract number?

W81K00-25-F-A161

3 Are there incumbents already in place?

Worldwide Interpreters Inc

4 Can you clarify what equipment or supplies the Contractor would be required to furnish?

Vendor Translation Services – Signage tailed to BAMC

5 Are all hours to be considered “on call” with no set work schedule?

Correct, no set work schedule

6 Can you please provide the incumbent contractor name and current contract number.

W81K00-25-F-A161, Worldwide Interpreters Inc

7 In 52.212-1 Addendum, the Government states proposal shall include the copy of the valid and active Authority to Operate (ATO) by the Department of Defense. Will the Government grant an ATO to the most well qualified company post-award?

ATO is required at the time of the proposal. The Government will NOT grant an ATO

8 The PWS requires CCHI and/or NBCMI-certified personnel. Please clarify whether this requirement applies to all spoken-language interpreters, written translators, ASL/ProTactile ASL interpreters, and languages for which CCHI or NBCMI certification is unavailable.

When certifications from CCHI or NBCMI are not available for a given language, the vendor shall provide documentation stating that all interpreters meet all of the following requirements: (1) completion of at least 40 hours of formal medical-interpreter training from an accredited or nationally recognized program; (2) documented proficiency in both English and the target language (e.g., standardized language-proficiency testing or equivalent); and (3) adherence to nationally recognized healthcare interpreter codes of ethics and standards of practice.”

9 For ASL and ProTactile ASL services, which certifications or credentials will the Government accept, such as RID or BEI?

The Government will accept interpreters who hold nationally recognized credentials from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) (e.g., NIC, CDI, or other RID generalist/specialist certifications) or state-recognized credentials such as Texas Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI), provided the certification is current, in good standing, and authorizes the interpreter to perform medical and legal assignments.

10 Since the scope includes legal interpretation, are separate legal or court-interpreter credentials required?

Interpreters must hold both an RID or BEI ASL certification and a legal or court-interpreter credential appropriate to the jurisdiction, such as RID Specialist Certificate: Legal (SC:L) or certification/qualification issued by a state court interpreter program.

11 Must offerors provide and price all service categories and CLINs/SLINs, or may an offeror submit a proposal for only selected service lines? If partial proposals are permitted, does the Government anticipate multiple awards?

The Government anticipates only one (1) award from resulting solicitation, so the proposal shall provide and price all service categories and CLINs/SLINs

12 Please confirm whether the quantities in the pricing schedule are estimated annual quantities, maximum quantities, or quantities used only for proposal evaluation.

The intent is to award this requirement as the IDIQ to accommodate unpredictable schedule and increase in scope.

Therefore, the quantities are maximum quantities.

13 Could the Government provide historical utilization by service category and language, including emergency versus prescheduled on-site assignments?

Historical utilization is not applicable, that is why this requirement is recompeted as the IDIQ to accommodate unpredictable schedule and increase in scope.

14 What percentage of historical or projected usage is attributable to Spanish for OTP, VRI, on-site interpretation, and written translation?

Could the Government provide historical spend by service category?

Historical utilization is not applicable, that is why this requirement is recompeted as the IDIQ to accommodate unpredictable schedule and increase in scope.

15 Is there an incumbent contractor? If so, please provide the incumbent’s name, contract number, contract value, and current unit rates, if releasable.

Worldwide Interpreters Inc W81K00-25-F-A161 Total award for $288,098.90 for period of performance 1 Aug 2025 through 31 July 2028. Also, see the note above on the IDIQ. The unit rates cannot be disclosed.

16 Does the Government permit machine translation or generative AI for written translation or transcription? If permitted, are separate prices required for fully human translation and human-reviewed machine translation?

Human Medically Certified Translation only. The use of machine translation (MT) technologies, automated translation software, and generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms is strictly prohibited.

17 Please confirm whether the MDERA, RMF, vulnerability-scan, and related cybersecurity requirements apply only to the VRI platform or to all web-based systems used under the contract.

This service does not have an on-premises component; thus the Kiosk Workstation w/ browser is already included in our enclave accreditation and requires no additional actions in regard to RMF Authorization. MDERA is for medical devices.

18 Is an active DoD ATO for the proposed browser-based VRI solution required at the time of proposal submission, or may the contractor complete the DHA RMF/ATO process after award?

ATO or other authorizations (IATT, ATC, etc) are required before connection to a production environment and at the time of award.

19 Please identify which cybersecurity documents must be submitted with the proposal, including the MDERA, Nessus scan, architecture diagrams, STIG checklists, SCAP results, and evidence of an active ATO.

Web services, which use video-based methods and a translator may require a HIPAA BAA, zero-data retention architecture verification, Section 508 compliance, and FAR

52.224-3 compliance and if SaaS, DHA CBS will determine requirements.

20 The PWS states that contract personnel must be U.S. citizens. Does this requirement apply to remote OTP/VRI interpreters and written translators who do not access BAMC, a military installation, or Government systems?

No, the U.S. Citizenship requirements for contractors only apply to individuals that will require access to the installation for on-site interpreter services.

21 What background checks, training, credentialing, and installation-access requirements apply to on-site interpreters?

For installation access only, the individual will provide Driver’s License info to the designated individual to submit to the visitor’s center. Upon arrival at the visitor’s center they will need Proof of insurance and vehicle registration for access.

22 What documents and lead time are required to obtain access to JBSA Fort Sam Houston and BAMC?

BAMC requires info above within 4 days of the scheduled visit. For emergency requests we will need the info within 2- 4 hours of notification that services are requested.

23 The PWS requires the contractor to respond to emergency on-site requests within two hours. Does “respond” mean acknowledge the request, dispatch an interpreter, or have the interpreter physically present at BAMC within two hours?

VRI is utilized for first 2 hours, vendor must acknowledge request immediately and have interpreter physically present within 2 hours.

24 For on-site assignments, what minimum billable period should offerors use, and must travel, mileage, parking, cancellation, no-show, and after-hours costs be included in the hourly rate?

The billing for onsite is 2-hour minimum, then 15-minute increments thereafter for interpreter services rendered only.

For late cancellations with less than a 24-hour notice of the appointment the vendor may invoice for the 2-hour minimum only, for that cancellation/no show.

25 For OTP and VRI, should usage be billed by the actual minute, rounded to the next full minute, or subject to a minimum session charge?

usage to be billed by the actual minute, rounded to the next full minute

26 For written translation and transcription, should the rate be based on source words or target words, and must formatting, proofreading, certification, and rush service be included in the per-word rate?

Rate is to be based on sourced words and yes formatting, proofreading, certification, and rush service be included in the per-word rate?

27 How should languages not listed as “common” or “exotic” in the PWS be classified and priced?

All other languages that are not specifically listed in the PWS will be classified as “exotic” and billed at that rate.

28 Please identify the evaluation factors, their relative importance, and the relationship between price and non-price factors.

See FAR 52.212-2 and Addendum to FAR 52.212-2 on pages 85-91 of the solicitation.

Evaluation Factors

1. Personnel Certification: The contractor must exclusively provide interpreters certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) or the National Board of Certification for Medical and Legal Interpreters (NBCMI).

2. Service Response Times:

• Video Remote Interpretation (VRI): Service must be provided within 5 minutes of a request.

• Telephonic Interpretation (OTP): Service must be provided within 5 minutes of a request.

3. On-site Interpreter Availability: Prescheduled on-site interpreters must be provided within 72 hours.

4. Document Translation Turnaround: Written translations must be completed and returned within 7 to 10 business days.

5. Administrative Compliance:

• Designating a point of contact before the contract starts.

• Ensuring all personnel meet health and immunization requirements.

29 How many past-performance references are required, and may commercial, healthcare, state/local government, or subcontractor experience be used?

Yes, healthcare, state/local government, or subcontractor experience can be used.

30 Please confirm the required proposal-submission method, recipient, file format, page limits, and whether separate technical, past-performance, cybersecurity, and pricing volumes are required.

The solicitation has been added to the SAM. gov. The instructions are in Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, page 82-83 of the solicitation.

31 SAM.gov states that proposals are due August 3, 2026, at 12:00 PM CDT, while the SF 1449 appears to contain a different date. Please confirm the controlling proposal due date and time.

The solicitation will be amended.

32 the PWS indicates that a browser-based VRI solution is required and that an active ATO from another DoD facility may be used to verify safety. If the proposed solution is hosted on a FedRAMP-authorized cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS GovCloud), will the Government accept this certification as a baseline to expedite the RMF process?

If the solution is SaaS/Cloud based the product must undergo a review by DHA CBS, though FedRAMP authorization does speed things up.

For a VRI solution that is 100% browser-based and requires no client software installation on Government computers, please clarify the specific target of the required monthly Nessus scans. Is the contractor expected to scan the production cloud servers, or only the specific streaming channels used for the service?

Section 2.0 of Attachment 3 (MDERA) requires a list of all system hardware, including servers and routers. If providing a Cloud-based service, is the offeror required to detail the underlying physical hardware of the commercial cloud provider, or should this section focus only on the virtual environment?

The Kiosk is already part of the BAMC enclave and is scanned weekly for vulnerabilities, and monthly for configuration compliance (STIG). The DHA ESA-BAD and CBS will determine the requirements to comply with RMF if there are cloud components.

A suggested flow diagram, architecture diagram, and potentially other evidence would be needed to further define my answers.

35 Volume III requires evidence of past performance with "similar magnitude and scope". Could the Government clarify if "magnitude" is primarily evaluated based on total contract dollar value, the number of languages supported, or the annual volume of interpretation minutes/hours?

The magnitude would be defined as similar based total contract dollar value and the number of languages supported.

36 The PWS requires proof of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate or naturalization papers). Will the Government require these documents to be submitted as part of the proposal for all key personnel, or is this only required after contract award during the onboarding process?

The Contractor shall verify the U.S. citizenship status of all individuals assigned to provide on-site services under this contract. This letter must explicitly state that the Contractor has verified the citizenship of each listed individual using valid, official government documentation (e.g., U.S.

Passport, Birth Certificate, or Certificate of Naturalization).

After contract award.

37 Would [my company] be eligible to submit a proposal for only the ASL interpretation portion of the current interpretation services RFP?

There is no such thing as “eligible to submit the proposal”.

Your company is welcome to submit, however as per Addendum to 52.212-2, if a proposal does not address all required tasks in the PWS, it will be rated technically unacceptable and it won’t be evaluated further. So, it is your business decision to invest time in preparing a proposal which will be likely unacceptable due to omitted tasks required by the PWS.

38 (SAM.gov Notice W81K0026RA042; Solicitation, SF 1449 Blocks 6 and 8, p. 1; FAR 52.212-1 Addendum, pp. 82–83) Please confirm that proposals are due Monday, August 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Please also provide the required submission method, authorized email address(es) or portal, maximum attachment size, file-naming convention, and whether the four proposal volumes must be transmitted as separate files or separate emails.

The solicitation has been added to the SAM. gov. The instructions are in Addendum to FAR 52.212-1. The amendment with Government responses will be issued.

39 (SAM.gov Notice W81K0026RA042; Solicitation, SF 1449 Block 6, p. 1;

FAR 52.212-1 Addendum, pp. 82–83) Given the breadth of the technical, Risk Management Framework, MDERA/Nessus, past-performance, pricing, and four-volume submission requirements, would the Government consider extending the proposal due date by one week, from August 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time to August 10, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time?

The amendment with Government responses will be issued to extend the due date.

40 (Solicitation, p. 82; Attachment 5, PWS §1.1) Please confirm whether every proposed browser-based Video Remote Interpretation (VRI) solution must possess a current, valid, and active Department of Defense Authority to Operate (ATO), even when the solution requires no installation on Government computers and operates through standard TCP ports 80/443. If so, please identify the acceptable DoD authorizing organizations and whether an authorization accepted through DoD reciprocity is acceptable.

It does if SaaS but can be reciprocal within DHA/DoW. A suggested flow diagram, architecture diagram, and potentially other evidence (as implemented at BAMC) would be needed to further define my answers.

41 (Solicitation, p. 82; Attachment 5, PWS §1.1; Attachment 4, §§A.1–A.3 and B.1–B.5) Must the submitted ATO expressly cover the exact production version, hosting environment, authorization boundary, WebRTC/RTP protocols, network ports, and streaming configuration proposed for BAMC? Will an ATO held by the Offeror’s VRI platform subcontractor satisfy the requirement when the subcontractor’s authorized platform is the solution proposed by the prime Offeror?

The authorization has to cover the product and all its potential capabilities as deployed. Largely a CBS question is cloud service.

42 (Attachment 4, §B.1.1 and §§B.1.4.1–B.1.4.4) For a hosted, browser-based Software-as-a-Service VRI platform, please identify the required authorization boundary, maximum age, format, and content of the fully credentialed Nessus scan required with the proposal.

Must the scan cover the production hosting environment, a representative test environment, Government or user endpoints, or another defined boundary? Please also identify the secure transmission method for scan results and related POA&M information.

You can’t theoretically derive an architecture diagram or authorization boundary; these are tangible items that are fully fleshed out during the ESA-BAD/CBS assessment if needed. Maintaining the ATO, if needed, will require all of these items, yes.

43 (Solicitation, pp. 82 and 87; Attachment 4, §§A.1–A.3 and B.1–B.5) Attachment 4 contains requirements addressing medical devices and equipment connected to a Government network. Please confirm whether every requirement in Attachment 4 applies without modification to a remotely hosted, browser-based interpretation service that does not install

TBD – this question will be answered in next Amendment to the solicitation.

equipment or software on the Government network. If the requirements will be tailored, please identify the applicable sections.

44 (Solicitation, pp. 82–83; Attachment 3) The proposal instructions require the completed Medical Device Risk Assessment form, Attachment 3, in both Volume I and Volume II. Please confirm whether Offerors must include a complete copy in each volume or may include the form once in Volume II with a cross-reference from Volume I.

The proposal may include the form once in Volume II with a cross-reference from Volume I.

45 (Attachment 5, PWS §§1, 1.10(b)(i), and 5.1; QASP PRS #3) Please confirm whether CCHI or NBCMI certification is required for every individual performing spoken-language interpretation, ASL/protactile interpretation, and written translation. Where CCHI or NBCMI does not offer an applicable language- or modality-specific certification, will the Government accept appropriate equivalents, including RID, NIC, or BEI credentials for ASL; recognized professional credentials for written translation; or documented proficiency and healthcare/legal interpreting qualifications for less-common languages?

Yes, CCHI or NBCMI certification is required.

46 (Attachment 5, PWS §1.6.4.1) Please confirm whether the U.S.-citizenship requirement applies to all remote OPI and VRI interpreters, written translators, ASL interpreters, subcontractor personnel, platform-support personnel, and management personnel, or only to personnel physically performing work at BAMC or accessing Government systems or information. Please also identify when citizenship documentation must be submitted and whether contractor verification may be provided in lieu of transmitting copies of birth certificates or naturalization documents.

US citizenship requirements are for on-site interpreter services only.

47 (Attachment 5, PWS §§1.4, 5.1, 5.2.1.10, and 5.2.1.12) The PWS classifies an on-site request received with less than 48 hours’ notice as an “Emergency” request but does not state the required arrival or

Less than 48-hour request are considered an emergency Physically onsite within 2 hours of notification for Emergencies i.e. Trauma Patients fulfillment time. Please specify the required response and arrival standard for emergency on-site spoken-language and ASL/protactile assignments.

48 (Solicitation, p. 83; Attachment 1) Section L directs Offerors to provide Attachment 1 as a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) to at least three references for direct return to the Government. The supplied Attachment 1 is titled Past Performance Information, references solicitation W81K0026QA223, and contains no evaluator-rating section. Please provide the correct PPQ for W81K0026RA042 or confirm how Offerors and references are to use the supplied form.

The corrected copy of PPQ has been posted.

49 (Solicitation, p. 83) Please clarify whether the requirement that all references “shall be residing in the United States” means that the customer organization, the individual reference point of contact, or both must be located in the United States.

Ye, both must reside in the United States

50 (Solicitation Schedule, SLINs 0003AB and 0004AJ; Attachment 2;

Attachment 5, PWS §§1.4 and 5.2.1.12–5.2.1.15) Please confirm the correct service descriptions for SLIN 0003AB and SLIN 0004AJ, as the solicitation schedule descriptions conflict with the PWS and Attachment 2. Please also confirm whether the “OR” label in the base-period AJ row of Attachment 2 should identify exotic-language written translation.

This has been corrected.

51 (Attachment 2, rows 66–74) Please confirm the intended units of issue for the FAR 52.217-8 extension-period rows in Attachment 2. May Offerors populate the blank units based on the corresponding base- and option-period CLINs?

It is up to the offerors to propose the unit prices for 6 month extension under 52,217-8.

52 (Solicitation Schedule, p. 2; FAR 52.216-18 and 52.216-22, pp. 75–77;

Attachment 2, rows 64–75) Please reconcile the contract dates appearing in the solicitation. The schedule identifies an ordering period ending September 30, 2031; the FAR 52.217-8 pricing extension and FAR 52.216-18 contemplate March 31, 2032; and FAR 52.216-22 references January 31, 2032 and retains an uncompleted date field. Please confirm the final ordering date and the latest permitted performance or delivery date.

The solicitation has been corrected for the dates.

53 (Solicitation, FAR 52.212-2 Addendum, pp. 85–88) The evaluation language states that the proposal should contain the Offeror’s best terms from a “compensation plan” standpoint, but the proposal instructions do not require or describe a compensation plan.

Please confirm whether a compensation plan is required and, if so, identify its required content and proposal volume.

The solicitation has been corrected.

54 (Attachment 5, PWS §§1.5.1.1, 1.6.4.1, 1.18, and 4.7.1; Technical Exhibit B) Please confirm whether deliverables A.006 and A.008 are required despite not appearing in Technical Exhibit B, and clarify the duplicate use of deliverable number A.002 for issue reporting and monthly reporting

Deliverables tables have been edited to match the PWS paragraph

55 Can the government please confirm the August 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.

CDT due date, Block 8 lists the proposal deadline as July 7, 2026?

The solicitation has been amended with a new due date.

56 Several service descriptions differ between the SF 1449 and Attachment 2.

Could the Government please confirm the correct descriptions for the following items and advise whether offerors should correct the pricing worksheet or leave it unchanged?

- Base Year CLIN 0009/SLIN AJ Labor Category is listed as “OR” in Attachment 2 instead of Document Transcription/Translation (Exotic Languages-Words)

The solicitation has been corrected.

- SF 1449 SLIN 0003AB, listed as telephonic interpretation rather than VRI for all other languages

- SF 1449 SLIN 0004AJ, listed as onsite ASL/ProTactile interpretation rather than exotic-language document translation

57 For Attachment 1, can the government confirm that the offerors are only required to fill out the PPI attached and have the customers submit the completed PPI to the email addresses included in instructions, if they are not submitting CPARS? Also, can you confirm that there was no PPQ attached?

Either PPQ or CPARs are acceptable

58 Attachment 1 references Solicitation W81K0026QA223. Can the Government provide a corrected attachment with contract W81K0026RA042 or confirm instructions for offerors to proceed?

Attachment 1 has been corrected.

59 Does this solicitation consolidate or replace more than one existing BAMC contract or order for telephonic interpretation, VRI, onsite interpretation, ASL/ProTactile services, or written translation? If so, could the Government identify the incumbent contract or order numbers and providers for each service category and provide the available historical usage by category?

No there is only 1 vendor