15-495 In person "as-needed" language interpretation services to DMV offices

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is seeking a contractor to provide in-person language interpretation services for Driver Safety Branch offices in Area 3, covering various hearing and meeting locations. The Invitation for Bid (IFB) 15-495 solicits qualified language interpreters who can provide services during DMV working hours (7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays). Interpreters must be either California court Certified or Registered in specific languages, including ASL, Arabic, Armenian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. The contract will cover interpretation services for Driver Safety Branch, Legal Affairs Division, and State Personnel Board hearings, with a base term from June 1, 2016, through May 31, 2017, and an option to extend for an additional twelve months. Key procurement dates include written questions due by March 29, 2016, at 10:00 AM, official responses released by April 6, 2016, at 4:00 PM, and bid submissions due by April 13, 2016, at 3:30 PM. The DMV will compensate the contractor for a minimum of two hours per interpretation session, with additional time billed in 15-minute increments, and anticipates approximately 1,628 billable hours annually.

The procurement includes preferences for Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participants and allows only U.S.-based companies to bid. The current incumbent vendor is Excel Interpreting, LLC, which has been providing services at a rate of $57.00 per hour. Bidders must demonstrate substantial insurance coverage, including $1,000,000 in commercial general liability insurance, $1,000,000 in professional liability insurance, and workers' compensation coverage. The estimated contract value is $100,936.00, with historical data from 2015 showing 3,268 total hearings requiring 6,409.97 interpreter hours across 25+ languages, with Spanish being the most frequently requested language (1,725 hearings/3,398.22 hours). Contractors must be capable of providing in-person interpretation services exclusively within California, with no allowance for virtual or out-of-state interpretation. Proposals must be submitted physically, and bidders are advised to periodically check the Cal eProcure website for potential addendums or modifications to the IFB.