30-25005R dsdhh TRS RFP

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, specifically the Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, is seeking a single vendor to provide high-quality Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) through RFP #30-25005R. The procurement aims to establish a contract for comprehensive intrastate TRS services operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The selected vendor must be FCC-certified and capable of enabling deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, and speech-disabled individuals to communicate by telephone in a functionally equivalent manner. Proposals are due on March 13, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET, with a vendor question submission deadline of March 4, 2025. The initial contract term will be one year, beginning July 1, 2025, with two potential one-year renewal options. Evaluation will follow a "Best Value" approach, with technical approach and cost being the primary criteria in descending order of importance. Performance requirements include strict standards such as answering 85% of calls within 10 seconds, with liquidated damages of $100 per calendar day for non-compliance.

The RFP does not specify specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. Vendors are expected to submit per-session-minute rates based on an estimated 122,000 annual billable minutes, with optional pricing for additional services like Relay Conference Captioning (RCC). The funding mechanism will utilize state or federal TRS funds administered by a TRS Fund Administrator, ensuring no direct cost to service users. While no incumbent vendor is explicitly mentioned, the RFP allows vendors to propose supplementary services that could enhance telecommunications access for North Carolinians with disabilities. Although a specific budget range is not provided, vendors must price services on a per-session-minute basis and may optionally include Monthly Recurring Charge (MRC) pricing. The State anticipates awarding the contract by April 30, 2025, with the selected vendor required to commence services by 12:01 AM EST on July 1, 2025.