After-Hours Emergency (AHE) Call Answering and Message Processing Service

The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH), an agency within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, is issuing a Request for Response (RFR) for an After-Hours Emergency (AHE) Call Answering and Message Processing Service. The service must accept and process emergency calls outside Commonwealth business hours (Monday through Friday from 5:00 PM to 8:45 AM, and continuously on weekends and holidays) to connect Deaf, oral deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and late-deafened individuals with American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf interpreters. Qualified vendors must demonstrate a minimum of three years' experience providing call answering and emergency services (five or more years preferred), possess knowledge of Massachusetts geography and regional protocols, implement quality assurance systems, and maintain staff trained in protocols specific to serving deaf and hard-of-hearing populations. Key deliverables and performance requirements include accepting incoming emergency calls using MCDHH-provided scripts, gathering and documenting critical information from requestors, digitally recording all calls, deploying appropriate interpreters based on pre-established decision rules and regional protocols, ensuring geographic accuracy in identifying emergency locations, maintaining two-way communication capability with interpreters, implementing documented follow-up and blast procedures with specific timeframes, and providing monthly reporting with call volume, response times, and dispatch data. Evaluation will be conducted using a 100-point scoring matrix weighted heavily toward experience, training capabilities, geographic knowledge, quality assurance systems, and cost proposals, with Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) Plans receiving at least 25 percent of total evaluation points. Responses must be submitted electronically via COMMBUYS by Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 2:00 PM, with contract award estimated for Tuesday, June 2, 2026, and contract commencement on July 1, 2026.

This procurement is designated for the Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP), which provides preference to SBPP-registered businesses with principal places of business in Massachusetts, 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, and gross revenues of $15 million or less. All bidders must meet a minimum Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) commitment of 1 percent spending with diverse business partners certified by the Supplier Diversity Office. The estimated annual procurement value is $30,000 to $35,000 based on recent fiscal year spending, with current service utilization averaging 300 to 400 minutes monthly. The initial contract term is one year with five one-year renewal options, providing a maximum contract duration of six years. No incumbent vendor or existing infrastructure integration requirements are specified in the procurement documentation.