All Subject Braille Embossing Services

The California Department of Education has issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) CN160054 for All Subject Braille Embossing Services, targeting jurisdictions in Sacramento County and San Francisco City. The primary procurement seeks a contractor to provide comprehensive braille transcription and embossing services for producing braille versions of state-adopted instructional materials across all subject areas. Bids are due on May 9, 2016 at 2:00 PM, with a public bid opening scheduled for May 11, 2016 at 2:00 PM in Sacramento. The contract term will span from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, with a potential one-year renewal option extending through June 30, 2018. Evaluation criteria will focus on the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with pricing determined by the average total price for embossing, binding, and reproduction per print page. Bidders must submit references from at least two agencies demonstrating previous braille transcription and embossing experience. Contractors are required to maintain $1 million in commercial general liability insurance and include all operating expenses in their pricing, such as transportation, fuel, equipment rental, and overhead.

The procurement includes several set-aside and preference provisions to support small and diverse businesses. Small businesses will receive a 5% bid preference, and while there is no mandatory Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation requirement, contractors can receive a 3-5% incentive based on their level of DVBE participation. The solicitation indicates services will be requested on an as-needed basis, with no guaranteed minimum volume of pages or copies to be produced. No specific budget range or award value is explicitly stated in the documentation, suggesting the potential contract value will be determined by actual service utilization throughout the contract period. The services are intended to be flexible, allowing the California Department of Education to request braille transcription and embossing services as educational material needs arise. Potential bidders should be prepared to demonstrate technical capability in braille transcription, embossing technologies, and the ability to produce high-quality accessible educational materials across various subject areas.