American sign language (ASL)

The State of South Carolina's Materials Management Office is soliciting bids for a statewide term contract to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services for public procurement units. The solicitation seeks both on-site and video remote interpreters (VRI) capable of serving deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind clients with 24/7/365 availability. Service providers can be individual interpreters or businesses with multiple interpreters, who will be placed on a Qualified Provider List (QPL) without guaranteed service usage. Contractors must maintain valid Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) certification and undergo SLED background checks within six months of contract start. Pricing is fixed with maximum rates: on-site interpreters are capped at $80/hour (regular hours), $95/hour (evenings/weekends), and $110/hour (holidays), with corresponding emergency rates. The pre-bid conference is scheduled for September 8, 2025, at 11:00 AM via Microsoft Teams, with questions due by September 8, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Proposals are due October 10, 2025, at 11:00 AM, with award posting anticipated on October 31, 2025.

The solicitation does not specify any specific set-asides or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The contract is estimated to begin November 13, 2025, and end November 12, 2028, with an initial one-year term and two optional one-year renewal terms. Contractors are required to pay an administrative services fee of 1.25% of total dollar sales and must comply with FERPA and HIPAA regulations. Travel reimbursement will follow South Carolina standard mileage rates. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the pricing structure suggests a potentially significant contract value across various service types including scheduled and on-demand video remote interpretation. Contractors are not required to bid on all service types, providing flexibility in proposal submissions. The state will allow additional vendor submissions at designated deadlines through October 2028, enabling continuous addition of qualified providers throughout the contract term.