CLOSED CAPTIONING SERVICES

Collier County, Florida is seeking a vendor to provide closed captioning services for its Communications Division through Request for Proposal (RFP) 25-8395. The procurement requires a vendor capable of delivering real-time closed captioning for televised county meetings with 95% accuracy, compatible with the County's Encoder HD492/HDTV Smart Encoder/Decoder VII system. Proposals are due on June 16, 2025, at 3:00 PM EST and will be submitted electronically through the county's online bidding system. The contract term is anticipated to be three years with two potential one-year renewal options. Evaluation of proposals will utilize a 100-point scoring system across six criteria: Cover Letter/Management Summary (5 points), Certified Woman and/or Minority Business Enterprise status (5 points), Business Plan (30 points), Cost of Services (25 points), Experience and Capacity of the Firm (25 points), and Local Vendor Preference (10 points). Meetings are typically broadcast during business hours (8 am - 5 pm), Monday through Friday, with potential provisions for emergency meeting accommodations.

The county encourages participation from local and disadvantaged business enterprises, with specific provisions for local vendor preference for businesses operating in Collier or Lee County, Florida. Vendors must be enrolled in the E-Verify program and provide comprehensive documentation including vendor declarations, conflict of interest certifications, immigration affidavits, and reference questionnaires. Insurance requirements are stringent, including Workers' Compensation, Employer's Liability ($500,000 single limit), and Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate). Historically, county departments have spent approximately $44,483 annually on closed captioning services, though this may not indicate future spending patterns. The county reserves the right to negotiate with top-ranked proposers and to reject any or all proposals. Proposals will remain valid for 180 days, and the county may extend pricing to other governmental entities at the successful vendor's discretion. Additional requirements include maintaining system compatibility throughout the contract term and providing all necessary documentation through the OpenGov system.