Consultant: Hearing Aid & Language & Communication Video Loan Bank

The Maryland state government is seeking a consultant to develop and manage a Hearing Aid & Language & Communication Video Loan Bank, targeting hearing-impaired students across the state. This procurement opportunity focuses on providing immediate access to hearing aids for students who have been audiologically confirmed as hearing impaired and whose families may face financial challenges in purchasing hearing devices. The primary deliverable appears to be establishing a comprehensive loan system that can quickly provide hearing aids to eligible students, potentially including a video library to support language and communication development. The contract is posted on August 1, 2025, with proposal submissions due by August 15, 2025, indicating a relatively short procurement timeline. Required qualifications likely include expertise in audiology, educational support for hearing-impaired students, and experience in developing loan or support systems for assistive medical devices. While specific evaluation criteria are not explicitly detailed, potential assessment factors may include demonstrated understanding of hearing-impaired student needs, proposed loan mechanism efficiency, and ability to rapidly deploy hearing aid resources.

The procurement does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. However, given the specialized nature of the project, potential respondents likely include educational nonprofits, audiology service providers, assistive technology organizations, and potentially state educational support contractors. No incumbent vendors are mentioned in the provided documentation, suggesting this might be a new initiative within Maryland's educational support ecosystem. The contract appears to be establishing an innovative infrastructure for hearing aid access, which may require integration with existing state educational support systems and audiological assessment networks. While no specific budget range is provided, the project's focused scope and specialized nature suggest it would likely be a moderate-value contract, potentially in the range of $50,000 to $250,000, depending on the comprehensive design and implementation requirements of the hearing aid and communication resource loan bank.