Foreign language interpretation, translation and telephonic services - PR269006

Porterville Developmental Center (PDC), a California Department of Developmental Services facility, is soliciting sealed bids for foreign language interpretation, translation, and telephonic services under Invitation for Bid (IFB) PR269006. The contract encompasses provision of certified interpreters proficient in Spanish, other foreign languages, and American Sign Language to serve PDC individuals and staff for up to 40 hours per week over the one-year contract period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Deliverables include in-person interpretation services for court competency classes (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.), conferences, testing, and on-grounds medical appointments; virtual interpretation services with 48-hour notice; telephonic interpretation services on-demand; and written translation services with mutually agreed schedules. Interpreters must hold current certifications (Certificate of Interpretation, Certificate of Translation and Interpretation, or Comprehensive Skill Certificate) and possess a minimum of two years of legal and court interpretation and translation experience combined with a minimum of two years of mental and/or developmental hospital interpretation and translation experience, with interpreters available immediately upon contract commencement. The State will award the contract to the lowest responsive responsible bidder with no minimum charges accepted, and the final budget is contingent upon the submitted bid amount. Bidders must submit sealed proposals electronically or by mail by April 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PDT, with bid opening at 10:30 a.m. on the same date; questions must be submitted by email by April 1, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. PDT, with answers posted by April 2, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. PDT. The State anticipates posting a notice of intent to award on April 15, 2026, with the proposed award date of April 23, 2026.

The procurement includes a Small Business preference of five percent; a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) incentive is available, though mandatory DVBE participation has been waived. The incumbent vendor, Hanna Interpreting, currently holds the contract, which expires June 30, 2026, with all renewal options exercised; one vendor is expected to be awarded this contract. Contractors must maintain general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 in aggregate, comply with HIPAA and state confidentiality requirements for protected health information, undergo tuberculosis and COVID-19 testing, pass background clearance screening, and adhere to the California Department of Developmental Services Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy and non-discrimination requirements. Billing for interpreting services is in half-hour increments, with assignments extending at least 15 minutes into an hour billable as one half-hour; bidders must propose hourly rates for Spanish interpreters, interpreters for other languages, and American Sign Language interpreters, as well as per-minute rates for telephonic interpreting and per-target-word rates for translation services. All proposed budget line item transfers or changes require written approval from the appropriate Project Representative, and the State reserves the right to cancel or amend the contract if funding is reduced or deleted by the Budget Act. The specific budget cap or total contract value is not disclosed in the solicitation documents, as the final budget amount will be determined based on submitted bids.