IFB #26-002 - Translation Services (Departmental)

The California Secretary of State issued Invitation for Bid (IFB) #26-002 on March 25, 2026, to procure comprehensive translation services for departmental documents, materials, and media. The solicitation requires bidders to provide written translations, telephonic interpretations, translation support services with formatting and desktop publishing, ADA compliance services, and interpretation services with voiceovers across a minimum of eleven standard languages: Spanish, Chinese (Traditional), Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Russian, and Vietnamese, with capability for additional minority languages upon request. All translators and interpreters must possess a minimum of five years of professional experience performing written and telephonic translation services, including work with state, local, or federal government entities, with at least two years of experience acquired within the last five years, and must hold certifications from recognized organizations such as the California Judicial Council, U.S. Courts, American Translators Association, or American Association of Language Specialists. The contractor must be available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, including holidays, and maintain capability to meet rush requests with turnaround times of twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Bids will be evaluated on a lowest-cost basis among responsive and responsible bidders, with pricing determined by a cost-per-word or cost-per-hour model depending on service type. The bid submission deadline is April 9, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., with public bid opening scheduled for April 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the California Secretary of State office in Sacramento, followed by a Notice of Intent to Award on April 22, 2026, and Notice of Award on April 29, 2026. The anticipated contract term is twelve months, from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with no renewal options specified.

All bidders must meet a mandatory three percent Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation goal, though no incentive adjustments are applied for participation exceeding this threshold. Small Business and TACPA preferences apply to bids valued at $100,000 and over. The contractor must carry a minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence in Errors and Omissions insurance and comply with workers' compensation requirements. The state reserves the right to amend the scope of work and increase costs up to thirty percent or extend the contract term up to one additional year, and may terminate the contract with thirty days' written notice. Payment is made monthly in arrears upon acceptance and approval of deliverables that meet all contract requirements. No specific budget or award value is detailed in the solicitation documents; however, Small Business and TACPA preferences apply to contracts valued at $100,000 and over, suggesting this procurement may fall within or exceed that threshold.