IFB S26ODA001 Virtual and In Person Interpretation Services.

The California Department of Industrial Relations is requesting bids on as-needed virtual and in-person spoken language interpretation services statewide under IFB S26ODA001, with bids due August 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM via email. DIR intends to award up to three contracts to multiple ranked contractors (Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary) at the lowest responsive, responsible bids. Socio-economic set-asides are available for Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises, Small Businesses, and Microbusinesses.

DIR requires interpretation services in 37 languages including Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, and Russian for official business encompassing advisory and board meetings, conferences, court hearings, depositions, administrative hearings, mediations, and settlement conferences. Services must include both court-certified interpreters (registered with the California Judicial Council) and qualified interpreters as appropriate, with capability for simultaneous and consecutive interpretation using up to 75 working headsets per meeting when required.

The estimated total DIR budget is $1,642,000. Contract term is 12 months with two optional 12-month extensions at DIR's discretion, with an estimated start date of September 15, 2026. Interpreters receive a minimum of 2.5 hours pay per assignment, with additional time billed in 15-minute increments; overtime at 1.5 times the hourly rate applies for work exceeding eight hours daily when pre-approved. DIR does not guarantee minimum work volume and provides no mileage or parking reimbursement.

Bidders must be located in California, have three years of interpretation services experience (combining remote and in-person), and possess at least one year of government agency interpretation experience. Commercial General Liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence, automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, and workers' compensation coverage are required. Bidders must submit hourly rates for court-certified interpreters, court-registered interpreters, and qualified interpreters for both in-person and virtual services, plus cost per headset, on the mandatory Contractor's Cost Sheet. Written questions are due August 12, 2026 at 3:00 PM. Bid opening will occur virtually via Microsoft Teams on August 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM, with posting of Intent to Award Notice on August 26, 2026.