Interpreting & Translation Services

The State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is seeking to prequalify a pool of contractors to provide comprehensive interpreting and translation services across multiple DHHS divisions. This Request for Qualification (RFQ) aims to establish a contractor pool capable of delivering language translation and interpretation services for DHHS program clients and providers, covering a wide range of languages including Spanish, Arabic, American Sign Language, Vietnamese, Kurdish, Persian, and others. Qualified contractors must demonstrate linguistic proficiency using the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale, with minimum proficiency levels specified for each translation and interpretation service. The contract term will run from the date of award through October 10, 2025, with potential extension options. Evaluation criteria will primarily focus on meeting minimum requirements and submitting the lowest hourly rate, with contractors required to provide detailed information about their linguistic abilities, experience, availability, and willingness to work across various DHHS facilities and client locations. Contractors must also pass background checks, maintain necessary certifications, and comply with confidentiality requirements, particularly regarding Medicaid recipient information.

The procurement appears open to both individual interpreters and firms, with no specific set-aside designations explicitly mentioned. An incumbent list provided in Addendum 4 shows over 50 existing interpreters across various languages, with Language Line Solutions currently providing telephonic interpretation services. Current pricing indicates rates of $40/hour for standard interpretation, $50/hour for certified interpretation, and $60/hour for American Sign Language interpretation, with telephonic rates of $0.62/minute through Language Line Solutions. The estimated historical usage from July 2018 to December 2019 totaled $181,584.14, suggesting potential future contract values in a similar range. Bidders must be prepared to work across multiple Nebraska counties and demonstrate financial stability, with DHHS reserving the right to conduct satisfaction surveys and potentially disqualify contractors with unsatisfactory performance. Notably, DHHS does not guarantee a minimum number of service requests, and payment will be based solely on actual services provided.