Language Interpretation and Translation Services

The City of Portland is seeking qualified professionals to provide language interpretation and translation services under RFP No. 00002690, with proposals due March 2, 2026, and a Notice of Intent to Award anticipated on or around May 21, 2026 (already issued). An optional pre-proposal meeting was held February 3, 2026.

The scope encompasses four primary service categories: telephonic interpretation (OPI), video remote interpretation (VRI), on-site interpretation, and written translation. Services must cover mandatory languages including Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, Somali, Ukrainian, Romanian, Nepali, and Chuukese, with additional preferred languages including Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Laotian, Arabic, and Mon-Khmer Cambodian. Vendors may bid on one or more service modality; limited scope will not disadvantage proposals. All interpreters and translators must be physically located within the United States to meet technology security requirements. Professional certifications such as Federal Court Interpreter Certification, Oregon Court Certification, or CCHI National Healthcare Certification are preferred but not mandatory; alternative qualification pathways include language testing and professional experience. Human translation is preferred; any artificial intelligence-generated translations must include human quality assurance review. The City currently utilizes State of Oregon cooperative contracts and seeks to establish long-term agreements with multiple providers to improve service continuity.

The initial contract term is five years, with the City holding an option to extend for an additional five years (maximum ten-year term). The contract does not guarantee minimum or maximum service quantities; all services are authorized through individual task orders negotiated between requesting City Project Managers and the contractor. Vendors may differentiate pricing by language across all service modalities and may submit custom pricing schedules. Services must be provided within City business hours (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) or outside these hours as proposed by vendors.

Evaluation uses a two-phase process: Phase 1 scores Proposer Capabilities (30%), Corporate Responsibility (20%), and Pricing (5%), totaling 100 points. Phase 2 criteria are to be determined after short-listing. The Notice of Intent to Award identified ten highest-scoring proposers: Latitude Prime, LLC (ranked first); Ad Astra, Inc.; Linguava Interpreters; Passport to Languages, Inc.; Prisma International, Inc.; Speakr, LLC; Global Interpreting Network, Inc.; Universal Language Service, Inc.; Cayuse Civil Services, LLC; and Oregon Translation, LLC, dba Verbio. Twenty-seven proposals were received. Historical contract portfolio data shows approximately $6.94 million in total value across contracts from 2009 through 2030, with recent awards in the $200,000 range. Incumbents include Language Line Services Inc., IRCO, Oregon Translation LLC, and others documented in the City's contract portfolio spreadsheet. Contact: Jeff Blade, Procurement Supervisor, (503) 823-8338 or jeff.blade@portlandoregon.gov.