Language Services

Wake County, North Carolina is issuing Request for Proposal #26-014 to procure comprehensive language services from qualified firms to support multiple County departments and municipalities. The procurement encompasses over-the-phone, video remote, on-site, and in-field interpretation services available during normal business hours, after-hours, weekends, and emergencies, as well as written translation services, bilingual staff assessments, and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) training services. Proposers must demonstrate capability to provide interpretation in Spanish and other non-English languages, including American Sign Language (ASL), with particular emphasis on local refugee community languages such as Jarai, Karen, Hmong, Dari, and Pashto, and must identify staff capacity and shortest possible response times for these languages. Fee schedules must differentiate pricing by service modality and time of delivery, with on-site interpretation including a minimum appointment time with mileage coverage within Wake County, over-the-phone interpretation priced per minute, video remote interpretation including per-minute costs and device fees, and written translation priced per page or per word. The evaluation criteria include compliance with RFP requirements, service quality, respondent knowledge and experience, demonstrated experience with similar work and client references, cost-effectiveness, qualifications of key personnel, and alignment with County service schedule needs. Critical deadlines include questions and clarifications due by March 3, 2026, at 5:00 PM; addenda issuance by March 10, 2026; proposal submissions due by March 25, 2026, at 3:00 PM through the WC Bonfire System; evaluation period from March through May 2026; and contract commencement on July 1, 2026.

The RFP documentation does not identify specific set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendor information. All proposers must comply with comprehensive insurance requirements including Workers' Compensation (statutory), Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Commercial Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 per accident), Professional Liability ($1,000,000 per claim/$2,000,000 aggregate), and Cyber Liability Insurance ($3,000,000 per claim), and must obtain annual SOC 2 Type II audits or acceptable data security assessments with submission by January 30th. Additional compliance requirements include E-Verify attestation and Iran Divestment Act certification. The RFP does not specify a total contract budget or award value range. The initial contract term is one year with potential renewals for up to four additional annual increments, and the County reserves the right to award contracts to multiple vendors, to request presentations and interviews from finalists, to award based on initial proposals without negotiation, and to reject any or all proposals or cancel the RFP if proposals exceed fiscal constraints or fall outside the County's best interests.