RFP for Telephonic Interpretation Services

The State of Oregon Employment Department, specifically the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), is seeking up to three contractors to provide pre-scheduled telephonic interpretation services for administrative hearings. The RFP (S-47100-00015639) requires vendors to offer certified and qualified interpreters for a minimum of ten mandatory languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Amharic, Arabic, Farsi, Ukrainian, Cantonese, Oromo, and Mandarin. Interpreters must be available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST, with potential for extended hours, and must support hearings scheduled for minimum one-hour sessions up to eight continuous hours. The agency will conduct a Best Value Analysis evaluation with 800 possible points, assessing languages offered (100 points), offeror qualifications (100 points), availability and resource capacity (100 points), service delivery processes (100 points), interpreter qualification procedures (100 points), references (100 points), and cost (100 points). Key submission deadlines include January 9, 2026, at 9:00 AM PST for question submissions and January 26, 2026, at 9:00 AM PST for proposal submissions, with award notification anticipated by February 20, 2026. Offerors must demonstrate a minimum of three years' experience in legal interpretation services within the last five years and provide current resumes for key personnel.

The RFP encourages participation from certified disadvantaged businesses, including minority-owned, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and emerging small businesses, though no specific set-aside percentage is defined. Offerors must complete a Certified Disadvantaged Business Outreach Plan documenting their compliance with Oregon's business inclusion requirements under ORS 200.055. Vendors must disclose any Oregon Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID) certifications and document potential subcontracting opportunities with certified firms. The contract will have an initial three-year term with optional renewal for up to two additional years, not exceeding five years total. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the Cost Sheet indicates baseline languages will be priced with a one-hour minimum service requirement. Proposers must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and professional liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per claim. All services must be provided from within the United States, and interpreters must adhere to strict confidentiality and performance standards outlined in the sample contract.