Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Transcription Services

The State of South Dakota Unified Judicial System is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP #19832) to procure comprehensive court transcription services for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. The primary objective is to secure a qualified vendor capable of delivering accurate, secure, and timely transcripts of For the Record (FTR) recorded court proceedings across five judges and four computer-assisted court recorders operating in thirteen counties and courthouses. The solution must support both live and recorded audio/video inputs with speaker identification capabilities, secure storage and delivery mechanisms for sensitive cases including sealed and juvenile matters, and compliance with South Dakota security and confidentiality requirements. Key deliverables include achievement of a minimum 95% speech-to-text transcription accuracy rate, support for FTR native audio formats, multi-speaker distinction across multiple audio channels, and tiered delivery options (Standard, Expedited, and Same-day/Next-day) with transparent per-minute or per-hour pricing structures and volume discounts. Evaluation criteria encompass cost, vendor experience and reliability, personnel expertise, and proposed methodology. The proposal submission deadline is June 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time, with oral presentations potentially scheduled for the week of June 22, 2026, and an anticipated award decision in July 2026, with contract commencement on August 1, 2026. Vendors must submit detailed cost proposals including hardware, software, maintenance, licensing, transcription fees, implementation, and training services. Inquiries regarding RFP clarification must be submitted by May 25, 2026, with State responses provided by May 28, 2026.

The RFP documentation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular business categories or disadvantaged enterprise classifications. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available materials. Vendors must integrate with the existing FTR recording infrastructure currently utilized by the Sixth Judicial Circuit courts. All court audio recordings and transcripts remain the sole property of the South Dakota Unified Judicial System, and vendors must comply with comprehensive data security requirements including encryption of data in transit and at rest, with security incidents reported within five business days. Insurance requirements include commercial general liability coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, professional liability insurance of at least $1,000,000, business automobile liability insurance of at least $1,000,000, and workers' compensation insurance as mandated by South Dakota law. The contract award value and budget range are not disclosed in the RFP documentation, and the contract term is contingent upon continued legislative appropriation of funds.