Transcribing Services for the District Court of Maryland

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) for the Maryland Judiciary is issuing an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for transcribing services for District Court proceedings, with bids due by February 27, 2026, and the contract term beginning March 25, 2026. The AOC seeks an experienced transcription firm to transcribe District Court proceedings from electronically and digitally recorded media on an as-needed basis, with no guaranteed minimum usage, and anticipates approximately 25,000 pages of transcripts annually. The successful bidder must be a corporate member in good standing with the Maryland Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (MERT) and must prepare transcripts according to detailed formatting, binding, and delivery specifications outlined in the Court Reporting Manual. Transcription requests will be delivered via ShareFile with required acknowledgment within 48 hours, and completed transcripts may be delivered in paper, electronic, or combined formats as determined by District Court Headquarters, with electronic delivery as the default method. Transcripts not delivered by the required due date will incur a 10 percent invoice reduction for each day late, and the successful bidder must submit invoices within 30 days of transcript delivery for payment within 30 days of acceptance. The contract term is for an initial three-year base period through March 24, 2029, with the AOC retaining the sole right to exercise two one-year renewal options at its discretion. A pre-bid conference will be held as indicated in the Maryland Judiciary Procurement Portal, with bidders required to register attendance one business day prior to the scheduled conference date.

There are no MBE or VSBE subcontracting goals established for this solicitation, and no set-aside designations are specified, allowing all qualified firms to compete. The successful bidder must maintain minimum insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 annual aggregate), Worker's Compensation ($500,000 each accident), and Cyber Liability & Data Breach Insurance ($5,000,000 per occurrence), and all personnel working at District Court locations or with access to court systems must pass criminal background checks and obtain AOC security identification badges. Unit price rates for transcription services shall not exceed the maximum amounts specified in Attachment E, with standard delivery rates of $3.00 per page for paper originals, $0.50 per page for first copies, $0.25 per page for second copies, and $3.75 per page for combined paper original with electronic copy; expedited delivery premiums apply for accelerated timelines, ranging from $3.75 per page for 21-day delivery to $7.00 per page for next-business-day delivery. All pricing remains consistent across the base term and two option years, with the total bid amount to be calculated by the bidder. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is specified in the solicitation documents, and bidders should reference the complete IFB document for detailed specifications, insurance requirements, background check procedures, confidentiality obligations, and all other terms and conditions governing contract performance.