Transcription Services for Police Reports and Audio/Video Recordings (Revised)

The City of Milpitas, located in Santa Clara County, California, is soliciting proposals through a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) process for transcription services applicable to police reports and audio/video recordings. The primary objective is to procure a qualified vendor capable of delivering human-verified transcriptions within three hours of submission, with services available continuously on a 24/7/365 basis throughout the contract term. Deliverables include transcription of police reports and audio/video recordings with mandatory compliance to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) standards. The selected vendor must demonstrate a minimum of five years of experience in similar transcription services, employ U.S.-based transcribers, maintain the capability to handle immediate processing upon receipt at any time throughout the year, and provide documentation evidencing technical qualifications and compliance certifications. Proposers must complete submittal forms including a Certification of Proposer, Non-Collusion Declaration, insurance certifications, nondiscriminatory employment certificate, wage theft certification, and references from three similar projects completed within the last three years. The RFP evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Cover Letter and RFP Compliance (5%), Company Profile (10%), Execution Plan (15%), Personnel Assigned (10%), Technical Proposal (30%), References (10%), and Proposed Compensation (20%). The question submission deadline is March 20, 2026, with proposals due electronically through the City's OpenGov eProcurement website by April 7, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. No bidders' conference or site visit is required. The City anticipates entering into a five-year agreement with the selected vendor, with contract commencement as soon as possible following RFP completion.

The RFP documentation does not indicate specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting proposal eligibility to particular organizational types. The incumbent vendor currently providing these services is Speakwrite, LLC, which charges 1.5 cents per word for general and legal transcription, $3.00 per audio minute for Axon evidence.com integration, and $9.00 per audio minute for Spanish translation services. The City currently utilizes an average of 720,388 words per year of transcription services, providing a baseline for anticipated contract volume. The awarded vendor must obtain a Milpitas Business License and maintain active California Secretary of State registration. Annual rate increases are capped at the Consumer Price Index or three percent, whichever is lower. The City has not disclosed a specific budget for this procurement to obtain fair market pricing assessment; however, historical utilization data indicates annual volume of approximately 720,388 words. The City is not currently considering artificial intelligence-only transcription products but may evaluate automated transcription with human-verified transcripts for interview recordings as part of the technical proposal evaluation.