What the buyer needs
AI summaryThe County of Stearns seeks proposals from qualified vendors to provide 24/7/365 interpreter, translation, and sign-language services primarily for its Human Services Department and other county departments. The required scope includes face-to-face, phone, and video remote interpretation, sight translation, and American Sign Language for community, health, welfare, legal, and criminal investigation settings, with primary spoken languages including Somali and Spanish. Only USA onshore organizations may apply, and the selected vendor will perform work offsite. The buyer plans to award a single contract for a three-year term with an option to extend for two additional years. Proposers must submit questions online through Bids & Tenders no later than November 26, 2026. Electronic proposals must be submitted through Bids & Tenders by 11:00 AM on December 3, 2026, as hardcopy submissions are not accepted.
Scope of work
- Face-to-face interpretation, remote interpretation via phone or video link, and sign-language translation services
- Prescheduled on-site face-to-face interpreting and prescheduled or on-demand Video Remote Interpreting
- Sight translation of English documents or foreign languages during interviews, hearings, and visitations
- Interpretation and translation primarily for Somali and Spanish, as well as Hmong, Anuak, French, and Vietnamese
- Simultaneous and consecutive oral language interpretation services
- Provision of services for human services, community corrections, public health, legal, and criminal investigations
- Operation of Spanish voicemail line services
- Provision of non-emergency and emergency interpretation services available 24x7x365
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Mandatory Requirements (on-time delivery and required submittal sections) | Pass/Fail |
| Experience and ability to provide services by professional staff, quick turnaround, and immediate contact | 70% |
| Cost (competitive pricing in direct correlation to RFP requirements) | 30% |
Minimum qualifications
- Verified job application information including references and interpretation work experience for all assigned personnel
- Clearance from criminal background check and child abuse and neglect screening pursuant to Minn. Stat.
- Compliance with HIPAA data privacy, mandatory reporting, strict confidentiality, and impartiality
- Adherence to professional codes of ethics such as NCIHC, National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, or State of Minnesota Court Certification
- Operational devices to access Microsoft Teams, video camera, and working telephone
- Ability to provide oral language interpretation in simultaneous and consecutive modes
Documents to include with your response
- Cover Letter
- Technical Proposal including Service Information
- Firm Background and Experience description
- Two references of similar size and scope
- Cost Proposal submitted separately in the Bidding System
- Exceptions to contract terms or RFP requirements (if applicable)
- List of organizational conflicts of interest (if applicable)
How to submit
- Method
- Electronic bid submissions only via Bids & Tenders
- Instructions
- Submitted online through the Bidding System (Bids & Tenders); hardcopy submissions are not permitted. Proposals must be separated into sections and kept to a maximum of 16 single-sided pages in 11-point font size. Technical proposals must be submitted separately from cost proposals.