American Sign Language Interpretative Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

The City of Detroit Office of Contracting and Procurement, on behalf of the Civil Rights Inclusion and Opportunity office, is soliciting proposals under RFP 552809 for American Sign Language (ASL) interpretive services. The contract aims to provide language access for Deaf, Blind, and Hard of Hearing constituents and city employees across government meetings, programs, and employment opportunities. The selected provider must be capable of handling 30 to 50 requests per month, totaling approximately 500 annually. Services are required during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, with additional availability for evenings and weekends. A critical requirement is the provision of a 24-hour emergency hotline for last-minute requests, with standard interpreter confirmations required 72 hours prior to assignments. Performance may be delivered on-site or remotely via approved platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. The City may award the contract to one or more firms based on a consensus evaluation of organizational experience, capacity, staffing, and the proposed solution and approach, alongside reasonable cost. The contract is funded through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA Funds) and includes renewal options for two years. Award winners must comply with stringent administrative requirements, including providing three years of financial statements, a Certificate of Insurance, and notarized consolidated affidavits. Compliance with federal and local standards is mandatory, including the Davis-Bacon Act, Executive Order 11246 regarding nondiscrimination, and the System for Award Management (SAM) debarment checks. Invoicing is managed through the City of Detroit Oracle Vendor Portal with standard NET 30 payment terms.