Language Access

The City of Pittsburgh, through the Office of Management and Budget, is seeking proposals under solicitation 2026-RFP-212 to establish a four-year agreement with one or more qualified firms to provide city-wide language accessibility and communication services on an as-needed basis. The scope of work encompasses written translation, live captioning for special events, language access and cultural competency training for city staff, and language proficiency testing for employees. Services are categorized into two tiers based on demand, with Tier One focusing on Arabic, Nepali, Spanish, Swahili, Mandarin, and French. Providers must ensure high quality, linguistic accuracy, and cultural appropriateness while maintaining compliance with HIPAA guidelines and other privacy regulations. Written translations are subject to specific delivery timelines, with routine requests expected within five business days and expedited requests within two business days. The selection process is based on a points-weighted system evaluating the project approach and plan (30%), firm qualifications and experience (15%), project team qualifications (15%), and good faith efforts toward MWDBE and VOSB participation (10%). Respondents must adhere to the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Code and comply with the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act and the City Service Worker Prevailing Wage Ordinance. There are specific participation goals for minority-owned (18%), women-owned (7%), veteran-owned (5%), and LGBTQIA+ (3%) businesses, and the MWDE/Veteran-Owned/LGBTQIA+ Solicitation and Commitment Form is a required submission. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the City's e-Procurement Portal by November 17, 2026. The contract will be managed by the issuing department and the Office of Management and Budget, with payments processed only after full execution by all required City signatories.