SOS International — Language access and interpreting services

Master Agreement 081225 is a cooperative purchasing contract between Sourcewell, a Minnesota service cooperative, and SOS International LLC (SOSi) for the provision of comprehensive language access services. The scope of work includes interpretation, translation, testing, and training services delivered to eligible public entities across the United States and Canada. A critical requirement of the contract is the use of professional human linguists, explicitly excluding AI or software-driven language technologies. The agreement is effective for an initial term of four years, starting approximately October 1, 2025, and ending December 2, 2029, with the possibility of extensions up to seven years. SOSi, a large business, utilizes a distributed workforce of over 16,000 linguists to provide remote and on-demand support. The contract mandates rigorous quality and security standards, including ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certifications, as well as compliance with HIPAA and Canadian data privacy laws. For sensitive engagements, interpreters must possess active U.S. security clearances and federal background investigations. The award was determined through a trade-off analysis scoring vendors on pricing, solution depth, delivery capability, marketing plans, and financial viability, with pricing serving as the highest-weighted factor.