CPH In-Person Interpretation

Scope and Classification

Columbus Public Health intends to contract for in-person interpretation services to provide effective oral language assistance to clients. The awarded vendor will provide services over a twelve-month period beginning April 1, 2027, through March 31, 2028, with an option to renew for four additional one-year periods ending March 31, 2032.

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals from qualified agencies that can provide professional interpretation services to meet the needs of Columbus Public Health staff and customers. Bidders must provide interpretation services upon request twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The services will be scheduled through the Center for Public Health Innovation and the Columbus WIC Program Staff.

Timeline

RFP Package Issued October 9, 2026

Pre-Bid Meeting October 22, 2026, at 11a EST

Last Day to Submit Questions October 30, 2026, at 12p (noon) EST

Quote/Submission Due November 9, 2026, at 9a EST

Award Notification on or before December 31, 2026

Contract/Service Start Date April 1, 2027

Pre-Bid Meeting

A pre-bid meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST. Attendance at this meeting is not required. Vendors will be given the opportunity to speak with the program director and ask questions about the Request for Proposal process and/or requirements. All questions and answers will be recorded, summarized, and posted as an amendment to the RFP after the meeting.

Register in advance for this meeting:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Online Q & A

Any registered vendor may submit a question through the vendor portal in the RFP. Questions must be submitted electronically by October 30, 2026, at 12:00 pm. For further instructions on how to submit vendor questions through the vendor portal, please see section "Submit Vendor Question Regarding RFQ" provided on page 45 of the City of Columbus Vendor Services User Guide.

Requirements

The successful bidder must meet, and describe how they will meet, the following requirements:

Professional Interpreter Qualifications:

Interpreters must be competent to communicate effectively in both English and their designated foreign language. The bidder must verify the professional qualification of all employees providing interpretation services by acceptable standards. These standards include professional certification by a qualifying agency and completion of a comprehensive screening and training program by the employing agency that qualifies interpreters for the job, ensuring their ability and appropriateness for the work involved. The bidder must outline and verify the qualifications for each employee providing services in the bid proposal. It is also imperative that the interpreters are culturally sensitive to the customers' needs and services provided by Columbus Public Health and can remain objective and unbiased. The ability to provide simultaneous interpretation on occasion, in addition to consecutive interpretation, is preferred.

Training must include:

Minimum of 40 hours of medical interpreter training

Training in ethical standards

Confidentiality of medical information

Medical terminology

Cultural competency and/or humility

*Bridge the Gap training is one example that would satisfy certification requirements.

Certification of language skills must include:

Oral proficiency testing of English language and target language, including transmission of medical terminology by a qualifying third-party board or agency.

*ACTFL and ALTA are examples of such agencies.

Certification is issued through an accredited board or agency

*NBCMI, IMIA and CCHI are examples of such agencies.

Quality and Feasibility:

Language Interpreter Requirements: Columbus Public Health serves a high volume of clients in need of interpretation services, across more than 47 clinics and programs, conducted both onsite and offsite. The successful bidder must be equipped to accommodate at a minimum of 7,230 hours of interpretation per year. This includes at least 5,419 hours of Spanish and 847 hours of Haitian Creole interpretation. Due to the nature of our work, CPH staff must have the ability to request a male or female interpreter for the specific language needed.

The bidder must provide multi-language interpretation services by appointment at requested locations within Franklin County, City of Columbus and/or the City of Worthington. Pre-scheduled and occasional emergency same-day access to interpreters is required. Emergency interpretation services are defined as less than 24-hour notice. Emergency interpretation services will be provided within 45 minutes of request. The bidder will provide a broad range of languages as needed including, but not limited to the following:

*American Sign Language (ASL) may have multiple contracts awarded based on capacity of awarded proposer to meet this requirement throughout the contract term.

In-House Spanish Interpreter Requirement at Columbus Public Health:

One interpreter for the Spanish language should be provided at the main Columbus Public Health building, and other Columbus Public Health service sites as assigned, for an approximate usage of 36 hours per week, though actual usage may be less depending on clinic closures, holidays, and other times Columbus Public Health may be closed. The payment will be made based on the number of hours worked and billed in no fewer than 15-minute increments. A thirty-minute unpaid lunch break is to be taken within clinic operation hours. The hours of operation are as follows except for City of Columbus recognized holidays, closures for staff meetings, and weather or emergency-related closures. These hours may change if clinic hours or utilization change with the exact schedule to be determined by Columbus Public Health:

Columbus Public Health | 240 Parsons Avenue:

One Spanish interpreter for

Monday: 8:00 am-4:30 pm

Tuesday: 10:00 am-6:30 pm

Wednesday: 8:00 am-12:00 pm

Thursday: 8:00 am-4:30 pm

Friday: 8:00 am-4:30 pm

In-House Interpreter Requirements for WIC Program:

One interpreter should be provided for the Spanish language at five (5) of WIC's satellite locations and one interpreter for the Haitian Creole language should be provided at three (3) of WIC's satellite locations during the hours specified below. It should be noted that actual usage and location assignments are subject to change based on clinic closures, holidays, and other times one or more WIC locations may be closed. The payment will be made based on the number of hours worked and billed in no fewer than 15-minute increments. A thirty-minute unpaid lunch break is to be taken within clinic operation hours. The hours of operation are as follows except for City of Columbus recognized holidays, closures for staff meetings, and weather or emergency-related closures. These hours may change if clinic hours or utilization change with the exact schedule to be determined by WIC Program managers:

Linden Park WIC | 1350 Briarwood Avenue:

1 Haitian Creole interpreter for

Monday: 8:00 am-12:30 pm

1 Spanish interpreter for

Tuesday: 3:15 pm-6:15 pm

Westside Health Center| 2300 W Broad Street:

1 Spanish interpreter for

Monday: 8:00 am-12:30 pm and 1:15 pm-4:45 pm

Tuesday: 9:30 am-1:30 pm and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Northside WIC | 5957 Cleveland Avenue:

1 Spanish interpreter for

Monday: 8:00 am-12:30 pm

Tuesday: 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Georgesville WIC | 1681 Holt Road:

1 Spanish interpreter for

Monday: 8:00 am-12:30 pm

Tuesday: 9:30 am to 1:30 pm

EPC WIC | 4485 Refugee Road:

1 Spanish interpreter for

Tuesday: 3:30 pm-6:30 pm

1 Haitian Creole interpreter for

Wednesday: 8:00 am-12:30 pm

Kimberly Parkway WIC | 3640 Kimberly Parkway North:

1 Haitian Creole interpreter for

Tuesday: 1:00 pm-3:30 pm

Interpretation services at Columbus Public Health service locations and WIC Program satellite locations are needed for health and social services related issues and clinical appointments for adults and children. The interpreter may be requested to provide limited translations and proofread document translations from other entities when not actively interpreting. Examples of limited translations include flyers and hours of service. Documents to be proofread will be variable. The interpreter may also be asked to call clients to help set up or remind clients of their appointments. The bidder must be able to provide regular interpreters for the Spanish and Haitian Creole language as follows:

Interpreters of the Spanish language must be assigned to provide this service (e.g., one at each WIC location and one at Columbus Public Health) throughout the contract period. A qualified interpreter must be provided in the absence of the assigned interpreter.

One (1) interpreter of the Haitian Creole language must be assigned to provide this service at the specified WIC locations throughout the contract period. A qualified interpreter must be provided in the absence of the assigned interpreter.

The interpreter(s) provided for this contract must have the minimal qualifications outlined in these specifications by April 1, 2027.

Accessibility: The successful bidder must be accessible to the staff of Columbus Public Health, so that information can be easily exchanged. Protocols and designated staff should be in place for incident reporting and complaint investigations to be conducted in a timely manner. This includes access via phone and email with responses to messages left within 24 hours, with findings and/or the status of any investigations of complaints provided to CPH within 5 business days.

The bidder must also have a Contingency Plan or Emergency Management Plan to guarantee continuity of services and minimize disruptions during natural disasters and other unanticipated disrupting events. This should include having a system to notify clients prior to (when feasible), during, and after an emergency event.

Confidentiality Requirements: The successful bidder must be able to assure Columbus Public Health that all information exchanged during interpretation services will remain strictly confidential, in accordance with current state, federal, and local laws and regulations. This includes compliance with a Business Associate Agreement.

The bidder must utilize a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform for scheduling services and tracking the status and details of services to be provided. The bidder must also have systems in-place to securely communicate and transmit service information with designated Columbus Public Health staff.

The bidder must also have appointed staff in charge of various aspects outlined in the requirements including but not limited to general operations and scheduling, Human Resources and quality assurance, and billing/invoicing.

Pricing: Finally, bidders should be able to outline clear, established unit prices for each language and/or language category, and whether any languages, e.g., rare and/or indigenous dialects, that may fall outside of the normal price structure.

Billing and Invoices:

The awarded vendor must provide electronic invoices to Columbus Public Health on a monthly basis. Send electronic copies to Sarah Hevener at or to CPH Language Services at and to Erin Stoops at EEStoops@columbus.gov

Each invoice must include the date(s) the service was performed, the time(s) the service was performed, the number of minutes billed (in fifteen minute increments), the first and last name of the Columbus Public Health staff person requesting the service, the name of the clinic/program the service was being provided to, the language that was provided, the rate charged, and the total. Invoices must be received no later than 30 days prior to due date.

The awarded vendor must provide a monthly summary of all services rendered in Microsoft Excel submitted electronically. The summary must be sent at the same time as the invoice. The summary must list each interpretation language utilized that month and the total number of minutes billed for each encounter, the rate charged for each encounter, specific clinic requesting services, and the total amount charged for each encounter. Electronic copies will be sent to Sarah Hevener at or to CPH Language Services at and to Erin Stoops at EEStoops@columbus.gov

At the end of year, the awarded vendor must provide a yearly contract usage summary (contract year: April 1 to March 31). The summary will list each interpretation language utilized during the year, the total number of minutes billed for each language listed, the rate charged for each language and the total charged for each language. In addition, the information for each language used and minutes for each language should be listed in relation to the requesting clinic/program. An electronic copy must be provided in Excel and emailed to Sarah Hevener at or to CPH Language Services at and to Erin Stoops at EEStoops@columbus.gov

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria, not necessarily listed in order of importance, will be used to review the proposals. The City reserves the right to weigh its evaluation criteria in any manner it deems appropriate. The scoring criteria are outlined below.

Bidder's demonstrated capability to provide the services in the requirements section. This includes an evaluation of the professional qualifications of team involved in providing the requested services and their experience, training, and education. Be sure to describe how language competence is measured or evaluated and how frequently staff are re-assessed. Please also provide details on training provided to staff and how frequently staff are trained on ethics for providing medical interpretation, confidentiality of medical information, and medical terminology. Information on how certification and training compliance are documented should also be provided.

Bidder's experience to perform the proposed services. Past performance of the bidder as reflected by evaluations of this city agency, other city agencies and other previous clients of the bidder with respect to such factors as quality of work, success in meeting deadlines, and the ability of the bidder to fulfill the requirements for the requested services as stated for the appropriate component(s). Please include 3 letters of reference for whom services have been provided within the past 5 years. Columbus Public Health may contact references.

Evaluation of the bidder's cost and pricing submission. It should be noted that while price is not the only consideration, it is an important one. We will consider unit price per 15-minute intervals and price per hour. Any minimum costs should also be outlined.

Quality of the proposal including a determination that the bidder has submitted a complete and responsive proposal as required by this RFP.

Feasibility of the proposal including an evaluation of the bidder's projected approach and plans to meet the requirements of this RFP to provide the services.

Bid Scoring for Evaluation

Competency: The ability of the bidder to provide qualified personnel to perform the required services as indicated by the experience, training and education, and certification of the bidder's employees (30 points).

Quality and Feasibility: The ability of the bidder to provide personnel to perform required services for Spanish and all additional languages as specified; the ability to provide services in a timely manner as required; the ability to adhere to maintain confidentiality and ethical principles; and the overall responsiveness and quality of the bid proposal (30 points).

Past Performance: The bidder must outline the work history for providing interpretation services to clients of similar size and scope. The bidder must include references and evaluations of this city agency, other city agencies and other clients of the bidder reporting factors such as quality of work, success in controlling costs, success in meeting deadlines, and the ability of the bidder to fulfill the requirements for the requested services as required (20 points).

Cost and Price: The cost and pricing structure of bidder's proposal with regards to interpretation services as stated in the requirements; the ability to invoice as required in a timely manner (20 points)

Proposal Format

Bidders are to use the following format for the proposal:

Format: Proposal is to be 15 pages maximum. Theme font is to be Calibri or Times New Roman, 12 point, single spaced. Submitted via the City of Columbus, Vendor Services platform.

Bidder Information: Submit name, address, contact person, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address and federal identification number.

Bidder's Company History: Include years in business, nature of business, history of provision of requested services particularly for medical entities and public and nonprofit agencies.

References: Provide agency names, addresses, contact persons and telephone numbers for three clients for whom similar services have been provided. Please include 3 letters of reference for whom services have been provided within the past 5 years. Columbus Public Health may contact references.

Project Description: Describe how you would meet the needs and requirements of services.

Cost, Pricing Structure and Invoices: Please verify that you can invoice Columbus Public Health properly and provide Interpretation fee schedule. Your bid should also respond to the following questions:

Can you invoice Columbus Public Health as described in the Billing and Invoices section of the RFP?

What is the rate per 15 minutes and per hour for the Spanish Interpreter who will be housed at Columbus Public Health and satellite WIC clinics? Is there a base rate or a minimum amount of time the interpreter must work? If yes, what is it?

For the interpreters who would be assigned to provide onsite interpretation, can you submit your pricing structure for all languages requested in the needs and requirements section per 15 minutes of use? Is there a base rate or a minimum amount of time the interpreter must work? If yes, what is it?

Do you charge the same rate for all onsite interpretation services? If not, please specify.

How quickly can you have an interpreter onsite at Columbus Public Health (240 Parsons Avenue) and other requested locations within the City of Columbus and Worthington?

What is your method and timing for informing Columbus Public Health if an interpretation request can be met or not met?

Describe any web-based systems in existence to allow the client to review status of requests, billing, training, etc.

Do you offer additional services we should be aware of? Please list and provide cost and pricing structure.

Do you offer additional discounts? (example: exceeding a specified number of hours for onsite interpretation in the same year)

Describe how the bidder provides services that are culturally and linguistically appropriate. National CLAS Standards:

Describe the organization's ability and plan to collect accurate data and generate reports in a timely manner. How will data be collected, maintained and reported back to Columbus Public Health.

Describe the overall management structure and responsibilities. Include an overview of how the management will provide oversight to the quality and timeliness of services. Provide an overview of policies and procedures that are in place to assure contract compliance and/or correct issues of noncompliance.

10. Describe any training that will be provided to Columbus Public Health staff to assure and understanding of the purpose and role of interpreters. Propose the frequency of training.

11. Provide any other additional information that you feel is pertinent for Columbus Public Health to know about your services (if applicable).

Proposal Submission Deadline

Request for Proposal (RFP) can be downloaded from the City of Columbus' Vendor Services website at Proposals must be submitted online by 9:00 a.m., November 9, 2026. No hard copies or emailed copies will be accepted.

Register: To register to become a vendor, go to . After you register, allow 24 - 48 hours for the City to verify you as a vendor.

HIPAA

The Contractor will perform all services in accordance with the privacy regulations [45 CFR 164.502(e); 164.504(e)] issued pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [42 USC 1320 -1320d-8] and the terms of the attached Columbus Health Department Privacy Agreement.

Civil Rights:

Columbus Public Health (CPH) and the Contractor agree that as a condition of this contract, there shall be no discrimination against any eligible individual or any employee because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, handicap, or any other factor as specified in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and subsequent amendments. It is further agreed that the Contractor will comply with all appropriate federal and state laws regarding such discrimination, and the right to and method of appeal will be made available to all persons under this contract.

Americans With Disabilities Act:

The CONTRACTOR, its officers, employees, members, and subcontracts hereby certify current and ongoing compliance with the statutes and regulations pertaining to The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Cultural Competency:

Columbus Public Health (CPH) supports and adheres to the definition of Cultural Competency adopted by the State of Ohio. In doing so, CPH requires that the Contractor adheres to the standard and offers programming and services with this standard in mind:

Cultural Competency is a continuous learning process that builds knowledge, awareness, skills and capacity to identify, understand and respect the unique beliefs, values, customs, languages, abilities and traditions of all people [Ohioans] in order to provide effective programs and services. Refer to the CPH's Customer Non-Discrimination Policy-see attachment CPH's Customer Non-Discrimination Policy.

Contractor Time Reporting

The regularly scheduled Spanish interpreters that will provide services at 240 Parsons Ave for the previously specified hours Monday-Friday will complete the CPH In House Interpreter Worklog. The sheet is to be completed daily. See example on page 13.

Please note that falsifying or tampering with the time sheet report is strictly prohibited. Any Contractor caught doing so will be subject to the disciplinary actions of his/her contracting agency.

If a contractor has falsified or tampered with the time sheet reporting, CPH reserves the right to request a replacement.

Notification of Cancellations

If agency is unable to fulfill a pre-scheduled request, they are required to notify CPH of the cancellation in writing within 48 hours of the request. This does not apply to emergency requests.

Cancelled appointments not received in writing at least 24 hours prior to scheduled appointment or "no shows" are subject to agency providing CPH a 1-hour credit with an invoice adjustment.

Incident reporting

Please provide agency policy regarding incident reports involving interpreters.

Conditions

Equal Employment Opportunity: The Contractor will comply with order 11346 entitled, Equal Employment Opportunity as amended by Executive order 11375, and as supplemented in Department of Labor Regulations (41 CFR, part 60).

Payment

During the term of this contract, the Contractor shall bill by invoice. Columbus Public Health shall reimburse the Contractor according to the scope of services for approved expenses that are incurred in connection with the performance of the duties described within this contract. Note that mileage for interpreter travel is not an approved expense.