REQUEST FOR QUOTES (RFQ) #PUC26-001
By
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
for
Court Reporting Services
Release Date: 12/8/25
Inquiry Period Begins: 12/8/25
Inquiry Period Ends: 12/29/25
Responses Due By: 12/30/25 @ 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Estimated Award Date: 1/9/26
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PUCO RFQ PUC26-001
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTIONS
Special Contract Terms and Conditions
Established Business
Exceptions
Contract Award
Evaluation
Special Conditions
Transportation Charges
Special Charges
Pre-Qualifying Questions
Specifications and Requirements
I.
Scope
II.
Glossary of Terms
II.
Contractor Qualifications and Requirements
III.
Transcript Requirements
IV.
Transcript Delivery
V.
Submission of Invoices
VI.
Travel Expenses
Bid Price Page
Standard Terms & Conditions
I.
Glossary
II.
Regulatory Contract Requirements
III.
Contract Construction
IV.
Order and Payment Provisions
V.
Liability Provisions
VI.
Performance and Compliance
VII. Data and Information Control
Signature Page
Exhibit I – Affirmation and Disclosure Form
PAGE NO.
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PUCO RFQ PUC26-001
SPECIAL CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS
ESTABLISHED BUSINESS: To be considered responsive, the Bidder must, at the time of Bid submission, be an established
business firm with all required licenses, bonds, facilities, equipment, and trained personnel or subcontractors necessary to
perform the work in this Bid. Documented proof may be required upon request by the PUCO.
EXCEPTIONS: Any exceptions to these specifications must be explicitly detailed in the Bidder’s Response. Exceptions will not
disqualify a Bidder’s Response, except in cases where specifically noted. It is the intention of the PUCO to fully evaluate all
acceptable alternate equal Bid Responses that meet the overall requirements of these specifications. PUCO personnel will
evaluate exceptions to determine whether variances are material enough to represent a violation of the specification intent or
would give the Bidder a competitive advantage. However, exceptions to the stated levels of performance, reliability, and
timeliness would represent such a violation of the intent of these specifications that would necessitate rejection of the Bid
Response. The PUCO will require the Bidder to retract any intolerable exceptions in order to remain in consideration.
CONTRACT AWARD: A Contract will be awarded to the lowest priced, qualified, responsive, and responsible Bidder to provide
the requested services.
EVALUATION: Bids will be evaluated based on the Bidder’s responses to the pre-qualifying questions, as well as the Bidder’s
pricing.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS: The PUCO reserves the right to bid large or unusual requirements, for items that may be a part of the
awarded Contract, under a separate Bid.
TRANSPORTATION CHARGES: The Contractor will be responsible for all transportation charges incurred in the delivery of
materials and/or services specified in this Bid and resulting Contract.
SPECIAL CHARGES: There shall be no assessment, surcharge, small order charge, minimum order charge, nor any other
unspecified additional charge allowed by the PUCO that is not specifically mentioned in this Bid or in any Contract awarded
pursuant to this Bid. The Contractor must provide merchandise/service in unit quantity(s) as indicated in the Bid/Bid
Response/Contract.
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PUCO RFQ PUC26-001
PRE-QUALIFYING QUESTIONS
Public utility experience:
Describe your experience in legal matters involving public utility regulation. Please include an estimated number of years,
hearings, and depositions working on public utility matters.
Describe your experience with specialized utility acronyms and vocabulary.
Describe your experience with complex litigation.
Operational capabilities:
Are you able to be flexible on short notice?
Can you accommodate pre-hearings being scheduled with short notice?
Can you accommodate a week-long hearing being canceled the Friday before or day of the hearing?
Can you handle last-minute cancellations?
Can you accommodate hearings going longer than expected, spanning from one week to the next?
Do you have the staff to accommodate:
Long hearing days exceeding 8 hours and lasting a week or more?
Would you be able to provide two court reporters for the same hearing each day?
What is your capability to fulfill overnight transcript requests, especially in multi-day hearings with hearing days
exceeding 8 hours?
Can you travel for public hearings in the evening in locations outside of Columbus?
To which counties and/or districts are you willing and able to travel? (see attached map with numbered districts)
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PUCO RFQ PUC26-001
SPECIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
I. SCOPE
The specifications are for court reporters to provide Stenographic court reporting and Electronic/Digital court reporting.
Bidders and their subcontractors are required to maintain a certification for the technology they are providing under an
awarded contract. The purpose of these specifications is to secure the services of qualified, certified/registered
electronic/digital court reporters and/or stenographers capable of producing reliable, high quality, and accurate transcripts
of hearings and proceedings conducted by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and the Ohio Power Siting
Board (OPSB) from the commencement of the contract through June 30, 2027 Reporting Services shall cover adjudicatory
hearings, public hearings, judicial hearings, or any other hearings requested by the PUCO.
II. GLOSSARY OF TERMS
RPR
CER
CET
ICDR
NCRA
AAERT
IAPRT
Registered Professional Reporters
Certified Electronic Reporter
Certified Electronic Transcriber
Internationally Certified Digital Reporter
National Court Reporters Association
American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers
International Alliance of Professional Reporters and Transcribers
III. CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
A. Contractor Staffing Qualifications.
The Contractor shall meet the following requirements:
1. The Contractor and Subcontractors providing Stenographic court reporters must maintain a valid:
Registered Professional Reporters (RPR) certificate
2. The Contractor and Subcontractors providing Electronic/Digital court reporters must maintain a valid:
a. Certified Electronic Reporter (CER) certificate
b. Certified Electronic Transcriber (CET) certificate
c. Internationally Certified Digital Reporter (ICDR) certificate
B. Qualified, Registered Court Reporter Requirements
1. Registered Professional Reporter is defined as an individual holding a valid:
a. Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) Certificate from the National Court Reporters Association
(NCRA); or
b. Certified Electronic Reporter (CER) Certificate or Certified Electronic Transcriber (CET) from the
American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT); or
c. Internationally Certified Digital Reporter (ICDR) certificate from the International Alliance of
Professional Reporters and Transcribers (IAPRT).
2. The Contractor, its reporting staff, and subcontractors, shall be licensed notaries public of the state of Ohio.
3. Each individual designated for court reporting duties must have a minimum of three (3) years of reporting
experience.
C. Verification of Qualifications – Upon request from the PUCO, the Bidder shall provide the following information and/or
documentation within five (5) calendar days of receipt of the request:
1. Submit three (3) Contractor business references of clients whom their company has served during the past
twelve months. Reference information shall include the client phone number, contact person, and address of the
client company to facilitate verification of such references.
2. Submit a list of all the court reporters’ names that may be utilized for this Contract.
3. Submit a copy of each court reporter’s current RPR, CER, CET, or ICDR certificate and a copy of their current
notary public license for each court reporter that may be utilized for this Contract.
4. Submit a statement attesting to the words per minute speed of each court reporter that may be utilized as a
stenographer for this contract, or submit a statement attesting to no less than 98% accuracy for each
electronic/digital recording and transcription produced.
5. Submit with the Bid Response references documenting at least three (3) years of reporting experience for
each employee or subcontractor that may be assigned to this contract. Reference information shall include
company phone number, contact person, and address of the company to facilitate verification of such references.
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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.