Language Service Providers (Interpretation, Translation, and Transcreation)

Pierce County invites competitive proposals from qualified vendors to deliver professional language assistance services that promote equitable access to government programs, services, and civic engagement. Services include interpretation, translation, and related support on an on-call basis, with a strong emphasis on cultural responsiveness, quality assurance, and inclusive communication. Selected vendors will support the County’s compliance with legal mandates and contribute to broader language justice initiatives.

Proposals may be submitted for some or all services. The County anticipates awarding multiple on-call contracts to qualified language service providers.

Pierce County (hereinafter referred to as “the County”) is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse regions in Washington State. Federal civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), require recipients of federal financial assistance to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to programs, services, and activities for individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and individuals with disabilities who require alternative communication methods. Guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) directs public entities to assess language assistance needs by considering factors such as the number and proportion of LEP individuals served, the frequency of contact with public programs, the nature and importance of the services provided, and available resources.

In alignment with federal, state, and local language access requirements, the County has prioritized inclusive communications as a core service area. The County is committed to ensuring that all residents, regardless of national origin, language spoken, literacy level, or ability, can fully access and benefit from the County’s essential public services.

The County’s growing multilingual and multicultural communities require consistent, high-quality, culturally responsive interpretation and translation services to effectively navigate public programs and participate in civic life. This RFP reflects the County’s continued investment in language access infrastructure and seeks to expand the reach and impact of these services across departments.

This RFP intends to operationalize language access obligations by establishing a pool of qualified language service providers (LSPs) capable of delivering timely, accurate, and culturally responsive interpretation, translation, and transcreation services across County departments for the defined term. Additionally, the County anticipates a large-scale, upfront translation initiative to convert existing County resources into multiple languages. While machine translation and artificial intelligence (AI) tools may supplement translation workflows, the County recognizes that quality varies based on language, subject matter, and the level of human review. Accordingly, the County seeks providers capable of offering flexible, tiered pricing models that reflect document complexity, the balance of machine translation and AI-assisted tools with human translation and review, and turnaround time requirements.