RFP 2026-17-26 Seeking a Pool of Vendors for Interpreting and Translation Services for Jackson Public Schools

JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
Jackson Public School District
662 South President Street
Jackson, MS 39201
Seeking a Pool of Vendors for Interpreting and Translation Services for Jackson Public Schools
Title: RFP 2026-17-26
Contact Information:
JPSD Purchasing Coordinator: Michele Mays
Telephone: 601.973.8582
Email: mmays@jackson.k12.ms.us
Southern Procurement Bid and Project Administrator: Vaughn Blaylock
Telephone: 662.275.4663
Email: vaughn@southernprocurement.com
Advertisement Dates:
Clarion Ledger: 07 April 2026
Clarion Ledger: 14 April 2026
Performance Dates:
Pre-Bid Conference - Virtual: (Contact Vaughn Blaylock for Invitation): 16 April 2026 10:00 AM
Mandatory Southern Procurement RFP Review and Platform Training - Virtual (13 April and 20 April 2026 11:00 AM
CDT) - Duration: 30 Minutes to 1 Hour
Deadline for Questions: 20 April 2026
Specification Responses and Agreements Due: 25 April 2026
Bid Date: 27 April 2026 10:00 CST
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Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
Southern Procurement
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com

JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT INTERPRETINF SERVICES PROJECT Acknowledge
PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS AND BID CONDITIONS
Please acknowledge each requirement below, even if you choose not to propose for a specific solution. Yes No
PROJECT OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES:
The Jackson Public School District ("District") is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to establish a pool of
approved providers for translation, transcription, and interpretation services.
The intent of this RFP is to identify vendors capable of delivering accurate, timely, and professional language
services across a wide range of languages and service environments, including educational settings, meetings,
and community engagement activities. The District may award to a vendor or vendors for this project.
Vendors may propose to provide services for one or more languages, which shall be detail within their
proposal.
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT:
This document, titled a Specification Response Form (also known herein as the "RFP" or "SRF"), is the form by
which vendors shall respond to the qualifications portion of this bid opportunity. Vendors may be required to
include other documents, including warranty or other information in order to be considered responsive.
Vendors shall answer Yes or No to each line item to indicate your compliance with the specifications. Your
affirmative indication is an affirmation of the statement in question. As a convenience to the District and
Contractor, this document or portions of this document may be converted to a final contract between the
parties.
For clarity, if any portion of this SRF does not contain an instruction as to which box to check in order to
complete a Vendor's agreement or disagreement to a specific condition, the leftmost box shall always be
considered the affirmative box, while the rightmost box shall be considered the negative box.
Please read this document thoroughly. If you have questions regarding this opportunity and/or this RFP, please
contact the Bid and Project Administrator:
Vaughn Blaylock
662.275.4663
vaughn@southernprocurement.com
PROPOSAL REQUIRED:
In addition to this document, respondents shall be required to submit a proposal. Details concerning the
proposal contents are contained within. All items within the RFP shall be address in detailshall be
addressed.
DOCUMENT COMPLETION:
Bidders shall complete every space in the specification bidder's proposal column with a check mark to indicate
if the item being bid is exactly as specified. If not, the "NO" column must be checked and a detailed description
of the deviation from the specification to be supplied.
SOUTHERN PROCUREMENT CONTACT:
Vaughn Blaylock
662.275.4663
vaughn@southernprocurement.com
Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
(C) Southern Procurement, Inc. * 2022
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com
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JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
BID PROCESS:
This Bid Opportunity is not being conducted by reverse auction. On Bid Day, vendors shall log into the
Southern Procurement platform, enter their electronic bid(s), and bid tabulations will then be provided to the
Jackson Public School District.
Vendors may contact Vaughn Blaylock at Southern Procurement for training on the bidding platform. Vendors
will be required to acknowledge that they are familiar with the Southern Procurement bid platform at the end
of this Specification Response Form. Vendors who do not contact Southern Procurement for training will be
assumed to have been previously trained.
SUMMARY OF HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS OPPORTUNITY:
1 - Register with Southern Procurement at https://southernprocurement.marketdojo.com/.
2 - Download all bid documents.
3 - Respond to each query.
4 - Sign this document.
5 - Upload this document, the executed SP Supplier Agreement, the contract for your services, your proposal
with cover page in the correct location, and all other required documents to
https://southernprocurement.marketdojo.com/.
6 - Bid at https://southernprocurement.marketdojo.com/ on bid day.
Vendors shall execute the SP Supplier Agreement attached to the Southern Procurement Bid Platform.
SELECTION PROCESS:
The Jackson Public School District may select solutions from multiple proposers, or none at all.
QUIET PERIOD:
In accordance with our commitment to fairness and transparency throughout the bidding process, a Quiet Initial Below:
Period will be strictly enforced from the date of this RFP's release until the conclusion of the selection process.
During this period, prospective vendors are prohibited from communicating, directly or indirectly, with board
members, school officials and/or employees, their families, friends, associates, or any other individuals
connected to the District, regarding any matter related to this RFP. The only exception will be if the District
initiates contact for the purpose of requesting interviews or additional information from specific vendors as
part of the evaluation process. All such communications will be formally documented to ensure compliance
with the principles of fairness and transparency governing this process.
Violations of this Quiet Period, as determined by the District in its sole discretion, will result in the immediate
disqualification of the vendor from the current and may impact eligibility for future bidding opportunities. This
provision is integral to maintaining the integrity of the selection process, and strict adherence is required from
all participants.
All questions shall be submitted, in writing, to the Bid and Project Administrator.
Does the vendor agree that the results of this project may be used with the MIPS and Summit Cooperative
Purchasing Systems?
Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
(C) Southern Procurement, Inc. * 2022
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com
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JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
GENERAL CONDITIONS
SCOPE:
The District requires services in the following categories:
Written Translation
Transcription Services
Spoken Language Interpretation (On-Site and Remote)
Services may be required at any District facility or event and may include, but are not limited to:
Parent-teacher conferences
School meetings and administrative functions
Student-related services
District events and community engagement activities
Services may be required during standard business hours, evenings, weekends, or on short notice.
All services shall be performed with professionalism, cultural competency, and adherence to applicable laws
and regulations.
SERVICE REQUIREMENTS:
Vendors shall:
Provide qualified personnel capable of delivering accurate and culturally appropriate services
Demonstrate the ability to support multiple languages as applicable
Ensure personnel are trained in professional and ethical standards
Maintain compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local requirements
Ensure all personnel have appropriate background checks where required
Vendors shall provide services across the District's geographic boundaries and maintain the flexibility to
respond to varying service demands.
PRICING AND RATE SCHEDULE AND LINE ITEMS:
On Bid Day, the following line items will be bid on by Vendors:
Line Item 1 - Written Translation - Per Word - Written Translation Services priced on a per-word basis
Line Item 2 - Transcription Services - Per Minute - Transcription Services priced on a per-minute basis of
recorded audio
Line Item 3 - On-Site Interpretation Services priced on an hourly basis, including clearly stated minimum billing
increments, minimum service durations, and any applicable trip charges to be disclosed within the proposal
Line Item 4 - Remote Interpretation Services - Hourly Rate priced on an hourly basis, including clearly stated
minimum billing increments disclosed within the proposal
Line Item 5 - After Hours/Holiday/Weekend Rate - Hourly
All pricing shall be fully inclusive of labor, administrative costs, overhead, travel, and all other costs necessary
to perform the services.
Does your firm have minimum charges, cancellation fees, no-show fees, or cancellation charges? If so, Vendors
shall detail these charges within their individual proposal. Charges the fit into this category but are not
included in the Vendor's proposal shall be disallowed altogether.
All pricing shall remain firm for the duration of the contract unless otherwise approved in writing by the
District.
Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
(C) Southern Procurement, Inc. * 2022
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com
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JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT:
Vendors shall meet the following minimum performance standards:
Confirmation of scheduled service requests within one (1) business day
Ability to fulfill standard requests within a reasonable timeframe appropriate to the service
Ability to respond to urgent requests within twenty-four (24) hours when reasonably possible
Remote interpretation availability with response times not exceeding fifteen (15) minutes under normal
conditions
Vendors shall define their standard response times and escalation procedures in their proposal.
Failure to meet stated service levels may result in corrective action.
SERVICE PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT
The District expects consistent, reliable, and professional service delivery.
Failure to meet service expectations, including missed appointments, delays, failure to respond, or repeated
quality issues, may result in:
Written notice of deficiency
Temporary suspension of assignments
Removal from the District's approved provider pool
The District reserves the right to discontinue use of any vendor whose performance is deemed unsatisfactory.
VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS AND STAFFING
Within the proposal submitted by the Vendor, the Vendor shall provide detailed information demonstrating
capacity and qualifications, including:
Number of active interpreters available, broken down by language
Number of translators available, broken down by language
Certification types held by personnel, including ATA, court certification, medical certification, or equivalent
Description of staff availability, including on-call, scheduled, and remote capabilities
Description of experience levels, including years of experience and areas of specialization
The District reserves the right to request verification of qualifications at any time.
Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
(C) Southern Procurement, Inc. * 2022
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com
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JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Vendors shall provide a Quality Assurance Plan describing how service quality will be monitored and
maintained.
At a minimum, the plan shall address:
Missed appointments and no-shows
Delays and response failures
Accuracy of services provided
Billing accuracy and timeliness
Complaint resolution procedures
Vendors shall demonstrate a process for identifying and correcting performance issues.
BILLING AND INVOICING
Vendors shall invoice for services in a timely manner following service delivery.
Invoices shall clearly identify:
Date of service
Type of service
Duration or unit of measure
Applicable rate
Total cost
Failure to invoice within a reasonable period shall not relieve the vendor of contractual obligations or justify
rate adjustments.
The District reserves the right to review, audit, and dispute any invoice.
ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATION
Vendors shall designate a single point of contact responsible for:
Scheduling and coordination
Service request management
Issue resolution
Billing and invoicing
Vendors shall maintain reliable communication channels for service requests and escalation.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
Demonstrated experience and qualifications
Staffing capacity and language coverage
Responsiveness and service capability
Pricing structure and clarity
Quality assurance processes
The District reserves the right to request additional information or clarification.
Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
(C) Southern Procurement, Inc. * 2022
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com
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JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
AWARD
The District intends to establish a pool of qualified providers.
Inclusion in the pool does not guarantee a minimum volume of work.
Work assignments will be made at the District's discretion based on need, performance, and availability.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Yes No
I have been trained on the Southern Procurement platform and have a means by which I will bid on bid day. I
understand that the website located at https://southernprocurement.marketdojo.com/ is the means by which
I may place a bid relating to this project.
I agree to permit my bids to be utilized with cooperative purchasing within the State of Mississippi through
MIPS (Mississippi Interlocal Purchasing System) and/or Summit National Cooperatives and/or its subsidiaries.
I have read and understand the nature of the SP Supplier Agreement and have completed that agreement and
sent to Vaughn Blaylock at Southern Procurement. I understand that I must accept the terms of this
agreement in order to participate in this bid event, and that by participating in this event and/or submitting a
bid related to this bid event, I am agreeing to the SP Supplier Agreement attached to the bid platform located
at https://southernprocurement.marketdojo.com/.
The balance of this page is left intentionally blank.
Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
(C) Southern Procurement, Inc. * 2022
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com
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JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
PROPOSAL FORM
Board of Trustees
Jackson Public School District
Jackson, Mississippi
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We propose to furnish and deliver all items and/or to perform all services according to all sections of this RFP/Q document (Proposal
Form, Instructions and Conditions, Specifications, and Addendum if applicable) and in the quantities at the indicated prices, as called
for in the document(s). All requested amounts shown have been verified, and both unit price and total price (where requested) have
been submitted with the understanding that we shall be responsible for making complete and satisfactory delivery within the required
time frame (if applicable).
All items in this RFP/Q shall be as specified, or JPSD approved equal. For any item(s) proposed which is other than as specified, a
complete and detailed cut and description for each item(s) must accompany the RFP/Q, if the item(s) is to be considered. Please
carefully read each section of this RFP/Q.
The Jackson Public School District reserves the sole discretion and right to:
* Waive minor irregularities in proposals. A minor irregularity is a variation that does not affect the bid, gives one offeror an
advantage or benefit not enjoyed by other offerors, or adversely impacts the school district's interests.
* Determine and accept the "lowest and best" RFP/Q, which, in their judgment, assures JPSD the product(s) or service(s) has the
best performance and the highest level of function, quality, and value.
* Reject or disqualify the lowest-priced proposal submission if it does not comply with the requirements stated within this RFP/Q.
* Reject submissions not meeting the submission deadline as unopened.
* Request additional information or conduct discussions after the RFP/Q deadline with any or all responders to secure a final
selection to award RFP/Q should such action be in the best interest of JPSD.
I understand and agree that neither the award of this RFP/Q nor receipt of a notice of acceptance of this RFP/Q shall constitute the
making of a contract. Any binding agreement shall be conditioned upon the execution of a formal, written agreement.
Respectfully submitted,
Printed signature _______________________________ Written signature _________________________
Title _______________________________________ Date ____________________________________
Company_______________________________________________________________________________
Address________________________________________________________________________________
Phone ______________________________________ Fax _______________________________________
E-mail address__________________________________________________________________________
Woman Owned
Check the operating status of your business as indicated: Non-Minority
Minority
Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
(C) Southern Procurement, Inc. * 2022
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com
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JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
The balance of this page is left intentionally blank.
REQUEST TO ADD VENDOR FORM
Post Office Box 2338 - Jackson, Mississippi 39225-2338
Email form to mmays@jackson.k12.ms.us or Fax to (601-960-8967
School/Department Requesting Vendor Addition ______________________________________
To be completed by Vendor: Please complete all sections:
Will your company accept purchase orders? oYes oNo
Note: As an approved Vendor, you agree not to accept any order from JPS without an approved purchase.
Orders taken and completed without a Purchase Order will be considered a Donation to JPS.
Are you an employee of the Jackson Public School District? oYes oNo
PRODUCT LINE: _________________________________________________________________________
Parent Company Name: ________________________ Doing Business As (DBA) Name: ____________________
Parent Company Tax #: _________________________ D/B/A Federal Tax ID/Social Security #: ______________
Physical Address: ______________________________ City _____________ State _____ Zip-code ___________
Remittance Address: (If Different):
Address: _____________________________________ City _____________ State _____ Zip-code ___________
Contact Person: _______________________________ Phone: (_____) ________________________________
Fax: (_____) ________________________________ Email Address: ________________________________
Select One: This information will be used to track purchases from minority vendors.
Minority Code: oWoman & Minority o Minority oNon-Minority oWoman
Type of Entity: oIndividual/Sole Proprietor oCorporation oPartnership oOther
Submitted By: Signature __________________________________ Date ___________________
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED: The following forms must be submitted
Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
(C) Southern Procurement, Inc. * 2022
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com
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JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
INTERPRETING SERVICES BID EVENT
BID SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFICATION RESPONSE FORM
IRS W-9 Form Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
Certificate of Liability Insurance for not less than $1,000,000 as stated in Mississippi Code Section 31-7-139
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Vendor Number: 1099:
Completed By: Date:
Vendors shall acknowledge each individual requirement below. If answering "No" to any item, a detailed
Yes No
explanation shall be attached.
The Board of Trustees of the Jackson Public School District (hereafter referred to as "JPSD") is soliciting sealed,
written formal Requests for Proposals (RFP/Q) from qualified vendors (hereafter referred to as "Vendor") for the
purpose of demolishing certain disused school buildings throughout the district as outlined in the following
specifications.
It is the basic philosophy of JPSD to extend to all responsible Vendors equal consideration and the assurance of
unbiased judgment in determining whether their product or service meets specifications and the school district's
educational needs. JPSD shall fairly evaluate all formal RFP/Q proposals submitted and base all decisions on the
"lowest and best" RFP/Q concept, purchasing only those products or services that meet the written specifications.
All decisions rendered shall strive to achieve the most significant value from every tax dollar expended. JPSD shall
make no discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, or national origin in the product evaluation or in
transacting business with Vendors or Vendor representatives.
The advertising and publishing of this RFP/Q have met all legal requirements (Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated,
31-7-13); hence, the condition to offer public notice of the intent of JPSD to solicit RFP/Qs via this RFP/Q document
has been satisfied.
This document is to serve as an invitation to all qualified vendors to extend to JPSD an offer for the sale of all
products or services specified herein. This RFP/Q document aims to clearly define "open" and "competitive" product
or service RFP/Q specifications. All items on this RFP/Q must be as specified, or JPSD approved equal.
Addenda and/or Q&A Documents: Addenda may be released throughout bid process. Addenda will be uploaded
for distribution to the Southern Procurement portal and will be made available for download by all registered
bidders. Questions asked by any vendor will be shared with other vendors via this same process.
The vendor shall acknowledge the receipt of all Addenda and/or Q&A Documents issued during this RFP/Q. If
specified in the text of the addendum, in addition to acknowledging receipt of the addenda below, the addenda may
require additional information required for the RFP/Q, in which case the Addenda shall not only be acknowledged
below but shall be completed and attached to the RFP/Q at the time the RFP/Q proposal is submitted. Receipt of
the following Addenda issued during the course of this formal RFP/Q is now acknowledged:
Addendum or Q&A Number/Date: Date:
Addendum or Q&A Number/Date: Date:
Addendum or Q&A Number/Date: Date:
It is acknowledged that this RFP/Q proposal consists of the following sections: PROPOSAL FORM, INSTRUCTIONS
AND CONDITIONS, SPECIFICATIONS, and any ADDENDUM (if applicable).
Prepared by Vaughn Blaylock
(C) Southern Procurement, Inc. * 2022
www.southernprocurement.com * 662.275.4663 * vaughn@southernprocurement.com
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