Translation & Interpretation Services for Newton Public Schools

Agency:	City of Newton
State:	Massachusetts
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541930 - Translation and Interpretation Services
Posted Date:	Dec 14, 2023
Due Date:	Dec 21, 2023
Solicitation No:	24-34
Bid Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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CITY OF NEWTON

PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

CONTRACT FOR NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PROJECT MANUAL:

TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES

FOR NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

INVITATION FOR BID #24-34

Bid Opening Date: December 14, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.

November 2023

Ruthanne Fuller, Mayor

CITY OF NEWTON

PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

INVITATION FOR BID #24-34

The City of Newton (City) invites sealed bids in accordance with M.G.L. c.30B from Contractors to provide:

TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES FOR NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Bids will be received until:

10:00 a.m., Thursday, December 14, 2023

at the Purchasing Department, Room 108, Newton City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA 02459. Bids will not be

accepted nor may submitted bids be corrected, modified or withdrawn after the deadline for bids. Following the deadline for bids,

all bids received within the time specified will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Contract Documents will be available on line at www.newtonma.gov/bids or for pickup at Newton City Hall, Room 108,

Purchasing Department, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton Centre, MA 02459 after 10:00 a.m., November 30, 2023.

There will be no charge for contract documents. Bid surety is not required with this bid.

Award will be made to the lowest, responsible, and responsive bidder for all services based on the Grand Total computed in

accordance with line items of estimated per word and per minute rates set forth in Excel Spreadsheet included with this IFB. Any

bidder not providing prices for all line items may be deemed unresponsive and therefore rejected.

The term of the awarded contract shall extend from February 1, 2024, through January 31, 2025. The City, at its sole

discretion, shall have the option to renew this contract for two (2) additional one (1) year terms, with no change in the contract

price and terms and conditions. The exercise of each option to renew shall be subject to appropriation of funding.

All bids are subject to the provisions of M.G.L. c.30B. F.O.B. Destination inside designated department, Newton, MA.

All bids shall be submitted as one (1) ORIGINAL and two (2) COPIES.

All City bids are available on the City’s web site at www.newtonma.gov/bids . It is the sole responsibility of the contractor

downloading these bids to ensure they have received any and all addenda prior to the bid opening. Addenda will be available

online within the original bid document as well as a separate file.

If you download bids from the internet site and would like to make it known that your company has done so, you may fax the

Purchasing Department (617) 796-1227 or email to purchasing@newtonma.gov with your NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE, FAX

AND INVITATION FOR BID NUMBER.

The City will reject any and all bids in accordance with the above referenced General Laws. In addition, the City reserves the right

to waive minor informalities in any or all bids, or to reject any or all bids (in whole or in part) if it be in the public interest to do so.

In the event that any person wishes to attend a bid opening or pre-bid meeting, accessible and reasonable accommodations will be

provided to persons requiring assistance. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact the city of Newton’s ADA

Coordinator, Jini Fairley, at least two business days in advance of the meeting: jfairley@newtonma.gov or (617) 796-1253. For

Telecommunications Relay Service, please dial 711.

CITY OF NEWTON

Nicholas Read

Chief Procurement Officer

November 30, 2023

Project Manual #24-34 – Translation and Interpretation Services for Newton Public Schools

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CITY OF NEWTON

DEPARTMENT OF PURCHASING

INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

ARTICLE 1 - BIDDER'S REPRESENTATION

1.1 Each General Bidder (hereinafter called the "Bidder") by making a bid (hereinafter called "bid") represents that:

1. The Bidder has read and understands the Bidding Documents, Contract Forms, General Conditions, Conditions of the

Contract, General Requirements and Project Specifications (collectively, referred to as the “Contract Documents”)

and the bid is made in accordance therewith.

2. The Bidder is familiar with the local conditions under which the work has to be performed.

1.2 Failure to so examine the Contract Documents or become familiar with local conditions will not relieve any Bidder from

any obligation under the bid as submitted.

ARTICLE 2 - REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION

2.1 Bidders shall promptly notify the City of any ambiguity, inconsistency, or error which they may discover upon

examination of the Contract Documents, the site, and local conditions.

2.2 Bidders requiring clarification or interpretation of the Contract Documents shall make a written request to the Chief

Procurement Officer, at purchasing@newtonma.gov or via facsimile (617) 796-1227. The City will only answer such

requests if received by Friday, December 8, 2023 at 12:00 noon.

2.3 Interpretation, correction, or change in the Contract Documents will be made by addendum which will become part of the

Contract Documents. The City will not be held accountable for any oral communication.

2.4 Addenda will be emailed to every individual or firm on record as having taken a set of Contract Documents.

2.5 Copies of addenda will be made available for inspection at the location listed in the Invitation for Bids where Contract

Documents are on file, in addition to being available online at www.newtonma.gov/bids .

2.6 Bidders or proposers contacting ANY CITY EMPLOYEE regarding an Invitation for Bid (IFB) or a Request for Proposal

(RFP), outside of the Purchasing Department, once an IFB or RFP has been released, may be disqualified from the

procurement process.

2.7 Bidders downloading information off the internet web site are solely responsible for obtaining any addenda prior to the

bid opening. If the bidder makes itself known to the Purchasing Department, at purchasing@newtonma.gov or via

facsimile (617) 796-1227, it shall be placed on the bidder’s list. Bidders must provide the Purchasing Department with

their company’s name, street address, city, state, zip, phone, fax, email address and INVITATION FOR BID #24-34.

ARTICLE 3 - MBE PARTICIPATION

3.1 Notice is hereby given that the Mayor’s Affirmative Action Plan for the City of Newton in effect at the time of this

solicitation is applicable to all construction contracts in excess of $10,000.00.

3.2 Notice is hereby given that the City of Newton Minority/Women Business Enterprise Plan and the Supplemental Equal

Employment Opportunity Anti-Discrimination and Affirmative Action Program in effect at the time of this solicitation

are applicable to all City contracts for goods and services in excess of $50,000.00.

3.3 Copies of the Plans and Program referred to in Sections 3.1 and 3.2 are available at: www.newtonma.gov/purchasing.

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ARTICLE 4 - PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF BIDS

4.1 Bids shall be submitted on the "Bid Form #24-34," attached.

4.2 All entries on the Bid Form shall be made by typewriter or in ink.

4.3 Where so indicated on the Bid Form, sums shall be expressed in both words and figures. Where there is a discrepancy

between the bid sum expressed in words and the bid sum expressed in figures, the words shall control.

4.4 The Bid shall be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the following plainly marked on

the outside:

* GENERAL BID FOR: #24-34

* NAME OF PROJECT: Translation and Interpretation Services for Newton Public Schools

* BIDDER'S NAME, BUSINESS ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER

4.6 Date and time for receipt of bids is set forth in the Invitation for Bids.

4.7 Timely delivery of a bid at the location designated shall be the full responsibility of the Bidder. In the event that Newton

City Hall is closed on the date or at the time that bids are due, the date and time for receipt of bids shall be on the next

business day following that the Newton City Hall and the Purchasing Department are open.

4.8 Bids shall be submitted with one (1) original and two (2) copies.

4.9 Massachusetts law requires all employees who work on Massachusetts public works construction sites must have no Less

than 10 hours of OSHA-approved safety and health training. See M.G.L. c.30, §39M( c), M.G.L. c.30, §39S(a)(1),

M.G.L. c.149, §44E(2) & M.G.L. c.149, §44F(2).

1. This requirement will apply to any general bid or sub bid submitted.

2. This law directs the Massachusetts Attorney General to restrain the award of construction contracts to any contractor

who is in violation to this requirement and to restrain the performance of these contracts by non-complying contractors.

The contractor and all subcontractors on this project must certify on the Bid Form compliance with the applicable

requirement. Non-compliance with this law will disqualify the bidder.

ARTICLE 5 - ALTERNATES

5.1

Each Bidder shall acknowledge alternates (if any) in Section C on the Bid Form.

5.2 In the event an alternate does not involve a change in the amount of the base bid, the Bidder shall so indicated by writing

"No Change", or "N/C" or "0" in the space provided for that alternate.

5.3 Bidders shall enter on the Bid Form a single amount for each alternate which shall consist of the amount for work

performed by the Contractor.

5.4 The low Bidder will be determined on the basis of the sum of the base bid and the accepted alternates.

ARTICLE 6 - WITHDRAWAL OF BIDS

6.1 Any bid may be withdrawn prior to the time designated for receipt of bids on written or electronic request. Electronic

withdrawal of bids must be confirmed over the Bidder's signature by written notice postmarked on or before the date and

time set for receipt of bids.

6.2 Withdrawn bids may be resubmitted up to the time designated for the receipt of bids.

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6.3 No bids may be withdrawn within sixty (60) days, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excluded, after the opening of the

bids.

ARTICLE 7 - CONTRACT AWARD

7.1 The City will award one (1) contract to the responsible and responsive Bidder submitting the lowest Grand Total on Bid

Form #24-34. A contract will be awarded within sixty (60) days, Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays excluded, after

the opening of bids.

7.2 The City reserves the right to waive minor informalities in or to reject any or all Bids if it be in the public interest to do

so.

7.3 The City reserves the right to reject any bidder who has failed to pay any local taxes, fees, assessments, betterments, or

any other municipal charge, unless the bidder has a pending abatement application or has entered into a payment

agreement with the collector-treasurer.

7.4 As used herein, the term "lowest responsible and responsive Bidder" shall mean the Bidder (1) whose bid is the lowest of

those bidders possessing the skill, ability and integrity necessary for the faithful performance of the work; (2) who has

met all the requirements of the IFB; (3) who shall certify that it is able to furnish labor that can work in harmony with all

other elements of labor employed or to be employed in the work; (4) who, where the provisions of section eight B of

chapter twenty-nine apply, shall have been determined to be qualified thereunder.

7.5 Subsequent to the award and within five (5) days, Saturday, Sundays and legal holidays excluded, after the prescribed

forms are presented for signature, the successful Bidder shall execute and deliver to the City a contract in the form

included in the Contract Documents in such number of counterparts as the City may require.

7.6 In the event that the City receives low bids in identical amount from two or more responsive and responsible Bidders, the

City shall select the successful Bidder by a blind selection process chosen by the City such as flipping a coin or drawing

names from a hat. The low Bidders who are under consideration will be invited to attend and observe the selection

process.

ARTICLE 8 - TAXES

8.1 The Bidder shall not include in this bid any tax imposed upon the sale or rental of tangible personal property in this

Commonwealth, such as any and all building materials, supplies, services and equipment required to complete the work.

8.2 The City is exempt from payment of the Massachusetts Sales Tax, and the Bidder shall not include any sales tax on its

bid. The City’s exemption Number is E-046-001-404.

ARTICLE 9 – PROPRIETARY SPECIFICATIONS

9.1 The City has used a proprietary specification to describe the supply for which is soliciting bids. Such specifications are

permitted under M.G.L. c. 30B, §14, provided that the Chief Procurement Officer has prepared a written statement that no

other manner of description suffices and the justification therefor.

9.2 The required determination and justification have been duly prepared, and a copy may be requested in accordance with

the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66, §10.

END OF SECTION

Project Manual #24-34 – Translation and Interpretation Services for Newton Public Schools

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Translation & Interpretation Services for Newton Public Schools

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