Request for Proposal (RFP) Language Interpretation Services

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Language Interpretation Services

The Vaughan Community Health Centre (VCHC) is seeking a qualified language interpretation company to provide comprehensive interpretation services. These services will support our commitment to accessibility and effective communication for clients with limited English proficiency or those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

BACKGROUND

The Vaughan Community Health Centre (VCHC) is a non-profit, community-governed organization funded by the Ontario Health Central and the Ontario Ministry of Health. VCHC provides primary health care, health promotion, illness prevention and community-based programs to meet the needs of Northern York Region and Western York Region residents using an interdisciplinary staff team approach. In particular, we serve those people experiencing barriers to accessing health care services due to culture, language, age, chronic illness, or the like. As part of the health promotion framework of our services, we work in partnership with other community-based health and social service organizations to address individual, family, and community needs.

INTRODUCTION

VCHC invites qualified language interpretation vendors to submit a proposal for comprehensive professional interpretation services which include over-the-phone interpretation (OPI), video remote interpretation (VRI), face-to-face (on-site) interpretation, and American Sign Language (ASL). The services will support our linguistically diverse client base across a range of contexts including healthcare, mental health, and social services.

SCOPE OF SERVICE AND PROPOSAL DETAILS

The Vendor must include the following details in the proposal:

1. Interpretation Modalities

Description of delivery service methods for each modality offered:

• Over-the-Phone Interpretation (OPI)
• Video Remote Interpretation (VRI)
• Face-to-Face (On-Site) Interpretation
• American Sign Language (ASL) – both VRI and on-site

2. Language Coverage and Certification

• Range of languages offered
• Number of interpreters trained for each language and their availability
• Interpreter qualifications including training on privacy, confidentiality

3. Pricing Structure

Provide a detailed breakdown of pricing, including but not limited to:

• Per-minute or per-hour rates for:
  • Over-the-Phone Interpretation (OPI)
  • Video Remote Interpretation (VRI)
  • Face-to-face (on-site) Interpretation
  • ASL interpretation – both VRI and on-site
• Any minimum usage fees or session durations
• No show/cancellation fees
• Travel costs or surcharges (for on-site)
• ASL-specific rates
• Volume discounts or tiered pricing
• Subscription or license fees for reporting tools (if applicable)
• Setup or integration fees (if applicable)

4. Booking & Scheduling Procedures

• Describe how services are requested (e.g., portal, phone, email)
• Availability (24/7, business hours)
• Advance notice required
• Emergency/urgent request handling
  

5. Service Delivery Timeline

• Average response times and service availability
• Minimum lead time for scheduling on-site interpreters
• ASL interpreter availability standards

6. Quality Assurance & Issue Resolution

Describe customer support structure and procedures for handling:

• Inappropriate interpretation
• Technical issues (e.g., call drops, video/audio problems)
• Billing discrepancies

Include:

• Response time SLA (Service Level Agreement)
• Contact methods for support
• Escalation paths

7. Invoicing and Financial Requirements

7.1 Invoice Frequency

• Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
• Payment terms (e.g., Net 30)
  
  

7.2 Invoice Structure

Please include a sample invoice template. Each invoice should include:

• Service date and time
• Client ID or department
• Interpreter ID (if applicable)
• Modality used
• Language
• Duration or session time
• Total charge (Sub Total, Tax & Total)
• Summary of services by category (optional)

8. Technical and Reporting/Analytics Requirements

The Vendor must provide:

• A secure and reliable platform for delivering remote services (e.g. OPI and VRI)
• Data security and privacy measures
• Real-time and scheduled access to a web-based portal or reporting tool for:
• Budget monitoring
• Access to invoices
• Usage statistics
• Service type utilization (by language, modality, organization, etc.)
• Client profile insights (e.g. top 10 languages used, etc.)
• No show/cancellation trends
• Downloadable reports
• Data export capabilities in Excel/CSV format
• Please include sample service reports
  
  

9. Vendor Qualifications and Experience

Please include the following (and more):

• Company profile, experience, and qualifications
• Types of clients served, and size of organizations served
• Geography of service delivery
• Experience in serving racially diverse and vulnerable clients in non-profit, community-based healthcare, mental health, and social services settings

10. Proposal to include the following appendices:

• Appendix A: Sample Invoice Template
• Appendix B: Sample Service Report
• Appendix C: List of 3 client references

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Service capabilities and range of languages offered
• Experience and references
• Pricing and cost-effectiveness
• Reporting and analytics capabilities
• Compliance with data security standards
• Customer support and account management

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Timeline

Proposal Submission Deadline: September 12, 2025

Anticipated Start Date: November 2025

Please submit your proposal electronically to ychau@vaughanchc.com by September 12, 2025 by 5:00pm. Questions for this RFP may be directed to Yuki Chau by September 9, 2025.

Thank you for your interest!