The Telecommunications Relay Service Council (Council) is seeking proposals for the provision of outreach services to increase education, awareness, and usage of telecommunications relay services amongst deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech impaired persons in the State who use telecommunications devices as defined in this Request for Proposals (RFP) document. This document provides instructions for submitting proposals, the procedure and criteria by which the awarded Bidder will be selected, and the contractual terms which will govern the relationship between the State of Maine (State) and the awarded Bidder. Telecommunications relay service (TRS) are services that allow hearing people and people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired to communicate via the telecommunications system. The Maine Legislature has found and declared that "it is in the public interest to establish an effective statewide system to provide continuous telecommunications relay services to facilitate communication between deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech impaired persons who use telecommunications devices for the deaf and persons using standard telephone equipment." 35-A M.R.S. § 8701. Additionally, the Legislature permitted the Council to compensate “…for outreach services that encourage the use of telecommunications relay services” and to “…organize and fund projects designed to promote the use of telecommunications relay services, including but not limited to surveys, public forums and events”.
