Establishment of the Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for in person Interpretation and translation Services for UNOPS projects

New amendment added #1: Extend the RFQ deadline from 22 to 30 April. 

New clarification added: In order to better assess the equipment related costs, could you please specify the average number of participants in the Workstream events?Answer,Average range is between 25-50-75 depending on the size of the room and the participants.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: With reference to the statement in the TOR that "No additional travel expenses will be supported", knowing that at least a part of qualified interpreters will have to travel to the location of the venue and remain there for the duration of the event, could you please specify how travel, accommodation and per diem costs will be managed under the BPA?Answer,No additional travel expenses will be supported. No travel, no accommodation and no per diem costs will be disbursed to the company or to the interpreters.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: Could you please confirm whether COP31 is explicitly included as a main event covered by the agreement, and if all interpretation services foreseen to be required for the event will be covered?Answer,While some events are anticipated during COP31, it is not the primary focus. Not all scheduled events will necessitate interpretation, and those that do will not uniformly require the same array of languages.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: We would like to kindly request a clarification regarding the section “List of subcontractors or suppliers” included in the Returnable Bidding Forms.In the context of interpretation services, the delivery of the assignment may involve the engagement of qualified freelance interpreters from our network, depending on the language combinations and specific requirements of each assignment.Could you please confirm whether such freelance interpreters should be considered as subcontractors/suppliers for the purpose of this RFQ and therefore be explicitly listed in the relevant section?Answer,Yes, freelance interpreters should be considered subcontractors/suppliers and must be explicitly listed in the relevant section of the Returnable Bidding Forms.​ A separate, detailed CV for each individual, using Form F, is mandatory for evaluation. Should the successful bidder need to replace any personnel after the contract is awarded, the replacements must demonstrate skills and experience equivalent to those originally proposed.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: Category 1: Pricing Structure & Financial Form (Form B)Equipment Pricing Formatting (Location vs. Event): Following up on a recently published clarification regarding equipment pricing: UNOPS advised bidders to furnish the cost of equipment specific to each location. However, given that some locations host multiple events of varying durations (e.g., New York hosts events lasting 1 day, 2 days, and 3 days), could you please clarify how we should format Form B? Should we provide a separate equipment cost breakdown per specific event, or do you strictly require one consolidated/average equipment rate per location, regardless of the specific event's duration or number of days?Event Duration vs. Pricing Structure: Section 8 defines an event as 1-4 hours, and the pricing schedule requests a lump sum 'per event, up to 4 hours.' For multi-day conferences like COP31 (listed as 10 days in Section 3), how should we structure our equipment pricing? Should we use the 'Per day' line items exclusively for multi-day conferences?Travel & Per Diems: The RFQ states no travel expenses will be covered. However, for our staff on-site, will any meals or a daily allowance be provided directly by the UN during the events, or do we need to bake all daily sustainment costs entirely into our daily rates?Category 2: Discrepancies & Contractual TermsTranslation vs. Interpretation Discrepancy: The document's title and Sections 3 and 9 refer to "translation" requirements and a list of "translators". However, the actual scope of services in Section 7 only lists "Simultaneous in-person interpretation services". Could UNOPS please clarify if written translation of documents is included in the scope of this BPA, or if the requirement is strictly limited to verbal, simultaneous in-person interpretation?Delivery SLA Contradiction: There is a discrepancy regarding delivery times. Section 6 (KPI 1) mentions a maximum of 10 working days after PO receipt, while Section 9 and Section E state a response/delivery time of 2-3 working days. Could you please confirm the exact required turnaround time between PO signature and the start of service delivery?UN Accreditation Logistics: Regarding Section 11(D) (Security), will the FCLP Secretariat or the relevant UN host agency provide the necessary sponsorship, support letters, or facilitation for our staff to obtain the required UN premises accreditations, as private vendors cannot secure these independently?Category 3: Audio Visual & Technical ScopePrimary AV Responsibility: The RFQ mentions wireless microphones and PA systems. Are we expected to provide the full, primary AV production for these rooms (PA speakers, mixing consoles, wireless mics for presenters)? Or will a separate in-house AV vendor handle the main room audio and simply provide the floor feed for the interpreters?Interpreter Video Feeds: Will the interpreter booths have direct line-of-sight to the stage/speakers? If not, will a separate vendor provide camera feeds of the room, or do we need to include cameras, video distribution, and in-booth monitors in our bid?Equipment Specifications: What exactly is considered "portable equipment" in this context? Is this a portable tour guide set, or does it refer to tabletop booths?Headsets/Receivers: Are there specific receiver and headset counts available per location? Additionally, are certain headphone types required (e.g., dual over-ear, disposable earbud, single ear hanger)?Power: Who is responsible for providing power drops to our technical area(s)? Do we need to include power distribution in our bid at any or all venues?Setup/Strike: How many dedicated setup and strike days are allocated for each venue before and after the meeting dates?Venue & Participant Specifics: What are the specific venues and room names? (This is critical to determine cable runs, rigging, and line-of-sight constraints). Furthermore, is there an indication of the number of participants, in order to accurately calculate the amount of receiver hardware needed?Recordings: Will the event recordings be made public, or are they for internal use only?Category 4: Interpreters & StaffingAnswer,Category 1: Pricing Structure & Financial Form (Form B)1. Price per location should be submitted.2. Price for half day, and full day should be provided.3. Offered prices should be final price. No additional expenses will be covered, meaning no travel, meals or DSA will be provided.Category 2: Discrepancies & Contractual Terms1. No written translation of documents is included, requested services are for simultaneous in-person interpretation only.2. Once events are confirmed, UNOPS will send you a copy of the PO so you should reflect 2-3 days  for delivery.3. The responsibility for obtaining accreditation rests solely with the bidder; no sponsorship for this purpose will be provided.Category 3: Audio Visual & Technical Scope1. A separate in-house AV vendor will handle the main room. Bidder is expected to provide AV needs for the interpreters to provide the services.2. Some meetings will have direct line-of-sight to state/speakers, others not, depending on the location. There is no expectation for the bidder to provide camera, video distribution or in-booth monitors. 3. We request to list two options, one with tabletop booths, and one with tour guide, as some premises may not have space to place the booths.4. No specific headphones types required. The number of participants varies per event/location. Between 25-50.5. Normally there are some sockets available, but if you need specific amount of power drops, these should be considered, in order for the interpreters to provide the services.6. Typically during these meetings, the setup needs to happen fast as venues host back-to-back events with different vendors.7. No specific venues or room names. This depends on the host country and this information is made available with short notice. Normally the number of headsets varies from 25-50-75 depending on the demand.8. Recordings are for internal-use, note taking, for public distribution.Category 4: Interpreters & Staffing1. No need for a court interpreter.2. For Portuguese, it will be Brazilian Portuguese.3. There is no requirement of a fixed team, bidder can change interpreters if they have the same profile. Remote interpretation is discouraged as sometimes there is no remote connectivity.Also sometimes there are breakout groups and remote would not work4. No need to anonymize CVs.5. Dates to be confirmed later.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: We note that the price schedule provides for a single set of equipment-related unit prices, while the BPA is intended to cover onsite events in multiple locations worldwide.As the cost of sourcing and operating interpretation equipment can vary significantly depending on the geographical location and local market conditions, could UNOPS please advise whether bidders may be given the option to submit equipment pricing differentiated by location or geographical area?Answer,Price per location should be submitted.UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: The unit of measurement is stated as Interpreter‑Hour / Interpreter‑Day. As conference simultaneous interpretation requires the involvement of two interpreters per language, could you please clarify whether the unit prices are intended to apply to one individual interpreter (in which case it would be multiplied by two for each language), or to the team of two interpreters per language?Answer,Unit prices are intended to take into account the price per language, indicating the amount of interpreters that will be involved.Regards,UNOPS-Procurement

New clarification added: The price schedule distinguishes between a price per hour (for each commenced working hour, up to 4 hours), and a lump sum for 4 to 8 commenced working hours.For onsite conference simultaneous interpretation, industry practice usually applies a minimum unit of a half‑day (up to 4 hours), as interpreters are required to travel to and from the venue and be available on site, which differs from more flexible hourly arrangements commonly used in remote settings. In this context, could you please clarify whether:the “price per hour, up to 4 hours” is intended to be applied on a strictly hourly basis ora minimum charge equivalent to a half‑day (4 hours) is expected even where the actual meeting duration is shorter.Answer,Please consider the minium charge  explaining the maximum amount of hours.Regards,UNOPS-Procurement

New clarification added: Could you please confirm whether, following project award and commencement of the BPA, the supplier will be permitted to add additional interpreters to its pool in order to accommodate future or unforeseen language and capacity requirements during the contract period?Answer,CVs should be provided for evaluation purposes. If the successful bidder decides to change/add personnel after contract award, the proposed new personnel should possess the same level of skills and experience as those originally proposed.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: Dear Team, in a previous clarification, it was stated that we are required to furnish the cost of the equipment specific to each location. Nonetheless, for the purposes of our internal processing and subsequent evaluation, the average cost shall be utilised. In this case, can we update the Price Schedule Form in a way that you will the costs for each location? The costs of thr requested services may chage based on the location, so we appreciate your feedback regarding this. Thank you.Answer, The unit price for each location, which will be included in the contract, is a fixed amount and will not change. The average cost is used strictly for evaluation purposes. You must carefully detail the proposed cost, as it will become part of the finalized contract.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: The form requires bidders to identify any subcontracted parties, including interpreters and technical providers.Could UNOPS please confirm whether, in the event of contract award, the supplier would be allowed to replace or update subcontracted providers at a later stage when specific services are assigned, provided that any replacement provider meets the required qualifications and service standards?We note that the interpretation rates in the Price Schedule do not appear to vary depending on the event location.Could UNOPS please confirm whether, in cases where no local interpreters are available, transportation and accommodation costs may be charged separately?If so, please confirm how such costs should be reflected in the financial offer, given that the current pricing form does not appear to contain a dedicated line for travel-related expenses.Could UNOPS please confirm whether Armenian is expected only for events in Yerevan and Turkish only for events in Antalya, or whether these language pairs may also be required for events in other locations?In order to prepare our financial offer correctly, could UNOPS please clarify the assumptions to be used for the technical equipment items:How many receivers should bidders calculate for pricing purposes?How many microphones should bidders calculate for pricing purposes?For items 2.1 and 2.2 (portable equipment), how many portable units should bidders assume?Could UNOPS please confirm whether items 2.2 and 2.4 should be understood as referring to full-day services of up to 8 hours?Answers, 1. Yes, UNOPS considers subcontractors. The bidder should explicitly listed in the relevant section of the Returnable Bidding Forms.​ A separate, detailed CV for each individual, using Form F, is mandatory for evaluation. Should the successful bidder need to replace any personnel after the contract is awarded, the replacements must demonstrate skills and experience equivalent to those originally proposed.2. No additional costs will be covered in terms of transportation and/or accommodation3. Armenian is expected for COP31 only.4. listed below, a) Events normally require between 25-50 receivers;b) Microphones are supposed to be considered for the interpreters to be able to translate, so it will depend on the language;c) Refer to reply A.d) YesRegards,UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: We would like to kindly request a clarification regarding Section III – Returnable Bidding Forms, in particular Form F (Format for Resume of Proposed Key Personnel).We note that the document includes two formats under Form F:a detailed CV template for individual personnel; anda summary table listing key personnel with a reference to enclosed CVs.Could you please confirm whether bidders are required to complete both formats, or whether it is sufficient to complete the summary table and provide the corresponding CVs separately?Thank you in advance for your guidance.Answer,You should submit a summary table listing the key personnel and attach a separate, detailed CV for each individual using Form F. These CVs are required for evaluation. Please note that if the successful bidder proposes any replacement personnel after the contract is awarded, those replacements must possess equivalent skills and experience to the individuals originally proposed.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement 

New clarification added: Could UNOPS please clarify whether “key personnel” refers to roles such as Contract Managers and/or Project Managers, or whether CVs are required only for the interpreters proposed for service delivery?Answer,CVs should be provided for evaluation purposes. If the successful bidder decides to change personnel after contract award, any replacement personnel should possess the same level of skills and experience as those originally proposed.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement 

New clarification added: Could UNOPS please confirm whether Armenian and Turkish are required to be quoted at this stage, or whether they are intended to be provided only on demand, if needed during contract implementation?In addition, if bidders do not plan to quote these language pairs now, please confirm whether CVs for Armenian and/or Turkish interpreters are still required at submission stage.Could UNOPS please share the estimated average number of attendees per event, as this would help bidders assess the scope of the interpretation equipment and related logistical requirements.With reference to UNOPS’ clarification that “There is not a specific need for a court interpreter,” could UNOPS please confirm whether bidders are not required to submit any CVs for court interpreters as part of this tender submission, and whether submitting CVs for simultaneous interpreters only would be sufficient.Answer,1. This service will be required on demand and must be accounted for in the bid. CVs should be requested for evaluation purposes. If the successful bidder decides to change personnel after contract award, any replacement personnel should possess the same level of skills and experience as those originally proposed.2. Estimated average number varies depending on the location. It could be 30 or it could be 50 or 100. Kindly provide different options.3. No need to provide court interpreters.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement  

New clarification added: Dear Sir/Madam,I hope you are well.We are currently reviewing the RFQ for the Establishment of a BPA for in-person simultaneous interpretation, translation support, interpretation equipment, and recording services for UNOPS projects. To ensure we submit an accurate and fully compliant quotation, we would appreciate clarification on the following points:Could you please confirm whether Armenian language support is required for the Armenia event, as it is mentioned in the overview but not reflected in the event language table?Could you kindly confirm whether the required Portuguese is Brazilian Portuguese or European Portuguese?Please confirm whether bidders may quote for interpretation services only, excluding equipment and recording, or if full-service delivery is mandatory.Could you please clarify what is included under “portable equipment” — full SI setup (booths, receivers, technician) or only mobile/portable units?Could you please confirm the expected number of headsets per event, or whether bidders may quote based on participant brackets (50 / 100 / 150)?Please confirm whether bidders may submit a lump sum rate for a standard 4-hour interpretation block instead of an hourly rate.Answer,1. For the Armenian interpretation, that would be for COP17 in Armenia.2. Brazilian Portuguese3. While UNOPS reserves the right to award contracts to multiple vendors, it is mandatory that a single vendor provides both the required interpretation services and the necessary equipment. Consequently, partial bids are not permissible. You should submit a quote that encompasses all required services.4. Please provide a complete list of options for both the full setup (including booths and receivers) and/or the mobile/portable units.5. Bidders should provide quotes for two scenarios: an estimated 25 people and an estimated 50 people, as the final number of attendees is variable.6. Kindly quote of both hourly rate and standard 4 hour. Regards,UNOPS- Procurement 

New clarification added: Updated clarification request:Dear Team,We have a few questions regarding the RFQ and would greatly appreciate your clarification. A prompt response would help us finalise and submit our offer within the deadline.First, we would like to better understand the requirements for a court interpreter. As multiple events are planned with conference interpreters already assigned, could you please clarify the specific context in which a court interpreter would be needed?In particular, we would appreciate your guidance on the following points:Are these interpreters expected to be physically present at specific locations, or would remote support be acceptable?How does this requirement relate to the scope of work involving equipment-supported conference interpreting?Is the expectation to have at least one interpreter per location with prior experience in the specified subject matters?We are asking this as we considered whether the underlying need might be for interpreters with a strong legal background and experience in the specified subject areas, rather than strictly court-certified interpreters. If this is the case, we would be happy to propose suitable profiles accordingly. Please let us know if this aligns with your expectations.We understand that partial submissions may not be permitted; however, could you kindly confirm whether the RFQ may be awarded to multiple vendors?Answer,Answer,1. UNOPS does not require court interpreters.2. Not Applicable.3. Yes, UNOPS requires at least one interpreter per language.4. Not applicable.5. UNOPS reserves the option to award contracts to multiple vendors.Regards,UNOPS- Procurement  

New clarification added: Dear UNOPS Procurement,I hope you are doing well.Can you please clarify the following:1. Are partial bids allowed for this RFQ?2. The interpreting event schedule does not contain information about Armenian interpreters. Can you please clarify the location where the Armenian interpreters might be needed?3. How many CVs per language / per location do you require?4. How shall we prepare the price offer if the rates of interpreters vary based on the location? For example interpreters in NYC might have higher rates than those in Antalya, etc. Can we provide the rates separately for each location?5. When quoting the equipment, you require a lump sum based on the length of the session, however the equipment rental is charged based on the amount of equipment. How shall we quote it without the knowledge of how many booths, transmitters, microphones, receivers, etc. will be needed? Can we provide rates for each item per 1/2 day, or full day instead?6. Recording - do we understand correctly that this should cover the interpreters´ fees for recordin/broadcasting or do you require the technical team to do the recording as well?Asnwer,1. While UNOPS reserves the right to award contracts to multiple vendors, it is mandatory that a single vendor provides both the required interpretation services and the necessary equipment. Consequently, partial bids are not permissible. You should submit a quote that encompasses all required services.2. The Armenian interpretation services are specifically required for COP17, which will be held in Armenia.3. Since meetings typically run for one to three hours, it is recommended to have two interpreters assigned for each language.4. We acknowledge and fully comprehend your concern regarding the variation in translation pricing across different locations. Regarding the financial quotation, you are required to furnish the cost of the translation to each location. Nonetheless, for the purposes of our internal processing and subsequent evaluation, the average cost shall be utilized.5. Please provide the per language cost for the interpretation booths, differentiating between half-day and full-day rates.6. The price for the recording should be a single cost per language. This rate must cover the complete service for recordingRegards,UNOPS- Procurement

New clarification added: Dear Team, it is acceptable to upload a Technical Offer including detailed information about our company and services in the scope of this RFQ? If yes, can we upload it along with the Form C Technical Quotation Form? We would like to know if any additional documents besides the requested ones can be uploaded to the platform. Thank you.Answer,Please be advised that the completion of Form C is a mandatory requirement for your technical submission. Additionally, you may include any supplemental documents or templates that you believe will further support your technical offer.Regards,UNOPS-Procurement

New clarification added: Dear Sir/Madam, The tender documents haa outlined the number of events and locations; however, in the pricing list there is only one column for equipment. And equipment costs vary from country to country, could you clarify how you would like us to reflect this on their pricing template?  Should we add separate lines for each country, or will you be providing an updated pricing template? Or is there another approach you would prefer us to follow?Answer,We acknowledge and fully comprehend your concern regarding the variation in equipment pricing across different locations.Regarding the financial quotation, you are required to furnish the cost of the equipment specific to each location. Nonetheless, for the purposes of our internal processing and subsequent evaluation, the average cost shall be utilized.

New clarification added: Dear Team,We have a few questions regarding the RFQ and would appreciate your clarification:Could you please clarify the requirement for a court interpreter? As multiple events are planned with conference interpreters already assigned, we would like to understand whether there is a specific need for a court interpreter. Additionally, would not providing a court interpreter have any impact on the evaluation or scoring?Our company operates in Türkiye, the UK, and the USA. While this RFQ covers events across multiple countries, we would be particularly well-positioned to support your event(s) in Türkiye. We understand that partial submissions are not permitted; however, could you kindly confirm whether the RFQ may be awarded to multiple vendors? This would allow us to potentially support selected events, especially those in Türkiye.Answer,There is not a specific need for a court interpreter.UNOPS reserves the option to award contracts to multiple vendors. However, please note that partial submissions may present significant logistical challenges. It is essential that both interpretation services and the required equipment are provided by the same vendor to ensure seamless coordination and service delivery.