Provision of Transcription Services

By way of this Request for Expression of Interest (REOI), the United Nations Procurement Division seeks expressions of interest from qualified service providers capable of delivering the following services in support of the United Nations Investigations Division:This is NOT the actual solicitation. The UN will be issuing an RFP solicitation for these services at a later stage with the detailed requirements Transcription Services – Accurate and complete transcription of audio-recorded investigative interviews into written text format. Interviews may be conducted in English, French, Arabic, or Spanish. The anticipated contract term is three (3) years, with the option, at the sole discretion of the United Nations, to extend the contract for up to two (2) additional one-year periods under the same or substantially similar terms and conditions. The selected contractor shall be responsible for: • Transcribing audio recordings of investigative interviews into accurate, complete, and professionally formatted text documents; • Providing a secure mechanism for the transfer, receipt, and return of audio files, transcripts, and related documents; • Implementing and maintaining appropriate legal, technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of all information entrusted to the contractor; • Maintaining robust data management and information security protocols, including controlled access, auditability, secure storage, and documented handling procedures for sensitive investigative materials; and • Complying with all United Nations confidentiality, data protection, and information security requirements, including any requirements relating to offline hosting or restricted processing environments that may be specified in the solicitation documents. The services involve highly sensitive and confidential investigative information. Accordingly, the contractor must demonstrate the ability to protect information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or loss throughout the entire lifecycle of the engagement. The United Nations Investigations Division conducts investigations worldwide within the diverse, multicultural environment of the United Nations. These investigations concern allegations of misconduct involving United Nations personnel, contractors, and vendors. The subject matter varies significantly and may include fraud, corruption, abuse of authority, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, and other forms of misconduct. Interviews constitute a critical component of virtually all investigations. These interviews are typically conducted in a deposition-style format by trained investigators, with a lead investigator asking questions and the interviewee providing responses. When interviews are audio-recorded, the recordings must be accurately transcribed into written form for use in internal administrative proceedings. Such proceedings include the preparation of investigation reports that reference specific portions of the transcript, as well as administrative hearings and disciplinary processes presided over by judicial or quasi-judicial authorities. Accordingly, all transcriptions must be accurate, complete, reliable, and capable of withstanding scrutiny in administrative and legal proceedings. Interviews may be conducted in English, French, Arabic, or Spanish, and transcription services must support these languages. Given the highly sensitive nature of investigative materials, confidentiality, security, and discretion are of paramount importance. Personnel performing transcription services, as well as the systems used to process, store, and manage records, must incorporate appropriate and demonstrable legal, technical, administrative, and physical safeguards. Compliance with applicable data protection and confidentiality requirements is mandatory. All investigative data, audio recordings, transcripts, and related records must be managed in accordance with approved security protocols. Data hosting and storage solutions must be maintained on secure offline servers and must not utilize public cloud-based services unless expressly authorized by the United Nations. Vendors shall demonstrate robust information security controls, secure handling procedures, restricted access protocols, and documented chain-of-custody measures for all records entrusted to their care. ATTENTION: The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated transcription, or speech-to-text tools shall be permitted only where such tools operate in a secure environment that is not connected to public cloud-based services and complies with all United Nations confidentiality, security, and data protection requirements. Any AI-assisted output must be reviewed, verified, corrected, and finalized by a qualified human transcriptionist to ensure completeness, accuracy, proper formatting, and clear identification of speakers throughout the transcript. The Contractor shall ensure compliance with these requirements by all subcontractors and third parties engaged in performance of the contract. Any breach of this requirement shall constitute a material breach of contract. Anticipated Volume of Services The estimated annual volume of services is as follows: • Between 75 and 150 interviews per year, with an average duration of approximately three (3) hours per interview. • Transcribed interview records typically range from 50 to 100 pages per interview (U.S. Letter format, double-spaced). The volumes provided above are estimates only and do not constitute a commitment by the United Nations to procure any minimum quantity of services. Vendor Eligibility and Qualifications Interested vendors must possess the requisite technical expertise, qualified personnel, operational capacity, and information security controls necessary to provide the required transcription services. Vendors expressing interest must be registered in the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) at the appropriate level and maintain an active registration status in order to be eligible to participate in any subsequent solicitation process. The United Nations reserves the right to award any resulting contract(s) to one or more vendors and may split the award among multiple vendors if deemed to be in the best interests of the Organization. Response Requirements Interested firms must complete and submit the Vendor Response Form by the deadline specified in this Request for Expression of Interest (REOI). 1. The Vendor Response Form must be completed in its entirety. 2. Vendors must comply with all instructions contained in the REOI documentation. Failure to provide complete information or to comply with the stated requirements may result in disqualification. 3. The United Nations reserves the right to reject any Expression of Interest that is incomplete, non-compliant, or received after the specified closing date and time. 4. Due to the anticipated volume of submissions, acknowledgment of receipt will not be provided. Important Notice This Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) is issued solely for the purpose of identifying qualified vendors interested in participating in a future solicitation process. This REOI does not constitute a solicitation, request for proposal, contract award, or commitment of any kind by the United Nations. The United Nations may, at its sole discretion, issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) or other solicitation document for these services at a later date. Specific Requirements/Information It is highly desirable for vendors expressing interest to have experience with international/regional/governmental organizations. At a later stage, vendors expressing interest shall be required to provide information on experience working with investigations or comparable services. NOTE: this REOI is an opportunity for vendors to Express their Interest. This is NOT the actual solicitation. The UN will be issuing an RFP solicitation for these services at a later stage, with the detailed requirements. This REOI does not constitute a solicitation, request for proposal, contract award, or commitment of any kind by the United Nations. The United Nations may, at its sole discretion, issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) or other solicitation document for these services at a later date.