TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES

Job Description

1. Background

Established in 2005, Commerce Equitable Afrique trading as Fairtrade Africa (FTA) is the independent nonprofit umbrella organization representing all Fairtrade certified producers in Africa. Currently, the organization represents over 1,400,000 producers across 29 countries in Africa. Fairtrade Africa is owned by its members, who are African producer organizations certified against international Fairtrade Standards producing traditional export commodities such as coffee, cocoa, tea, cutflowers, cane sugar, wine, cotton, bananas, mango, pineapples and non-traditional commodities including shea butter, rooibos tea, vegetables and fresh and dry fruits. The Fairtrade Africa secretariat is in Nairobi, Kenya and supports producers from four regional network offices as follows:

• The Fairtrade Africa Western Africa Network (FTA-WAN) with offices in Accra and Kumasi in Ghana and Abidjan and Yamoussoukro in Cote d’Ivoire
• The Fairtrade Africa Eastern and Central Africa Network (FTA-ECAN) with an office in Nairobi and Naivasha, Kenya and Addis Abba, in Ethiopia.
• Fairtrade Africa Southern Africa Network (FTA-SAN) with an office in Cape Town, South Africa and Blantyre, Malawi.

2. Purpose of the Assignment

Fairtrade Africa (FTA) invites qualified and experienced service providers to submit proposals for the provision of Simultaneous Interpretation and Translation Services for FTA meetings, conferences, and official engagements conducted both virtually and physically.

This RFP is issued to establish a framework arrangement for interpretation and translation services over a defined period.

3. Objective of the TOR

The objective of this RFP is to identify and engage a competent service provider capable of delivering accurate, timely, and professional simultaneous interpretation and translation services that support effective communication during Fairtrade Africa meetings and conferences.

4. Scope of Services

The successful bidder will be required to provide the following services:

4.1 Simultaneous Interpretation Services

✓ Provision of professional simultaneous interpreters for FTA meetings and conferences.
✓ Deployment of two interpreters per language, working as a team, per assignment.
✓ Interpretation services for both virtual and physical meetings.
✓ Primary working languages shall be English, French and Arabic.
✓ Additional languages may be requested on a need basis, subject to prior agreement on costs.

4.2 Translation Services

✓ Translation of official FTA documents between English, French and Arabic (and other languages as agreed).
✓ Proofreading and quality assurance of all translated documents prior to submission.

4.3 Translation and Interpretation Equipment

Overall provision of translation and Interpretation equipment. Bidders should indicate rate per person and/or per lot.
4.4 Quality Assurance and Risk Mitigation

The bidder must demonstrate the capacity to ensure uninterrupted service delivery, including:

✓ Monitoring of interpretation channels during live sessions.
✓ Availability of standby interpreters to step in in case of technical or performance issues.
✓ Reliable power backup and stable internet connectivity.
✓ Access to studio facilities where required.

4.5 Timeliness

✓ Delivery of all interpretation and translation assignments within agreed timelines.

5. Duration and Timeline

The framework agreement shall be valid for a period of two (2) years, subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds.

6. Eligibility Requirements

Interested bidders must meet the following minimum requirements:

a) Demonstrated experience in providing simultaneous interpretation and translation services, preferably for international or regional organizations.
b) Availability of qualified professional interpreters and translators for English and Arabic.
c) Technical capacity to support both virtual and physical meetings.
d) Proof of legal registration and statutory compliance.
e) Ability to meet quality standards and delivery timelines
7. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated using a Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) method as follows:

7.1 Technical Evaluation – 70%

Criteria Maximum Score

Relevant experience in interpretation and translation services: 25

Qualifications and experience of interpreters/translators: 20

Criteria Maximum Score

Proposed methodology, quality assurance and risk mitigation: 15

Technical capacity for virtual and physical meetings: 10

Total Technical Score: 70

N/B: Only bidders who score at least 50/70 of the technical score will be considered for financial evaluation.

7.2 Financial Evaluation – 30%

Criteria Maximum Score

Cost competitiveness and clarity of financial proposal: 30

7.3 Combined Score

The bidder with the highest combined technical and financial score will be recommended for award, subject to due diligence, reference checks, and internal approvals.

8. Submission of Proposals

Bidders are required to submit separate Technical and Financial Proposals as outlined below:

8.1 Technical Proposal

The Technical Proposal should include:

✓ Company profile and relevant experience
✓ Description of proposed approach and methodology
✓ Profiles and experience of interpreters and translators
✓ Quality assurance and risk mitigation measures
✓ Technical capacity for virtual and physical meetings

8.2 Financial Proposal

The Financial Proposal should include:

✓ Detailed cost breakdown for interpretation and translation services
✓ Detailed cost breakdown for interpretation and translation equipment
✓ Applicable taxes and any other charges
✓ Any assumptions or conditions related to pricing

9. Submission Instructions

i. Proposals must be submitted electronically to: procurement@fairtradeafrica.net.
ii. Subject line: “Translation and Interpretation Services ”.
iii. Deadline: 17th February 2026 11:59PM EAT.
iv. Technical and Financial Proposals must be submitted as two separate documents.
v. Financial Proposal must have costs for equipment and costs for translation/interpretation services.

vi. Late submissions will NOT be considered.
vii. Validity of the Proposal: 90 days from submission deadline

10. Confidentiality

All information provided by Fairtrade Africa or submitted by bidders shall be treated as confidential and shall be used solely for the purposes of this RFP.

11. Rights of FTA

Fairtrade Africa reserves the right to:

✓ Accept or reject any proposal
✓ Annul the procurement process at any stage without incurring any liability
✓ Award the contract in whole or in part

NOTE:

i. Only shortlisted candidates/firms will be contacted.
ii. The Financial Bid submitted will be treated as the Best and Final Offer (BAFO).