ToR: Procurement of Accessible Information and Communication Materials

Background

The Ethiopian Federation of Persons with Disabilities (FEAPD) is an umbrella organization committed to promoting the rights, inclusion, participation, and empowerment of persons with disabilities in Ethiopia. The Federation works with member organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), government institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders to advance disability-inclusive policies and practices.

The We Can Work Project aims to promote the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in employment and the world of work by strengthening access to information, advocacy, awareness, and disability-inclusive policies and practices.

Accessible information is essential to ensuring that persons with disabilities can understand their rights, participate in advocacy, and access employment-related opportunities. To address communication barriers, FEAPD seeks to engage qualified service providers to translate and produce disability-related policy and advocacy materials in accessible formats for persons with different disabilities.

Purpose of the TOR

The purpose of this TOR is to invite qualified and experienced service providers to submit competitive technical and financial proposals for translating, producing, and disseminating accessible information materials under the We Can Work Project.

The assignment will ensure that the UNCRPD, Ethiopian National Disability Policy/Act, African Disability Protocol (ADP), and advocacy workbook are made available in appropriate languages and accessible formats, in accordance with agreed quality standards and within 21 calendar days of contract signing.

Scope of Work

The assignment comprises the following four service domains. Interested bidders may apply for one or more domains, provided they demonstrate the relevant technical capacity, experience, and ability to meet the required delivery deadline.

Domain 1: Translation and Printing of Written Materials

The selected service provider shall:

• Translate the UNCRPD, Ethiopian National Disability Policy/Act and ADP into Afaan Oromo, and Wolaitigna languages.
• Ensure accuracy, consistency, cultural appropriateness, and clear use of disability-related terminology.
• Conduct professional proofreading, editing, and language quality assurance.
• Format and print the translated materials according to specifications agreed with FEAPD.
• Submit the final printed materials and editable electronic files.

Domain 2: Audio Translation and Production

The selected service provider shall:

• Produce audio versions of the UNCRPD, Ethiopian National Disability Policy/Act, ADP, and advocacy workbook in to Amharic, Afaan Oromo, and Wolaitigna.
• Engage qualified speakers proficient in the respective languages.
• Ensure clear pronunciation, appropriate narration, complete content coverage, and professional audio editing.
• Provide final recordings in accessible digital formats, including MP3 or another format approved by FEAPD.
• Submit all approved audio files for distribution and use.

Domain 3: Braille Transcription and Production

The selected service provider shall:

• Transcribe the agreed source materials into accurate and readable Braille.
• Apply recognized Braille transcription and formatting standards.
• Ensure quality control through review by a competent Braille specialist.
• Produce 100 copies of the agreed Braille materials.
• Deliver the completed copies and relevant electronic files, where applicable.

Domain 4: Easy-to-Read, Tactile, and Large-Print Accessible Materials

The selected service provider shall:

• Develop easy-to-read materials using clear language, simple sentence structures, logical layouts, and appropriate illustrations or symbols where useful.
• Produce large-print materials with legible fonts, appropriate spacing, strong contrast, and accessible layouts.
• Incorporate tactile features where required and appropriate to the intended users and agreed specifications.
• Produce the agreed materials in Amharic, Afaan Oromo, and Wolaitigna.
• Produce 100 copies per language, subject to confirmation of the final specifications and quantities by FEAPD.
• Conduct accessibility and quality checks before final production and submission.

Expected Deliverables

The selected service provider(s) shall deliver:

1. An inception note and detailed work plan, including methodology, quality assurance procedures, and a schedule for completing the assignment within 14 calendar days.
2. Professionally translated, edited, and printed materials in Amharic, Afaan Oromo, and Wolaitigna.
3. Final audio versions of the specified policy and advocacy materials in the three languages.
4. One hundred copies of the agreed Braille materials.
5. Easy-to-read, large-print, and agreed tactile materials in the three languages, in the quantities approved by FEAPD.
6. Editable source files and final digital versions in appropriate formats.
7. A quality assurance report confirming accuracy, completeness, accessibility, and compliance with agreed specifications.
8. A final handover of all approved materials to FEAPD within the contractual deadline.

All deliverables shall be submitted for FEAPD’s review and formal acceptance.

Assignment Duration and Schedule

The assignment shall be completed within 14 calendar days from contract signing.

Bidders shall demonstrate their ability to undertake activities concurrently where necessary to meet the deadline.

Roles and Responsibilities

FEAPD shall:

• Provide source documents and relevant project information.
• Confirm language, quantity, design, and accessibility specifications.
• Review submitted drafts and provide consolidated feedback.
• Inspect and formally accept completed deliverables.
• Process payments in accordance with the signed contract and applicable procedures.

The selected service provider(s) shall:

• Provide qualified personnel and necessary production resources.
• Maintain professional standards, accuracy, confidentiality, and accessibility.
• Incorporate feedback and correct agreed deficiencies.
• Comply with the approved work plan and 14-calendar-day deadline.
• Obtain FEAPD’s approval before making substantive changes to the source materials or agreed specifications.

Confidentiality and Intellectual Property

All source documents and project information shall be treated as confidential. The selected service provider(s) shall not publish, distribute, or use FEAPD materials for other purposes without prior written authorization.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, final deliverables, editable files, and project-specific outputs produced under this assignment shall become the property of FEAPD upon completion and payment. The service provider(s) shall comply with applicable copyright, ethical, accessibility, and data protection requirements.

General Conditions

• The TOR does not guarantee contract award to any bidder.
• FEAPD reserves the right to verify submitted information and references.
• FEAPD reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal in accordance with its procurement procedures.
• Any clarification or amendment to this TOR shall be communicated through the official procurement process.
• The successful bidder(s) shall enter into a formal contract with FEAPD before commencing the assignment.
• FEAPD has the right to accept or reject the bid fully or partially.
• Eligible bidders may obtain further information from FEAPD office on working hours
• For further information please call 011 – 1553003 / 0994 – 236308

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

Interested bidders must demonstrate:

• Valid legal registration and authorization to provide the services offered in Ethiopia.
• Proven experience in translation, accessible publishing, audio production, Braille transcription, or related services relevant to the domain(s) applied for.
• Access to qualified language professionals proficient in the required languages.
• Appropriate technical equipment, production capacity, and quality assurance procedures.
• Experience working with disability organizations, accessibility standards, inclusive communication, or development projects as an advantage.
• Capacity to mobilize qualified personnel and complete the assignment within the specified timeframe.
• At least two relevant samples of previous work or references from comparable assignments.

Bidders may apply for individual domains or multiple domains, provided that their technical and financial proposals clearly identify the services offered and demonstrate the capacity to deliver them.

Proposal Submission Requirements

Interested bidders shall submit the following:

A. Technical Proposal

• Company profile and valid registration documents.
• Evidence of relevant experience and previous assignments.
• Proposed methodology and production approach.
• Qualifications and experience of key personnel.
• A detailed work plan demonstrating completion within 21 calendar days.
• Quality assurance and accessibility measures.
• Samples of relevant previous work, where available.

B. Financial Proposal

• An itemized financial quotation for each domain applied for.
• Unit costs and total costs for the proposed services and deliverables.
• Printing, production, and other relevant service costs, clearly identified.
• Applicable taxes and other charges, clearly indicated.
• Proposed payment terms and quotation validity period.

Bidders applying for multiple domains shall provide a separate cost breakdown for each domain.

Evaluation and Selection Criteria

Proposals shall be evaluated competitively based on the following criteria:

FEAPD may establish a minimum technical passing score in accordance with its procurement procedures. The final selection shall consider technical compliance, relevant experience, delivery capacity, financial competitiveness, and value for money.

Quality Assurance and Acceptance

The selected service provider(s) shall ensure that:

• All translations accurately reflect the meaning of the original documents.
• Audio recordings are complete, clear, professionally edited, and accessible.
• Braille materials are accurately transcribed and reviewed by competent specialists.
• Easy-to-read, large-print, and tactile materials meet agreed accessibility requirements.
• Printed materials are complete, legible, correctly formatted, and free from material production defects.
• All deliverables comply with the approved specifications and FEAPD’s feedback.
• Identified deficiencies attributable to the service provider are corrected at no additional cost.

Final acceptance shall be confirmed by FEAPD following inspection and verification of the contracted deliverables.